Apple

2018 Apple MacBook Pro

2018 Was An Impressive Year For Apple

November 3, 2018 Design Technology

We’re still a few weeks from saying our goodbyes to 2018, and unless Apple is planning to hold an unprecedented fifth keynote this year, 2018 will go down in history as the year when Apple launched a range of innovative products. In the hype and the hoopla that generally accompanies all Apple events; some individuals might even be vindicated in assuming they are just normal product launches, although undoubtedly the company has given us a sneak peek into its future direction of integrating the best-in-class design and tech elements into great-looking, innovative products. In short, there has never been an exciting moment to anticipate which product and tech iteration Apple would demonstrate at their next glittering event.

2018 should set the tone for Apple’s future design roadmap

It was last year when Apple’s approach in breakthrough hardware and software design gained fruition and we finally began to see the perfection with Apple’s design iterations. To cite an example, it was September 2017, when along with the Apple Watch Series 3, the Apple TV 4K, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, Apple unveiled a revolutionary form factor of its flagship product the iPhone X on its tenth anniversary. The bezel-less design of the iPhone X was what impressed many, a paradigm shift in the iPhone ergonomics that was hitherto accompanied by a home button. The new form factor certainly met the expectations of the markets but then it was also the introduction of the Face ID technology a new generation of secure digital authentication which also made a mark. In a nutshell, that event marked a significant detour in the way products were going to be designed and integrated with advanced technology. In fact, not very long ago, I had mentioned a critical aspect of Apple’s future design roadmap that was supportive of modern & imminent technologies and in the process, they were also influencing behaviour change with user interaction. That being said here’s what I liked from Apple’s ‘orchard’ this 2018, 3 revolutionary product ideas with their underlying hi-tech, that I believe would eventually transform the way we interact with the world around us, and my strategic learning from the product launches so far.

Design Iterations in the form factor for the iMac
Instance of design iterations in the form factor for the iMac

The product design philosophy of Apple could be easily summarized with this insightful quote by French aviator and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, he says, “perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” That sentiment is so deeply ingrained in every aspect of Apple’s design DNA.

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Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard And Mac Nostalgia

October 17, 2018 General Technology

At some level, I feel like I celebrate chaos, although, I would not like to take my share of responsibility for creating any of it, to begin with. I buy and care for my stuff like my own life and store it at places inside my home where I could find them easily as the need arises but for me, ‘easily’ is a metaphor for “ease of access”, not signifying keeping stuff organized. Though with time, I lose some of my prized possessions and it makes me feel disappointed, like this priceless DVD copy of Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

I would have lost this precious possession forever to the sands of time but I rediscovered it quite accidentally last weekend while I was looking for another piece of valuable junk in my storeroom (ugh!!). I’m talking about this copy of DVD of Apple’s Mac OS X Snow Leopard released back in 2009 (August 28, to be precise) and it was a shocker for me to find that one can order it online on the Apple Store, even today!

My Snow Leopard Saga

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

So Snow Leopard (version 10.6) was released in 2009 and within a year of my purchase of the then newly introduced unibody MacBook Pro that had come bundled with OS X Leopard, and I am proud to admit, that even to this day, I still operate this wonderful piece of hardware in significantly augmenting my creative workload.

If my memory serves me correctly, I had obtained this particular DVD-ROM at the Croma outlet in Malad who still run a dedicated corner for Apple products. I was super excited about the process ahead because it was my first major upgrade of the Mac OS X since getting my MacBook Pro. It’s also nostalgic in a sense because I have come so far in understanding & appreciating the MacBook Pros not just from a cult/design perspective but also for its reliable performance & technical architecture, and I believe Mac OS X is what makes the Mac line-up truly awesome. This landmark release of Mac OS X back in 2009 wasn’t meant to introduce new features rather addressing the stability issues with previous versions & focusing on better performance.

Personally, I am glad to possess an important portion from my past that marks my sheer interest in Apple products & future technology. Now it goes without saying, that I since have recovered this valuable treasure, despite accidentally, I’m holding on to it for posterity.

About Snow Leopard

  • 10.6 Snow Leopard was the last version of OS X before Apple started to add iOS elements from OS X 10.7 Lion onwards
  • Snow Leopard came on a DVD and was the last version to be sold on a disk
  • It was also the last version to support OS X Rosetta, and thus the last version that could run PowerPC-only applications
  • Snow Leopard has often been compared with its counterpart Windows XP for its widespread adoption and longevity
  • Snow Leopard is the last release of Mac OS X to support the 32-bit Intel Core Solo and Intel Core Duo CPUs
  • Although Snow Leopard has officially been out of support since 2014, you can still purchase it in the form of boxed DVD-ROMs through Apple’s online store.

Snow Leopard also set a new precedent for software pricing. While Leopard retailed for $129, Snow Leopard was just $30. This made the update accessible to customers who would’ve previously stuck with older versions of the operating system.
– 9to5 Mac

I still wish that Apple would have continued naming Mac OS after wild cats, it brought a sense of connection with previous releases. Although with such rapid releases of major upgrades means they’d have run out of cat names sooner than later.

Shazam A Song, Just Like That!

October 6, 2018 Design Happenings Technology
Shazam

I was late in discovering Shazam, just like some other apps, but I don’t regret it. I love listening to any form of music and being an ‘old schooler’, the “independent” sorts, I’ve not pledged my allegiance to either Apple Music or Spotify, although it’s becoming inevitable to avoid. Meanwhile, I’m satisfying my urge of listening to soul-stirring melodies through the droves of FM stations of this city who cycle their playlists like kids on a carousel ride, so you can’t miss out on any song now, can you? I also follow an alternative method to understand & discover different kinds of sounds, by visiting the various outlets & malls in & around Toronto. As I’m sifting through the garments or enjoying a meal I’m patiently listening to a soothing melody or a foot tapping anthem that would eventually stick in my head and wouldn’t let me breathe easy until I’m able to locate its creator’s credentials. Ugh! And a Google search would only be fruitful if I got the lyrics right which is challenging in all that chitter chatter in the vicinity, so Nah! Enter, Shazam.

Though I was always intrigued by this nifty app since even before Apple acquired it there wasn’t a practical use for me to experiment with Shazam, but its time had finally arrived. It was simple. I launched it and found the circular ‘S’ logo throbbing and inviting me to tap as a tune played at a busy H&M outlet. Even though it was faintly audible the microphone on the iPhone deftly captured the notes, and in a jiffy, it displayed not only the name of the artist but also the colourful album art, the lyrics, while giving me the choice to buy it on Apple Music. It also added it to a ‘My Shazam’ playlist so I won’t lose the information! The ‘Shazam-ing’ is so seamless & quick and searching for new music has become simpler and more exciting, and enjoyable now. No more anxiety over unknown melodies, eh. I never thought I’d say this but then Google feels weak for a change! So, if you’re late to the party just like me, give it a shot.

Behind The Mac, Once Again!

September 18, 2018 General Happenings

Of all the places in this vastness of Toronto city, I spot a massive poster hung atop a building featuring none other than the musical maestro AR Rahman, I’m still wondering how that location somewhere on Bloor Street West was chosen for this grand display! One is used to seeing a diverse mix of models complementing anything from creams to cuisine, so the excitement of watching an Indian celebrity endorsing a premium brand in a foreign land was palpable. This is Apple’s attempt at projecting it’s Mac lineup of computers as brilliance personified.

This ad was also unique for a reason because this month I chose to move on from my ‘old-but-gold’ MacBook Pro and opted for the new 2018 line-up. Here’s a little background to my old Mac which is still my favourite – the second-generation unibody Macs were first announced by Steve Jobs in October 2008 and the timing couldn’t have been more appropriate for me to order one in Canada back in 2009. It was a tedious buying episode, to say the least, however, this time the shopping experience was definitely surreal & seamless (thanks to my location in Toronto) right from placing the order on my app to receiving it within a few hours at the nearest Apple Store. The new 15-inch configurations are loaded with Intel Core i9 (up to 6 core) and upgradeable to up to 32 gigs of RAM which definitely makes it sheer desktop-class. Besides having been on Mac for several years now the need to experiment or work on a Windows (eco)system is fairly diminishing.

Which brings me to a question. In a previous post about my first Mac I had pondered if this indeed is the end of my association with the Windows family and the answer is probably “nah”. Because as someone in the creative arts field I need to constantly push the boundaries of my artistic and innovative desires and not let my limitations or beliefs stifle the positive outcomes. I guess Rahman would have definitely smiled on that note.

It’s No Longer An ‘Old’ iPhone

June 7, 2018 Happenings Technology

The iPhoneSince that spectacular launch of the iPhone, the Apple WWDC events have brought loads of encouraging features and promising apps to the dedicated consumers. However, during every WWDC event, I always get the jitters before the announcement of a newer iOS version, the innate question being, will they support my iPhone model or will I have to live with an ‘older’ model. I say “old” because, in Apple’s parlance, the annual releases of iOS and macOS makes even a two-year-old device purchase obsolete! Without an upgraded iOS the iPhone becomes slower, loses support for most of the apps I use frequently which consequently downgrades the overall user experience for me. Besides, as a committed Apple consumer, the addition of features and product upgrades with subsequent iOS releases, there’s a sense of betrayal that they couldn’t manage to upgrade the software and support a wide array of iPhones. Not anymore. At the WWDC 2018 this week, Craig Federighi announced that the forthcoming iOS 12 (launching this fall 2018) would be supporting the same iPhone/iPad devices running iOS 11! Which means, not only would the newer release include tons of new features the apps in older iPhones are expected to launch up to 40 per cent faster, and you can slide to take a photo at up to 70 per cent faster than with iOS 11. This is a big win for iPhone 5S owners which was launched as far back as 2013. Most importantly, it decisively puts to rest the argument about the ‘planned obsolescence’ theory in iPhones and iPads thus saving them from the land-fills.

As Jason Koebler at Motherboard opines:

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It remains to be seen whether iOS 12 will actually make the iPhone 6 faster, especially with third-party apps. But it’s important that Apple is at least paying lip service to phone longevity, and appears to be trying to optimize its new software for old hardware. It’s not sexy, but it’s a small step toward making our electronics less disposable.[/perfectpullquote]

This is a promising start by Apple and their commitment to sustaining the environment is noteworthy, but what the consumers heartily desire is to hold onto their beloved iDevices a little bit longer.