So Apple have launched a new toy. A titchy tiny computer with a deceptively low price (deceptive because you've got to add on your own keyboard and monitor, and even the most die-hard mac-afficiado would have to admit that the base specification is pretty poor.)
I don't know a lot about Apple Macs. In the UK they're very much a luxury item; Apple's pricing policy appears to be to translate dollar directly to sterling. Thus they're pretty expensive, usually two to three times as much as a fully loaded Dell.
However, I really like the idea of this thing. Its just cheap enough for normal people to afford without feeling too ripped off. And with luck, the iPod generation will consider it an add-on for their beloved, and fragile, music player.
I shall be recommending it to friends and family.
Why? Because its famously easy to use, looks stylish and (most importantly) I know NOTHING about how it works. So when the inevitable technical support calls start coming in I can say "Dunno" and give my best impression of a gallic shrug, complete with "pffff" sound. I've been practising. Impressed?
This, my friends, is why Apple's baby computer is going to be a roaring success. Not because its any better than an equivalent Windows PC. Not because its cheap or will look great on your IKEA bookcase. No, its because techs like me will see it as our salvation from never-ending calls for help from friends and families and recommend it enthusiastically.
