The Apple Watch

I'm sure there are many posts already on or about this topic but I felt the need to give it a go since last week was the official delivery date for the first round of watches. So, the Apple Watch - many have bashed this device but let us all realize that this craze did not start with Apple, Android watches have been on the market for some time now without much competition but the blow up was minimal, so what's the difference.  Well in terms of taking a risk lets make a metaphor - android jumped off the bridge, and apple followed but with a parachute and a team of highly skilled photographers.   Android attempted to be the first on the market (as usual) with a product that worked but without much to do about it - users who wanted the technology knew about it and bought it, those who didn't care for it went on without even knowing about it.  Apple however made a huge stink about it, they launched events, put enticing tidbits of information on their website and media - and when the time came to finally release the product everyone already had their hopes soaring or were already upset that apple could be such a "sellout".  In reality though this is no different than any other Apple product, it is just how Apple marketing works - get the crowd going enough to make a good profit, and this technique is not Apple trademarked.  Companies like Nintendo do the same thing, launching events to cause massive lines that attract more and more people to their doors and limiting their supply of devices (one can particularly remember the launch of the Wii where stores were often limited to one or two devices per week and were sometimes back ordered months ahead) - all of these things are just a ploy to get customer interest,  "oh there are so few they must be selling really well", or "oh look so many people want this I must want it too".  The real difference here and the place where most people have trouble with this device is that it is "not necessary" - it is the opinion of everyone as well, not just Apple haters but also their fans and experts - this device is not a "need to have".  (Let's also get real for a second here and ask ourselves what electronic is actually a "need to have") So to speak on behalf of myself and no one else, I do actually want one of these, completely as a toy, yes a mildly expensive toy (mind you this is less expensive than most modern gaming consoles and certainly less expensive than a gaming computer.) But I am also looking at the lower end models - this is no justification, it isn't something I feel needs to be justified, I want one, nothing more.  As for the really high end models - Apple is brilliant! This is much like the infamous "Diamond" app - where users would pay $1000 for an app that displayed a static image of a diamond - it did nothing other than offer a sign of wealth, and Apple's edition watch is just another "Diamond" app, the people who will be buying these "designer" watches are the same people who would buy a "designer" watch - it isn't meant for the average Apple user yet the average Apple user seems to be the one most upset about it's launch.  To sum up the points of this post, Apple is a company, they market so they can make money - if they make a product or two that is useful or just plain fun to own regardless of the price, they will do well as a company because there will be people who will buy their product.

--Signed, an Apple fanboy