MOVED: Putting the puzzle together...

[LKMusician]

With <a href="http://penguinppc.org/" target="_blank">Penguin PPC</a> reporting on the Power 4 processor from IBM, rumors of a new chip set from nVida, rumored alliences and numerous acquisitions by Apple...can't we now try to assemble these pieces for a clearer picture of where Apple is trying to go…both Hardware wise and Software wise ?

First, Apple has been rumored to be in talks with Cisco (aren't they also part of this Hyper-Transport protocol) and has just released an entry level server: the xServe. The Power 4 chip from IBM is for larger servers, and the rumor is they have a new chip for Desktop systems and entry level servers…. These pieces seem to fit nicely….
Conclusion: Power 4 Chip meets the needs of two large clients and bridges a gap between them, so lets hope for more here…

Secondly, Apple has released a unit, again the xServe, which sports a stackable enclosure and runs a UNIX based system…Coupling this with the possibility of a 64 bit chip and with the introduction of Mathmatica last year…
Conclusion: Apple has planted itself firmly in the scientific community…however, when will these seed take root ?

Thirdly…Over the last 3-4 years, and specifically the last 3-4 months, Apple has gone on a digital video buying spree. Apple has purchased Final Cut from Macromedia (turned it into a winner), DVD Studio Pro (another winner), and Film Logic (Cinema Tools). Recently Apple has snatched up Nothing Real (Shake compositing system is designed for creating high resolution effects in HDTV, film and IMAX projects), Silicon Grail's RAYZ and Chailce, (Silicon Grail was founded to produce "efficient, cost-effective, software-based compositing solutions optimized for feature film and large format resolutions.) and other software. Coupled with Firewire…
Conclusion: Apple is poised to be a powerhouse in video production, in all levels and phases….just when will it all come to fruition ?

And Finally, Apple has purchased eMagic, and has been touting Core Audio ever since OSX came out. Apple also hired OMS's designer many years ago to find a solution to the dilemma of no more updates to OMS ( OMS was killed when Gibson purchased Opcode).
Conclusion: Apple has become the player to watch in the Audio community…..We're watching…and waiting…

What does all this mean, and what does it need to happen fast?

Apple needs to start answering to biggest critics, us…their users. We love Apple, and we want to see products we believe in succeed. However, it is puzzling, why everyone else can move so fast and Apple is stuck at one speed. I know slow and steady wins the race but what can we do to pick up the pace ?…

If I may speak for my friends who use Macs, and many forum mates…We love hearing about this potential, but Apple, you need to bring it together…FAST…We want to see the fruits of the Hyper-Transport Alliance on the motherboard, giving us faster throughput….We want to experience Firewire 2 AND USB 2…We want to be finally out of this processor rut, and if that means ditching $2.3 Billion losing Motorola…then so be it. Just give us performance, and not tests showing us who's better at Photoshop.

We believe in Apple so much, that we want there to be no question which platform you should choose…as simple as the choice between a Lexus and a Yugo.

Let's get it together Apple.

[ 08-11-2002: Message edited by: Bodhi ]

[ 08-11-2002: Message edited by: Bodhi ]</p>

[keyboardf12]

[quote] Apple needs to start answering to biggest critics, us…their users <hr></blockquote>


Thye need to do no such thing.

If i were apple the last thing i would do is give/preannounce confidential information on upcoming products to a bunch of rumor mongers who hang out on this board way too often (including me) on the .00001 chance that info would stay secret. Especially to the "critics" who cry the loudest that apple needs "faster" macs when they don't even use all the power of their current ibooks.


the sum up overall was fine. I think you left out one piece. if august 13/24 apple releases dual g4's then i would bet we are looking at power4 derivatives in 6-9 months.

[phobos]

I think he meant to say that apple needs to put the future systems on sale know and not to give information to the people like you said

[keyboardf12]

Which would work i guess but what happens when you put your machines on sale and the new macs you are about to be release are delayed for some reason (like the xserve was according to rumor.)

releasing a product is a lengthy, fine tuned, dance that relies on many more factors than most of us on these boards know of. :)

[MicrosoftOsXp]

The only thing that keeps a lot of people away from apple is price. To most people who are first buying a computer, just looking at an imac and a compaq side by side, its obvious who the winner is. But, once they look at the price tag, compaq/hp $800 imac $1400. They'll go for the cheaper computer.


As far as speed goes, for most users macs are plenty fast enough. The only thing i can think of that can slow down a dual ghz mac would be video editing, and rendering 3d. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people who buy macs don't do those things.


When we see more agressive pricing, we'll see more market share, and apple will bloom. :)

[Capt. Obvious]

[quote]Originally posted by MicrosoftOsXp:
<strong>The only thing that keeps a lot of people away from apple is price.

When we see more agressive pricing, we'll see more market share, and apple will bloom.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Your points about speed & price are well-taken; and in the interests of putting the pieces together, consider this: the most controversial moves Apple has made in recent years are dot.Mac, and no upgrade rate on 10.2 for the general public. The 'free' iTools, and the cut-price OS upgrades (and, in fact, the development costs of Copeland/Rhapsody/OS X have always been subsidized by the (relatively) high mark-up on Apple products. There has been no separate item charge for iTools, but it has always been paid for from the legendary cash reservese that Apple's margins mak possible. Apple OS releases - even at full price - are priced very modestly indeed. Considering that total development costs leading to OS X likely run into the hundreds of millions, it's clear that Apple has not attempted to pass on the true costs of their OS efforts to their users.

So what? So - if Apple intends for iTools to become self-supporting as dot.Mac, and for OS X to carry more of its own weight, then the most likely reason is that they intend to compete more aggressively, price-wise, w/ wintel options, and must stop paying for all the little extras out of hardware sales alone.

The result? Expect to see Apple hold the line on, or even roll back, prices in the coming months.

I don't expect to see them charge for the iApps - these represent basic platform functionality, not frills or nice-but-nonessential extras. I think it would be a major blow to Apple's overall strategy if they were forced to unbundle the iApps.
--
Breathlessly anticipating the next evolution....

[hmurchison]

.mac and the iapps are better than some of you know. I don't have a Mac fast enough to run OSX. I had to purchase Musicmatch because I was tired of looking for MP3 encoders. iTunes is nicer and now with ver 3 has all the features that I had to shell out $30 for.

My Win2k box has nothing like iPhoto and every POS app that has come with the scanners or digicams that I have purchase have been horrid.

I'm a Mac fan and I'm green with envy over the iapps. I can't wait to purchase my next Mac. I do believe though that we get too restless. Due to the AMD/Intel war they are updating their procs every qtr. I remember when Intel was on a 6 month cycle for speed bumbs now they've doubled that. It makes it seem like progress but honestly..given the long pipes of the athlon and P4 a 200mhz bump sounds impressive but doesn't benchmark well. Apple on the other hand makes more significant jumps with each new Mac.

We will never see Apple's as cheap as the garden variety x86 box..and for that I'm glad. Look at the shoddy work in most PC cases, many of us chose Apple because they're in tune with our Aethetics...they're mini works or art and we demand that. For that..I'm willing to pay a premium.

[koffedrnkr]

something else to consider....the price of a mac has everything to do with unit cost and margin. margin will have to remain more or less stable for now, because apple makes the bulk of its money on hardware. where there is realy room for improvement is unit cost, and that has everything to do with the number of machines you sell.
why can dell sell a computer so cheaply? because they can contract the lowest unit cost on components because they'll be buying millions of parts.
my hope is that the growing interest in OSX and the iapps will spur switchers to try OSX. with a growing user base comes increased supplier interest which means more competition, lower unit cost and ultimately, a less expensive mac.

here's hoping...

[Bodhi]

Good thread covering many different things, current and future..software and hardware. Sending to General Discussion.