It is a gorgeous spring day when I arrive at the coolest address in the universe: 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, Calif., where Apple has been headquartered since 1993. The campus, for such they call it, is enormous yet not big enough to contain Apple’s current rate of expansion. An additional site is being designed and built. After stocking up on “I visited the mothership” T-shirts at the company store , I am shown around the canteen, lawns and public spaces. It is right to call this a campus, for everyone looks and dresses like a student. I should imagine the only people ever caught wearing suits here have been visiting politicians.
Phil Schiller and Eddy Cue are suitably bejeaned and relaxed as they welcome me for a talk about the iPad, Apple’s new product, which will be launched in a week and a half. Schiller is senior VP of worldwide product marketing, responsible for delivering Apple’s latest baby. Cue is VP of Internet services, overseeing the iTunes, App and iBook online stores.
Then there’s games. Many will see the iPad chiefly as a gaming platform. Michel Guillemot — founder of Gameloft, one of the most successful developers for the iPhone — is even more passionate about the iPad than Makinson and Futhey are. “I see this as the fourth step of the games evolution,” he told me. “First the microcomputer, then the dedicated console, next the smart phone and now the iPad. What do you think?” “I’ll let you know,” I say, “when I’ve actually played with one.”
And soon, I would. I thought I knew what to expect. For I’ve been playing with Apple products for a long, long time.
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