What I have been so impressed by is the creativity that other businesses are showing at this time.  I’m really happy that smaller markets like Fitzgerald’s, Highland Park, Stew Leonard’s and others are stepping up and keeping the shelves stocked, when some of the more “big box” and corporate type stores have been perpetually cleaned out.  It just seems to me like $5 / 20 roll toilet paper, $1 hand soap, and $2 hand sanitizer are not sustainable during times of insane demand or hoarding.  However, stores that sell these items at sustainable prices have them.   One Hartford business that has really impressed me by how they have met a consumer need is Hartford Flavor on Arbor St.  They are known for producing fine hard liquor but these days they have used their capacity to make hand sanitizer.  They take one customer at a time up the stairs at their headquarters.  They have also donated a bunch of their product to front line workers.   As you probably know commercial food suppliers are really having a tough go of it.  Eggs and other staples are being trashed across the country.  Sysco, a company that provides food to many restaurants we love, is now offering personal pickup two days a week for individual customers at their Rocky Hill warehouse.  Some businesses have really been devastated and may never recover but I think it’s important to recognize those who are creating new supply channels during these wild times. 

iPhone SE Taking Off Like A Rocket

I discussed the release of this phone with you last week.  It is going to be a huge seller for Apple and depending on where you order from, the wait is already a couple weeks for delivery.  This phone is so much better than the 2016 iPhone SE.  It has a “normal” size screen that iPhone users have been used to since 2014 and of course at $399, it is priced to move. I will share a tid bit that I read in one of the tech publications this week.  They said that even though this phone is $399, it has a more powerful processor than just about any Android phone on the market, including those costing more than double.   Some of my clients have purchased this phone already and will do a remote setup with me (which I expect to take 1 to 1.5 hours if you are keeping score at home).  Others are purchasing and holding it for later so that we can set it up together under better circumstances.  Either option is fine by me with any device you want to purchase.  

I also want to answer another question that I have gotten — what’s the catch? I think it’s a great question.  Since Steve Jobs launched the iMac  in 1998, Apple has performed with near genius precision at the unveiling of one product after another.  They have had few duds.  Apple’s original intent with the SE was probably to capture buyers who for some reason have held onto their iPhone 6, 6s and 7 and possibly 8’s (for those who bought it early on as it was a fall 2017 phone).  They decided on this release sometime last year, not because of Covid 19, but the fact that it is happening now when a $1000 phone seems so out of sight for many laid off or downsized workers — makes Apple seem brilliant.  I think they will also win over some % of Android users because this is a can’t lose price point.   So who is the iPhone SE not for?  If you see yourself as a semi-pro photographer, you will likely want a phone from the iPhone 11 series, and probably a Pro model.  The camera on the SE is a single camera, definitely as good as the iPhone 8.  Another person who the SE is not for is someone who wants two cellular lines on one phone.   Starting with the 2018 models, all iPhone X series and 11 series support two lines.  This can be a very useful feature, especially in the case of business and personal.