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• Wednesday, January 10, 2007 07:17 PM

  KStone, let me spell it out for you

  What we saw yesterday was only the primal, initial version of what is to come.

  The OS X operating system is completely scalable. It can run on almost any microprocessor. What does that mean?

  Developers who want to run their software effortlessly on multiple hardware devices and platforms can develop for Mac OS X, then with little effort, port their software everywhere.

  Connecting to Microsoft enterprise servers and networks will be just as easy as connecting to Yahoo and Google, but the consumer product space is infinitely larger than the business market. Obsessing over corporate connectivity misses the big picture.

  Patents will prevent competitors from easily duplicating Apple's elegant efforts. Apple has learned a lot of lessons from its bruising battles with Microsoft. This time, all of their bases are covered.

  I can't say it enough: Apple possesses a stable, scalable, portable, flexible, visually compelling, universally applicable and DESIRABLE user interface that is light years ahead of any so-called 'competition'.

  Software systems designed for OS X can run on cellphones, if Apple wants to allow it. Or an intelligent portable DVD player. Or an intelligent digital video camera. Or a handheld gaming device. Or a console gaming device. Or a microwave, fridge, dishwasher or dryer.

  Or, please lord, an intelligent universal remote control.

  Why would I want to run Mac applications on a universal remote? I wouldn't want to run entire applications, but it will be great to have a stable, consistent, robust platform to deploy pieces of applications and make connections to existing applications and systems.

  Imagine if, when you buy some new gadget, you could 'add buttons' to your universal remote by merely downloading software updates, instead of throwing away a plastic device and buying a new one.

  Heck, if it only costs me $1 every time, I would probably go for it. No physical product changes hands, just data. And money.

  Imagine an intelligent digital still camera with the power of Adobe Photoshop in a form that the common man could use effectively.

  The blinking LCD clock on the VCR is very 'last century', the epitome of technology possibilities unrealized.

  Unrealized possibilities like crackberry keyboard buttons and matchbook sized web browsers and $3 ringtone downloads and crashing Windows CE devices and punching '4444466666' in the proper sequence on your cellphone keypad just so you can text message 'hi mom'.

  What this announcement is about is finally implementing intelligence in devices across the consumer gadgetry spectrum.

  The bar has been raised. Nobody will be satisfied with less.

  Watch the keynote video. http://stream.qtv.apple.com/events/jan/j47d52oo/m_8848125_350_ref.mov

  Consider that no one can possibly begin to predict the infinite ways that this technology is going to affect common people's lives.

  Will Apple make mistakes? Sure. Are they going to be in the driver's seat? You bet.

  —vaporland Read vaporland's other letters
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