Apple on the Technology Tree
Walter Mossberg makes (or at least attempts to make) an argument that the proprietary business model favored by Apple is gaining ground against the PC component-based model. While he does some interesting cheerleading, he's not particularly convincing.
Don't get me wrong; I'd love to see Apple make a comeback. I can remember when Apple dominated the market back in the early '80's, when walking into a computer software shop yielded hundreds of productivity and game software choices on the Apple side, with a paltry scattering of anemic offerings for the PC. But in the end, the diversity and marketability of the component model won out, and I think we're better off for it--though PC's, (especially custom-built models), can often be a royal pain in the arse.
But the iPod and similar marketing gimmicks aren't going to recapture that market dominance for Apple. The author of the article bad-mouths "niche" corporate software, but the fact is that Autodesk's AutoCAD program dominates the engineering world. Apple's MicroStation is a very poor substitute, even on its best day. Likewise, you're much more likely to find coders willing to write custom packages for Windows or Linux-based operating systems than for Apple's operating system. It's simply a matter of market penetration, and no amount of gadgetry and gimmickry is going to attack that core problem.
The only real opening I see for Apple is the continually-developing convergence market. Convergence is simply the idea that nearly all of the myriad electronic devices in the modern household--televisions, computers, game consoles, telephones, etc.--can eventually be integrated into a single, idiot-proof black box. In that arena, a proprietary design and manufacturing model grants an enormous initial edge. But it wouldn't take long to piss that edge away--and Apple has proven themselves exemplary at pissing away market advantage.
I'll adopt a wait-and-see attitude. As consumers, it's a win-win situation for us. Ain't capitalism grand?
Don't get me wrong; I'd love to see Apple make a comeback. I can remember when Apple dominated the market back in the early '80's, when walking into a computer software shop yielded hundreds of productivity and game software choices on the Apple side, with a paltry scattering of anemic offerings for the PC. But in the end, the diversity and marketability of the component model won out, and I think we're better off for it--though PC's, (especially custom-built models), can often be a royal pain in the arse.
But the iPod and similar marketing gimmicks aren't going to recapture that market dominance for Apple. The author of the article bad-mouths "niche" corporate software, but the fact is that Autodesk's AutoCAD program dominates the engineering world. Apple's MicroStation is a very poor substitute, even on its best day. Likewise, you're much more likely to find coders willing to write custom packages for Windows or Linux-based operating systems than for Apple's operating system. It's simply a matter of market penetration, and no amount of gadgetry and gimmickry is going to attack that core problem.
The only real opening I see for Apple is the continually-developing convergence market. Convergence is simply the idea that nearly all of the myriad electronic devices in the modern household--televisions, computers, game consoles, telephones, etc.--can eventually be integrated into a single, idiot-proof black box. In that arena, a proprietary design and manufacturing model grants an enormous initial edge. But it wouldn't take long to piss that edge away--and Apple has proven themselves exemplary at pissing away market advantage.
I'll adopt a wait-and-see attitude. As consumers, it's a win-win situation for us. Ain't capitalism grand?
posted by Jar(egg)head at 11:17
2 Comments:
My original iMac (233Mhz) is still running as well as my powerbook, and my newer iMac. None of them have ever had virus protection software, or ad blockers. And NEVER had a problem.
We have a PC for my kids downstairs and it is a disaster.
If businesses would ever realize how much money they could save from not needing virus protection, they would switch and never look back.
You guys can keep your PCs. Im sticking with Apple.
Do not confuse a negligible market share with superior technology. The Safari browser and Mac OS possess a tiny fraction of the overall computer user market compared to IE and FireFox on Windows, (leaving Linux and its derivatives aside for the moment). The pop-up advertisers and virus writers are simply shooting at the big target.
There is nothing inherently superior about Apple's technology; they're simply not as fat and lumbering as the Microsoft juggernaut. (At least not for the moment; Microsoft is currently engaged in some perverse foot-shooting of their own.) In the future, if Apple were to regain market dominance, you can be sure they would be dealing with just as many virus and ad-spam problems as Windows-based PC's currently experience.
I'll say this in Apple's favor, though: they design some gorgeous, simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-look-at boxes. They're like BMW's sitting next the PC jalopies. Problem is, those jalopies turn the quarter-mile a good five-seconds faster than the Apple Beemers--and in the race for the computer prize, speed is everything.
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