[geeks] Hmmm.. food for thought...

[Big Endian]

>  > http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20020214.html
>>
>>  Interestingly enough, I would like to see it as well.  Don't ask me why,
>>  I'm not sure myself.
>>
>
>I haen't used OS X at all, so I have no opinion about useability,
>features, functionality, etc.  However, I would *really* like to see it
>happen.  I think theres a lot of merit to what Cringley has to say.
>
>Apple really needs to get out into the "real world" and try to penetrate
>the business desktop market again.  They need to advertise the
>products.  Like it or not, they might even have to make beige computers
>again [gasp!] if they want to sell hardware to the stodgy corporate
>types.  I haven't seen an Apple commercial in ages - and I certainly
>haven't noticed any Apple ads in the trade rags (Infoworld, Infoweek,
>yadda yadaa).

The problem here is the perception of macs having less "value"or 
"bang for the buck" than their inbred pc cousins.  Companies buy 
large lots of computers at a time, and even at 10% more expensive 
that adds up QUITE quickly, even if your upkeep cost is $0.  Also add 
into the mix the existing investment in inferior technologies such as 
NT, Outlook and Exchange.  ASIP and OS X Server are, by far, superior 
products to the M$ crap. However, they require a higher initial 
investment in hardware.  The thinking is about cash flow and keeping 
numbers low to keep the next guy up the chain from balking.

Apple's marketing is primarily word of mouth and the web.  How many 
"average joe"s  do you hear talking about how cool their 2ghz p4 
looks?  Apples marketing is subtle, and it is working.  If apple were 
to make beige boxes again it would destroy the company.  Apple's case 
designs are part of what makes a mac better.  For certain customers 
(mostly home users) the Cube was a perfect design: nearly silent, 
small, easy to hide if you need to, yet incredibly fast and w/ 
usb+firewire you can arrange your drives however you want to, they 
don't have to go in the case.  The cube flopped because it was too 
small.  It didn't have room for hard core expansion (PCI slots). 
Apple also has a lot of big "stealth" customers.  Publishing firms, 
ad firms, recording studios, all use Macs for their creative 
departments.

>Apple, though, seems comfy in it's present position.  OS X on Intel
>might be exactly what the world needs - but I don't think Jobs is going
>to do it.  While he's a risk-taker, he sometimes seems to over-anylize
>things - and then ends up falling down du to a failure to follow through
>(IMO, anyway).

OS X on Intel will have the same failings as the "Star Trek" project 
did.  The idea of having to know both the OS and the CPU type is 
beyond a LOT of consumers.  They'll buy the wrong software, get 
frustrated, fed up and then go buy a real Mac, or even worse, buy 
into the evil empire to "avoid confusion and make things just work". 
In the current computing climate there isn't room for a second 
"consumer" OS on PC hardware.  Apple's current position is one of 
growing popularity of its primary business: hardware.  Things like 
the iPod and the new iMac are HUGE successes.  I've seen statistics 
that >50% of the people buying macs in the Apple stores are first 
time mac buyers.  Once Apple has a grip on the home market again they 
can start to work back into education (imagine a kidproof iMac aimed 
at elementary schools).

I'm not sure apple wants to be in the corporate sector.  Apple isn't 
a computer for suits because they represent something else.  They 
represent individualism and creativity.  They encourage people to 
work the way they want to, especially w/ OS X where you can have your 
GUI and command line too.  No two people work the same way on a mac. 
The mac os is quite adaptable to allow people to do things that 
nobody has ever done before.  I used to have voice launched apps on 
my powerbook 1400 just because I thought it would be kuel one day.  I 
was riding on the metro and pulled out my powerbook and said "claris" 
and it popped up claris works and I started typing.  Suits can't 
stand that kind of thing.  It goes against their ideal of conformity.

daniel
-- 
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"Fragile. Do not drop." -- Posted on a Boeing 757.