As the heralding blasts of the buisines fade into the distance and the confetti is unceremoniously cleared from the hallowed stage of Moscone West, the epic images and revelations of the 2009 WWDC keynote are still dancing within my mind like the night before a family trip to the happiest place on earth, the Apple Store (you thought I was going to type Disneyland).
As my thumb grew sore from the constant refreshing of the two live blogs I impatiently viewed (thanks Ars and Gizmodo), I was astonished at all that was revealed. Everyone has been and is quick to disparage Apple as a behemoth which cares nothing about its customers nor the suffering world economy. For years, the villagers, with torches in hand, have angrily pounded the castle doors of Cupertino as their cries of, “too much for too little” have, to them, fallen of deaf ears.
Apple answered those cries in the first few moments of yesterday’s keynote. Not only has the purveyor of the most sumptuous of fruit reduced the price of their popular unibody MacBook line, but they have added the desired features that were missing from the first generation of the aluminum clad line of hardware delectables. Now every MacBook has FireWire and, sans the perennial White model, a backlit keyboard, plus many of the performance enhancements commensurate with the “Pro” designation. Finally, one may purchase a 13″ MacBook and not suffer a major performance body blow for the effort.
Then, to further buttress my contention, Apple decided to offer its forthcoming snow covered update to Leopard for $30.00. While this new version of the OS may not offer the requisite features galore, the architectural and performance enhancements will have a more profound impact on the OS than any bell or whistle. I am so proud of Apple for resisting the monetary prospects of another feature upgrade in leu of a substantial tightening up of the OS. Well done Apple!
A little over a year ago, I was at my local ATT store purchasing my new iPhone 3G. With the pain of paying the full price for the original iPhone lingering in my mind and wallet, the $299.00 subsidized price of the 16g iPhone 3G was the best salve possible. As I happily walked out of the store, my new iPhone 3G in hand, all was right with the world.
Fast forward to June 8, 2009. As I anxiously called up the Apple Store to place my pre-order for the new iPhone 3G S, the early adopter pain of June 2007 raised its ugly head once more and mercilessly attacked me as though I was the first Nathan’s dog in the hand of a hungry Joey Chestnut (google Joey Chestnut).
ATT, has decided that they will not subsidize the early adopters as they had in 2008. If I was going to own the latest and greatest in Apple cellular hardware, I was going to pay dearly for the PRIVILEGE.
Yes, the pain was severe but familiar. One can not have been an Apple fan oh these many years and not know of the pain about which I write. I knew too well how the jubilation and pride over my new iPhone would lesson the pain. The jealous ogling at my local Starbucks would help on that dark day when my bank statement would finally arrive to reveal what I had done.
Yes, I ordered it! God help me, I am hopelessly hooked. There is no cure for what I have. It is terminal (to my bank account). However, there are two silver linings in all of this. First, is a sense of validation I feel in the direction Apple has taken regarding features and price point. Second, the sense of pure joy in the knowledge that Guy now has NO excuse not to become an iPhone junkie. Can you say, 32g iPhone? Welcome home Guy, we have been waiting for you! Cue sinister and menacing music.
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