I feel sort of a little remorseful over Safari coming to Windows. I was an early switcher and I haven't looked back since. I kinda felt priveleged and special to be using OS X. Now that all the good apps are going to Windows it's like there are fewer and fewer reasons to be proud of what you love. There's no question this is a good thing for the industry in bringing the camps closer together or even combining them. But I think a little bit of exclusivity is a good thing and allows for diversity between the available choices. Look at how PS3 is loosing a lot of exclusives to X-Box 360 and such. In the console market, it's all about the games not the hardware. If you paid $600 for a PS3 and your friend paid, I dunno...what's X-Box like $250? and you're both playing the same game, what's the point?
High def movie playback would be one point, HDMI 1.3, and 1080P games are others, but this is another subject entirely. Both still have their fair share of exclusives so I see your point there.
Well they sell millions of them and their market-share grows quarterly. I don't see them doing anything other than gaining users in droves.
Is Apple gaining desktop customers for iMacs and Minis? Or is Apple selling more laptops, and Mac Pro Workstations? I will second what BenRoethig is asking for: a desktop Mac that many Mac users want to buy. How long is Apple going to put it off?
Apple is growing market share in Laptops by providing what customers want. This is good. Now the same strategy needs to be applied to desktops.
Quote:
They are now making their first move towards gamers. Another huge segment.
Yes, this is a terrific move by Apple. I'm glad to see it, and it is the first ray of hope that a gamer's desktop Mac is coming before long.
Quote:
The amount of snobs that can't find a Mac they want because they need something no manufacturer provides is insignificant compared to the millions that do.
Is it being a snob to want a desktop Mac that is much like what most of the Windows desktop customers are buying? Notice that the snobs, as you call us, are all on the desktop side. I say there is not an insignificant number of us, since we include most of the potential Windows switchers who want a desktop. I'd say we are in the great majority!
Though kind of a duh statement, Windoze users buy what the makers sell and then demand the same, even though they don't utilize what they have. Most people I know never upgrade sound or video cards or even CPUs. Most people I know never mess with the innards of the machine in any way, despite touting that it is upgradable and that's why they were sold on it (why doesn't Apple do that?).
Apple sells fantastic machines (iMac) that are readily affordable (primarily because they require little more software than they ship with) and that are more than capable of handling most people's needs. Sure, they could add a few more bells and whistles, but the machines do fantastic stuff. If the users would take just a little of their own extremely precious time to learn how to apply the computers instead of wasting their time complaining, they would discover how great they are.
Many people are just pre-determined (destined?) to be dissatisfied with just about anything primarily because they are unhappy with their own lives.
Apple makes what they want to make. If you are happy with it, buy it. If you aren't, don't.
Personally, I hope Apple does not produce a gamer's desktop; Apple should continue focusing on making useful machines that help people create, thereby enriching lives.
Many people are just pre-determined (destined?) to be dissatisfied with just about anything primarily because they are unhappy with their own lives.
How did you come to that conclusion? By making it up?
Quote:
Personally, I hope Apple does not produce a gamer's desktop; Apple should continue focusing on making useful machines that help people create, thereby enriching lives.
You seem to imply that the two are contradictory or conflicting. I am puzzled why you think so. The same machine that might pass the time with interactive entertainment can also spend half its time with content creation as well, and in many ways, likely do it at least as well or better to boot.
How many people do you know who are completely satisfied with their lives? In our society, it is virtually impossible to be satisfied and you are not normal if you are. Why else would we always be in a frantic quest to improve everything? The human condition is dis-satisfaction and the belief that there is a better way.
A gaming platform yes is a potentially creative platform, but the average user does not need super-duper graphics cards for their birthday DVD (I made one the other day on a four year old iMac and it went easily and the results were fabulous; the recipient was very pleased with the present). Sure, I could have used my (very expensive) pro-video editing outfit at my home office, but the iMac was more than sufficient for the task.
Apple makes a great gaming platform that can have fantastic graphics and run circles around most any other machine. It's called the MacPro.
How many people do you know who are completely satisfied with their lives? In our society, it is virtually impossible to be satisfied and you are not normal if you are. Why else would we always be in a frantic quest to improve everything? The human condition is dis-satisfaction and the belief that there is a better way.
True, but that's not what I saw when you made the previous statement, it read as if Mac users were satisfied with their lives and the people that took issue, weren't.
Quote:
Apple makes a great gaming platform that can have fantastic graphics and run circles around most any other machine. It's called the MacPro.
Part of the reason that it is so fast is because its also quite expensive too, a touch under $3k US when outfitted with the mid-range card and a little extra memory. I personally don't know of any computer gamer that's spent nearly that much on a single machine, none of them bought workstations with the expectation that they'd play games on them too.
I didn't read all the posts, but here is my two cents.
Apple need desperately to license Mac OS X to HP or IBM for large business accounts (large enterprise customers). For long-term PC success, Apple needs to get into businesses. Apple needs Mac OS X in banks, healthcare, pharmaceutical, financial, and all the other areas they aren't in now. Now that Safari has been ported, its a great step forward.
Let HP or IBM provide support (just like they do for Windows). The business world and consumer electronic worlds have enough distance between them for Apple not to look bad. Apple would continue and sell their computers exclusively to consumers. Apple would still have the graphic, audio, and video shops to sell directly to.
I have always been of the strong opinion of what consumers use at work, they will buy for their homes. If you are an average user using Wintel all day, the chances of them buying a Mactel for their homes isn't very good.
True, but that's not what I saw when you made the previous statement, it read as if Mac users were satisfied with their lives and the people that took issue, weren't.
.
You might have a good point, there! Steve probably agrees.
Comments
I feel sort of a little remorseful over Safari coming to Windows. I was an early switcher and I haven't looked back since. I kinda felt priveleged and special to be using OS X. Now that all the good apps are going to Windows it's like there are fewer and fewer reasons to be proud of what you love. There's no question this is a good thing for the industry in bringing the camps closer together or even combining them. But I think a little bit of exclusivity is a good thing and allows for diversity between the available choices. Look at how PS3 is loosing a lot of exclusives to X-Box 360 and such. In the console market, it's all about the games not the hardware. If you paid $600 for a PS3 and your friend paid, I dunno...what's X-Box like $250? and you're both playing the same game, what's the point?
High def movie playback would be one point, HDMI 1.3, and 1080P games are others, but this is another subject entirely. Both still have their fair share of exclusives so I see your point there.
Well they sell millions of them and their market-share grows quarterly. I don't see them doing anything other than gaining users in droves.
Is Apple gaining desktop customers for iMacs and Minis? Or is Apple selling more laptops, and Mac Pro Workstations? I will second what BenRoethig is asking for: a desktop Mac that many Mac users want to buy. How long is Apple going to put it off?
Apple is growing market share in Laptops by providing what customers want. This is good. Now the same strategy needs to be applied to desktops.
They are now making their first move towards gamers. Another huge segment.
Yes, this is a terrific move by Apple. I'm glad to see it, and it is the first ray of hope that a gamer's desktop Mac is coming before long.
The amount of snobs that can't find a Mac they want because they need something no manufacturer provides is insignificant compared to the millions that do.
Is it being a snob to want a desktop Mac that is much like what most of the Windows desktop customers are buying? Notice that the snobs, as you call us, are all on the desktop side. I say there is not an insignificant number of us, since we include most of the potential Windows switchers who want a desktop. I'd say we are in the great majority!
Apple sells fantastic machines (iMac) that are readily affordable (primarily because they require little more software than they ship with) and that are more than capable of handling most people's needs. Sure, they could add a few more bells and whistles, but the machines do fantastic stuff. If the users would take just a little of their own extremely precious time to learn how to apply the computers instead of wasting their time complaining, they would discover how great they are.
Many people are just pre-determined (destined?) to be dissatisfied with just about anything primarily because they are unhappy with their own lives.
Apple makes what they want to make. If you are happy with it, buy it. If you aren't, don't.
Personally, I hope Apple does not produce a gamer's desktop; Apple should continue focusing on making useful machines that help people create, thereby enriching lives.
Many people are just pre-determined (destined?) to be dissatisfied with just about anything primarily because they are unhappy with their own lives.
How did you come to that conclusion? By making it up?
Personally, I hope Apple does not produce a gamer's desktop; Apple should continue focusing on making useful machines that help people create, thereby enriching lives.
You seem to imply that the two are contradictory or conflicting. I am puzzled why you think so. The same machine that might pass the time with interactive entertainment can also spend half its time with content creation as well, and in many ways, likely do it at least as well or better to boot.
A gaming platform yes is a potentially creative platform, but the average user does not need super-duper graphics cards for their birthday DVD (I made one the other day on a four year old iMac and it went easily and the results were fabulous; the recipient was very pleased with the present). Sure, I could have used my (very expensive) pro-video editing outfit at my home office, but the iMac was more than sufficient for the task.
Apple makes a great gaming platform that can have fantastic graphics and run circles around most any other machine. It's called the MacPro.
How many people do you know who are completely satisfied with their lives? In our society, it is virtually impossible to be satisfied and you are not normal if you are. Why else would we always be in a frantic quest to improve everything? The human condition is dis-satisfaction and the belief that there is a better way.
True, but that's not what I saw when you made the previous statement, it read as if Mac users were satisfied with their lives and the people that took issue, weren't.
Apple makes a great gaming platform that can have fantastic graphics and run circles around most any other machine. It's called the MacPro.
Part of the reason that it is so fast is because its also quite expensive too, a touch under $3k US when outfitted with the mid-range card and a little extra memory. I personally don't know of any computer gamer that's spent nearly that much on a single machine, none of them bought workstations with the expectation that they'd play games on them too.
Apple need desperately to license Mac OS X to HP or IBM for large business accounts (large enterprise customers). For long-term PC success, Apple needs to get into businesses. Apple needs Mac OS X in banks, healthcare, pharmaceutical, financial, and all the other areas they aren't in now. Now that Safari has been ported, its a great step forward.
Let HP or IBM provide support (just like they do for Windows). The business world and consumer electronic worlds have enough distance between them for Apple not to look bad. Apple would continue and sell their computers exclusively to consumers. Apple would still have the graphic, audio, and video shops to sell directly to.
I have always been of the strong opinion of what consumers use at work, they will buy for their homes. If you are an average user using Wintel all day, the chances of them buying a Mactel for their homes isn't very good.
Dave
True, but that's not what I saw when you made the previous statement, it read as if Mac users were satisfied with their lives and the people that took issue, weren't.
.
You might have a good point, there!