Apple Expo 2004: Paris Showcase for Apple's Vision

Apple Expo 2004 Paris Showcase for Apples Vision
Some 70,000 Mac fans gathered at Apple Expo 2004 in Paris earlier this week for the largest exhibition of its kind in Europe.

The event provided a showcase for just what kind of stylish technology we should expect from Apple in the coming months.

Paris is a byword for chic, and as such, it is an appropriate setting for the company which places such a high premium on the elegance of its products.

But Apple actually sees itself as promoting far more than just its products. Instead, it is selling an entire way of life.

Many of the people attending the Paris Expo, the largest gathering outside the US, clearly buy into this idea, as Apple inspires an almost religious devotion amongst its users.

The company's fortunes may have been rocky over the years, but everyone seems to agree that at the moment it is riding high.

Paul Newman, editor of iCreate magazine, says: "I think it's a fantastic time for Apple - things have never been better for them.

"The share price has been rising, the corporate side is doing really well, its products are completely revitalised and it's innovating."

In the run-up to the Paris Expo, one persistent piece of speculation on the Mac rumour-mill was that Apple would use the event to launch an entirely new iMac.

The rumours turned out to be correct, with the unveiling of the i