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Marketing the Whole Widget
Korin Hasegawa-John - 2002.09.04
My Turn is Low End Mac's column for reader-submitted articles. It's your turn to share your thoughts on all things Mac (or iPhone, iPod, etc.) and write for the Mac web. Email your submission to Dan Knight .
Apple's greatest strength in the computer industry is hardware/software integration. Apple's software engineers know exactly what hardware is being used in the newest Macs, and they don't have to support a tremendous multitude of devices, as does Windows. This is relatively unique in the computer industry. IBM and Sun do the same thing - IBM with AIX, and Sun with Solaris - but these products don't compete with Apple except in the server market, where Apple is not (yet) a major player.
Because of this integration, Apple can make its hardware and software work extremely well together without very many hassles for the end user. Apple also develops not just the core OS, but also many of the apps that run on it. The iApps, Mail, Final Cut Pro, WebObjects, and others are from Apple. Microsoft does this, too, but Microsoft doesn't have the added advantage of hardware development.
The key difference between a Mac and a Windows PC is the completeness of the Mac. Everything comes from Apple. Apple may not design each component, but they makes sure everything works well under the Mac OS and with the other hardware Apple uses in their computers. Apple designs the motherboard, giving them another advantage over the PC end of things.
Even though the hardware/software integration is Apple's strong point, they don't seem to be taking much advantage of it. A few key places where they could:
Web Browsing
I use a 450 MHz PII running Win 98 SR2, 224 MB RAM, and IE 6. I also use a 500 MHz iMac DV SE running Mac OS 9.1 with 256 MB of RAM and both IE 5 and Mozilla Release Candidate 3. Unofficial "this is taking a long time to load" style timings show that the PII is faster than the Mac for browsing. If I bothered to install Win2k, it'd do even better. Even using Mozilla on the Mac - one of the faster browsers - the PII runs IE 6 faster.
This is very bad for the Mac. Web browsing is arguably one of the most common things that computers are used for today. This reinforces the perception that Macs are slow. However, Apple can do something about it.
Using Chimera as a base for an Apple-branded browser (iWeb?), Apple could effectively optimize iWeb for Mac OS X. Since Chimera is already faster than the Mac incarnation of Internet Explorer, it wouldn't be that hard to bring it into parity with Windows browsing using IE.
Games and Game Performance
Apple needs to work more closely with nVidia (ATI is hobbled with lousy drivers even on Windows) for better game performance on the Mac. The Power Mac G4 would make a great gaming machine if Apple had better drivers. Case in point: There still isn't a real driver for the GeForce4 Ti, the fastest graphics card on the planet. Users are stuck using GeForce 2mx drivers or GeForce3 drivers.
Apple should also offer a custom gaming configuration. This would be something along the lines of a Power Mac dual 1 GHz with a Combo drive, 512 MB of DDR RAM, no modem (gamers use broadband), a GeForce4 Ti, Apple Pro Speakers, and maybe several games. Gamers don't really need the SuperDrive but would love to get more RAM and video card power, along with some "free" games for the same price as a standard G4 1 GHz dual.
In order for Apple to expand its market share beyond 5%, it needs to cultivate its integrated advantage. Apple has direct control over all components in a Mac, and they need to use this to their best advantage. They also need to cultivate better relationships with hardware developers (nVidia, IBM [since Motorola has not had much of a future with the high-end PowerPC for a while now], Pioneer, Creative [for sound hardware], and controller manufacturers like Atek).
Increased partnership and cooperation with the people who supply Apple with the hardware that is used in a Mac can only benefit everyone involved - maybe then we can get that elusive 10% market share.
Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.
Recent My Turn articles
- Using Low End Macs for Internet Radio, 08.18. When the local public radio station moved classical music to HD radio, it was time to find another way to listen. An old iMac with iTunes solved the problem.
- 'That's Not a Computer', 07.30. Salvaging a broken PowerBook by turning it into a desktop computer.
- Upgrading a Digital Audio G4 to work better in Leopard, 06.02. In its original configuration, the dual 533 MHz Power Mac G4 was slow with Mac OS X 10.5, but add the right upgrades, and it runs Leopard quite nicely.
- My 4 favorite PowerBooks, 05.28. The PowerBook 150 has a big screen for a vintage PowerBook, the 165c has color, the 100 is diminutive, and Lombard has USB and a great keyboard.
- More in the My Turn index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: Mac IIfx, Mar. 1990 - This 'wicked fast' 40 MHz Mac trumped the 33 MHz DOS world.
- Group of the Day: StarMax List is for anyone using Motorola StarMax Mac clones.
- March 19 in LEM history: 90: Mac IIfx - 99: Fool me twice? - 01: Add FireWire, USB to older Macs - Time to replace your iMac? - 02: The Mac Challenge - Installing Linux on a low-end Mac - 03: Value of the Lombard PowerBook - Your portable should have WiFi - PowerBook 1400 upgrades - 04: The video iPod - 07: Troubleshooting an iMac - 08: Intel Mac mini value
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Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Could iPad Replace the Mac?, Mac Sales Up in 2010, Avoiding Windows 7 'Whenever Possible', and More, Mac News Review, 03.19. Also why your next Mac may be an iPad, science blogger abandons Apple, the benefits of standing while working, and more.
- CardBus WiFi, the Shiira Browser, Ridding the Web of Flash, and Macs vs. PCs, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.18. Mac longevity, Shiira speed, ambidextrous Mac and Windows use, and how Flash benefits Apple.
- How to Zoom Your Browser for a More Readable Web, Steve Watkins, The Practical Mac, 03.18. Instructions for zooming text and pages in Safari, Firefox, Camino, and Opera.
- How Ad Blocking Hurts Your Favorite Websites, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.18. Ad income keeps the Web free. Blocking online ads hurts your favorite websites.
- Taking Apart the 12" PowerBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 03.17. There are a lot of steps involved in disassembling a 12" PowerBook. Proceed with caution.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Intel iMac Deals, 03.17. Used 17" from $600; 20" from $750; 24" from $825; refurb 21.5" nVidia, $999; new, $1,099; refurb Radeon, $1,299; new, $1,399; refurb 27" 3.06, $1,499; more.
- Best G5 iMac Deals, 03.17. 17" 2.0 GHz, $380; 1.9 GHz iSight, $479 shipped; 20" 1.8 GHz, $509 shipped; 2.1 GHz iSight, $549 shipped.
- Best Time Capsule Deals, 03.17. Close-out 500 GB, $140; new 1 TB, $279; used 2 TB simultaneous dual-band, $400; new, $455. Shipping included.
- Best iPad Deals, 03.16. 16 GB iPad, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699; 16 GB with 3G, $629; 32 GB 3G, $729; 64 GB 3G, $829. Free ground shipping.
- Best iPod classic Deals, 03.12. Used 20 GB, $119; 40 GB, $139; 60 GB, $159; 30 GB video, $129; 60 GB, $159; 80 GB, $169; refurb 120 GB, $189; new, $214; 160 GB, $228 shipped.
- Best G3 iBook and AirPort Card Deals, 03.12. 366 MHz 12" clamshell, $89; 466, $125; 500 white CD, $100; 600, $199; 800 Combo, $239; 14" 900, $225.
- Best Xserve Deals, 03.12. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $499; 2.0 dual G5, $599; 2.3, $749; refurb 2.26 4-core Nehalem, $2,499; new, $2,699; 8-core, $3,449; refurb 2.66, $4,299; new, $4,799; more.
- More deals in our archive.
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