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Back in the ToiletStephen Van
Esch
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. Further Reading
- <back to the
original article>
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French. Recently on Mac Scope- Connecting with the broader Macintosh community, 04.06.
"But beyond the very minor celebrity status that came with being published on Low End Mac, it gave me a real opportunity to participate in the Mac community."
- Hardware failure, that rare Mac headache, 07.09.
Macs are usually pretty reliable, but a hardware failure after just two-and-a-half years is still disappointing.
- Still waiting for iTunes Music Store Canada, sort of, 06.23.
While the pay-per-tune model makes sense, Apple's post-purchase copy management flies in the face of Canadian copyright law.
- PearPC's slow Mac emulation - What's the point?, 05.26.
"For all those Windows folks who are gussying up Windows to look like OS X and getting excited over PearPC, please just buy a Mac."
- More in the Mac Scope index.
Links for the Day- Mac of the Day: 15" iMac G4/800 MHz, Jan. 2002 - The iMac is redesigned with a flat panel display and G4 CPU.
- Group of the Day: Mac Canada is our list for Canadian Mac users.
- December 1 in LEM history: 99: Monitor dot pitch - 00: Macs for new users - Everybody wants to use iMacs - Career options - 03: Pfinder: Panther-like Finder for legacy Macs - 04: Why I use an eMac, iBook, and Power Mac - ThinkFree Office - MacLink Plus 15 - 05: PowerBook 190 still a great laptop - Eudora, the Mac's most powerful email client - 06: Core 2 'Books cooler and faster
Recent Content on Low End Mac- The Very Best Macs: Sometimes Apple Just Nails It, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 12.01.
Apple has produced lots of good Macs, a few dogs, and some 'best of breed' models that stand apart from the pack.
- Apple Could Buy Dell, and Linux Is No Threat to Mac OS X, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 12.01.
Apple has the cash to buy Dell outright, and the idea has some merit. Also, why Linux still isn't ready to displace the Mac OS.
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It just doesn't make sense that Apple would ship a new OS that won't support Macs sold less than three years ago.
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Also changes in Apple culture, OWC rebates on Hitachi drives, Clone X clones OS X, and LaCie SilverKeeper updated for OS X 10.5.5.
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"Despite all the economic problems, Apple Retail can look forward to another successful quarter with sales maybe breaking through $2 billion...."
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Also making Street View work on the iPod touch, BlackBerry Storm questions answered, Microsoft's forthcoming phone, eco-friendly cases, and more.
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Also Mac netbook prospects, laptop cooling table with 2 fans, solar notebook bag, hard shell cases for unibody 'Books, bargain 'Books from $500 to $2,299, and more.
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"We are the kings of making our computers last, last, and last some more."
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VirtualBox is aimed at a different audience than Fusion and Parallels. While it works well, the typical desktop user will probably prefer Fusion.
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Heat is the enemy of long hardware life. Two programs to keep your MacBook running cooler.
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Also finding that 'just right' notebook computer, car, or truck.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals- Best iPod nano Deals, 12.01.
Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $105; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $115; 3G/8 GB, $134; 16 GB, $174. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 12.01.
Used 1.5 GHz SuperDrive, $481/C$599 plus shipping.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, 12.01.
Used 3.0 GHz 4-core, $2,102; new 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 a/r; 8-core, $2,515 a/r; 3.0 $3,320 a/r; 3.2, $4,099 a/r.
- Best MacBook Deals, 11.26.
Used 1.83 GHz, $595; 2.0 SD, $660; refurb 2.1 GHz, $949; 2.4, $999; black, $1,099; new 2.1, $869 after rebate; 2.4, $1,150 a/r; black, $1,194 a/r; more.
- Best iPod touch Deals, 11.26.
Used 1G/8 GB, $160; refurb, $179; new, $198; used 16, $200; refurb, $219; refurb 32, $319; new, $340; 2G/8 GB, $219; 16, $289; 32, $379.
- Best Power Mac G5 Deals, 11.26.
Used 1.6 GHz single, $450; 1.8, $499; dual, $600, 2.0, $800; 2.3, $816; dual-core, $1,000; 2.5 dual, $1,000; 2.7, $1,050; 2.5 Quad, $1,400.
- Best MacBook Deals, 11.26.
Used 1.83 GHz, $595; 2.0 SD, $660; refurb 2.1 GHz, $949; 2.4, $999; black, $1,099; new 2.1, $869 after rebate; 2.4, $1,150 a/r; black, $1,194 a/r; more.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 11.25.
Used 1.42 GHz G4 Combo, $429; 1.66 GHz Core Duo, $449; 1.83, SuperDrive $629; new 1.83 Core 2 Combo, $570 shipped; 2.0 SD, $760 shipped.
- Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.25.
Used 1.67 GHz SuperDrive, $539; hi-res, $800. Shipping additional.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, 11.25.
Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $281; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
- More deals in our archive.
Mac Scope articles copyright © 2000-04, 2007 by Stephen Van
Esch. �
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