The Wall

The problem is, they’re just not properly focused on “what” to upgrade their hardware and software “with”
Or maybe its a blessing to their business?

Over the past year ive been getting myself more and more aquainted with why people adore Apple so much. Ive had such phrases as “its better than …” and “its easier than… ” thrown past me ever since i swore off the entire company around the time of the dome encompassed cotton candy colored iMacs.

I didn’t buy into it, not OSX, not iMacs and G4s, not iPods, not even when people had them. i just couldn’t understand it. The systems just seemed to inadequate compared to the diverse world PC gives you.

ive been a Mac user now since around February or March. Sitting here today, i had an epiphany.

It struck me, i finally understand it just now, its the sense of “i dont have to decide” that catches people and “something better / an upgrade is coming around the corner” that keeps people enthralled.

What do i mean by this? Well think about.

When i say “PC” i literally mean “choices”, this comes in the form of Software and Hardware. You can make a PC uniquely yours and a for a budget you can afford.  All it requires is a little time and knowledge of your products.
And thats exactly what scares people, is the choices, and the idea that they have to know something first.

When you get a Mac, your paying for the company behind it to assemble the machine for you with parts that they know are compatible with their software right out of the box. No worries, and it works. In fact, isn’t that one of Macs mottos? “It Works”?

Lets also not forget the scare tactics that even other PC users instill into other potential PC buyers or those sitting on the fence. all it takes is the mighty V word to sway some opinions. That V word is “Viruses”. Everyone knows that Windows is susceptible to Viruses… if you let them.
Not quite so with a Mac, or Linux ofr that matter. You have to give every application permission to run in the first place. Which, admittedly, works as a great detractor to Viruses. But this raises an interesting question, why are the same people who praise this security feature found in other operating systems, criticizing Microsoft for doing the same with with its UAC Security?
But thats not the point of this post.

But i get it now. I finally get it. The part thats so exciting about being an Apple User, is the anticipation of whats coming next, and what maybe coming next in speculation.
What made this epiphony happen?

I watched the Apple Presentation on the iTunes and iPods the other day, you know the one where Steve Jobs made his return. And specifically in the presentation they brought to attention the new generation of iPod Nano, with the built in Camera (not a still camera, just video). I sat there the rest of the presentation, eagarly awaiting to see the iPod Touch get the same upgrade.
Heres a hint: nothing showed.
In fact nothing new was really annoucned for iPod Touch, just Genius Mixes integration, which beleive me is pretty goddamn good and worth the upgrade to 3.1 itself.  But still, i couldn’t help but wonder to myself “Ya the iPod Nano Camera, its, cool i guess, but wouldnt it make more sense on the iTouch?” … of course it would.
A bigger question still is “Whos in the market anymore for a Nano?” the answer is “A tiny percentage left of the population” and beleive me, a camera isn’t going to make me drop my iTouch or for it, nor is it going to sway the opinion of Zune users or Crative Zen users. In fact its a pretty useless upgrade.

You know what makes more sense to me?
Build a mini WiFi into it, just a small very specific WiFi, and include a Nano “Remote” app that allows you to submit requests to any iTunes DJ playing on the network.
LOTS of my friends have Nanos and only a select couple have iPhones or iTouches, and even then the Remote App isn’t standard, you have to find and download it.

Lets say for instance im throwing a party, and i setup my iMac or Mac Mini to a speaker set that rings through the house and/or outside area. Wouldn’t it be badass to say to everyone with a Nano OR iPhone OR iTouch that they can request songs out of the library like a portable Jukebox?

So heres my request Apple, heres me two cents.

In the next iPhone update, make “Remote” a standard app that comes with the software.
Allow your iTunes to say “Accept all Remote Devices for Requests” so no one has to be “authenticated” so long as thats on.
In the new generation of Nanos give it a small WiFi module focused entirely on an integrated “Remote” like feature for it, that can browse and request songs to be played on iTunes DJ

This technology that ALREADY exists is the cornerstone of a new generation of partying for the young to old, you already have my mother with an iPod, youve already got my brother with an iTouch, youve already got the majority of people using iTunes for their music purchases, and youve already got the technology sorted out to communicate between these systems.
I Cant think of a better time to do this than NOW before, say, Zune does it first.

Its your cards Apple, and i gotta say, i cant wait to see what you guys do with these things next. But please, dont stuff useless crap into existing products, think practically here.

Thanks.