I just got done watching the 2008 MacWorld keynote speech by Steve Jobs. It is a full 90 minutes long, and in full Apple style, is available in Quicktime format on Apple’s website.

In a nutshell, the announcements were:

• Movie rentals in Apple Itunes
• New version of Apple TV which allows all the movies, Youtube videos, podcasts, TV shows - all on your TV. The good thing here, aside from the software update, is that the Apple TV no longer requires a computer. You can do the whole thing on the television.
• Software update for the Apple Iphone, offering a host of new features
• MacBook Air, marketed as "the world thinnest notebook", which comes in at 3/4 inch at it’s thickest point.

And this is all after Apple announced the new 8 core Mac Pro series. Apple is definitely on a roll.

My Take

Apple continues to impress. I have had my problems with Apple in the past, and have talked about it here on PCMech. But all in all, I am impressed with Apple’s ability to develop innovative products that cater to the needs and wants of their customers.

And the proof of that in my life is that I threw down $2500 for a new Mac Pro in October and now use the machine as my primary computer. And, I must say, it is the best box I have ever owned. It is fast. It is quiet. It allows me to run two operating systems simultaneously. Simply put, I don’t think there is a damn thing I can’t do with this thing.

The MacBook Air is, too, impressive. It is super thin, and Steve goes into how they achieved it in his speech. They even got Intel to reduce the size of the Core 2 Duo processor to 60% of original, and the chip in the MacBook Air is the size of a dime. Unbelievable. Would I buy a MacBook Air? Probably not. While it is impressive, I think I would want something worthy of being a desktop replacement. Which is why my next notebook is probably going to be the MacBook Pro. Perhaps the MacBook. But, the Air is a little too thin for my taste. Not in size, but on features. Impressive, nonetheless.

Apple’s Secret

The thing that excites so many about Apple is this: innovation, geared toward customers needs and wants, and with the superb ability to market it. No other company has it, which is why Apple stands out among the crowd. If Apple were just more open about things, they would be the perfect computer company.