Apple, Apple, Apple, where have you gone? You used to be a computer company, but you dropped that from your name. You've stopped innovating on the computer side to focus on the iPhone, iPad and their OS.

I realize this has been the gameplan for many years, perhaps since even before Steve Jobs rejoined the company, but it doesn't make me feel any better about it.

Don't get me wrong: I love the iPhone and iPod Touch. I don't yet love the iPad, but I see where they're going with it and it'll be an interesting product.

This topic could (and perhaps should) be a series of posts, because there's just so much here talk about, but for today I wanted to focus on my feelings towards Apple.

I've been a LONGTIME Apple fan. I started with an Apple IIc back around 1984 or so. I always championed the company and their products and eventually hit on the idea of this very 2 Guys site with a couple other Mac nerd friends.

This site started out around 2003-2004, when Apple was just starting to really hit their stride. OS X was still in it's infancy, but most of us Macophiles knew how superior it was to Windows. We "converted" people to the Mac as though it was a cult. We proudly displayed Apple stickers on our vehicles and would honk at other drivers with an Apple sticker.

We rooted for Apple, went to Apple Store openings, argued for the Mac and OS X, and religiously watched keynote events. Everyone in the Apple "club" were sort of family. Being such a tiny part of the market, we had to stick together. Early on (before broadband Internet was prevalent) it was partially to share software, but it was also about banding together against the evil forces of Microsoft. 

It truly felt like a Rebel Alliance vs. the Empire kind of thing.

Alas, I could wax nostalgic for ages about those times, but let's jump forward to the present day.

Apple's market share is way up, their stock price is as well. I haven't had to convert anyone to the Mac, they pretty much sell themselves. iPods are ubiquitous, as are iPhones. iTunes is the dominant online music store and Apple is perhaps the hottest company in tech, if not the hottest company in the whole market. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Apple and I'm happy to have all this cool gear they put out. But allow me my old guy/Andy Rooney moment here as I say, "It's just not the same!".

I'm all for change, after all it's the only constant in life. But it's Apple's change in focus I don't like. They've targeted the average user, and they're killing in that segment, but that's not me (nor is it most of the early Macheads). 

OS X 10.6 was merely bug fixes and updates - not really any new features. They've delayed work on OS X 10.7 in favor of the new iPhone OS 4.

For me, Apple is no longer a company to truly care about, to be passionate about - instead they're just a company that makes some cool technology. And in the end, isn't that enough? I can fondly look back on the old days but still play with the cool toys like the iPad. Apple Computer, you'll be missed. Apple, Inc., we look forward to what you might do next!