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Checking in on Sep. 19, 2007. Typing this on a 4-year old Thinkpad T40. And my wife is working on her still shiny MacBook Pro. But of course we'd have never bought it if it wasn't at a substantial educational discount. (Shhhh!) My point? None, really, except that Windows laptops do seem to have better longevity. Ugh, pretty painful to use. That first gen iPod we bought? A lovely paperweight, even after replacing the battery myself. Phooey -- computers should not be disposable. But paradoxically, I do think they should be cheap. Apple stuff is still way overpriced. Oh yeah, and some people think this page is worth advertising on. Uhm, ok. It's now May 6, 2004. I just found this old (Jan. 2002) Slashdot article by Jon Katz, but it's right on the money (mainly because he agrees with me. :-). Fine fine. Apple isn't going to die. But they're going to be a margin player for a long long long time -- which probably suits Jobs just fine. He's made the Mercedes/BMW market share comparison time and time again. Only, in the long run, I don't think people will continue to always pay premium prices just to be part of his elite club. And oh yeah, the margins on high-end computers are *nothing* like the margins on high-end cars. Here's another nice exploration of the Mercedes/BMW:Apple analogy, talking about roads, gas, Fords and Kias. :} It's Sep. 5, 2003. We have a G4 Cube, and an iBook. But we also have various Windows 2K boxes around, and a Linux server. Apple's made huge inroads with their G3s, G4s, PowerBooks, TiBooks, AlBooks, iPods, iTunes Music Store, etc. But they're still a margin player, just like they were in 1998, just like they were in 1995. And it's still because they're stupidly interested in what's cool, but not what's profitable. People who buy Macs are essentially funding the R&D labs for Microsoft and all of the hardware manufacturers. Because whenever Apple does something cool, everybody steals it, and Apple limps along selling really cool stuff at really expensive prices to um, suckers like you and me. :-} i wrote this when i was a wee lad, oh maybe towards the end of 1995, after Windows 95 had finally shipped. As uh, raw, as it is, i still think many of my points are valid. It's now June 19, 1998, and Steve Jobs has taken back the reins. i'm torn, because on the one hand, i know Jobs is trying to do what i'm telling him to do in this article: Market to the suits. But at the same time, he's introducing the iMac? The VW Bug of computers? And what's this silly "Think Different" campaign all about? It's sounds suspiciously similar to "Computers for the rest of us." And ok, so maybe it was a little frivolous, but dangit, did he really have to have remove the Icon Garden? i mean, i don't think any executives decided against going with Apple because they drove out to Cupertino and saw a couple of dorky icons. Well, maybe i'm just bitter that i never got to take my picture with them, like Kevin did. Grr. _Any_ways, on to your regularly scheduled programming: Apple bites Apple Computers must be run by idiots. i mean, here's my dilemma: i love Macs. But Macs are gonna die. i'm pretty damn sure of it. Macs are the computers that really made a difference. i mean, look at Windows--it's a sad imitation of the Mac. And Windows 95? It's supposed to be a better imitation of the Mac (especially now that Apple has lost it's "look and feel" lawsuit against Microsoft). Macs are gonna die though, because as i mentioned before, Apple is run by idiots. Ok, so look, the Mac wouldn't have come about if the two Steve's weren't a little crazy. Building a computer in their garage? Building a computer that starts up with a smiling computer icon? Cute icons? A mouse, for goodness sake? No, we needed some NON-IBM type of people to create the Mac. But damnit now we need some VERY IBM (well, old-school IBM--the people that put IBM typewriters on every secretary's desk, and IBM mainframes in every data processing center) type of people to sell the damn thing. Scratch that...we need very Microsoft-type people to sell the Mac. Apple is STUPID. Ok, so it was good to say that 1984 won't be like 1984, and to have the runner with the Apple logo on her tanktop throw the hammer into the Big Face of Big Blue. Macs are different. Fine. But hello! Guess what allows you to stay in business? Yeah, that's right, money. And guess what makes money? Selling computers. And who buys a lot of computers? Suits. Yes, people that you hate. People that AREN'T artistes or creative or cool. Yes, boring people with white collars and striped ties and gray suits need to buy your computers, otherwise your company will DIE. Die die die. i'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear me. You will DIE if you don't sell to more corporate-types. And you don't sell to corporate-types if they think your computer is a toy. Whew. Anyways, like i said though...i love Macs. And people that love Macs know that they don't love Macs just because they're cute, cool, and for creative-types. They know that Macs let you get work done. Bottom line for me whenever i'm trying to recommend hardware/software/whatever to a friend/client/relative. What do you need to do? And will this item allow you to do it? Can you get work done? Macs let you get work done. Macs don't require you to learn about IRQ's memory addresses, jumper switches, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, or WIN.INI. Macs don't make you delete something in the Program Manager, then delete it in the File Manager too. Macs don't make you use DOS. Macs aren't a shell written on top of DOS. Here's what Apple needs to make corporations understand: Macs will save you money because you don't have to train people anywhere near as much as you have to with Windows. Basic operations are basic. Macs will save you money because you don't have to hire people like ME to do things like installing network cards or printers, setting up file sharing, or showing people how to delete files. There are other reasons, but i've gotta go get lunch.