In the QuickTime promo for the new iMac, shown in the Macworld
keynote and available from Apple's website, VP of design Jonathan Ive
describes the new iMac as revolutionary.
Except for the (arguably) pleasing aesthetics of the base and the
lack of cables from the back of the monitor, the new iMac is as
revolutionary as was the original iMac.
Both are just a visually pleasing version of something Apple or
someone else already made.
Brought down to the lowest denominator, the original iMac was just a
G3 All-In-One in a
pretty rounded case (I understand some hardware revisions).
G3 All-in-One
NEC PowerMate 2000
20th Anniversary Mac
|
Those who think that Apple is the first with all-in-one flat panel
computer should check out machines like the
NEC PowerMate 2000. So
much for the claim of going where no PC has gone before. [What about
the
Twentieth Annivesary
Mac? ed.]
As much as we build up the new features of the iMac - the G4
processor, SuperDrive, 5 USB ports(which is something they finally got
right), and 2 FireWire ports - Apple needs to do something to get the
common person to have to have an Apple.
Coming from the bicycling industry, five years ago, everyone was
selling steel frames for mountain bikes. Now you would be very hard
pressed to find a single mountain bike with a steel frame for over
$250.
The same has to be true in the computer market.
OS X is a great OS. I run it on my iceBook, but as iCEO Steve
pointed out, there is no Photoshop, PageMaker, or Dreamweaver available
for OS X yet. No one has focused on selling OS X. Where are
the commercials like the Windows XP commercials?
Does the common person know there is a really easy to use operating
system that doesn't crash (I hesitate to use the word never, though I
have never had a crash), is easy to use, and will run all the
applications a PC can (thanks to Virtual PC)?
The answer is no. That's why Macs are 5% of the computer market.
What can save Apple?
First - and this is the worst one for pure Mac fans - port OS X
to PCs. Whether it's a rumor or not, Apple was supposedly close to
finishing this task, and it got shut down.
If we could get PC users to use an OS other than Windows, with the
aforementioned features, they would buy the iPod and switch. This
exodus would lead software manufacturers to build more OS X native
software - and faster than they do now.
Apple is afraid because it would cut into their hardware market
(sound familiar - this is the same argument they had against clones),
which is 80% of their sales.
Here's an idea: Have users try OS X on their PC and marvel at it's
speed and ease, but leave them wondering, "How fast would this be on a
Mac?" They'd be hooked.
Second, level the processor playing field. Every Mac fan was hoping
that this Macworld would bring the G4 (or maybe even the G5) to the 1
GHz level. When will Apple, and AMD for that matter, realize that it
is about GHz? That's what sells computers to the common entry
level buyer, not "chip performance" measurements (I know that a 867 MHz
G4 is faster than a 1 GHz P4, but your average consumer doesn't).
Third, do something really revolutionary. Not an adaptation of
current technology, e.g. Gigawire, new iMac, iPod, etc. Do something
that will set the lagging computer industry on it's head.
Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.
