As of today it appears that Apple Australia have started hiring staff for new stores to be in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Now I am not just talking about the little ‘fake’ stores in Myers. Apple have started hiring for all major staff positions on Seek.com.au for stores in Brisbane, Melbourne, and on the Gold Coast. While these could be for an expanded Myer store experience, it appears that these would be in their normal retail stores. These are positions such as the Apple Genius which you don’t see in the little areas in Myer. The Melbourne positions are at a new Doncaster Store, and the Gold Coast store will be at Robina, however there is no word on where the Brisbane store will be.

The possibly new stores would be in addition to Apple’s two Sydney stores which were opened earlier in the year.

If you want to check out the jobs on offer head HERE.

UPDATE: It appears that Apple has listed a Brisbane position on Seek but there is no Brisbane position on their website…. strange…

So you know what the Top Ten Apple Commercials Ever are. But do you know what the Top Ten Get a Mac ads are? If your not sure what I’m talking about, I am referring to the “I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC” commercials.

These are a great little set of commercials which have been running for a few years and Apple just keep releasing more of them. They are simple, but yet smartly written and acted. The following ten are my pick of the best, let me know what you think should make the top ten.

10. Goodwill

Even during the holiday season PC can’t get over his hate for the Mac.

Click here to view the embedded video.

9. Better Results

This is quite a funny little ad showing ease of creating great movies on a mac.

Click here to view the embedded video.

8. Out of the Box

Mac and PC emerge to the world, but PC is not quite ready to go. I love this ad for its simplicity in outlining how easy it is to get a mac up and running.

Click here to view the embedded video.

7. Computer Cart

Personally I have always managed to have trouble with my PC’s. Something has always gone wrong. Windows would always die, or have an error. It’s great to not see the Blue Screen of Death on a Mac.

Click here to view the embedded video.

6. Genius

I love the fact this particular ad plays off the advantages of PC. PC is impressed with the Mac Genius because she is just as smart as he is.

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. Security

This is what really annoys me about Vista. Having to accept or deny changes is just ridiculous. Sure it could be useful, but having the box pop up all the time is just crazy. Seriously!

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Misprint

PC World put out a report saying the fastest machine running Windows was actually a Mac. In this ad PC has taken to trying to talk PC World out of their review because it is against the ‘laws of nature’.

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. Happy New Year

In this ad PC is down because he hasn’t achieved much through 2007, however he has a plan for 2008. I love this ad, I think it is one of the funniest Get a Mac ads around.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. Sad Song (Long Version)

I think this just sums everything up about Vista and why people are switching to Mac. I love the song, it paints the perfect picture for Apple and the not to perfect picture for Windows users.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Bean Counter

This is one of the latest ads from Apple, and I think its fantastic. The idea that Microsoft just throw so much money into advertising but don’t bother to spend it fixing Vista; it’s something most Windows users know about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you missed the Top Ten Apple Commercials Ever check them out HERE.

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]]> http://enspri.com/2008/10/23/the-top-ten-apple-get-a-mac-mac-vs-pc-commercials/feed/ 0 http://enspri.com/2008/10/22/the-reason-apple-sold-so-many-macs-in-2008-is-happiness/ http://enspri.com/2008/10/22/the-reason-apple-sold-so-many-macs-in-2008-is-happiness/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:08:06 +0000 Kristofor Lawson http://enspri.com/?p=319

If your anything like me you just live for statistics. I don’t mean you love to sit there trolling through boring numbers, but I do mean that you love the interesting numbers.

For instance you will know that Apple sold 2,611,000 Macs during Q4 of the 2008 year (9to5Mac). You would also know about Apples 1.14 Billion dollar profit for the same quarter (MacRumors). Both figures are up significantly on last year and sent share prices higher after they were announced. 

I just have one question…. what is driving this growth?? Apple says its due to record Mac and iPhone sales. I however really want to know what is driving people to buy Apple??

Obviously the iPhone is a huge draw-card. Especially with it turning 3g and showing its face in as many countries as it has. However what is driving the Mac sales??

Is it the iMac? Is it the MacBooks? Is it the super slickness of the MacBook Air? What is causing people to buy Apple?

A Possible Answer…

Recently there was a study published in Australia which I think may explain why Mac sales are up.

You see I believe its all to do with happiness. Sure users are not happy with their PC’s and with Vista so their switching to Mac. But its got to be more than that! Is there a physical reason people are switching to Mac??

I think I found it. 

The 2008 Happiness Index is a survey of 8500 Australians and has some interesting findings. 

Australian men prefer to surf the Internet than spend time with their partners or have sex.

I spoke with Seonaid Anderson who is a Director at The Leading Edge who ran the study.

She says that men are much more self indulgent compared to females who are more interested in their families.

“For men, they’re really interested in surfing the Internet, sex and watching sport. So very much a kind of escapism or self-fulfilment. Whereas females are really much more into having a family meal or playing with their pet or playing with their children.”

So there you have it. Men are much more self indulgent. So therefore are physically likely to buy a cool looking mac.

So when you see that Mac which you just have to have, if your a guy your more likely to buy it so you can go about the happy activity of surfing the net. Don’t worry though girls, I think you might be able to justify a spend… after all the Mac’s are great for the family!

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Photo credits, flickrich and sean-b

Apple have just released yet another instalment to the Get a Mac ads and it got me thinking. There are some really cool commercials that Apple have been made recently, and there are some brilliant commercials from the past, but which are the best? Which are the ads that get people thinking about Apple??

I went for a search to find the answer and here are my top ten Apple commercials of all time! Let me know what you think. Do you agree with my list?

10. 1984

Many Apple fans love this commercial, but personally I don’t think it deserves the right to be the best mac ad ever. It is the kind of ad you would run once and then would be put in the vault, which is exactly what Apple did with it. It is a great ad, but not the best. It doesn’t pull at emotions and is aimed at a tech crowd.

Click here to view the embedded video.

9. MacBook Air

I love this ad for a few reasons. Firstly the MacBook air is a cool looking product. Whether you like its features or not, it just looks cool. Secondly the application of fitting the MacBook Air into an everyday file which people use in their office was ingenious.

Click here to view the embedded video.

8. Australian Crocodile Apple Ad

This ad showcases the speed and power of the early Apple computers when in difficult situations. The scenario is a flooded office filled with crocodiles.

Click here to view the embedded video.

7. I don’t know anything about computers

In this ad you start to see the Mac vs PC debate in full swing. Apple made it clear that Mac’s were easy to use compared to the complicated PC. In fact this ad implies that it is easier to learn 7 languages than learn to understand a PC. That’s why this ad has made the Top Ten.

Click here to view the embedded video.

6. iPod 123 Commercial

This ad is characteristic of all the recent iPod commercials. It focuses the viewer on the great music and the experience of having an iPod. It deserves a top 10 spot.

Click here to view the embedded video.

5. The Internet – What would you do?

This ad asks a class of students the question of ‘what would you do to change the world?’ Using their mac computers the students are able to share with others around the planet. This ad is a light hearted but yet somewhat serious ad.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. Macintosh Industrial Revolution

This is a powerful ad for the Macintosh. It is delivered as a moving speach to a class of students. The key line is ‘This is an exciting time to be alive”. It is well made, well built, and every bit a powerful ad.

Click here to view the embedded video.

3. I’m a Mac and I’m a PC

These ads include many of the best ads Apple has made. They are humorous, light hearted, simple, and yet have Microsoft spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to counteract them. Personally I love the Bean Counter ad, but they are all great!

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. iMac Window Shopping

This is one of the funniest mac ads around. A guy walks up to a window and looks at the iMac G4, which takes on a personality giving a hilarious exchange. I love the fact this ad uses humour to portray the cool factor of the design.

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Think Different

This has to be one of the best commercials ever made. It is a tribute to everyone in the world who is crazy enough to believe they can change the world. It is set to some brilliant music, and is sure to set spirits high. I believe this is the best ad Apple has ever made!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The global financial crisis has now hit the retail technology sector with price increases to the latest Apple Macbook releases.

Apple announced their latest updates to the Macbook range at an invitation only event on Tuesday.

Anthony Agius is co-founder of MacTalk.com.au, a website dedicated to providing local news and information to over 17,000 Australian Apple users.

He says the falling Australian dollar has caused the price of the new products to increase dramatically.

“For Australians it means a significant price increase. Unfortunately, due to our flagging dollar, the pricing of the MacBook increased compared to previous models. In the USA, the MacBook pricing remained the same. Before this upgrade, the MacBooks were very competitively priced due to the Australian dollar doing so well.”

The increased prices could have significant impact throughout the market.

One of Apple’s key markets is education.

University students have been increasingly purchasing Apple products.

Many students already live tight budgets and may not be able to afford the cost increases.

However it seems some students still believe in the Apple brand.

Leighton Kuchel is a Griffith University design student.

He says that Apple computers are popular for students due to the success of the iPod and the new innovative designs.

“They have become more popular because of the iPod. I like the way they’re designed… Everything is thought out… and they can use Windows and Mac OSX on the same computer. Instead of buying two computers, you just buy one. Everything just works wonderfully.”

Apple has continued their trend of innovation with the latest release

A new refined manufacturing process allows Macbook enclosures to be made out of a single piece of aluminium.

This process greatly reduces weight and final thickness of the product.

The technology has already appeared in the ultra thin Macbook Air.

Apple Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Jonathan Ive, says the refined process is a new way of thinking.

“Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the new MacBook, we’ve replaced all of those parts with just one part—the unibody. The MacBook’s unibody enclosure is made from a single block of aluminium, making the new MacBook fundamentally thinner, stronger and more robust with a fit and finish that we’ve never even dreamed of before.”

Not only does the new manufacturing process mean lower manufacturing costs, but it will also benefit the environment.

Several key components have been made from recyclable materials.

Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs says one of the key features of the new design is its environmental status.

“Apple has invented a whole new way of building notebooks from a single block of aluminium. And, just as important, they are the industry’s greenest notebooks.”

The product announcements will most likely help improve Apples market position.

Apple’s PR department has been trying to focus the market back on its technology in recent weeks, after a blogger made false claims that Steve Jobs had been rushed to hospital suffering from a heart attack.

When the false report hit a popular CNN website share prices plummeted.

The market quickly returned to normal levels after the story was denied.

The reaction to the news shows how volatile the current market really is.

Shareholders have had plenty of time to prepare for such an event if it was to occur.

Rumours about Steve Job’s health have been around for months after he appeared slimmer than usual at a keynote event.

Anthony Agius says he doesn’t blame shareholders for being concerned, at one stage Steve will have to leave.

“Steve has been so crucial to Apple’s success however, that I can’t blame shareholders for being concerned about his impending departure (either due to retirement or death – one of them has to happen eventually!).”

For more news on the latest Apple Release check out the following websites.

• MacTalk – List of the New Macbooks and Australian Prices
• AppleInsider – Takes a deep look at the new Macbook features
• IFixit – Goes inside the new macbook
• Mac Rumors – takes a look at the accuracy of the rumours in the lead-up to the Macbook release
• CNET – have posted a detailed review on the new Macbook
• 9to5Mac - On MacBooks, Nvidia, OpenCL and Snow Leopard

There have been plans to have iPod searches conducted on an international level in the hunt for those with pirated songs.

News.com.au has outlined the claims from a leaked federal government discussion paper.

If this plan was to go ahead those caught with pirated music could face fines and even jail time.

Not only is this disturbing, but it is a huge invasion of privacy by all governments who would sign up to such a proposal. People don’t just store music on their iPods, but they have their photo collections amongst other things on there as well. In fact the plan even went as far as to include laptops in the searches! Forgot keeping your secret documents hidden. You may be forced to give away corporate secrets to the prying eyes of customs officials in the search for music pirates.

Why the governments need to take such measure is beyond imagination.

Music has and always will be copied from one computer to another. Friends share music all the time, and always have done. I remember my getting mix tapes from various friends and family. The industry is no different now than 15 years ago. The only difference is that the pirated music is accessible on a global level.

Anyway, the government does not need to look so far to find pirated music. A University of Hertfordshire study revealed that most people have over 800 copied songs on their iPods. Telegraph.co.uk published an article on the study last month (here). That could mean an awful lot of people facing jail time!

The only question I have is how will they tell which music is pirated?

You can read the full story here on the News.com.au website.

Photo Credit, Patrick Haney

Even if you have never heard of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, you will most probably be familiar with many products the Apple CEO has announced.

As you walk through your local city streets you will likely see many people focused on a seemingly invisible sound coming from the trademark white headphones made famous by the ever popular iPod. Even the Queen has purchased an iPod. It seems that every product Apple has produced in the past several years has produced an almost dream ride for the tech company. Everyone wants a bite from Apple.

Image courtesy Sigalakos

While the tech company may be soaring high there have been many recent reports surrounding Jobs’ recent health. Ever since Apple held it’s World Wide Developer Conference rumors have been running wild about Jobs’ health due to his appearing slimmer than usual.

The rumor was that Jobs might have cancer. These rumors have since been quashed by New York Times Journalist Joe Nocera who had received a phone call from Jobs’ rejecting the claim. Either way there is no real concern for Apple supporters, because Jobs has been there before.

What many people don’t know, is that Steve Jobs has previously had Pancreatic Cancer. Back in 2004 Jobs was diagnosed with a rare form of the cancer and given only 6 months to live. The cancer was a rare form which was operable and not only is Jobs still around but for the most part has been fighting fit.

Jobs success in recent years is therefore not just extraordinary but it is absolutely remarkable. It is an inspiration to everyone. Jobs continued to work throughout his cancer and never told staff until after he was cured. He did not let his cancer stop his life.

So regardless of if you think Apple produces excellent products, there is a lot of inspiration behind this fruit company.