Question? So am I really that dumb?
Answer:I think the answer is yes.
Wait let me back up.
I think you will understand more, if I expound.
I will use some very clever questions, to fill you in on the whole story.
Question: So who's birthday is it?
Answer: What didn't you read the title?
Question: Yeah what's that mean anyway?
Answer: It means presents for me.
Question: Presents?
Answer: Yes and no, mostly just one really sweet present.
Question: Well you did say presents.
Answer: Well it comes with lot's of stuff.
Question: Wait is this another one of your blogs about Apple?
Answer: um.... no comment
Question: Are you getting a mac?
Answer: yes an iMac I think.
Question: Can you afford it?
Answer: Well there was some sweet donation action.
And I'm doing some pretty cool things with my money to make it even more doable.
Question: But the iMac isn't portable, why not get a laptop?
Answer: Good question I'm stumped.
Question: Same question
Answer: Well it's "not exactly portable," but that won't likely stop me from porting it.
but the iMacs are cheap, and powerful, so I think that's the best solution at this time.
P.S. if I had a conversation with you about which "portable computer" you should buy,
and I started laughing, picture a person carrying an iMac in a little suitcase, then they pull it out, and work.
Wait you would do that?
Well they're not exactly light, and they don't have much of a battery (no um no battery), but I could see it happening.
Question: So what makes this a bad decision? you know aside from the previous response stuff.
Answer: Bad is such a harsh word, still I would probably buy the computer just before my birthday, and that is a little early.
Question: Early for what
Answer: Oh yeah your not a mac-lo-phile. Leopard
Scary huh. it's a big powerful cat. and it's coming in april, or maybe June.
It's the new Apple OS, and it will likely come with some really cool toys too.
Question: Leopard?
Answer: yeah
Q: Is this the best time to buy an apple?
A: Well, for some it is, and for some it is not.
Q: Who are the some?
A: stupid people, and smart people, some families, and me.
Q: why stupid people?
A: Well Apple's new operating system comes out in the spring
(that's not very far away) But stupid people, might not know that,
and they probably won't notice.
Q: What won't the stupid people notice.
A: First I don't think they will notice that there's a new OS.
Second, I don't think they would notice that they won't be able to have a multiple virtual monitors (like having three monitors without having to spend all that extra money,
or needing the extra space)
Third, stupid people don't back up their systems like they should.
And finally stupid people would probably not take advantage of the free time machine that comes with OS X 10.5 (though oddly it would probably benefit them most. Ü)
Q Why smart people?
A: see other answers
Q: Why Some families
A: Families get preferential treatment at Apple.
Families can actually update five MACs to 10.5 for just under $200
(that's actually cheaper than upgrading one Windows computer to any of multiple versions of VISTA).
If a family is already updating two MACs updating a third won't add to the cost.
Q: what about iLife?
A: well iLife works about the same,
if a family is going to upgrading their iLife suite,
then it should work like the OS. If you upgrade a bunch of MACs
the cost per MAC goes down again.
Q: What's new in iLife '07?
A: Even I don't know that
Q: What is iLife?
A: Oh you haven't heard of it?
. iLife is Apple's sweet new Suite,
it comes with every new MAC,
Actually it has for a few years now.
It started with itunes,
then they added iPhoto, iMovie, and iDvd, (galleries, slideshows, movies, and Dvd's)
Then they added Garage Band, (so anyone can make music)
and then they added iWeb. (blogs and webpages)
Basically if you want to make something,
your iLife can do it.
But it's supposed to be even better when the new version comes out.
(which should be the same time as their new OS (10.5))
Q: So what's better about the new one?
A: I still don't know. But the current one is pretty sweet,
so for me it's not a big deal.
Q: But aren't those the kind of progams you would wan't?
A: Actually they are, but they are entry level products.
Don't get me wrong, these entry level products are very good,
and the right person could create some very professional products with them.
(actually most anyone could create ridiculously good looking projects with iLife, they don't usually give you enough tools to seriously mess things up, but they do give you enough to make very pretty things)
Q: So why you?
A: well I wan't something more than the entry level products.
I wan't something kind of souped up. Like Final Cut Express.
To make even better movies.
Q: So is apple offering some sort of $200 coupon on Final Cut Express?
A: Why yes, they are actually. Now till the end of March everyone who orders this fine product (and a MAC) gets $200 off.
Q: But doesn't Apple have an even better Video program?
A: Actually they have a couple of them but this one will do for now.
Q: A couple?
A: Oh yes programs like Motion and Shake and two or three others (take sweet, and multipy it as many times as you want)
Q: What if apple releases their new stuff April first.
A: apple is a company that will let you get a reimbursement if they change things within 30 days of your purchase. (One time they even released a product for $400 and then changed the price about six months later. Most companies would say. Ha, ha suckers... too bad for you, but not Apple, they decided to send a rebate check to anyone who bought the product. But to be fair to any company that doesn't do that, the rebate was only like a hundred dollars per purchase, i.e.; about 1/3, ok this has been a few months, maybe the numbers were a little different, I'm too lazy to check).
(I expect the truth will be found in the comments, but no guarantees)
Q: but suppose the new stuff is even sweeter than you could imagine
A: it might be.
Q; What then?
A: Well I guess I upgrade
Actually I probably won't upgrade, but I might.
But the cost for me will be about the same. In fact by my math the cost on the software, and the OS upgrades would be almost identical.
---This just in, Apple is in fact upgrading their video software for the this years NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) conference they say it's really cool,
but like I said before it will probably still be better for me to get it cheap, and then
upgrade if I need to.
Q: So what about hardware.
A: ahh yes I expect that apple has something up their sleeve here too.
And when I say something, I actually mean a lot of things.
Probably as many things as one could imagine.
Here are my hardware predictions.
–New MAC PROs w/ eight processors (coming this spring)
–New iMACs slighty faster, but not revolutionary (except that it already kind of is), well they might do something to make them more tv-like. Probably coming ASAP.
–New Mac Mini's yes this is the incredibly strong baby of the family (think Incredibles) I imagine that both of their new models will have two processing cores (and for $600 bucks that's way more power (and way more usable power than most vista PC's)
–New MacBook PRO's portable power (at a price, really only for PRO's (and excessively rich people) but they give you firewire 800, optional external monitors.
–New MacBooks yep they're adding some of these too. I think they're adding a 15.4 inch version. But the revolution is the little one, I don't know enough about it, but it could be the biggest, err um smallest thing to hit the market this year. Small, and light, versatile, and power, (most companies sell these “ultraportables” for a lot more money, I think apple will buck that trend) oh yeah and it won't have an internal CD drive. Spring maybe summer.
–And then there's the iPhone, and AppleTV both of which are impressive, but I think both will be way more impressive when they come out, also in the spring.
Oddly I actually read a good cautionary review of the iPhone, yes there are some
unknowns, but I think it will be WAY more powerful, and user adaptible then most
people think. OS X and Widgets are both already on it, so I think it will not be nearly
as restricted as the scandalous rumors would have us believe.
I would also talk about apple sweet new wi-fi adapter, but it's already out, but let me just say, networking made so much sweeter. A/B/G/N (all the wireless standards out so far)
and if you want a wired network it can do that too. But perhaps the coolest feature is the wireless, networked, hard-drive capability. That's right every Airport Extreme, comes with a place to plug in a hard-drive that all your computers can use, from anywhere you want them to.
Basically, you could say, “We ain't seen nothin' yet”
but in reality we have seen something.
So back to the question. If apple releases new hardware, which I nearly know that they will, I will cry, but I will probably get over it, when I console myself with the thought that my hardware is still pretty dang sweet.
So happy birthday to me, I'm finally getting my mac. And the citizens rejoice,
and the people prosper, and life is good. It should be a lot of fun, and maybe even a little too fun, but that's ok, it will be good.
Life is good.
W.
