There are so many reasons I love Apple, and then there are a bunch of reasons that I really, really hate ’em sometimes. Like right now.
All I’m trying to do is build a system where I can make music, make movies, make websites, etc. – all things that Apple happily boasts their machines are designed to do. Yet when I try to install Pro Tools LE (with the mBox) and Final Cut Pro, something breaks. Horribly. Suddenly apps like Reason and iChat AV quit as soon as they’re launched, and Pro Tools won’t run, period. This is getting ridiculous.
Another thing: if they’re going to announce new machines, ship the goddamn new machines. This BS about their dual G5 systems not shipping until late September for the people who ordered them in July is ridiculous. Same with this stupid little dance we’re doing about the peripherals. We know there are new Bluetooth mice and keyboards coming, the screens are built into the Developers’ releases of Panther (the next version of the Mac OS, for those of you who don’t follow this kind of thing). Ship them. Same with new monitors. The ones currently on the market are designed to match the G4s. Give us some new, hopefully cheaper monitors without all that blasted wasted bevel space around the outside. We’ve seen how thin they can make the edging around the screens – look at the PowerBooks, for Christ’s sake. Slap all the extra hardware into the bases and ship standalone versions of the 17″ PowerBook screens if you have to, I don’t care. But having all that wasted space around the screen taken up by a bunch of worthless stripey plastic is design masturbation.
Finally, where the hell is the 15″ PowerBook? I know Motorola is to blame for the constant delays, and I know that they could give a rat’s ass because most of their bread and butter is still coming from the telephone market. So ditch them already. Screw this whole “one more revision of the G4” BS for the PowerBooks and go straight to the PowerBook G5s. What’s the matter, worried it’ll bite into your desktop market? I’ve got news for you, you chumps – deal with it. There are a lot of people who just plain won’t buy another desktop. There are people who might be cajoled into buying another desktop in addition to their laptops (that would be me) because there are things they need a desktop to do (like be the anchor for a swiftly-growing rat’s nest of peripherals for video and audio work).
In short, light a fire under it, Apple. Get with the goddamn program and start shipping some stuff we can use. Now.