Six months ago, I penned a post about how boring Apple products had become. I was pleasantly surprised a couple weeks back to see that Apple has trained their focus back on the one thing that has usually set them apart: great design.
I once again have Apple lust.
I stopped using Mac desktop machines many years ago for the simple fact that their noise was just too big a distraction. Once I began using only laptops, desktop machines seemed archaic and essentially without purpose. Apple’s new Mac Pro has me reconsidering a desktop machine for the first time in a decade. Go check out Apple’s impressive preview of the Mac Pro.
I’ve been using PowerBook and MacBook Pro laptops for, like, ever (since about 1997), but several years ago I had to switch to a Thinkpad for the simple reason that IBM had blown away Apple in compact laptop design. I used the IBM for writing and stuck with Powerbooks for everything else. The Thinkpad weighed just 3 pounds and its battery lasted 8 hours. I could take it on the train and never have to worry about plugging in during an entire day. Apple’s machines, on the other hand, weighed in on my shoulder at 5+ pounds, while their battery lasted just 3-4 hours at most. Well, the time of Apple’s heavyweight laptop champions is finally over. Apple’s new MacBook Air weighs just 3 pounds, and has a claimed battery life of up to 12 hours. And their smaller 13″ Retina display equipped MacBook Pro has been slimmed down to about 3 pounds too (if they could just get the battery life upped, I’d be in laptop heaven with one, though their claimed battery life of 7 hours will still be fine).
Finally, the rumor mill says Apple is at last working on a more drop-proof iPhone design. It’s pretty awesome how small the iPhone is, but its highly breakable glass sides and hard-to-hold design have always been big drawbacks. (Who wants to drop and instantly break their $500 phone?) Rumor has it the new design may cost less to boot.
Great design defines Apple. It defines smart brands; brands people can admire.
Kelly Hobkirk - teaching marketers how to harness strategy, goals, reality, and purpose to connect and do better work.
Kelly Hobkirk has been helping companies succeed in creative ways for nearly 25 years. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, and books by Rockport and Rotovision. Get exclusive articles when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.