AppleCare

Recently, Apple has been adding new retail stores. This is good news for most because sometimes they are few and far between and this presents potential problems for users who live far from the store where they bought their Mac. If you buy AppleCare, which extends service and warranty three years to after the date of your purchase, you will not have anything to worry about. The plans are $250 to $350 dollars depending on whether or not you have a MacBook or MacBook Pro. This service provides you with access to Apple experts to ask questions about software or trouble shoot. In addition, if anything should happen to your computer, you simply call, give them the number of your registered service plan and they will send you a box. You put your computer in the box and send it back out and they send it back good as new. There is no postage you need to pay and the service is nearly faster than the mail can deliver the computer to California and back. My roomate recently had to send his computer to Apple and it was back in about five days or so. So if youre not extremely computer saavy and often need to ask an expert about software, or you run your computer non-stop (which may lead to overheating or other problems) the protection program is a great option for new buyers.

100,000 and counting

The App store for the iPhone and iPod touch has now reached over 100,000 applications. These range from games, to map services, to programs that will find the best local restaurant. This makes Apple's application store the largest in the world. Users can be in any of 77 countries and have already downloaded over 2 billion apps. There is no sign of the use slowing down, as more people are turning to Apple and AT&T's 3G network. New competitors are emerging however, but new devices, such as the Droid, do not have nearly as large of a store with around 10,000 applications. Until another provider can offer the wide range of apps that Apple's store offers, I can not see anyone choosing a different handset device, no matter what features the phone itself offers. With devices today doing very similar things and having similar features, the App store is one thing that manufacturers can not reproduce and puts Apple heads above the competition.

Apple T.V.

Although released in 2007, Apple TV last year got a free software upgrade that may make it more appealing to some users. The new software upgrade allows users to directly access to iTunes store via the small console, rather than selecting what you want to watch from the computer. You are also able to rent videos for prices starting around $2.99. As long as you have a high speed internet connection, you're in business. This is one Apple product I would not buy myself, however. I own an XBox, through which you are now able to subscribe to Netflix. With this subscription, you only pay $8.99 per month and have access to tons of content. All one needs to do is go to the computer, add to an instant queue, and the content will transfer over onto your Xbox. In addition, for this price you are able to check out on DVD at a time through the mail. You can keep it as long as you want and get another when you send that one back. With the Apple TV, you must pay for every rental and also must watch this movie within either 24 or 48 hours of renting it. After that it is gone. I would much rather personally may a rate per month to use all of the content I want. Apple needs to restructure their system so that a user may be able to pay a monthly rate to access all the material they want and not have to worry about fees for every view or struggle with time constraints.

Apple goes green

We all know that we're supposed to recycle cell phones, batteries, and other electronic devices because they contain harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment. Often times however, we do not stop to think if there is a way for companies to eliminate these dangerous elements altogether. Apple is attempting to do just that by going green. In 2006, Apple completely eliminated the use of CRT's, or cathode ray tubes. By comparison, Dell, HP, and Gateway all still ship these toxic CRT's in their products to their customers today. Their products are recycled at a rate of 20% in 2008 and by 2009 predictions are estimated around 30%. By comparison, only 10% of other companies electronic devices are recycled. Apple collects and processes all of their recycles here in the U.S., assuring that the few harmful elements remaining in their products are not lost shipping them overseas. The company even collects old or unwanted iPods in their store so that the devices can be disposed of properly. As an incentive, they offer a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod with their recycle, which can add up if you want the latest model, costing around $200. Apple again is outdoing the competition and assuring that their products are disposed of correctly when a user upgrades. So next time you're thinking about throwing out unwanted technology, ask yourself, what would Apple do?

Magic Mouse

Apple recently released a new mouse. So what, right? Just another mouse among many mice. Wrong. It's sleek, futuristic design may seem only aesthetic at first, but look closer and you'll realize that this mouse has no buttons to click. It's a cutting edge idea and could possibly make interacting with a desktop computer much easier and more functional. While those who use Apple products are aware of the double finger swipe ideas on the MacBook, some may not be. One can use two fingers simultaneously swiping down to scroll through any page. This feature transfers over onto the mouse as well. Another feature some users are familiar with is the 'pinching feature' on the iTouch and iPhone. While moving two fingers in opposite directions allows you to zoom in on a page, moving them together in a pinching motion allows you to zoom out to get a better grasp of what the text on a smaller screen is saying. Unfortunately, this pinch feature is only transferable when one holds the command button on their Mac. Holding command and clicking the mouse bar on a laptop is the equivalent of a right click on a P.C. This is a slight drawback and requires more motion and effort than other models on the market. Another drawback is the fact that the Magic Mouse is so sleek, that many users might find it difficult at first. This is really not that big of a deal, considering we all had 'fat fingers' when touch technology first came out. A little getting used to and a few tweaks, and I believe this could be the new design for future models. Sure P.C. users might argue the fact that there is no technical right click, but given a try at it, and I'd bet they'll get over it. At a retail price of only $69, it wont break your bank, but you'll probably want to give it a look before you buy it.

GarageBand replacing the studio

In January, Apple revamped their program GarageBand. This is a program that comes pre-installed in newer versions of Mac. The program allows musicians to directly plug their instrument into their computer via a USB cable to record and edit music. Today, even professional musicians have adopted this software. They enjoy the speed at which you can record music and the spontaneity that comes along with being able to record virtually anytime and anywhere. This type of technology could very well mean that the traditional studio might be a thing of the past. In addition, unheard talents now have the ability to record music in the same way that many professionals are. This may lead to a more level playing field in which the music you record counts for more than the people you know in the industry to get you that first break. This is just another example of how technologies that are coming out affect not only individuals, but entire industries.

Competition for the iPhone

Recently, Google and Verizon Wireless have partnered together to launch a series of new phones. The new products will tout Google's coveted Android software platform. This could mean trouble for Apple in the near future. Although Apple currently has the 3G market cornered with their software partnered with AT&T's service, there are no real competitors out there with the software and capabilities of the iPhone. Android technology has already been released in T-Mobile's myTouch, but this service provider pales in comparison to that of Verizon. Verizon has a far larger network and this could mean far more people investing in Android technology. The new device, called Droid, will be able to download applications, similarly to the iPhone, and will come with several pre-programmed in. It is hard to predict whether or not it will have an impact on Apple sales. I do not think devout users of Apple products will necessarily drop the iPhone, but it may become harder for the company to attract new users with more choices out there. As it stands now, Apple and AT&T basically have the entire market cornered, but it will be interesting to see if the company can maintain this monopoly in the years to come with new technologies being released.