Steve Jobs Ends the Applezoic Era

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." -- Obi-wan Kenobi (Long, Long Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away)

Many people believe that Obi-wan was referring to the destruction of Princess Leah's home planet of Alderan. He might have been, but Apple supplicants now think that this was a prescient, sapient vision of Steve Jobs' keynote address at Macworld 2008 -- which historians will mark as the end of the Applezoic Era.

During the Applezoic era, which has included the Apple II+ Epoch, the Macintosh Epoch and iPod Epoch, we have seen some pretty horrifying pivotal events. (The Newton, the Lisa, the iPhone, etc.) But through each, Steve Jobs has been the world's foremost expert in making me buy products I don't need with money I don't want to spend. Truly no one has done a better job. I'm walking around with a $4,700 MacBook Pro laptop that could easily be replaced by $1,500 Windows kit. But no -- I am an Apple supplicant. Up to now, if Steve created it, I had to have it.

Sadly, it is over. The end of an era. My credit cards are safely in my wallet, there's no obligation, nothing to buy, nothing to wish for - nothing. Not a glimmer of hope. Ugh!

Let's have a quick look at the nettling fodder that Apple announced at Macworld.

MacBook Air

Apple introduced the world's thinnest notebook, a MacBook that measures only .16 inches at its thinnest point. It features a 13.3 inch LED-backlit widescreen display and five hours of battery life. The trackpad supports finger gestures for pinching, rotating and swiping on-screen elements. The computer lacks an optical drive but software allows users to "borrow" the drives of other networked computers (including PCs) for burning. It includes a 1.6 GHZ Intel Core Duo 2 processor, 2GB of memory and an 80 GB drive. For an extra fee, users can trade the 80 GB drive for a 64 GB SSD. It costs $1,799 for the base model. But, set up the way anybody who needs a computer would have to set it up, it's a $4,000 1.6Ghz, 64GB box. The same 4k buys you a mind-blowing Vista box or a smokin' MacBook Pro. Try as I might, I just can't figure out who would consider this a useful device. I love the way it looks, but for the same price, I'm carrying a true desktop replacement in my briefcase.

Time Capsule

Time Capsule is an Airport base station with a hard drive that wirelessly (and automatically) saves backups for computers on the network. It comes in 2 sizes - 500 GB ($299) and 1 TB ($499). This is actually a wonderful idea and it is properly priced. But, it is not the kind of announcement that makes a Macworld Keynote speech memorable.

iPhone and iPod Touch Software updates

The iPhone software will be updated to include Maps with location triangulation, Web Clips and support for iTunes movie rentals. Users can now personalize the iPhone home screen and create multiple home screens (similar to the Spaces feature in Leopard). The update is free.

The iPod Touch will gain Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather and Notes. It also includes the new Web Clips feature and support for iTunes movie rentals. The software update costs $19.99.

My feelings about the iPhone and its related products are well known. As I have often said, I never ended an iPhone call with "goodbye." It was always, "Hello? Hello?" Until they get real search and email threading happening for the iPhone and, oh yeah, get a real carrier with real minutes (AT&T has anytime minutes, that's anytime you can get a signal!), the iPhone is a non-starter.

iTunes Rentals

Apple announced iTunes movie rentals with support from all the major studios. DVD-quality rentals will cost $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases. The service launches today and expects to have 1,000 titles available by the end of February.

Apple TV has been updated to include support for direct rentals -- including ones in high-definition with Dolby 5.1 surround sound. HD rentals will cost $3.99 for library titles and $4.99 for new releases. HD rentals can only be obtained through Apple TV and cannot be transferred to iPods or Macs. 100 titles will be available on launch. The price of the AppleTV was dropped to $229.

Users have 30 days to start watching a rental and 24 hours to finish once it has begun.

Twentieth Century Fox and Apple also announced "Digital Copy for iTunes," a file that will be included on DVD releases of Fox movies. The copy can be transferred to iTunes, iPods, iPhones and AppleTV.

Of all the announcements at Macworld 2008, this is perhaps the most profound. Again, it is not immediately a game-changer. For the few of us who own AppleTV boxes (yes, I have one), this is an excellent consumer value proposition. I don't have any other way to rent movies in HD. My Time Warner Cable VOD is SD (and it only works when it works) and I have been reluctant to purchase an HD-DVD or BluRay player during the format war (I'll be buying a BluRay player this weekend).

The movie studios like this, I like it! However, Wall Street didn't seem to like it at all. Apple shares were down $9.74 to $169.04 the day after Steve's speech.

I really wanted to see something really great and useful from Apple this week. On the top of my wishlist was a true sub-notebook. Something I could throw in a portfolio or briefcase for short hops. I was also hoping that the iPhone software update would take the phone where it needs to go. Ces't la vie.

So, what comes after the Applezoic era? That's simple - we are now firmly in the Googlezoic during the Service Layer Epoch. So many different ecosystems are popping up, it's hard to imagine what the world will look like for next year's speech. Help us Obi-wan SteveJobi, you're our only hope.

Shelly Palmer is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2006, Focal Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). He is the Vice-Chairman of the National Academy of Media Arts & Sciences an organization dedicated to education and leadership in the areas of technology, media and entertainment. Palmer also oversees the Advanced Media Technology Emmy® Awards which honors outstanding achievements in the science and technology of advanced media. You can read Shelly's blog here. Shelly can be reached at [e-mail]

Comments

[swingerofbirches]

You don't know why the MacBook Air is useful because it's not fully featured, and you prefer your MacBook Pro, but you'd also wish Apple would make a subnotebook you could just throw in your bag?

I don't get it. Is the MacBook Air not a subnotebook?

[midtown]

"I'll be buying a BluRay player this weekend"

Just dont buy a recorder. Japan issued a warning that BluRays created for the current player wont work in later ones.

[jeffhas]

The sleeper really is Movie Rentals, over time, just as with Ipod/Itunes, Apple has given a compelling reason why they can own the movie business much as they do the music biz. It will take years, but just like the bricks and mortar music stores, say goodbye to the bricks and mortar movie rental stores... why even bother with Blue-Ray/HD-DVD/DVD's?... Who will want to drive and pick up a movie, mess with the darned disc, returning it (even by mail with Netflix), when all you have to do is click and play at your convenience (and sync it to your portable player if you want). Content will be super important, but you will start to see even small independent junk movies that will be offered as iTunes compatible.

Remember, these bricks and mortars have been making BILLIONS for years - now Apple just walks in and takes a huge chunk (brilliant!)... it will add to the bottom line, and that will be Steve's revenge.

[pastabatman]

The end? Meh.

On Macrumors.com there is something called: "Thread 500". It's the thread (hich happened to be the 500th thread on the site) discussing the release of the original ipod right after it was announced. It's 'famous' among the mac rumors zealots. why?

The complaints. Naysayers. the litany of statements declaring the ipod an absolute failure. a device that is overpriced that reaches out to a small and even freaky 'market'. That being lunatics that would spend $500 just to carry music around. Mix cds were fine, and there were plenty of cheaper mp3 options. Apple had busted out the new Newton. Failure was at hand.

Here's the thing, was the 1st gen ipod the ipod that took over the mp3 player industry? no. It was the subsequent iterations.

"Nobody" will buy the Macbook air....yet.

I see them positioning themselves this year to try and keep up, ahead of the curve, on where they 'think' computing et al is headed. not exactly where it's at.

time will tell. but i'm gonna bet against Palmer.

Who knows, maybe this OpEd will become the next "Thread 500".

[elljay]

So he didn't announce anything earth shattering this year. It's not the end of the world. I haven't lost my faith in Apple. Tell me what company has introduced as many innovative products in the same time period that Apple has introduced theirs? Certainly not Microsoft, Dell, Sony, H-P, Nintendo, etc.

[Rule Of Law]

Apple up over 5,000% since 1998. Are you shorting this stock?

[arrgh]

Oh wow, an article predicting the end of Apple. This has to be a first.

[Dunnage]

Jobs backdating of stock options was the end.

[curiousasheck]

Jobs is the Jim Jones of Tech

[darthmaul]

Hey does anybody know if Steve Jobs does any good work with his money? People make fun of Bill Gates and Microsoft, but it appears to me, that Bill with his Gates foundation is trying to do some good with all of his billions.

[csavage]

Awwww....

You think the era of my being able to laugh at the mindless Apple devotees is over?

I shudder to think....

Meanwhile, I'll continue to stick with my half- price, just-as-functional-if-not-more-so, non-- Apple mp3 player, phone and computer, which, BTW, have more applications I can get for them since the originator decided not to make their technology proprietary
You know the manufacturers-Palm, Panasonic, and IBM

[image18301]

I agree with auramac - the iphone IS a tough act to follow. I fear that it drained a great deal of resources as well so we'll probably have to wait till the next MacWorld. This is just Steve-o catching his breath...

[Bobzmcishl]

Hey even God rested on the seventh day. Give Steve a break. Apple is still one of the crown jewels of American corporations. They add value unlike the Citibanks of the world who find more ways to screw the public.

[lamarguerite]

I try to put myself in Steve Jobs' shoes, and I have trouble understanding why such a smart guy, with so much money, keeps on bringing more and more gadgets to the world. And have little to show for in terms of corporate citizenship.

Don't get me wrong. I am a huge Apple fan, and I swear by my MacBook. What makes me cringe however, is the planned obsolescence implied by the release of such products as Macbook Air. The thing appeals to my aesthetic sense, and it would be kind of nice to lighten my load on my way back and forth to appointments. Do I really need it though? The answer is no.

There is also the issue of disposal of old Mac products. I have had very bad experiences with Apple in that regard. If Apple means what they say about being green, they need to take responsibility for the disposal of their old products. Taking them back at the point of purchase for new products, and making sure they get disposed of properly.

http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com
'It's All About Green Psychology'

[clbrune]

Sure it wasn't earthshaking. But the macbook air is nice. Claiming that the base model ($1,799) isn't worthwhile--so you'd need to spend $4k--is bull.

The base model has a duo 1.6GHz duo processor, 2GB RAM and an 80GB drive. That's pretty acceptable.

Note, the more expensive model has a solid state drive. Sure, it's only 64GB, but it's solid state.

[auramac]

The iPhone was a tough act to follow. There's a steady evolution going on, which, I'm sure, will once again lead to some more earth-shaking from Apple. The speculation is getting way out of hand- Jobs could announce a cure for cancer and people will complain it's too expensive.

[Camel54]

Although if that Macbook Air has a processor with a massive cache on it in addition to the SSD, it could conceivably smoke competition with much higher processor speeds. Not that it counters the extreme cost and though there are those who will pay the extra amount for a more secure computer, the growing threat of rootkits is making security frighteningly multi-platform. In the end, I don't even know why I'm saying anything. I'm going to shut up now.

[Sumocat]

I agree there was nothing earth-shaking announced at Macworld, but I don't know why anyone expected anything of that magnitude. Last year was huge with the rollout of the iPhone, new iPods, Leopard, and the new iMacs. There really wasn't anything huge left for them to announce at this Macworld, so what we got were updates and additions to their other product lines (new Macbook, new Airport device, upgraded Mac Pros, and updates to the iPhone, iPod Touch, Apple TV, and iTunes). Any other year that would have been a respectable offering.