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Mac Scope

Back in the Toilet

- Dec. 7, 2000

Way back when, Apple stock was in the toilet, trading at $11 a share.

Don't look now, but the earnings forecast that came out on Tuesday brought investors close to that same spot. On Wednesday, AAPL closed at 14-5/16. Not a pretty sight.

So where to from here? The last time Apple was at this point, the iMac rode out of the blue (Bondi blue, it would seem) to take the company to the top. Is there any product in the pipe now that will ratchet up the value of Apple shares and keep the "Pray" magazine covers at bay?

I'm certainly hoping that Apple will have something big to show consumers over the next year. I'm waiting for OS X, but it looks like the latest and greatest operating system from our favorite computer maker had better be iMac-like when it's finally introduced.

Is that a tall order? The iMac has an extremely attractive exterior that looks good on billboards, buses, commercials, and even your desk. It's easy to touch and invites people to come on over for a look. Unfortunately, OS X, as appealing as it is, does not have these strengths. Slap the OS on the side of a bus and it will look interesting, but I suspect that people won't get nearly as excited about clicking on icons as they did about the sexy lines of the iMac.

For example, the BMW is a darn nice looking car. It attracts the eye and beckons you to take a lingering look. While the interior is attractive, it's not what most people buy the car for. It's the outside that counts in most cases. The iMac is the outside. OS X is the inside. See where I'm going?

Even if OS X is the most reliable, easiest to use, and stable OS to ever come out, people just aren't going to get as excited about it as they would about the iMac. Relying on OS X to bring about a massive increase in sales is like BMW relying on a new interior to make the M3 a bestseller. Can you see something like that happening?

Apple, of course, has the advantage of being able to sell OS X as an individual upgrade for people who are interested. That can help the bottom line somewhat. But realistically, I can't see OS X having a huge, immediate impact on Apple's bottom line. In the long run, of course, things could be different. As the OS proves itself and more apps come out, Apple could start making serious inroads into the business area. That's the long-term hope.

But for short-term action, I'm hoping Apple has an ace up their sleeve at Macworld. Place your bets now.

Pismo WiFi Networking Issue Finally Solved?, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.24. It turns out the problems wasn't the Pismo, the Buffalo WiFi card, or Mac OS X 10.4. It was the Wireless G router - Linksys to the rescue!
Mini VGA to S-video Adapter a No Go for eMacs, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 11.24. You might think that Apple's Mini VGA S-video adapter is a cheap way to connect your eMac or G4 iMac to your TV. You would be wrong.
Google Calendar with iPhone or iTouch Is Great for Scheduling, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.24. Web-based Google Calendar allows access and updates from any computing platform, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and iPhone OS.
Why Spaces is My Favorite Leopard (and Snow Leopard) Feature, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.23. Spaces, a feature introduced with OS X 10.5, is like having several monitors on your Mac without the cost and space of using multiple displays.
i5 iMac Benchmarked, Mac mini 'Shouldn't Be Overlooked', Twitter Client for Classic Mac OS, and More, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
Apple #4 in Reliability, Apple Tablet a Gadget for All?, HP's i7 Notebook Outdoes Mac Rivals, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.20. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
NASA Chemical Sensor for iPhone, Smartphone Death Match, iPhone Earrings, and More, Ian R Campbell, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
More links in our archive.

Recent Deals

Best G4 iMac Deals, 11.24. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $150; 800 MHz Combo, $229; 1 GHz, $289; 17" 1.25 GHz, $200; 20" 1.25 GHz, $509.
Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.24. Used from $899; refurb from $1,099; new 1.6 GHz/120 HD, $1,150 after rebate; 1.8/64 SSD, $1,150 a/r; 1.86/128 SSD, $1,350 a/r; 2.13/128 SSD, $1,694 a/r.
Best PowerBook G3 Deals, 11.24. Used 233 MHz WallStreet, $75; 266 MHz, $160; 400 MHz Lombard, $199; 400 MHz Pismo, $289; 500 MHz, $350.
Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.23. Used 867 MHz SuperDrive, $348; 1 GHz Combo, $379; SD, $519; 1.33 GHz, $529; 1.5 GHz Combo, $549; SuperDrive, $609.
Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.23. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 4-core. $1,919; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.93 8-core, $4,999; new 2.26 8-core, $2,290.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, 11.23. Used 802.11g AirPort Extreme, $49; 500 GB Time Capsule, $150; new, $190; 1 TB dual-band, $280; 2 TB, $469; 802.11n AirPort Extreme, $170.
Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
More deals in our archive.

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