iWant, iNeed
Paul Boutin of Slate observed yesterday that Apple's new 17" widescreen PowerBook is the computer equivalent of the souped-up, over-hyped 500 horsepower SUV that no one needs but every techno-fetishist aspiring to wealth and style wants.
Of course, the PowerBook doesn't use more energy than its competitors, doesn't take up too much space on the desktop, and it isn't more dangerous to operate during a crash. But Boutin's point is that Apple's new toy is all about the ooh-ahh factor: "All that's missing is a subwoofer and tinted windows." It isn't a question of will it let you push pixels faster but rather will it impress your friends and colleagues?
Starting at US$3300 (that's breaking five grand in my northern Loonie Dollars), the price is aimed at those who have something to prove. Yet I will still drool over one when I see it. Does that make me a hypocrite when in the same breath I scoff at the excess of the luxury SUV or the fur coat or the fashion dog?
Previously: Send In The Clones
Subsequently: Finally, A Good Online Music Store
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