Now, don't go ignoring my ever so thoughtful post of globalization below, but I really felt I needed to blog about Apple's two latest products, both of which are masterpieces. I'm in awe.

Mac Mini

It's a Mac desktop. Only it's 6 inches wide, 2 inches high, and doesn't have a keyboard, monitor or a mouse. It's a Mac basic. And this is a genius idea. Suddenly cheap-ass PC users can swap their $500 commodity box for a shiny new iBox without needing to fork out on a new Mac-everything at the same time. Then they can slowly upgrade to an Apple mouse, keyboard, monitor, iBook, G5. It's the upgrade path from PC to Mac, and it's going to be a hit as such. It's also going to get a lot of use out of the kind of people who buy computers that don't need a keyboard and a mouse -- or at least, not most of the time. The people who need a computer-as-appliance, and the fact that it's tiny means that it's ideal for making it your living room media server, your kitchen browser, your in-car jukebox, etc.. But enough from me. Look at what del.icio.us has to say about it, which is a pretty good snapshot of what the public will be thinking:

• So bright... so beautiful... so precious.
• A homerun. The perfect home server.
• okay, that's drool-worthy. (I adored the visuals of the cube.)
• oh yes, you will be mine. On the quick fast.
• Just 6.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall, Mac mini provides what you need
• PC users, Its time to switch.
• Me likey mini, me linkey mini (Props to Family Guy).
• I like the idea of hooking it up via KVM to my existing Linux PC for the ultra-workstation.
• Ooooooh. Want one.
• Yes please, I'll have a dozen.
• Searching for a reason - any reason, no matter how tenous, to buy my 5th Mac in 7 years. Stuff it, no reason, but I'm still getting one of these.
• I have never wanted a Mac. Until Now.
• I'm not even a Mac user, but this is very cool.
• bring your own Display, Keyboard, Mouse
• Now that.. is pretty goodamn sexy.
• Just 6.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall, Mac mini provides what you need to have more fun with your music, photos and movies - right out of the box
• Crazy
• wow
• hello, perfect computer for my future self on the go.
• Maybe my parents will finally own a Mac!
• apple's amazing new, tiny, computer
• Finally, a Mac I can actually afford
• So not the iHome but the Mac mini. Cute little computer, might work it's way around I reckon.
• Looks pretty swaggy to me.
• One for every room!
• Wow again. That is cheap. Shame wifi isn't in it - v odd - and there's not enough RAM as ever. But generally, wow.
• Apple is the shizzle. Seriously.
• Small yet perfectly formed.
• I want one. Bad. And almost cheap enough I don't need to justify why ...
• Dammit! Stop taking away my reasons not to buy a Mac!
• 'Tis Tiny! I can see these springing up in cars as back-seat entertainment thingies
• MacMini for $500 - gotta have it!
• yum yum
• mmmmmmmmm
• mmmm Someone just needs to make a mac media centre and then this will defo find a place under my telly
• Sweet, sweet mini.
• I'm very impressed with this thing. Mac mini + iPod shuffle = $600.
• The return of the cube!
• Very interesting...
• More cute computing from Apple

Yes, I think it will be popular. I know I'm buying one... I guess I'll be able to afford it by around June sometime...

iPod shuffle

Now this one is... different. This is Apple's entry into the cheap-as-chips flash player market, and it's a clever move. But this isn't a product for me. This is a product for chavs.

Don't believe me? Think about it. It's a big, well-known brand with a lot of cred. Those white headphones are da shizznit. But iPods are expensive! Even the Mini will set you back £250. But the shuffle is only 99 -- and, in a chav-friendly move, hangs around their neck like their over-expensive phones do, making it not just possible but necessary to advertise your purchase to the world.

This is the bling-bling of consumer electronics: cheap and flashy and expensive-looking. And like bling, it will sell and sell and sell. Apple, my congratulations to you. Two products well executed.