The Apple of Technology's Eye

Rather than focus on the broad topic of general technology, I thought I would focus this post on Apple and their business strategies and product innovations. Apple has for many years now been regarded as the "trendy" computer manufacturer, exclusive because of high prices and highly-desired because of stylish product designs, all of which utilize visual-based Macintosh operating systems. I remember my good friend's father once referred to Macbooks as the computers for pseudo-intellectuals, as you will no doubt see several aspiring (albeit talent-lacking) writers typing away on them in nearly every Starbucks in the Western hemisphere. Lately, however, this whole vision of Apple has gradually begun to change. Because of immense cash reserves and large quarterly profits, Apple has been able to secure better wholesale deals on better parts for their products, enabling them to lower prices and compete more effectively with PC rivals. I believe that the genius idea of planned obsolescence is one of the hallmark business strategies of Apple, as it is no coincidence that at least once per year, almost every product in Apple's lineup gets stylistic makeovers and technological upgrades. This results in further consumer attraction to Apple as every upgrade causes people to think "Oh my God I need this now!!!" Overall, when analyzed closely, Apple's business plans seem fairly simple and transparent, in that they seem to rely mainly on a combination of product quality and brand reputation. In my opinion, the only question left to ask from here is, "what's next?"