Honest The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty First Look
The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty
Praise for THE APPLE EXPERIENCE
“There are three pillars of enchantment: likability, trustworthiness, and quality. The Apple experience is the best modern-day example of all three pillars. Carmine’s book will help you understand and implement the same kind of world-class experience.”
–Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions and former chief evangelist of Apple
“Carmine Gallo explains beautifully and simply just what makes the Apple retail experience so successful. No matter what kind of business you are in, there are insanely valuable lessons in this book!”
–Garr Reynolds, best-selling author of Presentation Zen and The Naked Presenter
“The Apple Experience isn’t just for retailers. It applies to any business that involves people. At its core, this book is not about Apple. It’s about delivering the best experience possible.” –Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.
“An exciting resource for any business owner in any country who wants to reimagine the customer experience.”
–Loic Le Meur, CEO, LeWeb
“Why can’t other retail experiences be as great as an Apple store’s? Not only does Carmine Gallo answer that question brilliantly, but he shows precisely how to make sure your customers never ask it about your business.”
–Matthew E. May, author of In Pursuit of Elegance and The Laws of Subtraction
“Carmine Gallo gets to the magic of Steve Jobs: Touching people’s lives. This simple, yet delightful vision should be at the heart of every retail interaction in the world today.”
–Peter Steinlauf, Chairman, Edmunds.com
“This magnificent collection of insights illuminates the way for anyone who wants to create a truly great experience, whether in retail, service, or software. “
–Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin and Blah Blah Blah
Reinvent your business to deliver Apple-like customer satisfaction and profits
Apple Stores earn more money per square foot than any other retailer. At the core of Apple’s success and intense customer loyalty, however, aren’t just “Insanely Great” products, but great people who are informed, empowered, and motivated to deliver an unbeatable customer experience. In The Apple Experience, internationally bestselling author Carmine Gallo details the principles and practices behind this total commitment to the customer and explains how your brand can achieve outstanding results by delivering this same high standard of service.
Carmine Gallo interviewed professionals at all levels who have studied Apple, and he spent hundreds of hours observing the selling floor in Apple’s retail space and learning about Apple’s vision and philosophy. Using insights and data from these sources, he breaks down Apple’s customercentric model to provide an action plan with three distinct areas of focus:
- Inspire Your Internal Customer with training, support, and communications that create a “feedback loop” for improving performance at every level
- Serve Your External Customer with irresistible brand stories and dedicated salespeople who embody the APPLE five steps of service– Approach, Probe, Present, Listen, End with a fond farewell
- Set the Stage by ensuring that no element is overlooked in creating an immersive retail environment where customers can see, touch, and learn about your products
With The Apple Experience, you can improve the return on your investment in retail by adding real value to every customer interaction. Better still, any business that deals with people–employees or customers–can adopt the techniques to achieve Apple-like market dominance by enriching lives, building loyalty, and reimagining the customer experience.
Carmine Gallo is the communications coach for the world’s most admired global brands. A former anchor and correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gallo is a popular keynote speaker and has worked with executives at Intel, Cisco, Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and many others. Gallo writes “My Communications Coach,” a regular column for Forbes.com. He has written several internationally bestselling and award–winning books, including The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, and The Power of foursquare. Gallo has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Success magazine and on CNBC. He lives in Pleasanton, California, with his wife and two daughters.
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List Price: $ 25.00
Price: $ 13.95
Categories: Apple Tags: Apple, building, Customer, experience, first, Great, Honest, Insanely, look, loyalty, Secrets
Latest Apple iPad MD328LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, White) NEWEST MODEL Review
Apple iPad MD328LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, White) NEWEST MODEL
- 9.7 Retina Display; 2048 x 1536 Resolution
- Apple iOS 5; Dual-Core A5X Chip with Quad-Core Graphics
- 5 Megapixel iSight Camera; 1080p Video Recording
- Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n); 16 GB Capacityes: 1 x Headphones – Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Docking / port replicator – 30-pin dock connector
- Up to 10 Hours of Battery Life; 1.44 lbs
Apple iPad MD328LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi, White) NEWEST MODEL
List Price: $ 499.00
Price: $ 525.00
Additional Apple Products
Latest White iPhone 4 Bumper Case , Apple iPhone 4 White CaseReview Product Review
White iPhone 4 Bumper Case , Apple iPhone 4 White Case
- On Sale Today: White Bumper Case + FREE Screen Protector (JAPAN PET)
- Metal Buttons
- Screen Protector (Japan PET) Improves Handwriting Recognition
- 100% Functional iPhone 4
- All Buttons, Camera, Headset, Volume and Speakers are Accessible
This elegant skin-tight case is perfectly manufactured to fit and compliment the mold of the iPhone 4.
The high quality material provides an excellent protection and prevents from scratches, chips or dirt from accumulating on the beautiful device.
Made from high-grade plastic to compliment the surface with a soft and smooth texture.
Easy installation
Washable and reusable
Made of environment friendly material
Durable
Never fades
Never out of shape
Good quality and perfect appearance
Dust repelling
Fingerprint free
Bubble free
List Price: $ 12.99
Price: $ 0.01
Apple store subversion
Some cool Apple images:
Apple store subversion
Image by Capitan Giona
A bit of fun changing the Safari homepage to Green my Apple at the Regents Street Apple store.
And yet another apple pie
Image by Benimoto
The apple pies were so delicious, I ended up making three of them over the course of about a week.
Categories: Apple Tags: Apple, Store, subversion
New Front and Back Reusable Screen Protector for Apple iPhone 4 (3 pack) First Look
Front and Back Reusable Screen Protector for Apple iPhone 4 (3 pack)
- Valued combo includes three reusable screen protectors per order: 2 Fronts and 1 Back , micro fiber cloth
- Type: Non-OEM / Aftermarket.
- Accessory ONLY. Phone is not included. NOTE: Please apply the screen protector gently in order to avoid too much pressure onto the screen.
- 30 Day Money back Guaranteed.
- 100% Brand New item.
iPhone 4 Screen & Body Protector is a clear film that covers the back and screen of your phone providing scratch protection from outside elements. Custom-fitted for the iPhone 4, these protectors offer a shield of tough and durable protection to your phone without covering, hiding or distorting the original looks or your phone.
Model #:
Compatible Brands: Apple iPhone
Compatible with: Apple iPhone: 4
Condition: New
List Price: $ 0.00
Price: $ 0.01
Complete Airport Extreme 802.11N (5TH GEN) Review
Airport Extreme 802.11N (5TH GEN)
- Package Content – AirPort Extreme Base Station, Printed documentation, Power cordFeatures
- Connect your DSL or cable modem to the AirPort Extreme Base Station, then set it up with the AirPort Utility, available as download
- AirPort Extreme works simultaneously on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, allows all devices on the network to use band automatically.
- Set up a separate Wi-Fi network with a separate password for your visitors and enable the guest networking feature
- Have several computers in your home or office but only one printer? No problem.
- And up to twice the range of 802.11g wireless networks.
- Connect a compatible printer to the USB port on the AirPort Extreme Base Station and printer is instantly available to all the computers (Mac and PC)
- In minutes, you and up to 50 others can use your Mac computers or PCs to surf the web, stream video, share photos without wires.
- The latest 802.11n wireless technology is up to five times the Wi-Fi performance
- Your guests can use the Internet but can’t access other parts of your private network
The AirPort Extreme Base Station from Apple is a compact Internet router with powerful wireless capabilities. The router allows you to share your Internet connection between several computers via the draft 802.11n wireless protocol. It also features three standard 10/100/1000Mbps RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The router is also fully backwards compatible with legacy 802.11a/b/g devices. A USB port is present for printer and hard disk sharing. The router also features a firewall to protect you from malicious software that can attack your computer from the Internet, as well as wireless security to insure that your data remains private. It includes configuration software for both Mac OS X and Windows, making it a true cross-platform solution.
The perfect wireless solution for home, school, and business, the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station blankets your space with a blazing-fast, secure wireless network opening up a world of possibilities for home entertainment, backups, printing, and more. This 5th generation version of the AirPort Extreme operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously to ensure top performance for all your devices, and it provides a Guest Networking option for easy Internet sharing. It also enables you to share your entire wireless network with up to 50 users at the same time as well as turn a USB hard drive into a shared drive that’s accessible wirelessly on your network and now over the Internet.
Simultaneous Wireless-N Dual-Band Support
The Apple Airport Extreme is based on the Wireless-N (IEEE 802.11n) specification and it uses multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously–resulting in data transfer speeds up to five times those of 802.11g wireless networks while also providing up to twice the range. It’s compatible with Mac computers, PCs, and wireless devices such as iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch that use 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g technologies.
Additionally, some Wi-Fi devices use the 2.4 GHz wireless band (such as the iPhone, iPod touch, and other devices using 802.11b/g). And other devices can use both the 2.4 GHz spectrum as well as the higher speed 5 GHz spectrum–such as 802.11n-based Mac computers and Apple TV.
The Airport Extreme operates simultaneously on both bands, without you having to choose one spectrum over the other–enabling your Wi-Fi devices to receive optimal performance in speed and range. Plus, devices that can connect to the Airport Extreme on either band will automatically use the best available band.
See how the Airport Extreme delivers fast wireless networking to any home or small business.
Gigabit Ethernet
In addition to Wi-Fi networking, the AirPort Extreme Base Station includes three Gigabit Ethernet ports for fast wired connectivity with desktop computers, network drives, and more.
Airport Utility on the Mac.
Easy Setup
Launch AirPort Utility and you’re just a few short steps away from creating the ultimate Wi-Fi environment. Mac users can access the AirPort Utility located in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder, while Windows users can access AirPort Utility by selecting Start > All Programs > AirPort.
Guest Networking Capabilities
Allow guests to use your Internet connection without sharing your password or giving them access to the rest of your network. Simply enable the guest networking feature using the AirPort Utility application and create a separate Wi-Fi network just for your friends. You can set up this guest network with a different password or with none at all. Your primary network–including your printer, attached drives, or other devices–remains secure.
Share both a hard drive and a printer using a USB hub (sold separately).
Sharing a Hard Drive
The AirPort Extreme can turn an external USB hard drive into a drive you can share with all the users on your network and access securely over the Internet. This feature–AirPort Disk–is a simple and convenient way to share files among everyone in your family, office, or class.
Just connect the external hard drive to the USB port on the back of your AirPort Extreme and all the documents, videos, photos, and other files on the drive instantly become available to anyone on the secure network–whether they use a Mac or a PC.
Wireless Printing
With its wireless printing capabilities, you can plug a printer into the AirPort Extreme, add it to the printer list on your Mac or PC, and start printing–all without a cable tethered to a computer. AirPort Extreme uses the Mac- and PC-compatible Bonjour networking technology to let everyone on the network take advantage of one centrally available printer.
If you want to share a hard drive as well as share a printer across a network, you can connect a USB hub to the AirPort Extreme and attach your devices to the hub. Share both a printer and a hard drive, multiple printers, multiple hard drives, or a combination.
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Specifications
Wireless Protocols
Frequency Bands
Compatibility
Size and Weight
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Interfaces
Security
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What’s in the Box
AirPort Extreme Base Station, power supply with cord, printed documentation
List Price: $ 179.00
Price: $ 169.88
Additional Apple Products
Nice Apple photos
Check out these Apple images:
apple
Image by Albert Ip
what is the colour of these apples?
Free Red Apple on Green Grass of Fertility
Image by epSos.de
Picture of a red apple lying on a field of green grass. The tasty apple is free to eat. This picture was created for my articulate friend epSos.de and can be used for FREE.
This delicious fruit fell from a tree on a lovely hill where flowers bloom from spring through summer until the Autumn comes to visit the happy rabbits.
This photo of a red apple represents healthy fertility, freedom and abundance of food.
- Colorful Apples -
Image by Warm ‘n Fuzzy
These are the goodies I shipped to my CRAFT Matchbox Partner , I hope she likes apples juicy apples 
Blogged
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Estas son las cositas que le envie a mi companera del CRAFT Matchbox Swap, Espero que le gusten las manzanas
Honest Apple Mac Mini MC815LL/A Desktop (NEWEST VERSION) Product Review
Apple Mac Mini MC815LL/A Desktop (NEWEST VERSION)
- 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3MB on-chip shared L3 cache
- 2GB of 1333MHz DDR3 memory
- 500GB (5400-rpm) hard drive
- Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 288MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
- Mac OS X v10.7 Lion
Apple Mac Mini MC815LL/A Desktop (NEWEST VERSION)
Mac mini is even more of a powerhouse, thanks to a new dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and ultrafast Thunderbolt technology. It also comes with OS X Lion, the world’s most advanced desktop operating system.
The powerhouse Mac mini, now with high-speed Thunderbolt
(view larger).
(view larger).
This version of the Mac mini (model MC815LL/A) features a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 dual-core processor and Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics as well as 2 GB of RAM (expandable to 8 GB) and 500 GB of hard drive storage (see full specifications below). It also comes with the iLife software suite, which includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.
OS X Lion
Every Mac comes with OS X Lion, the latest release of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. With over 250 features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.
Key OS X Lion Features
- Mission Control provides a bird’s-eye view of everything running on your Mac.
- Launchpad puts all your apps front and center for easy access.
- View apps full screen and switch between them with a swipe.
- Interact with your Mac using intuitive new Multi-Touch gestures.
Key Features
Small Footprint, Excellent Versatility
The Mac mini features a precisely constructed unibody enclosure that even houses its own integrated power supply into the 7.7-inch square aluminum enclosure (that’s also 1.4 inches thin)–eliminating the need for an external power brick. Additionally, the Mac mini helps contain your environmental footprint with a 10 watt power consumption.
Despite its smaller size, the Mac mini offers a full range of ports for connecting to your existing peripherals–from keyboards and mice to external hard drives and displays (via the Thunderbolt and HDMI ports). And when you’re ready to add more memory, the Mac mini’s bottom removable panel makes the upgrade process a breeze.
Just add your own display, keyboard, and mouse–such as the Apple Thunderbolt Display, Wireless Keyboard, and Magic Mouse (not included; view larger).
A full range of ports, including Thunderbolt and HDMI plus an SDXC card slot (view larger).
Revolutionary Thunderbolt Technology
Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O (input/output) technology delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second of transfer speeds in both directions. Built into the Mac mini, the Thunderbolt port allows you to connect to new Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals as well as existing USB and FireWire peripherals using simple adapters. You’ll be able to move data up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800, and you can daisy-chain up to six high-speed devices without using a hub. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI, and VGA displays.
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Apple Thunderbolt Display |
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Time Capsule |
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AirPort Extreme Base Station |
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AirPort Express Base Station |
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Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive |
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Apple Wireless Keyboard |
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Apple Magic Trackpad |
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Apple Magic Mouse |
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Apple Remote |
List Price: $ 599.00
Price: $ 579.88
Cool Apple images
A few nice Apple images I found:
Breton Apple Cake
Image by elkit
Added powdered sugar, and did some quality assurance. Am happy to report it passes inspection.
I know it looks underbaked, but it’s perfect – the apple slices give it just the right amount of moisture and sweetness.
PS: Das Rezept, auf deutsch: Bretonischer Apfelkuchen
PPS: and the localized English recipe, with cups and ounces and Fahrenheits: Breton Apple Cake
My History with Apple (Computer) Inc.
Image by Adam Kuban
Edwin Tofslie created this visual. On his site, he says, "A visual I created to show the evolution of most all Apple products created over the past 30 years. This was created to show the evolution of the form factor and industrial design of the products, not to show every single model or upgrade Apple has launched."
I grabbed it and thought I’d use it to make a history of my Apple purchases. From left to right, top to bottom:
The Apple ][c I must have gotten this in 1985 or '86 (when I was 10 or 11). I remember wanting this computer *so bad* after using the Apple ][e in grade school. I remember going to the Apple dealer (er, excuse me, the Apple authorized reseller) in Olathe, Kansas—The Bottom Line—and drooling over the computers there. I was an overweight kid, so my parents made me a deal: Lose X many pounds, and they would buy the computer. I lost a little weight, but not the specified amount. Still, I think my parents were swayed by my argument that it was an educational tool and an investment in my future. I learned to type on this machine, using a program with a little wizard who did magic according to how well you did. I also discovered Zork (never did finish) and Wishbringer (finished, 'cause it was easier). A couple years later, I got into the Bard's Tale series. This was supposed to be a "portable" computer, hence the "c" for "compact." The machine itself had a handle on the back that folded down to prop up the computer or folded away into the body. You could carry the computer around, but the monitor was one heavy summbitch. Consequently, it never left the living room, where it sat on the desk toward the back of the room. I loved this little machine! I used it until about 9th grade (1989) and then didn't do much with computers at all in high school. By the time I got another computer, see below, they had (OMG!) something new called a hard drive. Hmm...
Macintosh Performa 6220CD: OK, the one pictured here is from the Performa series. I had a 6220CD, which was a pizza-box configuration. My parents helped me buy it, and we got it from Best Buy, of all places. Best Buy! Can you believe that? That was in, oh, 1995, maybe '96, during the dark Gil Amelio years. Anyway, at that time, I think Apple had a glut of products, and the 6220CD was one of the machines Apple made for the casual market—hence the Best Buy thing. It had a 75 MHz PowerPC 603 processor, 16 MB of RAM, a 1 GB hard drive, and a TV/Video card. It came with a little remote, and you could run cable or a broadcast antenna into the thing.
I got this either during my junior year or first senior year of college (I had two senior years because I switched majors), after I discovered the internet in the auxiliary computer center in Strong Hall at KU. I remember bringing this thing home and having one of my roommates kinda freak out a little bit—"Oh man, Adam. I can't believe there's a computer in our house." He wasn't excited; he was a bit disdainful. At the time, he was kind of a hippie in a very minor way, and I think he saw computers as something evil. Sometimes, I think he was right; but mostly, I love computers. That roommate now is totally into computers and has a pretty nice top-of-the-line Powerbook.
Anyway, I got on the internet and thought it was the coolest thing ever! "Oh my god! You can look up Beastie Boys trivia on the web! This is *so* cool!" I discovered MUDs and MOOs with this machine and made my first webpage that probably had a URL like cc.ukans.edu/falcon/~tomodell. Tomodell was my username (self-chosen) and was after my old high-school history teacher, Tom O'Dell.
In May 1997, I brought this machine with me to Oregon, where I used it to keep in touch with friends back in Kansas and in Japan. It was on this machine that I created a short-lived collaborative humor site (now defunct) called lusciousjackass.com and also had a sort of short-lived group blog that some friends and I did. They'd send me emails, and I'd sit there in the common space of our loft, drinking PBR, and post them in reverse chronological order. I also took out the domain www.hatchback.net/ in '98 and have had it since.
This was also the machine that I created the proto version of Slice on. It was originally going to be a photocopied 'zine, and I laid out the mock-up pages in QuarkXPress on this computer.
iMac Rev B: After convincing my parents to buy an iMac Rev A, I liked theirs so much I bought the Rev B. This must have been in late '98 or so. I don't remember doing anything remarkable on this machine. I replaced it rather quickly with an ...
iBook (clamshell, in Tangerine): I bought this one in 2000, shortly before moving to New York City. I didn't want to lug the iMac cross-country, and I left it with my girlfriend at the time, who didn't have a computer. She used it so we could keep in touch as we tried the whole long-distance dating thing. That didn't work out, and the iMac made its way out east. I sold the iMac on eBay and continued to use the iBook. I remember doing freelance copy-editing on it in my Bay Ridge apartment, sitting on an inflatable mattress because I had no furniture and couldn't afford to buy any. Later, when I got a crappy chair from IKEA, I would sit and work at this lame console table–cum-desk that the previous tenant left in the apartment. I kept this this machine until 2003, when I bought my ...
iBook G3: I bought this one in late August or early September of 2003, shortly before creating Slice. I didn't buy it to build Slice, though. I bought it because I had recently gotten cable broadband and wanted a new machine that took full advantage of the fast connection! Little did I know I was getting a piece of shit. I got the last of the G3 Dual USB iBooks, the ones with the faulty logic board problem. I still own it, and it's on its fourth logic board(!!!!) and second hard drive. Apple was good enough to replace all my logic boards for free under a special program, but I had to eat the cost of a new HD for it. I'm letting a friend borrow this computer right now.
I have a certain fondness for this machine, as it fostered the creation of Slice and A Hamburger Today. It's been to San Francisco, where it left its cold machine heart; Kansas; Florida; the Jersey Shore; and Amsterdam, where it visited the Red Light District and picked up a virus (just kidding). It also has a cool In-N-Out sticker on it. I used it until February 2005, when its first hard drive crashed. After four logic boards, I gave up and bought an ...
iMac G5 (17-inch): Unfortunately, this was the first generation of the flat-screen stand iMacs, and it had a problem: excessive fan noise. This machine worked like a dream at first, but after a firmware update pretty early on, the HD cooling fan started running at top speed under the lightest of processor loads. Because of a lame fan design, the thing sounds like a DustBuster. It is highly unpleasant to work in front of for any length of time. I appreciated the large screen and the speed, but when it came time for me to visit Kansas for Christmas 2005, I had the iBook G3's HD repaired and went back to using it. But the iBook G3 was getting mighty sluggish, so it was great when I joined Serious Eats in October 2006 and the company provided me with a ...
MacBook 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo: I'm typing this history on this machine now. It's loaded with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive—basically, it's maxed out. It's been a good little machine, except the white keyboard and casing get dirty. I would have liked the black MacBook, but the advisers setting us up with machines said they cost extra, so my boss, Ed, and I both got white machines. This one is missing the cool In-N-Out sticker, mostly because I don't want to gum up company property.
That's it for the Apple computers. But I also purchased ...
iPod 3rd Generation: Actually, my dad bought this one for me when he came to visit. (Thanks, Dad!) This is the one with the four buttons at top and fixed touch wheel. It worked well and I even developed "piPod" for it, a little set of files that rested in the Notes folder that told you where to get good pizza in NYC. That little "app" brought Slice a lot of attention. This iPod served me well until the day I was visiting my friend Janice, sitting up on her apartment rooftop on a weak chair. The leg broke, and I fell, cracking the LCD display. The pod still worked—I just couldn't see what it was playing. I got by for a while, then did without, then bought a ...
iPod Photo (60GB): This was the top-of-the-line iPod for, oh, about 2 months. Then the damn iPod video model came out. Ugh! Apple made such a big deal about how, with mine, they were all going to have color screens!!! Woo-dee-fucking-doo. They were probably just trying to get rid of all their small color screens before switching to the video iPod. Anyway, this is my iPod today. I haven't upgraded to video iPod or the iPhone—yet. I'm sure I'll move to the iPhone one day, but not until after the first generation. I've learned my lesson.
And, I forgot the peripherals! ...
Pro Mouse (White): Purchased pretty soon after it became available, to make laptop computing easier when using my iBook G3 at home. This mouse served me fine until the Mighty Mouse came out.
Mighty Mouse: I was lured by the 360° scroll wheel. The scroll wheel worked like a charm while it lasted. Unfortunately, it gums up with dirt pretty easily, and despite the suggested cleaning routine, mine never started working again. I liked the added two-button feature (finally, Apple! Took you fucking long enough to bow your head and admit that MS had something here). But it didn't work well. It never really did sense when I was applying pressure to the left or right sides of the mouse. I replaced it with a non-Apple product. A Microsoft Intellimouse. My MS mouse is AWESOME.
Airport Express: Works like magic! I love being wireless anywhere in my apartment and out in my garden on nice days. I like that I can stream music to my stereo. I only wish it could stream regular non-iTunes sound to the stereo as well.
Claire says I should now "add up all the money [I've] given to Steve Jobs throughout the years," but I just can’t. I don’t remember the retail price of some of these machines, plus, I’d be too depressed 
[July 19]
UPDATE (In honor of Steve’s leaving Apple) – 8/25/2011
Since I first posted this — my most popular image on Flickr by a landslide — I have used/owned even more Apple products…
Macbook Mid-2010: Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo, 2.4Ghz, 4GB RAM I can’t remember exactly when I started using this one. It was probably shortly before or after my wedding. I think I had been complaining loud enough at Serious Eats about my previous MacBook’s slowness and crashiness. One day a shipment of new laptops showed up and I got one. This machine served fairly faithfully and well but did get a bit slow before I finally left Serious Eats in May 2011. I’ve always had the experience that Macs work very well for a while but then seem to begin to slow down. Maybe because I gum them up with too much crap. Anyway, I turned this computer back in to the company on leaving and bought myself a …
MacBook Air 11-inch, 1.6Ghz/4GB RAM/156GB SSD: The smallest MacBook Air maxed out on processor, RAM, and solid state drive. This machine is beautiful. When I look back at my old iBook, I can’t believe the same company made both these machines — or that that iBook itself was considered great design at one point. Frankly, I don’t know how Apple can improve on the aesthetics of the current MacBook Air line. I suppose in minor ways, but as is, it seems almost perfect. So far, fingers crossed, I’ve had no problems with this machine. It’s a little sluggish editing RAW photos, but that’s to be expected. I bought it knowing I wouldn’t be able to do HARDCORE photo- or video-editing. And that’s fine. That’s about all I need for the blogging I do these days.
iPod Nano, 3rd generation: I don’t even remember why I bought this. At some point my iPod Photo must have died. I don’t even remember how or why or what I did with its carcass. I loved the size and format of this Nano — it’s the squat one with the color screen. Before they switched back to the long, narrow stick. I still have it but don’t use it. That’s because in August 2009 I finally broke down and bought an …
iPhone 3Gs: And, holy crap, did it change my life. For the better, for the worse. I love having all the information a truly smart smartphone provides at my fingertips. But I do have to admit that I am addicted to it. I’m not even making light there. I truly have a hard time not futzing with the device. I know it’s rude to do so during dinner with my wife or out at the bar with friends, but I cannot help it. That is how it has changed my life for the worse. For the better, I absolutely love the GPS navigation app I downloaded for it, which I can’t imagine driving without again. And I like being able to look up restaurant advice on the go. At some point, I got caught in the rain with this one, and that began its demise. I killed it the rest of the way by leaving it on the windowsill in the shower and then forgetting about it while turning on the water. (I was listening to NPR while trimming my beard in front of the grooming mirror in the shower … then stepped out to put the trimmer away and clean up the tub before turning on the faucet… D’OH!) … Even that didn’t kill this iPhone dead, though. I was able to do the rice trick and revive it, but it slowly deteriorated until it started shutting off and asking for full restores. After restoring it 7 times in 2 days, it died…. NEXT!
iPhone 4, 16GB: Even though I had the 32GB 3Gs, I stepped it down to the 16GB for my current (8/24/2011) iPhone. It wasn’t worth the extra money for the extra memory. I hadn’t maxed out my previous iPhone anyway. LOVE the Retina display and the massively improved camera on this one. Other than that, not much of a difference over the 3Gs.
Thanks, Steve Jobs, for designing all these amazing products. Even though I have had some issues with some of them, they are beautiful, elegant machines that are intuitive and a pleasure to work with. I can’t imagine having to use the alternatives (er, actually I can, because I use a shitastic PC at work).