iBook Turns 20: Watch Steve Jobs Unveil the World's First Notebook With Wireless Internet

[inkswamp]

I guess I just disagree with the premise that people have a better understanding of computers and the internet based on data that points to them not really understanding either. Even on the PC side where there are TONS of options the majority of folks are buying systems where many of the decisions are made for them... not rolling their own solutions out of parts from different vendors.

I've been working in IT for over 20 years. I have seen firsthand how much more the general public understands computers and the Internet now compared to back then. I remember standing in a room full of co-workers back in 2000 talking about bookmarking a website which caused looks of confusion around the room. People have very definitely gotten more competent and have more understanding about the Internet and computers generally now than back then. I don't understand the leap in logic that you're doing in claiming that's not the case because some people fall for Internet scams or get viruses. There will always be people who fall for those things. That doesn't speak for everyone.

 

[Rob_2811]

Last time I checked Apples products were highly recyclable, Elon shoving his rubbish into space is not! And no Apple is not making faulty logic boards...
Elon is an idiot. Nothing like Jobs and lacks any sort of vision to create something like the MacBook Pro. He is not changing the world, but if you feel that passionately about him go and queue up for his robot to stick a chip in your brain...
Or better yet one of his illegal self driving cars.. I don’t actually think any country legally allows civilian autonomous vehicles to be used. But Elon the idiot is now going to sell them.. can’t wait for them to start crashing even worst then they do now and killing more people.


ON TOPIC:

I like the orange one, it was a brilliant marketing move to make laptops like these for consumers. The Mouse was another thing though as I believe it was awful?

Somebody attempting to manufacture electric vehicles at an unprecedented scale isn't changing the world, what absolute nonsense.

 

[ibjoshua]

When the redesigned Dual USB iBook came out in 2001, though, I was instantly smitten. Small and attractive, capable yet affordable. That was the first laptop I ever bought and is still one of my all-time favorites.

I was exactly the same. The G3 'icebook' was my first laptop. It just looked so good back then. It was the poor man's G4 Powerbook but that didn't matter.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I've been working in IT for over 20 years. I have seen firsthand how much more the general public understands computers and the Internet now compared to back then.

I don’t understand the leap in logic between “people know how to create a bookmark or create a new tab in a browser” to them understanding, based on their workloads, what combination of processor, graphics card and what amount of memory will best suit them. The former is not an “understanding” it’s “this is what I do to get this result”. The latter is a higher level thought process that few consumers will ever rise to the level of.

I mention the virus scenario because I find it hard to believe that folks that don’t know how to avoid viruses are, at the same time, intelligent enough to put together a system from parts from various vendors.

 

[inkswamp]

I mention the virus scenario because I find it hard to believe that folks that don’t know how to avoid viruses are, at the same time, intelligent enough to put together a system from parts from various vendors.

I never once said anything about people putting together their own systems. You're arguing for the sake of arguing, I think. The point I made was very easy to understand.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I never once said anything about people putting together their own systems.

This is your statement:

Flash ahead 6-7 years later and consumers have gotten significantly more computer savvy and understand the Internet very well. The Internet/Web is integrated into just about aspect of our lives. That was the point where Apple could have said, "Hey, people have the hang of this now. We should dump the training wheels computer approach and put out a standalone desktop computer that can interconnect with whatever peripherals and displays users prefer and allow for a degree of customization/upgradeability."

“put out a standalone desktop computer that can interconnect with whatever peripherals and displays users prefer” sounds a lot like people buying parts to put together their own systems. My point is that just because someone understands the internet doesn’t mean they know how to “interconnect with whatever peripherals and displays” they prefer. You may only engage with very brilliant people that ARE able to build their own systems. With that as a reality for you, there’s no way I’d be able to convince you that there’s a lot of people that just can’t do that and will always need, as you rightly put it, the training wheels.