Mac users were surely comforted by yesterday’s “Back to the Mac” event in which a new Mac OS X (Lion), a new iLife, a new MacBook Air and lots of professed love for our favorite computing platform was served up.
One of the most interesting factoids unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook was that the Mac segment of Apple were a standalone company — which they said Apple had no intention of doing — would be number 110 on the Fortune 500 list. And the Mac accounts for a third of Apple’s revenue.
“The Mac is a $22 billion business for us and we continue to heavily invest in it,” Cook said.
So for those who have said Apple’s future was in iOS devices, think again. Some other interesting tidbits from yesterday’s special event.
° Don’t hold your breath for a touchscreen Mac. Apple will be bringing more touch gestures to its computer line, but they’ll be implemented by the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad as touch commands on a vertical computer screen are “ergonomically uncomfortable,” said Jobs.
° I was surprised to hear that a Mac App Store is coming in 30 days. However, Jobs did point out that it would not be the only place to buy Apple apps — and that’s good to hear.
° Regarding the Mac App Store, will I still be able to sell software if I no longer need it? I hope so, but with no physical ownership involved, that may be difficult.
° Lion’s Mission Control, the Launch Pad and the full screen grid apparently will give Mac users a excellent way to manage apps — and some long overdue changes to the Finder.
° Lion and iLife ’11 add iOS-like buttons.
— Dennis Sellers