Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "

Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070

Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......

Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ....
www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages

The iPod.

The line of iPods is Apple's big big foot in the door - raises the profile.
That and that Apple stuff is being promoted in the big box stores.

Then look at the Apple hardware - it has "wow" factor - big white
transluscent / brushed metal equipment - sort of impressive at first sight
along with the bright XP like OSX with it's cute animation. First impression
is, well, admittedly impressive. Don't tell them that right-clicking is a
b*tch or that few of the softwares over in the software department work with
it and you get some sales. Don't tell them Apple is as close to a closed
shop as computing can get, don't tell them that the specs tend to lag behind
and just let the customer be awed by the bright plastic .. some will buy.

Saucy


"Jdr" <> wrote in message
news:4F0CB417-E9A7-4594-9C0E-...
Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070

Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had sold
60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......

Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages

* Jdr:
> Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>
> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>
> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages

Apple is booming, and even though I haven't really used an Apple computer
since high school and college, I have thought about buying one.

It is now the third largest computer seller in the US. They've broken
the 5% barrier, and more importantly, IMO, they have over 15% of
retail and online sales. Microsoft still dominates the corporate world,
but Apple is making huge strides with regular consumers- especially,
younger folks and students.... future leaders and decision makers.
Apple's percentages are *growing*.

I really believe Apple could shake Microsoft's foundation if they
ever release OS X for the PC. I'd buy it.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm

Apple's surprise weapon: Computers
The iPod and iPhone are hits, but they're not the company's hottest line, says Fortune's Brent
Schlender.

By Brent Schlender, Fortune editor-at-large

(Fortune Magazine) -- Last January, when Steve Jobs rechristened his company by ostentatiously
excising the word "Computer" and leaving it as simply "Apple Inc.," he did so during the very
same public event when he first showed off the iPhone.

It also came right about the time that combined sales of iPod music players and iTunes music
downloads eclipsed revenues from Apple's mainstay Macintosh personal computers.

The new name seemed to concede the obvious: The company's PC business, which for well over a
decade couldn't garner even 5 percent of the U.S. market (nor more than 3 percent worldwide),
would no longer be front and center. After all, the stripling iPod and iTunes Music Store were
holding almost Microsoftian sway in their realms, and the iPhone already was the most
ballyhooed new gadget since the transistor radio.

But a funny thing has happened over the past couple of quarters. While Apple has been firing on
all cylinders, and the iPhone is selling hundreds of thousands of units a month, its Macintosh
business is the hottest line of all. It roared back in the quarter that ended in June to
reclaim its status as the company's largest revenue source and, at long last, break that 5
percent share barrier, according to IDC.

Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest of the PC industry
since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell (Charts, Fortune 500)
and Hewlett-Packard (Charts, Fortune 500).

"Whoop-de-doo," you might say. "A market share in the mid single digits isn't even table scraps
compared to the combined force of all those Windows PC makers." But if you parse the market,
you realize that Apple's seemingly min-uscule share is much, much greater in the slices it has
targeted.

For one thing, Apple's PCs are truly personal. Apple (Charts, Fortune 500) has always pitched
them primarily as consumer products, and they're designed with the creative individual - not
the corporate IT department - in mind.

Apple doesn't even pretend to compete for the corporate servers that are technically considered
PCs because of their internal design; those account for about a fifth of the market. Nor has it
ever targeted big business, other than publishers and creative departments.

The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their own buying decisions
rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market share of PCs sold at
retail and online, according to NPD. Having its own flashy stores helps, of course, as does its
clever advertising.

But more important, you also can see why even modest gains translate into outsized growth in
Cupertino. The overall U.S. PC market is so large - 65.5 million were sold in 2006 - that
picking up a percentage point of share for Apple, which last year sold about 3.1 million Macs,
means its unit sales would jump 20 to 25 percent.

And the Mac business is already quite profitable, so the incremental sales yield even better
margins. A tiny nick to Dell and HP is gravy for Jobs. In other words, there's a lot of room
for Apple to expand without gouging Microsoft and Windows PC makers, which will also probably
keep growing, albeit at a slower pace from a larger base.

Finally, Apple's software could turn the Mac into a phenomenon again, perhaps even in
corporations. Apple is arguably the best software company on the planet, regularly releasing
basic operating system software and application programs that reveal the greater potential of
computers as devices for communication, creativity and entertainment. Most of Apple's software
gets an overhaul every few years and is constantly freshened with free, easy, online upgrades
that improve performance.

Also, now that Macs sport Intel processors, the machines are just as powerful as their rivals
and, with a little tweaking, can run standard Windows software, including custom applications
that many people have to use to do their jobs. Macs could make inroads into more businesses as
employees who use them at home begin to demand them of their IT departments.

So what's the lesson? Apple is growing faster than its competitors because it improves its
hardware and software more often than anyone else. It is broadening what we think of as a
consumer-oriented PC and thus helping its market grow. That's a good long-term investment
story. And, oh, by the way, Apple also makes some pretty slick music players and cell phones.

Vista will have had little impact on iPods and iPhones..
"Jdr" <> wrote in message news:4F0CB417-E9A7-4594-9C0E-...
Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070

Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......

Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ....
www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages





--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

All of Apple's product range is slick, and as smart as the computers are,
one would not like to read something funny on screen, thereafter depositing
an entire mouthful of coffee or whatever all over the display..

Macs also lack the 'tinker' factor.. when one buys a Mac, that is it. OK, it
looks way better, and nobody will complain if you set it up in your homes
public places, kind of like Bang & Olufsen stereo stuff..

With a PC, you can open the 'hood' and mess with it, add bits.. case designs
range from plain ugly to outrageous ugly, and you can light them up, fit
refrigeration units..

A PC can be elegant, but it can also be an off-roader, and for a fraction of
the price of a Mac..


"MICHAEL" <> wrote in message
news:...
>* Jdr:
>> Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>>
>> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had
>> sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>>
>> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
>> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Apple is booming, and even though I haven't really used an Apple computer
> since high school and college, I have thought about buying one.
>
> It is now the third largest computer seller in the US. They've broken
> the 5% barrier, and more importantly, IMO, they have over 15% of
> retail and online sales. Microsoft still dominates the corporate world,
> but Apple is making huge strides with regular consumers- especially,
> younger folks and students.... future leaders and decision makers.
> Apple's percentages are *growing*.
>
> I really believe Apple could shake Microsoft's foundation if they
> ever release OS X for the PC. I'd buy it.
>
> http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm
>
> Apple's surprise weapon: Computers
> The iPod and iPhone are hits, but they're not the company's hottest line,
> says Fortune's Brent
> Schlender.
>
> By Brent Schlender, Fortune editor-at-large
>
> (Fortune Magazine) -- Last January, when Steve Jobs rechristened his
> company by ostentatiously
> excising the word "Computer" and leaving it as simply "Apple Inc.," he did
> so during the very
> same public event when he first showed off the iPhone.
>
> It also came right about the time that combined sales of iPod music
> players and iTunes music
> downloads eclipsed revenues from Apple's mainstay Macintosh personal
> computers.
>
> The new name seemed to concede the obvious: The company's PC business,
> which for well over a
> decade couldn't garner even 5 percent of the U.S. market (nor more than 3
> percent worldwide),
> would no longer be front and center. After all, the stripling iPod and
> iTunes Music Store were
> holding almost Microsoftian sway in their realms, and the iPhone already
> was the most
> ballyhooed new gadget since the transistor radio.
>
> But a funny thing has happened over the past couple of quarters. While
> Apple has been firing on
> all cylinders, and the iPhone is selling hundreds of thousands of units a
> month, its Macintosh
> business is the hottest line of all. It roared back in the quarter that
> ended in June to
> reclaim its status as the company's largest revenue source and, at long
> last, break that 5
> percent share barrier, according to IDC.
>
> Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest
> of the PC industry
> since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell
> (Charts, Fortune 500)
> and Hewlett-Packard (Charts, Fortune 500).
>
> "Whoop-de-doo," you might say. "A market share in the mid single digits
> isn't even table scraps
> compared to the combined force of all those Windows PC makers." But if you
> parse the market,
> you realize that Apple's seemingly min-uscule share is much, much greater
> in the slices it has
> targeted.
>
> For one thing, Apple's PCs are truly personal. Apple (Charts, Fortune 500)
> has always pitched
> them primarily as consumer products, and they're designed with the
> creative individual - not
> the corporate IT department - in mind.
>
> Apple doesn't even pretend to compete for the corporate servers that are
> technically considered
> PCs because of their internal design; those account for about a fifth of
> the market. Nor has it
> ever targeted big business, other than publishers and creative
> departments.
>
> The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their
> own buying decisions
> rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market
> share of PCs sold at
> retail and online, according to NPD. Having its own flashy stores helps,
> of course, as does its
> clever advertising.
>
> But more important, you also can see why even modest gains translate into
> outsized growth in
> Cupertino. The overall U.S. PC market is so large - 65.5 million were sold
> in 2006 - that
> picking up a percentage point of share for Apple, which last year sold
> about 3.1 million Macs,
> means its unit sales would jump 20 to 25 percent.
>
> And the Mac business is already quite profitable, so the incremental sales
> yield even better
> margins. A tiny nick to Dell and HP is gravy for Jobs. In other words,
> there's a lot of room
> for Apple to expand without gouging Microsoft and Windows PC makers, which
> will also probably
> keep growing, albeit at a slower pace from a larger base.
>
> Finally, Apple's software could turn the Mac into a phenomenon again,
> perhaps even in
> corporations. Apple is arguably the best software company on the planet,
> regularly releasing
> basic operating system software and application programs that reveal the
> greater potential of
> computers as devices for communication, creativity and entertainment. Most
> of Apple's software
> gets an overhaul every few years and is constantly freshened with free,
> easy, online upgrades
> that improve performance.
>
> Also, now that Macs sport Intel processors, the machines are just as
> powerful as their rivals
> and, with a little tweaking, can run standard Windows software, including
> custom applications
> that many people have to use to do their jobs. Macs could make inroads
> into more businesses as
> employees who use them at home begin to demand them of their IT
> departments.
>
> So what's the lesson? Apple is growing faster than its competitors because
> it improves its
> hardware and software more often than anyone else. It is broadening what
> we think of as a
> consumer-oriented PC and thus helping its market grow. That's a good
> long-term investment
> story. And, oh, by the way, Apple also makes some pretty slick music
> players and cell phones.

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

* Mike Hall - MVP:
> Vista will have had little impact on iPods and iPhones.. "Jdr" <> wrote in
> message news:4F0CB417-E9A7-4594-9C0E-... Had Vista contributed to
> "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>
>
>
>
>
> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had sold 60 million
> Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>
> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages

http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm

<quote>
Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest of the PC industry
since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

It roared back in the quarter that ended in June to reclaim its status as the company's largest
revenue source and, at long last, break that 5 percent share barrier, according to IDC.

The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their own buying decisions
rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market share of PCs sold at
retail and online, according to NPD.
</quote>


-Michael

Mike,

I do agree about the "tinker factor" and the ease at which
you can mess with a PC, buy parts and do a lot of stuff
yourself, usually much cheaper than trying to do things
with an Apple.

That's why I would dance a jig if Apple were to release
the OS X for the PC.


-Michael

* Mike Hall - MVP:
> All of Apple's product range is slick, and as smart as the computers are,
> one would not like to read something funny on screen, thereafter depositing
> an entire mouthful of coffee or whatever all over the display..
>
> Macs also lack the 'tinker' factor.. when one buys a Mac, that is it. OK, it
> looks way better, and nobody will complain if you set it up in your homes
> public places, kind of like Bang & Olufsen stereo stuff..
>
> With a PC, you can open the 'hood' and mess with it, add bits.. case designs
> range from plain ugly to outrageous ugly, and you can light them up, fit
> refrigeration units..
>
> A PC can be elegant, but it can also be an off-roader, and for a fraction of
> the price of a Mac..
>
>
> "MICHAEL" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> * Jdr:
>>> Had Vista contributed to "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>>>
>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>>>
>>> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had
>>> sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>>>
>>> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
>>> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages
>> Apple is booming, and even though I haven't really used an Apple computer
>> since high school and college, I have thought about buying one.
>>
>> It is now the third largest computer seller in the US. They've broken
>> the 5% barrier, and more importantly, IMO, they have over 15% of
>> retail and online sales. Microsoft still dominates the corporate world,
>> but Apple is making huge strides with regular consumers- especially,
>> younger folks and students.... future leaders and decision makers.
>> Apple's percentages are *growing*.
>>
>> I really believe Apple could shake Microsoft's foundation if they
>> ever release OS X for the PC. I'd buy it.
>>
>> http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm
>>
>> Apple's surprise weapon: Computers
>> The iPod and iPhone are hits, but they're not the company's hottest line,
>> says Fortune's Brent
>> Schlender.
>>
>> By Brent Schlender, Fortune editor-at-large
>>
>> (Fortune Magazine) -- Last January, when Steve Jobs rechristened his
>> company by ostentatiously
>> excising the word "Computer" and leaving it as simply "Apple Inc.," he did
>> so during the very
>> same public event when he first showed off the iPhone.
>>
>> It also came right about the time that combined sales of iPod music
>> players and iTunes music
>> downloads eclipsed revenues from Apple's mainstay Macintosh personal
>> computers.
>>
>> The new name seemed to concede the obvious: The company's PC business,
>> which for well over a
>> decade couldn't garner even 5 percent of the U.S. market (nor more than 3
>> percent worldwide),
>> would no longer be front and center. After all, the stripling iPod and
>> iTunes Music Store were
>> holding almost Microsoftian sway in their realms, and the iPhone already
>> was the most
>> ballyhooed new gadget since the transistor radio.
>>
>> But a funny thing has happened over the past couple of quarters. While
>> Apple has been firing on
>> all cylinders, and the iPhone is selling hundreds of thousands of units a
>> month, its Macintosh
>> business is the hottest line of all. It roared back in the quarter that
>> ended in June to
>> reclaim its status as the company's largest revenue source and, at long
>> last, break that 5
>> percent share barrier, according to IDC.
>>
>> Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest
>> of the PC industry
>> since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell
>> (Charts, Fortune 500)
>> and Hewlett-Packard (Charts, Fortune 500).
>>
>> "Whoop-de-doo," you might say. "A market share in the mid single digits
>> isn't even table scraps
>> compared to the combined force of all those Windows PC makers." But if you
>> parse the market,
>> you realize that Apple's seemingly min-uscule share is much, much greater
>> in the slices it has
>> targeted.
>>
>> For one thing, Apple's PCs are truly personal. Apple (Charts, Fortune 500)
>> has always pitched
>> them primarily as consumer products, and they're designed with the
>> creative individual - not
>> the corporate IT department - in mind.
>>
>> Apple doesn't even pretend to compete for the corporate servers that are
>> technically considered
>> PCs because of their internal design; those account for about a fifth of
>> the market. Nor has it
>> ever targeted big business, other than publishers and creative
>> departments.
>>
>> The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their
>> own buying decisions
>> rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market
>> share of PCs sold at
>> retail and online, according to NPD. Having its own flashy stores helps,
>> of course, as does its
>> clever advertising.
>>
>> But more important, you also can see why even modest gains translate into
>> outsized growth in
>> Cupertino. The overall U.S. PC market is so large - 65.5 million were sold
>> in 2006 - that
>> picking up a percentage point of share for Apple, which last year sold
>> about 3.1 million Macs,
>> means its unit sales would jump 20 to 25 percent.
>>
>> And the Mac business is already quite profitable, so the incremental sales
>> yield even better
>> margins. A tiny nick to Dell and HP is gravy for Jobs. In other words,
>> there's a lot of room
>> for Apple to expand without gouging Microsoft and Windows PC makers, which
>> will also probably
>> keep growing, albeit at a slower pace from a larger base.
>>
>> Finally, Apple's software could turn the Mac into a phenomenon again,
>> perhaps even in
>> corporations. Apple is arguably the best software company on the planet,
>> regularly releasing
>> basic operating system software and application programs that reveal the
>> greater potential of
>> computers as devices for communication, creativity and entertainment. Most
>> of Apple's software
>> gets an overhaul every few years and is constantly freshened with free,
>> easy, online upgrades
>> that improve performance.
>>
>> Also, now that Macs sport Intel processors, the machines are just as
>> powerful as their rivals
>> and, with a little tweaking, can run standard Windows software, including
>> custom applications
>> that many people have to use to do their jobs. Macs could make inroads
>> into more businesses as
>> employees who use them at home begin to demand them of their IT
>> departments.
>>
>> So what's the lesson? Apple is growing faster than its competitors because
>> it improves its
>> hardware and software more often than anyone else. It is broadening what
>> we think of as a
>> consumer-oriented PC and thus helping its market grow. That's a good
>> long-term investment
>> story. And, oh, by the way, Apple also makes some pretty slick music
>> players and cell phones.
>

It is also down to making a public statement regarding one's disposable
income..

A Macbook Pro 15" works out at nearly US$2500, and essentially the same spec
as a Dell 1420 which is half of that..

I prefer value for money, which is why I have never owned a Mac and most
likely never will.. I love the looks but the shelf shouter price scares me
to death.. :-)


"MICHAEL" <> wrote in message
news:...
>* Mike Hall - MVP:
>> Vista will have had little impact on iPods and iPhones.. "Jdr"
>> <> wrote in
>> message news:4F0CB417-E9A7-4594-9C0E-... Had
>> Vista contributed to
>> "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had
>> sold 60 million
>> Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>>
>> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
>> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm
>
> <quote>
> Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest
> of the PC industry
> since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell
> and Hewlett-Packard.
>
> It roared back in the quarter that ended in June to reclaim its status as
> the company's largest
> revenue source and, at long last, break that 5 percent share barrier,
> according to IDC.
>
> The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their
> own buying decisions
> rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market
> share of PCs sold at
> retail and online, according to NPD.
> </quote>
>
>
> -Michael

--


Mike Hall
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

I agree, again.

I have often thought about buying a MacBook Pro.
However, when I really think about the price, I realize
what else I could get and still have money left over to
buy other "toys". ;-)


-Michael

* Mike Hall - MVP:
> It is also down to making a public statement regarding one's disposable
> income..
>
> A Macbook Pro 15" works out at nearly US$2500, and essentially the same spec
> as a Dell 1420 which is half of that..
>
> I prefer value for money, which is why I have never owned a Mac and most
> likely never will.. I love the looks but the shelf shouter price scares me
> to death.. :-)
>
>
> "MICHAEL" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> * Mike Hall - MVP:
>>> Vista will have had little impact on iPods and iPhones.. "Jdr"
>>> <> wrote in
>>> message news:4F0CB417-E9A7-4594-9C0E-... Had
>>> Vista contributed to
>>> "Apple Profit Soars 73% as Sales Rise "?
>>>
>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/bu...0e9b26&ei=5070
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right NowMicrosoft Corp. had
>>> sold 60 million
>>> Windows Vista licenses as of the end of ......
>>>
>>> Apple profit soars 73% as sales rise - Strong sales of Macs and iPods ...
>>> www.megite.com/technology/1185494090.htm - 352k - Cached - Similar pages
>> http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/21/tech...tune/index.htm
>>
>> <quote>
>> Indeed, Apple's U.S. Mac sales have grown at triple the rate of the rest
>> of the PC industry
>> since last fall, propelling it into third place in the U.S., behind Dell
>> and Hewlett-Packard.
>>
>> It roared back in the quarter that ended in June to reclaim its status as
>> the company's largest
>> revenue source and, at long last, break that 5 percent share barrier,
>> according to IDC.
>>
>> The bulk of Macs are purchased by consumers and students who make their
>> own buying decisions
>> rather than take what an employer issues. Apple has a 15 percent market
>> share of PCs sold at
>> retail and online, according to NPD.
>> </quote>
>>
>>
>> -Michael
>

"Saucy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> The iPod.
>
> The line of iPods is Apple's big big foot in the door - raises the
> profile. That and that Apple stuff is being promoted in the big box
> stores.
>
> Then look at the Apple hardware - it has "wow" factor - big white
> transluscent / brushed metal equipment - sort of impressive at first sight
> along with the bright XP like OSX with it's cute animation. First
> impression is, well, admittedly impressive. Don't tell them that
> right-clicking is a b*tch or that few of the softwares over in the
> software department work with it and you get some sales. Don't tell them
> Apple is as close to a closed shop as computing can get, don't tell them
> that the specs tend to lag behind and just let the customer be awed by the
> bright plastic .. some will buy.


I guess your experience of Macs is pretty limited, huh?

ss.