Apple's next move?

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  • Reply 21 of 32
    [quote]Originally posted by BungHole:

    <strong>Just wondering how many of you are actually using the high end powermac at this moment, probably none I would guess. So as far as your opinions of the machine, I don't give them much credibility. I am using my new G4 dual gig everyday and it kicks ass. I also use a AMD machine and XP, so I know Apple is doing just fine, and the G5 will come soon enough. So keep crying if you like, or enjoy what is avaiable now. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    They could be doing better. The ads are just some stupid Steve Jobs ideas that look like cute Pixar stuff. They need to get with it.
  • Reply 22 of 32
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    [quote]Originally posted by discstickers:

    <strong>Mac OS X (basically) is Linux on the desktop. I think a large portion of the crowd will consider migrating to X.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    A great many people, especially those who are used to having both a separate Unix workstation for the number crunching, design, etc. and a Windows PC or mac for reports and the such (universities and engineers often have set ups like this although it varies), already recognise this fact. Unfortunately OS X, software support and hardware are all still lacking.



    This is one of the easiest places for Apple to pickup marketshare and they know it though. Although they aren't harping the fact they are making moves to make the Mac more appealing in these areas.



    OS X is still being developed, software support isn't as bad as it once was and hardware...well you can speculate about that to your heart's content
  • Reply 23 of 32
    [quote]Anyone read the slashdot comments on the 1 GHz ? Those geeks were salivating over those machines.



    Mac OS X (basically) is Linux on the desktop. Its even partially open source. I think a large portion of the /. crowd will consider migrating to X, espcially after the G5's intro.



    Then when less tech-savvy people ask these geeks for computer-purchasing advice, they might point towards X.

    <hr></blockquote>



    Exactly. Most people are sheep and they just buy whatever the IT guy tells them to. They figure if something goes wrong, then they can ask the IT guy at work...but currently most IT geeks are windows droids, so the sheep follow the droids.



    But the more IT guys Apple converts to OS X, the greater their marketshare. For every IT guy they convert, that's like 10-20 other consumers that might buy a Mac. That's why OS X is so great for Apple, because if Apple can convince the Unix IT guys that OS X is the solution toi their problems, then they are in the money.



    OS X has potential, but it needs a few improvements before the IT community will embrace it. Hopefully 10.2 will address the IT guys' needs, but no matter what I predict that within a year from now OS X will be up to snuff for the IT dudes. Then it's only a matter of time before Apple's marketshare begins to climb.



  • Reply 24 of 32
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Slashdot geeks are Linux sheep. OS X is interesting, but they're about as friendly to OS X as they are to FreeBSD...basically, they're not.
  • Reply 25 of 32
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    [quote]Originally posted by Bigc:

    <strong>I am sure Apple can make a real fast machine for the select people that would want one, but I doubt it would make economic sense to sell 10,000 quad G4 with rapidio, etc. just to play a game with the intel crowd. </strong><hr></blockquote>

    Meant to pick up on this earlier but hell I'm slow (and forgetful).



    What's the benefit in selling 10 000 high-end solutions? Simple considering the company I worked for before my current one payed in the order of $60 000 per computer (varied and we actually used 3 tiers of hardware).



    Margins on the high-end are also better than desktop computers. Sell 10 000 of those, which Apple probably wouldn't but anyway, then Apple turns on a tidy boost to revenues.



    Also when you buy hardware of that scale you pay huge sums of money for support contracts should something go wrong. We would lose considerably more than $60 000 if the hardware went down and the company payed for the support contracts accordingly (support cost more than the computers).



    Couple problems facing Apple before they can release such hardware. Even just going into the $5000 - $20000 region there is plenty of profits to be had.



    In the past Apple has never had the operating system for this to be an issue though.
  • Reply 26 of 32
    [quote] Losing IDL was a major blow. RSI was on board for OS X and MP and then decided not do port to OS X.

    This is my area and I can't see myself using a Mac to get the work done. The software is just not there.

    <hr></blockquote>



    Huh? Did RSI change their minds again? Check <a href="http://www.rsinc.com/pr/detail.asp?PRID=63"; target="_blank">this link</a>. The date on it is in December, but it's the latest info on IDL & OSX I could find... Is there something newer?
  • Reply 27 of 32
    The "other 95%" is not actually a desirable market. They're what sucked the industry dry and brought the PC manufacturers to their knees.



    There are people out there buying high-end PC's, obviously. But the vast majority are buying crap.



    I sold computers for about a year, and there are a few things I learned about what the average PC-buyer is looking for. They care about three things, mainly.



    1. Price. Price, price, price. People don't care about how the computer performs nearly as uch as they do about getting a deal. If HP made a Celeron 600 with 64MB RAM and a 3 gig hard drive for $199, people would snap them up. Never mind the fact it can do almost nothing when saddled with WindowsXP, they care about price.



    2. Numbers. People like superficial numbers. People would rather have a 1 GHz celeron with 128k cache and 384 MB PC-100 SDRAM than they would a 933 Athlon T-Bird with 256MB PC-2100 DDR-RAM.



    3. Compatibility. They basically want to have exactly what their friends have, for fear of the "compatibility" issue that is nearly non-existant in today's Internet-based computing world. I've seen customers pay a $200 premium for a monitor I've told them wasn't very good just because it has the same name on it as their computer, over a larger, higher-quality monitor.



    Does Apple really need these people's business? The average user is what's driving the PC manufacturers into the ground. Apple is happy with the non-average user, for lack of a better term.
  • Reply 28 of 32
    [quote] Numbers. People like superficial numbers. People would rather have a 1 GHz celeron with 128k cache and 384 MB PC-100 SDRAM than they would a 933 Athlon T-Bird with 256MB PC-2100 DDR-RAM.

    <hr></blockquote>



    This is so true. Typical conversation:



    "I got a new laptop, dude, I'm mobile now! 700 MHz!"



    "What kind of processor?"



    "Processor?"



    "How much RAM?"



    "I don't know.....but it's 700 MHz!"





    Windows drones are really boring people.
  • Reply 29 of 32
    [quote]Originally posted by PookJP:

    <strong>People would start talking about how Macs are much faster than anything else. Right now, we can't honestly claim that.

    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Don't foget they'd also start talking about the absolutely insane price tag that would come along with such a 4GHz G5 machine, and how even more financially out of reach than before Macs would be then.



    Bye,

    RazzFazz



    [ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: RazzFazz ]</p>
  • Reply 30 of 32
    [quote]Originally posted by Macintosh:

    <strong>

    Apple should and has the capability to make the best computers but they are not.

    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Uh, says who?

    I mean, do you really think all the CS geniuses in the world work for Apple, and every other computer manufacturer is just too dumb to make "the best computers"?



    Bye,

    RazzFazz
  • Reply 31 of 32
    telomartelomar Posts: 1,804member
    [quote]Originally posted by Macintosh:

    <strong>MATLAB and basic apps like Corel word perfect are not available in X. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    The MathWorks have been looking at developing MATLAB for OS X. If you wish to state your opinion that The MathWorks should develop a version of Matlab for the OS X please email The MathWorks at [email protected]. The opinions of our customers carries considerable weight when planning for the future.



    Edit: Just to make it clear that was an email sent to me by someone I know within The MathWorks. I don't work for them.



    [ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: Telomar ]</p>
  • Reply 32 of 32
    Don't you people ever, ever give up?



    You guys go on and on with the predictions and they are usually ridiculously optimistic and hopeful. You guys cannot predict what Apple hopes to do do gain business. Other than random guesses, did any of you predict the Cube, the new iMac, the idea for the digital hub, Apple coming out with an mp3 player, or Aqua and UNIX compatibility for OS X when we were using OS 9? No, no one guessed any future plans except in a vague way.





    Whatever Apple does to gain new customers if they are ever able to will not be predicted here. And you guys always have some great plan right around the corner for Apple to bust things wide open. Let's face it, we get a few new things from Apple each year and nothing so far really qualifies as a breakthrough in reaching new customers. Things like the retail stores and iPod and the iApps may add up slowly but there has been nothing stunning yet. If it hasn't come yet, you should basically figure maybe it's just not coming. Maybe it will and maybe it won't.



    Things that I would consider a radical attempt to gain new customers would be stuff like OS X for Intel, or Sony, Nintendo or someone else using Aqua for an internet appliance.



    I think two years from now Apple will be in just about the same place they are now. I hope history unfolds differently but if it does it will be in some unpredictable way that only Steve Jobs and the top people at Apple have any idea about.
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