Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs
What will he say when he hits the stage today?
A brand new iPod with Wi-Fi?
Or a touch-screen iPod? My, oh my!
Apologies for the ditty but given everyone’s so agog about the Apple Announcement (aka AA) today, it seemed somewhat in keeping with the spirit of things.
Regardless of whether Jobs actually unveils a touch-screen iPod today or something else equally wonderful, it is pretty amazing that Anything Apple (aka AA) has such luster these days. I mean, Steve Jobs could scratch his wrist in a strange way, and it would take little time before the media and blogosphere would start speculating about an iPod watch. After all, there was a story in the New York Times earlier this week about the iCar, so anything is possible.
When you think about it, Apple’s ascension to cultural icon and Jobs’ status as design/business guru are stunning – not only for how both brands have rebounded but also how Apple’s current run has lasted so long. It seems Jobs and Apple can do no wrong these days. When Apple scrapped the iPod Mini for the Nano, for example, people were puzzled only to see the Nano become a smash hit.
So, what’s the Apple Secret? How has it suddenly become one of the world’s leading design houses and, more important, captured the imagination of consumers around the world? Maybe it’s just timing. Perhaps the iPod was just the right product at a time when the MP3 market was fragmented but experiencing strong growth. Perhaps the Macs return from the grave has to do with its reliability, Microsoft’s ongoing troubles with Vista, and the glow of the iPod.
Whatever the reason, buying Apple is cool and seen as a smart consumer move. It used to be said you couldn’t go wrong buying IBM or Microsoft; now you can apply this adage to Apple. It is truly impressive.
Update: As expected, Apple unveiled a new line-up of iPods – a Nano with a wider screen that can play videos; and the iPod Touch, which features a touch-screen. The iPod Touch also includes Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet and iTunes. It can’t be long before someone comes up with a Wi-Fi hacker to allow for Web browsing.
From all accounts, Jobs was at his marketing best – starting slow with ring-tones via iTunes before building to the iPod Touch – had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, I suspect.
Links:
- CNet’s Tom Krazit writes about how putting OS X in the iPod makes it much more than a gadget/MP3 player.
- Engadget is providing live coverage for those of you who want the play by play of Jobs on stage.
One Comment
As a tech guru myself and one that loves the complexity of the PC, I must say I think the appeal of Apple these days is with products that are simple and more importantly “Just work”. You know how many times I see frustrated non-tech savvy people come into my office with PC related questions? They are tired of it all. They just want to do their jobs. Macs help them do that from their PC to their iPods. Notice how just about everything Steve Jobs thinks up is about simplicity while Microsoft thinks “doing more”.