Toys that rock
Choosing an Apple is choosing a lifestyle. Let the PC geeks and suits have their beige boxes. Choosing an Apple means you choose not to wear a tie to work, that you choose to express yourself and free your ideas. Choosing an Apple means you are just too cool for school.However, as much as the chic design of the stunning range of Apple Macs makes a siren call to the creative spirit, not many have answered that call with their designer-label wallets. Apple claims about 2.6 percent market share worldwide, a tiny slice when compared to dominant Microsoft; and local figures are lower. Apple took the moral route during the apartheid years, and Bruno Verolini, Apple Computer`s country manager, admits this had a “massive impact” on local market share.“A lot of users felt Apple had turned its back on them. They still haven`t forgiven us for it.”CEO Steve Jobs defends his low share of the pie by claiming it forms part of Apple`s strategy. He wants Apple to be the BMW of computing – the preserve of the discerning user. But after another quarter of dour results last month, it`s obvious a wee bit more market share wouldn`t hurt the company.Apple still has a lot going for it. No one denies that its technology is exceptional, and the new kit hitting the floors in the next two months will affirm this perception. Its other ace, keeping it top-of-mind in the PC world [if not top of the charts], is its band of “Mac-manic” supporters. What they lack in numbers they make up for in enthusiasm.Described by Verolini as “almost fanatical”, they see Apple as a way of life. They have specialist Mac furniture, ranging from fish bowls built of old Macs to designer desks matching their stylish machines. One particular Apple phenomenon is specialist Apple shops, which stock only Apple and Apple-related equipment. You don`t see many IBM-specific shops.Verolini says Incredible Connection`s domination of the retail market is one reason for the Apple-only stores. “The retail space was dominated by one particular retailer who standardised on the PC platform. Another reason is that when we looked at going with a standard retailer, we found that the customer wasn`t getting a good experience. We needed to highlight differences between PCs and Apple. The sales guys tried to cross-sell PCs to the Apple users, which irritated our clients.”Giving the small group of Apple users their own stores has added to the clique characteristic of the brand.But the idea that Macs cost a lot more than the average PC is mostly what makes the brand seem like the BMW of the computing world.Verolini denies that Apple is a pricey option, blaming grey market importers for the perception – created while Apple was out of the country. Not that Apple is going to compete with the white-box players any time soon, but its products are, with the occasional exception, within the reasonable price bracket. The new 12” PowerBook, for instance, will sell for about R22 500, [although you can pick it up for $1 799 if you`re travelling to the US].The top-end 17” PowerBook laptop will sell for a hefty R40 000 when it lands here towards the end of the month, but it does come with every bell and whistle imaginable, and is the biggest portable available. Even with that barely justifiable price tag, this model will ensure that the ad execs and mobile DTP characters carrying them are just too cool... Airport ExtremeWires are so passé in the Mac world. Send your copper to the jeweller down the street and wire your home and office with the AirPort Extreme. Running 802.11G, the latest spec from the propeller-heads at IEEE, the base station can link up 50 Mac and PC users to the network at a staggering 54Mbps. Air is the in thing. Vital statistics: USB, LAN, WAN connectors, modem, 150 ft coverage (extender antenna available), 50 users, 54Mbps. Price: hub R2 700; card (Mac only) R999. SafariTake a walk through the wild web with Apple`s new browser, based on the open-source Konqueror. It`s hasta la vista to Internet Explorer – Apple`s default browser for the past six years – and hello to a faster Internet experience. Help Jobs give Gates the cold shoulder, and download the beta today. Vital statistics: Faster than IE (according to Apple), 3MB download, requires OS X. Price: Free. LaCie Big DiskEven though it`s one of the first devices to support FireWire 800, the Big Disk will still take some time to fill up. This external drive holds a hefty 500GB of data, but is light enough to pop under your arm and lug to the printers. As all things associated with Apple, the industrial designers went all out on the case. It will work with your ugly PC too. Vital statistics: 500GB, FireWire 800 (800Mbps), 6.7x1.7x10.6", 2.5kg. Price: $899. 17” PowerBook G4More of a portable workstation than a laptop, its 17 inches should be big enough for any man. Wrapped in its aluminium alloy, the 1440 by 900 pixel monitor is powered by a 64MB GeForce4 and a 7.5 gigaflop 1Ghz G4 PowerPC processor. If that confuses you, “shit-hot” is a good description. Use your 4.5 hours of battery life to burn DVDs with the DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive, or network with anything that supports your Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800, Bluetooth, or 802.11G wireless. This machine truly is state of the art – and a work of art, with a price tag to match. Size counts. Vital statistics: 17” LCD, backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor, 60GB hard drive, 1”x15.4”x10.2”, 6.8 pounds. Price: R39 999. Apple iPodWhen you must depart from your beloved Mac, don`t forget to take your tunes with you, in the form of the iPod – Apple`s sleek little MP3 player. It`ll also store all of your contacts and appointments, making it more than just a really small jukebox. Available in 5GB, 10GB and 20GB flavours, with ten hours of battery life on the road, you`ll never be far from the beat. Vital statistics: 5GB, 10GB or 20GB memory, Firewire, 21 equalizer presets, 60mW amplifier. Price: R4 368 (5GB), R5 440 (10GB), R6 629 (20GB). Apple Cinema HD DisplayJobs has given up on chunky CRT displays, and opted for funky LCD. This piece of enviable equipment will look as good in an ad designer`s office as it will in the post-production lab. With 23 inches of screen offering 1920 by 1200 pixels, computing becomes a lot more enjoyable, and with its thin footprint (20 cm thick), you don`t have to sacrifice your desk to your machine. Easy on the eye. Not to your wallet. Vital statistics: 23% (15%, 17% and 22% also available), wide-screen format, 160 degrees viewing angle. Price: R45 434. Griffin Technology iTripThe FM transmitter made for the iPod lets you impose your musical tastes over any FM radio. Play it in your car, on your home stereo, or over the shopping mall`s PA. Start your own music station. Vital statistics: No battery required, 87.9 to 107.9Mhz frequencies, ten to 30 foot range. Price: Not released yet.
