Apple Reminds Us That They Still Make Desktops Too

Although practically all of the spotlight the past year has been on iPads and iPhones, Apple apparently wanted to remind us that they aren't just about smartphones and tablets.

Apple did just that with this morning's announcement of the latest upgrade to their iMac line.

The tech blogs were buzzing this morning after many were noticing that Apple stores were closed. The immediate reaction was that Apple was getting ready to unveil the new iMacs, and within hours were proven right.

Granted, the rumors of the upgraded iMacs had been flying for weeks so this was expected, but now that they've finally hit the stores it's time to take a closer look:

• Ditches miniDisplay ports in favor of the new Thunderbolt connection, which is 20 times faster than USB. The technology was developed by Intel and could become the new standard for connecting peripherals to your computer, and these iMacs are the first device to implement it.
• The new Sandy Bridge chips will provide a big boost in speed and performance.  
• Includes a built-in HD camera with Apple's FaceTime software.
• Despite a noticeable upgrade to the line, Apple kept the price comparable to previous iMacs. Prices range from $1,199 to $1,999, and here's a basic breakdown of the available options:
• $1,199: The "budget" model gets you the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5GHz quad-core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive.
• $1,499: This price keeps the 21.5-inch screen but upgrades the hardware to 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive.
• $1,699: For an extra $200 you get the same internal specs I just mentioned, but with the larger 27-inch screen.
• $1,999: The high-end of the new iMac line takes the larger 27-inch screen and bumps the internal specs to a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive.

All in all this, looks to be a solid upgrade to the iMac line, but the big question will be whether this can slow the steady decline of the desktop computer as more and more focus goes to tablets and laptops.

Commandeering social media… when you’re not a fan of Apple

I have to confess Apple isn’t among my favorite fruits. That’s actually pineapple. So how can a non-supporter of Apple understand social media if they don’t endorse products like the iPhone 3G or the iPod Touch?

I, myself, am the type of guy who will laugh at a video featuring Steve Jobs getting pied (here’s one featuring Bill Gates), but will pray for his speedy recovery. I get bothered when I walk passed Apple stores in malls and see dozens of people in droves besieging the newest innovation. People save up their hard-earned cash (over saving for a house!) to go out and spend a fortune on these products that keep them tuned out from the world around them.

I’ll even walk passed a jogger with an iPod, thinking to myself they’re "cheating their run." Running was never meant to be accompanied by headphones, and classrooms were certainly not meant to be interrupted by i-type products. Don’t get me wrong – Apple is not the perpetrator of all unsound social etiquette but I do think they have a very secret message, a subliminal undertone: buy and get hooked for life. That’s a long time.

If I continued with this attitude, I thought to myself my knowledge of social media would be rather short-sighted-- if I didn’t jump aboard the Apple app store, as I see the many social media gurus and technology reporters and bloggers often do. So I came up with a routine to navigate social media as Axiom’s social media manager, to avoid the Web traffic from the Apple Store:

1) Every day, I read social media blog posts via subscription to RSS and comments feeds from the following BLOGS:
-Mashable
-TechCrunch
-GigaOm
-Scobelizer
-WebInkNow
-Convince & Convert

2) Thanks to Drew’s master plan, I participate in blog conversation by adding my two cents in the comments section. I oftentimes read comments before posting my own to get a context for the conversation thread. Sites like DISQUS make it easy to understand when a thought is continuing and when it ends.

3) I am on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but nothing else. Reason being: you can often immerse yourself too far in social network profiles and the newest microblogging devices—to a point where you’re wasting time as you click on one link after another. Pretty soon, you’re finding yourself reading about Britney Spears from a 13-year old who happens to like pineapple just like you. And you can’t help but comment on their Piczo account. What are you doing on Piczo anyway?

4) I blog, and good blog posts don’t take 20 minutes. The ones with worthwhile content take hours to compile—tagging, linking, and adding visual elements. My most recent social media epiphany has taught me to reserve about 10 posts and schedule their publishing when the occasion arises.

5) I develop relationships with people in the space. That doesn’t mean I follow 2,000 social media enthusiasts on Twitter (just look at my number) or invite everyone, their mom, and their grand mama to “friend” me on Facebook or join “my professional network on LinkedIn.” It means I engage with the top developers of social media devices, enough so that I can one day meet with them over coffee. After all, isn’t this space about building relationships online that will stick, will cause remembrance and recognition?

A lot of social media advocates may be huge proponents of Apple, but I’m not one of them. And I’m doing just fine.

Seinfeld to Save Vista?...

Microsoft has recruited Jerry Seinfeld to appear in new advertisements promoting Vista. This is a rebuttal to Apple's successful Mac Vs. PC campaign (Mac accounts for 7.8% of the market, up from 6.2% a year ago).

Will this work? I'm not quite sure. Seinfeld's promotion for Bee Movie during an episode of 30 Rock was forgettable, although his appearance on the actual show was great. He also seemed to show up everywhere promoting Bee Movie, which got annoying.

The agency behind the campaign is Crispin Porter + Bogusky. A lot of people at ad agencies will talk this agency down, but in all reality, they have rolled out some brilliant campaigns in the past: Whopper Freakout, BK subservient chicken, Miller Lite Man Laws (although sales didn't hold up), and the Truth campaign.


One thing is for sure: Microsoft has an image crisis on its hands. They could use all of the help they can get to move away from the image of a company that isn't user friendly and not "trendy."

Success or flop?: Probably somewhere in-between. It would take one incredible ad campaign to get the idea of Macs being user friendly out of the consumers head.

Read an extensive article on this here.


Somewhat off topic, I love what Crispin has done with Burger King. From the subservient chicken to Whopper Freakout, they know how to get attention. Below is one of my favorite BK spots, parodying Helen Reddy's "I am woman."