I was getting ready for bed, about to unwind with a quick game or two on Gametap, when my Mac alerted me to some new updates: Quicktime and iTunes. Suddenly, I remembered that Apple had a music event today! Tuesday was so hectic that I completely fell out of phase with the tech world. After a few clicks and a quick restart, I began my usual Tuesday night after-the-apple-event ritual and watched the entire keynote. What I saw really moved me, but not in a way you may be anticipating.
Disclaimer: As much as I would like to give a more detailed review of Quicktime 7.5.5, iTunes 8 and even the iPod Nanos, this is not it. I will leave that to these quick-shooters. Instead, I will give you the initial thoughts found within my exhausted mind about the media apple delivered during this event and how successful I felt its message was. Will it be helpful to you? Alas, my mind may be liquid, but a universal solvent it is not. At the least I hope you will find your head nodding a few times. In agreement or not, a good nod works well when it comes to discussing music, no?
QuickTime: Smooth as a Sade vocal (almost)
For years I have felt that apple's QuickTime events did not scale well when presented full screen (or even double its original size) and lacked the fluidity the video technology was supposedly capable of. Today, however, I feel differently. With version 7.5.5, QuickTime has finally matured when it comes to video streaming (at least when it come to Apple's QuickTime events). In the past I would see huge digital blocks shift on the video after a pause and take a significant number of seconds to clear. During playback, the video would look extremely pixelated when resized. I felt like I was watching Mario give a keynote instead of Steve Jobs. No more. Last night the stream was very clear and playback was consistently smooth, even after pausing for several minutes to care for various night time chores. This I am talking about at full screen on a 20” iMac (2.16 GHZ Core2Duo w/2Gigs of RAM Mac OS 10.4.11). Could it have been network congestion in the past? Perhaps... However I often watched keynotes around the same time, which is usually 11pm EST on the same day. I am going to take a guess and assume that QT 7.5.5 delivered some tweaks that really boosted streaming, among other things. If not, the placebo worked for me. YMMV.
Cosmic Disco-balls and Exploding Plasma
That is what I was greeted to when I check out the visualizer in iTunes 8. Call me simple, but I have to say, I gawked for a few minutes. Perhaps it is the suggestion of light emanating from darkness; imploded black-holes forcing out light instead of sucking it in. For me it is a conceptual and sensual hit and is a much welcome, revamp. After all, iTunes is about experiencing music, right? The revamped visualizer definitely adds back a twist of fun that I feel was lost a few versions ago. Thanks Apple for remembering iTunes' roots! Why should the iPod touch have all the fun?
Nice Ads! Can I get your number?
Lastly, if Apple and its cadre of advertising specialists have not reached a new level of consumer seduction than I don't know who has. I find these new ads to be visually engrossing and superbly sensual. So much so, that I found it hard not to think of anything else immediately after watching them. My imagination was ensnared and my interest was piqued.
The iPod Nanos, dramatically flying in unabashedly revealing intimate details of their structure (reminiscent of StarWars battleship fly-overs), catch your eye with vibrant colors defying their aluminum frame. The music synced well in terms of motion and atmosphere of the piece (bright and equally as colorful as the devices). Brilliantly, to finish out the notion of color, we see thick, lush paint triumphantly smear down from each Nano upon final lineup. Sensual? Definitely. It excelled in the way most Apple products do: They don't say much, but truly bare all.
The iPod touch was similarly compelling but with a different outcome and purpose. It was far more pragmatic in its persuasion. Highlighting the fun aspect we are taken on a tour of the various games the iPod Touch can download and play. Our view, like most of Apple's iPhone/Touch commercials, is simple and straight-on. With a rocking tune with “gimmie” in the lyrics, we see the device and someone's hand using it. This is important because we are talking about games on a device with practically no physical buttons. The seamless editing was similar to Apple's current generation iPod shuffle introductory commercial featuring changing elements within a fixed field of view. Thus an illusion of consistency within space and time is created. For the iPod Touch, the viewer is taken on what seems like a continuous ride of some of the most popular titles on the player, leading the viewer to an Apple logo and the name of the device. The duration of each game highlighted was just right, so that I never tired nor lacked understanding as to what could be appealing about the featured software. Now that I have seen how I could have fun, it certainly piqued my interest and I would give one a try at an Apple Store soon. “Good times coming round the bend” indeed.
Conclusion
If I didn't want a new iPod before, I certainly want to at least see one now. Apple has proven once again that just like Orwells 1984, people are moved by what we see and he who controls the eyes, controls the heart. Apple doesn't force dominance, though as much as it creates a desire for it. And us, like infatuated teenagers, can't resist the promise, no matter how ephemeral.
