Apple User Podcast

As I was searching for User Groups today on Apple.com, I noticed Apple has overlooked this part of their website which is sorely in need of redesign. Check out the OS X 10.3 style of the page: 

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

Android, it’s not a code name or a phrase from Star Wars or other Science Fiction movies. Android means Google, exactly Google’s march into the cell phone market.

Steve Horowitz, Technology President, shows in a youtube clip the possibilities the new phone is already able of. His model and all the coming future phones are based on an open source software operating system and software platform for mobile phones. The first pictures have been very impressive, the look is nice and up to date. The display looks like Apple’s iPhone and a shown touch display reminds on it as well. Google’s own web browser shows Internet pages like Safari and of course they are moveable with the finger. Another feature is a so called history function that shows the visited pages in cover flow style. In one point is the Google device one step ahead. Google wants already developers for 3rd party applications and goes in a totally different direction as Apple and that could be the big advantage for Google because in the 1980’s Apple restricted system access made Microsoft to a giant on the market. Could history repeat itself? I hope not.

But if the Android based platform gets all the application that Apple’s iPhone does not have, history could happen again. But fortunately Apple is always good for a big surprise and in next year’s middle we can expect new applications and functions for the iPhone. But the best thing for us end users is: competition keeps the market alive and pushes the development so far forward. I’m for my self very curious what the next months will be like!

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

In the beginning was a promise, a man and a crowd of fans. The man gave the promise that the year 2007 is going to be great and the crowd was waiting and thinking.

Now, 2007 is almost over, it is time to look back. I am sitting in my time machine and travel trough these Apple year. My first stop brings my to the iPhone, that device what brought the touch screen to us and let us thinking about future iPods. The iPhone was a hammer, it came like a hurricane and rocks still. The sky was open and deep blue. A couple of days later got the iPhone 3rd party applications which unlocked the iPhone and darkened the iPhone partner AT&T and the Apple sky. With the next upgrade was that issue fixed and left angry iPhone user topped by a price policy that made the iPhone so cheap that early iPhone buyers were upset about Jobs and his strategy to open a market for more user. But with an open letter to those early buyers and a refund was that issue fixed and the Apple community nearly satisfied. Why only nearly? Because with the updated iPhone, self written iPhone application became impossible. But like in a chess game Jobs placed another clever move. He saw the potential and the creativity of added iPhone application and set up the SDK, the software developer’s kit that will allows developers to write native application for the iPhone and for the magic iPod Touch. With that move Jobs opens not only great possibilities, he opens also a brand new market for application writers as well as a new income source.

The year continued with a new iMac range. Surprisingly all the iMacs have got a glossy screen and the Apple community was divided once again. For sure, the glossy screen makes colours deeper and looks great compare with the rest of the PC’s, but a choice between glossy and not glossy would be the better solution. Parallel with the new iMac came the new iWork and iLife with very nice features like Numbers. But that’s not all, my journey continue.

With the latest keynote, Apple delivered a completed revised iPod generation and shows for everybody where the entertainment industry is going. Listen to music is not the only thing anymore to make customer happy. Jobs presented what everybody is dreaming of, a small device that plays music and allows to watch movies and photos for a small price. The new iPod Nano became such a great tool and lets think about the needlessness of the new iPod Classic beside his big brother - the iPod Touch. Apple developed consistent the idea of useable touch screens and delivers with the iPod Touch a very desirable device that everybody wants to call his own especially with the coming SDK possibilities.

And just a couple of hours ago, Apple released finally that so long expected Operating System called Leopard, actually expected for spring. With more than 300 new features and miles ahead of Vista is Leopard my last journey’s station and even for an Apple user like me was my trip trough 2007 a long trip and after so many new developed things comes the time to lay back and to enjoy everything.

In 2007, Apple shows a very impressive and strong year, Apple is even on the right track with the coming SDK and is so good placed on the marked like never before. Apple delivers everything what a modern customer is looking for, computers with own hardware and software, own operating system, own music players included a music market called iTunes - also with big potential! And last but not least, Apple’s stock price shows the incredible performance of 2007. So if you have anything amazing to tell about your Apple year, fell free to post your comment on our page right behind that comment. I really would like to know how do you think about Apple’s strategy, performance and what do you maybe miss or missed.

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

At the beginning of September Steve Jobs introduced the all new iPods and of course the so long desired iPod touch. But at the end he had as usual ‚one more thing’ and that thing upsets few customers. Apple dropped the price of their iPhone by US$200, just two month after it went on sale. Jobs received lots of E-mails and letters on behalf of those price dropping. For all those angry customers Jobs wrote an open letter and offers those early buyers a rebate or any other consideration last week.

Just to clear the situation: There are two groups outside. One is Apple and the other are the customer. Apple did a massive step forward with the iPhone and shows the possibilities of combination of electronically devices in one. The first days have been a success like never before in Apple’s history. So far Apple sold over one million iPhones! And now knocks the holiday season on the door and Jobs wants to offer the iPhone to more customers. The best way to do that is dropping the price. So he did. And by the way that is not unusual. He has to lead a company with the goal to get the best result. So, why are the ‚early buyers’ so angry and speaking about the so called iWar?

Well, from their point of view they could be right. A massive price drop of US$200 is a lot. But folks that is capitalism. The market has his own rules and by the way such price droppings are not so unusual for Apple after a while. The valued iPhone customers and lucky iPhone owners were so keen about that, the could not even wait to get one however the high price is like. And Steve Jobs is right when he is writing in that open letter: ‚If you always wait fort the next price cut or to buy new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon.’ And that the iPhone is a very right technology device shows their sale numbers.

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

Breathless, running heartbeats, exciting. Folks, if you think I am talking about love then I have to let you know: Yes I do. It happend this morning in my email box. I saw this beauty, unbelievable nice computer. And unable to find words, just a huge WOW came over my lips. I know that rumours were around about the new outfit and shots of the new keyboard have been shown as well, but folks that thing looks gorgeous! In comparision with every other Desktop PC this machine is unbeatable: Fast, nice, thin, stylish! Just a very, very tastefull machine. And just in case if you don’t got it, I am not talking about a girl, but about a thing that is beautiful too, it’s the new iMac! Also the new design line: Aluminum and Glass! Just beautiful!

But that’s not all! There are more new things to explore. Steve Jobs introduced the new iLife and the new iWork as well. Both have very nice features and new extras. Check it out on the Apple site! Just sensational!

John Gruber writes on the wonderful daringfireball.net, no matter how many zunes MS claims to have sold, I, nor he, have ever seen one in the wild, nor have I ever saw someone buy one at CompUSA or BestBuy.
Money quote : “Seriously, I’ve never seen a single Zune in the wild.”

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

Apple is growing without any doubts. The stock market is not the only index to show these developments. The more important question is in which fields Apple increases. More than 60 percent of Apple’s Macs sold have been MacBooks and being a laptop user presents his own difficulties. I mean not the battery charging or the fear that the machine gets stolen. To own a laptop means freedom in every duty. Its makes you free of cables and gives you the chance to get online everywhere, and this is the point! Open wireless networks in a pub are not so safe like at home. An Internet metrics analyst said these week that the portion of people surfing the web using a Mac has doubled. That is the other side to measure Apple’s success. “The amazing story since last summer has been how well the Mac is doing. For the longest time, Mac hung around 3 percent of the operating systems using the Web. But it picked up around last summer and has nearly doubled its market share”, said Geoff Johnston, Analyst at WebSideStory.

And more and more people could change to Macs. The release of Microsoft’s new operating system Vista wasn’t successfully, maybe an indicator of Microsoft’s monopoly end. Everybody knows that OS X Tiger is a very safety system and very secure and those things show the very deep argument to switch from Microsoft Windows to Apple’s operating system. Unfortunately means that a growing fear. The more user are using operating systems like Apple, the higher the danger to get attacked by cyber criminals. A Mac user is probably a more interesting goal than a user with a cheap PC from an Internet Warehouse. The online attacks are not only just for fun attacks made by kids, such attacks are made to earn money. And its could be easier to damage Mac OS X with harming codes than to find IT Specialists to program the resistance protection stuff, because virus protection wasn’t a big business so far (fortunately).

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski

More silently than loud removed Apple the addition Computer from his name, more or less recognised. Is Apple no computer factory anymore? What is the point to drop that name off?

To understand this step of changing you will need a look into Apple’s history of the last years and his strategy. The phenomenal iPod was the set up of the big changing. It revolutionized the digital music consumption and pushed it in the most enjoyable way to listen music everywhere and at anytime, and by the way very stylish. That means Apple added digital music as a big piece into his production line inclusive the development of the iTunes store and the music online sale. Both things are still increasing and brought another piece of technology on the market, the Apple TV. This small and good locking box was first introduced last year and is now ready to ship since a couple of weeks. Right, few people can argue, it is a needless box and makes no sense, but it shows how to integrate your Mac with your television. It just iTunes your living room brilliantly!

These few pieces are covering the main things of an enjoyable entertainment life. But there is one more thing out called iPhone, the next step to cover music, photos, movies and internet and of course phone calls altogether. The feedback of this little magic machine was magnificent. It works, looks good and will make his owner happy!

So, these few samples show the necessary step to change the name? Oh yeah, Apple is not longer just a computer company, it is more! Apple is life!

The Apple Comment by Denny Grabowski
Rumours are actually defined as a thing that is true or maybe untrue with a piece of truth. However, it means an unknown fact that we try to push into the truth. In this case I read a lot of the real release date for Apple’s new operating system named Leopard. Speculations flying around with every day that gets closer to the spring time, once called as the release day for Leopard. Those speculations are: it is difficult to believe that Leopard will be released this month because it needs time to manufacturing and delivery the new system to customers. Other speculations who support the rumours can find for example on www.itwire.com*.

So, what we have seen of the coming operating system makes me very keen to get it! The highlights are Time Machine, Spaces, Safari with the ability to get live information from any website to turn it into a desktop widget, iChat, Mail, Boot Camp, Core Animation, Dashboard and few screenshots namely from Automator, Spotlight and Screensaver. That is quite a lot but not the ending! But what comes else? That is the big question.

Windows Vista got a big attention on his release day. Everything was focused on it. It seems that this was a good start for Microsoft in 2007. It might be that Apple could loose the opportunity to win dozens of new customers. Unfortunately for Microsoft, fortunately for Apple needs Vista an unbelievable system upgrade in comparison with Leopard. Unfortunately for Apple, Vista comes with every new computer system now. That means, people who desire a new computer have the opportunity to get the newest Windows operating system combined with a brand new computer, unfortunately for Apple, which misses the chance to get a big crowd of switchers. Anyway, it’s good for Apple to have Boot Camp.

But what shall I do? Waiting until the final day or shall I get all the little and smart applications which can be added to Tiger to get a “fake” Leopard now? Yeah maybe, it might be a good compromise and my suggestion is, it must something bigger coming with Leopard than the known applications. We have seen the magnificent iPhone and it was amazing. I want the same big WOW for Leopard and I guess I will not be disappointed. So let us wait until the final day!
* (I am not responsible for the www.itwire.com contents.)