Why does Apple make the MacBook and MacBook Pro? Why not just one model?
Why do they make the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro? Why not just one model?
Why not just offer the iMac instead of the MM and MP since it's all-in-one which is the simplicity and ease of use that are Apple design hallmarks?
Why do they make the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano, the iPod Classic, and the iPod Touch? Why not just one model?
Because each device appeals to a different market.
...And yet I still can't get a 1920 screen in a 15" form factor portable from Apple - something I've been able to do on the PC side for over 5 years - even as a BTO option.
...And yet there's still no Blu-ray drive option available from Apple on ANY machine in their entire lineup, even though they're on the consortium and standalone readers and burners from third-party vendors have been available for ages.
I'm all for different models that suit different needs, but the problem with Apple is you can't get everything you want like you can with a PC - even if you're willing to pay for it.
The new Mac Pros were almost a complete oversight at this year's MWSF and the only real new product we're seeing here - the Mac Book "Air," (seriously??) seems to be extremely overpriced and underpowered. I think they're making a huge mistake by omitting the optical drive and firewire completely. One USB port is next to useless. I can understand if the intent is for users to have a lightweight email and internet browsing machine that's slim and easy to take on the road, but I'm not going to pay $1,800 just to be able to check my email.
Apple can make all the niche toys they want - sometimes they're cool - but they're really starting to drop the ball on the core product that ties everything together: the Mac. If all of the different models they offer become aimed only at niche markets, what are the rest of us supposed to do except look at alternative options?
As a PC user for most of my life and certainly not a Mac fanboy, maybe I can offer a different perspective. I like Leopard - a lot - and I think it's a far better OS than Microsoft's latest offering. I also use a lot of software that is proprietary to the Mac, like Final Cut Pro, so I spend a lot of time in front of one. But it's hard to get excited about their new offerings when it seems like there is always a compromise of some kind. I don't think the opinions of the people here who are "always complaining" about new product launches are really unwarranted. New computers are a big investment and especially from a company who likes to flaunt themselves as "leading the way," I think people are right to have high expectations. Products like the MBA just offer one new feature ("really thin form factor" in this case), by compromising on a host of others (pretty much every other aspect of the machine) and don't get us any further ahead than we were before. It's no surprise the stock is falling and people are so ho-hum about the keynotes these days.
Remember when we'd actually get a "one more thing," and it would be actually be something revolutionary and useful? I hope those days are not over for Apple.
