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Steve was probably a bit frazzled due to the Microsoft Origami stealing Apple's thunder. I don't really see the Origami as being all that interesting, but I have to admit its a heck of a lot more interesting than a $350 boom box, some overpriced leather cases, and meager Mini update.
 
I noticed they zoomed on Steve when he got a drink of water and then panned out. It seemed really odd.

virus1 said:
that was quite an acting piece on jobs' part.. when he pretended they forgot to load the songs.

He needed to throw something like the remote to make the scene complete.
 
I agree, he was not well.

What really annoyed me was how much he stressed that the hi-fi has integrated speakers. Big deal a packing box has integrated handles a long with a cooler. Big deal.
 
It's obvious why they [Apple] didn't post it. No one clapped at all. Perhaps steve was a little under the weather, but to get up on stage and deliver is to perform. If no one responds to what you say, you lose energy rapdily and the presentation blows.

Personally, I felt sorry for him up there, and yes, something was way off. Powerbook twice? Maybe it really was a powerbook.
 
nagromme said:
I think a lot of complaints stem from Apple not having a MID-range headless, below the PowerMac.
Here's a simple way for Apple to address this market. Make a new "pizza box"/DVD player style case for the iMac guts minus the LCD. Make it just as thin as you'd expect that to be < 1". Add a second DVI connector. Done. Price it around $1K. Sold!

Heck they could even do this with the MBP guts for all I care. 😉

B
 
Ok Apple, you can over charge for a Boombox, you can get rid of the video cards but YOU JUST CANT take away my keynotes!😡
 
🙄 Next. I wonder if that Hi-Fi thing will be able to hold the iPod TV with a touch screen? Then I can watch my movies in 1.0 surround sound while I'm taking a dump.
 
balamw said:
Here's a simple way for Apple to address this market. Make a new "pizza box"/DVD player style case for the iMac guts minus the LCD. Make it just as thin as you'd expect that to be < 1". Add a second DVI connector. Done. Price it around $1K. Sold!

Heck they could even do this with the MBP guts for all I care. 😉

B
I like it! Or it could be a pizza box based on the Mac Mini design, just a wider version with full desktop HD and an upgradable GPU.

But whether pizza box or mini-tower, or simply starting the PowerMac line lower down, I think Apple WILL address the mid-range headless market one day. I'd like to think it will come alongside a new pro tower lineup when Conroe and Merom debut this fall or so.

One could say that the iMac covers the mid-range just fine, because most people who want a headless will "settle" for an iMac. However, the Mac market as a whole is growing, and that opens the door for Apple to meet the needs of more specific groups. Remember: once upon a time Apple wasn't meeting the needs of low-end headless buyers. That changed. And once upon a time Apple neglected 3D and gaming/OpenGL--that too changed (though we may have yet to see the fruits).
 
Steve was NOT well

OK, I get crazy in the head everytime I see this guy NOT up to his own standards. He sounded like he had a cold... let's hope it was ONLY that.

He also "blinked" when he said that he was replacing his high end stero equipment with iPod HiFi's... he wasn't even buying the RDF. He couldn't get hyped about these announcements. He just wasn't into it.

I'm worried about him. Steve Jobs, as another person on these boards said, is the closest thing we've got to Willy Wonka. To see him underperform makes me nervous.
 
nagromme said:
I like it! Or it could be a pizza box based on the Mac Mini design, just a wider version with full desktop HD and an upgradable GPU.
Yeah, but that would definitely require a new logic board design. What I suggested would just be a different configuration of existing parts. (Except for the second DVI port, which I don't know how hard it would be to fit in.)

After deliberating it for a long while last night I just realized that the new Mini's not acceptable for me as a living room computer due to the fact that it can only drive one monitor. If I hook it up to my 32" Sony SD CRT TV it becomes useless as a computer, or I would have to keep switching cables. Ick! Now, if the 27" HDTV was in the living room, I might consider it, but it's not.

So it looks like a 17" iMac will be on the shopping list shortly and I'll probably just sell the 15" Samsung LCD that the kids use with the hand me down PIII PC in the living room.

B
 
I was thinking the same about the 'face-less' or 'pizza box' iMac but outside of the integrated graphics, you have that with the $800 mini.

I think no matter what you guys will be dissapointed. I remember all of the complaining after the first iPod was released, very similiar to the current moaning about the new mini. It just goes with the territory of being a Mac geek I suppose. Funny how you guys rag on Steve for being a little more human during a presentation.
 
As "disappointing" as these new products are, I'm amazed how well Jobs presents them. When he talked about the Hi-Fi I was tempted on buying it. If it weren't for the fact that I got a BOSE Soundock I would probably link one up.

Jobs is a marketing genius, but when I say that I'm most likely preaching to the choir.
 
hob said:
When he started talking about the sound stage I realised....

he's stoned!

More like on come down - he did pause on the Cocaine Blues song during the presentation.
Hope he just sticks to LSD though 🙂
 
kitsune^ said:
More like on come down - he did pause on the Cocaine Blues song during the presentation.
Hope he just sticks to LSD though 🙂
I see what you're saying, but it was the way he put down his blue clicker and was like "woa... sound field"... stoners know stoners 🙂
 
hob said:
I see what you're saying, but it was the way he put down his blue clicker and was like "woa... sound field"... stoners know stoners 🙂

Yea I get your point 🙂 I wouldn't be surprised at all if Jobs was an occasional stoner, knowing his past.

To be honest I think that during this presentation he was just stressed up, probably having catched cold, didn't have a good night's sleep plus he was displaying products that couldn't possibly match the massive hype.

I hope he will be well and we'll get that show we've been waiting for on the April 1st 😎
 
kitsune^ said:
To be honest I think that during this presentation he was just stressed up, probably having catched cold, didn't have a good night's sleep plus he was displaying products that couldn't possibly match the massive hype.

It's somewhat disconcerting that he was acting ill at the MacWorld keynote as well. Granted, it could be entirely circumstantial.

I suppose if he continues to act ill on April 1st it will be more difficult to attribute it to a common cold, lack of sleep or just stress. An immense potential for a new rumor mill is born. 😀
 
Evan_11 said:
I was thinking the same about the 'face-less' or 'pizza box' iMac but outside of the integrated graphics, you have that with the $800 mini.

I think no matter what you guys will be dissapointed. I remember all of the complaining after the first iPod was released, very similiar to the current moaning about the new mini. It just goes with the territory of being a Mac geek I suppose. Funny how you guys rag on Steve for being a little more human during a presentation.
Personally, I'm not entirely disappointed with the new Mini's. I think they are offer a decent upgrade, and earlier than most expected, but I would have ordered one already if it had hardware H.264 acceleration and supported larger, faster hard 3.5" drives like the current iMacs. The dual monitor support would be nice, but isn't a show stopper.

It just helped me realize that a 17" iMac may actually be a better fit for my family's needs right now.

Note that I was one of those who was underwhelmed by the 5G iPod on paper, but bought one on sight after playing with it for 5 minutes. Maybe I just need to go play with a new mini for a while...

B
 
nagromme said:
Apple invited people to a smaller-than-usual event, and promised very little: "fun."

Now, OUTSIDE parties blew the hype out of control. iBooks! Movie store! Tablet Macs! Video iPod! There's the source of the "disappointment."

The iPod Hi-Fi looks like a good value and good at what it does. If you don't NEED what it does, then no harm done. Apple CAN survive having some products that don't change the world, but merely do a job well.

My thoughts exactly

Apple delivered exactly what it promised, some fun new products.
 
Steve's health

t^3 said:
Inside Mac TV has a video podcast with about 20 minutes' worth of highlights from the presentation:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=73329937&s=143441

I agree, Steve didn't sound that good. His RDF was running a little low. Funny how he referred to Phil's MacBook Pro as a PowerBook TWICE before correcting himself.

I haven't seen the video myself but he did not seem really good even at Mac World. I hope he is ok healthwise (with his cancer surgery 18 months ago). Wonder if he is getting his affairs in order (sale of Pixar) before he gets worse. I hope not!!!
 
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