apple news

apple / apple news / apple store / observatory / strategy — 7 Comments
11
Aug 11

Apple’s invisible advantage

Back in June, Apple covered up its landmark Fifth Avenue Cube in NY to begin a $6.6 million renovation project. The word was that they would be re-outfitting the glass cube itself — reducing it from 90 panes to a mere 15. Bigger pieces, fewer seams.

Now they’ve released an artist’s conception, above.

Looks pretty cool. But I’ve already noticed some snide comments to the effect of “$6 million? For that?” … “Apple has way too much money to play around with” … and “Hell, they just built the place less than five years ago.”

Those who think this way really don’t get Apple. They don’t get why a company that makes cool little devices just became more valuable than one that supplies the world with the energy essential to life.

For everything you see in Apple, there are a hundred things you don’t see — all of which add up to the feel of quality and caring you don’t get from other companies. It’s a subconscious effect that Apple pursues quite consciously.

I had the pleasure of working on the “Making Of” video for the Cube, which appeared on apple.com when the store was first opened. That video called out the extraordinary effort that went into procuring the quality components necessary to create this store: the stone flooring from Sicily, the stainless steel surfaces from Tokyo, and the glass staircase and cube structure from Germany.

Apple doesn’t expect a single visitor to the Fifth Avenue Cube to think much about the floor they’re walking on. What they’re trying to do is create an overall feeling — that this is a place where people care about design and quality.

It’s the same principle Apple uses when they design product packaging. For items like iPhones and iMacs, they create an “unboxing experience” you will appreciate only once, lavishing attention on parts few people will ever notice. But overall, the experience contributes to the feeling of quality you get before you even touch the product.

Granted, some people think this is overkill. Or, even worse, it’s one more reason to hate Apple. This is how the Great Satan hoodwinks people into buying their overpriced technology.

Fortunately, Apple doesn’t give a hoot about people who don’t recognize or care about quality. That’s not their audience.

As long as they continue to care about the invisible things, the crowds in those Apple Stores will be anything but invisible.

apple news / observatory / OS X / steve jobs / technology — 21 Comments
2
Aug 11

The hidden message in Lion

Look a little closer at Lion and you’ll see a secret message from the highest levels of Apple:

During previous medical leaves, Steve was still running the show. This time, he’s stepped back to allow others a larger role. Get used to it.

Honestly, it’s hard to draw any other conclusion when (A) Steve has always been intimately involved in approving the design and function of OS X, and (B) a few of the more visible decisions in Lion look nothing like the Steve we know.

After using Lion for a couple of weeks, three apps in particular make me miss Steve’s touch:

1. iCal. Not to beat this dead horse (see earlier post), but the design sense of the new iCal is just totally out of character for an OS that otherwise defines elegance and simplicity. Steve is a purist. He doesn’t compromise. He sends designers back to the drawing board over and over until they get it just right. This is purely a design decision — and it looks like someone else’s decision.

2. Address Book. This app suffers a double whammy. It shares iCal’s design tackiness, then ups the ante by taking a leap backwards in functionality. We used to see everything Address Book had to offer — individuals, groups and contact info — within a single view. Now we have to jump back and forth between views to see it all. Totally unnecessary over-design. Totally not Steve.

3. Launchpad. This is a beautiful idea, only half-baked. Maybe even quarter-baked. Launchpad automatically configures itself with icons for every app and utility in your computer — including apps you’ll never use and apps you didn’t know you had. I don’t consider myself an app junkie, and my icons numbered over 200. A total mess. But it gets even worse: if you delete an icon, you delete the app itself. (Fine for apps you’ve purchased from the App Store, which can be re-downloaded — unacceptable for apps you’ve purchased elsewhere.) If you want to tidy up, good luck. You can delete icons of apps purchased from the App Store (which deletes the app as well), but Lion won’t let you delete the icons of apps you bought elsewhere. Fortunately, there’s a perfect little free utility called LaunchpadCleaner that allows you to get rid of icons without trashing your apps. I used it and deleted 179 icons that were making Launchpad unusable. How could Apple possibly offer Launchpad without this kind of functionality built in? Likely because someone else was playing the role of Steve for this performance.

Between his current medical leave and the fact that one day (hopefully far, far in the future) it is inevitable that he steps down as CEO, Steve would be irresponsible not to be transitioning certain responsibilities to others.

So this isn’t a criticism as much as it is an observation. Steve-level perfection can only be expected when Steve himself is making the decisions. Talent runs deep at Apple, but different people will see things a bit differently — and their decisions will sometimes raise our eyebrows. Lion is our sneak preview.

Put a little more Steve in your Lion: To strip iCal of its leather, go here. To do the same for Address Book, go here. To easily configure Launchpad, go here.

 

apple / apple news / observatory / strategy — 26 Comments
30
Jun 11

Apple: revising the definition of Pro

If you haven't visited Apple's Creative Pro page for two years, you haven't missed a thing

SCENE 1 — INTERIOR

VIDEO EDITOR returns home to find that his long-time companion has packed and left. His head swirls with multiple emotions, from anger to revenge.

That’s basically the scene that played out in the heads of the Pro crowd when Apple unveiled Final Cut Pro X.

I get the feeling that a deeper truth will be revealed in the scenes to come.

Because Apple isn’t actually abandoning the Pros. They’re simply redefining what the word Pro means. FCPX is only the most recent indicator.

For proof of Apple’s diminishing interest in the old definition, take a look at the Creative Pro page on apple.com. The most recent case study here is almost two years old. In technology years, that’s the equivalent of 1.4 eternities.

This page is so ignored by Apple, it still features Final Cut Studio as one of the Pro products, even though we’re all painfully aware of its death. (Interestingly, they updated the link but left the image. Wake up, fellas!)

As the definition of Pro has changed, so have Apple’s priorities. That’s why iMac is now faster than Mac Pro. That’s why Aperture has remained an also-ran to Adobe Lightroom. That’s why the upgrade to FCP7 took forever, and why FCPX turned out as it did.

In the world of Apple, a Pro product used to mean “designed for high-end professionals with needs far beyond those of mortal men.” Now it simply means “the high-performance model.”

Most people don’t want a MacBook Pro because they’re Pros. They want it because it’s more powerful than a MacBook. Most people won’t buy FCPX because they’re Pros. They’ll buy it because it’s powerful and intuitive — and way better than iMovie.

So basically, if you aspire to owning the faster/better/more advanced computer or software — congratulations, you’re a Pro.

I’m not criticizing this change, I’m simply observing it. This is a business decision by Apple, reflecting a point in the company’s evolution when they need to delight the millions, not the thousands.

That’s not to say that Apple won’t continue to create products that are very useful for the high-end pros. It just means we’ve all got some adjusting to do.

SCENE 33 — INTERIOR

SUPER: Two years later.
Doorbell rings. VIDEO EDITOR opens the door to find his former companion, FCP. Warily, he invites FCP in. Things are different now. They’ve both changed. But despite their troubled relationship, somehow the spark is still there…

apple / apple news / observatory / strategy / technology — 47 Comments
24
Jun 11

Final Cut Pro X: the natives get restless

Well, well. This is something you don’t see every day: an open revolt by some of Apple’s most loyal customers.

It’s not that Final Cut Pro X is a bad product. Quite the opposite. It’s actually a tremendously cool and bold product. (I’ve been playing with it for two days now.) The problem is, for those who make a living with Final Cut Pro, it’s disturbingly incomplete.

To best appreciate the depth of frustration out there, you need to understand FCP’s history. Released by Apple in 1999, FCP had to do battle with the far more popular editing software from Avid and Adobe. Over the years, it grew more and more sophisticated, ultimately turning into Final Cut Studio — a full suite of high-end apps for video, sound, titling/effects, DVD authoring, color correction and compression.

Starting with nothing, FCP became the darling of Hollywood and the first choice among pro editors and video hobbyists. An amazing success.

But FCP was seriously due for an upgrade. So when Apple let loose that an all-new 64-bit version of FCP was coming, there was joy across the land.

It was a joy that came to an abrupt halt this week when Final Cut Pro X was released.

FCPX is indeed 64-bit, but it arrived missing features that many pros simply cannot live without. And Apple knows that.

For example, FCPX doesn’t support multiple cameras — which are a standard setup in many productions. It can’t open projects from previous FCP versions. It doesn’t support XML. (See what a big deal Apple made about XML in its own announcement two years ago.)

Apple said it was killing off a bunch of Final Cut Studio apps — Soundtrack Pro, Color and DVD Studio Pro — because their functions were now built into FCPX. However, FCPX offers up only streamlined versions of these apps.

Unfortunately, the list goes on. Creative Cow provides a thorough picture of what’s missing here.

The criticism that FCPX is really “iMovie Pro” is not far from the mark. For people like me, a high-end consumer app is a fabulous thing. For professional editors, broadcast news organizations and production companies, it’s a sad and disorienting thing.

This whole affair seems very out of character for Apple. Why would they create a product that is so forward-looking and revolutionary (it is), but do it in a manner that will provoke such a predictable backlash?

Some point out the obvious, that this is a “typical” Apple launch. The 1.0 version has a limited feature set, but provides a solid foundation for more advanced versions to come. That’s how it worked with iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Unfortunately, that argument has a big, gaping flaw. Apple did not introduce any of the i-things to a large existing customer base that relied on those products to earn a living. The FCPX intro is so illogical, I have to suspect there’s a deeper truth hiding in there.

As we know, Apple does not have infinite software resources. Mac OS X Lion and iOS5 have clearly been the main focus. With an update to FCP being way overdue, chances are that Apple simply set a goal for this product that became too difficult to reach.

Apple did not make a mistake in creating FCPX. They made a mistake presenting it as a high-end pro solution.

Imagine if they had unveiled FCPX as the new Final Cut Express instead. Buyers of that product would have been absolutely delighted by the many leaps forward in power and simplicity, and the missing features would have been insignificant to them. A new Final Cut Express would also have given pro editors a tantalizing preview of a new FCPX to come.

I only get disappointed by Apple when they create a problem that didn’t need to be created. By choosing the route they did, they created the impression that they’re oblivious to the needs of the editing pro — which we know is not true.

Apple’s response has been to say that the missing features will be added back in with updates coming soon. I’m sure they will. And you know what — that’s a perfectly acceptable solution. There’s little reason why the pros can’t continue to use the current Final Cut Studio until there’s a product that meets their needs.

And that’s my whole point. The only problem here is the manner in which Apple introduced FCPX. Great a product as it is, it’s just not a replacement for Final Cut Studio. Yet.

If there is no crisis, I’m puzzled why Apple would choose to create one.

apple news / creative / iMac / observatory / steve jobs — No Comments
23
Jun 11

Sean Connery vs. Steve Jobs: post-game wrap-up

I don’t usually talk about Scoopertino over here. That’s just for fun, whereas this blog is devoted to matters of supreme galactic importance.

However, this week Scoopertino hit some kind of weird global nerve that’s worthy of a mention — since it says something interesting about human nature and reveals interesting attitudes toward Steve Jobs.

In case you’re not familiar, this week’s Scoopertino story was about Steve Jobs trying to recruit Sean Connery for an iMac ad in 1998 — and Connery replying with a blistering letter of rejection. Within hours, Connery’s imaginary dissing of Steve Jobs became a top worldwide trend on Twitter, getting more tweets than Wimbledon. From there it became a story in The Telegraph, Washington Post, Huffington Post and many more.

Most eye-opening, though, were the thousands of comments that appeared in all these places.

First and foremost, they reveal how easy it is to fool people. Keep in mind, this was not a “hoax” as it came to be described. It was a joke put up on a fake news site that’s clearly labeled as a fake news site.

It was when people started to spread the Connery letter alone, out of context, that things got out of hand. This also doesn’t speak too well for humankind’s perceptual abilities, since this letter was literally filled with language and visuals that were dead giveaways.

Second, a great number of commenters were clearly hoping and praying that the story was true. They were totally high on the idea that someone would so rudely put Steve Jobs in his place. Some proclaimed that their admiration for Sean Connery just reached a new high. And when they found out the whole thing was fiction, many said that they wished it were true.

Yikes. A little pent-up hostility there?

What makes Scoopertino fun (we hope) is that it exaggerates reality. Honestly, we never imagined anyone might actually want to live in that reality.

Well, the joke’s over now. Everything’s back to normal. James Bond has no hard feelings. But I did hear that Q is livid that Apple stole his whole iPhone idea…

advertising / apple / apple news / creative / dell / iPad / observatory — 11 Comments
20
Jun 11

Apple’s new high vs. Dell’s new low

If anyone ever questioned the value of creativity in marketing, Apple and Dell are currently staging a public demonstration.

Scratch that — it’s actually more of a public debate.

With its new iPad ad, Apple argues that creativity can make a message more interesting and important. With the first ad in its new brand campaign, Dell takes the position that creativity is an unnecessary frill.

Here’s a quick look at two efforts that live on opposite ends of the creative spectrum.

A BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLE MESSAGE

Since Mac vs. PC ended, I haven’t fawned over too many Apple ads. What kind of fanboy am I? Well, we needn’t dwell on that now. This ad is Apple’s best in recent memory.

In fact, this is one of those ads that makes me jealous. It doesn’t try to be clever, it just is. It makes the point that iPad represents a sea change in computing without feeling self-important. And, miracle of miracles, it does all of this without using the words magical or revolutionary.

Against visuals of iPads doing various things in the hands of different people, Mr. Voiceover sums up what makes iPad so darn interesting:

“Now we can watch a newspaper, listen to a magazine, curl up with a movie, and see a phone call … [and more] … because now there’s this.”

Many tech companies fail to grasp that simple, everyday speech can be the most intelligent way to present a product. Here, Apple describes iPad using the most ordinary words, but combines them in a way that feels totally fresh — and important.

This spot is actually a continuation of two previous iPad ads, both of which were more lofty presentations of Apple’s philosophy. In this spot, Apple does not stand up to proclaim “we believe…” (which can come off as arrogant to some). It simply describes how iPad changes the way you look at the world.

This is the toughest kind of copy to write — unpretentious, intelligent and compelling. Whoever is responsible should take a very big bow. This ad fits well with the best in Apple history.

A PERFECT STORM OF NOTHINGNESS

When Hollywood directors could no longer bear the thought of being associated with a film, they used to cleanse themselves by giving the director’s credit to the imaginary Alan Smithee.

From the first glimpse of Dell’s new $80 million campaign, this could well end up being the first marketing effort ever credited to Mr. Smithee.

The ad you see here was featured in a recent Advertising Age fluff piece, accompanied by quotes from Dell’s chief marketing person. So I can only assume it’s for real — even though it looks and feels like a placeholder awaiting real photography. And a real designer. And a real writer. And a real strategy.

This ad is significant because it marks the beginning of what is supposed to be Dell’s first-ever brand campaign. It’s meant to provide the big, overarching message for individual product ads yet to come.

In other words, it is supposed to be to Dell what Think different was to Apple. I’ll go out on a limb and predict it won’t have quite the same impact.

The only positive thing one can say about this campaign is that it will provide income for stock photo sites specializing in hackneyed people shots.

There are a total of 34 words in this ad. 15 of them — almost half — are the same five words, repeated three times. The power to do more serves as headline, theme line and last line of copy.

Why pound these words into our thick skulls? Perhaps it’s to distinguish Dell’s use of The power to do more from all the others who are using it — including Norlift Fork Lifts, Belkin High-Performance Routers,  Lenovo Docking Solutions, GE Healthcare, Kensington iPad Batteries and who knows how many others. (The 5.6 million Google results for this line were making me groggy.) This is originality, Dell-style.

And it’s not like the remaining 19 words are jewels either. In Dell’s world, boring words fit like a comfortable shoe:

With a range of solutions in cloud computing, interactive learning, healthcare, efficient IT and global services, Dell gives you…

Basically, Dell is saying that what sets them apart is that they churn out a boatload of stuff. So they choose to deliver an undistinguished message built upon an overused theme.

Makes you want to run right out and buy a Dell, doesn’t it?

apple / apple news / apple store / observatory / steve jobs — 1 Comment
15
Jun 11

Apple loses a good one

Ron Johnson is one talented man.

After turning Target into what it is today, he was largely responsible for taking Apple from zero retail stores to a phenomenally successful global chain of over 300 today. That’s one hell of a resumé.

Honestly, I was shocked to hear that Ron was leaving Apple to become CEO of J.C. Penney. That’s because I couldn’t imagine anyone in his line of work having a better gig. He makes boatloads of money, which will become tanker-ships of money as his stock and annual vesting continue to pile up, and he runs what is widely considered  the gold standard of retail, selling the world’s coolest products.

That’ll teach me to impose my values on someone else’s life.

But now that I’ve read more about Ron’s decision, I do get it. It’s been an exhilarating ride, but he’s eager to try his hand at being Number One. As many will testify, it’s not easy working under Steve, and one has to follow his own dream.

It was pretty cool that J.C. Penney’s stock jumped up over 10% on the news of Ron’s hiring. And why not. For a retailer sorely in need of an excitement infusion, Ron represents the ultimate upgrade.

The analysts’ reactions seem to be 100% positive on Ron and J.C. Penney, as they should be. The quotes from all parties involved are super-positive, as they should be.

Of course, nobody can predict how these things will really play out. The only thing we do know is that it’s pretty darn tough to instill new values in an old organization. It takes  vision, talent, energy and rare leadership skills.

One of J.C. Penney’s board members referred to Ron today as “the Steve Jobs of retail.” Great sentiment, but (a) Steve Jobs is actually the Steve Jobs of retail, and (b) Mickey Drexler was already nicknamed the Steve Jobs of retail a while back. (We may just have to let them fight it out.) We know that the Apple Stores would never be what they are without Ron, but we also know that the Apple Stores reflect Steve’s minimalist tastes and assorted obsessions.

Being a brilliant retail thinker doesn’t necessarily make one a great CEO. Entirely different skill sets. But I had the pleasure of engaging with Ron for a brief period, and from my experience I think he has a good shot at winning the hearts and minds of the J.C. Penney family.

What happens to the Apple Stores without Ron? Fortunately, there’s a huge difference between inventing an idea from scratch and taking over an existing organization. The Apple Stores are now a well-oiled machine, and the lines for this job opening may be as long as the lines for iPad 2. Hopefully they’ll find someone who’s a good match for the Apple culture.

So happy trails, Ron, and a big thanks for making retail history at Apple. You deserve this opportunity. I don’t think I’ll be shopping at J.C. Penney anytime soon, but I promise to keep an open mind.

apple / apple news / observatory — 8 Comments
9
Jun 11

Steve Jobs’ alter ego

Just one day after superhero Steve Jobs appeared onstage at WWDC 2011, his humbler alter ego appeared before the Cupertino City Council.

Watch this 21-minute video and you’ll see what I mean.

This is a quieter Steve than the one you’re used to, with his distortion field dialed way down. That’s because this is one of those rare occasions when Steve actually needs the approval of someone else. He needs the Council to bless the plans for Apple’s new home.

Of course, there’s no doubt he’ll get what he wants. Cupertino can’t possibly say no. They would never, ever give up the prestige, jobs and tax revenue that comes with keeping Apple within the city limits.

It’s just that until the official vote is actually taken, Steve must follow protocol.

Not that he’s a pushover. As you’ll see in the video, he beautifully shuts down any suggestion that Apple will perform tricks to get the needed approval — like blanket the kingdom of Cupertino with free wi-fi. And he slams the door on any possibility that Cupertino will ever see its own Apple Store.

In fact, there’s a bit of The Godfather in him here. He may be quieter, but you get the feeling you’ll be safer if you don’t refuse his offer. He pulls his jacket open just enough to show he’s carrying the “I can always move to Mountain View” grenade.

But this is the diplomatic side of a man not known for his diplomatic side.

It’s easy for Steve to assume this role, because he owns the room from the moment he appears. The Council members act like they’re in the presence of royalty. At one point, the Mayor actually pulls out his iPad to show Steve he’s a believer.

But that’s all the fun stuff. Far more important — the new Apple HQ plan is breathtaking.

Not surprisingly, it perfectly reflects Apple’s values. No doubt Steve will invest far more in this site than most companies would ever dream of spending. And no doubt Apple will reap benefits far and above what most would accomplish by putting up a new structure.

To Steve, designing and building his new company home is no different than designing and building an Apple product.

It’s not worth doing unless it redefines the standard. He’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.

apple / apple news / iMac / iPad / iPhone / iPod / itunes / mac / observatory / steve jobs / strategy / tablets / technology — 3 Comments
7
Jun 11

WWDC 2011: the morning after

Ah, the joy of software. This really is the stuff that makes Apple Apple, and it was fun to see such widespread improvements in one fell swoop.

As usual, some random day-after thoughts.

Mac OS X

Full-screen apps. This is a personal favorite. Can’t wait to see it in action. I currently use full-screen with all apps that enable it, and always appreciate the focus it brings. We’ve got the screen space — it’s a shame not to use it all.

Auto-Save. I look forward to not repeating some of the more humbling failures of my past. Turning the window title into a pop-up menu to access past versions is a nice touch. Being able to copy and paste from old versions is even nicer.

The feature count. Poor Lion. Only 250 new features. Leopard had 300.

Lion power, kitty price. $29 is amazing. Snow Leopard was the aberration at $29, compared to all the $129 Mac OS X upgrades before. But there was a reason for that — Snow Leopard’s changes were mostly in the plumbing. Lion is as rich an upgrade as any upgrade in history, but the price stays remarkably low. Why? My guess is that (a) Apple wants to move the entire base forward, because (b) there is far more money to be made down the road with a new foundation. I’m not being cynical, it’s just good business. The more people shopping in the Mac App Store and purchasing future iCloud capabilities, the merrier.

Space travel. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick to death of the current log-in star field and Time Machine theme. It wore out its welcome a long time ago, so I expected it to be replaced — but not by another space scene. Apparently, now we have a galaxy image. Apple has always delivered simplicity and elegance, and the space thing always felt like someone else’s idea of “cool.” Can’t we just pick our own backgrounds?

iOS

Feature count, revisited. Only 200 new features in iOS, compared to Lion’s 250 features. Obviously it’s harder to fit new features in a smaller screen.

The big payoff. To excite the crowd, Forstall showed off a slide stating that Apple has paid developers a total of $2.5 billion. It’s a great number until you do the math with the slide right before: customers have downloaded 14 billion apps from the App Store. Let’s see … 2.4 billion divided by 14 billion … that’s about 18 cents an app. Obviously, this says a lot about how many free apps are downloaded.

Notifications. Yippee! At last! It’s interesting that Forstall first confessed that there are problems current notifications, and then said, “We’ve built something that solves some of the problems…” Some?

Safari Reader. One of my favorite features. People may accept that ads pay the bills, but the ultimate reading experience will always be an ad-free zone.

Reading List. Love it. File away an article to be read later, and have that list appear on all your devices.

The geo-fence. Probably my favorite new term from the show (and very cool feature). In telling how Reminders work, Forstall talked about setting up a geo-fence around Moscone, so when he left the building he’d get a reminder. Hopefully, by winter we’ll have geothermal fences.

Camera. Despite talk about the quality of the iPhone camera, I rarely use it. One reason is the damn shutter button on the screen. Sorry, it’s awkward and just not the way we’re accustomed to using cameras. Using the hard Volume Up button as a shutter button makes me an instant fan. Photo-taking is also way improved by the new editing capabilities.

iMessage. It was presented as working across all iOS devices. What about the Mac? Wouldn’t I want to text people while I’m stuck at my desk?

iPhone 5 clue. With iOS 5 coming in the fall, the obvious conclusion is that it will come hand-in-hand with iPhone 5. I can hang in there that long.

iCloud

Demoting the PC. What a great example of Steve Jobs’ ability to simplify in the boldest way. He said they were demoting computers to be just devices, and moving the center of your digital life to the cloud. You get it in a second. And what PC company CEO on earth would say they’re “demoting” one of their biggest moneymakers?

Facing facts. When promoting iCloud, Steve paused to say: “Now why should I believe them? They’re the ones who brought me MobileMe … MobileMe was not our finest hour.” Say what you will about Steve, he dares to be honest.

DropBox killer? Nope. At least not yet. And I’m glad, because DropBox remains one of the greatest Mac utilities ever created. DropBox far out-iDisked iDisk, and its makers deserve to be rewarded, not obsoleted.

What about Me? Obviously the me.com site will ultimately be the icloud.com site. Do we still want me.com email addresses (did we ever?). Does the “me” word really have a place in the iCloud concept? We’ll soon find out…

Documents in the Cloud. Not the shortest name Apple has come up with. But it does have that “gorillas in the mist” meter going for it.

iTunes Match. Huge question mark. No one seems to know if this is a way to subscribe to iTunes versions of the songs you already own, or if your $24.99/year allows you to download the higher-quality versions of your songs to your own computer forever. So $24.99 is either one of the world’s great bargains — or not.

Antiquities. On one of the slides appearing behind Steve Jobs is a stack of CDs. Damn, they’re hideous. Did we ever actually use those things?

AAPL is down. It dropped five bucks yesterday. Down another $3.50 as I write this. Call this “iPad Syndrome.” Remember the industry’s reaction to the original iPad? “Just a big iPhone.” “No surprises, no new breakthroughs.” “Apple’s first dud.” The stock dropped. In broad strokes, just about everything we saw yesterday was “expected.” However, what’s expected can be the start of a whole new world. Like iPad.

The prognosticators. Not that we need to be reminded to take people’s opinions with a grain of salt, but… John Gruber’s pre-WWDC idea was “Think of iCloud as the new iTunes.” In fact, he’s still describing it that way after the show. It’s a good sound bite, but not totally accurate. In truth, iCloud is exactly what Steve Jobs said: the new hub of your digital life. Yes, that includes your iTunes content, but it also includes the things you create. For now, that includes the documents you create in iWork, but that capability will no doubt expand. iCloud is about your whole life — documents, photos, contacts, calendars, etc. — not just your entertainment. The Cult of Mac’s “exclusive” was obviously absurd, yet was quoted by many blogs and news services. They said iCloud would not be hosted in Apple’s new data center after all, but instead would reside on your Time Capsule (purchase required if you don’t already own one). Somehow it never struck them that Apple was signing contracts with the music companies for the rights to do something new with their music, not just store it on a personal hard disk.

All in all, good show. Let’s do it again sometime.

apple / apple news / observatory / technology — 4 Comments
2
Jun 11

The hyping of a Mac virus

Call it the price of success: Apple is plugged into a buzz amplifier.

Whatever the news, good or bad, it gets played back at max volume. And this amp comes complete with a distortion effect, so the facts we get don’t necessarily reflect reality.

Antennagate? It was a horrific lapse — except it had zero effect on sales and customer satisfaction.

Locationgate? It laid bare Apple’s true evil intent — except it quickly fizzled into nothingness.

With the attack of the MACDefender virus, the trilogy is complete. The virus bubble is burst! Mac users will now know the pain PC users have suffered for decades.

Except for one little fact: MACDefender isn’t a virus.

A virus is a nasty subset of malware that infects your computer without your knowledge, and often spreads to others. MACDefender is malware, of course — but it’s the kind that can’t do anything unless you invite it in.

It preys on those who somehow didn’t get the message that you should never, ever install an app from an untrusted source. Especially an app you never asked for.

But when the rumors get amplified, facts somehow become less relevant.

In researching this post, I was stunned to find that MACDefender is being reported as a virus in the majority of articles, often right up there in a headline like Virus Alert: MacDefender. In fact, most articles did the malware a favor by billing it as “MacDefender” instead of “MACDefender,” which is what it actually calls itself. This adds credibility, since no real Mac app-maker would make the clunky error of putting MAC in all-caps, as if it were a variant of “PC.”

Many are hyping this story because they believe it proves them correct that Macs are just as susceptible to viruses as PCs, but have been spared only because they’re so damn insignificant. Others are playing it up because it allows them their obviously long-sought revenge.

An Arizona IT company “will enjoy watching that smile getting slapped off the smug faces of those self-important Apple religious-fanatics (you know who you are),” but felt “a great swell of pity for the many innocent people who will be victimized in the near future because some fool told them Mac’s were virus-proof.” Never trust a guy who can’t even pluralize “Mac” correctly.

In a recent piece entitled The last Mac myth, I ragged on the theory that Macs aren’t targeted with viruses simply because there are so few of them in the world. The truth is, Apple products are a supremely juicy target, and offer any self-respecting evildoer a shot at instant glory. If MACDefender is the best they can do, I’m pretty sure the sky isn’t falling.

The best advice yesterday remains the best advice today: never download or accept any files that come from anyplace other than a source you know and trust.

Let’s all enjoy using our technology, but be responsible as well. No computer company, and no OS, can protect us against ourselves.

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →