Quick glances back at 2004 and ahead to 2005 – Happy New Year from MacDailyNews!

35 Comments

MacDailyNews wishes everyone a Happy New Year!

Looking back, 2004 saw some major changes for Apple with millions upon millions of iPods seeding the fertile grounds of dissatisfied Windows users who, having tasted elegance, quality, and attention to detail, took a much closer look at that iMac G5 of Apple’s and saw something very special running the show called Mac OS X ‘Panther.’ We cannot imagine their shock at seeing Mac OS X for the first time after dealing with Windows for years!

Apple may have gleaned enough information from the “iPod Halo Effect” to have decided an entry-level (US$500-ish) Mac is needed. We’ll see what happens eleven days into 2005 at the earliest. If it does happen, and Apple gets the features, price, and marketing right, it’ll be the biggest announcement out of Apple since the iPod. They should call it iSwitch (as in “bait and switch”) because it’ll be dangled by Apple to get ’em in the store where they’ll be very tempted upgrade to an iMac G5 (just like many iPod mini shoppers ended up going for the extra $50 and bought the 20GB iPod instead – exactly as Apple had planned). Still, many will buy this new “Headless Mac,” so we hope Apple makes enough of them, if this is what they decide to do.

Yes, 2004 was certainly the year of the iPod. We think conditions are ripe for the “Pod” to unleash its payload in 2005. Think “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and you’ll see why “iPod” was given that name; the film was about the take-over of an entire community by seed pods. Will the Wintel community be seduced by iPod+iTunes and frustrated enough by an endless stream of viruses, spyware, adware, and malware to take a real look at switching to safe, secure, powerful, and fun Mac hardware running Mac OS X? If not in 2005, when? (We don’t know what the heck Microsoft thinks it’s doing, but we hope they keep it up!)

We think iPod+iTunes will remain a big news item in 2005, but the year will also mark a widespread awakening about the Mac platform and Mac OS X. 2005 is going to be a pivotal year for Apple Computer, Inc. Get ready for a wild ride and, perhaps, unusual surprises out of Cupertino. There could be a lot more Mac users around us this time next year. We’re looking forward to much Mac daily news!

Speaking of MacDailyNews, thank you for visiting MDN throughout the year and making us a part of your day. We really appreciate it.

Happy New Year!

MacDailyNews Note: As we state on our “contact” page ( http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/contact/ ), in 2005 our mission will stay the same:

Our mission is to scour the Web for articles that interest Mac and Apple product users, remark on the content of these articles, provide news about Apple Computer, Inc. and their products, and to opine about all things related to Apple and the Mac. Most importantly, MacDailyNews exists to provide a place for our readers and the Mac community to discuss these daily news items in their own words with real-time feedback. Why do we do this? Because long ago we received the most important advice a computer user can ever receive, “buy a Mac.” We want to help spread that valuable advice.

35 Comments

  2. Mac Daily News was a wonderful addition to my life during 2004. I learned a bunch of stuff here. Some of what I learned might even be true.

    But here�s the kind of thing I really loved at MDN: in �Reader Feedback,� regarding a seemingly nonpolitical topic, my dear President George W. Bush gets mentioned. Quickly a bunch of posts appear, both attacking him and defending him, some displaying an amazing vocabulary of profanity. Religion somehow works its way into the �discussion,� and biblical debaters get on a roll. Then a bunch of newcomers — folks who obviously haven�t a clue as to what the MDN site is really about — question what this all has to do with Mac computers, and they start blasting previous posters for their rudeness. The responses get even more profane. Passions rise. Tempers flare. And this continues on and on and on, which is to the great benefit of all mankind, because a bunch of us folks who clearly need to be kept off the streets continue to sit in front of computers in order to contribute more and more incendiary material to the MDN feedback thread.

    Is this a great site or what.

    Best wishes for a Happy New Year to fellow ravin� Machead zealots everywhere.

    David O.

    Reply

  3. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget to thank all of you posters for the opinions that you have and share with everyone else. Reading the debates is probably the most fun (and sometimes enlightening) part of this webpage.

    Reply

  5. Hey MDN,

    Thanks for a great site and for a wonderful 2004. I’m looking forward to an even greater 2005!

    Keep up the good work!

    (These comments brought to you by the Magic Word, ‘purpose.’)

    Reply

  8. Thanks MDN. You guys are my mainstay site that I read everyday. Always truthful, almost always dot on with your take. I would also like to thank all the other readers for making this site as interesting as it is. There are some incredibly powerful power users amongst us and often I have learned things here that I would not have otherwise. Let’s make 2005 a year to remember!!!! By the way it is already 2005 here in Japan Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!!!!!! Happy New Year!!!!!

    Reply

  14. Hi Everybody,

    I’m proud to say that 2005 starts my first full year with a Mac and a “better way” to work with computers.

    I’ve learned a lot since I bought my Mac in February and the best thing I learned (and the nicest surprise) is how great the Mac community is.

    Mac users (at least the way it seems to me) are a huge family and we understand the joy we all share while using Apple’s products. We all share the frustration of watching people who don’t understand try to analyze things and get it all wrong (enderle and thurott, I’m looking at you).

    We seem to possess an unending source of praise for those who “get it” (Steve, thanks for all the stuff), and we are ecstatic when one lone, brilliant and insightful journalist gets it right (several cases over the past year including Mr. Mosberg).

    And shame on the journalist or analyst who dares to trash our beloved Apple. We can let loose a torrent of scorn, ridicule and facts to back up our points (I’ve done it too).

    Mostly, in the past year I’ve learned. Also, I’ve enjoyed the regulars and their wit and insight here (of course I’ve also seen some flamers who never seem to learn, the best revenge is knowing that they choose their own misery by sticking with windows).

    Sorry for the rambling note, what I really wanted to say is Happy New Year everybody. To the MDN Staff, thank you for this place and all your work. Have a great 2005.

    ~M

    Reply

  15. What a great site! I too am entering my first “full” year with a Mac in recent history, having switched from an IBM Thinkpad to a PB 17 in mid-January of 2004. I’ve loved (nearly) every minute of it. One of the best aspects has been discovering MDN. MDN itself not only reports the news, but it adds its own zesty take on whatever the issue is. Then the readers pipe up w/provocative opinions. This is the only site where I bother to occasionally add my 2 cents.
    Happy New Year to MDN!
    Wishing you continued good health and success next year!!

    Reply

  16. Thanks MDN for keeping me up to date on Mac stuff during the year.
    I look forward to reading your pages every morining at work (coffee in one hand – mouse in the other…)

    Happy New Year from
    Christchurch, New Zeland.

    Reply

  18. And what other forum, other than MDN, can poor lonely souls who desperately seek recognition. Proudly proclaim that they have made “The 1st Post”, even though at times, some other person quietly beat them to it.

    Here’s to 2005, you rebels.

    Reply

  22. And a Happy New Year – already – to our Aussie friends!

    (Brought to you by “central” – time zone, I would guess, since that’s where I am – less than 9 hours to go!)

    Reply

  23. You can tell a great community when many different, of many different background with different tastes can aways agree on at least one thing, we love Macs (except for our wonderfully funny trolls). Great conversations come from all political, religious, social, and geographic directions. No matter how pissed I get at any single comment in a thread, I can still agree with the samee poster in a different thread on a different issue.

    thanks MDN (for taking like 2 hours of most work day ^_^)

    Lets hope that all our Mac dreams come true in 2005!

    Reply

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