Why the Apple Watch Will Crush

I've been hearing a lot of tech dribble about how the Watch (Sorry, non-Apple users. This translates to “Apple Watch” on a Mac.) will be a lackluster release at best and a dismal failure at worst. These "experts" site the number of Android-wear watches sold total less than one million and the Watch is dependent on an iPhone to do anything and it's starting price of $349 is too expensive and so on and so forth. These are the same "experts" who said the iPad was "just a big iPod Touch" and the iPhone was destined to fail because it lacked a physical keyboard. The point is, a complete industry exists who's sole purpose is to predict Apple's doom at every turn. They don't ever have to be right. They don't even have to site accurate data. All these journalist businesses have to do is generate clicks, and pissing in Apple's Cheerios is a proven method for success. It's just like someone at MotorWeek writing a piece about how badly a new Ford sucks. Right or wrong, it's bound to get a few million Chevy fans fired up.

So, I'll just ignore all the link baiters and counter what few semi-legitimate points I've read. First, there's the one about how few wearable (Android, Pebble, etc.) devices have sold to date.

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Apple Pay WILL Be Successful. Get Used To It.

I never cease to be amazed by supposedly intelligent, knowledgable technology journalists’ capacity to get things absolutely wrong. Although things have returned to sanity now, the first few days after the launch of Apple Pay saw all manner of tech pundits proclaiming its inevitable failure. They pointed to CVS and RiteAid turning off all their NFC (Near Field Communication) point-of-sale devices to prevent the use of Apple Pay, big retailers like Best Buy and Walmart proclaiming their refusal to implement Apple Pay and a host of other retailers who’d signed up for the (not yet released) MCX (Merchant Customer Exchange) “CurrentC” system.

What they didn’t tell us was...

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The Sun is Starting to Peek Through iCloud

Anyone who takes more than a cursory glance at this site will know what an Apple fan I am. They would also know that I'm a professional technology consultant who regularly deals with a variety of hardware, environments and operating systems. What may not be as evident is my opinion that on-line services are making all that stuff less and less relevant.

For me, the "light bulb" moment was when I first installed Dropbox in 2008. The capability to save a file once and have it instantly available on all my devices was a nearly magical experience waaaaay back then. I instantly became a Dropbox evangelist and remain one to this day. Thanks to their referral plan and other special offers, my Dropbox folder is now 10 gigs (up from the initial 2 gigs included in their free service) and I've never given them a cent.

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Apple's Next Re-invented Market: Convertibles

There's been a lot of speculation about OS X and iOS convergence. Some Kreskin wanna-bees have gone as far as predicting a date when the two operating systems will become one. I, for one, don't believe this will happen anytime in the foreseeable future, but I do believe there may be a different type of convergence on its way for the two software platforms. While I admit my crystal ball isn't magical, it's probably as accurate as many others' I've read. If they can make stupid predictions for pay, who could be offended if I do it for free? So, what the hell. Let's give it a shot.

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Retina Display: A Double-edged Sword

After spending a week or so with my new iPad, I'm beginning to notice a disturbing trend. With the exception of my iPhone 4S, ALL the rest of my Mac gear looks fuzzy. I'm writing this post on my 27" iMac. Until purchasing the new iPad, I believed it would be impossible to beat this desktop machine's beautiful display, with its 2560 X 1440 screen res. Poppycock! (Did I just say that? I meant...BULLSHIT!) Don't get me wrong. I've still not seen any desktop monitor that will compare favoribly to my iMac, but the new iPad makes it look second rate. While I was once quite content working in front of this 27" beauty, I now find myself wanting more. To acheive the same level of clarity as my new iPad, this iMac would need to operate at a resolution of 6220 X 3500. That's almost two and a half times (2.43) it's current capability! To be as clear as an iPhone 4 or 4S that multiplier goes up to 3.0 or a screen resolution of 7680 X 4320!
Now there's talk of a new 15" Macbook Pro built thin and light like an Air. If you believe that rumor, you might buy into the other rumor that says it will be equipped with its own retina display. If that's the case, it will have a screen resolution somewhere around 3450 X 2156 (assuming Apple replicates the new iPad's pixel density of 264 pixels per inch). If (and this is a very big if) this turns out to be true, then sign me up. It will make Apple's current best laptop screen (the 17" MBP with its PPI of 133) look like a Commodore 64 by comparison.
This is just one more example of Apple setting the bar for the whole industry. Super high-end screens started in 2010 with the release of the iPhone 4. It's retina display was (and arguably still is) far better than any smartphone on the market. Improving the iPad's display was such an obvious next step that every rumor monger from here to China predicted it. Some even thought it would happen on the iPad 2. Following this logic (I use the term loosely), some model of MacBook has to be next, right? I know, I'm speculating based on nothing. Well, lots of sites do that type of thing for a living. Why should they have all the fun?
Back to Apple as a standard-bearer. The entire PC industry is tripping over itself trying to make portable machines (ultrabooks?) that will match up favorably with the MacBook Air. Some are doing a respectable job of it even though they are hampered by Windows. Now, just when they think they've got a good Air competitor, Apple will release this new rumored portable and leave them all in the dust. Again.
It will be fun to watch. The only problem is, they'll be lapping all of us Mac owners as well, triggering a sudden onslaught of techno-lust that motivates us to run up credit card balances in the Apple store whether we need to or not. I resisted the temptation to get an iPad 2 last year. The step up from my original device just wasn't tall enough to justify the expense. This third generation device with all it's retina display goodness was a no-brainer though. I just wish it didn't make me feel like throwing rocks at all my other Mac displays.

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