Apple has announced their latest smartphone offerings and they're going all colourful with the 'cheap' iPhone 5C, along with the iPhone 5S in classy colours gold, silver and graphite. Never has there been so much rumour and speculation for one company's products, there's even a site dedicated to it. You may have seen such buzz and anticipation before, but Apple have done something much bigger here. They clearly have fans that care. As a self-professed Apple fan-boy, I'm going to tell you what made me fall in love with thinking differently.
I thought they were trying too hard to make their over-priced products look space-y and curvy, but then I came across an Apple event on YouTube. The legend that is Steve Jobs stood on stage and talked about technology in a way I had never heard before. Apple made it sound cool. They were making tech jokes (digs at Microsoft) and the audience were laughing and clapping along, I felt like I'd finally found my people. The words 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous' were tossed around a lot when talking about design, typography and user experience and me being a sucker for Steve's persuasive words, I caved in and converted to a Mac.
Steve
In the past few years I've always credited Steve Jobs as a massive inspiration in my life. He saw what we didn't know we needed in our lives and simplified things that were too complicated to use. His persistence of great design and making sure everything looks gorgeous and 'just works' channels how I've always thought about nearly everything myself. He also taught me how to question the norms and got me always thinking how I could do certain things differently.
He was also a great marketer. I'm not sure whether he did come up with the 'Here's to the crazy ones' ad, or the 'Think Different' posters with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, or the iTunes silhouettes, but after reading his biography I've learnt how he certainly knew what stood out.
I'm a Mac
Worn silver paint, a dodgy screen, 4 replacement chargers - my ancient Acer laptop was a sorry mess. Luckily for me, my 18th birthday was right round the corner, and I was promised a shiny new laptop. I already knew that new MacBooks were being announced on that Tuesday evening where I sat with dinner on one side of my desk, and the Acer laptop on the other reading the live updates from the Apple event. I was a Mac before I even owned one myself.
When I first saw pictures of the new unibody aluminium MacBook I made my decision then and there. This is the one, no matter the cost. Although these words are over-used, it looked so simple yet elegant. Just like the iPhone did, their notebook design changed the way most notebooks look today and how they are made. I've definitely seen the unibody and glass trackpad on other notebook computers. After a couple of months of extra saving (birthday money isn't enough when it comes to Apple) I made the trip to the Apple store and after some excellent customer service and a frightening new bank balance I proudly returned home with my little boxed MacBook.
From using a cheap Acer laptop to this, I found the build quality amazing. The keyboard was crisp, the trackpad felt like magic and the MagSafe power cable made me instantly forget about all those replacement chargers. I was up and running in no time and though the change in operating systems took some getting used to, it all made sense very quickly.
I was soon wanting to extend my Apple experience. I bought an Apple remote which made my hi-fi a bit dusty until I found out how to connect its speakers to my MacBook. Then came the iPod Touch which is when I got the whole seamless integration thing. Wrapped under the Christmas tree, the Magic Mouse came next which really is magic and a thing of minimalist beauty. My latest addition is my white iPhone 5 which I bought purely because it looked nice and fitted in with the Apple eco-system.
One thing I've noticed is Apple's products retain a lot of value, so yes, they are quite pricey, but when you come to selling up you will probably get a decent amount of cash back.
The Future of Apple
How long will this value, hype and innovation last? Has Apple planted the seeds that will continue to grow for generations? Can they survive without Steve? Many worry that lack of innovation may be the beginning of the end. Now Steve is no longer the driver, doubt exists as to whether the heart is slowing down, but you shouldn't forget there's still a whole team of geniuses. I believe as long as they continue their quality standards and their 'just works' feel, demand for their products will always be flying high.
For now, Apple is here to stay, but I would say that.
"I used to hate Apple."
I thought they were trying too hard to make their over-priced products look space-y and curvy, but then I came across an Apple event on YouTube. The legend that is Steve Jobs stood on stage and talked about technology in a way I had never heard before. Apple made it sound cool. They were making tech jokes (digs at Microsoft) and the audience were laughing and clapping along, I felt like I'd finally found my people. The words 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous' were tossed around a lot when talking about design, typography and user experience and me being a sucker for Steve's persuasive words, I caved in and converted to a Mac.
Steve
In the past few years I've always credited Steve Jobs as a massive inspiration in my life. He saw what we didn't know we needed in our lives and simplified things that were too complicated to use. His persistence of great design and making sure everything looks gorgeous and 'just works' channels how I've always thought about nearly everything myself. He also taught me how to question the norms and got me always thinking how I could do certain things differently.
Steve Jobs refused to wear his oxygen mask while sick because he did not like the way it was designed.— UberFacts (@UberFacts) September 6, 2013
I'm a Mac
Worn silver paint, a dodgy screen, 4 replacement chargers - my ancient Acer laptop was a sorry mess. Luckily for me, my 18th birthday was right round the corner, and I was promised a shiny new laptop. I already knew that new MacBooks were being announced on that Tuesday evening where I sat with dinner on one side of my desk, and the Acer laptop on the other reading the live updates from the Apple event. I was a Mac before I even owned one myself.
When I first saw pictures of the new unibody aluminium MacBook I made my decision then and there. This is the one, no matter the cost. Although these words are over-used, it looked so simple yet elegant. Just like the iPhone did, their notebook design changed the way most notebooks look today and how they are made. I've definitely seen the unibody and glass trackpad on other notebook computers. After a couple of months of extra saving (birthday money isn't enough when it comes to Apple) I made the trip to the Apple store and after some excellent customer service and a frightening new bank balance I proudly returned home with my little boxed MacBook.
From using a cheap Acer laptop to this, I found the build quality amazing. The keyboard was crisp, the trackpad felt like magic and the MagSafe power cable made me instantly forget about all those replacement chargers. I was up and running in no time and though the change in operating systems took some getting used to, it all made sense very quickly.
I was soon wanting to extend my Apple experience. I bought an Apple remote which made my hi-fi a bit dusty until I found out how to connect its speakers to my MacBook. Then came the iPod Touch which is when I got the whole seamless integration thing. Wrapped under the Christmas tree, the Magic Mouse came next which really is magic and a thing of minimalist beauty. My latest addition is my white iPhone 5 which I bought purely because it looked nice and fitted in with the Apple eco-system.
One thing I've noticed is Apple's products retain a lot of value, so yes, they are quite pricey, but when you come to selling up you will probably get a decent amount of cash back.
The Future of Apple
How long will this value, hype and innovation last? Has Apple planted the seeds that will continue to grow for generations? Can they survive without Steve? Many worry that lack of innovation may be the beginning of the end. Now Steve is no longer the driver, doubt exists as to whether the heart is slowing down, but you shouldn't forget there's still a whole team of geniuses. I believe as long as they continue their quality standards and their 'just works' feel, demand for their products will always be flying high.
For now, Apple is here to stay, but I would say that.
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