New features, devices add lustre to Apple's
shine
by Alan
Zisman (c) 2003 First published in
Business
in Vancouver ,? Issue #693? February 4- 10, 2003, High Tech
Office
column
Apple's
share
of public and media attention always outweighs its share of the
computer
market. Some of that comes from the company's long and colourful
history,
some from the showmanship and charisma of Apple's deposed and returned
leader, Steve Jobs and some from the loyalty of customers. A
lot,
though, is because of the company's products, which stand out from the
pack
in terms of design, features and usability. Even non-Apple users pay
attention
to the company's product releases, knowing they give a glimpse of what
will eventually appear watered-down in mass-market PCs, music players
and
other digital devices.
The
semi-annual MacWorld
trade show is one of the prime times for the Mac faithful, especially
the
keynote address in which chairman Jobs shows off the company's latest
and
greatest. Defying predictions of a low-key event, Jobs recently kept
things
hopping for more than two hours. New products included a pair of new
notebooks,
including one with the largest screen available on any portable.
Features
include faster-than-ever wireless networking (Apple calls the
industry-standard 802.11g "Airport Extreme"), ultra-fast Firewire
connections and built-in
Bluetooth for wireless connections to printers, cell phones and more.
A new, free
Web browser
and a presentation graphics program challenge Microsoft's Internet
Explorer
and PowerPoint, while a lower-priced version of Apple's Final Cut Pro
video
editor aims at customers who have outgrown Apple's free iMovie. Updates
to Apple's iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes and iDVD further the company's
strategy
to make its computers the easiest way for consumers to connect to
digital
cameras, music players and camcorders. Apple's vision for the home
market
is that a personal computer (preferably one of theirs) will be the
"digital
hub" at the centre of a growing number of consumer devices.
There was even
a high-end
winter coat, aimed at skiers, using the company's iPod music player.
Also
noteworthy, though
less flashy, is the company's increased credibility as the maker of
real
business products.
The Mac has
long been the
computer of choice of graphics and publishing professionals and has
been
popular with scientists, in schools and universities and in the home
market.
But it hasn't
had much
presence with either small business or large corporations. The original
Mac lacked expandability and features that made it seem user-friendly
to
home users were just too cute to appeal to corporate IT departments.
OS X changed a
lot of minds
about Macs. While offering a slick, colourful front end,
behind-the-scenes
Apple's new generation operating system is built on top of industrial
strength
Unix, the same reliable system that powers most network servers.
Knowledgeable
Unix users can pop up a terminal window and have access to the arcane
and
powerful command line that lets them work their magic. Macs can now run
a wide range of powerful Unix programs, while offering Microsoft
Office,
Quickbooks and other tools for everyday business use.
At the same
time, Apple's
new Xserve rack-mount network server has been gathering good
reviews
for that hidden-away network closet.
The company's
TV ads, well
designed products, useful bundled software and new-found credibility
with
the IT department are all aiming to convince home and business users
that
it is possible to switch from Windows to Mac. A few barriers remain,
however.
Generic PCs cost less than stylish, fully equipped Macs, though when
you
compare a Mac and PC with equivalent features, the price-differential
tends
to vanish. And while current Macs are powerful, they haven't been
keeping
pace with the speed enhancements in Intel-styled PC processors.
Master-showman
Jobs no longer demos Macs outpacing high-end PCs.
Nevertheless,
many users
are considering making the switch. Next week,
some tools to help.