<strong>Lower the price of the PwerMac G4 800 to $899 and you'll have your marketshare. Apple doesn't look at the big picture-never has, never will. They have margins on their brains. 5% marketshare means that Windows products don't get ported over, which means there will always be people scared to switch............................................ ....</strong><hr></blockquote>
$899 is a little too low, but $1599 is WAY to much.
<strong>Lower the price of the PwerMac G4 800 to $899 and you'll have your marketshare. Apple doesn't look at the big picture-never has, never will. They have margins on their brains. 5% marketshare means that Windows products don't get ported over, which means there will always be people scared to switch............................................ ....</strong><hr></blockquote>
1.) Apple's prices their hardware generally with a 20% minumum margin. therefore with your price they would be losing money on every one sold. what good does that do?
2.) marketshare matters but not as much as you seem to think. Developers will port as long as it is profitable. A large majority of mac users buy Photoshop. Enough so that it makes financial sense for Adobe to offer a mac version. A large enough portion of mac users buy Id games. enough so that their games are always Mac compatible. Mac marketshare may only be 5 percent or smaller but it is still several million users with relative new machines. It's hard to overlook a market with several million users no matter how small the marketshare is
I think there is hope for Apple to pick up marketshare because there are so many misconceptions about Macs. The average person on the street doesn't know why they should want a Mac. Here's what Apple should do to pick up a few more of the other 95 per cent.
Take all the advantages of the Mac platform that make it more enjoyable and easier to use than Windows:
Start a massive OS X campaign with pictures of Aqua and all the apps explaining in detail how simple the interface to each is. Each app should be rated as "takes less than X minutes to learn"
Offer the eMac with CDR for $799, plus $100 off for each accessory you buy. Apple can afford to do this. Even if they offered a great computer for $799 to gain marketshare they'ed still sell many Powermacs, iBooks and LCD iMacs to make profits.
<strong> Even if they offered a great computer for $799 to gain marketshare they'ed still sell many Powermacs, iBooks and LCD iMacs to make profits.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They might be able to increase marketshare like that but if they sold like a 933MHz G4 tower or another "great computer" they'd lose money and is that worth it? I don't think so.
this is what it will take: And then Moses decended down from the mountain and said... your lord has given ou 10 command... I mean percent of the marketshare..
Wow, not meant to be rude, but people are giving a child's solution to a professor's problem.
First of all, we need to define time, age, society, etc.
Apple in 1989, is not Apple in 2002. Technogy, ideals, societies, competition, concepts have changed. Some very radacally.
In 5 years, PCs might not be PCs we know anymore. Apple's designs and slogans proved that to us.
It's like, does anyone really care what kind of walkman[oops sorry that's TMed by sony, I mean pordable CD players] we use anymore?
Our idea of what a computer is made of might have changed. If what IBM and all the other geekheads are doing comes into fruitation, consumers won't bother with the idea of "speed" or "performance", and rather the idea of "fashion" "easy of use" etc.
And almong many other things, how do we know "Apple" will be "Apple" in 3,5,10 yrs? Mergers, markets, economies, might change. For example,look at what Sony did when it first started and what it does now. OR even MS-> then and now.
The best we can hope for is for apple to grow as a company, not in what it does, becuase it's already a saturated market.
Cookie cutter ideas won't work because everyone is thinking the same thing.
Kuku's view of the future notwithstanding, I think that the key to increasing marketshare is to do what cigarette companies have been doing for years: pander to children. They are obviously trying that strategy by the aggressive moves in education during the past 1.5 years. If kids are exposed to a Mac that works while they're in school, they're much more likely to get one when they are making purchasing decisions down the road.
Better still, though, I think that the impact of having kids have positive experiences with Macs can have a relatively immediate impact. Whether we like it or not, teenage kids drive what's popular these days. From music (NSync, Britney) to movies (Titanic) to clothes, what's popular is what these kids like. Get 'em while they're young, I say In all seriousness, kids know more about computers than their parents and when it comes to deciding what to get, if they know the Mac way, they're more likely to seriously consider it.
1. schools have no money. therefore, 90% of the time any macs they have will be really old and crappy. so kids get the idea that macs suck. whereas this is probably most kid's only exposure to macs, they all know that little jonnhy in fifth grade has a kick *** Dell at home, so these Dells in school must just be crappy.
2. like Gerber, macs now have a kiddy image. "yeah, macs are the computer that you used in elementary school"
3. unlike cigarettes, kids can't just go out and buy a Mac when they want. their parents usually buy them.
4. parents want to help justify the purchase of a machine, so they say they need it for work. what do they use at work? PC's.
5. kids also like games. the only real driving force in the market for new hardware at this stage is gaming. so where does apple sit? no games.
Gaming is actually going down now. With the next generation of consoles of PS2,Xbox,Gamecube.
Computer advantages to games isn't what it was forcasted to be anymore.
Honestly in the past year we can't see what the trends are because markets are becoming saturated left and right.
Things I can still see are the add-ons, the wireless, and the portiables. Which is basically what macs have been going for a while now. LCDs on apples part was a good idea too.
Perhaps if 3rd party hardware support were to be increased. That's one area where Apple never really had benifit from. I guess this is realated to add-ons, but it targets consumers who never really looked at Macs because it lacked what they needed.
How often do you see "PC/MAC" as oppose to Windows *?
~Kuku
[Of course this is assuming a lot of other stuff are static as with my post above.Apple in 1989 never needed it because the user base back then were pretty "elite" so to say]
Oh yea, girls and cute mastcots are good too heh. Can never have too much of those.
<strong>One encouraging thing I see in this area is that over the past 10 mnths it has appeared that Apple has a plan of attack. And this plan is slowly taking shape. They really seem to have a good development cycle going and they are releasing new products that really fit every need of their intended market.
Look at the past 3 months. nearly ever week or so there has been a major announcement from Apple. They are keeping themselves in the news and releasing new products when they are needed and when it is best for them.
Apple always says they have a strong productline in the pipeline and I believe them. Things are slowly coming together and I think over the next 7 months we are going to see what Jobs and Apple's vision is.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nicely put. I completely agree.
The odd thing is, if Apple plays all its cards right, very smartly and aggressively, with some of the things being hinted on these and other boards, they will be able to keep their niche market (perhaps even expand market/mind -share slightly).
To *really* expand marketshare, anything over 5%, Apple needs plain luck. An extended recession might actually work to Apple's advantage, for example, as more of Apple's competitors *have* to wither for Apple to succeed. Or much fiercer restrictions on Microsoft. Or the crossing of a sudden 'tipping point' vis-a-vis Mac sales. A thing effectively outside of Apple's control. They're praying every night, I have no doubt. But all we can do is wait and see.
If Apple ever hits 20%, they will kill Microsoft. If 1/5 of the people use Macs, they will get exposure and finally be realized as the better computers they are. Microsoft must know this and won't allow it to happen. Unless Microsoft gets split up. I wish the DoJ wasn't a bunch of bribe accepting drones, but oh well. Maybe when the next President gets elected, as opposed to being (s)elected.
You can't gain market share by overpricing your product. A company has to be willing to put off the gratification of profits in order to gain a stable install base. AMD was able to compete with Intel because they were willing to undersell Intel. More people were willing to give AMD a try and their install base skyrocketted. AOL gave their product away in cereal boxes, magazines, through the mail, on the internet, and everywhere else. I even got a free AOL trial in a new hire package at Target. AOL owns the ISP market because they were able to delay profit gratification. Apple is either not willing or not able to do that. Til then, they are fighting an uphill battle.
"Lower the price of the PwerMac G4 800 to $899 and you'll have your marketshare. Apple doesn't look at the big picture-never has, never will. They have margins on their brains. 5% marketshare means that Windows products don't get ported over, which means there will always be people scared to switch............................................ ...."
...and stick a competitive processor in it, maybe?
Oh yeah, and give OS 'X' away in cereal packets...
"Agreed. No higher than $1099 then........................... "
Or, how about a little bit more? Say...several thousand pounds. Make it a REAL premium brand. Use old, out of date technology...a cutting edge processor with 1 fpu...
Or better still, give the 'power'Macs a huge speed bump to 1.2 ghz...and they'll increase their 'power'Mac sales inversely...to 1.5 % worldwide marketshare...
However, the real masterstroke of Macworld New York will be Steve's plan on giving the 1.2 gig 'power'Macs away in cereal packets...
"You can't gain market share by overpricing your product. A company has to be willing to put off the gratification of profits in order to gain a stable install base. AMD was able to compete with Intel because they were willing to undersell Intel. More people were willing to give AMD a try and their install base skyrocketted. AOL gave their product away in cereal boxes, magazines, through the mail, on the internet, and everywhere else. I even got a free AOL trial in a new hire package at Target. AOL owns the ISP market because they were able to delay profit gratification. Apple is either not willing or not able to do that. Til then, they are fighting an uphill battle. "
Yep. The bottom line.
...a shrewd history lesson to any who thinks Apple's gonna reach even 10%/20%(!) market share with their current 'aged' spec/premium mandate.
Gee, maybe Apple still has some 'issues' that they need to resolve before they can 'move on'?
It's called being competitive. Only then will they reach the promised land of 10. (%)
Now that's more like it </strong><hr></blockquote>
Its time for the Mets to fire Steve Philips and give someone else a shot. They should also try to get Omar Visquel from Cleveland for Ordonez and Jay Payton and $3 million cash. A little off topic, but what the heck!...............................
APPLE will probably never have a big share of the market, but there will alway be a niche for APPLE ,and you APPLEHEADS will always have access to new APPLES and plenty of software. The PC/APPLE War has been over for years, but there is plenty of room for APPLE and APPLEHEADS.
Comments
<strong>Lower the price of the PwerMac G4 800 to $899 and you'll have your marketshare. Apple doesn't look at the big picture-never has, never will. They have margins on their brains. 5% marketshare means that Windows products don't get ported over, which means there will always be people scared to switch............................................ ....</strong><hr></blockquote>
$899 is a little too low, but $1599 is WAY to much.
<strong>Lower the price of the PwerMac G4 800 to $899 and you'll have your marketshare. Apple doesn't look at the big picture-never has, never will. They have margins on their brains. 5% marketshare means that Windows products don't get ported over, which means there will always be people scared to switch............................................ ....</strong><hr></blockquote>
1.) Apple's prices their hardware generally with a 20% minumum margin. therefore with your price they would be losing money on every one sold. what good does that do?
2.) marketshare matters but not as much as you seem to think. Developers will port as long as it is profitable. A large majority of mac users buy Photoshop. Enough so that it makes financial sense for Adobe to offer a mac version. A large enough portion of mac users buy Id games. enough so that their games are always Mac compatible. Mac marketshare may only be 5 percent or smaller but it is still several million users with relative new machines. It's hard to overlook a market with several million users no matter how small the marketshare is
Take all the advantages of the Mac platform that make it more enjoyable and easier to use than Windows:
Aqua, iPod, iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, iChat, Watson, OmniOutliner, OmniGraffle, Apple's industrial design
Add another 10 or 15:
iCamera, iConferencing, iAudio, iPDA, iTV, etc.
Open another 100 to 125 Apple Stores.
Start a massive OS X campaign with pictures of Aqua and all the apps explaining in detail how simple the interface to each is. Each app should be rated as "takes less than X minutes to learn"
Offer the eMac with CDR for $799, plus $100 off for each accessory you buy. Apple can afford to do this. Even if they offered a great computer for $799 to gain marketshare they'ed still sell many Powermacs, iBooks and LCD iMacs to make profits.
<strong> Even if they offered a great computer for $799 to gain marketshare they'ed still sell many Powermacs, iBooks and LCD iMacs to make profits.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They might be able to increase marketshare like that but if they sold like a 933MHz G4 tower or another "great computer" they'd lose money and is that worth it? I don't think so.
First of all, we need to define time, age, society, etc.
Apple in 1989, is not Apple in 2002. Technogy, ideals, societies, competition, concepts have changed. Some very radacally.
In 5 years, PCs might not be PCs we know anymore. Apple's designs and slogans proved that to us.
It's like, does anyone really care what kind of walkman[oops sorry that's TMed by sony, I mean pordable CD players] we use anymore?
Our idea of what a computer is made of might have changed. If what IBM and all the other geekheads are doing comes into fruitation, consumers won't bother with the idea of "speed" or "performance", and rather the idea of "fashion" "easy of use" etc.
And almong many other things, how do we know "Apple" will be "Apple" in 3,5,10 yrs? Mergers, markets, economies, might change. For example,look at what Sony did when it first started and what it does now. OR even MS-> then and now.
The best we can hope for is for apple to grow as a company, not in what it does, becuase it's already a saturated market.
Cookie cutter ideas won't work because everyone is thinking the same thing.
~Kuku
Better still, though, I think that the impact of having kids have positive experiences with Macs can have a relatively immediate impact. Whether we like it or not, teenage kids drive what's popular these days. From music (NSync, Britney) to movies (Titanic) to clothes, what's popular is what these kids like. Get 'em while they're young, I say
why you might ask?
1. schools have no money. therefore, 90% of the time any macs they have will be really old and crappy. so kids get the idea that macs suck. whereas this is probably most kid's only exposure to macs, they all know that little jonnhy in fifth grade has a kick *** Dell at home, so these Dells in school must just be crappy.
2. like Gerber, macs now have a kiddy image. "yeah, macs are the computer that you used in elementary school"
3. unlike cigarettes, kids can't just go out and buy a Mac when they want. their parents usually buy them.
4. parents want to help justify the purchase of a machine, so they say they need it for work. what do they use at work? PC's.
5. kids also like games. the only real driving force in the market for new hardware at this stage is gaming. so where does apple sit? no games.
Computer advantages to games isn't what it was forcasted to be anymore.
Honestly in the past year we can't see what the trends are because markets are becoming saturated left and right.
Things I can still see are the add-ons, the wireless, and the portiables. Which is basically what macs have been going for a while now. LCDs on apples part was a good idea too.
Perhaps if 3rd party hardware support were to be increased. That's one area where Apple never really had benifit from. I guess this is realated to add-ons, but it targets consumers who never really looked at Macs because it lacked what they needed.
How often do you see "PC/MAC" as oppose to Windows *?
~Kuku
[Of course this is assuming a lot of other stuff are static as with my post above.Apple in 1989 never needed it because the user base back then were pretty "elite" so to say]
Oh yea, girls and cute mastcots are good too heh. Can never have too much of those.
[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: Kuku ]</p>
<strong>One encouraging thing I see in this area is that over the past 10 mnths it has appeared that Apple has a plan of attack. And this plan is slowly taking shape. They really seem to have a good development cycle going and they are releasing new products that really fit every need of their intended market.
Look at the past 3 months. nearly ever week or so there has been a major announcement from Apple. They are keeping themselves in the news and releasing new products when they are needed and when it is best for them.
Apple always says they have a strong productline in the pipeline and I believe them. Things are slowly coming together and I think over the next 7 months we are going to see what Jobs and Apple's vision is.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nicely put. I completely agree.
The odd thing is, if Apple plays all its cards right, very smartly and aggressively, with some of the things being hinted on these and other boards, they will be able to keep their niche market (perhaps even expand market/mind -share slightly).
To *really* expand marketshare, anything over 5%, Apple needs plain luck. An extended recession might actually work to Apple's advantage, for example, as more of Apple's competitors *have* to wither for Apple to succeed. Or much fiercer restrictions on Microsoft. Or the crossing of a sudden 'tipping point' vis-a-vis Mac sales. A thing effectively outside of Apple's control. They're praying every night, I have no doubt. But all we can do is wait and see.
<strong>
$899 is a little too low, but $1599 is WAY to much.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Agreed. No higher than $1099 then...........................
Hey, it could happen?
...and stick a competitive processor in it, maybe?
Oh yeah, and give OS 'X' away in cereal packets...
Lemon Bon Bon
Or, how about a little bit more? Say...several thousand pounds. Make it a REAL premium brand. Use old, out of date technology...a cutting edge processor with 1 fpu...
Or better still, give the 'power'Macs a huge speed bump to 1.2 ghz...and they'll increase their 'power'Mac sales inversely...to 1.5 % worldwide marketshare...
However, the real masterstroke of Macworld New York will be Steve's plan on giving the 1.2 gig 'power'Macs away in cereal packets...
20% Market share here we come...
Lemon Bon Bon <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]</p>
Yep. The bottom line.
...a shrewd history lesson to any who thinks Apple's gonna reach even 10%/20%(!) market share with their current 'aged' spec/premium mandate.
Gee, maybe Apple still has some 'issues' that they need to resolve before they can 'move on'?
It's called being competitive. Only then will they reach the promised land of 10. (%)
Lemon Bon Bon :cool:
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]
[ 05-29-2002: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]</p>
<strong>
Agreed. No higher than $1099 then...........................</strong><hr></blockquote>
Now that's more like it
<strong>
Now that's more like it
Its time for the Mets to fire Steve Philips and give someone else a shot. They should also try to get Omar Visquel from Cleveland for Ordonez and Jay Payton and $3 million cash. A little off topic, but what the heck!...............................