The Apple Ecosystem
One of the things that always strikes me when I speak to someone who does not yet own an apple product is how difficult their life is… technologically speaking. And I know, I was there. I used to buy a device that connected via USB and I had to concern myself with drivers, 3rd party apps… refresh, synch, reboot. It all seemed so… how do I put this,…draconian! As a Windows user, I had to operate out of the assumption that what I wanted would not work, and therefore I should already be thinking of a way to solve a problem I did really know I had yet.
The brilliant thing about the Apple ecosystem is that this is not an issue. I know what some of you may be thinking: yeah but you have to buy THEIR stuff, you’re locked in. I say – SO WHAT. I’d rather have a device that works, and be forced to buy it, than placate my vanity in getting something shiny or red, and be guaranteed headaches roughly 40% of my workday. The ecosystem hasn’t made me creative, it has allowed me to use the creativity I already have to solve problems I really should be having.
I now have the time to be creative because the stuff just works and I don’t have to worry about it. My iPhone syncs to the MacBook, which the syncs to the G5, oh let’s not forget the iPod too. This is why I call it an ecosystem, all of the devices are meant to work together, and they do. I guess this is why Microsoft had to start this campaign to sign drivers and approve peripherals. It turns out, 3rd pary hardwrae and software would unknowingly tinker with some benign yet secretely crucial setting in XP or Vista, and throw the whole thing off.
Another aspect of the Apple ecosystem that I like is that each device run optimally. It’s not bogged down by the features you add. For example, I fire up Vista, on a brand new HP and as soon as I add in all of the wowie-zowie visual effects, it’s no longer as responsive and speedy as my old laptop. With my MacBook, I’m not maxing the machine out by turning on all of the features. I think in some sense, the minimum specs Microsoft puts out are absurd. But that’s another post.
My conclusion is simple: make it simple. Not because I’m a simpleton, but becuase I have better things to do then solve probelms Microsoft should have solved in the first place. And Vista with all the hokey pokey is not simple.
