WHAT'S NEXT? Innovation (TIME)

November 14, 2005
How Apple does it...

STOP and look at Apple for a second. Isn't it uniquely popular? It has been around long enough and has a high enough profile that it is easy to forget. Apple makes it's own hardware (iBooks and iMacs), and it also makes the operating system (iTunes, iMovie)... This company has given us three of the signature technological innovations of the past 30 years: Apple II, the Macintosh and the iPod. What's next?!




The different types of iPods:
--> 4 G
--> 5 G
--> mini
--> hp
--> U2
--> photo
--> nano
--> shuffle

Personally, i had never taken any interest in iPods before. Believe it or not? =p When iPods were firstly introduced, many people went crazily frantic just to be the first few to get hold of one type or another. On the contrary, since i saw that this new high-tech product was being popularly demanded, i felt more deterred from buying it. Well, think about it: what is so cool about having something everybody already has? Similar to the logic: If everyone is special, no one is special. Of course i personally felt that the ipod is interesting, special and cute since it is a creative tool newly created. However one of the most important factors that prevented me from buying an ipod was it's high cost. Haha... everyone who is reading this, please don't say i'm an economics freak 'cos i ain't one k? Ipods are normal goods because when peoples' income ­­increases, the demand increases. =p

Practically everyone in this school currently owns an iPod. Agree? (of course excluding some people). I feel that it reflects that many of us here are rather well to do and able to afford the lastest tech stuff. But we must not forget that there are less fortunate people in Singapore. I have learnt that we must treasure what we have: our family, house, and the opportunity to study. Learn the best virtue: the joy of sharing. Posessing an iPod is not what we deserve, instead it is a privilege. We must consider some factors before buying an object: 1. Do i really really need it? 2. Is the cost going to affect my weekly/monthly savings? Or will it affect my parents into working even harder and get more tired and weary?

Looking back to the history of the revolution of the apple company:

Then: Apple II
The first large-scale-productioncomputer, created in 1977 and sporting an 8-bit architecture, was a favourite in hip '80s households

Macintosh
The original Mac, called the 128K, debuted in 1984 and was the first mainstream personal computer with a graphical user interface

iPod
With its sleek, seamless design, the company's first portable audion player, released in 2001, instantly became the ultimate icon of the digital-music age

Now: The new iPod
The fifth generation device can handle video as well as music and photos. With up to 60GB of memory, it's still 30% thinner than its predecessor

iMac G5
The slimmest desktop on the market, it combines flat-panel monitor, computer and camera in an elegant 5.08 - cm body. Plus it has a nifty remote control

What do you think will be the next most popularly demanded high-tech, coolest innovation ?