Apple, Gobe and Future Office Software?

[cubist]

Originally posted by MOSiX Man

How about just "Work Different"

Please, no.

Think Different was bad enough. It made people think Apple was run by uneducated people. In a sense it can be considered grammatical ("Think... New! Think... Blue! Think... Different!"), but most people regarded it as merely incorrect ("it should be Think Differently"). There is no stretch of grammar that can make "Work Different" grammatically correct.

If we're going to sloganize, how about: "Not just different... Better."

 

[Sol]

The grammar issue

Think different may be bad grammar but in the world of marketing slogans it is not that bad and at least Apple targets adults who would know better. The stuff that irritates me is products aimed at kids with horrible spelling done on purpose but this is a topic for another forum.

As for an Office-like bundle, Appleworks is not it. Frankly I do not like bundles and would rather buy a word processor on its own (yes, I know Word is available on its own).

I would rather Apple focus on innovative hardware and their Digital Lifestyle software than trying to be the "I can't believe its not Microsoft" of the computer industry. Apple has better software when it comes to multi-media and operating systems. Let Microsoft worry about paragraph formatting & spelling mistakes (which they would find plenty of in this post alone).

 

[Toe]

Re: The grammar issue

Originally posted by Sol
I would rather Apple focus on innovative hardware and their Digital Lifestyle software than trying to be the "I can't believe its not Microsoft" of the computer industry. Apple has better software when it comes to multi-media and operating systems. Let Microsoft worry about paragraph formatting & spelling mistakes (which they would find plenty of in this post alone).

The only problem is that Microsoft makes such lousy software.

The majority of my company's support tickets can be directly attributed to Microsoft's shoddy programming.

Look at their version upgrades, where they invariably say that this release fixes "thousands of bugs." What they're actually saying is that the software they sold you two years ago has countless known bugs in it, and they want to charge you to fix those (and give you a few thousand new ones).

If Apple doesn't take up the torch, then someone better. Mebby we all need to join the OpenOffice project and contribute what we can, though it seems to need more programmers more than anything.

 

[iJon]

Re: Re: The grammar issue

Originally posted by Toe
The only problem is that Microsoft makes such lousy software.

The majority of my company's support tickets can be directly attributed to Microsoft's shoddy programming.

Look at their version upgrades, where they invariably say that this release fixes "thousands of bugs." What they're actually saying is that the software they sold you two years ago has countless known bugs in it, and they want to charge you to fix those (and give you a few thousand new ones).

If Apple doesn't take up the torch, then someone better. Mebby we all need to join the OpenOffice project and contribute what we can, though it seems to need more programmers more than anything.

Now i get to see how their latest and greatest is. I am installing Windows 2003 .Net Server. If it is any better than xp(which will be hard to top) i will changing os's on my pc.

iJon

 

[GeneR]

Re: The grammar issue

Originally posted by Sol

I would rather Apple focus on innovative hardware and their Digital Lifestyle software than trying to be the "I can't believe its not Microsoft" of the computer industry. Apple has better software when it comes to multi-media and operating systems. Let Microsoft worry about paragraph formatting & spelling mistakes (which they would find plenty of in this post alone).

I liked the "I can't believe it's not Microsoft", mind if I use it? Pretty funny.

 

[Centris 650]

Re: The grammar issue

Originally posted by Sol

I would rather Apple focus on innovative hardware and their Digital Lifestyle software than trying to be the "I can't believe its not Microsoft" of the computer industry. Apple has better software when it comes to multi-media and operating systems. Let Microsoft worry about paragraph formatting & spelling mistakes (which they would find plenty of in this post alone).

That would be putting all their proverbial eggs in one proverbial basket. In this market a company can't afford to "specialize" anymore. That's why you have companies expanding and entering markets that they've never been in before.

 

[Toe]

Re: Re: The grammar issue

Originally posted by Centris 650
That would be putting all their proverbial eggs in one proverbial basket. In this market a company can't afford to "specialize" anymore. That's why you have companies expanding and entering markets that they've never been in before.

Indeed, the Xserve isn't exactly a digital lifestyle device.

Can you see someone hauling a computer cart behind them with a big, screamingly-loud Xserve on it, and some earphones plugged in?

"WHAT?!? I can't hear you!!! I'm trying to listen to Pearl Jam but it sounds like a really loud fan!!! What?!?"

 

[Sol]

Apple entering new markets

Indeed big companies like Apple must try to enter new markets but not without carefully selecting them. The iPod was a brilliant product because of its tight integration with the iTunes software and the innovative use of various technologies - I do not think a hard-drive based MP3 player that synchronised and got recharged through a FireWire connection existed prior to its release. After the Windows version got out there a whole new market opened up for Apple.

What worries me is that as Apple's software catalogue grows bigger and more diverse some of the focus will be lost. While the Keynote software seems more advanced than the competition, I do not believe there was a hole that needed filling. I am taking a guess here but i think Keynote's release was motivated by corporate politics aimed at Microsoft's domination within the Mac market.

While many Mac users will applaud anything that might hurt Microsoft I do not wish to see Apple resort to Microsoft's methods. By releasing their own browser, productivity suite, instant chat client, eMail client, multimedia player, MP3 browser, DVD authoring, video editor, image editor/organiser and a whole other catalogue of applications Apple is becoming a monopoly within their own market, which is exactly what inspired so much resistance towards Microsoft's products in the first place.

I can't believe it's not Microsoft indeed!

In my opinion what Apple should do is focus on making OS X an even more attractive proposition for the software industry - give developers better incentives to port software to the Mac, and when they do resist from competing with them head-on (like the latest Sherlock application did to Watson). Should Apple ever release the fabled Marklar (OS X for x86 hardware) all the incentive in the world would be there for developers to support our platform, and best of all, Apple can keep releasing its own PPC based hardware (there will always be people who prefer Apple's sleek designs over Dell's rubbish).

 

[GeneR]

Re: Apple entering new markets

Originally posted by Sol
What worries me is that as Apple's software catalogue grows bigger and more diverse some of the focus will be lost. While the Keynote software seems more advanced than the competition, I do not believe there was a hole that needed filling. I am taking a guess here but i think Keynote's release was motivated by corporate politics aimed at Microsoft's domination within the Mac market.

While many Mac users will applaud anything that might hurt Microsoft I do not wish to see Apple resort to Microsoft's methods. By releasing their own browser, productivity suite, instant chat client, eMail client, multimedia player, MP3 browser, DVD authoring, video editor, image editor/organiser and a whole other catalogue of applications Apple is becoming a monopoly within their own market, which is exactly what inspired so much resistance towards Microsoft's products in the first place.

I can't believe it's not Microsoft indeed!

In my opinion what Apple should do is focus on making OS X an even more attractive proposition for the software industry - give developers better incentives to port software to the Mac, and when they do resist from competing with them head-on (like the latest Sherlock application did to Watson). Should Apple ever release the fabled Marklar (OS X for x86 hardware) all the incentive in the world would be there for developers to support our platform, and best of all, Apple can keep releasing its own PPC based hardware (there will always be people who prefer Apple's sleek designs over Dell's rubbish).

I agree with you, Sol, about the fact that there will always be people who prefer Mac's design over Dells. That's why I believe that tha Marklar idea would not hurt Apple's hardware line, but may give people options.

SCENARIO: A PC junkie is working awayat his or her computer and finds that they have faced just about the last straw with Windows glitches, etc. Rather than lament their decision to go PC, they also have OSX on their computers and choose to reboot into it. Immediately, (since they have both in a side-by-side taste comparison) the PC guy/gal gets to see what they could REALLY be doing with their PCs. Because they may not have any significant financial bar to entry and trying OSX they make the switch. And that leads to finally considering simply switching into the Hardware (once people are hooked, why wouldn't they want both the software and the hardware?)

I agree that Apple should not try to become another Microsoft in terms of monopolizing the software market. But then again, I see most of their work at this point as self-defense against the fact that they have had to rely on others over the years to come up with competitive software to rival that on the PC platform. And in order to control the time line of such releases, they may have had to resort to taking a more hands on role. Maybe? I dunno. Just my point of view.

But I guess the real question I have is: If we all want Apple to succeed, how can it penetrate the PC markets in an attractive manner without Marklar? Is there another enticement like the iPod? Another digital lifestyle gadget that's going to make people want to reconsider the Apple logo? I dunno. Seems that most PC people may be living in a real sense of ignorance of the changes that have been going on at Apple with OSX. To brainstorm that point: What will make PC people reconsider?