| Is the iBook a Girlie-Computer ? |
 As soon as the new iBook was released in 1999, the revolutionary design met with criticism. The columnist John C. Dvorak, (PC Magazine) wrote a pamphlet which contained well known sexist stereotypes: "The only thing missing from the Apple iBook is the Barbie logo. .... You expect to see lipstick, rouge, and a tray of eye shadow inside when you open it up. You don't expect to see a 12-inch LCD; you expect to see a 12-inch mirror. No male in his right mind will be seen in public with this notebook. " Of course, Mr. Dvorak got what he deserved from female journalists and Apple fans.  But somehow, Apple seemed to avoid more scathing criticism: in February 2000 a more serious colored iBook in graphite was released. The ad praised the clamshell as a man's business accessory (Black tie optional). The Clamshell iBook is still an eye-catcher with its retro design, its impact on women is astonishing. Even my 12-year old daughter was thrilled about her Christmas gift - a tangerine iBook. |
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| Still, the important news is that Apple has followed up on its iMac success by again becoming a significant innovator in portable computing. At a time when most of the industry is straining to make cookie-cutter commodity hardware as cheaply as possible, it's a pleasure and a relief to see some creativity in consumer computing.
Stephen H.Wildstrom, BusinessWeek.com |
