An article in Canada’s National Post hits out at the new products announced by Apple on Tuesday. Specifically, it concludes that other Apple products are overpriced and these new ones are aimed to get more revenue in to support it’s remaining dying products. That is, Apple is dying and is desperate for cash.

Please accept my sarcasm in the next couple of sentences. Of course it is dying. That’s why it sold 4.5 million iPods last quarter. Of course Apple is abandoning it’s interesting products. That’s why we get the Mac mini. One of the most interesting products Apple, or any computer manufacturer for that matter, has designed. The opportunities for the Mac mini are huge. Furthermore, Mac minis get people interested in Apple. iPods get people interested in Apple. Consider the number of school children who’s first experience with Apple is via the iPod. And it’s no fly-by-night opportunity either. The first iPod was launched 39 months ago. Other manufacturers should have caught up by now. But they haven’t. There’s still no MP3 player that’s better than my first generation iPod. Except the later generation iPods.

Apple needs to make products that people want to buy and keep on making them. As a result, Apple builds a loyal consumer base, and like me, some of them become free marketing personnel. I’ve loved Apple since the Apple II – and no other company has held my loyalty for that long.

More than that: I’m writing this blog on a Macintosh, whilst listening to an internet radio station streamed to the same Mac. My working life is made possible because of Apple. Not only is work more productive, cost effective, of better quality and more enjoyable, but I simply wouldn’t have my career if Apple didn’t make the products it does. In many respects I owe my life to Apple. If Apple can make more people feel this way it has a great future.

Tee hee: the BBC correspondent Stephen Evans considers that Steve Jobs may be thought of as a religious leader. He’s not, dummy. Not even close. Steve is a great CEO of a great company. He’s pretty damn good at presentation too. That’s all.