2005-08-30

Inside Look: The Apple Product Cycle

A funny read with very good insight into how unsubstantiated rumors float out there and the level to which people try to believe them. I guess one would have to know the Apple side of things to appreciate the quality of this satire. Give it a whirl...

One of my favorite sections:
Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC to explain that Apple's device will never be able to compete with the onslaught of cheaper Windows-based competitors. Apple's stock plummets. Idiot technology investors experience a brief moment of deja vu before they return to masturbating to photos of Maria Bartiromo.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds about right ;-) My only question is which forum were you posting your rants and undying love of Mac on, Mike...LOL.
I don't follow these things too closely, but am I close to accurate when I think that Apple tends to shoot itself in the foot when it offers a "new" technology?

Mike said...

Example?

The iPod was a new take on the MP3 player. If selling >6,000,000 units in a quarter and having 97% of the hard drive based MP3 player market is shooting yourself in the foot, then DAMN!, they're masochists.

If it weren't for the original iMac not having legacy ports and ONLY having USB ports, there overall acceptance of USB would still be low.

Apple is a market driver. They may not have the market share, but their mindshare is much higher than most anyone else in the industry. Amazing how a "bit" player can still have so much influence over the market.

It's like the old EF Hutton ads...

"When Apple speaks, people listen."

It's hard being the R&D group for all of Silicon Valley...

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jen said...

Shoot. I was hoping for another argument between you and Breedo when I saw the comment count.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Mike said...

Damn blogspam...

$20 says it's because of the counter I put at the bottom...

Mike said...

What's up Breedo? Cat got your tongue? I am in a particularly cantankerous mood today.

Jen said...

$20 says it's because of the counter I put at the bottom...

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Those things burn.

Hey, my image is dlbfg: is that like double fag? [/so going to hell]

Anonymous said...

Uh, Jen that would work if the 'b' came before the 'l' (and you call yourself a writer!). I do think dlbfg could be an acronym for you, but I'll refrane on such a public forum...Mike has tender ears.

Mike, go stew for a bit. I just got back in from setting up for a party...now I have to go work the party. Some of us are busy busy busy :-) I'm sure you'll stil be cantankerous when I catch up with you.

BTW, you made my point for me. Apple may be the market driver, but doesn't it seem like they always do something to hurt their own sales? Like I said, I don't follow these things too closely, but from what I've seen/heard it sure sounds like they don't have very good follow through.

PS...my word was hobtx....hobbit in texas???

Mike said...

hobtx in the context of breedo would mean...

...never mind. I won' go there...

As for Apple hurting themselves, that may be true for the pre-1997 return of Steve Jobs. However, since then they've been doing pretty well. Their stock is hovering around an all-time high and their mind-share is way up there. Also, their product pipeline has been streamlined and their business is now focused.

As you said, you don't follow the market that closely -- I do.

--Mike

(my word is etjym)

Jen said...

I'm gonna start leaving comments updating you on my word. I just got safegsh and what it made me think of just goes to prove I spent way too much time at the pi lam house.

Jen said...

Breedo,

Obviously you're not familiar with the common practice of inverting letters in a clever way when communicating on the internets.

dlb = dbl in the same way liek = like or teh = the.

Mike said...

Jen:

You were a safegsh in college, weren't you? However, it's hard to yell that off the back porch.

Remember, Breedo will take any side of an argument as long as it's not yours. He also isn't phased by ignorance or stupidity on his own part. I think it has something to do with all of the kidney stones he has had in the past...

:)

Mike

(my word is zpgsbfw)

Jen said...

Mike:

Unfortunately, at one point in my life I could not lay claim to the moniker "safegsh" but then I found Jesus.

And you can yell His name from the back porch, but that won't get you laid.

Word: siscorxk

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm...should I chime in about safegsh? ...tick tick tick...30 seconds later and...

Anyway, since Mike is being cantankerous (and haughty, arrogant, etc.), I know you follow this foolishness like an addict...but that doesn't mean you know what the hell you're talking about. You are slightly biased after all. When was the last time you were critical of anything associated with Mac? I'm not that critical of them, I just don't like them as much as other machines. As for my ignorance/stupidity...your idea of the kidney stones might be on the right path...that would be where my head is, and certainly most of my thinking takes place in that vicinity (never have denied THAT). However, as much as you always like to play up my stupidity/ignorance, you've yet to show me a valid instance of such :-) (BTW, I always got the impression that Jobs theatrics and arrogance were part of their market problems.)

And Jen, I've heard of the inversion...most of my students liked to use it back in the day, calling it acceptable netiquette...I would then proceed to take them to wrestling practice and put them in various positions resembling a pretzel...could I convince you to get on the wrestling mat with me???? :-D


ctibwxo...got me on that one

Mike said...

Blah blah blah.

Jobs' marketing theatrics have saved the company. When he showed backup at Apple in 1997, they were losing $700,000,000/quarter -- that's a lot of money. Jobs cut product lines and focused the company for the changing market place. The iMac line and the laptop line have turned the company around. Apple is moving away from being a computer company and more toward a service company or a solutions company. Even Microsoft is branching out. The computer industry has matured and the market is saturated.
Look at the iTunes Music Store. It's proof that people will buy music online if it is priced properly and fairly. My guess is that Apple will extend the ITMS to movies and start giving Netflix a run for its money. Only time will tell. Apple hasn't had too many stumbles in the recent past. Besides, you can't expect perfection from every company all the time -- it's just not possible. MS has had their stumbles so has Oracle, Yahoo, Sony, you name it. One cannot expect perfection.
You say you're not biased...you lie. I've had enough conversations with you in the past to know you are both biased and closed minded.
:)

--Mike

pnewpeoj