Apple bashing

[David A Lyons <dlyons@apple.com>]

In article <iRVm8B4w165w@qedbbs.com> Matthew Ghio, quor@qedbbs.com writes:
> [...]
> What about the ROM 4 IIgs (so called "IIgs+", which was announced by
Apple's
> default on a non-disclosure agreement.) 

No such product was announced.

> [...] Apple has contininuously changed its products and
> marketing after it alienated one group after another.  Apple has
changed its
> focus from the Apple II to the Apple III to the Lisa to the Mac and now
to the
> Newton and PowerPC, as it discovered that its customer base was unhappy
with
> the service provided by Apple.

I think "changing focus" is a good phrase, and some degree of changing
focus is a perfectly reasonable part of progress in the industry.  I
don't want to argue how much is reasonable, because we wouldn't
accomplish much.  I certainly -don't- think that the company's focus has
shifted away from Macintosh, but this is the wrong place to discuss that
(and I'm the wrong person to discuss it with).

I certainly don't agree that changes in focus are -caused by- alienated
users.

> Apple has allowed many of its "Authorized
> Dealerships" to decay into chaotic bazarrs overrun with unknowledgeable
and 
> obviously unqualified salespeople.  After realizing this, Apple decided
to dump
> its dealers (like any other group Apple decided it did not like) and
contract
> with some major retailers, such as Sears.  This has gotten Apple the
total
> disrespect that it deserves.

Did I miss something here?  As far back as I can remember, I have heard
stories of dealers overrun with unknowledgeable and obviously unqualified
salespeople.  Maybe it's gotten worse; I have no statistics.

Have Performa sales reduced dealer sales?  I don't know--I have no
numbers on that, either.  If you're just assuming that it works that way,
I wouldn't be so sure.  Performas may be reaching people who would never
have walked into a dealer in the first place.

> The former CEO was forced to resign recently and
> is now charged with stock manipulations and fraud.  Certainly not the
type of
> thing which gains an organization any respect.  I shudder at the
thought of
> buying any Apple product, as doing so would probably be supporting more
of
> such devious business practices.

All I've read about alleged stock manipulation/etc is what was in the
paper (San Jose Mercury News).  If I recall correctly, the allegations
are being made by shareholders and not by the SEC or any other regulatory
agency.  My impression is that shareholder groups frequently come up with
similar allegations, against various companies, whenever stock drops
significantly in a short period.  Innocent until proven guilty.  Really.

> [...] At its current rate of
> decline, Apple Computer Inc. is likely to be bankrupt or involved in a
buy-out
> within 1-2 years [...]

We'll just have to wait and see!  I expect the next several years to be
pretty exciting, but I can't predict them.

Dave Lyons, dlyons@apple.com
Mr Tangent

My opinions are my own, not Apple's.