Apple, Innovation, and Revolutions

There seems to be a growing number of people “disappointed” with Apple’s latest products because they are not revolutionary enough. There are increasing calls that Apple is just rotting without Steve Jobs. Is it really?

The latest iPhone has a graphics processor 56x faster than the original iPhone and uses LESS power for MORE battery life. And they are not innovating?

Apple is the driving force to push retina level displays with crystal clarity to laptops and mobile devices.

The new iPhone has an integrated fingerprint reader (that by all accounts works really well). Right now that may seem like more of a trick than a revolution, but what happens when they tie that into passbook and payment mechanisms. Credit cards, receipts, and wallets could be a thing of the past. Apple isn’t calling it the “most forward thinking phone” for no reason at all.

I know, I know, the question everyone has is “but what’s the next big thing?” I don’t know any more than you do, but to act like Apple isn’t working on that just because you don’t know about it is silly. No one knew anything about the iPhone before Steve Jobs introduced it — or the iPod or the iMac (all of which many people said would be failures out the gate).

Clearly the iPhone has been more of an evolution with each release, but if you look at the capabilities of the current iPhone (hardware & software) compared to the original, it’s staggering.

Would we prefer Apple push out products like Google Glass? Just because no one has done something like that before doesn’t make it revolutionary. Products that are a dud don’t start a revolution. No one is seriously going to walk around with those glasses on — it’s a beta prototype at best.

I continue to believe that Steve Jobs best invention was not the iMac or iPod or iPhone but Apple itself. To act like Apple can’t continue to innovate without him is a disservice to the incredible talent and leadership that works there. Apple continues to provide the very best design and technology products available anywhere in the world.

Revolutionary products don’t rotate through on a 6 month cycle, they take time, investment, and lots of creative juice. Those are three things Apple has a plethora of.

Will they be the ones that release the “next big thing” — I have no reason to believe otherwise. Who else will it be?

Simple Moments — Powerful Memories

There was a lot to do at home tonight. Work left over from the day, chores to take care of, and the list goes on. Hayden (my oldest), ask if he could go watch the movie Courageous. I told him “sure” and he went off to watch it. I put the other three kids to bed and started on the list of things I needed to get done.

Just after I had gotten the other kids to bed, Hayden came in looking a little sad and asked if I’d come watch the movie with him. There is a part in the movie were a young girl dies in a car accident and she has an older brother. Hayden said it made it sad because he just couldn’t stop thinking of Eva (his 6 month old sister) — and “what if that was her.”

I had a lot to do, but I couldn’t say no to him. For the last hour and a half, I sat next to him on the playroom floor and we watched together. A movie about men who no longer accept being a “good enough father” — men who desired something greater for their families.

I’ve seen Courageous several times, but it gets me every time. Part way through the movie, one of the fathers was talking about things he could do to improve as a man. I asked Hayden if he thought I was a good father. He said, “of course you are Daddy.” And then I asked him what I could do to be a better father and he said, “nothing — you’re already the best you could be.”

I don’t believe that for a second, but the fact that he believes it, at least for now, was pretty special. My guess is that he won’t feel the same way when he’s 16 years old and not getting his way, but by the grace of God I will lay the best foundation for him and his brothers and sister that I can.

There is so much I could have done tonight and it all still needs to be done. But there is nothing greater I could have done. It’s easy to be too busy, I could have sat with him for a moment or fired up my iPhone on the side. Instead, I popped some pop corn and was really WITH him.

I’m guilty a million times over of not making the right decision with my time, but tonight I made the right one and was blessed for it.

Children can be INCREDIBLY stressful… but in the quiet moments, they bring joy like nothing else.

Thank you God for these moments.