So it took Apple making more in net income in calendar 2010 than Acer had revenue to prove to them that operating model built on margins might work?
Acer's net margins were <2.5% in 2010. Bravo Acer, bravo.
Apple's operating model is unique and nobody can really imitate it. As long as other computer makers don't have a market accepted OS of their own, they can't control the hardware-software integration.
Although if Acer wants to follow Apple's lead, I say produce a line of notebooks using Macbook's hardware spec for an unofficial apple clone would probably work. That would serve as a possible white macbook replacement if and when Apple discontinue it.
Form factors change, and their accompanying sales percentages change along with them. If you think tablets will continue to grow at the same rate you're either new to the industry or kidding yourself. Everything changes over time.
Tablet growth won't continue at the same rate forever. But that they will actually become a profitable long term segment.
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My only point here is this: because Apple doesn't sell netbooks, Apple fans have led themselves to believe that there has never been any useful role for netbooks. "If Steve Jobs didn't invent it, you don't need it!" Rubbish.
This is entirely your invention. Many of us never liked netbooks, we did not like them before we knew that Apple would never release one. We didn't like netbooks long before the iPad existed. Many of us feel that the iPad is a better idea and more functional. I think that is Apple agreeing and responding to what many of us already believed.
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As the leading sector for so many years until the very recent rise of tablets, it's pretty clear that in spite of the wishful thinking of the ardent Apple fans here the fact is that many tens of millions of people like netbooks.
As addabox said success is not in selling tens of millions and tapering off. Success is about increasing sales into the hundreds of millions.
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But unlike an iPad, netbooks don't list as a system requirement that you also purchase a computer.
Its required that you purchase a computer? Come on............
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This whole notion that it's "netbooks vs tablets" is as silly as the "Apple vs the world" position fostered by so many here.
How many people would need or want to own both a tablet and netbook?
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There are many form factors to choose from, and many vendors and OSes to choose from. Use what you enjoy, but don't lead yourself into believing that people who have different preferences than yours are somehow inferior.
I do not understand the need or desire to run a full desktop OS and full desktop apps on a tiny underpowered machine. Versus running an OS specifically designed for its form factor and limited hardware running apps specifically designed for its form factor and limited hardware.
I like the netbook form factor. I have small hands with slender fingers and don't have trouble typing on one. What I don't like about them is their very slow processors (and Windows).
Perhaps Acer should partner with Canonical and put a fully functional version of Ubuntu on their computers without the need to look up drivers and plug-ins to get everything working out of the box. Just doing that would improve their profit margins. With Compiz Fusion installed from the factory, the desktop environment would be so flashy that it would attract more users.
Ubuntu 10.04 is a good OS. It just took me way too long and lots of forum searching to get everything functioning. I think Ubuntu is more intuitive than Leopard. I encourage everybody reading this who owns non-Apple computers to give it a try. You might like it more than the Apple OS once you get it configured.
Wow. If I was a stockholder, I'd be dumping Acer like a hot potato if I saw the chairman display such a shocking lack of basic understanding of consumer patterns.
NO ONE CARES if a platform is open or closed. The iPod is a "closed platform". PS3, XBOX360 and Wii are all "closed platforms". And yet people still buy them.
More and more I hear this refrain from Android acolytes; either these guys are delusional and have no clue why anyone buys anything, or they're just lying through their teeth, desperately trying to seem relevant. I'm not sure which is worse.
Well, Android Honeycomb 3.x is now closed so Acer is doubly screwed. On one hand how are they going to come out with their crapblets, on the other how are they going to curry favour with Google to access the code, and... on the third hand, don't forget all the openly-admitted "shortcuts" Google took with Honeycomb.
All while the smartphone makers come off their own Android 2.x highs to realise their pipeline for new and shiny "Android 3.0" has been shut down. And Adobe drags its feet figuring out how to make Flash run on a fragmented, closed-source operating system which does not use mouse input.
Comments
So it took Apple making more in net income in calendar 2010 than Acer had revenue to prove to them that operating model built on margins might work?
Acer's net margins were <2.5% in 2010. Bravo Acer, bravo.
Apple's operating model is unique and nobody can really imitate it. As long as other computer makers don't have a market accepted OS of their own, they can't control the hardware-software integration.
Although if Acer wants to follow Apple's lead, I say produce a line of notebooks using Macbook's hardware spec for an unofficial apple clone would probably work. That would serve as a possible white macbook replacement if and when Apple discontinue it.
Form factors change, and their accompanying sales percentages change along with them. If you think tablets will continue to grow at the same rate you're either new to the industry or kidding yourself. Everything changes over time.
Tablet growth won't continue at the same rate forever. But that they will actually become a profitable long term segment.
My only point here is this: because Apple doesn't sell netbooks, Apple fans have led themselves to believe that there has never been any useful role for netbooks. "If Steve Jobs didn't invent it, you don't need it!" Rubbish.
This is entirely your invention. Many of us never liked netbooks, we did not like them before we knew that Apple would never release one. We didn't like netbooks long before the iPad existed. Many of us feel that the iPad is a better idea and more functional. I think that is Apple agreeing and responding to what many of us already believed.
As the leading sector for so many years until the very recent rise of tablets, it's pretty clear that in spite of the wishful thinking of the ardent Apple fans here the fact is that many tens of millions of people like netbooks.
As addabox said success is not in selling tens of millions and tapering off. Success is about increasing sales into the hundreds of millions.
But unlike an iPad, netbooks don't list as a system requirement that you also purchase a computer.
Its required that you purchase a computer? Come on............
This whole notion that it's "netbooks vs tablets" is as silly as the "Apple vs the world" position fostered by so many here.
How many people would need or want to own both a tablet and netbook?
There are many form factors to choose from, and many vendors and OSes to choose from. Use what you enjoy, but don't lead yourself into believing that people who have different preferences than yours are somehow inferior.
I do not understand the need or desire to run a full desktop OS and full desktop apps on a tiny underpowered machine. Versus running an OS specifically designed for its form factor and limited hardware running apps specifically designed for its form factor and limited hardware.
Perhaps Acer should partner with Canonical and put a fully functional version of Ubuntu on their computers without the need to look up drivers and plug-ins to get everything working out of the box. Just doing that would improve their profit margins. With Compiz Fusion installed from the factory, the desktop environment would be so flashy that it would attract more users.
Ubuntu 10.04 is a good OS. It just took me way too long and lots of forum searching to get everything functioning. I think Ubuntu is more intuitive than Leopard. I encourage everybody reading this who owns non-Apple computers to give it a try. You might like it more than the Apple OS once you get it configured.
Wow. If I was a stockholder, I'd be dumping Acer like a hot potato if I saw the chairman display such a shocking lack of basic understanding of consumer patterns.
NO ONE CARES if a platform is open or closed. The iPod is a "closed platform". PS3, XBOX360 and Wii are all "closed platforms". And yet people still buy them.
More and more I hear this refrain from Android acolytes; either these guys are delusional and have no clue why anyone buys anything, or they're just lying through their teeth, desperately trying to seem relevant. I'm not sure which is worse.
Well, Android Honeycomb 3.x is now closed so Acer is doubly screwed. On one hand how are they going to come out with their crapblets, on the other how are they going to curry favour with Google to access the code, and... on the third hand, don't forget all the openly-admitted "shortcuts" Google took with Honeycomb.
All while the smartphone makers come off their own Android 2.x highs to realise their pipeline for new and shiny "Android 3.0" has been shut down. And Adobe drags its feet figuring out how to make Flash run on a fragmented, closed-source operating system which does not use mouse input.