Thursday, 20 October 2005
There's No French Word for "Geek" but There Sure Is One for "Snob"
As I've mentioned before, I enjoy certain annual rituals - among them, my pilgrimage to Steve Jobs's Apple Expo keynote. This year marked only the second time since I moved to Paris that I didn't see the keynote. Like the first time, it was because it had been canceled.
For me, Jobs's keynote is the high point of the Expo. With it canceled, I didn't even bother to mingle with the masses of Mac fanatics fans. What, pass up being crushed by the great unwashed (sometimes literally)? I must be crazy!
Sarcasm aside, I did miss going to the Apple Expo this year. Apple has in recent years been distancing itself from trade shows to announce new products, instead preferring to create its own "events."
One such event - the second or third in the past few weeks, I lose count - was yesterday, when new Power Book and Power Mac models were announced. The event before that was the new video iPod. Eh? Don't worry, my little iPod, I still love you. No, I don't covet other gadgets. I don't even think about other gadgets...
Um, ah. So, you're all still here? Er, this is rather embarrassing.
Ahem.
Anyway, my point - belabored as it is - is that 2004 may well have been the last year Apple introduced any products further than a stone's throw from its Infinite Loop headquarters. That would be a shame, since it was pretty cool to know that Jobs thought highly enough of Paris to come here personally. Even New York didn't make that cut.
"Paris: We're cooler than New York." I like the ring of that.
So, Steve, won't you please come back next year? And bring an extra iPod (whatever the newest model may be). No special reason - I just happen to, uh, have a friend who'd be interested in one.