Mac sales fall, windows PCs up 7%
- Thread starter ExtraRefined
- Start date
editor
hiraethified
But you were comparing the Apple brand with a luxury brand like BMW.
zenie
>^^<
They do make the compact though!
Apple could bring out a smaller laptop but have chosen not to! 
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
No, I was comparing BMW cars with apple laptops. Apologies for the confusion.
I think apple should make a smaller laptop, like the old 12" powerbook. But I don't think it'll be cheap and cheerful like the Wind or eee 900
editor
hiraethified
Overlooking the obvious flaws in that comparison, they still produced the relatively affordable BMW Compact, described as "basically a truncated liftback version of the BMW 3 Series."
So how would that be different to Apple producing a netbook that was still pricier than the competition?
fogbat
The Talibum
Those "I'm a PC" adverts were seriously awful
Based on a complete (and, most likely, deliberate) misunderstanding of the "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads that Apple released.
teuchter
je suis teuchter
Those "I'm a PC" adverts were seriously awful
Based on a complete (and, most likely, deliberate) misunderstanding of the "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" ads that Apple released.
I agree.
Just the other day I was thinking it's one of the worst large advertising campaigns going at the moment.
It feels somehow like it's geared to an American audience or something... it just doesn't seem right. It has the feel of adverts that are designed for global airing and dubbed into multiple languages. Like those chewing gum ads.
Even the typeface they use is ugly and inappropriate.
internetstalker
Get naked!
^^this
winjer
holocene death beat
But those aren't included in the figures in the OP, which are for desktops only.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=11249
Laptops account for something like 80% of Macs sold.
Isn't this a bit of a non-story. Mac laptop sales are remaining heathy (up 22% against a 15% rise for Windows laptops, even in these cash constrained times), whilst sales of desktops are in decline in the last quarter in the US alone - perhaps to be expected given that both the mac pros and imacs are due a product line refresh. Equally, until Adobe get their act together on 64 bit CS, there isn't going to be the same drive to replace corporate desktops. IIRC Safari's marketshare continues to rise at the expense of IE, with other indicators suggesting that the proportion of active macs continue to rise - perhaps showing a greater longevity for macs if anything.
Profit margins remain healthy, Apple continues to have billions of cash reserves, and I doubt they're cacking himself quite yet, especially when iphone and ipod sales remain strong and more than compensate. An cut down EEE style netbook isn't Apple's style, and whilst the demand for a 'mid range' tower continues to be voiced in the more techy community, I doubt it's a high priority for Jobs and Co.
Profit margins remain healthy, Apple continues to have billions of cash reserves, and I doubt they're cacking himself quite yet, especially when iphone and ipod sales remain strong and more than compensate. An cut down EEE style netbook isn't Apple's style, and whilst the demand for a 'mid range' tower continues to be voiced in the more techy community, I doubt it's a high priority for Jobs and Co.
ChrisFilter
Like a boss.
To be fair Filter, even the article the OP linked to implied much the same thing. Any news involving Apple tends to be slightly hysterically reported, the truth often being a little more prosaic and logical. Sales slow down on older hardware in run up to Macworld shocker.
Besides, you're in no position to lecture me about 'caring' or being 'well versed' on the odd tech matter. You're the uber geek that's been researching the minutae and specs of every smartphone and reporting back regularly with excitement
Besides, you're in no position to lecture me about 'caring' or being 'well versed' on the odd tech matter. You're the uber geek that's been researching the minutae and specs of every smartphone and reporting back regularly with excitement
editor
hiraethified
Not that news about Apple products are in the slightest bit hysterically reported, of course.
*high fives!
*woots!
*hails Lord Jobs
editor
hiraethified
How can anyone fail to amused by a load of prancing pricks high fiving people at the cash register. It's priceless entertainment! And a bit tragic too.
newbie
undisambiguated
it does run OSX well- 'very well' is too subjective, but it's perfectly usable for netbookery.
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
They may well have been designed in just that way. They're crap though, I agree. Apart from anything else you don't get anywhere by limply responding to somebody else's ad campaign.
editor
hiraethified
Despite my joshing here, I really would have been interested in getting a Mac netbook. It might have been a great way for the company to introduce new users to their way of doing things too....
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
Yes, but that's bollocks isn't it? Apple sales fall by 1% this November compared to last November, with desktops falling and notebooks rising. And they had a particularly good October.
Complete non-story really.
I just don't think will happen. There are just too many compromises involved with netbooks to make a control freak corp like Apple to want it to become anyone's first mac. They couldn't even drop the requirement for solidity, widescreen and a proper keyboard on their version of an ultraportable
They're more likely to keep on with improving the iphones and touches as a kind of first tablet/netbook type affair imo.
They're more likely to keep on with improving the iphones and touches as a kind of first tablet/netbook type affair imo.
newbie
undisambiguated
Advent 4211 + http://forums.msiwind.net/viewforum.php
if they won't do it themselves they can hardly be surprised if it happens anyway.
if they won't do it themselves they can hardly be surprised if it happens anyway.
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
Yeah, I very very much doubt they will do it - I don't think it's to do with the quality actually, they could release a high-quality premium-price netbook which would run (Snow) Leopard well enough and it would sell like anything. I think it's the brand image and strategy. Apple want to be first-choice dominant in markets that they go into, which either means creating a new one, picking one that was lackluster and claiming it as theirs, or some combination of the two. They can't do that with netbooks.
This isn't entirely an irrational business strategy from their point of view but from the POV of a consumer who just wants a smaller netbook style Mac, fuck their business strategy. The number of people who want an equivalent to the old 12" powerbook is ridiculous.
elbows
Well-Known Member
I expect 2009 to be grim for Apple, but thats not saying much as it will be grim for most.
If the numbers get scary enough they may seek to move away from the high price side of things somewhat, but whether it will be too late by the time they do it is hard to tell.
Performance improvements in Snow Leopard due sometime in 2009 probably gives them more ability to make smaller machines with lower cpu rating, whilst still retaining a smooth user experience. Quite what they will do with these options in terms of actual new products I have no idea.
If the numbers get scary enough they may seek to move away from the high price side of things somewhat, but whether it will be too late by the time they do it is hard to tell.
Performance improvements in Snow Leopard due sometime in 2009 probably gives them more ability to make smaller machines with lower cpu rating, whilst still retaining a smooth user experience. Quite what they will do with these options in terms of actual new products I have no idea.
elbows
Well-Known Member
They could do that with a small tablet, or large iphone, or tablet equivalent of a netbook. It would be a bit risky as UMPCs and tablets have never really caught on, but maybe they will try one day. If they could somehow make it foldable so it would still go in a pocket, maybe it would work.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
If they can do the Mac mini surely they could do a £300 netbook?
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
Yes, I've heard that said before actually, and it's the only direction I can see them going in for the near future, though as you say it's definitely risky. The tablet market occupies the "lacklustre" position at the moment but, you know, maybe there's a reason for that. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with current PC tablets, I just think people don't want to buy them.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
I just don't think they're a mass market device. I can see them doing really well in hospitals (Doctors doing ward rounds, updating patient notes wirelessly) for instance. But for the average user a tablet pc just isn't usable. Hell, I'm a bit a geek and I've never seen the point in having one either!
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
A mate of mine has one. They are really nice for browsing from the sofa and I was blown away by how good the handwriting recognition is.
However the price premium you have to pay is not worth it in my opinion.
However the price premium you have to pay is not worth it in my opinion.
FridgeMagnet
Administrator
There is actually a Mac tablet - it's a third-party thing called the Modbook. Basically they take a Wacom tablet and put it on the front of a Macbook. They look quite cool, but obviously as custom jobs they're expensive and availability is limited.
http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook
I think they're helped by the fact that Leopard has quite decent built-in OS support for tablets. One could take this as a hint that Apple might be wanting to do their own tablet machine, but tbh external tablets are probably common enough with Mac users for it to be worth it for them.
http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook
I think they're helped by the fact that Leopard has quite decent built-in OS support for tablets. One could take this as a hint that Apple might be wanting to do their own tablet machine, but tbh external tablets are probably common enough with Mac users for it to be worth it for them.
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