Apple Inc. (AAPL) Message Board
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The cost of the Apple computer.
According to the Apple store, the cheapest that a new user can get up and running on the internet is $2,548.
I see that WSJ reports that people are snapping up $1000 machines, and that most people expect to pay about half of what an entry level Apple Mac G3 cost.
Compare this to the IBM model, which is only sold at Office Max and on the web, which cost $999. or the Compaq Presario at $999.
Quite clearly, someone at Apple is in dire need of reading Dr. Demming's book. What people want to do is: get on the internet, and have a machine so that their kids can do homework. This Mac G3 is a bit much for what they want to do.-
You seem to be taking some big wishful leaps when talking about the Mac.
On nuber 2) What Apple has done is show the users what a truly simple interface is, and how well it can STILL work, with ALL the complexirties of today's TECH. Got it? That's what the MAC is STILL doing.
On number 3) USB? Another proprietary Intel shove into the throats of PC users. Why do little digital camers have to have anyhting else than RCA plugs? Isn't that a worldwide standard? You buy a camera with a USB plug and you can't put it anywhere else other than your little PC. Not in your TV, not anywhere else. some progress, huh?
On number 4) The old IBM truism you mention should be something that IBM should keep true first, by making boxes that don't need to be fiddled with(USB ports) for consumers to use them NOW. Peoploe who care about getting things done out of the box and forever buy Mac.
On number 5) Mac plug and play IS ambitious, and has STILL NOT CRUMBLED, so the rest of your argument is of no meaning, except that "PC users put up with some problems". I had PCs before Macs, and I DON'T want to put up with ALL THOSE problems, nor Mr Gate's vision of computing, which brings us back to number 2) that the MAc still defines the user interface, for all the windows, buttons, and colorful interfaces Billie comes up with, still don't make a Mac.
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>BOX out there? In my opinion Microsoft needs to
catch up to Intel. The new spec ATX motherboard, chipset, P II slot 1, AGP, USB, sleep mode, etc. together with MMX are there but
WIN95 does not support these features. Guess we need to wait for WIN98 to correct all of
>
Not true at all. Windows 95 OSR 2.1, which ships on new
Dell machines, supports all the technologies you cited.
This has been true for *months*.
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I don't post on this group, I just did a search of message
boards for "Dell", saw this, and wanted to rebutt some
points.
1) Michael Dell's character - he's a business genius with
an uncanny ability to see the future of the PC industry.
He's also young, shy, intense, and a really nice guy. He
is a stockholder's CEO and he doesn't happen to see a
good future for Apple stockholders and so, when pressured
enough, he gave his opinion on what is the best thing
Apple could do for them. Take it for what it's worth.
Apple is not an enemy at Dell... Compaq is the #1 enemy.
2) RE: What has Dell contributed to the evolution of the
PC. Admittedly, not a lot in terms of pioneering new
technologies. What has Apple done in the last 5 years
for it ? Do you think the world owes Apple a debt of
gratitude for what it did 10 years ago ?
3) PII, USB, AGP, etc. These are new and untested huh ?
If you were of that opinion a year ago it might have been
valid for all three. However, January *1998*, only USB
is debatable. You have no understanding of the speed of
technology turns in the PC business. The PII has sold
probably in the millions by now and is undisputedly the
next generation chip from Intel and is king in the PC
market right now. AGP motherboards go along with PII
and few of them ship without an AGP video card in the
slot.
4) RISC - A buzzword few really understand. You can mix
and match RISC and CISC technologies on the same chip. The
Pentium and its predecessors have and had components that
could be called RISC depending on who's equally valid
definition of the term you use. At any rate the old IBM
truism: "It isn't what's in the box, it's what the box does"
still holds true. The people who use PCs don't care about
RISC or CISC, the differences are usually only a subject
for pedants to argue about.
5) Mac's Plug & Play is a hell of a lot less ambitious and
would crumble under the onslaught of different pieces of
hardware you can add to a PC. The Mac is virtually a closed
architecture in comparison. The closed architecture is
what Apple's core (no pun) problem was right from day 1.
People are willing to put up with some problems in exchange
for drastically cheaper software and hardware the comes with
the intense competition of open architectures like the IBM
compatible.
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I
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I don't know where its coming from. ABCNews reported it went up to 5.9%. I had quoted it incorrectly earlier. So, when Apple
was reported at being in the 4% range, noone said anyhting about clones. Now that the market share # is up, it must be the clone
elimination. Where were the clone #s before? you must understand that I am mentioning this because whole theories have been spun, even
from Dataquest, as to what a low market share will mean for new software developmnet for Mac, and its "slow death". It sounds
awfuly close to the political news shows on Sunday morning, with all the talking heads flapping their gums in an asynchronous
fashion, until you get real sleepy.
Whatever it is, it is a good #, especially going up, and if it keeps up it will mean profits, as costs and margins have improved.
It is a good, good number.
Does anyone here think that all our wishfull thinking here, may have done some voodoo kind of thing to Apple's stock?
We have made rain, gentlemen.
Chuck, how are you going to spend those profits? -
yo benkea
that was a great post. altho my message was one of generalization concerning market share (overall) your's was from a perspective that i think i said i wanted from you when you first came on board.
i appreciate your perspective of what has happened currently and hope that things are being done "on high" to change that perspective to a more favorable one.
keep it up -
My company (computer resellers) has changed from 80% hardware/ 20% service to 80% service/ 20% hardware because there is NO
money in the PC business (especially when 40% of new business is PCs under $699). We had ads here in Miami, FL today for both HP &
Compaq selling P-166s, 14" monitors and color deskjet printers for $899. That's not a typo, $899. How much profit is in a P-166,
14" Monitor, & printer for $900???? Not much! If I buy AAPL at the end of January, I would like to see anything but AAPL trying
to gain market share in declining margin areas such as PCs (Macs/ same market, same difference). If AAPL has learned ONE thing
and ONE thing only, it is not to go AGAINST Wintel. They can't win. Momentum is irreversable at this point. Let's see them
concentrate in innovative (hard to do when your first cost cutting measures are in R & D) high margins areas where they have less
competition and a chance to create some standards instead of fighting existing ones. -
yo benkea
you may have a point about the cloners, but i would suggest that it is at least a start towards taking more market space later.
anybody notice that this rookie (oops, veteran) is moving up in the lineup?? -
thanks brent, nice job. stay in touch
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