Category Archives: Steve Jobs
Apple iPhone 5 Event: The Number 5 Never Looked So Good.
Apple sent this media invite to its September 12 event, widely expected to be the launch of the next iPhone
Do you have a birthday or anniversary on September 12th? A wedding? A newborn baby scheduled for delivery?
None of this matters. Nobody cares because the world will officially stop as Apple unveils it’s much-anticipated, sure to be record-breaking in sales new iPhone – the iPhone 5.
Media contacts were sent their official invitation with a great big number 5 on the cover. I received mine but I am scheduled for a hair appointment that day and will have to pass. Kidding! KIDDING!
So, I guess it’s safe to say that, since the the number 5 is plastered on the cover of the invitation, the new iPhone will indeed be called the iPhone 5.
Or maybe Apple is just playing with us and will release 5 products on September 12th. Now that would be something, huh?
This probably won’t happen, though. I am hoping that the rumored IPad Mini and revised iPod Touch ( which will probably combined into one product) and retooled iPad 3rd generation will be released on the first anniversary of Steve Jobs‘ death – October 5th. There’s that number 5 again!
However, maybe Apple has other plans to mark this important date. Time will tell.
All I know is this – this Phone will shatter record sales like never before. It is the last project that had Steve Jobs full attention before he died and that alone will motivate people to grab this historic phone.
And, with the implementation of iOS 6, a newly improved camera, 4″ retina display with in cell technology and more, this phone will climb more mountains and leap more hurdles than all the other phones combined.
Are you excited? You should be! We are talking ground-breaking technology here!
Bye Bye Apple Genius Ads! I Shall Miss You!
What is going on at Apple? And why is there a lack of humor and child-lack wonder in the tech blogosphere?
The now infamous Apple Genius commercials which were aired during the opening of the Olympics have mysteriously disappeared. Why? Because they weren’t pretentious enough, I guess. The Apple fanboys and girls thought they were childish, immature, unrelatable, misleading – oh, just pick a negative word and add it here.
You know? Whatever!! I thought they captured the fun-like atmosphere of the Apple Store experience. That wonderful, non-intimidating, carefree environment that made everyone of every age and geek level comfortable.
Apple should not have succumbed to the media pressure and pulled these ads off the network. They have a history of never yielding to public demand so why now?
Just because a few, albeit noteworthy, tech journalists went all negative and embarrassed over these ads do not necessarily make them correct in their thinking.
Apple commercials need to be innovative – yes – but also relevant. Apple needs to attract a core audience beyond the “Oh look at me, I have the latest Apple device” mentality.
There are millions upon millions of people out there still walking the fine line between Android and Apple. They have no idea which step to take next.
Well, with these commercials, they were warmly invited to step and move in the direction of the Apple Stores to, you know, browse and hang-out and explore. Potentially to buy!
And, if you have an Apple project that is giving you problems, then the Apple Genius or staff members are more than willing to help.
That’s all these commercials were saying! Nothing more. Nothing less. And the tech world had to smash and bash them.
Apple Ads Finally Score A Favorable Review From Macworld.Com
I love, Love LOVE this article! Finally! Someone who has brought the correct perspective to the recent Apple commercials which debuted during the Olympics.
When I first saw them, I thought they were cute and, somewhat, hilarious.
And, the fact that they were focused on the important role of the Apple Genius located in all their stores was something that we have never seen before.
However, all across the tech blogosphere, these commercials were criticized and berated because they lacked the refined ingenuity of previous Apple commercials. Aren’t we all getting just a little bit pompous and condescending here?
These commercials were never aimed for the Apple fanboys or girls. Surrounded by multiple Apple products, they don’t need to be convinced about the merits of Apple.
No – these commercials were produced to augment sales and communication in the Apple retail sector, attracting potential customers – those who, perhaps, would feel intellectually intimidated by interacting with Apple employees. Regular people with regular problems interacting with Apple staff who are more than willing to assist you in understanding your Apple project or device.
Here is what Philip Michaels of Macworld.Com had to say:
Apple isn’t making these ads to get an approving nod from Forbes or a pat on the back from Ken Segall or even to make me feel good about myself as a Mac user. It’s trying to sell stuff. Specifically, it’s trying to sell stuff to people who feel flummoxed by computers, who think that sitting down in front of a computer screen and creating something worthwhile is as unimaginable as building a rocket ship. Other PC makers leave you high and dry, Apple is telling these folks, but we’ll still be there to help you out.
Whether that message resonates with its target audience, of course, is a different question, and one we’ll see the answer to over the next few quarters. But Apple certainly has enough muscle to put some oomph behind its marketing message. The company ended its last quarter with 373 retail outlets that brought the company $4.1 billion in revenue. Around 83 million people walked into an Apple Store last quarter, and while they were there, they bought 791,000 Macs—nearly half of which were bought by consumers who had never owned a Mac before. At a time when the rest of the PC market saw contracting sales, Apple enjoyed a little bit of growth last quarter. Clearly, its retail arm helped out some in that regard, and Apple is banking that it can drive even more sales with those blue-shirted helpers.
The secret to Apple’s ongoing success and strong visibility lies within these remarkable Apple Retail Stores. It is a playground for people of all ages and, more important, all levels of technological ability. The stores via their Apple employees foster growth, appreciation and passion for technology, and in particular, Apple technology.
Steve Jobs had a vision for Apple – to create a Disney-like experience where consumers would return to time and time again. And what better place to experience the Apple magic than your nearest Apple Store.
His child-like wonder was what sustained him and allowed him to visualize a world that none of us could foresee. It is also this kind of special mind-set that catapulted Walt Disney World to success.
I actually think that we will see an Apple Store at Disneyland and Disneyworld someday soon. With Apple’s strong connection to Disney, it is a no-brainer.
When this happens, then the sky is indeed the limit for Apple. They will have a captive audience at the greatest family vacation center in the world.
Did you enjoy the recently aired Apple commercials? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Apple Needs To Release A Kids’ Product With A New Name
It’s all in the name. A new name, especially in the tech world, attracts attention, especially if it designed by the mother of all tech companies, Apple Inc.
Presently, rumors abound and refuse to die down until, finally, an Apple event in the Fall of 2012 reveals all.
We know that the new iPhone will be released – the last product with which the late and great Steve Jobs was intimately involved from start to finish. By all accounts, it is going to be revolutionary and will absolutely sell like hot-cakes because of Steve Jobs’ involvement.
However, in the wake of the newest announcements that the iPod Touch is going through a revamp stage, everyone is in a frenzy. Will the new iPod Touch be the rumored iPad Mini? I touched on this very topic a couple of days ago but it bears repeating.
I feel that Apple should release a newly sized product with a new, spiffy name, for no other reason than to peak the interest of the consumers.
Picture a newly sized device, programmed specifically for kids and, perhaps, per-loaded with some kid-oriented apps related to Education, Music, Games, Problem-Solving, Books etc.
And it should be made of material that can withstand the rough and tough handling by children and tots. Water and drool-proof as well. My 18-month-old grandson may still be teething and learning to speak but he spends half his day playing and drooling all over my iPad.
Then christen it with a new, high tech name that will have the parents running in droves to grab one during the holiday season. iTot? ChildPad? IPadJunior? iToy? iPod Pro? iPod ‘Tween? iPod Prime?
Now, it’s your turn to add a name or two – I have to clean the drool off my iPad now. 🙂
The Ongoing Saga Of The IPad Mini: A Tech Toy Hiding In Plain Sight
Finally! An article that makes creative sense regarding a smaller version of the IPad.
Computerworld.Com hit all kinds of personal nerves and buttons. It is brilliant! It is genius! And like many innovative solutions, basking in simple and obvious rationale.
Here is a summary of Computerworld.Com’s article:
“One month before Apple shipped its first touch tablet, I predicted in this space that the iPad would become the “Children’s Toy of the Year.”
That column was somewhat controversial, because people were viewing the iPad as a high-end luxury item for technology fans, not a toy for children.
It turns out that the iPad was a combination of the two: It became the “toy” of choice for the children of technology fans who buy high-end luxury items.
iPads for children became a surprisingly huge phenomenon, which toy companies and others jumping on board with apps galore.”
The article goes on to say:
“In fact, the appeal of iPads to kids is the biggest problem with the phenomenon. Go into any Apple store, or check out the Apple section at Best Buy, and you will always see very small children mesmerized by the device.
Apple clearly encourages this. They tend to have a “kids table” at Apple stores, which “have iPads tethered to the table. I call this the Ronald McDonald approach to future sales. Teach very young kids that your brand is associated with fun, and they’ll become lifelong brand loyalists.”
I can say without hesitancy that this is the absolute truth. I have seen my grandchildren devour iDevices while their other toys sit in the corner, longing for their company.
And, perhaps, just perhaps, Steve Jobs was toying with us when he said that the consumers would need sandpaper to file down their fingers in order to manipulate the apps on the 7″ iPad screen.
However, he was talking about adult consumers, not children and, certainly, not toddlers. Their little fingers are the perfect size for a ChildPad.
Over the past few months, my 18-month-old grandson has discovered the notification center, the home button, the volume button, the “on-off” button, various apps that he loves and can start them without assistance. It is incredibly mind-boggling to watch the process.
And the size of the preferred device is directly proportional to the age of the child. For instance, my 18-month-old and 2.5-year-old grandsons prefer the iPhone while my 6.5-year-old granddaughter prefers the iPad. The smaller iPhone fits more comfortably in smaller hands and is not as heavy.
Oh yes, an iPad Nano or a ChildPad valued at under $200.00 would sell gangbusters at Christmas, especially with the launch of iOS 6 this Fall, enabling a parent to add restrictions on which apps a child can access.
Leave it to Apple to create the obvious. A best-selling tech toy hiding in plain sight. Could this have been Apple’s plan all along? Was Steve Jobs merely trying to discourage competitors from beating them to the ChildPad launch via his sandpaper comment? Hard to say – but it makes for juicy discussion.
Update: Another name for this children’s iPad? The iTot (taught)
GrannieTheGeek.Com 