“Thirty years after its humble start, Apple Computer seems more powerful than ever. Last year it posted record sales and earnings, and investors are back in love. But what can Chief Executive Steve Jobs do to make sure his company hasn’t peaked? For starters, he needs to push forward with his ongoing mission to turn his premium-priced computers into mass market must-haves,” Chris Kraeuter writes for Forbes. “Even more important than the box, though, is the software that runs it… Apple’s newest operating system, dubbed Tiger, has been a hit thanks to its inclusion of music, video and picture-editing features, as well as strong security features: It is elegant, intuitive and offers users a sense of safety. Tiger is slated to be replaced with a new operating system, dubbed Leopard, later this year or early next year. But with the latest push-back of Microsoft’s long-awaited and oft-delayed Vista operating system into 2007, Apple may try to move its schedule up to take advantage of the void.”
“Meanwhile, Jobs still needs to find ways to sell more iPods… Then there’s the digital home, where Microsoft, Sony (nyse: SNE – news – people ), and a host of competitors want to insert themselves as some sort of hub or gatekeeper for communications and entertainment. Apple’s slick, easy-to-use interfaces and its Intel alliance should give it a shot at the market,” Kraeuter writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Are we the only ones who involuntarily flinched at the phrase “mass market must-haves?”
Advertisements:
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
• iMac. Twice as amazing — Intel Core Duo, iLife ’06, Front Row media experience, Apple Remote, built-in iSight. Starting at $1299. Free shipping.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
Are we the only ones who involuntarily flinched at the phrase “mass market must-haves?”
I don’t know if it was a flinch; it was more of a grimace…
Macs are King! Long live the King!
Steve’s Surrender with MacIntels confirms the company’s future as a music download company with really cute players. Vista, in spite of all the hysteria about delays, etc., will be the final nail in Mac’s coffin.
Vista will be a ponderous, hulking turd of a facade over an ever-aging os.
ummm .. ‘mass market’ sounds good to me. So does ‘must have’.
truth hurts,
Trollin’ Trollin’ Trollin’ Keep that FUD a trollin’
Apple should include darwine or some similar technology in Leopard to begin to attract those who will not switch do to application incompatability or just plain unavailability on the OS X platform. Darwine or similar technology will reduce the risk “Switchers” have moving from Winblows to Mac, while introducing them to the best OS around.
“mass market must-haves” sounds awesome! The ONLY reason someone might flinch at that is if they are a snobby SOB. (Don’t even try to deny that!) I’m not surprised that is the attitude of some on this thread, but I am a little disappointed in MDN.
That’s all well and good for some, except that “mass market must-haves” in the context of this article seems to imply, to me at least, that Steve Jobs needs to start scrimping on the quality (making things less “premium” and focus on reducing prices to appeal to the “mass market”.
That’s…just…not…gonna…happen.
If Apple can reduce prices while maintaining the quality and elegance and ease-of-use factors they’ve worked so hard to develop, I’m all for it. But it won’t happen if any of those factors is removed from the equation – especially if past indications from SJ hold true for the future.
Are you people nuts? Steve and his friends are unloading stock as fast as they can… are you paying attention? No? Maybe it’s a good time for you to buy some. If not, who’s fooling who?
“Tiger is slated to be replaced with a new operating system, dubbed Leopard, later this year or early next year.”
Early next year? No, Apple isn’t running on Microsoft’s release schedule.
And to “truth hurts”, the company is Apple, not Mac you friggin noob. And trust me, Apple has plenty of nails of their own to be hammering.
THIS might be the future ??!
http://devsingh.blogsome.com/ Vista=Leopard
The moment they become “Mass Market” they will cease to be “Must Haves”.
Forget flinch, more of a full body dry heave.
*sigh*
forlorn am I…
email to Chris Kraeuter:
Just curious. Apple is currently on track to sell more than 5,000,000 computers this year. Although that only represents about a 3% worldwide market share, Mac computer shipments are growing at 3 times the industry rate.
Industry projections are for Mac share to reach 9% in the next 2 years. At what point would you state that Macs have become ” mass market must-haves”? And did the Mac achieve that status on the day its share hit that point, or on the day it began the journey? As I said, I’m just curious.
Gregg Thurman
mike said The moment they become “Mass Market” they will cease to be “Must Haves”.
Well put! Couldn’t have said it more succinctly. Thank you.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
put it my butt, please… before I post again…
So, truth hurts. Just who ARE Steve’s “friends?”
You’re an ass with no knowledge of anything other than the smell of your own sh*t.
How’s this for truth: Vista will NEVER happen. The current version of XP is the last version of Windows EVER. WINDOWS IS OVER.
Apple’s “expanding universe of applications” (read: runs Windows apps WITHOUT Windows) will be the final nail in M$’s coffin.
MW: Dharma
“Apple Computer more powerful than ever, but what does the future hold?”
Hold on a minute while I gaze into my crystal balls.
I like crystal balls.
On a separate note, I can’t hep but keep thinking about Leopards chaging their spots. Fast OS switching!@%I^*^^$^$$@&)&!!!!!
Are we the only ones who involuntarily flinched at the phrase “mass market must-haves?”
WTF?! Forgive me if I’m missing something, but aren’t iPods “mass market must-haves”?!
Wouldn’t all Apple fans like Macs to be as market-dominating as iPods?!
In other words, no, I didn’t flinch.
Macs are King! Long live the King!
Hail to the King, baby.