The Next [Small] Things From Apple

[Ed Note: apparently, I cannot upload images at this time, so I will have to write this entry sans graphics. If you want to see images of the products I am talking about, visit Apple's homepage.]

Today was a big day for Apple. During the keynote speech, CEO Steve Jobs unveiled new software and new products. Noteworthy of mention was the release of the most affordable iPod ever, the iPod Shuffle.

Using flash memory, weighing less than an ounce and about the size of a pack of gum (think Juicy Fruit), the two new versions of the iPod can hold 120 or 240 songs, for the price of $99 US or $149 respectively. Also worthy of mention is the iPod's 12-hour battery life. If I didn't own an iPod already, I would not hesitate to buy one myself. I can't believe the price. I predict these little pieces of 21st century fashion are going to fly off the shelves. Once again, Apple is securing is domination of the digital music market.

On second thought, I could probably have use for an iPod Shuffle. I'd use the little one for music, and my 15-gigger as an external hard drive and backup utility.

Apple's second major release today blew me away. Apple released the most affordable Mac computer ever today, in an attempt to lure PC users (and iPod owners) away from the Windoze platform. The Mac Mini is about the size of 5 CD cases (about 6 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches in height), weighs in at about 3 pounds, contains a CD-RW and a DVD-ROM drive, and a 32-megabyte ATI graphics card. If you are a wireless type person, the Mac Mini is capable of 802.11g wireless technology, and able to use Bluetooth peripherals. It only comes stock with 256 megabytes of RAM (expandable to 1 Gigabyte) and a 40-gig hard drive, but what floored me was the price point: $499 US!

When I first saw images of the Mac Mini, my first thought was "The Cube has returned"! It has been widely speculated the main reason why the Cube miserably failed was that the price point was far too high. Now, Apple has introduced a machine that is reminiscent of the Cube, but at the lowest price point in Apple's history (not to mention, many times more powerful than the original Cube).

The initial response from the on-line community has been staggering. The servers at The Apple Store has been overloaded, as on-line discussion forums. From what I have read, the majority of readers are blown away by this new machine. This could very well become the most successful Mac ever -- even if it is (comparatively) not as powerful as other Mac models.

The Next [Big] Things From Apple

I imagine the small size of the Mac Mini (and low price point) may be attractive to cluster-computing enthusiasts. For the uninitiated, a cluster is a supercomputer that is made up of a number of computers networked together in such a way to "act" as one brain. You could stack seven Mac Minis on top of one another, and it would be approximately the same size as a PC tower -- but its computing performance would be considerably greater than a PC of the same physical dimensions. Better yet, Apple has created Xgrid, a program that manages supercomputing clusters, making the job easier for the programmer. Surely, the Mac Mini is not powerful enough for massive supercomputing institutions, but might prove to be an affordable alternative for supercomputing enthusiasts and smaller outfits.

When I first became interested in the possibility of cluster supercomputing, Apple had not reseased OSX, nor Xgrid. Supercomputing (I had found through a few small experiments) was not for the faint of heart. Today, it is easier to be a programmer, or researcher and use Apple technology for the world's supercomputing needs. In fact in recent years, some of the world's most powerful supercomputers have been using Apple computers and OSX for their supercomputing needs. When Apple released the G5 computer last year, it was found that by using Apple computers (and technology) researchers could build supercomputers for a fraction of the cost using Intel architecture and Linux operating systems. Virginia Tech was the first institution to build a supercomputer using the G5 architecture. 1100 nodes later, they had created the 3rd fastest computer in the world. The price tag was only about $5 million (similar machines cost in the ballpark of $100-250 million). Since then, many institutions have followed suit and opted to use Apple technology.

I really wish people wouldn't patronize Apple. People may like their Wintel boxes better, but Apple always comes up with an innovate idea that keeps them from disappearing into obscurity. These could be famous last words, but as long as Steve Jobs remains in the Apple picture, I expect them to remain in business -- even if they hold 5 percent of the market.