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Actually, Apple has released the first of a series of game changing computers in the form of its new MacBook Air which the previous version was notable for both its lightness and seeming relationship to the original 512 Mac, interesting but frustratingly limited.
But two years later, some subtle changes and add a Solid State Drive and it suddenly is a game changer. This machine makes wild assumptions that would be insane even two years ago and yet make perfect sense today. The first and foremost of these assumptions is that this device is going to be connected wirelessly 90-100% of the time. Following with, it will download and add software from the internet rather than any other media 99% of the time. The stupid thing literally has two USB ports and that is it. Further, it assumes that it will backup and share data via the "Cloud" rather than a connected backup Hard Drive, though this isn't specifically excluded. And it assumes that it will print and scan things via connections to devices that will support this via network access.
This is possible via the wireless revolution that has been occurring and has been accelerated by the iPhone and iPad. The App Store for Macs is just an extension of the iPhone and iPad app stores but also a recognition that this way of buying and distributing software has numerous benefits for both software developers and end users by creating ownership of the software tied to the user rather than the computer and providing a forum for managing these licenses such that Piracy is much less desirable and that encourages extremely low app pricing that is sustained by the reduced incentives to pirate software and the ease of distribution of placing apps in this channel and leaving the management of this aspect of the software to Apple.
Look for almost all portables to come to resemble the MacBook Air in the next 24-36 months. The technology is derivative and ground breaking at the same time. People just are starting to recognize this and frankly, Apple needs for the Mac App Store to grow and stabilize and the pricing to respond to the new competitive environment before this shift becomes a tidal wave.
Once the App Store for Mac Software is firmly established look for the iMac to enter this same space with a combination of an SSD Boot Drive and a large (1TB) storage drive.
The MacPro space is the place where innovation looks very different than in the shift to wireless, in this space Apple has to figure out how to overcome the tyranny of the 1080p world that has forced all higher resolution displays off of the market nearly, but the world of multiple displays and processing power continues to be the line of advance for graphic arts and this is the machine that supports this whole industry so look for new thinking to break through here as well. For now, Apple is doing mostly all of the right things in the products I discussed but also in their funny products like the AppleTV which when it supports 1080p will be the gateway to the internet for all of those 30-55" displays that are being sold like hotcakes right now. These are exciting times.
The Inq is still deranged, I see.