14 DAY TRIAL // So, you think you know Apple? You think you can predict what their next move is and how the design is going to change?
Think again. The new Apple is taking big steps towards... something else. Even for old Apple die-hards is hard to predict where the company is going. Yes, Apple has always been the company that brought something new, invented a new gadget or switched to a new connector just when you thought you got a new accessory, but this time... things are a bit different.
There are two ways in which Apple has changed and became totally unpredictable. The hardware kinda lacks behind and we still see old laptops not getting a refresh or the same design for iPhones for 3 generations in a row. At the same time, the software is going strong. Slowly, but surely, iOS, Mac OS and Apple-branded apps become the industry standard.
"Can't innovate anymore, my ass"
Phil Schiller's famous words back in 2013 just came back to haunt him and the entire team at Apple. The Mac Pro was a success! A bold computer with an outstanding design and a new way of thinking about the desktop.
But it only lasted for a year. Waiting for an update for that special computer turned from hope into pain. Fast forward four years and you see a bunch of tech journalists and influencers gathered in Apple's design lab for a discussion with the top-hats in Cupertino. All of them are holding their hats in their hands, looking down, and admit that they've cornered themselves.
The Mac Pro could not be updated because one of the three sides of the thermal core was getting too hot when a newer generation GPU was installed on the machine. So the bold and beautiful computer was stuck in 2013. Sure, the CPU. RAM and even the USB ports could have been updated, but it would have been like a great racing horse with poor vision.
The last time Apple admitted they made a mistake was back in 1990-never. The new Apple not only said they blew it but they announced the Mac Pro was going to change. They even said the new computer would not come out this year. Sure, everyone jumped to the conclusion that the new design for the Mac Pro will come out in 2018. Well, not so fast. Nobody said it would be next year.
Sure, they can throw together the old cheese-grater case, add some RAM, the latest GPU, some new Intel CPU, USB-C ports along with some USB 3 ones and call it a day. But this is not Apple's style of doing business. Not with their beloved desktop computer.
Another way to solve this crisis would be to beef up the iMac and release an iMac Pro - the technology is in their hands and there is nothing stopping them getting one out Jony Ive's door, but then everyone would say Apple is a predictable company. And most likely they would be wrong, because Apple has become an unpredictable hard rock.
Clips - unmistakably Apple
Just when you thought Apple did enough with turning Messages into an app that is hard to bear because of all the stickers, rainy hearts and fireworks, here comes Clips. This is not only made for teens but it breathes and sweats Apple's DNA.
Yes, Clips came out of nowhere. With a .3 release of iOS, which is even more surprising!
An app that focuses on making videos and understanding what you're saying and turning that into words on the spot. How does one even care about an app like that?
Well, first of all it is a smart app for a few reasons. Second, it's the kind of app only Apple would release: not a social network, but the perfect tool for content creators.
Let's talk about the reasons this app stands out.
1. Clips does not ask for user's permission for the Camera and Microphone. Why would it do that? After all, this is not a third-party app that tries to steal your data. Sure, anyone would say Apple is not eating their own dog food. And neither should they, I say!
2. An app like Clips is the perfect mix between iMovie and a Video Camera. No more editing, no more adding titles and typing them on the small keys. You just say the words and they automagically appear on the screen.
3. Share it everywhere. Creating good quality content is not about being a professional studio or using expensive gear. Anyone can do it on their phone nowadays, and Clips excels at doing just that! No network behind it, nothing but Apple's server power and voice recognition software and the simplicity of an app that can help you do anything on the fly.
The "iLife of the Party"
The iWork and iLife suite of apps became free just a couple of weeks ago. Apple now has free iOS updates, free Mac OS updates and some pretty awesome apps for both creators and workaholics out there.
When first released, Keynote alone was sold for $99. Just take a second and think about all the value you get as an Apple user from all these apps.
If Apple is not in it for the money, then who can predict what they are going to do next?