The world we live in is a very expensive place where every penny counts, even more so in recent times thanks to the worrying economic climate we find ourselves in. With that in mind, it is imperative that creators of goods and services which are not deemed as necessities go that extra mile to provide consumers with truly exceptional value for money. The problem with that is that one persons definition of value for money differs greatly to another, especially when we are talking about software. A growing trend is emerging where consumers seem to believe software should be free of charge is somewhat concerning when you take into account the days, weeks and months which are put into the design and development of these programs and applications.
With Apple announcing the summer release of the new OS X Mountain Lion operating system, Mac users will be forgiven for being a little bit excited about the unexpected OS which makes a huge step towards the fusing of OS X and iOS. The newest Mac operating system builds on the current Lion offering, but adds additional features which Apple describe as "being inspired by the iPad, re-invented for the Mac".
Most of us can recall that iconic "I’m a Mac" ad campaign by Apple some years ago, which saw Justin Long represent the Mac brand as a trendy, young, modern guy whilst John Hodgman was a comparatively old, middle-aged man carrying the flag for PC.
Although many computer and software makers out there are largely similar in key areas, there are a few elements which make Apple and its Mac/OS X/iOS combination just that little bit classier.
The mobile smartphone and tablet industry seems to have a very prominent divide, with a lot of consumers having their favorite operating system and choosing to stick to hardware which is powered by their chosen OS. Obviously fans of Apple's iOS use the iPhone and iPad devices, whereas Android lovers have a wide range of hardware to choose from due to the fact that the OS is available to multiple manufacturers.
When Apple announced Mac OS X - sorry, we don't use the 'Mac' designation now, do we? - 10.8 Mountain Lion last week, we were all taken aback slightly. Well, all of us except the lucky few who found themselves summoned for a private briefing with Apple SVP Phil Schiller that is.
Apple's new CEO Tim Cook held his first shareholder meeting yesterday, and it seems the guy is pretty bullish on what his company is going to offer to us gadget junkies over the coming months.
It would seem that Apple are on a solo mission to single-handedly conquer and dominate every market that they choose to enter. I am pretty sure they could take any mediocre product, apply their own engineering magic, then slap an Apple logo on it and turn it into massively saleable item all around the world. Their unique attention to detail, design and marketing seems to ensure that every product they release achieves huge success time and time again.
Since Apple first introduced the App Store as part of its assault on the smartphone market, there's been a handful of apps and games which have come up, and never really gone away.
There have been many tributes to Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs since his untimely succumbing to pancreatic cancer back in October of last year.
