Thursday, January 13, 2005
Smart Moves
MacLevel | News - Apple lowers prices on its line of keyboards and mice
Well, I was wrong. Apple did offer TWO products in the low-end consumer space; that being low-power, low-featured (as in there aren't many), and most importantly low-margin.
As a qualifier, (and hopefully redemption in the eyes of my readers as the omnipotent and omnipresent Apple strategy think-tank) I was right about one thing - and this (above link) is proof.
I said that it wasn't that Apple wouldn't introduce low-end consumer products, it's that it would take a major shift in company strategy. (I think I actually used the word focus, but now that I've used two loosely related synonyms you probably have a handle on what I'm going for) Now here they are, changing their strategy.
I've already alluded to the fact that I was surprised and delighted that the Mac Mini was so SMALL! I had never even considered the possibility (and here's where I was really wrong - shame on me) that the hardware for a computer aimed at the 'commodity market' would end up being (typically) exceptionally beautiful and (here's the kicker) COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from everything else out there! (The iPod shuffle is not completely different from everything out there [I actually think my old buddy Woo from Creative have a product quite like it and whose looks remind me of Mr. Hanky], so I guess it is different than everything else in that regard - it's actually cool) At first I was a bit worried that my "complete shift in focus" prediction wouldn't come true and I would have been just plain old wrong on all counts here - but today I hear a report that Apple has quietly reduced the price of their USB keyboards and mice. Unbelievable. They used to be $60 US - and debatably worth every penny. Now they're half that! They want people to be able to see their stuff as being as affordable as the DELL "QuietKey" (biggest joke in the history of computing). I don't think I need to beat this horse to death for you to see where this is going, but something I do want to mention so everyone keeps this in mind is WHO this product (the Mac mini) is aimed at - EXISTING PC/WINTEL OWNERS. This thing is meant to come home with your new iPod, get set up on the same desk as your existing PC (maybe on top of it, or on top of a gargantuan 19" CRT that PC owners seem to love so much) and outclass your PC in every way (no annoying antivirus or spyware or firewall software (yes, Mac OS X actually uses a REAL firewall that doesn't interrupt every single web transaction, no (slightly less than it used to be but nonetheless annoyingly) clumsy UI, no more "Abort/Retry/Fail", freedom from the Microsoft juggernaut, integrated iLife apps for your music and photos and movies, etc etc etc) and convince you first of all that it was a good purchase, and second (of all?) that you trust Apple to be in your home and you take them seriously enough to plop down $2000 bucks for a super wicked iMac the next time you go in there. And an iBook for Johnny when he goes to school. And an iPod for Suzy when she gets older. This has NEVER been Apple's strategy before, and I think we're going to start seeing a lot more symptoms of what's going on at Apple right now in terms of a more encompasing and embracing focus.
I've said before of the Mac naysayers "I don't want you in my club" because of their ridicule and skepticism - Apple is clearly saying here that there is a way into the club after all and frankly I'm happy for the change of heart.
Well, I was wrong. Apple did offer TWO products in the low-end consumer space; that being low-power, low-featured (as in there aren't many), and most importantly low-margin.
As a qualifier, (and hopefully redemption in the eyes of my readers as the omnipotent and omnipresent Apple strategy think-tank) I was right about one thing - and this (above link) is proof.
I said that it wasn't that Apple wouldn't introduce low-end consumer products, it's that it would take a major shift in company strategy. (I think I actually used the word focus, but now that I've used two loosely related synonyms you probably have a handle on what I'm going for) Now here they are, changing their strategy.
I've already alluded to the fact that I was surprised and delighted that the Mac Mini was so SMALL! I had never even considered the possibility (and here's where I was really wrong - shame on me) that the hardware for a computer aimed at the 'commodity market' would end up being (typically) exceptionally beautiful and (here's the kicker) COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from everything else out there! (The iPod shuffle is not completely different from everything out there [I actually think my old buddy Woo from Creative have a product quite like it and whose looks remind me of Mr. Hanky], so I guess it is different than everything else in that regard - it's actually cool) At first I was a bit worried that my "complete shift in focus" prediction wouldn't come true and I would have been just plain old wrong on all counts here - but today I hear a report that Apple has quietly reduced the price of their USB keyboards and mice. Unbelievable. They used to be $60 US - and debatably worth every penny. Now they're half that! They want people to be able to see their stuff as being as affordable as the DELL "QuietKey" (biggest joke in the history of computing). I don't think I need to beat this horse to death for you to see where this is going, but something I do want to mention so everyone keeps this in mind is WHO this product (the Mac mini) is aimed at - EXISTING PC/WINTEL OWNERS. This thing is meant to come home with your new iPod, get set up on the same desk as your existing PC (maybe on top of it, or on top of a gargantuan 19" CRT that PC owners seem to love so much) and outclass your PC in every way (no annoying antivirus or spyware or firewall software (yes, Mac OS X actually uses a REAL firewall that doesn't interrupt every single web transaction, no (slightly less than it used to be but nonetheless annoyingly) clumsy UI, no more "Abort/Retry/Fail", freedom from the Microsoft juggernaut, integrated iLife apps for your music and photos and movies, etc etc etc) and convince you first of all that it was a good purchase, and second (of all?) that you trust Apple to be in your home and you take them seriously enough to plop down $2000 bucks for a super wicked iMac the next time you go in there. And an iBook for Johnny when he goes to school. And an iPod for Suzy when she gets older. This has NEVER been Apple's strategy before, and I think we're going to start seeing a lot more symptoms of what's going on at Apple right now in terms of a more encompasing and embracing focus.
I've said before of the Mac naysayers "I don't want you in my club" because of their ridicule and skepticism - Apple is clearly saying here that there is a way into the club after all and frankly I'm happy for the change of heart.
