My thoughts, since I know you are all eagerly awaiting them, on the new iMac:

• Design is ok – kinda dopey looking. I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve seen it in person.
• Concept is good – those who watched the Keynote Address in shitty QuickTime video will notice how Jobs explained why they went with the ‘two-piece’ design (he said something like “Let each component be true to itself” which was moderately embarrassing). Computers are should be simpler and take up less space – this is a good extension of the original iMac in that regard.
• Having the display on an arm is a great idea if done well. I’ve long wished I could just grab my monitor and move it. It would be even better if the monitor was on an arm connected to the end of my desk, so I could push it away and have all of my desk space free (if my shower head can do it, why can’t my monitor). While making it easy to move is nice, it is more important for it to be stable when stationary. Can you imagine how annoying it would be if your screen wobbled slightly when people walked by?
• The NVIDIA graphics card (a pretty good one) has a fan on it. You may recall the fan-less silence of the iMac – which I think was one of it’s best features. They claim this one is still quiet – again, I’ll check it out in person and report back.
• Another of the nice features of the previous iMac was the tray-less CD drive. Tray’s are so 2001 – yet it’s back. Possibly so they could hide the drive with a cover? Lame.

Steve Jobs uses phrases like “never been done before” and “revolutionary” like nobodies business. It’s interesting though, I think that the quiet revolution in personal computing is happening right now and it has to do with things just working.

Douglas Adams said that technology is a term for stuff that doesn’t work yet. Good call. Slowly – very slowly, computers are starting to just work. Now don’t get me wrong, I could list loads of instances where computers have failed me in the past month, but things are improving.

A few examples of technology that “just worked”:

• We have an HP LaserJet 1100 that has 1 button, no settings, and just works. If you print an envelope, it is smart enough not to suck in your 8″x11″ paper – it waits for you to put in the envelope.
• While visiting my parents today, I plugged my laptop into their DSL and I was online – no settings.
• Stuck with a file on a laptop with no floppy drive or Ethernet – we sat it next to another laptop with an infrared port. To my complete amazement (it was my first time), the machines politely mentioned that there was another computer “nearby” (seriously) and asked it we’d like to transfer files – which we did, thank you. No setup, no configuration.
• I have a second hand account of one laptop dialing on to the internet – another plugging into it with a crossover Ethernet cable under Windows 2000 – one click to turn on Internet Connection Sharing and both were online.
• Stick a CD with photos into a Windows XP machine and it will ask you if you’d like to see a slide show (and ask how you’d like it to handle similar CDs in the future). Same with MP3 CDs, audio CDs, and DVDs.
• When I unplug my network cable a bubble pops up and says – “A network cable is unplugged”. When I plug it back it – it picks up where I started – no hangs or reboots necessary.
• Copy some text and images from a website into Microsoft Word 2002. You’re presented with a non-intrusive icon that disappears if you don’t click it (very important – it doesn’t interrupt users you don’t like or understand it) – if you do click it, it gives you three options: Keep Source Formatting, Match Destination Formatting, and Keep Text Only. That makes so much more sense than having to choose “Edit – Paste Special”.

I’m sure I could compile a must longer list of less successful technical endeavors but I do think these features are becoming more common. It is these small things that will eventually make computers accessible to more people. Apple’s Movie, iTunes, iDVD, and new iPhoto software seem to do well to make these functions more accessible to more people. Windows XP does its part in this respect as well (good handling of photos, digital cameras, etc.). Even applications like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint have matured to a point where there are starting to feel simpler even as they become more complex.

What similar experiences have you had with technology recently?

I know I’m playing right into the hands to Apple’s marketing people, but I can’t help it – I find good marketing entertaining. I’ve criticized Apple fans on this site before (I’m suspicious of anyone who ‘loves’ a computer company, but maybe that’s just a defense mechanism) but I don’t criticize Apple’s own marketing though – they are good at it. They make me want to know what the next product will be (even though I’ve never owned an Apple product in my life).

The hype over their new iPod portable MP3 player was way beyond what any product could live up to. It’s a cool toy, but people’s expectations were just too much (ala Segway, which is really cool, regardless of how revolutionary it may or may not be). This time, it’s Apple themselves that is blowing the hot air. In preparation for the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco on January 7th. Yesterday the Apple website said (in their proud and recognizable font): “This one is big. Even by our standards”. Today, in response to a flurry of web-rumors about the launch the site read, “Beyond the rumor sites. Way beyond.”.

I admit with some shame, that I am excited about this. Even though I don’t buy them, I enjoy watching Apple’s products evolve.

I posted this topic on MetaFilter this morning and the mac-crazies came crawling out of the woodwork. One particularly good post summarizes the most popular possibilities of what the announcement may be.