"iOS 7 Is Like Getting A New Phone You Already Know How To Use"

iOS for the car - WWDC 2013

That's a quote from the iOS portion of Apple's 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference, I listening to this afternoon. This sums up why I believe Apple gets its customers in particular, and device users in general, in ways the pundits don't.

For the last couple of months, I've read articles about the demise of Apple (yes again)...if it doesn't release something phantasmagorical, tomorrow; like the iFaucet. Yes, a bit of hyperbole on my part. One of the things I've learned from Apple, but before that in the schoolyard, is that there will be folks in life that want to goad you into a fight, or push you do something before you are ready, able, or willing to. If peer-pressure doesn't work, the next steps involve taunts, jeers, and political spin. When this occurs, it's even more important to do you, as Russell Simmons would say. I'm glad Apple, is being Apple.

I'm neither an Apple, nor a Google, nor a Microsoft, nor a Blackberry fanboy. I own at least one of each type of device, but for different purposes. To me, that's one of the great rewards of competition in the marketplace. I get my ease and efficiency of use from Apple, navigation and ubiquitous cloud integration from Google, works-with-most-of-the-stuff-I-already-know from Microsoft, and no-frills effectiveness and durability from RIM (now Blackberry).

I still like my iPod Touch 4. It's considered antiquated to a lot of people, although it's only 21 months old. I still use it everyday; from listening to LL Cool J's, Rock The Bells, to app quality assurance testing. When I bought it, it ran iOS 4.x. I eventually updated it to iOS 5.1, and was an early (for me) adopter of iOS 6.0.1. I also picked up some nice features along the way, like iMessage with iOS 5.x and better integrated social media sharing with iOS 6.x. I was worried I may have to retire my iPod Touch to an expensive chess tutor for my daughter.  Now I'm curious to see how long I can keep bringing my iPod back into the future.