The consumers have voted with their wallets and those with simple needs are finding the iPad can do the basics all in a nice package - if they needed more than what an iPad can do then Macs have shown to be a superior product.
This type of report indicates the eventuality that once the low hanging fruit is collected then the more difficult job is ahead. I'd like to hear some opinions about where to strike next with Macs as this report, at the very least warns of a necessary adjustment in the present or future where for Mac growth to continue, the strategy has to shift to find more buyers that think a Mac makes more sense than a PC.
I know I still have to use Bootcamp for industrial applications - those where a personal sized touch screen is impractical.
Also I can appreciate a future with better iPads paired with unlimited cloud storage hubs and hosted computing for accessing really heavy apps. They seem to be working on the early versions of this now.
In an ergonomical and usage flexibility sense, the mac will still very much be needed by content creators - maybe sitting at a desk on a mouse and keyboard isn't the ergonomic ideal and this needs to be studied more but its still way more efficient and effective than sitting on a couch with an iPad.
I'll always be a Mac user. I switched three months ago, to a MacBook Pro, and I love it. After my PC desktop dies, I don't use it too much, I may buy an iMac.
I just sold our Retina MacBook Pro. I use the iMac as the hub for all my storage and my wife's photo editing- everything else is iPad, iPad Mini, iPhones, Apple TV. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next iMac refresh....
I thought that would be their strategy eventually to start growing in marketshare but they raised some prices instead. The price tags give a false impression of how much profit they make on the machines. Their gross margins are below iOS devices and those are at 37%. If the Macs are at 30%, that means that although a Macbook Air is $999, Apple is at best making $300 and then if you order it online, they have to pay shipping out of that. If they decided to make the entry-level $799, that's still fairly high in an industry where the average selling price is $500 but they'd make maybe $80 net profit. That's still higher net margins than the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo etc.
They might not get much higher volume by just lopping off $100-200 so the volume increase doesn't offset the profit loss and they'd just be volunteering to make less profit. Perhaps they need to find new manufacturing solutions that allow them to lower their build costs but I imagine they've gone through it with a fine-tooth comb already.
Laptops are clearly the highest selling machines so that should be the focus for improving Mac switcher numbers. A part of the problem is how much Intel charges for processors. If Apple could save $100-150 on processors, that could translate into a $200 retail drop with the same margins. Their own ARM chips would work but you can see what happened with Windows RT and Chromebook sales are rubbish too. When people pay so much for a laptop, they expect software compatibility.
When iPad numbers are included into the picture, Apple sells more units than any other PC manufacturer so from that perspective, Apple's adoption rates are doing pretty well.
AI understand that the iMac is not the top selling product.
But there are two important points to remember:
1. Apple has a small product range - you can put one of each Apple Products on the top of one dining room table, with room to spare.
2. Apple had the funds to maintain strong development for all products on that table top. They can add more talented staff without hurting the bank balance. LIke I said before, how long has it been since iWork was released in a new version? The iMac is a major product for Apple and Mac users and deserves aggressive updating just as the notebooks do.
Uh huh. Another analyst. It turns out that computer analysts are just carnival fortune tellers. They're just not as accurate nor as entertaining. There's no reason to believe them.
Didn't know Consumer Reports was still being paid off to lie.
Quicktime sucks and Safari too.The cloud is inconsistent. Mavericks is desparately needed to bring something fresh to the table. OSX has been given short rift the last 5 years with iOS the priority. And the new iMacs don't make sense without a retina display.
I remember when computers were considered a luxury or special item. Today they're pretty much everywhere. Most people who need or want to use one, have one, or have easy access to one. But they never became simple to use for most people. They're still geek contraptions that require ridiculous amounts of maintenance and specialized knowledge to keep operational. The geeks in this forum won't even comprehend what I'm saying and will just mock or write me off.
With the introduction of a truly functional and reliable computing appliance (the iPad and iPhone), it makes sense to me that traditional computers, as we've known them, will be relegated back to special-case items (for developers, scientists, artists, musicians, etc, who need far more powerful, flexible, or expandable computerized function).
Everything seems normal to me. I just wish it had happened ten years ago. It's terribly late.
Some analysts have such a limited view of the bigger picture. It was inevitable that people would spend less money on computers as it became cheaper to produce a machine that could handle most people's basic needs (e-mail, web surfing, etc.), the only question was who would be able to best capitalize on the transition. For a while, it was looking like the netbook makers would be the biggest beneficiaries, but then Apple pulled the rug out from under them with the iPad (and to some degree, the iPhone).
This gives them a nice portfolio of high quality products for the discriminating consumer across a range of price points: iPad, Mac Mini, MacBook Air, iMac, MacBook Pro, and (sort of ) Mac Pro. Each one is very good for the niche it serves, and not I would argue unreasonably priced for the quality of the overall experience provided.
If iPad is included in the calculations as a computer, as I think it most certainly should be, Apple already has a large share of the overall computer market, so of course there may be less switching then there was before the iPad, but people also think of these devices on a different upgrade cycle, so instead of waiting five years for a new computer, they might get a new iPad sooner. Apple's job here, which will still be challenging, is to keep upgrading the hardware enough that people feel the need or desire to upgrade as soon as possible.
In it's current state- I can;t recommend a Mac. Quicktime sucks and Safari too.
As opposed to what? The shining beacons of software that are Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer?
IE is horrendous and the only reason I ever need to use it is for outdated internal corporate web services which depend on IE-specific functionality (happens less and less). Firefox and Chrome work pretty much the same on both Windows and Mac if you truly hate Safari.
Windows Media Player can play all the old Windows-specific media formats (certain .avi files and whatnot), but then Quicktime can play the old Mac-specific media (certain .qt files). No real winner here aside from being tied to old media files created by people who didn't know better. There's always VLC for oddball formats.
Quote:
The cloud is inconsistent.
I'll give you that point. Then again, I haven't compared it with Microsoft's cloud uptime.
Quote:
Mavericks is desparately needed to bring something fresh to the table.
??? As opposed to what Windows 8 brought to the table (a painful user experience on the desktop)?
Quote:
And the new iMacs don't make sense without a retina display.
The 21" version perhaps, but a 27" retina display would add a huge amount to the price. In addition to being a far more expensive display, it also requires a hefty GPU to push all those pixels.
The only thing I care about is that all three versions get EFFING FEATURE PARITY. It's nonsense that they've never been 1:1 on iOS and OS X. Now adding a third "version" into the mix is totally unApple. I don't want to see effing file errors when moving between "iWork" and "iWork".
Yeah, I don't think that's going to be happening soon if they've stretched themselves over maintaining 3 different versions. If they can standardize on the web/iCloud version for all platforms, then maybe. But there's still a number of features missing, and it's very hard to pull off desktop and mobile in the same package (as we see with the Windows 8 debacle).
Apple IS continuing to innovate. Have these people not seen the "new" Mac Pro...that computer is absolutely revolutionary...and if Apple does a good job with marketing and pricing, they will sell loads of them!!
Apple does need to bring the 17" MacBook Pro back. Discontinuing their large-screen model leaves an empty place in the lineup that is filled by pretty much every other laptop maker.
And yes, these days Macs do last a long time. If you have a Core 2 Duo iMac from 2007, you are still set to go...speedy and can run Mountain Lion. No reason to upgrade a machine that can surf the web fast and run all your apps, play music and video fine. These Macs are built to last. It's not like the days when your 68040 was outdated and you needed to buy a PowerPC Mac 6 months later. These can last 8-10 years now.
I believe when the new MacPro is released we will see a surge of purchases by content creators. It'll be like a tank showing up at a pen-knife fight. The small devices -- from the MacBooks to the iPod Touches have increased the incidence of creative projects, but the emergence of the MacPro will increase the vitality of creative projects. No matter how small and powerful computers become, the human mind is still faster and desires more. The MacPro will rush into that unrecognized (except by Apple visionaries) gaping hole.
Nice first post, worth the wait.
I think also it's obvious that we're going to get a display breakthrough that will redefine what our eyes are really for, thanks to the Mac Pro, 4K, and other pixel hijinks that shall remain unnamed.
So a new round of switching and upgrading is just around the corner, and Wolf will make claim chowder history.
I just sold our Retina MacBook Pro. I use the iMac as the hub for all my storage and my wife's photo editing- everything else is iPad, iPad Mini, iPhones, Apple TV. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next iMac refresh....
I couldn't agree with you more. I have an orig. intel 20" white iMac (upgraded to BT Apple KB and Apple magic TP). Unfortunately, I'm stuck with SL OSX.
But, I'm all about iPhones and iPad Minis to do 95% of my work. ATV for entertainment (Slide show on the ATV is the best way to view photos-worth the $99 just for that!)
Having said that, I do like having the iMac (large screen) as my hub. Like you. But I guess I'm old.
I may have to get an MBA just so I can have Lion/Mavericks and fully utilize iCloud.
Tablets and smart phones serve the needs of the casual user -- web surfing, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Why should somebody drop the cash on a clunky notebook or desktop when a tablet can serve their needs?
I own a retina MacBook Pro for software development and competitive gaming.
As opposed to what? The shining beacons of software that are Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer?
IE is horrendous and the only reason I ever need to use it is for outdated internal corporate web services which depend on IE-specific functionality (happens less and less). Firefox and Chrome work pretty much the same on both Windows and Mac if you truly hate Safari.
Windows Media Player can play all the old Windows-specific media formats (certain .avi files and whatnot), but then Quicktime can play the old Mac-specific media (certain .qt files). No real winner here aside from being tied to old media files created by people who didn't know better. There's always VLC for oddball formats.
I'll give you that point. Then again, I haven't compared it with Microsoft's cloud uptime.
??? As opposed to what Windows 8 brought to the table (a painful user experience on the desktop)?
The 21" version perhaps, but a 27" retina display would add a huge amount to the price. In addition to being a far more expensive display, it also requires a hefty GPU to push all those pixels.
I bought a 21" version- suped to the max and not impressed. I want to sell it as soon as the upgrades are announced. I'm not sure if it's the build or the current OS but it's not a lighting fast as I'd like and the screen is just ok.
I suppose I should have bought the 27 but spacing concerns said no.
Comments
This type of report indicates the eventuality that once the low hanging fruit is collected then the more difficult job is ahead. I'd like to hear some opinions about where to strike next with Macs as this report, at the very least warns of a necessary adjustment in the present or future where for Mac growth to continue, the strategy has to shift to find more buyers that think a Mac makes more sense than a PC.
I know I still have to use Bootcamp for industrial applications - those where a personal sized touch screen is impractical.
Also I can appreciate a future with better iPads paired with unlimited cloud storage hubs and hosted computing for accessing really heavy apps. They seem to be working on the early versions of this now.
In an ergonomical and usage flexibility sense, the mac will still very much be needed by content creators - maybe sitting at a desk on a mouse and keyboard isn't the ergonomic ideal and this needs to be studied more but its still way more efficient and effective than sitting on a couch with an iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iNosey
I'll always be a Mac user. I switched three months ago, to a MacBook Pro, and I love it. After my PC desktop dies, I don't use it too much, I may buy an iMac.
I just sold our Retina MacBook Pro. I use the iMac as the hub for all my storage and my wife's photo editing- everything else is iPad, iPad Mini, iPhones, Apple TV. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next iMac refresh....
I thought that would be their strategy eventually to start growing in marketshare but they raised some prices instead. The price tags give a false impression of how much profit they make on the machines. Their gross margins are below iOS devices and those are at 37%. If the Macs are at 30%, that means that although a Macbook Air is $999, Apple is at best making $300 and then if you order it online, they have to pay shipping out of that. If they decided to make the entry-level $799, that's still fairly high in an industry where the average selling price is $500 but they'd make maybe $80 net profit. That's still higher net margins than the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo etc.
They might not get much higher volume by just lopping off $100-200 so the volume increase doesn't offset the profit loss and they'd just be volunteering to make less profit. Perhaps they need to find new manufacturing solutions that allow them to lower their build costs but I imagine they've gone through it with a fine-tooth comb already.
Laptops are clearly the highest selling machines so that should be the focus for improving Mac switcher numbers. A part of the problem is how much Intel charges for processors. If Apple could save $100-150 on processors, that could translate into a $200 retail drop with the same margins. Their own ARM chips would work but you can see what happened with Windows RT and Chromebook sales are rubbish too. When people pay so much for a laptop, they expect software compatibility.
When iPad numbers are included into the picture, Apple sells more units than any other PC manufacturer so from that perspective, Apple's adoption rates are doing pretty well.
AI understand that the iMac is not the top selling product.
But there are two important points to remember:
1. Apple has a small product range - you can put one of each Apple Products on the top of one dining room table, with room to spare.
2. Apple had the funds to maintain strong development for all products on that table top. They can add more talented staff without hurting the bank balance. LIke I said before, how long has it been since iWork was released in a new version? The iMac is a major product for Apple and Mac users and deserves aggressive updating just as the notebooks do.
Originally Posted by kpluck
Fixed that for you.
Stop being so shortsighted.
Originally Posted by pazuzu
In it's current state- I can;t recommend a Mac.
Didn't know Consumer Reports was still being paid off to lie.
Quicktime sucks and Safari too.The cloud is inconsistent. Mavericks is desparately needed to bring something fresh to the table. OSX has been given short rift the last 5 years with iOS the priority. And the new iMacs don't make sense without a retina display.
Totally wrong.
With the introduction of a truly functional and reliable computing appliance (the iPad and iPhone), it makes sense to me that traditional computers, as we've known them, will be relegated back to special-case items (for developers, scientists, artists, musicians, etc, who need far more powerful, flexible, or expandable computerized function).
Everything seems normal to me. I just wish it had happened ten years ago. It's terribly late.
This gives them a nice portfolio of high quality products for the discriminating consumer across a range of price points: iPad, Mac Mini, MacBook Air, iMac, MacBook Pro, and (sort of ) Mac Pro. Each one is very good for the niche it serves, and not I would argue unreasonably priced for the quality of the overall experience provided.
If iPad is included in the calculations as a computer, as I think it most certainly should be, Apple already has a large share of the overall computer market, so of course there may be less switching then there was before the iPad, but people also think of these devices on a different upgrade cycle, so instead of waiting five years for a new computer, they might get a new iPad sooner. Apple's job here, which will still be challenging, is to keep upgrading the hardware enough that people feel the need or desire to upgrade as soon as possible.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pazuzu
In it's current state- I can;t recommend a Mac. Quicktime sucks and Safari too.
As opposed to what? The shining beacons of software that are Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer?
IE is horrendous and the only reason I ever need to use it is for outdated internal corporate web services which depend on IE-specific functionality (happens less and less). Firefox and Chrome work pretty much the same on both Windows and Mac if you truly hate Safari.
Windows Media Player can play all the old Windows-specific media formats (certain .avi files and whatnot), but then Quicktime can play the old Mac-specific media (certain .qt files). No real winner here aside from being tied to old media files created by people who didn't know better. There's always VLC for oddball formats.
Quote:
The cloud is inconsistent.
I'll give you that point. Then again, I haven't compared it with Microsoft's cloud uptime.
Quote:
Mavericks is desparately needed to bring something fresh to the table.
??? As opposed to what Windows 8 brought to the table (a painful user experience on the desktop)?
Quote:
And the new iMacs don't make sense without a retina display.
The 21" version perhaps, but a 27" retina display would add a huge amount to the price. In addition to being a far more expensive display, it also requires a hefty GPU to push all those pixels.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
The only thing I care about is that all three versions get EFFING FEATURE PARITY. It's nonsense that they've never been 1:1 on iOS and OS X. Now adding a third "version" into the mix is totally unApple. I don't want to see effing file errors when moving between "iWork" and "iWork".
Yeah, I don't think that's going to be happening soon if they've stretched themselves over maintaining 3 different versions. If they can standardize on the web/iCloud version for all platforms, then maybe. But there's still a number of features missing, and it's very hard to pull off desktop and mobile in the same package (as we see with the Windows 8 debacle).
Apple does need to bring the 17" MacBook Pro back. Discontinuing their large-screen model leaves an empty place in the lineup that is filled by pretty much every other laptop maker.
And yes, these days Macs do last a long time. If you have a Core 2 Duo iMac from 2007, you are still set to go...speedy and can run Mountain Lion. No reason to upgrade a machine that can surf the web fast and run all your apps, play music and video fine. These Macs are built to last. It's not like the days when your 68040 was outdated and you needed to buy a PowerPC Mac 6 months later. These can last 8-10 years now.
Boy does that chart ever look like it was made on a Windows box using excel! Ugh!
'Oh ... Santa ... can you hear me?'
Nice first post, worth the wait.
I think also it's obvious that we're going to get a display breakthrough that will redefine what our eyes are really for, thanks to the Mac Pro, 4K, and other pixel hijinks that shall remain unnamed.
So a new round of switching and upgrading is just around the corner, and Wolf will make claim chowder history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andysol
I just sold our Retina MacBook Pro. I use the iMac as the hub for all my storage and my wife's photo editing- everything else is iPad, iPad Mini, iPhones, Apple TV. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next iMac refresh....
I couldn't agree with you more. I have an orig. intel 20" white iMac (upgraded to BT Apple KB and Apple magic TP). Unfortunately, I'm stuck with SL OSX.
But, I'm all about iPhones and iPad Minis to do 95% of my work. ATV for entertainment (Slide show on the ATV is the best way to view photos-worth the $99 just for that!)
Having said that, I do like having the iMac (large screen) as my hub. Like you. But I guess I'm old.
I may have to get an MBA just so I can have Lion/Mavericks and fully utilize iCloud.
Best!
tl;dr
Tablets and smart phones serve the needs of the casual user -- web surfing, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Why should somebody drop the cash on a clunky notebook or desktop when a tablet can serve their needs?
I own a retina MacBook Pro for software development and competitive gaming.
Apple just want to keep the status quo for macs. Why spend resources on a dying market. It's wise to spend on mobile devices instead.
Even with status quo, developers will buy macs because that's the only platform for developing ipad/iphone apps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auxio
As opposed to what? The shining beacons of software that are Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer?
IE is horrendous and the only reason I ever need to use it is for outdated internal corporate web services which depend on IE-specific functionality (happens less and less). Firefox and Chrome work pretty much the same on both Windows and Mac if you truly hate Safari.
Windows Media Player can play all the old Windows-specific media formats (certain .avi files and whatnot), but then Quicktime can play the old Mac-specific media (certain .qt files). No real winner here aside from being tied to old media files created by people who didn't know better. There's always VLC for oddball formats.
I'll give you that point. Then again, I haven't compared it with Microsoft's cloud uptime.
??? As opposed to what Windows 8 brought to the table (a painful user experience on the desktop)?
The 21" version perhaps, but a 27" retina display would add a huge amount to the price. In addition to being a far more expensive display, it also requires a hefty GPU to push all those pixels.
I bought a 21" version- suped to the max and not impressed. I want to sell it as soon as the upgrades are announced. I'm not sure if it's the build or the current OS but it's not a lighting fast as I'd like and the screen is just ok.
I suppose I should have bought the 27 but spacing concerns said no.