Re: [NTLK] [OT] Apple, Macintosh, 3rd Parties, and Market Share

From: David Ensteness (denstene_at_mac.com)
Date: Sat Apr 24 2004 - 07:34:46 PDT


On Apr 24, 2004, at 5:53 AM, Joel M. Sciamma wrote:

> This list does not include much that is Apple innovation.

What exactly do you consider innovation? Was Apple innovative for
including the mouse? Or would they have to have been the first to think
of the mouse and the first to include it? I see innovation as broader
than you do I think. Is shrinking a micro processor innovation? If it
is then Apple shrinking the number of features in such products as the
PowerBook G4 Titanium, the PowerBook G4 12", and the Xserve and Xserve
RAID would also be innovation. If it is not then no one in the
semiconductor industry has innovated anything in around 50 years.

> All the other technologies were not developed by Apple except for
> FireWire -
> see below.

FireWire and 802.11b were created in partnerships with other companies,
FireWire with Sony and AirPort/802.11b with Lucent. Go look up press
releases.

>> How are they not listening?
>
> I never mentioned anything about this. Apple never listened to anyone
> because they were the best. Now they can't hear because they still
> think
> they are. The rest of the world increasingly disagrees.

That is funny, your argument is quite broken. Let me explain:

If in the past some people thought Apple was doing the wrong thing and
said so, you contest they were wrong because Apple did not need
feedback, they were the best.

In the present you think Apple is doing the wrong thing and say so, you
contest that Apple is no longer the best.

According to your argument there is no difference between the past and
the present other than you are one of the people saying Apple is wrong.

>> FireWire was done in a joint development effort with Sony and first
>> appeared on computers in 1999 with the release of the Blue and White
>> G3. That is far from ten years ago, try five.
>
> I'm afraid you are mistaken. FireWire is early 90s tech (1992 I
> believe) so
> I'm being charitable about the 10 gap.

Have any source for your numbers? I am not contesting that FireWire was
in development before 1999, that is sorta obvious, but no one had
released it to a mass market and it had not been included on a computer
available to the consumer market. Getting new tech out to the public is
innovative.

> But anyway, I get the drift.
>
> I'm clearly on the way to the funny farm because it seems that
> everything in
> the garden is rosy.

Look you want to assume what I think, go ahead, but fact is my
disagreement with you does not mean that I am happy and content with
everything Apple is doing. I have concerns myself, I simply do not
believe that your pessimism is very well founded.

> When I saw Mac OS X public beta for the first time I woke up from my
> complacent pro-Apple position.

Many people did, you see this as the time when the Mac customer market
split between those going with X and those staying behind and that this
is bad for Apple. I think its good for Apple, no one likes to complain
about Apple more than those who love it and buy Macintosh.

> Time will tell but hoping for a thing is not the same as having it
> happen
> and I predict that Apple will continue it's long slide from being a
> major
> player to bit part actor if it continues the way it's doing. Perhaps
> it has
> already happened.

I think I have read that line a couple times in the past 20 years. In
fact, people said that same thing at the release of the Apple // line,
they said it in 1984 with the release of the Macintosh, they said it in
1994 with the release of PowerPC based systems, they said it with the
iMac, with the iPod, with the G4, the Xserve, with Apple's move into
the digital music space. Hell they said it about the Newton.

But they were wrong then and you are right now, eh?

> But perhaps this is what you want Apple to be - a small volume
> producer of
> computers designed by programmers for programmers and the rest of the
> world
> go hang. I had higher hopes for them than that and expected more but
> all is well, I
> think you are going to get your wish.
>
> Regards,
>
> Joel.

Joel,

After trying to tell me what it is that I want about right here, you
can keep your regards to yourself. Neither of us know the other well
enough to make as generalized of statements as you are. I am responding
to your arguments which I find to be inadequate to support your
position. You are responding by telling me how I feel and what I desire
for Apple.

  Perhaps you are the one living in the rose garden. Delusions do not
have to be positive, and whether you have them about Apple or my view
point, they are what they are.

David

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