Editor's Corner

R.I.P. Apple Computer
It's the end of an era. Apple Computer, the company that was founded out of the Jobs family garage in 1976, is no more. During yesterday's MacWorld keynote, Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs announced (among other things) that the company will drop the "Computer" from its moniker and will be known henceforth as simply "Apple, Inc." This is, of course, a change that reflects a shift in focus at Apple, from computers to consumer electronics and will do little to silence the naysayers and fanboys who have long accused Apple of the worst sin: secretly harboring plans to phase out Mac hardware and software in favor of more profitable products that start with a lowercase i.

So does this move finally confirm Apple's nefarious intentions--is there a road map somewhere in Cupertino that spells out the Mac's demise? Don't be silly. To understand what Apple is thinking you have to look at where the computer market is headed in the long term. Remember, Apple is an innovative, forward-looking company and while their ideas don't always make sense now, they often make a whole lot of sense in hindsight (the Newton, the Mac Portable, consumer digital cameras, etc.). For example, take a look at the iPhone. What do you see? A PDA? A smartphone? I see a computer. It runs OS X, it surfs the web, it plays your iTunes and it sends email. It's the real Mac Mini, if you will. Sure, the iPhone won't run Photoshop or Final Cut Pro. It will, however, be able to perform many of the most common tasks that we use computers for.

In the shorter term, it's important to look at the Mac market. Apple market-share has been steadily growing during the past couple of years and the iPod "halo effect" is finally starting to show: Mac sales were up some 12 percent this past year and many analysts are predicting that Apple could sell as many 9 million Macs in 2007--a new record. You'll recall that Apple has sold Macs through thick and thin (mid to late 90s anyone?): why would they stop now?

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was at least a bit disappointed by this year's Stevenote. Where was the love for the Mac? Where were the new Mac Pro towers, the new MacBooks, the new anything? All the Mac faithful got this year was a measly AirPort update--which apparently, wasn't deemed keynote-worthy. What we need to understand though, is that the Mac is no longer the only child at Apple, though it remains the central locus around which the ever-expanding galaxy of Apple-branded gadgets rotate. The iPod, the iPhone, the Apple TV--if you want to experience the full functionality of these devices, you've got to sync them up with a Mac.

Which brings me to Apple's latest product. There are plenty of reasons to get excited about the iPhone: it merges phone calls, scales web pages in real-time with a swipe of your finger and does your laundry (at least I think it does). But do you know what excites me the most about the iPhone? The fact that it runs OS X--the heart and soul of the Mac. Widgets, the dock, Apple's fastidious attention to detail, it's all there. Honestly, I could care less for a cell phone with a built-in iPod. But a handheld device that lets me carry my OS X desktop with me wherever I go? Just tell me where to sign (this is where the Mephistophelian Cingular comes in).

In all honesty, I don't expect the Macintosh computer, as we know it, to be around forever. I'm not sure what the future holds for personal computing, though I'm pretty sure that wherever technology goes, Apple will follow, if not lead. In 20 years time, we may all be using a series of floating orbs to accomplish daily tasks, instead of personal computers with displays, keyboards and mice. The only thing I do know is that as long as Apple is making products, the spirit of the Mac will live on--regardless of whether those products are called "computers." Apple Computer is dead, long live Apple. - Mehan