toll free (877) 266-7725

corporate (310) 417-3544

Apple Abandons Pro Users

March 22nd, 2013

Long a standard part of the professional film editor’s toolbox, Final Cut Pro (FCP) truly dominated the film and video industries. It was tightly integrated with Mac OS X, very powerful, intuitive to use, and adaptable to any number of different workflows. Add a CRE Mac Pro rental and you’ve got a big-league film editing solution, running Apple software on Apple hardware. In comparison, Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, and even Avid Media Composer came up short. FCP ruled.

End of an era?

When Apple released Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) in mid-2011, it was a radical departure from preceding versions, so radical that it couldn’t open FCP files (a major gripe, of course). In a manner similar to what Adobe did with Dreamweaver and Muse in 2012, Apple seemingly “dumbed down” the product in order to attract soccer dads and family filmmakers. Those Cupertino captains of industry obviously noticed that the average iMac buyer wasn’t bundling her new computer with FCP, so they revised the film editing application to more closely resemble iMovie and iOS apps.

At CRE, we provide many fine Apple products—from the iPad rental to the fire-breathing Mac Pro tower—so we are continuously observing tech trends “up close and personal.” Today it’s all about mobile computing, the cloud, icons on touchscreens, ease of use, simplicity, and speed. Apple’s iOS, its various iDevices, the MacBook line, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the still-iconic iMac are right in that moneymaking middle of the road zone, so they get the lion’s share of attention at Apple these days. High-end towers and editing software for tens of thousands versus iPhones and iPads for tens of millions? No contest.

No longer a niche firm

As of March 1, 2013, the Mac Pro is no longer being shipped to European Union countries, EU candidate countries, or the four European Free Trade Association countries of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. (It has something to do with failing to cover the internal fan blades or some such nonsense.) While Apple has reportedly confirmed that a new Mac Pro will be available in 2013, the last disappointing revision in June drove a lack of faith in Apple’s seriousness about the line. And FCPX, despite minor revisions since its debacle of a debut, is dropping down on the list of go-to programs for pro film editors, although some still swear by it.

The prospect of no professional-grade Mac and the absorption of FCPX into iMovie 15 or so are scary scenarios for many Mac-loving creative professionals. So much for taking care of the “pro users.” Of course, Apple is no longer a niche firm, but a world brand that was, for a time, more valuable than any other. You might think that a company sitting on billions in cash and straddling the tech world like a colossus could keep a niche operation going to serve professional users. You would be right, it could be done. What does it mean that Apple isn’t doing so?

Whether you need a Mac or a Windows Workstation, a call to (877) 266-7725 or a short message puts an experienced Account Executive to work finding just the right high-end computer rentals for your next project, or a solution to your digital storage woes. Know what you need? Use our Quick Rental Quote form and get it done now. Remember: Whatever the technology problem, the solution is CRE!

The Woz: Apple “Worries Me”

February 21st, 2013

The headlines are scary: “Apple Disappoints Wall Street” appears one week, “Apple Losing Its Edge” the next. Is it the end of the road for the once-mighty House of Jobs?

Those particular headlines didn’t herald the company’s demise. They’re from 1997. Just 18 months later a reinvigorated Apple—under its “new and improved” dollar-a-year CEO, Steve Jobs—took its first step toward eventual industry domination with the debut of the iMac. Rather than honest assessments of Apple’s viability, we always seem to get the foregoing tabloid-style silliness. For Apple, even record sales aren’t good enough for Wall Street, so here come the naysayers again—only now they include Steve Wozniak. What’s up with that?

What the Woz?

In a TechCrunch interview in November 2012, one still being culled for tendentious quotes, Wozniak built his case against some of Apple’s high-profile failures (and he detests Siri). iPad sales numbers are still strong, so Wozniak knows the Cupertino firm’s upside. Still, in early February as Apple stock continued its slide, Wozniak spoke excitedly about the new home of “wow” products for the future: Microsoft. Yep, the “evil empire” of Apple’s original SuperBowl ad. What convinced him? The Xbox, Windows 8, the Surface Tablet? Nope. It was the rumor of Redmond’s work on simultaneous translation, a hardware/software solution far “more fluid [and more] colloquial” than Google, Siri, or anything else right now.

Wozniak says Microsoft, whose Surface line was one of our “Business Tech Hits of 2012,” is also making “strides in [the] voice recognition area” because smart folks are “sitting in their labs trying to innovate.” On the other hand, Wozniak says that Apple has settled for “cranking out the newest iPhone and falling a little behind, and that worries me greatly.” Apple has had smart, solid niche products like the Xserve RAID that get few headlines, but consumers don’t buy them in the millions as they are not iAppliances for 21st Century Work, Socializing, & Entertainment. (Watch for a blog with that title coming soon.)

Speaking of tweaking…

Tweaking, says Wozniak, is not innovating, and that’s all Apple has been doing to the MacBook and its other Mac models, which “is not Apple-style innovation.” Making bold moves is. He doesn’t think Apple is “turning its back on creativity,” but seems conflicted about CEO Tim Cook. Cook runs Apple in a buttoned-down manner, minus the art school dress code, notoriously bad vibes, and high drama of Steve Jobs. Wozniak and others may not like Cook’s style, but it is an advantage, not a hindrance, as Apple evolves into whatever a “leading edge firm” needs to be in the “post-PC” era.

Repositioning Apple as a mass-market consumer products firm is no small feat when you consider its multiple-personality past. Before iTunes, iPhones and iOS, Apple was known for both easy-to-use Macs and peerless pro-level powerhouses like our Mac Pro rental. Apple’s “towers of power”—loaded with Final Cut Pro, Shake, and other pricey software—dominated professional video, film, music, web, and print production for years. Now that Apple is the source of “iEverything” for the masses, professional users feel seduced and abandoned (again!)—and they’ve been grousing about it for two years now. We’ll tell you what they’re saying, and what it means for Apple’s shrinking share of the pro market, in a coming blog.

Remember, CRE is your one-stop shop for everything—from the first-rate event production rentals you need for next month’s conference, to the post-production gear you need this minute for a rush job. One call or message, or a moment spent filling out our Quick Rental Quote form, is all it takes!

Can an iPad Replace Your Laptop?

December 4th, 2012

With every new smartphone, tablet or multifunction-Wi-Fi-enabled personal doohickey comes at least one prediction that this latest device is really—really!—the long-awaited laptop killer. In the early 2000s, before mobile processors evolved to be as powerful as the ones found in the typical desktop computer rental, the notion of a “desktop replacement” laptop was only a dream. But now that high-end units like our MacBook Pro rental are more potent than many desktops, the battle is on to see which phone, tablet, or geegaw will emerge as the laptop replacement. As the frontrunner in the tablet race, Apple’s mega-selling tablet is first up: So, can an iPad replace your laptop?

Early Tablets

When the original iPad debuted in 2010, it was the “Year of the Netbooks,” those low-priced 9-to-11-inch mini-laptops that were generally far less expensive than the iPad. When CRE stocked its first iPad rental, it was something like a netbook without a keyboard—but it was also like a supersized iPod touch. Had it been built to run OS X, it may have qualified as a “little computer.” But it came with iOS, which limited your installation options, abandoned Flash, and came up far short of being a full-fledged computer OS. (The current version, iOS 6, still isn’t one.) At the same time, this brought improvements in its simple and ergonomical ease-of-use. The Windows-based tablet PCs had some of the right puzzle pieces—touch capability, handwriting recognition, convertible operation—but were, and arguably still are, works in progress. (Microsoft’s Surface Pro debuts in January 2013. Is it a laptop killer, or a new paradigm?)

Developments

Fast-forward now: The iPad 2 added cameras, the third generation debuted the Retina Display, and now the supply of iOS apps is in the zillions. Users are still quarantined behind the “walled garden” of apps, but web-based tools are proliferating – capitalizing on the user-friendly interface. There are any number of things that an iPad can do as well or better than a laptop (or desktop)—reading, managing e-mail, watching movies/TV, staying plugged in to social media, and gaming. These activities may also be work-related, though some people consider the iPad better for watching entertainment than producing it. Yet, with every new advanced app in every area of media expertise—content, production, PR, even event planning—this is changing.

For example, the newly updated iMovie and iPhoto apps are powerful enough for video and photo editing/management, capturing HD (stills, video), audio recording, and more. Media pros still use such advanced computer-based tools as our AJA IO HD, but can now integrate the iPad into their workflow, on-set and in the editing bay, for a variety of purposes.

The Conclusion?

Given its growing capabilities—running major office programs, leveraging cloud storage, doing lots of cross-platform tasks—the iPad can now probably be considered a replacement for that secondary laptop you use for traveling (or when the kids take over the PC). How long until it replaces your number one computer? Stay tuned…!

A single call or e-mail, or a simple visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, will get you exactly what you need to overcome every challenge and meet every deadline. We’re here for you, right now!

Apple Wows the World…Again

October 30th, 2012

It was yet another Apple media circus last Tuesday, Oct. 23rd, but with four rings this time:

the new iPad mini,
the fourth-generation iPad,
a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and
a wholly revamped iMac line.

Watch for detailed blogs coming up, but right now we will hit the highlights for you.

Star of the Show

The star of the day was the iPad mini, and “mini” it is at a bit over 10 ounces, a smidgen over a quarter-inch thick and sporting a 7.9-inch screen. Design chief Sir Jonathan Ive assured the assemblage that the mini was not a “shrunken replica” of the original, but “a concentration” of it. It ships Nov. 2nd to compete with such 7-inch heavyweights as the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7 that are priced starting at $199, while the mini is $329 (16GB Wi-Fi base model). Opting for cellular (LTE) adds another $140 to the price.

iPad Turns “4″

If you like the CRE iPad rental then you will love the fourth generation model that made its surprise debut last week. It has the same price points, 9.7-inch Retina Display and dimensions as the current model, but along with the smaller, sturdier and reversible Lightning connector, the latest iPad has an A6X processor that Don Reisinger at CNET figures will “double the current CPU and graphics power.”

New 13-inch MacBook Pro

CRE’s popular MacBook Pro rental got a new sibling, too, as Apple added the Retina Display to the 13-inch model. Apple is dropping optical drives, but the laptop has two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an SDXC card slot, HDMI port, headphones/line-out jack, and a MagSafe 2 charging port. MacBook Pros also use Solid State Drives (SSDs) now, instead of spinning-platter hard drives, so they boot up and launch programs a lot faster.

The Flagship Sails On

Apple veep Phil Schiller reaffirmed that the iMac was the company’s “flagship” at last Tuesday’s event. The computer whose 1998 debut saved the Cupertino company is now in its eighth generation, with two models carrying the last few editions’ 21.5-inch and 27-inch screens into the future in a body that tapers to just 5mm at the edges (it’s thicker in back). The new iMacs have Intel’s potent Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7 chips, separate (discrete) graphics cards, and up to 3TB of disk space.

With the new iMac, Apple also introduced its “Fusion Drive.” This hybrid mates a 128GB SSD with a 1- or 3-TB hard drive, so the OS and applications go on the SSD for speed, the files on the hard disk for storage. Again, there is no optical drive, but you get four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an Ethernet port, and a headphone/line-out jack. The new iMacs start shipping in November (21.5-inch model) and December (27-inch).

Need real tech support? A single call or e-mail, or a simple visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, will get you exactly what you need to overcome every challenge and meet every deadline. We’re here for you, right now!

A Flurry of Apple Activity

September 18th, 2012

Phil Schiller and Tim Cook are, respectively, senior VP of worldwide marketing and CEO of Apple. Last Wednesday, Schiller and Cook (sounds like a personal injury law firm, doesn’t it?) regaled a receptive crowd at San Francisco’s Moscone Center with a handful of long-awaited product upgrades, delivering yet another heralded Apple media circus of equal parts high-tech hype and earnest fanfest.

The good pre-event buzz about iOS 6 and the new iPods – an iPhone 5-derived touch, a serious nano upgrade (all names are lowercase now), Siri migrating to other iOS devices – didn’t come close to predicting the insanely great consumer reaction. Our original iPad rental started its life like that, too, coming from nowhere to score a consumer electronics KO.

Pre-orders sell out in hours

Both the iPhone and iOS 6 were originally going to be available for purchase on September 19, although you could pre-order the phone. (No longer, of course, as pre-orders sold out so fast that Apple is delaying shipments between one and three weeks.) If you’re sufficiently geeky and (really, really) know what you’re doing, you can get the final developer’s version of iOS 6 online.

Over the next few weeks, we will update you on the new Apple products and services, starting right now with…

Apple's iPhone 5

iPhone 5 Specs & Such

The iPhone 5, 112 grams of aluminum and glass in a 7.6mm-thin form, is 20 percent lighter and 18 percent slimmer than its predecessor.
The iPhone 5′s densely saturated 1136-by-640-pixel version is the precise 16:9 aspect ratio of an HD movie.
Battery life is much improved (so says Schiller), with 8 hours of talk and browsing on 3G, 8 hours of browsing on 4G, up to 10 hours of Wi-Fi use and a similar amount of video watching. Standby time? Over a week.
With the Apple A6 chip, more potent than the first few years of iMac CPUs, you can reasonably expect up to 50% speed increases.
The main (forward-facing) camera’s 8 megapixel, f/2.4 aperture specifications are like the iPhone 4S, but it is smaller with more computer-assisted features. A Panorama feature smartly stitches together gorgeous, and huge, pictures.
You get full 1080p HD video with the main camera, like our MacBook Pro rental, but the back-facing camera that puts your mug on YouTube only does 720p.
With these new devices, Apple introduces the Lightning connector, a sturdy stub of a reversible, all-digital jack. It may take some time before showing up on Apple computer rentals, but new consumer electronics will certainly be appearing with Lightning soon. Unfortunately, if you want to use your now-legacy “iClock” docks you will need to buy a 30-pin-to-Lightning adapter for $29, available only from Apple for now. Hong Kong vendors should have their $3 versions soon. Just make sure your 30-pin iGadget doesn’t require video output, because the adapter doesn’t support it.

From the best event production rentals to powerful post-production gear, our experienced Account Executives can help with a single call or e-mail. You can help yourself, too, with our Quick Rental Quote form.

State of the Mac, 2012

September 13th, 2012

Tech giant Apple posted record-breaking numbers in Q1 2012, selling 15.4 million iPads, 15.4 million iPods, 37 million iPhones, and 5.2 million Macintosh computers for total sales of $46.33 billion. While scoring records for its other lines, the iPod number was down over 20% from Q1 2011. Through the next two quarters the Mac and iPhone figures dipped, too. In Q3 2012, sales were at 17 million iPads, 6.8 million iPods, 26 million iPhones, and 4 million Macs .

Changing times

Apple now sells about four times as many iPads as Macs each quarter. In fact, with the proliferation of iPad rental units and booming sales worldwide, the Cupertino firm sold more iOS devices in 2011 than it has sold Macintosh models, ever. Clearly, iOS is now Apple’s “money” platform, and the company is working to adapt the Mac OS to the iOS look, feel, and “vision.”

This has prompted speculation that future Macs will operate on a “converged” OS. This is unlikely. Despite declining Mac sales, the computer will be with us for at least another decade, though some say not much longer. As long as there are iMacs, of course, CRE will have iMac rentals, as well as this blog to keep you in the know.

Mac to the future

If we imagine the kind of computer that people will be using 10 or 15 years from now, it would doubtless be more of an iPad than a Mac. A simple, low-cost, touch-based tablet seems a good guess, although it wouldn’t replace a notebook or desktop PC rental for everyone. Video pros, engineers, audio recordists, graphic artists, and others will always need as much power as possible, plus graphics accelerators, large monitors, special plug-in cards, and so forth.

The market for high-end, premium computers has always been a niche, and will remain one. Apple definitely wants to continue as the go-to brand for creatives and geeks, and it will. The Mac isn’t going anywhere. Will it last another 30 years? Who knows? All indications suggest that it should be around for at least another 10, and probably 20 years. Expect Apple to anchor both of its platforms with iCloud, so that people can use any Apple device, with either OS, in a more synchronized, unified, seamless manner.

We shall see…

And yet, as long as its notebook and desktop models rely on trackpads and mice, not touchscreens, with different considerations for battery life, processing power, and application support, Apple will maintain two significantly different operating systems. Going forward, the iOS calls for continued simplicity and ease, while the Mac OS, currently at version 10.8, Mountain Lion, calls for more sophistication and power.

For now, a formal combination of the two into a hybrid OS doesn’t appear to be Apple’s plan. Bridging them together? That’s the ticket. As always, we’ll keep you posted!

For everything from event production rentals to post-production and massive amounts of high-speed storage, one call or e-mail connects you to an expert CRE Account Executive. If you already know what you need, just use the handy Quick Rental Quote form!

Whatever Happened to Netbooks?

August 9th, 2012

Netbooks were set to take over the world just a few years ago. Optimized for social media and web surfing, these smaller, lighter offerings flooded the market, especially Europe. Now no one even uses the word, much less the (original) devices. What happened, and what can we learn from it? Let’s take a look.

What’s in a name?

With the introduction of the Asus Eee PC in 2007, the term “netbook” gained currency. Acer Aspire models were also popular, due in no small part to the ease with which one could install OS X on them (and pretend to own a MacBook). Then, after a couple of roller coaster years, netbooks started losing that “cool” factor. And when CRE stocked its first iPad rental in 2010, it signaled the end of the upward curve for netbooks. By mid-2011 the netbook craze was over.

After being trumpeted as the most significant computer innovation since the trackpad (maybe the Magic Trackpad?), the netbook was finally seen for what it was – an inexpensive mini-laptop with no optical drive. With most keyboards too small for serious work and the CPUs generally underwhelming, the traveling professionals that were field-testing them finally gave up. It made more sense to buy or rent laptops with desktop-level power, since a new generation of potent CPUs was beginning to provide it.

Cupertino category killers

A two-round volley from Apple put the final kibosh on netbooks. First, in 2010 the iPad immediately captured the entire world’s imagination (like iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 are doing now, before they’re even released). If you just needed a tool for browsing, e-mail and buying the occasional widget, you could now do so with the iPad – along with a slew of other handheld devices, smart phones and tablet PC rentals. With both Apple and Android devices now flooding the market, there is no reason to maintain an artificial product category like “netbook.”

The second move from Apple was the repositioning of the MacBook Air. Initially underpowered and under-loved, the model had been around a short time when Apple gave it that 11-inch screen. Diminutive and super light, the upgraded Air sported a full-sized keyboard while its souped-up components made it a true desktop-replacement machine.

If you don’t want to use a Mac, the “Ultrabook” form factor is the Next Big Thing in PC laptops. With proper CPUs, generous helpings of RAM, huge amounts of SSD storage and full-size keyboards, connectors, ports and plugs, Ultrabooks are real computers ready for real work. To summarize: “Netbook” is dead, “Ultrabook” is ascendant – and we’ll keep you posted on what comes next!

CRE Account Executives can recommend the appropriate PC desktop computer rental for your expanded telemarketing project, as well as processing and storage technology for post-production work. One call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote page, is all it takes!

Mountain Lion Pounces: OS X 10.8 Is Here

July 31st, 2012

Last week, Apple released its first computer operating system without “Mac” or “Macintosh” in the name: OS X 10.8, with the cute kitty code-name of Mountain Lion. It is available only by direct App Store download and only to users with either of the last two OS versions installed (10.6 or 10.7, Snow Leopard and Lion, respectively). Should you upgrade? Should you specify OS X 10.8 when you rent Macbook Pro laptops?

Let’s take a look at Mountain Lion…

When Apple introduced Lion in 2011, almost six of every 10 Mac owners passed on converting to Lion completely, including many a high-end user like those that rely on a CRE Mac Pro rental. Oddly, as Mountain Lion now appears to deliver on its predecessor’s promises, it’s not quite living up to its own pre-launch hype. Apple hasn’t made its intentions clear about the future of OS X, and the company’s reticence promotes FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt), as well as occasional bad reviews. What gives?

New dividing line?

Apple has upset a number of its most loyal customers by dumbing down Final Cut Studio and letting the Mac Pro go stale over the last several years. High-end users feel abandoned (subject of an upcoming blog), and oppose the Mac’s “iOS-ification.” The sort of media pros that use AJA IO HD-level technology are not as concerned with look and feel as they are with brains and brawn.

For non-pro users, it’s all about “social networks,” despite Facebook integration being delayed until a fall update. When iOS 6 is released around the same time, a CRE iPad rental will integrate just as seamlessly with OS X devices as other “pads, pods ‘n’ phones.” In the meantime, other new Mountain Lion features push “Mac socialization” forward, like Messages, the Notifications service and system-wide iCloud support. This last feature is not as intuitive as it should be, and it is strange how hard Apple worked to make it invisible.

Mountain Lion features …lots to look at?

Apple claims “over 250″ new features, but this includes changing the typeface on some dialog boxes. Peruse that new features list carefully, as some features only work with select Macs, such as Power Nap that collects messages and updates while asleep. Right now it only works on two Air models and the Retina Display MacBook Pro. There’s a lot to go over, so we’re going to live with the new OS for a bit and report back to you with what we discover.

Here’s your first Mountain Lion heads-up: Coinciding with the release of OS X 10.8 was the launch of new Mac-specific malware. Go here to check it out and get the antidote (if you need it).

For everything from trade show convention rentals to high-end post-production technology, your solutions are a single call or e-mail away, right here at CRE. And if you know what you need, visit our Quick Rental Quote page and be done and gone in minutes.

Technology Gadgets: iOS 6, Music & Robots

June 29th, 2012

CRE Rentals offers the latest on new technology gadgets and goodies for work and play that include software updates, music and robots.

iOS 6: Update

Apple’s iOS 6 is not a gadget, but it powers some of the most widely used ones in the world, so it is always newsworthy. The latest: Apple just sent “iOS 6 beta 2″ to its developer community, but don’t expect any surprises or “aha” moments since the primary focus is on bug fixes to advance the software to final release. There will be more incremental beta releases before that, so there are plenty of bits and pieces for Apple to polish over the summer.

Mini music mixer

IK Multimedia’s latest gotta-have-it gear is the iRig MIX, which does exactly what its name implies. Plug two instruments (or devices) into the two independent channels, or split the signal from a single iOS device into dual mono. With a few items from our range of professional audio visual (AV) equipment rentals, you could build an entire exhibit booth extravaganza around this gadget. Although it was designed as a portable mixing solution for solo musicians and small ensembles that use iOS devices in live shows, the iRig MIX would be a great addition to any professional presenter’s gig bag.

High-end ear candy

The Marquee Media Center 2.0, described quite accurately as an “imposing” device, is a high-end one, too, with a price approaching $1,000. Simple, elegant aluminum encases a 2.4GHz dual-core Intel chip, DVD drive, 2TB of storage and 4GB of RAM enabling the unit to play files from discs, drives, USB mass storage and the Internet. “No-brainer” setup requires two simple connections to (1) an external display like one of our Apple Cinema Display rentals and (2) your home network (WiFI or Ethernet). Okay, movie time!

Your robot servant

iRobot Roomba 790 Is it an appliance, a robot or a radio-controlled toy? If you’re talking about iRobot’s Roomba 790, a robotic vacuum with a touchscreen remote for real-time control, then the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” The wireless remote, sized halfway between an iPhone and our iPad rental, lets you control movements, schedule cleanings and get instant robot action by pushing the “Clean” button. This is the first Roomba with radio technology as opposed to infrared, so the Roomba doesn’t have to be in your line of sight for you to order it around. And it fairly sips power, running three to six months on four AA batteries (depending on how much of a “clean freak” you are, of course).

Whether you need a range of trade show convention rentals or high-end gear for a post-production project, a single e-mail or call is all it takes. If time is of the essence, head to our Quick Rental Quote page and tell us what you need!

Mac Pro: Say It Ain’t So!

June 19th, 2012

Apple made a number of announcements last week at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but the Mac Pro – the stylish aluminum tower that has always represented the ultimate in Macintosh computing power – got exactly zero stage time. After the show, an unnamed Apple exec contacted David Pogue, the New York Times tech columnist, and “announced” that the first Mac Pro upgrade in over two years was “under way.”

The big improvements? You can now get “slightly faster two-year-old CPUs,” griped Instapaper developer and longtime Mac partisan, Marco Armendt. He noted there were no top-of-the-line Xeon chips, no USB 3 and not even a Thunderbolt port, the very thing that media pros using render farms and other post-production gear need. The “new model” even has “the same two-year-old graphics cards [and] motherboard.” To Armendt, the message is quite clear: “Apple doesn’t give a —- about the Mac Pro.”

An Apple vet speaks

Andy Hertzfeld was a member of the original Macintosh development team whose influence can be seen all the way to today’s powerful iMac rental. He says he was “worried” when the Mac Pro wasn’t mentioned from the WWDC stage, but “was in for a shock” when he found the Apple tower “stuck in time in 2010.” Bottom line? “The only thing that’s still high-end about it,” Hertzfeld concludes, “is the bloated price.” (CRE has the fastest Mac Pros anywhere, set up right and ready to go – and rentals save you from big capital expenditures.)

Clearly, Apple’s management team believes that mobile iOS devices are the firm’s best bet for the future. Chris Foresman of Ars Technica observed at the end of 2011 that “the iOS ecosystem has come to represent 70% of Apple’s revenue.” At the same time, Apple has upgraded and added Thunderbolt ports to MacBook Pro rental and the rest of the Mac line – the mini has Thunderbolt and the Pro doesn’t? Some high-end users just might switch…how many will desert Apple for Windows or Linux?

Desktop computer dead?

It is bad business to “utterly disappoint your most loyal customers,” as Hertzfeld puts it. He ends with a couple of irritating questions: “Why do an update at all if you hardly change anything? What’s going on here?” As journalists attempted to clarify the situation after WWDC, Apple didn’t immediately respond. When the blowback built to a boiling point, however, that “unnamed executive” called the NYT‘s Pogue and began damage control. Some Apple watchers wonder if Apple thinks desktop computers have a future, since nothing was said at WWDC about the iMac, either. “An executive did assure me” about new models, says Foresman, “probably for release in 2013.” Okay, so we’ll keep you posted. Again.

CRE will keep you moving forward, too, with everything from event production rentals to post-production technology and mass storage. One call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote form, gets it done. Call now!

« Previous Entries