Apple announced their new Powermac G5 computers. The new physical design of the G5 case is sexy as hell. It's ultra-minimal. The inside looks like something off of an exposed panel on a deck of the Enterprise.

The cost for the systems isn't all that bad either. I was expecting some crazy prices to show up.

But can you see it? I'm speaking like a convert and I don't even own a Mac. I never have. Apple's marketing department is very effective in causing a stir.

Steve Jobs says "...we've caught up with them on the PC... integer... floating point.... with real world apps". And so on and so forth. In his keynote speech in San Francisco he brought about all the figureheads at development studios and what have you. It was all quite impressive and exciting. The G5 outdoes even the most powerful Windows desktop they have running.

He pushes the Apple brand even harder by talking about the past year and the 12" powerbooks. "The smallest notebook in the world".

He didn't acknowledge all the very, very tiny laptops released here in Japan. The Sony U1, for example. The world is not the United States. Though it must be for most people back home.

Sony PCG-U101. I used to wonder, "why would I want something so small". But even after being here for just ten months, I understand. Tiny. Really tiny. Put-in-your-shoulder-bag tiny.

The Powermac G5. "The World's Fastest Desktop"... for now. It's obvious that Windows competitors will edge up the speed at the end of the year if not later. It's the neverending cycle.

Still... I wouldn't mind owning an Apple. Time will tell how the initial batches of these Powermacs fare in the real world. I'm primarily interested in its video capabilities. From my previous job as a tech support rep, I know for a fact that troubleshooting Macs was pleasant. Dealing with a call about PCs was like trying to resurrect the dead. Everytime.