Apple have manoeuvred themselves in a strong position for the recovery of the economy.
They are covering many bases desktop to laptop to enterprise to workstation.
And the software? That's the best bit. Even better than the hardware.
And with shrewd PC infiltration. The long-term implications of which we can only guess
With Panther now as a rapidly maturing and rock solid OS...the foundation is there to be bold with software. Software and other products are surging to the point where in the next year or so they may account for half of Apple's revenue. Unthinkable in 1999. Not so now. Hmmm. One day we may even see margin leverage. ?
Panther feels more like the Mac Os 7 I had than any 'X' prior. And I think it's going to get better. I think Panther will allow Apple to do lots more software...be bold...and the developers keep flooding in Apple's direction.
The Science people are just waking up to having one decent Unix box that runs science, photoshop, maths and 'Word' all from one meaty Tower than an out of date Unix workstation and a crummy beige PC.
Apple have never had so much positive press in all the time I've known them in the last five years or so. PC mags dishing out awards to Apple towers? People falling over the iPod both PC and Mac alike? Panther drawing praise from press pundits the world over. Science and creative markets drooling over G5 Towers and Apple's laptops? They're seen as THE laptop. (One UK news report said 'The Mac are THE laptops to have...they are seen as the 'must have' laptops with the 'cool' crowd...)
Even in Education, Apple is making a remarkable fist of these individual contracts, often taking Dell out in the process.
It's like the awareness of Apple is waking up in the minds of Joe Public like some great giant awakening from some immense slumber...
We'll see G5 X-Serves before long and orders will go through the roof. Especially in light of a certain university entering the Top 500 at no.3! Stick that up your Beowulf Cluster Mr. Linux...
With dual 980 chips at the end of the bright lit tunnel...real paradigm shifts in software are open to us. And I'm confident Steve Jobs has the vision to bring us that 'vision'.
20th Anniversary?
Bill Gates has replaced IBM as the evil big brother...it would be nice to see Apple re-do the 1984 ad' and this time, blow a screen of the pretender to the OS crown smashed to oblivion. The billion dollar super market. The billions lost world wide to the Sobig Virus and swiss cheese style security of windows. The 'beige' drones replacing 1984's grey drones...
I'd like to see Apple release a geuine critical mass device/computer that is so affordable they walk out of stores world wide.
A little 10x10 Cube like device with a 10 inch LCD screen. It could function as a hub, a tv, a juke box ala iPod, play DVDs. A genuine 'toaster' commodity computer in the way non of the other computers from Apple or even PC land are. They're very cerebral.
Instead, why not a 'toaster' computer which is more casual and can sit in yer room, on top of a microwave, the fridge in the way a radio 'just sits there' in a casual way.
I still believe Apple have it in them to release a seismic shifting device that could blow the doors of the Wintel market place. The iPod merely points to the potential. Now they have Panther...anything should be possible.
20th Anniversary? I don't think any such product will be released. Apple under Jobs are showing, as a trend..., far more business sense. Expect a more long term product. Built for a reason. Something we 'need'.
The G5 is like some kind of doomsday machine. It seems to be hinting at something else. All signs point to something. Apple are up to something. But what?
Apple must build upon the iPod. They need to hit something beyond the park next year. With all the iTunes music store coverage...the exposure they're getting...I feel they MUST back that up with some more killer hardware and software. But what..?
Not just bumped towers. Not just 980s. Redefined desktops...maybe refined...not just eMacs and the present iMac2? But G5 products with new cases? By next July? I think so. But that aint out the park. So. Not just the impressive G5 X-Serves, great as they will be, not just 'bigger' HD iPods...no...
...something...else. The future. Hard to see...it is.
I'll be very surprized if Apple don't at the very least have a very impressive superbowl ad. (Something epic like the '84 ad)
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
I wouldn't be surprised if OS X fit the bill for that statement.
... They alluded to a TV with a built in DVR as a better solution than a Media PC. For many reasons, among which was that you don't want to interrupt a DVR scheduled recording because someone in the household decides to download a patch or play a game or do something else that would affect the DVR....
I think that these are some good points, however the way I see it a "set top box" separate from my cable box and TV for this. First of all, it opens a bigger market, you can sell to anyone who has a TV, not just those buying a new TV. Also, having it built into the TV limits you from "future growth" of the system, and makes it more expensive to replace when it becomes "obsolete" due to advances in technology. Video in from a HDTV tuner or CATV box (which you are probably renting anyway) means that you can sell to both consumers. It also means that it could be an integral part of your home network.
What I would like to see is a set-top box with a G4 processor, 40 GB HD low end (to keep entry price as low as possible) with a spare bay for growth, 256-512 mb memory, and a video system capable of the task. It would run a stripped down variant of OS X with Rendevue network software. You have a iVidStore application on your Mac/PC to buy videos over the internet when that is possible. It also catelogs your videos on all of the iPVR's on your network, as well as those stored locally. The iPVR's sync with the catalog on your computer and exchange data as needed to view the video on any TV you want to watch it on in your house. Also, since it is essentially a "Mac" the spare processor cycles of all of the iPVR's on the network could be used as a cluster (Mac only) for distributed processing while rendering that longwinded home video of your vacation in the Hamptons. To me this would be a PVR "done right", and I think that it would be more likely to bring consumers to the Mac platform than the iPod in the long run.
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
It'll be the Golden Delicious
Seriously though, when Steve leaves I'm gonna cry. You remember what happened last time! How is he gonna survive anyway? He must have a hard time stretching his $1 a year salary as is, but $0 a year??? I don't know if he can swing that!
Seriously though, when Steve leaves I'm gonna cry. You remember what happened last time!
Don't get me wrong--I have as many warm feelings about His Steveness as the next guy, but I think his recent contributions to Apple have been over estimated amongst us fanatics. It wasn't like Steve came back in '97 and single-handidly saved the company and the future of quality computing. He brought a powerhouse dream team of execs with him: Jon Rubinstein, Phil Schiller, Bertrand Serlet, Avie" Tevanian, and a host of other brilliant engineers and developers. To his credit, Uncle Steve managed to first assemble such a great team at NeXT and also provide leadership at Apple through troublesome times. However, Apple, without Jobs, will still represent the most forward-thinking company in the computer world. Any votes for Jonathon Ive for CEO? Seriously though, I have full confidence in Jobs to tap the best candidate to succeed him. Nonetheless, I'm sure we'll all shed a tear when the time comes.
It dropped in price rather quickly, although even at $3500 there weren't all that many takers.
I don't think Steve is much for anniversaries, but if he does release a 20th anniversary Mac he'll have to come up with a different name, and he'll probably make it more like a "computer for the rest of us" than some unattainable luxury. After all, there's no better way to celebrate the Mac than to exemplify it.
The mac cost $2500 that was the lisa that cost $10,000
I wish everyone would refrain from talking about the nightmarish scenarios involving Steve departing from Apple again. That's not a funny thing to joke about. Without Steve, Apple lacks charisma and vision. Steve Jobs is Apple.
I wish everyone would refrain from talking about the nightmarish scenarios involving Steve departing from Apple again. That's not a funny thing to joke about. Without Steve, Apple lacks charisma and vision. Steve Jobs is Apple.
I think Apple is trying to move away from that and have its products represent it instead, like iPod + iTunes or the iMac. And in some way, it's working. Regular users read about Steve Jobs and stuff, but when you talk about Apple the first few things that come to mind for them would be the tongue-razz iMac advertisements and how cool iPod and iTunes are. While I love Steve Jobs as well, I think this shift bodes well for Apple, since Steve isn't immortal (at least I think so).
Anyway, I like the idea of a consumer-ish TAP (lol) product, if there ever is going to be one, since I'd like to get my paws on one as well. But say Apple decides to get wacky again, and show us the future and use some exotic stuff like the TAM... Could we see an instant-boot Mac with maybe MRAM? Are such chips ready?
I agree we should be looking for a sign of things to come, if a TAP is ever released, since that would only cement every one's faith in the company for time to come, and truly blow us all away.
I can only hope that it doesn't come in lime green.
I just wanted to add a comment about the 20th Anniversary Mac. I was actually selling macs retail at the time of it's release and there was a very Apple-esque promotion based around the celebration. You mention that it started at a retail of $10 K. But what this included was that a limo would deliver the Mac to your house, and a man in a Tuxedo would set it up for you. We only had one customer who actually went through with this, but as far as I know, the setup was delivered as described. Not bad for $10 K.
... It dropped in price rather quickly, although even at $3500 there weren't all that many takers.
...
For all you collectors out there, the Washington Apple Pi is having a "garage sale" on Dec. 13 at NVCC in Annandale, Va. The last two times there have been nice TAMs available for $800-$900.
The TAM was a machine much greater than the sum of its parts. The harddrive was 2GB at the time when 10 GB was normal, the chip was already out of date when it launched, the OS installed was 7.6 and included in the box was the current shipping OS 8. It has 32MB ram when 64 and 128 were norms.
However there were some parts that few other computers had, if any. TV/VCR, Fm tuner and BOSE speakers. It also came with telephone software.
Just think what Apple could do now with the same concepts.
First- Panther, enough said, then 6.1 BOSE surround, TV, PVR, FM Radio, Digital Radio, etc. DVD+RW/CD+RW, 802.11g wireless telephone, etc....
Lets not forget the 20" cinema screen. WHOA, now we have an updated product that meets the bar, if not places it out of reach for PC's for at least 2-3 years. Even the silver footbar on the TAM was Bang & Olufsen.
Even though when they released the new iMac they said then didn't want to load the back of the flat panel with all the computer parts because it takes away from the idea of the "flat panel", but it wasn't bad.
I think an updated TAM would be a great product with a few extra Apple perks and extras to make everyone want one.
Comments
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
A lower priced iPod is coming on Friday the 28th. Stay tuned.
waaaahhhhhhhpuuuump
Thats the sound of my foot kicking your ass for posting that.
They are covering many bases desktop to laptop to enterprise to workstation.
And the software? That's the best bit. Even better than the hardware.
And with shrewd PC infiltration. The long-term implications of which we can only guess
With Panther now as a rapidly maturing and rock solid OS...the foundation is there to be bold with software. Software and other products are surging to the point where in the next year or so they may account for half of Apple's revenue. Unthinkable in 1999. Not so now. Hmmm. One day we may even see margin leverage.
Panther feels more like the Mac Os 7 I had than any 'X' prior. And I think it's going to get better. I think Panther will allow Apple to do lots more software...be bold...and the developers keep flooding in Apple's direction.
The Science people are just waking up to having one decent Unix box that runs science, photoshop, maths and 'Word' all from one meaty Tower than an out of date Unix workstation and a crummy beige PC.
Apple have never had so much positive press in all the time I've known them in the last five years or so. PC mags dishing out awards to Apple towers? People falling over the iPod both PC and Mac alike? Panther drawing praise from press pundits the world over. Science and creative markets drooling over G5 Towers and Apple's laptops? They're seen as THE laptop. (One UK news report said 'The Mac are THE laptops to have...they are seen as the 'must have' laptops with the 'cool' crowd...)
Even in Education, Apple is making a remarkable fist of these individual contracts, often taking Dell out in the process.
It's like the awareness of Apple is waking up in the minds of Joe Public like some great giant awakening from some immense slumber...
We'll see G5 X-Serves before long and orders will go through the roof. Especially in light of a certain university entering the Top 500 at no.3! Stick that up your Beowulf Cluster Mr. Linux...
With dual 980 chips at the end of the bright lit tunnel...real paradigm shifts in software are open to us. And I'm confident Steve Jobs has the vision to bring us that 'vision'.
20th Anniversary?
Bill Gates has replaced IBM as the evil big brother...it would be nice to see Apple re-do the 1984 ad' and this time, blow a screen of the pretender to the OS crown smashed to oblivion. The billion dollar super market. The billions lost world wide to the Sobig Virus and swiss cheese style security of windows. The 'beige' drones replacing 1984's grey drones...
I'd like to see Apple release a geuine critical mass device/computer that is so affordable they walk out of stores world wide.
A little 10x10 Cube like device with a 10 inch LCD screen. It could function as a hub, a tv, a juke box ala iPod, play DVDs. A genuine 'toaster' commodity computer in the way non of the other computers from Apple or even PC land are. They're very cerebral.
Instead, why not a 'toaster' computer which is more casual and can sit in yer room, on top of a microwave, the fridge in the way a radio 'just sits there' in a casual way.
I still believe Apple have it in them to release a seismic shifting device that could blow the doors of the Wintel market place. The iPod merely points to the potential. Now they have Panther...anything should be possible.
20th Anniversary? I don't think any such product will be released. Apple under Jobs are showing, as a trend..., far more business sense. Expect a more long term product. Built for a reason. Something we 'need'.
The G5 is like some kind of doomsday machine. It seems to be hinting at something else. All signs point to something. Apple are up to something. But what?
Apple must build upon the iPod. They need to hit something beyond the park next year. With all the iTunes music store coverage...the exposure they're getting...I feel they MUST back that up with some more killer hardware and software. But what..?
Not just bumped towers. Not just 980s. Redefined desktops...maybe refined...not just eMacs and the present iMac2? But G5 products with new cases? By next July? I think so. But that aint out the park. So. Not just the impressive G5 X-Serves, great as they will be, not just 'bigger' HD iPods...no...
...something...else. The future. Hard to see...it is.
Lemon Bon Bon
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
-Dan
Originally posted by Grecy
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
I wouldn't be surprised if OS X fit the bill for that statement.
Nicely put.
Originally posted by stingerman
... They alluded to a TV with a built in DVR as a better solution than a Media PC. For many reasons, among which was that you don't want to interrupt a DVR scheduled recording because someone in the household decides to download a patch or play a game or do something else that would affect the DVR....
I think that these are some good points, however the way I see it a "set top box" separate from my cable box and TV for this. First of all, it opens a bigger market, you can sell to anyone who has a TV, not just those buying a new TV. Also, having it built into the TV limits you from "future growth" of the system, and makes it more expensive to replace when it becomes "obsolete" due to advances in technology. Video in from a HDTV tuner or CATV box (which you are probably renting anyway) means that you can sell to both consumers. It also means that it could be an integral part of your home network.
What I would like to see is a set-top box with a G4 processor, 40 GB HD low end (to keep entry price as low as possible) with a spare bay for growth, 256-512 mb memory, and a video system capable of the task. It would run a stripped down variant of OS X with Rendevue network software. You have a iVidStore application on your Mac/PC to buy videos over the internet when that is possible. It also catelogs your videos on all of the iPVR's on your network, as well as those stored locally. The iPVR's sync with the catalog on your computer and exchange data as needed to view the video on any TV you want to watch it on in your house. Also, since it is essentially a "Mac" the spare processor cycles of all of the iPVR's on the network could be used as a cluster (Mac only) for distributed processing while rendering that longwinded home video of your vacation in the Hamptons. To me this would be a PVR "done right", and I think that it would be more likely to bring consumers to the Mac platform than the iPod in the long run.
Originally posted by pscates
Any chance they could use Bobbie Phillips as the model for these things?
Meow...
Originally posted by Grecy
I also remember an SJ interview where he said he had "One good computer platform" left in him before he would leave Apple again. I think this was a hint at the replacement for the Macintosh, but I have no idea.
It'll be the Golden Delicious
Seriously though, when Steve leaves I'm gonna cry. You remember what happened last time! How is he gonna survive anyway? He must have a hard time stretching his $1 a year salary as is, but $0 a year??? I don't know if he can swing that!
Originally posted by DMBand0026
Seriously though, when Steve leaves I'm gonna cry. You remember what happened last time!
Don't get me wrong--I have as many warm feelings about His Steveness as the next guy, but I think his recent contributions to Apple have been over estimated amongst us fanatics. It wasn't like Steve came back in '97 and single-handidly saved the company and the future of quality computing. He brought a powerhouse dream team of execs with him: Jon Rubinstein, Phil Schiller, Bertrand Serlet, Avie" Tevanian, and a host of other brilliant engineers and developers. To his credit, Uncle Steve managed to first assemble such a great team at NeXT and also provide leadership at Apple through troublesome times. However, Apple, without Jobs, will still represent the most forward-thinking company in the computer world. Any votes for Jonathon Ive for CEO? Seriously though, I have full confidence in Jobs to tap the best candidate to succeed him. Nonetheless, I'm sure we'll all shed a tear when the time comes.
Originally posted by Amorph
Very few.
It dropped in price rather quickly, although even at $3500 there weren't all that many takers.
I don't think Steve is much for anniversaries, but if he does release a 20th anniversary Mac he'll have to come up with a different name, and he'll probably make it more like a "computer for the rest of us" than some unattainable luxury. After all, there's no better way to celebrate the Mac than to exemplify it.
The mac cost $2500 that was the lisa that cost $10,000
Originally posted by ryaxnb
The mac cost $2500 that was the lisa that cost $10,000
The TAM originally debuted at $10,000.
The price dropped by more than half after all five people who were ready to spend $10K for a funny-looking laptop with a subwoofer already had.
Originally posted by Big Mac
I wish everyone would refrain from talking about the nightmarish scenarios involving Steve departing from Apple again. That's not a funny thing to joke about. Without Steve, Apple lacks charisma and vision. Steve Jobs is Apple.
I think Apple is trying to move away from that and have its products represent it instead, like iPod + iTunes or the iMac. And in some way, it's working. Regular users read about Steve Jobs and stuff, but when you talk about Apple the first few things that come to mind for them would be the tongue-razz iMac advertisements and how cool iPod and iTunes are. While I love Steve Jobs as well, I think this shift bodes well for Apple, since Steve isn't immortal (at least I think so).
Anyway, I like the idea of a consumer-ish TAP (lol) product, if there ever is going to be one, since I'd like to get my paws on one as well. But say Apple decides to get wacky again, and show us the future and use some exotic stuff like the TAM... Could we see an instant-boot Mac with maybe MRAM? Are such chips ready?
I agree we should be looking for a sign of things to come, if a TAP is ever released, since that would only cement every one's faith in the company for time to come, and truly blow us all away.
I can only hope that it doesn't come in lime green.
Originally posted by Amorph
The TAM originally debuted at $10,000.
The price dropped by more than half after all five people who were ready to spend $10K for a funny-looking laptop with a subwoofer already had.
I thought the $10 000 was only a promotion...
From apple-history.com
From: Ben
Subject: 20th Anniversary Mac
I just wanted to add a comment about the 20th Anniversary Mac. I was actually selling macs retail at the time of it's release and there was a very Apple-esque promotion based around the celebration. You mention that it started at a retail of $10 K. But what this included was that a limo would deliver the Mac to your house, and a man in a Tuxedo would set it up for you. We only had one customer who actually went through with this, but as far as I know, the setup was delivered as described. Not bad for $10 K.
Ben
Originally posted by Amorph
... It dropped in price rather quickly, although even at $3500 there weren't all that many takers.
...
For all you collectors out there, the Washington Apple Pi is having a "garage sale" on Dec. 13 at NVCC in Annandale, Va. The last two times there have been nice TAMs available for $800-$900.
Steve isn't immortal (at least I think so)...
I can only hope that it doesn't come in lime green.
What!? TWO blasphemies in the same post! NOOO!!!!
Originally posted by Aquatic
What!? TWO blasphemies in the same post! NOOO!!!!
About immortality -
About lime green -
But seriously, looking at recent press, Apple seems to be triumphed more as Apple and not Steve.
However there were some parts that few other computers had, if any. TV/VCR, Fm tuner and BOSE speakers. It also came with telephone software.
Just think what Apple could do now with the same concepts.
First- Panther, enough said, then 6.1 BOSE surround, TV, PVR, FM Radio, Digital Radio, etc. DVD+RW/CD+RW, 802.11g wireless telephone, etc....
Lets not forget the 20" cinema screen. WHOA, now we have an updated product that meets the bar, if not places it out of reach for PC's for at least 2-3 years. Even the silver footbar on the TAM was Bang & Olufsen.
Even though when they released the new iMac they said then didn't want to load the back of the flat panel with all the computer parts because it takes away from the idea of the "flat panel", but it wasn't bad.
I think an updated TAM would be a great product with a few extra Apple perks and extras to make everyone want one.
Originally posted by ryaxnb
The mac cost $2500 that was the lisa that cost $10,000
Sorry, made a mistake. I thought though, that it cost $7,500
P.s. No low-priced iPod!