An interesting shift in Mac News

[HenMaster6000]

I thought I'd just share a tidbit I've been noticing...

I have my browser set to news.google.com. It's a great site. And while I don't use it solely for mac news, I like to catch the occasional mac-based news-brief or op/ed article that comes my way. Usually I turn to the Sci/Tech column for info about Apple, or occasionally, the business section. But as of late, I've been noticing that some of the new mac news has been falling under the entertainment column, a result of Apple's foray into the music business no doubt. I've read all about Apple's apparent change from a mac company to an iPod company, and this, plus the "from the creators of the iPod" ad apple's been pushing, is really cementing my belief that Apple is moving away from what they used to be. Does anyone like the direction apple's moving?

What do you think?

-H

 

[yellow]

As longs as:

1) I can keep buying Macs in the future..

2) I can continue to have a job supporting Macs in the future..

3) My Apple stock keeps going up (from $12.65 I bought it at)..

Then I don't mind.

 

[MartinAdams]

As long as we can do all these things mentioned by Yellow, I don't mind too much. However, for anyone whose interest in Mac has been based primarily on its superiority in the everyday things of traditional computing — word processing, Internet, e-mail and all the other things that predate the rise of online music, these developments make one wonder what might happen in the long term. There's no sign that Apple is backing off from these tradtitional areas; nor are software developers backing off from writing or adapting prorammes for System X. However, perception is everything; and if Joe-in-the-street thinks that Apple is mainly about entertainment, will that dent the general misconceptions about Apple? (Look at the many other threads in these forums about those!) I don't know that it will, and am inclined to think that Apple needs to do more about publicising its fundamental strengths.

For example, it is significant that, in Europe at least, few people outside the informed of the computer world know what "System X" means, whereas everyone knows what "Windows" means — all the more unfortunate considering that this "friendly" interface was based on the Mac!

 

[stoid]

I believe that this online music business is a passing fad, and will be essentially over in about 6 months. Either MS has dominated the market, and Apple goes back to computers, or Apple has fended them off, and can finally start focusing more directly on the computer side again. I hope that if Apple does remain the leader though that they don't neglect the iPod, but continue to improve on their market leader unlike MS and their market leader, Windows.

I think that there is a shift in Apple's focus. They used to just make high-quality computing gear. Now they are focusing on making that high-quality computing gear appeal to the masses by style, because they realize that they can't out market MS.

 

[kanker]

What's wrong with saying 'If you like the iPod, you'll like this'? If the iPod has become the face of Apple to the masses, then I have no problem with them trying to leverage that into computer sales. It's not like there aren't many other products out there marketed with the phrase 'from the makers of...' It works, builds confidence, serves as a great introduction, etc...

 

[SiliconAddict]

As for the future of Apple.

I think Apple was/is considering worse case scenario when they released the iPod. They got into the online music game because they knew it would drive iPod sales. Some reps from Apple have commented that iTunes is a means to an end right now with iTMS sales barely breaking even. And that end is to drive iPod sales. There is a distinct possibility that in the next few years iPod sales will outpace Mac sales. Apple is looking at the small consumer product market with a keen eye right now to potentially drive their bottom line in the future. IMHO they haven’t release anything else mainly because of the growing competition against the iPod. I think after the market settles one way or another, prob within the next 18-24 months, we are going to see more consumer devices being release from Apple. The thing I can’t figure out is where they would go.
-Cheap, relatively speaking, home theatre systems that link back to your Mac and PC?
-DVR systems that link back via WLAN and internet back to your *book to download the current episode of your favorite TV show or news program?
-Portable e-book reader that uses http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/ e-books?
-My personal favorite. A combo landline phone and VoIP phone that attaches to your Mac or PC and works across iChat AV and AIM. So the base station connects via Firewire or USB2 to your Mac or PC and your phone line connects to your internal modem to allow you to record VoIP chats and landline chats as well with caller ID to the hand unit that distinguishes VoIP/landline with a globe with a lightening bolt going through it or a telephone poll. Yah so that’s all me. But I want one dang it!!

I don’t think Apple as a company is going anywhere but I do have some concerns about Apple as a computer company. I think some interesting things are going to happen in the next 5 years with Apple’s computer segment. I consider it sink or swim time for Apple when it comes to their computers. Contrary to the naysayer they are still here. But they aren’t anywhere near where they were 10 years ago. Instead of a quick death it’s been a slow bleeding death with a few pints of blood being administered here and there to keep the patient alive.
Apple still has a number of things going for it like their beautiful designs and their OS but I will counter anyone’s claim of quality. I have one friend who has had his system board on his iBook replaced 3 times over the last 2 years. Right now as I type this it’s going in for the fourth replacement. I’ve had another friend who has had 2 system boards go south on him. And several friends who have had 2nd and 3rd gen iPod’s die on them.
We won’t get into some of the software updates Apple has released that have done very bad things to people’s OS’s. (Yes I’m aware of Win XP SP2’s growing reputation at being craptastic.) So I consider quality to be a diminishing feature of a Mac.
That leaves the OS. But frankly as good as OS X is, it’s not as if I can go with another hardware vendor who has a better rep. The OS and the hardware and tied together. If one sucks the other will as well. So where does that leave them? Certainly not dead but sure as heck in no position to ever take on MS and its fleet of OEM’s head to head ever again. Apple's wares needs to be better, stronger, faster then their competitors and IMHO when it comes to their computers this just isn’t the case anymore. I hope for a major turn around beginning with the G5 iMac but I’m not going to hold my breath. Something will happen to marr the G5 iMac. Possibly issues meeting demand? Possibly quality concerns? Who knows but it seems as if something HAS to go wrong with a launch of a new Apple product. I'll still keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best though.