Apple's blow to Microsoft may be glancing
Apple made a few jabs at Microsoft during Tuesday's notebook event, but if I were a Windows executive today, I'd probably be breathing a sigh of relief.
Although Apple did revamp its entire Mac product line on Tuesday, it didn't hit the $800 price point that the rumor mills had projected.
The new laptops seem nice enough, and they might be enough to keep Apple on a roll, but Apple didn't take the Mac into any new segments of the market.
Clearly fearing that Apple was on the brink of such a price move, Microsoft launched a pre-emptive attack on Monday, with Vice President Brad Brooks going into great detail about an "Apple tax" ahead of what even he thought would be the introduction of significantly cheaper Macs.
It seemed at the outset of today's event as if that might be where Apple was headed. In his introductory comments, Apple executive Tim Cook rattled off several reasons Macs are doing well. One of those things on the list, he said, is something Apple has nothing to do with--Windows Vista.
But in the end, Apple's attack was limited to those words and the company's usual arsenal of elegant but pricey machines. Apple has made some significant advances, to be sure, but it looks as if this year's Mac-vs.-PC battle will remain at the high end of the market rather than dropping down to the mainstream.
Nonetheless, it is interesting to watch the war of words heat up. For years now, Vista has been a popular punching bag for Apple, and Tuesday's event was no exception.
Microsoft, though, is only belatedly trying to defend itself, with the most visible effort being its "I'm a PC" advertisements.
The reasons for Microsoft's moves are clear. First of all, it had let itself be completely defined by a competitor. Secondly, Apple's market share is significant and growing. Although its share of the global market is only a few percentage points, its share of the dollars spent on PCs, particularly in the United States, is far more significant.
For complete coverage of the Apple notebook news, see "Apple polishes up its MacBook line."
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Hours lost to Word crashing unexpectedly?
Money lost to service technicians for fixing OS errors?
Or maybe it's just hours wasted on the phone talking to confused parents about how to go into DOS to resolve a network error, because the built in network utility tool is horsesh*t?
I can tell you, having had at least one mac computer for the past five years, and owning two windows machines, which one is more costly in the "invisible tax" arena.
what are you talking about. Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X are different ball games. What you are describing sounds like Mac OS 8. My school has macs with that on it still, even though they are 14 years old. Also what do you mean by "real configuration". It sounds like your sorta new to linux to. I can help you if you want. I would suggest you use Linux MInt, Ubuntu, or Fedora. I would suggest linux mint over them all because it has all the media codecs and most the drivers pre-installed and makes your life a bit easier.
Hours lost to Word crashing unexpectedly?
-> Word did crash but document recovery works like a charm. So hours lost is practically 0
Money lost to service technicians for fixing OS errors?
-> never happen to me
Or maybe it's just hours wasted on the phone talking to confused parents about how to go into DOS to resolve a network error, because the built in network utility tool is horsesh*t?
-> never happen to me
I can tell you, having had at least one mac computer for the past five years, and owning two windows machines, which one is more costly in the "invisible tax" arena.
-> and I can tell you that me having a windows machine and a mac pro that my windows machine allows a much wider amount of freedom, both paid and free software, and high quality but low cost hardware. it's expandable, upgradable and runs everything that i want. Choices and freedom over being a zombie.
I'm good. I use Ubuntu and Mac OS in an enterprise setting as well as windows and while Mac's make great personal computers, they don't work well in the enterprise. Especially not in a mixed environment where networking is a must. I haven't tried them in a 100% apple enterprise, so they might do better in that situation.
What I do know however is that when hardware fails on a Mac it always take the machine out of service for days while we wait on Apple care to send us replacement parts. With our intel machines, we just grab a component from an unused machine and slap it in.
And then there is the Apple server without a redundant power supply. How can Apple provide a server without redundant power? And it's not hot swappable? All Intel based servers I've ever worked with had this simple capability.
Apple is not perfect and frankly it's doesn't "just work" as advertised in the situations I've listed. With intel boxes I have to blame hardware vendors or MS, but with Apple there is only one entity to blame.
However, that will not prove to be too damaging, as Apple is still able to gather momentum from several missteps on the part of Microsoft, who has been utterly uncoordinated up until recently. The Zune has rebounded to become a serious competitor in the media player space, and Microsoft has been rapacious with their Xbox 360 platform. Once windows is on track, we should be able to observe what a much more organized Microsoft can do. Until then however, Apple has the leverage by being able to tout their product synergy, while Microsoft continues to play catch up.
Want an example? Popular Mechanics: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Leopard-Leaves-Vista-in-the-Dust-in-Performance-Benchmark-83710.shtml
People will be buying Windows for their Macs... that is why Mac sales have spiked a little since Mac went Intel.
Apple is foolish if they think they can sell these new cheapo computers without the expectation of users being able to use Windows.
Buyers are going to be very disappointed when they find the new Mac cheapos don't have decent ram, disk space or graphics cards.
Apple has merely described what EVERY user KNOWS and has EXPERIENCED about Windows.
Apple has done nothing itself to define Microsoft, though OS X also just happens to make Windows look at least as bad as it really is...
That's before you take into account that Time=Value=Money. Whether I'm working on my "gaming" system or supporting hundreds of users. Every minute I spend supporting Windows issues is time I'm NOT doing something productive (Note: fixing Microsoft's stupidity is NOT productive). Anti-viruses are free, if you use one with limited functionality. I should be using my computer, not debugging it.
On the Money front I'm on my second Mac (personally). My old one went to my wife after 6 years and is still running strong after two OS upgrades. I bought the Intel one so I could dual boot to game and it runs better than my "TOP O DA LINE" PeeCee that now has been donated to a friend. The cost of a Mac over the long run is MUCH cheaper than a Windows system. TCO does not just include up front costs. It includes UFC + support time + supporting software (AV/AS).
Children can go to the small table in the corner and partake in the name calling. The rest of the adults will converse out here in a respectful and knowledgable manner.
"Anti-viruses are free, if you use one with limited functionality."
Again, no credibility. Using a product with no support or even vetted by a proven process isn't responsible for any IT professional, let alone a "M$ admin". I call BS on you sirrah. Either you are not an admin at all or you are a very poor excuse for one. Either way, end users would be ill advised to follow advice you have to give.
Amen
I take it that you therefore cannot refute them?
Every user that goes Mac, does not go back. So to all those college students going Mac, Welcome to a much nicer life.
Nuff said.
Just a thought.
en
Microsoft says, "All your money belonga to us". LOL :-)
Just a thought.
en
I can not use vista and still be productive.
Me? I'm a value guy. No viruses, runs the software I want to run and I much prefer plug and play. So what if I cannot access every tech miracle out there, I can still run my business, enjoy my family, and it's all complimented by my computer.
Just a thought. And as far as being a Microsoft shill or troll, I would say that they are not one. Or if they are, MS is not gettting its moneys worth.
Just a thought.
en
Before Apple ever comes around to being a true global threat to MS, I predict Google will come in and blow both of them with a free operating system.
- by loopazilla October 15, 2008 1:44 AM PDT
- The Wall Street crash means that all the Big Business users of Microsoft's products will be cutting back on purchases. However, over in Hollywood, (or Appleland as some call it ), production will be racked up to cope with the needs of a tired and stressed population for escapist fantasies. Not that the volume of such sales means much in real world terms.
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- by Kwasiowusu October 16, 2008 5:11 PM PDT
- Dream on!
- Like this
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (52 Comments)Wall Street crash could mean folks staying at home more and playing their XBOX 360's and buying more XBOX 360 games, giving them hundreds of hours of entertainment, instead of going to see yet another stupid, anti-American movie that lasts for just 2 hours, and comes from the pinheads in Hollywood.
Don't count on movie production "racking up" in Hollywood in a slow economy.