I don't know, I think you may be over-reacting here. But anyway, I think the most interesting part of all this is the apparent death of AppleWorks...anyone ever hear of an update to that program?
I think it's way too much. Steve even referenced players that people buy for 100 bucks. Why not introduce a 2 gig model for 149? Or better yet, why not ignore the whole mini thing and just sell the original iPod for 149. Seems to me like everyone at Apple got excited over the mini form factor, and forgot the goal was to make a cheaper iPod, not just a smaller one.
I agree with Macca, no G5 powerbooks yet but I'd love to see dual G4 powerbooks that would be so cool! Especially since dual g4's can run as fast as a single g4 processor.
I hope they introduce the mini-iPod, I think it would great for Apple.
I'd also like to see an updated iCal and Address Book. Right now they are pretty crudy especially when compared to Palm's software.
I hated the original 1984 commercial. I know it was cool and all that and looking at it now it was an amazing commercial but I don't think it had much to do with selling the Macintosh. Commercials need to sell stuff. I am sick and tired of the slick abstract commericals have. The latest ipod commercials are a good example. The only feature they point out is 10,000 songs in your pocket. What about the itunes music store? The remote, playlists, contacts, games, everything. Instead we just get sillohettes of people dancing. Gimme a break.
I agree that the iSight would sell like hot pancakes for the PC but wouldn't it do it for the sake of Mac sales? I know so many people who are close to switching, and the iSight is yet another compelling reason that may just be the straw to break the camels back.
Think of the iSight as a trojan horse to sell more Macs and not as iChat AV for Windows as a trojan to sell more iSights. Otherwise, long-term, Apple would just become a company that makes (we'll-designed) peripherals.
Good article and I agree. If PC users want Mac apps buy a Mac! I don't even like it that iTunes is availble for the PC. Heck, I don't even like it that iPods can be used on a PC.
John, as for iSight doesn't it rely on the fast processor speed, firewire connection, and video cards that come with Macs? If they made for the PC how could Apple possibly support it on all the various machines? Also, I'm not sure but doesn't iChat AV rely on some proprietary Apple hardware/software?
I think it is a big deal. The metal takes up a lot of room which is fine if you have a 22" cinema display but if you have a 15" imac its too much window fluff. In safari it looks fine but in the finder its too much. All the writer is asking for is for some other, limited options. Sounds reasonable to me, I hope Apple is listening.
gagravaar,
You are correct in saying bad customer service is a problem in most stores. The difference is Kmart or Target are not using their stores as a strategy to penetrate a market (computers) and to try to get people to switch platforms.
Apple is not in a situation to be complacant with its products or its (diminishing) market share.
As some other comments have noted there is a difference between being agressive and pushy in making a sale and being helpful. I don't think Apple employees should be hounding people to close the sale. I do think being asked when you enter the store, "how can I help you" would be, well, helpful.
Maybe its a scenario kind of thing. "Hello, welcome to Apple, do you currently own a mac?"
Charles,
thats a great tip and I hope you are right. What with quark coming out next week I'll have no reason (once I pony up the cash for the new quark) for classic. It'll be interesting to see if you are right. I hope you are....but if classic is supposed to be just like another application running within OS X why would it create more crashes?
I've found this happens to me too. What I do now is quit applications one-by-one before shutting down so the only thing that has to shut down in the finder. Its a pain but at least the thing turns off. Hope you are right about panther fixing this as its a pain.
An iCar? forget it. Apple was just plain lucky with the Mac. Anytime they've tried to branch out (the Newton, the Quicktake, printers, Pippen, and many other examples) they've failed miserably. Apple just got lucky with the Mac and will live off it for as long as they can. The original Apple I was a great product thought up in a garage. The next great thing will be thought up in a garage too, not in some big corporation like Apple.
i don't know. 500 bucks for a jacket for a 500 dollar ipod seems pretty ridiculous to me...add in some decent headphones (the ones that come with the ipod are horrible) and your walking around with over 1000 bucks of equipment just to listen to music?! Should get surround sound with dvd for that kind of cash.
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