Taking "stock" of Apple

Eric Savitz who writes about technology for Barron's said, "as any tech blogger will tell you, nothing drives the page views like posting about Apple. Most-read magazine story last week on Barrons.com? My little 600-word curtain-raiser in this space on Apple's September-quarter results and Mac product launch. Two most-read items on my Tech Trader Daily blog last week? A report on Apple's earnings, followed by live coverage of the company's "Back to the Mac" product-launch event. People devour every scrap of data they can find about this company..."

Consider this a blatant attempt for views from someone who devours Apple information and as you'll see, product. On Sunday my wife and I ventured to the Twelve Oaks Mall Apple Store to buy the new Apple TV. One of the fifty guys in blue t-shirts was extremely helpful in the product education process. Not so helpful when informing us that the product was sold-out. No big deal, we ordered it online that evening. That most recent purchase caused me to take stock of Apple. No, not to buy the stock (fortunately I did that before the $300/share mark) but to take inventory of all products in our household with an Apple logo. It's Halloween scary. We have an ancient Bondi Blue iMac G3 that runs our household finances; two iTouches that allow my daughters to know the words to 4,000 songs (including a few good ones); an iPod Nano that my wife uses to secretly listen to Podcasts and The Carpenters; two white Mac Books that aid in chemistry and Facebook; a silver Mac Book Pro; an aluminum Mac Book that powers this blog; chargers, USB cords and whitebud headphones; an iPad, an iPhone 3Gs and the soon-to-arrive Apple TV. All told over $10,000 in Apple hardware not accounting for purchases at the App Store and on iTunes. Like I said, scary. And all this started 25 years ago when I bought the original Macintosh computer. I sure hope Apple appreciates us!?

Sure I fill my tank every 10 days at the Exxon station, yet by doing a simple household technology inventory I've got a better handle on why Apple is approaching the largest domestic market cap. And I've got a dozen devices to choose from in verifying that fact. Guess it's time to go change into my blue t-shirt. I must be approaching "genius" status.

Experiencing the new Bose VideoWave

Walk into any Costco store and you're immediately in the TV zone. Amazingly 60" screens look small in their cavernous stores. Yesterday I walked into a Bose store at the outlet mall. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just being curious. Immediately the salesperson ushered me into a vault-like home theatre room in the back of the store for a product demonstration. I sat in a chair facing a darkened flat screen television mounted on the wall surrounded by various sized black speakers. After the effects of lightning and thunder filled the room with sound the screen came to life with concert footage, sports action, roller coasters, ... the usual beauty shots with distinctive audio. What was amazing was during the demo the salesperson from Bose went up to each speaker and pulled away black covering to reveal NO speakers underneath. Even the big subwoofer box on the floor magically disappeared.

Rather than painstakingly rigging wire all over the room to individual speakers and a receiver, the Bose folks invented VideoWave. It's actually Bose's first television, a 46" LCD with a secret. Behind the HD display lie sixteen built-in speakers, enough to fill the room with rich, real, and booming sound. The sound comes from left, right and all around. It was quite amazing. They even created an intuitive, non-intimidating remote. Unfortunately at over $5,000 for the whole set-up the price is quite intimidating. But what's is the escape of consumer electronics if not for some new gadgetry to jones for? See - and hear it - if you get a chance.