Apple Keynote
2 Sep
Yaaaaaay! Yesterday was the Apple Keynote speech. As usual, Steve was enchanting and charming and wonderful. I’m such an Apple geek that we basically shut down the studio while it was on and watched it like a captive audience. I’m really impressed by Apple as a company because they really listen to their consumers.
Take Apple TV, for example. Originally, it wasn’t something I’d really want to buy. It seemed nice, but definitely not high on my list of priorities because it wasn’t really something I needed and it was a bit too cumbersome to be worth it. Now with the difference in design, the partnership with Netflix and the relatively low rental fees, I am seriously considering getting it at some point. I don’t watch that much TV, but I love movies. Plus, I’ve been getting a lot of TV show recommendations as of late. Maybe I’ll start getting more into True Blood after all. Plus, I love the idea of using an iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone as a remote control.
The iPod Nano is so cute I could just eat it. I think the design is inspired and it’s a huge step up for the product, based entirely on what consumers wanted. Touch screen is in, so why not make it available on all their stuff? I know I have an iPod Touch, but I want the new little Nano. Maybe I can justify it because I’ve been going on more walks/jogs lately and I need something a little more portable.
Obviously, there wasn’t that much they could do with the iPod Touch. It’s already pretty amazing. Still, the addition of Face Time is great… Mike has an iPhone, so if I had just held out for the new iPod Touch, we could have had video chats. That said, we live together and we work together all day, so there isn’t really a need. But still, it would be so cool!
I don’t know exactly how I feel about the iTunes social networking idea. It’s a lot (almost exactly) like Last.Fm. At the same time, I do think it’s a good idea to have it integrated into iTunes itself just because it’s so convenient and you’re already there, so why not talk about it? Personally, I don’t use the iTunes store as much as some people (I have so many beloved CDs transferred onto my iTunes… I don’t condone piracy!) but I might find myself on there more now that there’s the social media element, too. Not like I don’t already spend way too much time involved with social media…
Finally, Violet Blue pointed out that the Lady Gaga Ping demo cut out a number of her pro-gay tweets and that just makes me really sad. I don’t understand why Apple does things like that, whether it be their odd avoidance of gay rights issues or their pornless view of their company, but it always gives me a twinge of dissatisfaction as an avid Mac Evangelist. Hopefully they’ll listen to their customers about this too and be more open about sexuality in the future, just like they listened to us about all of the technical aspects of their company.
Apple geek here, as well. I watched the live feed at work while everyone else, uh… worked. Never thought I’d want Apple TV, but I think I’m going to get it (same reason you mentioned – minus True Blood). I have an iPhone, so unless the Nano comes in 128GB or neatly fits around my penis… probably not for me. I played with iTunes 10 last night, signed into Ping and was about to use it when I realized that they wanted to use my real name – the same one tied to my billing account (Melvin P. Stinklepooper). Not sure I want to go all Facebook, but I like the concept of a music-based feed that easily tells people what I’ve purchased or listened to. Then, again… my Blip.FM posts automatically feed my Facebook account. Add Twitter to the mix and maybe I have one too many sites. Still… Ping has promise. Probably.
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Camille Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 10:41 am
I agree on all points. The Nano is super cute, but I just want it because I like cute little things. I personally can’t imagine I’ll be using Ping too much, but it’s not really a bad idea…
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It’s completely cool to call one’s self an “Apple Geek” but the reality is most Apple appreciators are Apple Artists. The difference between the Android dweebs and Apple geeks is humanistic
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Camille Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 9:40 am
I completely agree, Kell! There is a real special quality about all us Apple obsessives that you just don’t see in the average geek. We’re a cut above.
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I got the original AppleTV a few years ago and it really hasn’t been very good. I’ve hacked it and restored it and gave up on it. I was thinking about a Roku or Neuros type box, but my PS3 has taken over. Netflix is the killer app. I just hate having to use the disk for this.
Microsoft has had an anti-competitive contract for the Xbox to prevent Wii and PS3 from going disk-free. But it looks like the new AppleTV is timed to take over right as this deal comes to an end. When I saw the addition of Netflix, I pre-ordered as soon as the store was back on line! Smaller, cooler are big pluses as well. You could fry eggs on the old AppleTVs. Cheaper, more powerful, and with Netflix? It is, how you say, no-brainer.
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Camille Reply:
September 7th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Yeah, those old Apple TV boxes seemed really cumbersome and no doubt heat up like gangbusters, but with all the new innovations you mentioned, I think it’s the perfect time to buy.
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