Once you reach the pinnacle of good design, what do you do for an
encore? This is a question that I ask each time discussion turns toward
updates of the Apple product line.
Apple is a company that prides itself on design innovation. They are
the only company that considers the user experience in every aspect of
a system from software to hardware. Place a PowerBook of any generation
next to a comparable PC laptop, and you will immediately see the
differences. The build quality and attention to detail will soon make
you a fan.
Need to see if your battery is charged? Check the green lights on
the battery without turning it on. Need to swap a battery on the fly?
Simply swap them and go without turning off the machine. These touches
are aspects that are extremely important to the Apple user base.
The most commonly used analogy is automobiles. If you are just
looking to get from point A to point B, any car will do. If you are
looking for style and elegance, you pay more for those features. Apple
machines fill a similar roll.
Looking at the current Apple line, I see three machines that are at
the pinnacle of form and function. The Titanium PowerBooks, the
iBook, and the
LCD iMac all
highlight the brilliant design philosophy coming from Cupertino. All
three stand leaps and bounds ahead of the competition when you judge
the overall offering. From a superior OS to wonderful styling, these
machines are a joy to use.
This does, however, create a bit of a problem for Apple regarding
the next revision of these machines. In order to keep interest in the
lines, Apple has traditionally made major changes 
approximately every 18 months. As of this writing, the
Titanium PowerBooks are the next in line for an upgrade, as they
entered service in January of 2001.
As I look at that unit, I wonder what Apple could unveil that will
capture interest as readily as this machine has. PowerBook fans want
portability, capability and design excellence in the next machine. What
direction can you take when you are leading the field by such a wide
margin?
PowerBook G4s are full featured desktop equivalent machines in a
wonderfully elegant Titanium case that measures only 1" think and has a
15" screen. I am not sure where you can possibly go from there and
maintain the features currently enjoyed.
Beyond the PowerBook, I look at the 
current Power Macs. The current case
design has remained essentially unchanged for the last three years. The
design has remained in place because it is one of the finest in the
space. These cases allow users to open the machine without screws and
access the components with the cords still plugged into the
peripherals. They feature built in wireless antennae and molded handles
for easy travel. This is a wonderful design and good designs are
timeless.
What should they do for an encore?
