Re: Wozniak vs Jobs

[Joseph Lee <nugundam+NOUBE@netcom.com>]

Supertimer <supertimer@aol.com> spawned virtual particles writing:
: What changed this roughly 50-50 head to head competition between
: IBM architecture and Apple?  Two things really.  First, the clones.
: IBM did not make today's Wintel, Compaq did.  When Compaq

Clones and prices.  Forget the A3.  Who really remembers it?

The point is Apple charged a premium for their equipment over the PC
clone makers, and their system became very closed so that nobody
could evangelize for them by building a cheaper, and better system
from off the shelf-parts like PCs are today (and the short-lived
Power Computing and co.).

Price also matters.

: During these years of waddling, the schools switched from
: Apple to Wintel.  Since they had to give up their software
: and hardware investment if they switch to Mac, they went
: to the PC because PC makers always made sure their NEW
: computers could run the hardware and software in the recent
: past (the previous 5 years at the very least).

Notice also, that PC systems have become the Apple II of years
ago.  PCs got a nice GUI, they play games galore, they're used
in businesses, but 90% of software purchases for PCs are for
games.  It's games games games which helped to sell the PC.
Backwards compatibility, open architecture, lower prices, etc.

It seems (at least in the US), that the cheaper technology sells,
not the better.

Apple tried to get away from the Apple II image of a game/toy
machine with their "business" Macintosh.  Obviously, straddling
such a narrow line has definitely hurt Apple -- where the PCs
expanding to be almost totally multi-purpose has definitely
helped.

The next "BIG" thing in Apple's vision is to disappear without
a peep.
-- 
Joseph nugundam =netcom=com/==\=IIGS=/==\=Playstation=/==\=Civic HX CVT=/==\
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