Man, I knew people freaked out about Apple products, but yesterday's coverage of Steve Jobs' death was just completely over the top. You would think he invented some amazing product which made the world a much better place, not that they developed an MP3 player and a smart phone. The last Apple product I used was a Macintosh computer in the computer lab in college. Yet, somehow I've been able to lead a reasonably satisfactory life since then. From what I can tell, the discussion of Apple products falls along the same lines as engineer vs. architect debates. I'm definitely a function over form person, and I think that makes me somewhat immune to Apple's draw.
Based on the coverage, I would anticipate that Apple stock will fall precipitously in the next couple of years.
So you don't understand the Apple phenomenon? Let me try to help.
ReplyDelete1) In the age of deindustrialized USA, there are damn few companies left that actually make something and even fewer that do it well. Apple is a throwback to the days when we went to the moon just to prove we could do. Knowing we can still create mechanical marvels still excites people.
2) You don't "get" Apple in part because you don't seem to really do all that much that is difficult on your computer. Do you edit high-def video, create CGI animation, make music, do high-end Photoshop? Well, the overwhelming majority of these sorts of tasks are done on Apples.
3) Yes you CAN edit high-def video on a peecee but the truth is, the people who can live with one of those clunkers probably aren't all that creative. And creative types won't put up with the ugliness and hassle of a peecee. And just because they are technologically illiterate doesn't mean they aren't damn fine video editors.
So what you see as over-the-top tributes to Jobs is really the work of creative types who know damn well that without Apple, they don't have a profession. These are people who often give their computers names because they have such close ties to them.
As for the people who lay flowers in front of Apple stores, just remember that their iPhone is probably the only sophisticated device they own and the only one they can operate. It is reliable. And it's beautiful. And it makes them feel cool and a real part of the computer age.
You're right, I'm not very creative. However, I think some people gladly buy Apple products because they want to think they are creative types, or they want other people to think they are creative.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the Apple guy on the Mac vs. PC commercials was annoying.
Whether most creative types really are creative is a open question. But I have three "Apple" friends who are. One woman runs a card business--designs over 200 cards a year, creates print files for commercial presses, organizes a catalog, and updates the web site--on her Mac. Another runs a medium-sized recording studio. The third creates commercials and documentaries for commercial TV--now in high-def. All three are highly intelligent but none of them could master a peecee--they barely understand how to move files between hard drives. I take care of their computers for them and sometimes do things that are so easy, I almost feel guilty about charging them.
ReplyDeleteLast weekend, I helped one friend set up his new Mac Pro. This thing has 12 CPU cores, 32 gigs of Ram, a gig of vram, 9 terabytes of HDD PLUS a 512 gig SDD boot drive. It runs a sophisticated version of UNIX. This is NOT a toy! Yet this monster was running smoothly in the hands of a computer illiterate when I left and I doubt if I'll be needed for several years.
Yes indeed, Apple brought a lot of computing power to some very unworthy hands.
So Apple was able to develop a product which is operable by "right-brained" individuals and is designed to perform their work much better than PCs?
ReplyDeleteOk, that explains a lot of what I didn't get. I am much more likely to try to figure out how to adapt to the limitations of the machine, to get it to do what I want it to do, even if it is difficult. I typically make do with what is there.