Apple's problem

This MacWorld dissapointed me. If Apple doesn't give people compelling reasons to upgrade their hardware, they are gonna lose more than just the consumers who got on board with the iMac, iBook, and the "Jobs" revolution of a few years ago. What I've always wondered is, if they sold all these iMac's etc. to novices, students, etc. why did market share not go up significantly and only now is inching upward.

It hit me today, because of people like me. I own and run a small advertising and marketing firm. We use all Macs save for my programmer who uses a PC. I have iMacs and G4's no faster than a 450 Mhz. I bought all of these over 2 years ago. I buy new hardware if I think it will make me money. 2 years later, finally I think a dual processor powermac might, but $3000 worth, I don't know at the current speeds. Another example, I needed a new Powerbook. I looked at my options and bought a used Pismo, 512meg Ram, removable Zip drive, CDRW, etc. for under $1100 in mint shape. Since I don't do video, I could see no financial reason to pay more for a G4 or even an iBook. Now before I get flamed, I know the new hardware is way better and faster than my old stuff, but how much so? Does it let me do anything I can't do with the old stuff? Will it give me more billable hours? Etc. Etc. Unfortunately, when people try to answer these questions for me they end up sounding like a PC person extolling the virtues of a 2.4 GHz processor while ignorantly snickering at my lowly G4.

Apple has counted on it's prestige and justifiable, almost mythic, reputation with graphics people to take us for granted when it comes to the speed of hardware upgrades. Well, they took me for granted, made insignificant, expensive hardware upgrades, and the result, I'm still with Apple but have spent no money on new hardware in 2 years.

I love apple, I want to buy new hardware, but c'mon, quit insulting me and people like me, and give me a reason to trade in my trusty Mac's for new, significantly faster and more powerful ones that will make and save me money.

The most frustrating part, I'll never go Windows of my own free will, but then I might upgrade only once every 3-5 years if Apple continues their current rate of hardware advancement; and, if there are enough people like me, Apple will go away. Or else they might just sell really expensive computers, to really arrogant people, who are really too hung up on being different.

Give me a dual processor 2 ghz G5 with superdrive, etc. for under $3000 and Apple will have my money in a second. I can think of a million reasons why that machine would make me money. Give me another speed bump on the G4 and Apple can keep waiting for my money. I'm pretty sure I am not alone, and that is Apple's biggest problem- It is not converting PC users. Although that would be nice