Ok, you guys probably don't even care about this (it's not like it's a huge deal or anything) but sometimes a mundane new piece of technology gets released that makes you take a step back and look at the crazy progress that technology. The cause for this action today though is the introduction of the 24" iMac.
I don't own an iMac, and I never have. I did however survive its original introduction. That was back in the dark days for Apple. They were trying to recover from years of missteps and mistakes. Steve Jobs had somehow managed to maneuver his way back into the CEO position.
One of the first results of his return was the creation of the all-in-one aqua/teal computer known as the iMac. I was on the PC side of the supposed Mac vs. PC debate. I was young and didn't yet realize that you don't really have to pick a side. It's just a computer and it's there to serve a purpose.
On with the rambling ...
Anyway, CompUSA was one of the few places selling Macs still (we had them shoved in a tiny dark corner and one guy who had actually used one) and I was working there at the time. We had this big hoopla about its introduction and I couldn't understand why anyone would buy one--it didn't even have a floppy drive!
Still, people came out and bought them in droves. Then when they introduced the multiple colors people kept buying them. They introduced a 'flower power' model ... and well people stopped buying them for a little bit ... but then they moved to just the graphite color and people started buying them again.
As time passed, the iMac has evolved. Gaining the flat panel, the Pixar lamp inspired neck for a brief time, and now back to a one-piece shape. Recently it's gotten wireless internet, bluetooth, a remote control, a built-in camera, and now the humongoid screen.
This computer is practically better than my home entertainment center. I'm imagining kids in college taking a break from updating their facebook or myspace pages to watch television shows (or more likely: pornography ... those kids!) they copied from others on the campus network on their gigantic ass monitor using their fancy remote control. maybe pausing the video to have a few beers or perhaps tip over a garbage can ... hey they're in college, they enjoy doing that kind of thing.
Anyway to get back on topic, how did this happen? Who is the jackass who decided that all that crazy sci-fi stuff actually needed to happen? This is an outrage and it makes all of the stuff I own seem old and sucky. Now I need to go buy one of these newfangled "color tv's" or perhaps see one of those talkies I've been hearing about. Damn you steady march of progress! DAMN YOU!!!!
posted by dontEATnachos @ 7:49 PM
