Apple's Tipping Point: Macs for the Masses. ⇒
13 January 2005, late morning
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
13 January 2005, late morning
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
Who was that guy who wrote that article about how Apple doesn’t care about market share?
by rishi on January 13 2005, 1:41 pm #
Gruber, of Daring Fireball. He’s usually pretty insightful, so it’ll be interesting to hear his take on the new iPod shuffle and Mac mini. The shuffle in particular, since he came out pretty hard against the rumors. His first post after the Expo should be good. He’s not one to hide his mistakes. Though it's hard to fault him for his feelings. Apple has made no indication they wanted to grow there market share in any substantial way. They were doing well and were increasing profits every year.
by ramanan on January 13 2005, 1:52 pm #
I still never believed anyone that argued that Apple wanted to only cater to high-end users.
To say Apple gave no indication is pretty foolish, if you ask me. They spent the past 3-4 years building up a chain of stores vastly increasing their public presence and improving the quality and reliability of their distribution. They also held massive campaigns showing regular people (not rich or exclusive computer users) who own and love using Macs. I could rattle off some more signals, but I don’t have time right now.
The point is, if you didn’t plan on increasing your unit sales, why would you invest so much in marketing to a demographic that has little to no interest in your product?
by rishi on January 13 2005, 2:17 pm #
No one said they only wanted to cater to high end users. They have an iMac line for a reason. The iMacs were the consumer computer at Apple. Apple has given no real indication they wanted to sell chaep computers with lower margins. All your arguments suggest they wanted to move more iMacs. And they did. I think the wierd looking iMac was the only one in the line that hasn’t performed well in terms of sales. And Apple hasn’t been advertising to people that won’t buy their computers. That’s an opinion and nothing more. If people respond to the switch ads, they’d be the ones who bought an iMac or an iBook i’m guessing.
‘Regular People’ by iMacs and iBooks. High-end users buy Powermacs and Powerbooks. This is how Apple had split the market. The Mac mini is a throw back to the LC I suppose, but Apple hasn’t suggested to anyone they wanted to make LCs again. Since Jobs has come back they have been about moving trendy ‘luxary’ computers and more recently gadgets.
by ramanan on January 13 2005, 2:38 pm #
Regular people buy Dells and Compaqs.
by rishi on January 13 2005, 6:13 pm #
So no one in those commercials Apple aired would actually corospond to an Apple user? Those people pictured would all be Dell and Compaq foder? That sounds like bull shit.
by ramanan on January 13 2005, 6:22 pm #
And another discussion diverges. BTW, we never went to a jungle party over the holidays.
by rishi on January 13 2005, 10:34 pm #
I don’t know. Most Mac users take pride in the fact they are such an exclusive group. I am pretty sure that the Mini Mac and its potential to become a mass-market success will ruffle the feathers of some Mac fans. And personally I think that’s stupid.
I think this particular Expo came and bit Gruber right in the ass. His theory of Apple foregoing marketshare has been blown. His theory of Apple parlaying their success in one product into another is blown.
In other words, this is a very different Apple. It is more energetic, more attuned to the needs of people, and more ambitious. Finally Steve Jobs is coming true on his vision – its about making great products. But that’s not enough for some people. Asshats!
by Sunny on January 13 2005, 11:55 pm #