Innovative New Apple Devices...
Jobs has said, as the tech slump has deepened as the market has become more saturated
the last few years, 'The Way Out is to Innovate!' and I think with the iPod, Jobs and company
may have stumbled across the Golden Goose that may pull that particular trick off.
Since time immemorial... or at least since Apple and MS have been throwing rocks at each
other, Apple has been on the short end of things, as MS first flirted and then dumped IBM
and then sold OEM's a bill of goods when they wanted the 'every computer you ship has to
have Windows on it, or NO GO on the special pricing'
Well... no need to rehash old stuff, but you know, we have fought that same battle with MS
over and over and over again. So has SUN, and Netscape, and lots of people, and lots of people
have lost because of various reasons. But what strikes me as odd, now at least in retrospective
of looking at the iPod success is that in that distant past we always went head to head with MS.
So... If you was gonna HAVE TO fight a PRO BOXER, would ya stand there and put up yer dukes?
If we was smart, and sometimes losing and losing makes ya see things ya haven't considered before.
And also winning a few successes, like the iPod has helps to see those things even more:
Ya Gotta get 'em on things they don't even know!
The iPod, has been so great because its the best out there, and windows people want it 'cause they
just have to use it, they don't have to sell their soul to the other side.
What the iPod success has taught us, is that services and devices that allow users to use new or
cool functions without worrying about the device OS is what the users want.
Palm was cool, but they only have made a dent by having their OS access Windows as well as Macs
and the Executives that use them as contact and address and notebooks don't have to re-think 'Am I
supporting the right platform or the wrong one? Do I get to use lots of software or just the one that tells
me I have enough choice already?
So... When Jobs and company dream up the next big thing... which is probably in some Cupertino lab anyway... then Windows users and Mac users and Unix users and Linux users will go out and fork down
hard earned money to buy this thing and use it. And they won't have to worry that everything is a scam to
have them convert religions or OSes, which in some places is the same thing.
What has made SONY so powerful is they make devices... that people use. Instead of software that one has to make a CHOICE of which platform they can run it on.
This is all of course one MacintoshMan's opinion.
But it would warm my heart to see Apple succeed in getting more and more of a market share... even if it wasn't for MacOS, but rather for Apple devices and services.
Just a parting thought... HTML doesn't have to be re-invented when you access and use it on different platforms... ??
Which makes me think it might have been the perfect medium all along for those device functions an d services.
An Apple branded hand-held wireless phone anyone? Able to access your phone conversations, contacts, addresses and notes... all seamlessly through storage on the net, or from your own password secured mac or pc at home? Right now phones access services at carrier locations, NOT your data on YOUR computer.
An Apple iPhone could change all that...
At least its a nice thought.
-MacintoshMan
the last few years, 'The Way Out is to Innovate!' and I think with the iPod, Jobs and company
may have stumbled across the Golden Goose that may pull that particular trick off.
Since time immemorial... or at least since Apple and MS have been throwing rocks at each
other, Apple has been on the short end of things, as MS first flirted and then dumped IBM
and then sold OEM's a bill of goods when they wanted the 'every computer you ship has to
have Windows on it, or NO GO on the special pricing'
Well... no need to rehash old stuff, but you know, we have fought that same battle with MS
over and over and over again. So has SUN, and Netscape, and lots of people, and lots of people
have lost because of various reasons. But what strikes me as odd, now at least in retrospective
of looking at the iPod success is that in that distant past we always went head to head with MS.
So... If you was gonna HAVE TO fight a PRO BOXER, would ya stand there and put up yer dukes?
If we was smart, and sometimes losing and losing makes ya see things ya haven't considered before.
And also winning a few successes, like the iPod has helps to see those things even more:
Ya Gotta get 'em on things they don't even know!
The iPod, has been so great because its the best out there, and windows people want it 'cause they
just have to use it, they don't have to sell their soul to the other side.
What the iPod success has taught us, is that services and devices that allow users to use new or
cool functions without worrying about the device OS is what the users want.
Palm was cool, but they only have made a dent by having their OS access Windows as well as Macs
and the Executives that use them as contact and address and notebooks don't have to re-think 'Am I
supporting the right platform or the wrong one? Do I get to use lots of software or just the one that tells
me I have enough choice already?
So... When Jobs and company dream up the next big thing... which is probably in some Cupertino lab anyway... then Windows users and Mac users and Unix users and Linux users will go out and fork down
hard earned money to buy this thing and use it. And they won't have to worry that everything is a scam to
have them convert religions or OSes, which in some places is the same thing.
What has made SONY so powerful is they make devices... that people use. Instead of software that one has to make a CHOICE of which platform they can run it on.
This is all of course one MacintoshMan's opinion.
But it would warm my heart to see Apple succeed in getting more and more of a market share... even if it wasn't for MacOS, but rather for Apple devices and services.
Just a parting thought... HTML doesn't have to be re-invented when you access and use it on different platforms... ??
Which makes me think it might have been the perfect medium all along for those device functions an d services. An Apple branded hand-held wireless phone anyone? Able to access your phone conversations, contacts, addresses and notes... all seamlessly through storage on the net, or from your own password secured mac or pc at home? Right now phones access services at carrier locations, NOT your data on YOUR computer.
An Apple iPhone could change all that...
At least its a nice thought.-MacintoshMan
Comments
I wonder if Apple took a long look at what they do that is great (they do SOME things great don't they?) that someone like MS or Dell CANNOT do, and decided to start down that path. For example, MS doesn't do hardware (keyboards and mice don't count...XBox...Jury still out). And they do crappy software. What if Apple can do great HW and great SW into some new area (iPod)?
I think Dell will compete w/Apple, but they are likely to be found wanting because the iPod is not just about the hardware (which Dell knows how to do cheap).
Apple's success is about figuring out what they know how to do well, and no one else does. There are a few of those things.
Innovation at it's finest. Making our lives a lot easier.
Originally posted by MacintoshMan
So... If you was gonna HAVE TO fight a PRO BOXER, would ya stand there and put up yer dukes?
The above sentence just sort of jumped out at me, but the analogy seems flawed. Microsoft is no "Pro Boxer", they are a street fighting bully with a knife in their hand.
So if you found that one had just knifed your baby, and you happened to pick up a 12 Gage slug gun, would you pull the trigger?
The G5 is the big gun. Go ahead Steve, pull the trigger!
Originally posted by japh
Well, it's not a hardware/software combo, but marketing .Mac web services heavily at Windows users could be a good next step after introducing iTunes for Windows.
I first read about this idea in another thread, but think its an interesting idea. The problem is, aside from .mac email and iDisk, the remaining features are very Mac centric. Think a PC user needs Virex? Safari Bookmark Syncing? iCal Publishing? Although, I'm pretty sure all that stuff uses some XML data format, just like Keynote. Or at least, could use.
Its a nice idea... I just don't see it really happening. But who knows... I might switch sides on this one.
Originally posted by Xool
Think a PC user needs Virex?
Well they probably need virus protection much more than Mac users do!!
Safari Bookmark Syncing?
The service is in having bookmarks stored online, available in a small window and ability to use and add to them from any computer. The service already does all these - it would presumably be a simple step to add ability to sync bookmark file from another browser. Bookmark files are generally onlt html/xml files - the browser they were created on is pretty irrelevant.
Maybe after the success if iTunes Windows, we'll see Safari Windows (although doesn't have the revenue generation attractions that iTunes has).
iCal Publishing?
Possibly the least relevant to PC users, but probably not the biggest seller to Mac users either at the moment I would have thought.
Backup would also only be useful if they ported the application.
They are already doing quite a bit to help those Mac users who also have to use a PC with iDisk Utility for Windows XP, iDisk access from windows, Bookmarks available on Windows etc.
Generally, they would have to think carefully about the revenue generation possibilities. .Mac is a paid for service, but Windows users already have many of the services available elsewhere and Apple will not want to prejudice hardware sales by making all or some of the USPs of Macs available on Windows unless the revenue is worthwhile (which it clearly will be with iTMS and iPods).
For EVER people have asked for a 'subnotebook'. Bingo, they got the iBooks. Rocking!
For EVER people have asked for a handheld. Bingo, they got the iPod.
For EVER people have asked for solid OSes. Bingo, we got X.
For EVER people have asked for a uber tower. Bingo, we got G5s.
For EVER people have wanted XXXXX software. Bingo, we got iTunes, iMovie, iCal, iPhoto, iDVD, etc.
So for the most part our 'eventualy desires' actually come true (eventually
This has gotten us Bluetooth mice and keyboards, it has gotten us WiFi, it has gotten us the hotsest firewire, it has gotten us flat screen iMacs.
So if you want to know what their new "innovative" devices are gonna be, just look at what we still want.
We want FASTER chips. We want a mobile that the end all be all mobile (think newton). We want another media device. We want another new 'nifty' apple trick like the iMac flat screen. We want more programs like Keynote and Sountrack and Final Cut. So these are what we should expect. History has been a pretty good teacher. Even if it was a LONG time off, we eventually get what we want from Apple.
Originally posted by Nick DTM
I _really_ want an Apple smart CDMA phone. iPhone
It was going to be a GSM phone. It existed. And I don't think it will ever see the light of day.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
MS doesn't do hardware (keyboards and mice don't count...XBox...Jury still out).
HA! XBox. It's a joke. M$ failed at that because they were in it for the money (just like they are always in it for the money). They build crappy products, thats all there is to it.
And they do crappy software.
Yes they do. They need to concentrate on their software before they start trying to do hardware. If you can't do one thing well, you need to work on that before branching out. I don't think M$ realizes this. (Or maybe they actually think they build quality software?)
Originally posted by Harald
It was going to be a GSM phone. It existed. And I don't think it will ever see the light of day.
Hey Harald ... again and again you mention the iPhone.
Throw us a bone here. How about a winking smiley if it was a rebranded P800, or a sunglasses smiley if it was a rebranded T610?