Macworld has come and gone, and Mac users certainly weren't
disappointed. A slew of great announcements and one sweet
sweet PowerBook release kept the Mac
folk happy.
Unfortunately, the Mac lover is not the type of creature that,
shall we say, puts down roots. Jobs had scarcely whipped the cover
off the Titanium PowerBook when people began asking what the next
great thing would be.
I asked a friend of mine what he thought of the new PowerBook.
Nice, he responded, but I think I'll wait for the dual processor
PowerBook to be release later this year. Practical to the core (like
myself), my friend was looking to the next great leap instead of
breaking in (and catching all the bugs and problems) a brand spanking
new model.
This restlessness sometimes translates into some ire towards Apple
- and rightfully so. While Apple hasn't really been dragging its
heels, it hasn't been champing at the bit either. The amount of time
that has elapsed since the last PowerBook revision was a little long
(eleven months). The wait for OS X has been even longer. These
extended cycles can have a negative impact on the company's
image.
Granted, when Apple delivers, Mac users usually get far more than
they expected. Unfortunately, the long wait can tarnish the final
product.
Investors are also a skittish bunch. Long pauses between the
introduction of new products makes some people nervous. "What the
heck are they doing in the castle on the hill?" is likely a common
question for anyone watching Apple. Granted, Mac lovers know the
company will deliver (witness the iMac, the Cube, the G3 and G4,
etc.) but less devoted folk might start feeling a little nervous.
Announcements at more regular intervals might help Apple in the
long run. I'm sure that Steve Jobs' showmanship leans more towards
slam dunks and home runs, but throwing Mac users something between
shows (beyond speed bumps and minor upgrades) would help keep the
press and investors happy.
Mac users would also get to scratch their restless itch more
often. Rather than a massive blowout a couple of time a year, we'd be
continuously distracted by new things from Apple throughout the
year.
Of course, there a only so many things that Apple can produce. A
Titanium PowerBook is not the type of thing that Apple can introduce
every month.
However, a steady trickle all year long might be better than a
sudden torrent. At least Mac users wouldn't wind up dazed and
confused after a flood of product announcements.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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sweet
sweet 
