Apple is trying to recreate 1984. Only in 2007, technology is a fashion statement. Technology is trendy ebbs and flows. G33ks are cool now, and soon will be nicknamed “Applesites”.
What we’re seeing now is what Mac enthusiasts have been hoping to see for 20 years: more people deciding to buy a Mac.
John Gruber, Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse
I find it a little ironic how Apple makes most of its money. They’re originally a computer company; a mac company. Now Apple sells gadgets, while the Mac sells almost solely by association.
Ten years ago, Apple Kremlinologists read into PowerMac, iMac, eMac. Now they’re reading iPhone, iPod and iTunes. Curiously, the more we try to read Apple, the more diverse our conclusions are:
Apple has deliberately driven all contracted phones out of its stores, so now it offers only the hardware. This means that the goal (10 million units sold) will be achieved at any cost, even if the company’s partners, carriers in this particular case, will suffer.
— Eldar Murtazin, Apple iPhone – apocalypse today or business strategies
For once, I found an interesting view on Apple’s strategy, and it’s not John Gruber’s tea leaf reading.
Comments (6)
The name’s Gruber - John Gruber fyi.
Otherwise your point is what?
Defeats me
That linked article is a mess; in the end, no clue what he’s getting at - is he saying there’s an Apple conspiracy? And what are you saying by pointing to that pile of rubbish and saying it is “interesting”? Can you clarify? amplify?
That article conveniently leaves out many other related and possibly “contradicting” facts; I have a hard time saying they are contradicting, because as I said, I can’t tell what he is trying to say. My conclusion: as far as I can tell, it is pure “fantasy”.
giorgio: Typo fixed. Sorry about that.
Mark: The linked article is a translation from Russian, so it’s a little rough.
The point of this post isn’t that Apple is “conspiring” against us, the poor and the ignorant. The point is, Apple’s growing, from being a media darling, to a controversial company.
It seems as if Apple has changed its focus away from its original strength, namely the Mac hardware, and the Mac OS. I wanted to point that out.
“It seems as if Apple has changed its focus away from its original strength, namely the Mac hardware, and the Mac OS. I wanted to point that out.”
Well gee, what gave you a clue? Possibly that name change from Apple Computer Inc to Apple Inc back in January?
So far in 2007 - a year where they said upfront that the first 30 years were just the beginning - Apple has entered two new markets, did a moderate revamp of the iPod line, and two days ago released a new OS. Oh yeah, and the long-awaited AppleWorks replacement cam out in August.
Last Monday Apple reported Mac sales of nearly 2.2 million in the previous quarter - a record by 400,000 units. While their focus has changed, clearly it doesn’t equate to ignoring their computer line.
For you to link to a Russian conspiracy-believer post who actually hints that Apple actively supported having their iPhones hacked for the sole purpose of screwing the buyers of their products is a disservice to your readers.
Scatterism? Well, at least you’ve lived up to that.
“Well gee, what gave you a clue?”
The quality of their recent products was what tipped me off. But maybe I’m being too sentimental about it.
Changing focus doesn’t necessarily mean ignoring other product lines. But it wouldn’t be a first for Apple to concentrate on a product, just to lose the market with another. The Mac product line hasn’t been getting much love, even though it’s been selling pretty well. Maybe that’s also due to the name change.
Now setting a sales record doesn’t mean much. Think about it. If your product doesn’t live up to the hype, then you’ll only end up with more dissatisfied customers. The last thing you want is to piss off 2.2 million customers. Keep in mind that 2.2 million aren’t all converts, though I’m sure part of those 400,000 are.
“…Apple actively supported having their iPhones hacked for the sole purpose of screwing the buyers of their products”
The article does hint at Apple supporting hacked iPhones, but it suggests Apple’s doing it mainly to achieve their 10 million units goal, even if, along the way, it hurts its partners and mobile carriers.
What I don’t understand is why articles, such as the one I linked to, are usually ruled as a possibility. Apple did punish many blogs for simply publishing leaked stories. And I bet Apple, just like any other business, is willing to take drastic steps to secure market share. The only difference is that Apple knows how to keep a secret.
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[…] This blog compares Daring Fireball’s post on Apple’s fourth quarter earnings with this mess of a post about the iPhone sales numbers as some kind of lazer that cuts throught the iPhone hype. It is simply amazing to me how people like to ignore or discount facts. It should come as no surprise that iPhone bashing is a sure way to get web traffic. […]
[…] This blog compares Daring Fireball’s post on Apple’s fourth quarter earnings with this mess of a post about the iPhone sales numbers as some kind of lazer that cuts throught the iPhone hype. It is simply amazing to me how people like to ignore or discount facts. It should come as no surprise that iPhone bashing is a sure way to get web traffic. […]