What is Digg?100 Comments
- digitalpencil, on 10/22/2008, -3/+70So, in short..
No netbooks in the pipeline unless the market category proves itself a profitable investment.
AppleTV still a 'hobby' and will continue this way through 09.
No cheap PCs
Possible tablet in the working (no change there, as always keeping cards close to his chest)
and no iPhone Nano
Reading this article you've got to have respect for the way this man plays the market though.. The approach seems fairly simple, keep your cards close to your chest and your hands only in the pies which prove themselves profitable. finally, invest a ***** into R&D to ensure product ideas are prepared for any possible emerging markets.
You've got to admire the strategy, and it's the R&D investments that seems the most effective.. Apple have just bought out highly creative designers to develop products for a myriad of different market sectors so in the event that any of them prove profitable, they're prepared with various goodies fresh for development.
Makes you wonder just what products are lurking in the back room of Apple though? I imagine it's something like the R&D section at Wayne Tower (minus Morgan Freeman and the Tumbler) - inactive, on 10/22/2008, -10/+36I love the part where he says a 500 dollar computer would be garbage. I disagree
- jasmus, on 10/22/2008, -5/+28a $500 mac probably would be garbage. They can't get subsidies of anyone, and don't want to install loads of trial-ware to offset some costs. I actually prefer they don't make a crappy cheap model.
- HookmasterCH47, on 10/22/2008, -1/+20I would like to think Jobs has Morgan Freeman and the Tumbler down there just for good measure.
- maanwi, on 10/22/2008, -0/+17Steve's statement that they can't make a decent $500 machine is absurd; the G4 Mac Mini was $500, and it was a great entry level computer. Apple just doesn't want to offer computers that inexpensive, because of the lower profit margin and the stigma associated with lower cost goods.
- youannoyme, on 10/22/2008, -3/+16That wasn't what he was saying. All he meant was that if Apple tried to make a 500 dollar computer, they would have to cut specs/features/quality enough that it wouldn't live up to the apple standard. They could do it, and it might be a computer that is good for the money. But it wont be good enough to live up to the image they've built around their brand.
- colincornaby, on 10/22/2008, -5/+14Apple sells product lines by the millions. When one line of netbooks breaks the million sales per quarter category, you'll see Apple jump in.
- dh22, on 10/22/2008, -2/+1125 Billion in the bank and zero debt. they're set.
- HolyChimp, on 10/23/2008, -2/+10They don't give a flying ***** about people that can't afford their products. It's the same with any company. If they have a market willing to pay the prices then why would they lower them to cater to another market that would make them less money?
- ChemiosMurphy, on 10/22/2008, -0/+8So what's the deal with the mac mini?
- RudeTurnip, on 10/22/2008, -2/+9AppleTV has so much potential. Out of the box, you have direct access (without going through iTunes on your PC) to thousands of podcasts (Diggnation, enough said) and YouTube (including search capability). You also have pay-per-view movies and TV shows. Oh, and streaming everything in your iTunes library.
There are also some dead simple hacks out there like XBMC and Boxee, the latter of which will let you get Hulu on your AppleTV. Both XBMC and Boxee turn your unit into a DLNA client, so you can use something like the PlayOn server on your Windows box to stream Netflix and Hulu.
If Apple wasn't so committed to selling the content on iTunes Music Store, they could build in native support for Netflix and Hulu and pretty much kill the cable TV industry. - bbtweb, on 10/22/2008, -0/+7"We've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody. So I think you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy and continue to try to add more and more value to those products in those customer bases we choose to serve."
Probably one of the best quotes in the article. Translation, quality over quantity. Sounds good to me. Apple has always thrived on a niche market - especially media professionals. But that niche market has really expanded in the last decade. - Spamcan, on 10/22/2008, -0/+6The entire point of the mini was it's $500 price point, most people forget that they raised the price when they switched over to Intel and they've basically left the product to rot since then. Not that it hasn't been upgraded, it's just barely mentioned and the most neglected product in the line. There is absolutely no reason why the current models can't drop $100.
- raydeen, on 10/22/2008, -3/+9"We're not tremendously worried. As we look at the netbook category, that's a nascent category. As best as we can tell, there's not a lot of them being sold."
Really? I think Asus and Acer would have something to say about that. Microcenter has been selling tons of the Acer Aspire One. For a while the store near me would go through about 75 to 100 of them in the space of a week. They're now stocking them by the hundreds. - rodted2, on 10/23/2008, -1/+7"There are some customers which we chose not to serve," he added. "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk,"
Look, I'm not a windows fan boy, but this just screams to me that if your not upper middle class Apple doesn't give a flying ***** about you. I may be wrong, but that's the way I read it. Go ahead digg me down. - Yerknutz, on 10/22/2008, -1/+7"The first is that Apple beat RIM," Jobs
- DanBoodro, on 10/22/2008, -1/+6I think he means, comparable to what they are shipping now. From the quality of the MacBook or Mac Pro's, it would be hard to manufacture something so cheap that lives up to the expectations for Mac users. In his opinion, not mine. I'm sure it wouldn't be extremely hard or even something to look into. I did like the fact that Apple had looked into the NetBook market and the fact that they claim to already have plans if the market continues to grow. I own the Acer Aspire One, and it's probably one of my best purchases within the past few years. I'm very happy with it and it's much better IMO than lugging around a MacBook or any other 15"-22" laptop.
- yazheirx, on 10/22/2008, -0/+5I would pay to have Netflix reliably on either my AppleTV or my PS3. I have tried PlayOn and it only works for 10 to 20 minutes at a time for me. But my friends Roku works flawlessly... I just to not trust that it will ever put out 720p let alone 1080.
- jwdav, on 10/23/2008, -0/+4I hear you on the 512MB RAM, but Apple hasn't shipped an iMac with only 512K RAM in quite a number of years.
You should focus your rage on the cheapskate who bought it and didn't cough up to upgrade to a decent amount of RAM. The manufacturer put the slots in the machine. - surferjoemaui, on 10/23/2008, -0/+4Hey, I always wondered how you make that little apple icon thingy
Anyway I think in this day and age I could make a pretty good argument that my coffee maker is a computer ;-) - meatstick, on 10/22/2008, -1/+5Most people do shop at stores like Wal-Mart, and drive a Ford Focus
- icurnvs, on 10/22/2008, -0/+4Interesting; I can't really remember Steve being so open and available for questioning. I was shocked that they had a QA session during their notebook announcement. Refreshingly, it looks like Steve's opening the lines of communication a bit. Now, if we could only get some solid answers about the App Store's woes...
- Hobbes24, on 10/22/2008, -0/+4reply button was right under him big guy
- jasmus, on 10/22/2008, -0/+4So the overall impression I get is - We're quite happy making what we currently make, and investing our money in R&D. We don't want to spread ourselves too thin into markets that aren't that big anyway.
- MacParrot, on 10/23/2008, -1/+5Yes, you just keep believing that.
- Spamcan, on 10/22/2008, -4/+8No, what he said was they "don't know how to build" a 500 dollar computer that's not a piece of garbage. They don't know how to not charge out the ass for RAM or accessories ether, those things might be related. They could always just lower the price of the mini by $100 but then it would be a piece of junk their DNA won't let them ship!
$600 Mac Mini = overpriced but a good product
$500 Mac Mini = A piece of junk!
More Money = More Quality - theutopian, on 10/23/2008, -0/+3I hope they don't keep their cash in an Icelandic bank!
- colincornaby, on 10/23/2008, -0/+3"Also, Apple does not sell its computers by the millions. '
They sold 2,611,000 Macs this quarter alone. - digitalpencil, on 10/23/2008, -1/+4i didn't know 13 yr olds could network admin jobs.. go figure
- jasmus, on 10/22/2008, -2/+5The mac mini has to be built to a spec to be that small. I can't go to my local computer shop and buy the bits to build something that small with that spec. Instead of just asking Asus for 5 million motherboards, apple have to design it and manufacture it. That makes for a big difference.
- ChunkerMunker, on 10/22/2008, -2/+5Damn shame he's been successful isn't it?
- TheGreatBelow, on 10/22/2008, -3/+6XBMC > Apple TV's software
- joshuawilde, on 10/22/2008, -2/+4Depends on what you compare with and what your goals are. For the goals that Apple have with their products, it would be.
- BrendanSheehan, on 10/23/2008, -0/+2*GRAVESTONE*
- X9001, on 10/23/2008, -1/+3Not a complaint look up the Osborne Effect
http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls= ... - mmembrino, on 10/22/2008, -1/+3We can complain about them not telling about new products, but then we wouldn't be excited for the expos every few months. I thought that was a really interesting article, and I am confident that apple will keep making new stuff that blows the ***** out of all the other items in its class.
- SickofSects, on 10/23/2008, -1/+3This is why diggers shouldn't get their investing advice from digg. The non-GAAP numbers happen to be the real numbers in this case. For the GAAP numbers, Apple sells an iPhone for $x, but recognizes only $x/8 in the quarter. However, they actually received $x from the buyer (which is a carrier, usually). So the GAAP numbers are the ones that are artificial.
But that's ok, if everyone in the stock market was equally aware, no one would make any money. We need people like you who throw out blanket statements backed by ZERO research. non GAAP numbers can be worthless, but in this case they aren't, because the manner in which they are calculated are right there in the financial statements and they represent real money, not intangibles. - risenphoenixkai, on 10/22/2008, -0/+2I'd say HDMI is a no-go. Apple's going to standardise their whole range with the new DisplayPort, with the exception of the Apple TV.
One thing I wouldn't be surprised at all to see in a new Mac Mini is a Magsafe adapter like they have on their notebooks, for integration with their newest displays.
Another thing that wouldn't surprise me at all: Mac Mini loses Firewire. - krahzee, on 10/22/2008, -1/+3Apple beating RIM is no big deal. I'll explain:
RIM has had phones on the market for years. The only people who go to get new ones are those who get a credit with renewing thier plan and those who need to replace a broken one.
The iphone is a good product, but let's see what it looks like in sales in a couple of years compared to the RIM. Look at the ipod. If you own the 5th gen one with an 80 gig HD and vidoe playback, will you rush out to upgrade to the 6th if you don't need more storage space, or will you wait to make that purchase until it dies?
Clearly the iphone is a big hit, but I view it more like a gmae console than anything else: It sells like crazy in the first few years until everyone who wants one gets one, and then it drops in sales volume to late adapters and replacement units after that. - jwdav, on 10/23/2008, -1/+3So ...
You run a company that is growing at 3 to 6 times the rate of your industry. You have the highest profit margin in the industry and one of the largest piles of cash. You have been able to enter new markets and become one of the top three players in a short time - with products that cost more than your competitors. You have rabidly loyal customers based on their experience with your company.
How crazy stupid would you have to be to enter the discount low margin computer basement and compete in the race to the bottom? Trying to build a company by selling to people who either don't have any money or want the cheapest product available is perhaps not your best idea to grow the business. Looking at market share by units sold doesn't make as much sense, if you can get 3-4 thimes the profit on 3-4 times fewer units. Dell sells way more computers than Apple, but makes way less money.
Most PC OEM's are stuck - the only thing they really can compete on is price as they don't make the OS or differentiate on software in any way.
Apple has already made the "netbook" - the first version of it is the iPhone, and it fits in your pocket. Look for smaller and larger versions of it in the future. - maxsunset, on 10/23/2008, -0/+2The reply button is there for a reason...
- MoWater, on 10/23/2008, -0/+2Job is right about software driving cell phone sales. I'm looking at iphone because of it. I don't need keyboard on my cell phone, nor do I need battery life more than a day or so since I plug my phone in every day and have a car charger and have extra chargers laying around since I usually get the same brand, Nokia, everytime I need to get a phone. When I look at all the software that you can get for iphone, If it wasn't for AT&T, I would have brought an iphone with 3G.
As for Apple making iphone able for other providers, I have to respect Apple's business decisions. I'm just glad Apple came into cell phone business, and showed all the cell phone makers/users how crappy their phones are. Competition is great thing, and with Android and iphone competing, this segments should heat up very nicely. - diggimator, on 10/23/2008, -1/+3That's a really funny line because Apple used to sell 500 dollar Mac minis January 2005 – October 2005. It's just Jobs's way of saying whatever to make their current or near future decisions sound great. When the iMac G4 first rolled out, Jobs was up on stage explaining how vertical DVD drives suck ass, just as an excuse for the lamp-shaped Mac's footprint. Every iMac release since then has had a smaller footprint, vertical DVD drive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06ws6M2-S3w (5:15 - 6:15)
- tetsuo29, on 10/24/2008, -0/+2Sorry, but I seriously doubt your claim that you have an iMac that is crashing due to having 512MB of RAM. I dunno, maybe you've got some magic piece of software that is prone to this, but, I've run OS X on machines with as little as 128MB of RAM. It was slow as hell at certain things, but it just kept cranking along. For word processing, web browsing, email, etc. OS X will perform quite well on 512MB. I think you've got some other problem that's causing your crashes- have you pulled out the CD or DVD that came with the machine and run the extended hardware tests? It sounds like you're very happy having a crashing Mac so that it an confirm your prejudices about Apple, Macs, & OS X, or you're just spreading FUD.
- youannoyme, on 10/23/2008, -0/+2@digitallysick
dude... Any time you build a computer you beat out the pre-assembled ones. I've got a three year old desktop I built that is *still* kicking the asses of a fair number of new computers. Quote a retail computer that can outperform its mac price class (and yes, there are some...but its going to be far less common) and you can have more talking room. Then recall that apple hand selects each hardware configuration *and* designs (if not manufactures) their own motherboards. That way you have a far lower chance of having stability/compatibility issues, even compared to a lot of builds using very mainstream hardware.
If you think mem/cpu/fsb is all there is to a computer, you need to (re?)take a computer architecture class... - tbob19, on 10/23/2008, -1/+3I am one of those Windows/Linux users that has used OSX for a long period of time, I used to work with them every day at my job (for three years), but not once did I feel like I could be more productive on OSX than I could on Windows or Linux.
And then if you really wanted OSX on your PC you could always install it the OSx86 way.
For now I will stick to my PC that I can upgrade every few years to the budget/overclockable parts of the time (currently E2160@3.2ghz and 9600gt) and my Lenovo Ideapad S10. - alerad, on 10/23/2008, -1/+2I think it's funny how 98% of the things in your post are wrong.
- Ellipsys, on 10/23/2008, -3/+4You are coming off as very condescending. That said, how do you feel about Linux? I've messed around on OSX, and I own an iPhone, and I find the software on these devices to be lacking and quite the opposite of "innovative".
1. I just disagree with this statement about OSX, however I will agree that Windows does lack in some form of its construction. However, I feel that Linux at its core is much more "innovative", flexible and usable than OSX.
2. I'll give you this. The hardware is excellent aesthetically, however I find it overpriced for what you get EXCEPT for the MacBook Pro. Aside from the MBP, you pay a lot of money for aesthetics and underpowered hardware.
3) I find it rather curious you make this comparison, and it is in fact my biggest problem with Apple. Apple DOES have a vision for their software, and YOU have to have it too. Want a feature? Sorry, you're an idiot for wanting it, the great Lord Jobs has decreed. Perfect example - every single media player I've owned to this point aside from my iPhone, has a mass storage device setting. Go ahead, copy and paste music files, video, whatever you like, and they'll play just fine. No drivers required. No "sync" with some proprietary piece of software. Use your device where ever, whenever you want. No so with the new iPods and iPhone. This impacts me every single ***** day. I don't want to use iTunes. I want to use AmaroK, Media Monkey, Winamp or whatever else I like. Maybe I want to connect in Linux. Maybe I want to connect on a computer without Winamp. There is no technical reason this has to be this way. It wouldn't cost Apple a cent to allow me to copy and paste, but they don't. Why? Because its not "The Apple Way". "The Apple Way" or the highway, that's Apple's vision.
As long as you want to do things "The Apple Way", your experience will be golden. Deviate from it, and question anything, and "you just don't understand the true vision".
Apple is one of the most restrictive, proprietary, backwards companies around. I'd much rather deal with a broken down Dodge that I can often fix myself, or build my own Space Shuttle/Teleporter from a set of arcane plans, than deal with a Porsche containing a "wondrous new feature" that kicks me in the nuts every time I change the song on the radio or adjust the air conditioning. - inactive, on 10/23/2008, -1/+2Fail
- inactive, on 10/23/2008, -2/+3My 600.00 computer i built has firewire and runs osx86 leopard , and i out benchmark most macs that apple sells for 4 x the cost.
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