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A Six-Step Plan for Apple
An anonymous reader writes "Open letter from Alex Salkever to Jobs. One thing in particular strikes me: 'The latest round of attacks on Microsoft software is terrifying. If using a Mac means servers in Russia are less likely to harvest my passwords and offer my identity to the highest bidder, I think that's an offer I'd like to hear more about.' I think he's got something there."
Macs are not immune either...
As I type from within one I must say!
Who are you? The new #2 Who is #1? You are #617565. I am not a number, I am a free man! Muhahaha.
apple really isnt the only alternative....
Do you think that when Apple talks about 'superior design', they aren't talking about color, but the OS and user interface? When Alex says 'technology', and Apple says 'design', I think they are talking about the same thing.
People don't pay premium prices because of a Mac's color, or shape, but for the OS and interface. They expect the nice 'design' (in the "looks-nice" sense) because of the premium price, but are not paying premium solely for its looks.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso
It's been a few months since we've had a self-styled "expert" come along and tell Apple what their doing wrong and how they can fix it, else they will shrivel up and die.
Story contains the same thing over and over and over and over we've heard now for what...20 years now? Lower their prices, focus on what they do best, lower their prices and lower their prices.
The only thing new here is focus on security, which seems like a good thing to focus on, but only if Apple can TRUELY deliver a resonably secure system. Hopefully they can.
But it's good to see some things never die, like these articles that try to show Apple the error of their ways.
"Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
Price trumps style? How else do you get identified in a crowded marketplace. It's not just external style, but for the last five years the internal design style is something I hear nobody talk about. Make 'em cool and cheap. If there's no style, how can you make them cool? Cheap? How do you stay in business and be cheap? I'm not saying I want them expensive, but if they're viewed as expensive, it's because of poor marketing. USB, Firewire, etc. are all included. Ditch the all-in-one. Simplicity is what new users need...people who need space saved. What is a laptop, except an all in one computer? Sell the soap? Give away a discount on the most popular MP3 player? If you're on top, why would you do such a thing? Soap II. This is the best idea I've heard of. Except of course the people who do return it...leaves you with stock that is difficult to resell. But I do like the idea. People will get upset though, at a restocking fee. Security. This is something apple's marketing misses Really. So, that makes him 1 of 6 in my book.
Price trumps style?
There's nothing new or interesting in the article.
It's just the same old mantra of cheaper, more modular, etc.
Jobs would read this, rightly conclude that it's just another tired summary of the market forces and contray opinions he's been aware of and dealing with for his entire career.
I understand why it's news on Slashdot; I just can't figure out why it would be news anywhere else.
Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.
So, my gut reflex was that this program would be a good idea. But then again, 2004 isn't the mid-80's. Back then, the program was a great idea because virtually no one knew about Macintosh. Now, you would be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't know a Macintosh owner. These potential converts already have a "test drive" program: They just go over to their friend's house. And Macintosh owners have no shortage of enthusiasm for showing off their computer....
Offer a $200 bounty on a PC exchanged for a new iMac or iBook. Buyers get the $200 discount only if they bring a PC that's two years old or less. And they must have a valid receipt.
What an stupid idea. All but the crappiest two-year-old computers are still worth more than $200, especially laptops. Only a complete idiot would take advantage of that offer.
This space intentionally left blank.
Hence, my critique of these points:
My 2c.
Failing of course to realize that for most users (you know, the ones that actualy don't give a shit if they can look at the kernel source) that 1 user that would be wiped out is them. And All of their files. Having the core of the OS means jack shit if all your files are gone. The core can be reinstalled, the files are gone forever.
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
His first 4 recommendations are basically to be like everyone else:
So basically, he's another of those people who thinks that, of course, Steve must be trying to maximize his market share at the expense of everything else! And, of course, the best way to do that is to make Macs cheap, like Dells. Because Dell sells a lot of units! ....Which is true. But it's not the point.
Apple's purpose is not to maximize marketshare but to maximize money. They do that by selling with high margins. Removing the high margins would make Apple unable to function, basically. They are not another assemble and resell outfit. They are not another Dell.
Why do so few people realize that?
As for making a headless "iMac," first, that wouldn't be an iMac, and second, that's not what Apple needs. They have a whole bunch of headless machines--what the heck do you think a PowerMac is??? And if I'm not mistaken, the PowerMacs come with iLife installed. So....he wants them to make a PowerMac. Yay! They're already doing that!
Why do people keep insisting that the way for Apple to dominate the market is to become another low-margin box-assembler? They're doing just fine the way they are. They're not in any trouble. Their stock price is higher than it's been in years--granted, it was higher a couple of weeks ago, but it always rises before and tanks after a major show.
My six steps for Apple?
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
Ditch the 1-button mouse already! Seriously. It's a cliched criticism, I know, but that makes it all the more inexcusable. Give us a damn scroll wheel, 2 or 3 button mouse.
Yeah, I can buy one, but I shouldn't have to for what I'm paying. And what about for my Powerbook? $3000 and no means to add a button to the touchpad = annoyed me.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
I have a couple of friends (Ely and Annette) who've been brought to their knees with security intrusions into their MS PC. They're both very ordinary people with ordinary jobs and neither of them are particularly computer literate, and treat their PC very much like any other home appliance. They don't read computer publications or news bulletins, so they mostly remain unaware of the latest security holes, only discovering they should have updated something when their PC starts misbehaving.
They're totally sick of the computing experience they've had so far. So when I popped in to see them one day I took my PowerBook with me and spent a few hours showing them what it could do. They were really impressed, but what totally got their attention was when I told them I didn't need to run any anti-virus software because a) there are no known viruses out the for Mac OS X, and b) the system is inherently more secure than MS Windows by design. Right away they wanted to know where they could get one and how much it would cost.
(NB: My domain/mail hosting company anti-virus scans all email for me, so I'm still being a good neighbor to my MS using friends)
I showed them the range, asked them some questions about their budget, and then advised them to get an eMac because that best suited what they could afford. But they didn't want a large CRT based system and were really taken with the iMac design.
That was 4 months ago. They've still not updated their PC and still haven't' brought a Mac. The reason why? They just can't afford it at the moment. Various other things keep cropping up in their lives and home that stop them from accumulating enough cash to buy the system they want.
Apple really needs to cut the prices. If they can't do it on existing systems, then they need to produce a bare bones design that can initially be pitched at those people with smaller budgets, and then later expanded and upgraded if people need the extra functionality.
I'm a Mac switcher of 2 years who has no intention of going back. And I've met SO many people in that time who've never seen a Mac up close before and have left, lusting after mine when they see up close and personal just how good it is. But they're always put off by the perceived high price. I know that you get so much more for your money with a Mac, but it seems difficult for people to relate to that (don't ask me why).
This is a bullet that Apple are just going to have to bite on if they want to grow their market share some more. Do they have the corporate courage and desire to make this happen? Time will tell, but I sure hope so.
From: Joe (You know who I am)
Re: Expanding the Ferrari market
Dude. You don't sell that many cars.
Here is my "Six Steps to a Bigger Ferrari Market."
1) Price trumps style in the car market
I know this may be hard to admit for a guy as innovative and design-conscious as you. But Ferrari charges too much for its cars. The car market's benchmark price level is sinking quickly below the $21,000 mark -- turf where Ferrari has been loath to tread.
2) Make 'em cool and cheap
You've been to Target (TGT ), right? You probably seen the terrific product designs such as well-known architect Michael Graves' line of stylish housewares -- offered a budget prices. Heck, Blue Light Specials at Kmart (KMRT ) haven't been the same since Martha Stewart's line of kitchen gear, sheets, and towels hit the aisles several years ago. Dumpster-diving debutantes can't get enough of them. Even sportswear designer Mossimo makes great threads for fiscal lightweights.
We're in the era of cheap chic, Maurizio. And I have no doubt that Ferrari can play that game with the best of them. Give us a really cheap, really cool car, and watch them fly off the lots.
3) Ditch the all-in-one mantra
Your expensive convertable sports cars have never taken off compared to sedans. You should make sedans.
OK, thats enough you get the point.
This guy is a fucking idiot.
What if my old hardware is a mac? Or, what if I don't want to use my old hardware? Or what if I'm sick of dealing with windows and virus scanners and ad aware and all that bullshit? What if I don't want to have to seach for drivers just so that I can INSTALL linux? What if I'm not a gamer?
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
I love trolls like you...
...and in all likelihood, would spend the majority of the cash on developing some nice new injection moulding techniques for the cases, rather than REALLY innovative software (yes yes I know about iTunes - but innovative SOFTWARE rather than just a shiny new UI would be nice. I've been able to play MP3s since before 1995 on my PC)
It's HARD to upgrade when you want to add a little more zip to the machine.
What, exactly, would you want to upgrade? RAM? I think it's easier to install RAM on an iMac or eMac than on a PC. I don't have to take the case off my Mac and fumble through ribbon cables to get to my RAM slots, just take the cover off the bottom.
If something goes wrong (and yes, even Macs go wrong from time to time), my folks won't have a bunch of friends around the corner who know exactly how to fix that problem, or a friend with a CD crammed full of useful little fixer applications.
I don't want a friend around the corner who "knows computers" to come fix mine. I'd rather have Apple's phone support do it. And considering that Apple has the best support, says Consumer Reports, i'm even more comfortable with them.
At the end of the day, I just don't see how a Mac can be any less prone to attacks than a PC with Zonealarm, AVG Anti Virus, Firefox and Thunderbird installed.
Because I don't *want* to have to install ZoneAlarm, AVG, FireFox and Thunderbird? Don't forget Ad-Aware and Windows Update every week!
I love the fact that I can regularly install little upgrades and bleeding edge software onto my Linux box.
And you can't do that on a Mac?
I love the fact that I can check out the code and see exactly what makes it tick.
Apple has open-sourced it's core OS, not to mention that any UNIX-based apps you have can be installed as well, straight from the tarball.
I love the fact that if I pay for any of this, it is usually through choice, and a project's little Paypal tip jar. I love the fact that the money I pay is going directly to the developers that write the applications that improve my life, rather than to a company that holds one hand with the RIAA behind it's back
Just had to get that shot across the bow, right? Well, Apple isn't the only company doing a Music Store, and they're not the only ones who had to deal with the RIAA and license fees. Apple has stated that the artist does get a chunk of money for songs sold.
Wow, you *really* haven't used a Mac. I can only begin to list the innovative apps that Apple's created: iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, Final Cut Pro, all the way down to iCal, Address Book, Safari and Mail. Each of these apps has so many features that make it more than just your basic app.
And I smile when I see that Linux desktop share is projected to overtake Apple's within a couple of years.
Aww, that's cute. Too bad people like your mom and pop won't be those people switching to Linux, they'll be too busy installing FireFox and AVG on their PCs.
To be honest, I feel that for Apple to succeed, they need to learn how to cut the elitist attitude.
The elitist attitude comes from knowing exactly what the customer wants then developing a product to fit that need. Example: iPod!
Stop producing overpriced machines in funky colored perspex!
eMacs start at $799. Find me a $800 PC with a 17" CRT, USB 2, FireWire, Combo Drive and video editing software, then I shall bow down to you. SuperDrive eMacs start at $1,000, so find me a $1,000 with a DVD-R/CD-RW. Oh yeah, Apple hasn't done colored computers in a while. so you might want to get a new MacMall catalog that's not from 2000.
Stop loading your desktop PC equivalents with a million and one interfaces that the average Joe will never use.
In fact, this is so tempting a strategy that we must wonder why they have not already done so. There are some practical factors...
1. There is a stunning variety of hardware devices out there with no mac os drivers for them. One solution would be a driver compatibiliy kernel plug-in that would let windows or linux drivers work, but this would take some time and effort to get right. Apple should have started on this years ago.
2. MS invested several hundred million in Apple a couple of years ago, at a dark time in the company's history. I have to wonder if there are some strings to that investment, or similar conditions tied to MS's continued support of Office on macs. If MS pulls the plug on Office for MacOS X, most corporations will stop buying macs. End of story.
3. Jobs is biding his time because he has some very specific marketing information as to why this would not be a financial success for Apple and is waiting for conditions to change before doing another "bet the company" initiative.
4. Jobs is just touchy-feely and can't get over his preference to sell actual hardware at $2000 a pop over $100 boxes of Mac OSx86 to 20 times as many people.
5. Microsoft would use every last employee, dollar, and lawyer to destroy Apple if this were to pass.
Discuss.
If you needed outlook that bad, why did you buy a machine that doesnt run outlook. And same thing for quicken or money. If you really wanted to make the mac thing work, get a copy of virtual pc or whatever it's called and run that.
We now go to somewhere in corporate America:
BossPerson: Hey IT, our servers got hacked into and a bunch of our customer data has been stolen. There is going to be hell to pay and our customers may take legal action. This is going to cost us a fortune.
ITPerson: Dang, that sounds bad.
BossPerson: I bought you those servers you wanted me to buy, they were really expensive. How am I going to explain this to the CEO that I spent all this money and our system got hacked!
ITPerson: Right, but these are really cool servers, and I've installed all the updates.
BossPerson: I've got tell them somthing!
ITPerson: Tell them sometimes things happens.
BossPerson: I've got a better idea, I'll tell them I'm very dissapointed in my IT team, and I'm going to make sure heads roll, starting with yours, you are fired!
Yes, people who buy computers care if they can be hacked or not. Management may not undestand server technology, but they do understand that loosing data and server down time costs money
Once again a day dreamer that knows nothing of consistant business models.
Apple is a hardware company. They make money of their hardware. iTunes for windows exists solely to sell iPods.
If they start opening their software, they will kill their primary source of revenue. The same way that Microsoft by enhancing too much IE almost killed its OS service. They were creating a universal thin client, putting in danger their OS business.
But back to the point. The web is full of articles explaining why this is a bad idea. Read them first. I don't understand how this is rated 3. Moderators should know...
Sneak teach kids Algebra using a game
Wow its amazing how dumb people can be and still be supposed "experts" that write articles. Way to miss the most obvious things Apple should do:
#1: Market your freakin products.
#2: Fix your supply issues.
Has anyone RTFA? This guy is a complete loon. "If Apple only charged me less, gave me a trade-in on my uselessly outdated PC hardware, didn't charge me until I had had the computer for a while, and didn't try to bundle everything together, they'd be doing much better!"
No, they wouldn't, you idiot. They'd be dell. Apple's bundling allows them to hide how much they charge for commodities like RAM and hard drives. Their high prices let them survive with a small marketshare (R&D is NOT CHEAP!). This is what makes the company what it is.
I own an iBook. It cost me $1200 or so. PC laptops are probably cheaper. I would never, in a million years, bother with one. The iBook was worth every dollar because of its fantastic software, ease of programming (yes, that's key for me), reliability, good tech support (remember, you don't just buy an iBook, you buy an Apple), small size, durabilitiy, battery life, and a million other things I won't even mention.
Apple knows what is best for Apple. They have known what is best for Apple for a long time, which is why they continue to have large amounts of money. This guy does not know what is best for Apple. Of course, looking back, that should elicit nothing but "Duh?"
they dont have much of a market share, so hackers dont spend that much time making viruses for them.
... and a good flaw in the OS. You've got two choices to write a good virus, as I've pointed out. Either socially engineer something that looks clickable and start sending out spam, finding enough suckers that click to keep things going, or find a flaw in the OS to exploit to save on social engineering. So either the numbers have to be massively high, as you point out, or you have to have a virus that infects passively, as all the great viruses do.
The lack of viruses was almost bad enough that I thought I should write a virus that'd execute on the Mac just to say we'd had a good one (other than that silly "bootable CD" scare under OS 8-9). It's not like it'd really take any time. Most viruses seem to be ones that people are silly enough to click on in their email to start the infection. You'd have a harder time writing one that exploited a flaw [without taking that extra time finding one, which is where the real genius comes in, of course], but just so that Mac OS X could say there was one, I thought I'd hack a quick REALbasic or Java or Applescript dohicky and "socially engineer" it to look all clickable in an email sent from the infected box. Heck, I get enough free spamable addresses in the spam I get myself these days even finding the first few hundred hosts wouldn't be a problem.
But your position then is something akin to malaria in someone with sickle cell -- you have to find enough hosts, not only initially but continually, to keep you alive to keep finding more hosts. Without them, you die out.
How many Mac users themselves have a large percentage of Mac users in their address book? Most of my friends use Windows. Even if I got a few Mac users to click and execute an application-virus, giving me pretty free reign on their system, what are the chances that sending the bugger to every email I could cull off their system would keep the outbreak alive? I've got to think pretty small.
So there's more to a virus than just lack of hackers -- what's the payout, even for a good virus? Pretty small as long as, as the original post points out, the market share is too.
Which brings us to...
If everyone gets the same idea to move to a mac, virus wirters will shift their attention to macs.
I'm not saying the Mac doesn't have these flaws -- nor that it doesn't. But OS X'd have to have the flaw in addition to the market share to really cause the havoc Windows has.
It's all 0s and 1s. Or it's not.
I bought AAPL at 21, it's at 30 today. Get this dumb-ass away from my portfolio.
Seriously, every couple of months we get another MBA-bot posting his (never her) Grand Unified Plan for "saving" Apple, usually based on dumb ideas that have already failed (competing against Dell on price - look how well that went for eMachines and Gateway), are failing (tablet PC's do everything users want... really shittily), or are obviously going to fail (taunt virus/worm writers and script kiddies with boasts of Mac's invulerability).
Enough of the madness. Seven years ago, Wired ran a piece called 100 Ways to Save Apple, most of which were stupid (#76, "Make damn sure Rhapsody runs on an Intel chip"), fucking stupid (#81, "Merge with Sega"), or so fucking stupid it blocks out the sun (#61, "Ink a promotion/development deal with Shaquille O'Neal"). The item that looks best in retrospect is #101: "Don't worry. You'll survive. It's Netscape we should really worry about."
Slashdot and other sites with a collective IQ greater than that of a turnip should pass on these articles in the future. They're utterly garbage, have been for 20 years, and probably will be in another 20.
--realinvalidname
That may be a minority of thier sales, but don't put too much faith in the consumer.
Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
The key to Apple's success has been integrating both of these things -- user interface and "cuteness" factor. They are both aspects of "design" in the overall sense, and both are reasons for their success. Your teen sister may dig the purple and may just use AIM, but there is no question that her experience of using AIM is more inviting, comfortable, and "fun" for her because of the user interface features that set Macs apart, and not just because of the purple (which actually should be called blueberry I believe...). The color of the computer and the slick user interface -- on the iPod as well as OS X -- are all part of the user experience, and Apple understands this in ways the Wintel world never will.
Statements like that are proof positive that those hard working FUD machines can be successful!
Don't you feel proud!
seSales, Point of Sale software for OS X.
Ask yourself this question...
Where would Apple be now if it wasnt for OSX?
My guess is that OSX has redefined the Mac in many ways and opened up new avenues that simply werent viable before. I see Apple growing; and if they dont; open source will keep them alive.
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
It was all laid out in Robert Pirsig's "Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance". (you did read it, didn't you?... Oh well, I understand). PC people (and maybe Linux heads, too) just love to get in there and get their hands dirty trying to get an old British sports car or T-Bird or air-cooled VW to keep on running. Mac people own a sleek Beemer, and wouldn't dream of letting anyone other than factory-authorized techies mess with the thing, no matter what the cost/headache. Both comparisons are equally valid and appropriate in the end.
You know, this guy's a dipshit.
Not everyone uses a Mac. That's fine. Not everyone drives a BMW, either. You don't see BMW crying because they don't have 90% market share.
Apple is sitting on a pile of cash, and making Windows look bad. They're doing just fine.
McNealy would go to convention after convention and other speaking engagements. He would go off on the Microsoft rant, talking about no viruses in Java and go on and on about the evils.
It did nothing, changed nothing. He lost more and more mindshare until he got bought off to stick around on life support and keep his mouth shut.
Jobs is smarter than McNealy. He won't push Apple marketshare by basing Microsft security, and he knows it. He will do it by expanding what Apple's are. By going heavily into the portable computing space, making ergonomically pleasing Apple appliances, under the iBook, iPod and other product iMonikers. Video playback, capturing, music players. He knows to become strong, his competition is not Microsoft, but Sony. There is nothing to be gained by jumping on the open source bandwagon, there is much money to be made in licensing content distribution methods.
If I'm a distinguished engineer at Apple (and I'm not) I would be working on a movie projector that can download films in Quicktime format and display them with the quality of movie film projectors. I hook these projectors up to theater chains with broadband, and start competing with Sony, who invented this technology but only have penetrated a limited market with it.
But, hey what do I know...
- First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
The idea is that we break the monopoly to open space for OS competition. A heterogenious market is less prone to attack- ...
if 5% of the world was using linux, 5% using openBSD, 5% using beOS, 5% using plan9, 5% using macOS
a new exploit would affect SOME things, but we would never again see things such as slammer taking down the net
Buttsex.
Price is only one-third of the reason regular people buy PCs over Macs.
The two others reasons are (1) lack of games, and (2) lack of compatibility with common Windows software and file formats.
If Mac OS X had something like Wine/WineX, but it was brain-dead simple to set up and worked with like 95% accuracy, AND it were advertised as a key feature of the Macintosh, then people would buy Macs instead of PCs. Unfortunately, the problem is not just that it's a different OS, but that it's a totally different hardware platform as well, so you'll never get something like Wine/WineX running at equivalent PC speed on a Macintosh.
Moderator hint: a comment is neither "Flamebait" nor "Troll" if it is true.
Apple has a different business model, "building the whole widget". Building the whole widget is pretty incompatible with cutting prices, giving up control, etc etc. They can't change things about themselves without making... changes....
I think your six points are actually two repeated many ways - "make it cheaper" and "sell it"
Point 1: Price trumps style in the computer market
If you WANT style, you have to PAY for style. Without the style, Apple is just a little Dell. Buy a Dell if you want cheap. You will be happy with the bang-for-the-buck.
Point 2: Make 'em cool and cheap
Didn't You just say this?
Point 3: Ditch the all-in-one mantra
Buy a PowerMac. The $5,000 kickass flatpanel definitely is not included in the PowerMac price, if that's what you want. Is this a sideways way to say "Make 'em cool and cheap?" But more importantly to Apple's marketshare, Apple should allow users to customize their laptops A LOT MORE. I've never SEEN Gigabit ethernet, I don't have any Bluetooth, Firewire, or USB2 devices, I don't use my 56K modem, etc. BUT I PAID FOR ALL OF IT. Like "Linux is only free if your time is worthless", "Apple prices are only competitive IF YOU WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ALL THAT BUNDLED CRAP ANYWAY". I wouldn't have, I could have slimmed my PB down to $1000 by cutting out the features I don't use, don't want, and weigh down my computer unneccessarily.
Point 4: Sell that soap
Point 5: Sell that soap II
Point 6: Sell security
You got it right there. Apple should do something to get their name --no, not their name, their -product- out there. Believe it or not, the most overhyped company on the planet is still basically unknown to many people. Everybody knows how COOL and TRENDY Apple is, but people don't even know they have icons and a mouse (I'm not kidding, the people at work ask me what it cost me to get the internet for my PowerBook). But to know them (the product) is to love them, so it basically sells itself once I reassure people Apples don't have many hidden flaws. "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is..." except in this case. They ARE very good, depending on who you are and what you're doing with it. But yes, Apple certainly blew it by not having ads showing off OS X. I mean, just 30 seconds of the Dock maximizing as you roll your mouse* over it is worth 2% of the market.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that as a user, there are some things about Apple that piss me off -- namely, the other Apple users. But lowering the price on a Mac will only open the floodgates to loserdom, and the day I see a Mac in a trailerpark is the day I'm buying a Dell.
And I will run Linux on that Dell, just because I can. And because it seems nobody else can. There's a built-in IQ cutoff point below which running Linux is not permitted. That makes Linux even cooler, more 733T, and less trailerpark-friendly than the Mac is.
* The crippled Apple One-Button Mouse should not be shown on tv, as it is the computer equivalent of a one-legged handicapped semi useless single-buttoned mindless POS and a glaring example of Apple's stubborn insistence that the masses are wrong and Steve is right. Don't show that on tv. It's bad. And yes, I know I can buy a USEFUL mouse, but I and everybody else will complain until you can get it as an option on your PowerBook. See my notes on Point 3.
I'm not normally an irrational zealous dickhead, but I figure "When in Rome..."
1 - price trumps style
The only reason to lower your price-point is to increase market penetration or that higher volume more than makes up for the price-difference. I doubt that either of those is going to happen, as the volume has been pretty consistent for the last 5 years or so (~3%) with gains occurring slowly.
Dell gets away with lower price-point because they aren't developing major software, and they have their suppliers by the balls.
2-Make 'em cool and cheap
That's way the iPod has only penetrated 40% of the market? This reminds me of all of the ugly-ass laptops that followed the Apple laptops, where all of the cool design stopped at the meaningless plastic add-ons on the case.
With apple you do pay more, but you pay for value.
3-Ditch the all-in-one mantra
I agree that the iMac may not be the hottest seller in the world, but I think that its just crazy to suggest that this has somehing to do with the all-in-one mantra. I mean, Apple BROUGHT BACK the eMac, which I am assuming is still selling strong.
The reason IMHO for poor iMac sales are that they don't really fit into any niche. Its like a high-powered laptop without the capabilities of a laptop, or all thepower of the desktop machines. However, their footprint is nice. 200K units/quarter, though, isn't bad for a machine that hasn't seem major upgrades.
I think that sales in all-in-ones will continue to wane, however, as it becomes more attractive for scales to by inexpensive iBook's.
4-Sell that soap
WTF? Awesome, just throw away money. Its more than a bit insulting to anyone who needs to use a M$ box, as well, or who wants/needs a separate Linux box?
5-Sell that soap II
If you don't know the advantage of buying the Xserve's you probably shouldn't be buying one. I'm not exactly sure what type of "tests" you would be running, as installing a pseudo-server is a major endeavor/commitment.
6-Sell security
I think that 95% of the posts already allude to this.
I can't believe I read this. I can't believe I wasted my time writing this.
We don't know how long the latest crop of Macs are going to last-- but they're becoming outdated at a more rapid pace than ever. There wasn't a really significant increase in G3 or G4 speed for years, but in the last 18 months they've exploded.
There's also the matter of the radically changing designs. A PC notebook from 2001 doesn't look so out of place today. A clamshell iBook or a Pismo-- or even a TiBook, for that matter-- looks hideously out of date. Ditto for the Slate G4's and CRT iMacs. Even the LCD iMac is starting to look a little dated. The actual computer may be built to last-- but Apple wisely knows that their largely fashion and design conscious userbase will want to trade up with every radical design change.
I know this is probably too late to be posting this, but here goes:
Step 1: State that Apple's small market share is a sure sign of impending doom.
Step 2: Suggest that apples competitors have the right idea and that Apple should also make low cost, shitty computers that crap out in a couple months just like everyone else.
Step 3: Complain that apple won't sell you a really cheap computer like you want them to, point out several other complains that make shitty products and again state that Apple should do the same.
I've been hearing this crap like this for more than 10 years, and I'm only 22. I can't believe that pompous assholes like this continue to believe that they know how to run the company better than Apple. People are always complaining "why can't I buy an Apple for the price of a Packard Bell/ Compaq / Dell?". I'll tell you why, those companies make shitty computers and Apple makes quality computers, that's why. And you know what? Apples plan worked a lot better than did Packard Bells or Compaqs(both bought out when they hit hard times). That fact is that business plan only works until everyone has bought one and realized how crappie the computers are. I'm sure that Dell will eventually suffer the same fate, I know about a dozen people that have Dells, and none of them are happy with their purchase. On the other hand, Apple users love their computers, and will continue to be loyal to the Apple brand as long as they live. To bad they only replace their computers every 5 years or so.
Apple isn't playing to the masses anymore. They've realized this and are now exclusively niche targeters. Once one niche is saturated with Macs, Apple targets the next.
Take the photoshop, biotech, scientific computing, pro video, pro audio, and pro visual effects crowds. Alias came out with Maya unlimited for mac because they believe there is a large market in the Mac sector for it. Apple is slowly drawing niche markets that will probably be unwilling to switch from a *NIX operating system to windows.