College Humor makes some of the best videos out there. This one just made me crack up more than usual
Since the announcement of the first iPad I have really really hated Jobs' insistence on using the word "magical" to describe it. Every time a new product is announced I read the engadget liveblog even when they stream the presentation live because I really can't stand to listen to him go on about how awesome, incredible and magical the products are.
Like he says in the video, it's all about showmanship. Say what you will about Jobs and Apple, but no one can deny they have some marketing geniuses over there in Cupertino.
They do have excellent marketing and one of the best industrial design teams on the planet but I could still do without the self grandeur and flowery language. "The new iPhone 5, it's a beautiful groundbreaking bombastic magical game changer reinventing the industry yet again! It's like a unicorn eating lucky charms out of the hand of Merlin while the Gods weep with joy."
Technology is magical Abracadabra means from nothing, something I think technology does just that from an evolutionary standpoint. An iPad 5 years ago was rumor, an efficient touchscreen phone was even more so 10 years ago...now we have them but if you had any of theses devices at the turn of the century they would be considered magical. But apple does really lay it on a bit thick when advertising, but then again they are pretty much the ones that do it right & the others build on it. Apple hardly copies anyone unless they do it better.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with your assessment through, the idea that a "pocket computer" would eventually be a mainstream product has been around almost as long as the personal computer. We've been heading in this direction for a long time, I still own my original Palm III. That product has a lot in common with the iPhone, arguably the springboard UI is derivative of the Palm's UI and the hardware was massively underpowered but the OS was designed for it so it was super speedy much like the iPhone. The technology has gotten better, cheaper and faster but overall the iPhone is still just another PDA with internet access and not much has changed other then terminology and popularity. Yes, technology has moved forward a lot in the past decade but I hardly think an iPhone would be considered magical to someone a decade ago. It's the culmination of what most of us expected was coming and thinking back to the late '90s it's more shocking that it's coming from Apple then it is that it exists. Also, check this out if you haven't seen it. Some really interesting ideas from 1988 on where we'd be technologically in 2000. Paleo-Future Blog "Apple's Project 2000"
The technology has gotten better, cheaper and faster but overall the iPhone is still just another PDA with internet access and not much has changed other then terminology and popularity.
Good video!!! That's what I think is magical...the human interest for creating something from nothing. Of course things always become more efficient but to achieve the working function in the first place is what is magical. Apple being one of the leaders in that field of study, production, or "magic"
Willy Wonka always struck me as a creepy paedophile type. His workers are all little people, he invites children into his magical candy factory and his entire fortune went into creating an insane fantasy to hold onto his childhood. He's like a slightly creepy Michael Jackson.
