Today is a particularly emotional day for me. After 16 years and two months, it’s today my last day as a permanent editor at Applesfera. This article is the last that I sign as such, so you will understand the affection with which I type these words. I consider this medium my home. I grew up with it and that’s why I will never stop considering it my home, no matter how many years pass.
The iPhone had barely been presented when I started writing articles on this site (the first concerned the rumor of an “ultraportable Mac”, imagine), and I witnessed the evolution of a company that went from known to Mac. and iPods among the world’s most valuable, thanks in large part to the iPhone. I want to take this moment to remember the Apple that I had the privilege of writing about here, and talk about the Apple I would like to see in the future.
The apple I remember and love
I remember those first months of writing here. It was the time when we were witnessing the birth of something that would become a revolution: the iPhone and the App Store. The first time I touched the multi-touch interface was with an iPod touch, with my father in his office, and I remember being amazed by the tactile response and the Magic from the interface of the first iPhone OS.
At this moment It was clear to me that Apple had hit the nail on the head: it was the future of mobile devices. Suddenly, the technological advances made with Macs and iPods were no longer as impressive. Over time, iPhones would advance at breakneck speed, with Android moving in their shadow. Innovation and guidelines to follow were constantly coming out of Cupertino.
During my trip here I have witnessed this evolution, I have seen the inauguration of the first Spanish Apple Stores, I have seen the arrival of the iPad, the Apple Watch and services like Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Watch the transition from Apple Computer Inc. to Apple Inc as their devices became more and more popular. I can say that I personally experienced the years in which concepts such as “application” became known to everyone and not just to maqueros loyal to the brand. Thanks Steve. Thanks, Tim.
The Apple I want to see from now on
A few years ago, I wrote an article in which I imagined what the Apple of 2027 would look like, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the iPhone. It’s funny reading it now, three years before this moment happened. I imagined self-driving cars controlled by Siri and iPhones that would become the CPU and GPU of whatever other device with a larger screen we carried around.
At the start of 2024, this future looks very different, it is clear that I am not a clairvoyant. If I were to rewrite this article now, I would describe a future 2027 in which we are all carrying an evolution of the Vision Pro, and in which unfortunately there are no Apple cars as we have seen.
Now, rather than imagining the Apple of the future, I prefer to wish for the one I would like to see. If I have anything to say about the evolution of the Internet since I started here in 2007, it’s that we have moved from a network of friendly applications and services to a more hostile network, more covered in algorithms, which take more advantage of the user at the expense of their time and money. More threatening: you now have to be careful everywhere. AI is revolutionizing everything, but it also imitates a family member to pretend to need help during a fake call. I am beginning to see a reality that I previously considered a dystopia.
The Internet is starting to feel like a dystopia. I hope that Apple will maintain maximum respect for the user in its future products and services.
In other words: Internet users now go beyond the simple status of users and become addicted to certain actors. This is why I appreciate that the European Union is taking action in this area. Faced with the lack of control and regulation.
On this basis, I would like to ask the Apple of the future to maintain respect for the user. May you continue to initiate measures that motivate you to take care of your use of applications and services, to avoid getting too close to the screen and to help you regain that ability to concentrate that we have lost over the years. Because the Vision Pro promises a lot, but it will only make things worse if users choose to use it to watch TikTok, YouTube, and play something simultaneously.
My eternal gratitude is to you
When I started at Applesfera on January 1, 2008, we were just a blog. A very simple website where short articles were written about Apple news and rumors. 16 years and 2 months later, Applesfera has become the most read Spanish-language media on Apple in the world. We have news, analysis, opinions, how-tos, live video and two podcasts. Having contributed to it fills me with pride.
But this growth would not have been possible without you, who are still here after all this time. Without you, none of this would have been possible. So I thank you for accompanying me by following the news and developments at Apple throughout this period. I don’t disappear, I will be on social networks. To step aside and put myself on the side of the readers, perhaps find my own way to continue to participate in the debate with all of you.
It’s funny: I started at the beginning of the iPhone revolution. And now I end at the start of what could be the spatial computing revolution. Because yes, when I tried the Vision Pro, it gave me the same feeling of using something that could become a new revolution. I won’t be working on this anymore from here, but I have no doubt that I will follow it up enthusiastically, discussing it with you all.
Let the beginning opening speech. Who comes to see them with a good bowl of popcorn? Go to a floating visionOS window! You can find me on my account Twitter or my Instagram, or if you prefer something quieter, at Mastodon.
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