How I would Restructure Apple's OSx "Devices"

[LaWally]

Apple generates about 75% of its revenue from two iOS devices, and about 25% from five of OSx devices. To better match resources to revenue, I would restructure the OSx line as follows:

1) Drop the MacPro (don't sell enough of them)
2) Drop the Mac Mini (basically an unbundled iMac)
3) Consolidate the MBA/MBP into a single line of MBs (don't need both)

I don't feel strongly about #2. It might make just as much sense to drop the iMac and keep the Mini, but clearly they do not need both.

This gets them down to a much more manageable two OSx devices, one desktop and one laptop/notebook. That is more than enough in a post-PC world.

Go ahead, call me crazy.

 

[old-wiz]

The mini is an excellent entry machine as well as working fine as HTPC. I converted my wife from an old white box windows machine to a mini and only needed to buy the mini; used the old keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

 

[aComicBookFan]

It's interesting to see that you want to shrink the product line and I understand the arguments for it. I think most here would like to see the product line expanded with more variations. Then again, we're a minority of techno-geeks who love to tinker and play. Most other folks probably have a more utilitarian approach to computers.

I don't think Apple will change their structure much within a product line. They basically have a "Small", "Medium", and "Large" approach with some BTO variation. I wonder just how many BTO machines they sell in comparison to the standard offerings. BTO machines would be the first place I would cut back if I were forced to. Mac Pro machine could be potentially replaced with a super duper Mac Mini design.

They won't ever completely abandon OS X and the Mac line of products until they can get the processing power of a Mac into an iPad/iPhone.

-=- Boris

 

[basesloaded190]

I'm glad you aren't in charge. Don't agree with any of those

 

[Apple fanboy]

They won't ever completely abandon OS X and the Mac line of products until they can get the processing power of a Mac into an iPad/iPhone.

-=- Boris

I don't think they will ever drop the OS X and Mac line. 25% of Apples revenue is still a sizeable chunk. I believe it will evolve to
Air and MacBook pro combined
Mac mini
iMac
I think they will eventually drop the Mac Pro as it is rather specialised.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[cperry2]

Well you have to think about the "halo effect". The Mac Pro is somebody's server or long-term audio rig and that person who purchased is going to feel more compelled to get an ios device because of it. The mac mini might have been bought just because person X had an ipod touch and is ready for a mac but is on a budget/ already has a monitor and kb/mouse and wants to replace their aging tower.

Edge cases that have ramifications way beyond what they seem.

I'm not even sure about merging the Air and Pro lines, but I can see them doing it. I suspect an air-like 15" form factor will work with a GPU and even the extra ports given it goes all-SSD, drops the optical drive, and uses the relatively power-sipping ivy bridge. I think that would be the right kind of compromise, because discs really are dead and it's almost feasible to offer 512gb flash storage at a decent price. At least I'm assuming these things, because the new ipad's screen is something I still didn't really think could happen this year until it got announced. It's amazing engineering.

One other, more left-field and speculative thing, if you're talking about consolidation: I predict this year we'll see the iMac become "the new Macintosh." Apple kept that inconsistency in its naming (dropping "ibook" but keeping the prefix in "imac") because the iMac name was so strong. I contend that its thunder has been stolen by ios products, and now's a good time for it to re-cement itself in terms of branding. I think it's been long enough from the original Mac era to suggest that renaming the desktop to "Macintosh" is going to feel really fresh, and keeps in line with Apple's marked effort to keep consistency across the line in hardware in software, at the same time clearly delineating the ios versus osx experience.

 

[nastebu]

Apple generates about 75% of its revenue from two iOS devices, and about 25% from five of OSx devices. To better match resources to revenue, I would restructure the OSx line as follows:

But since all of these products is profitable (okay, maybe not the Mac Pro), why is there a need for restructuring? Surely a company the size of Apple can't be called unfocused when it has all of five OSX products to sell.

It doesn't even make sense to say "better match resources to revenue" since you're talking about product lines--which generate revenue--not an area that uses resources, like R&D or marketing. And I would bet that Apple's ad budget does prioritize the iOS devices by multiples. Probably not R&D.

Go ahead, call me crazy.

I'm more tempted to call you a troll.

 

[Moonjumper]

1) Drop the MacPro (don't sell enough of them

maybe the reason they don't sell enough Mac Pro machines is that they haven't put enough into keeping it up to date. An iMac is powerful enough for me, but cannot stand glossy screen, so that is not an option. A Mac Pro is the machine that could benefit the most from Thunderbolt, but is the only one without it.

I wish they could engineer some of the cost out of the tower so that it would be viable to put i7 chips in it and so make it a much more affordable option.

 

[JonathanIsZen]

I agree with part of your thoughts/prediction.
My guess is that they will get rid of the Mac Pro, replacing it with a super high-end iMac.
They'll keep the Mac Mini, because it offers an entry level "budget" option. Plus there is the Sever Mini.
There will be some re-branding (at least) on the MacBook line. It would make sense to drop either the "Air" or "Pro" name from one of the notebooks, making one or the other the "MacBook," since they no longer need that identification to differentiate them from the now extinct poly-carbonate MacBook.
I'm thinking at some point the Air and Pro lines will be consolidated into a general "MacBook" line. It won't be that long before they can pack the power of the 17" Pro into an extremely thin body.

Oh, and we'll definitely see the end of built-in disc drives in the next few years. They've already gotten rid of them on the Mac Mini and MacBook Air. I'd say the iMac will be the last to drop it.

 

[rkaufmann87]

Go ahead, call me crazy.

You win, you're crazy!

 

[Comeagain?]

Why should Apple drop any of these lines? None of these products cost Apple to sell, and they significantly boost software sales. And, as has been stated, different people want different things. I love the Mac Pro, and couldn't do what I need with an iMac.

 

[OliverOSX93]

Common sense says no they won't do this.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[LaWally]

You win, you're crazy!

Thank you. You just won me $20 bucks. Bet my buddy that I would get at least one.

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maybe the reason they don't sell enough Mac Pro machines is that they haven't put enough into keeping it up to date.

And around and around we go. Apple does not sell enough Mac Pros because they do not keep them up to date, which is why they don't sell enough Mac Pros, which is why Apple does not keep them up to date ...

I may be crazy, but Apple is not. They focus their resources on those products that have the greatest ROI.

I appreciate that many people have a need for the Mac Pro, I just don't think Apple cares all that much about them. Otherwise they would refresh them more frequently.

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I don't think they will ever drop the OS X and Mac line. 25% of Apples revenue is still a sizeable chunk. I believe it will evolve to
Air and MacBook pro combined
Mac mini
iMac
I think they will eventually drop the Mac Pro as it is rather specialised.

Yes, but with the upcoming ML release, is not OSx looking more and more like iOS?

 

[Comeagain?]

Yes, but with the upcoming ML release, is not OSx looking more and more like iOS?

Not really. Not much more than Lion.

 

[OliverOSX93]

Thank you. You just won me $20 bucks. Bet my buddy that I would get at least one.

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And around and around we go. Apple does not sell enough Mac Pros because they do not keep them up to date, which is why they don't sell enough Mac Pros, which is why Apple does not keep them up to date ...

I may be crazy, but Apple is not. They focus their resources on those products that have the greatest ROI.

I appreciate that many people have a need for the Mac Pro, I just don't think Apple cares all that much about them. Otherwise they would refresh them more frequently.

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Yes, but with the upcoming ML release, is not OSx looking more and more like iOS?

That is because they are unifying the theme of osx and iOS. They will not port their tablet os to a desktop.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Yes, but with the upcoming ML release, is not OSx looking more and more like iOS?

But is that a bad thing? As someone waiting to buy a new iMac I'm hoping the familiarity of my iOS devices will help me to learn how to use OSx quickly.

 

[LaWally]

But is that a bad thing? As someone waiting to buy a new iMac I'm hoping the familiarity of my iOS devices will help me to learn how to use OSx quickly.

I guess it depends on who you ask. I'm reserving final judgement until the transformation is complete. I certainly agree that anyone with an iOS device who is getting their first Mac will have a much easier time acclimating themselves to it the more OSx ends up looking like iOS.