“The Untold Story: How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry” by Fred Vogelstein, is the title of one of the cover stories in the February issue of Wired Magazine. The story (untold but not-surprising) of how Jobs literally rearranged the power scheme of the wireless industry. It seems that Jobs, once again, put his “golden touch” of coolness, this time on the boiling market of wireless devices. Until Apple came, it was “the-more-features-the-better” line of development (where Nokia and Motorola led the line and the rest followed). But Apple changes the rules of the game with something called LOVE! A mysirious ingredient that this brand knows best how to cook its products with. Love is something Apple produce in every line of products. The article puts it this way: “carriers are learning that the right phone — even a pricey one — can win customers and bring in revenue. Now, in the pursuit of an Apple-like contract, every manufacturer is racing to create a phone that consumers will love“.
It seems that Apple can produce love, the ingridients and formula are, again, not clear, but the outcome is a secret way Apple has to make products people really love to love (not just like or want – there’s the big difference). As one fanboy in the Mechead trailer says: “Only Stee knows. He knows what people really need before they know they need it!”
On the long way Jobs had done from the Mac suads of Guy Kawasaki (Chief evangelist…), where fans were sent against any negative reporter, to protect the fragile ( late 90’s) reputation of the brand – to these days mainstream Jobs, revolutionary reinventing industries (Mass-market music and now wireless) and losing sight of his “old guys”.
Again – from the trailer;
Guy: The community is weakening.
Reporter: And Apple?
Guy: Oh Apple? they couldn’t care less”
Is Apple a vendor or a symbol? what does it mean for people?
How can a (former) computer company build a “religion” of fans (some say fanatics)?
This is the story of a special group of people. Thousands of people around the US.
Some stranger than most us. Some are “normal” like me and you.
This is the story of a community. Not the company.
A community once built on trust and love.
Did the company named “Apple” had ever continuously created the community?
Is immensely-growing-Apple (not Apple computers anymore) actually leaving its community behind, making more flashy stuff and while worrying less to its former evangelists?
What can we learn about the people who built the most legendary brand in history?
Is this the final song of the Mac chorus-line, sang by addicted, “coolness”-driven people?
And we didn’t say Steve you-know-who even once.
When mac fanboys (and girls) are getting “out of their boxes” to describe their devotion to the mac-cult (here), nice to have something else to think of. Steve – your next design is here…
On the upper right corner of this page, you can find a new poll I conduct, to check up people stand point in a debate that a lot of viewers of the trailer had (see below) .
In the MacHEADS movie (the full version…I saw it!) there’s a women saying: “There are basically two groups of computer users; Apple people and Apple wannabes…”
I think that in terms of forming a “religion” (with idols and devine ideas for salvation and even a Messiah…) MacHEADS really fit to the formula. They worship, dedicate part of their (our) personality and see the manifestation of Apple products in the world as a way of aquiring happiness. You would say that on the other (sane?) side stand a crowd of non-religious people. Ordinary users that just “want it to work for them” (their PC, the application they work on), that doesn’t add any extra value to the devices they use – right? I think not.
It seems that everyone is part of some “brand” cult (nowadays). Traped in some sort of “brand-status-personal ID” kind of ties that binds him/her to a certain group of people, defined by the very brand we consume.
There is a new buzz in town! It’s called MacHEADS the movie, a unique documentary film exploring (maybe by the first time) the amazing world of the cult and culture called “Mac’. Still not in focus? take a look at the trailer in my next post.
I was called by the movie makers (Kobi Shelly – The Writer and Director) earlier last week to take a look at the last version of the film (yes! I saw the whole thing! and it’s really amazing) and to write about the philosophy and cultural aspects of the film.
It will be my honor – so join me on this blog and I will try to raise some very interesting questions, start discussions and even bring some explicit footage (from “the editing room floor”) to talk about.
Stay tuned and push the RSS feed button…There gonna be a lot of fresh stuff here real soon.
