Apple sets high bar for competition

15-10-2008

by Ralph Averbuch

If the recent rumours about Apple's 14th October announcement prove anything, it's that the web is a breeding ground for all manner of conjecture -- and that conjecture surrounding new Apple hardware will always be the hottest commodity. According to rumours, Apple was to announce a new sub-USD800 laptop. What we in fact got was two new laptops (13 and 15 inch screens) coming in at USD1299 and USD1999 respectively. And very nice looking pieces of kit they are, too. Perhaps the most notable aspect is the solid aluminium block which is then carved with laser to create a single unit to hold all the internals. The argument goes that this creates a much more sturdy construction and fewer points of failure. In the past Apple's been criticised for overly flexible casings. The new aluminium monoblock base should address this. It's also a reminder that Apple, despite recent appearances to the contrary, isn't a phone manufacturer. Apple doesn't actually build much but it does design the OSs and much of the software on its computing platforms, whether in the iPhone or Macbook. And, crucially, it controls the final customer experience through its in-house device designs. That's something Microsoft has only ever ever dabbled in, notably with the xBox, and Google's recent foray showed great promise on the mobile OS front, but clearly displayed a disjoint between the aspiration of the Android platform and the reliance on independent third parties to design hardware that lives up to it. Apple's design control brings its vision straight to consumers -- and that's its USP.