Apple Computer Inc is no more. As of January 9, its name has been reduced to Apple Inc because its focus now includes a wide variety of other products. Actually, it's the third time Apple has dropped 'Computer Inc' from its name.
It did so first in 1988, when its logo included 'Apple Computer Inc.' and once in 1998, when it was selling cameras, monitors, printers, Web services and other non-computing devices. That was just before Steve Jobs returned and the company didn't know which way it was going to go.
But the change announced at this year's Macworld Conference & Expo, held in San Francisco, is different. The company seems to know exactly where it is going - towards being the only unified technology source for all communications and entertainment, and, oh yeah, computers as well. Macworld this year was buzzing more than ever before, with huge crowds, frenzied anticipation and a renewed feeling of pride at being associated with Apple's success in market share and profits. But most Mac-heads couldn't care less about market share or profits. Their passion is for cool gadgets and empowering tools, and Apple once again raised the bar.
Frankly, it's been a long time since I drooled over any new piece of gadgetry but the iPhone did the trick. It's small, it's beautiful and it's psychic. Like a Thermos, which keeps hot things hot and cold things cold without being told, the iPhone divines what you want and morphs to accommodate that function. It has one button and the rest of its interface, covered by more than 200 patents, completely changes what you thought intuitive meant. Instead of it being easy to figure out, it figures you out and anticipates your needs.
As a mobile phone it has a virtual keyboard that predicts what letter you want to enter even if your fingers are bulky or shaky. It knows whether you want to view horizontal or vertical content and when you hold it up to your ear, it figures out that you want to make or take a call and darkens and disables the screen to save energy and avoid unwanted screen touches.
As a widescreen video iPod with a high-resolution, 31/2-inch screen, it knows when you want to listen to or view something else and it automatically shows you the menu in large 3D virtual buttons. It has GPS and is linked to Google Earth so it not only knows where you are but can give you directions to where you want to go. So if you are standing in a strange city it will show you where the nearest Italian restaurant is and if you tap its icon it will call so you can make reservations.
