New MacBook nearly steals the show from Apple Watch
PUBLISHED ONMarch 10, 2015 9:42 AMByGrace Chng
A sleek MacBook laptop that weighs just 920g almost eclipsed the Apple Watch, the star of Apple's Spring Forward event held on Mar 9 in San Francisco.
The sexy 12-inch device that is a mere 0.35cm at its thinnest is nothing short of brilliant. It is so mouthwatering-ly delicious that I want to pre-order one almost immediately.
Of course, its curves and thinness makes it very attractive. So are the new innovations. Battery components are specially made to fit the curves of the MacBook. There is an edge-to-edge full keyboard and each key has its own LED light.
The new Force Touch trackpad with four sensors give users a better feel during typing. It is also pressure sensitive. A user can fast forward a video for example, by simply pressing down harder on the touchpad.
The new Macbook which comes with a retina display. It is no more boring, in addition to the usual silver, it also comes in two other colours gold and space grey.
But before users rush out to buy this beautifully designed notebook, they need to understand that there is only one USB-Type C port which charges the notebook but can also be used to send video to external monitors and connect and charge other devices.
This new laptop reminds me of the first MacBook Air which was launched in 2008. Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the world's thinnest notebook by pulling it out from a manila envelope. There was initial outrage, how can anyone use an underpowered machine with no DVD drive and only one USB port?
Seven years later (and one extra port later), the MacBook Air has a firm place in the laptop landscape and continues to be recognised as one of the best looking and thinnest notebooks ever.
Like the Air, this is Apple's attempt to reimagine the laptop in the smartphone and tablet era. Is Apple moving too fast for some users? Will it be able to revolutionise the laptop industry again? If it is good, Apple will break out the numbers next year or sooner.
Prices start from $1,788. It will be available from next month, so users have some time to mull over their decision before they buy.
The Apple Watch
The information avalanche on the Apple Watch in the last few months made it less of an interesting product launch. The critical new information released on Monday is that it will be launched next month and prices start from US$349 to US$10,000. There are three models Sport, Watch and Edition.
The Apple Watch launch has great significance. It is the first new product category to be launched under CEO Tim Cook with no input from Steve Jobs. For better or worse, Mr Cook will be remembered for bringing this product.
It is also worth noting that although other companies like Samsung and Motorola have unveiled their smart watches, they have made little headway in the market. It will be the Apple Watch with its cutting edge design and ease of use which will clear the path for others to follow.
According to Gartner, the smartphone market will see 40 million units sold this year, up from 10 million in 2014. In 2016, 60 million units are expected to be sold.
The Apple Watch is more pricey than others currently available. Like the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch will capture most of the high-end market, with more Android wear eating up the lower end of the market.
With the Apple Watch, getting information is only a wrist away.
An Apple Watch owner will be alerted to new chat messages and emails as well as new notifications like news and weather updates. Boarding passes can be stored in it. Eventually the watch through Apple Pay will pay for his morning expresso.
Previously to see all this, he would have to take out the screen in your pocket, that is, your phone, to do all of this. With the Apple Watch, the screen is on your wrist all the time, available at a glance. I think there is going to some productivity inmprovements as a result of information at a glance.
What I am interested in is the health and fitness apps. With the Apple Watch, I will probably hang up my Polar and Garmin watches. These are targeted devices aimed at runners, cyclists, triathletes and gym rats because they collect data on heart rate, time, speed, distance covered, calories spent and fat burnt. This lets athletes track their workouts.
I can now do the same with the Apple Watch and it is more versatile. It links to apps that helps me monitor my fitness and health. Apps available for the Apple Watch include calorie counters and glucose monitoring. The list will grow as third party developers add more apps. Polar and Garmin do not have third party apps.
The Apple Watch is also a fashion statement. I don't have to swap my Polar and Garmin watches - they are not exactly aesthetically designed - for another watch for the office or for the evening engagement.
Rolex and Omega will not go out of business but future high end watch buyers may think try the Apple Watch and become plugged into the Apple ecosystem of apps. Last month, three Switch watch makers, Frederique Constant, Mondaine and Alpin have partnered a Silicon Valley company called Fullpower Technologies to create their own smartwatch platform. Features include more than two years of battery life, sleep monitoring and activity tracking. This is a sign that the Swiss watch industry is realizing that the Apple Watch and smartwatches are a threat.
One thought: there will more than 30 variations of the Apple Watch across three categories. This is the only time when customers have so many choices. Simplicity has been Apple's signature. Will this variety of choices make it difficult for customer to decide what to buy?
chngkeg@sph.com.sg
Grace Chng is a senior correspondent with The Straits Times where she covers the tech industry, start-up ecosystem and innovation and entrepreneurship.