Why Microsoft Should Fear Apple 576
jcatcw writes "Computerworld's Scot Finnie says that Microsoft should be afraid because Apple has gotten smarter about how it competes. He says that it's the Parallels Desktop software that has been truly transformational for the Mac. Finnie did a simple three-month trial of the Mac last in the fall and realized four months later that he wasn't going back. Since then he's received hundreds of messages from readers who've also made the switch. 'In the end, this is about perception. It isn't about Apple's market share or even its quarterly sales numbers. (Apple's notebook computer sales for the fourth quarter were 4.1% of all portable computer sales, according to DisplaySearch.) What this is about is that Apple is reaching the right people with its product, winning new converts, Windows user by Windows user -- and creating buzz. How do you measure buzz? You don't. It's something that experienced people in this industry can just feel. And that's the condition Microsoft should fear. Because buzz can turn into something much harder to combat than sheer numbers.'"
Apple - Great Image (Score:5, Interesting)
Apple certainly does have a great public image. They are in a great place right now - they get huge amounts of publicity for free. This just didn't happen by accident though, they've done a good job creating their image, and creating products that people want to get excited about. Actually, some Mac ads are so good, that I enjoy watching them. (I love those "I'm a PC" and "I'm a mac" ads!). Apple has the momentum.
No way. (Score:1, Interesting)
How many times have we seen articles about how Apple's consumer market share is going to rise? And it never does.
Today, Apple's computer business is a distraction from its core business area of entertainment electronics.
Apple is doomed! No, Microsoft is doomed! No, ... (Score:5, Interesting)
(Yes, I know he says Microsoft is not going to die... then at the end he says "Nothing lasts forever. The bloom is coming off the rose on Microsoft. I would never put it past the software giant to come up with a way to remake itself in a better light. But the current course doesn't appear to me to lead in that direction. As much as Apple is doing things right, Microsoft is doing things wrong." How is that anything but a weasel-worded version of "Microsoft is doomed?")
Speaking as a certified Macintosh fanboy, Microsoft copies the Apple OS a lot... and, you know what? Apple has, for a long time, been returning the favor. The two companies borrow ideas from each other promiscuously, and only the blinkered view of the fans of each camp prevents them from seeing it. Of course, one idea Mac OS 9 borrowed from Windows was making windows resizable by dragging at all four edges. I just wish Mac OS X had borrow that from Mac OS 9!
Re:No way. (Score:3, Interesting)
Even technical people are tired of MS for many reasons. One of my coworkers was going to buy a Mac laptop recently. That is until he found he can get a non-Mac laptop with support for Linux on it. (Thank you Dell, Lenovo et al)
MS should be more worried about the court case against the Russian school teacher than they are of Apple.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why Microsoft doesn't really give a shit. (Score:5, Interesting)
You bought something MacOS. Yay for you! YOU REBEL!
Now you use Parallels and buy a copy of Windows to put in there.
GAME OVER.
*MICROSOFT* doesn't care what HARDWARE you run their OS on. Running Parallels on a Mac doesn't hurt MICROSOFT in the slightest.
Both Apple AND Microsoft pull a profit off this. Microsoft even moreso, since Mac heads are likely to buy a RETAIL copy of the OS, meaning higher margins for Redmond than they'd get from a traditional OEM copy.
Who it's a mark against? The other PC vendors.
Seriously. Why does everyone turn stupid non-issues like this into a zip-gun fight between Redmond and Cupertino?
Re:No way. (Score:3, Interesting)
The Anti-Buzz (Score:5, Interesting)
Like one who looked into the Palantir, the emotional illness will sink in. And they will be trapped. Every mouse click will make them sicker, sink them deeper. Their happy, released Mac User associates will shine like a white wizard among the Orcs.
And every trick that Microsoft will try to rejuvenate their relationship will be transparent to them. Zune the iTune killer will make them laugh sadly. Every promise of liberation and innovation will fall flat before it is delivered. Every
The numbers will lie, like the percentage of marriages that last longer than 7 years... it belies the number of dead marriages still lingering. Microsoft will retain 90%+ of the market, but those will be wretched zombies, entombed in their own fear and loathing.
Microsoft's "WOW" will become "woe", from which they are unable to escape. And like Gandalf, betrayed by a friend and mentor, they are marooned atop a tower which promised great vision, but a broad horizon of darkness, gloom and malevolence is their only vista.
What about the Switch-back? (Score:4, Interesting)
I am writing this in Firefox in Vista on my MacBook Pro. One year ago (almost to this day) I made the switch because I had bought into the hype. I told myself I'd give it three months to make my decision. When the time came I was struggling to be as productive as when I was in Windows. However, I realized that I had not yet learned everything I needed in the Mac to give it a fair shake. So I extended the test. Finally after 10 months I made the Switch-back.
What about all of us that gave it a try and end up switching back? We just get modded down because of the anti-M$ sentiment. I'm no M$ lover -- I run all Linux servers and refuse to deploy Active Directory in my organization because I believe it is a gateway to "everything M$". However, many people like me may find that they are actually more productive in Windows.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:1, Interesting)
In any case, the parent indeed has a point. It would be kind of interesting to see a contender of the stature of OS X duking it out against Windows. I've met any number of "switchers" who have mentioned their relief at no longer having to be so concerned with all the issues of Windows security or the absence of it.
However, with OEMs such as Dell beginning to come on board with pre-installed Linux on some of their machines, it may not be too long before we start hearing some of the "buzz" mentioned in the submission applied to Linux. We'll have to wait and see, I guess...
Re:why? you still need an os install disk... (Score:3, Interesting)
My coworkers are all switching to Macs. We write various web apps, and having three operating systems right there is a lot easier than VNCing into a system and possibly having to wait for others to finish testing.
And quite a few people around the office have considered switching their personal computers to Macs because the experience is so good. And every Mac purchased by our company is money Dell isn't getting from us.
the shift (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Games, Games, Games, Games! (Score:4, Interesting)
It's because Apple makes damn good products! (Score:4, Interesting)
I recently was in need of a notebook computer, so I did some investigation as to what my options were. I put notebooks from various manufacturers side by side and compared based on processor speed, FSB speed, memory (size, speed), graphics (GPU power, shared memory, etc.), display resolution, and numerous other factors. While things appear to have changed slightly in the recent past, at the time, the MacBook Pro was less expensive than any PC notebook with comparable capabilities. How's that for risk management? I was nervous about getting a Mac... what if I didn't like it? No problem. The hardware is great, and I can install Linux or Windows on it if I feel like it. Turns out that I really like MacOS too and run Windows and Linux using Parallels.
As a Free Software enthusiast, I am bothered by the fact that so much Apple software isn't Free. But I'm an activist in many ways. I'm an activist for Free Software. I'm also an activist for GOOD software. And my computer is my computer, and I'll run whatever apps make my life easiest. As such, I'm going to use commercial software when it's clearly superior in design and quality to the Free Software. (Notice how I'm implicitly dismissing Microsoft as anything worth talking about.) Then I tell people which apps are the best and why. This way, the Free Software enthusiasts can take notice and improve their designs
I think I won't be much interested in using Linux as a desktop OS until some Ubuntu comes with Beryl by default. And I'll NEVER like the fact that Linux applications have their files spread out across different sections of the file system (/bin,
Re:Microsoft should fear....Parallels? (Score:3, Interesting)
I wonder how much impact it would have on Microsoft and their technical support people if ever larger numbers of Apple customers begin buying retail copies of Windows. I've bought two myself, for my new Core 2 Duo iMac and MacBook, and I know that several of my clients have done the same.
Can Microsoft deal with it?
BTW, I've also made the switch to OpenOffice with the new version. I've realized that I never really use the copies of Office v.X that I bought with my last two Macs (at a good promotional price), except for my occasional use of Excel as glorified graph paper, so there's nothing preventing me from moving to OpenOffice. Now my documents can move seamlessly among all three of my installed OS's: Fedora Core 6, Windows XP Pro, and Mac OS X.
Re:Same story, different decade (Score:2, Interesting)
Many people switching to Apple are honeymooning. I happen to be a long time Apple user and MacOS (in any form) has its share of problems just like Windows, Linux, or whatever. It hangs, it crashes, some applications have awful interfaces, it's slow, etc. The problems are often different but it's really no better than any other OS. It does look slick though.
I haven't found the hardware to be better than anything else either. In fact my experience with Apple hardware has been that it breaks more often than other brands. My iBook has the only LCD display I own with dead pixels. Everyone I know with Macs has had it in the shop at one point or another (everyone in my company has a Mac, among other computers). They're like Ferrari's, nice to look at but a bitch to keep running.
On the technical side I don't like Apple either. I find it extremely hard to get anything done. I have no idea what the problem is but almost every time I try to do something with MacOS it seems I can't figure out how to. I don't understand the people that say the OS is user friendly because it seems to me it's the least friendly. I mean is there a single person on this planet that likes Finder?
I also hate developing for MacOS. Ugh, there are so many tacked on API's and just plain bizarre ways of doing things that it causes nothing but pain (and I know what I'm doing, I have worked for Apple doing software development). I'll compare the API's between Microsoft and Apple. Where Microsoft also has a lot of tacked-on API's, they tend to be extensions of existing systems or otherwise have the feel on something designed by a group of people. Buried in OS X in a ton of stuff just flying around every which direction like a whole bunch of developer's doing their own thing.
Now I'm not saying Microsoft or Linux is better or anything like that. I do happen to use Linux as my primary OS and run everything else in VMware. I'm just saying that I think many of the people switching to Apple will be looking for something else eventually.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:3, Interesting)
PCs I have used since the 296 days; building them, upgrading, running various operating systems from GEMM and DOS to OS/2 and all flavors of Windows, BeOS and Linux ( Debian, RH, and Slackware so my distro experiences is somewhat limited, but RH 5.2 kernel 2 on a SCSI box was quite educational). Macs I never used, and through osmosis of my peers gained a disdain for them, a disdain born of my own ignorance and prejudice.
My Mac Experience began around 1999 when I was given a dumpster bound older 68k based Mac running OS 7.1. I thought the interface ugly, clunky and not as easy to modify as other opsys. Then I was given another, and another and another, then picked up a few more. Use increased understanding.
In the end I played with, modified, tinkered with, and eventually sent to dumpster heaven, almost every model of Mac there was up to around PPC 604 based machines.. My interest was as a hobby since I still work in IT on PC based systems. Learning this way; on discarded junk machines on obsolete operating systems, as versus on "working" machines doing real work, is a good way to do it; you are not constrained and can try things that might let the magic smoke out of things
Anyway, I jumped from 604 to G4 buy actually buying a new Mac in 2002. By then I was hooked. The OS X interface worked, the addition of terminal allowed me to command line when needed, and the apps did everything I could do on the PC side with few constraints...and less issues.
I now use a Mac as my primary (but hardly only) home box. Oh and that 2002 purchase is STILL up though now relegated to use as a media server for home entertainment.
Speaking as a PC user who tried a Mac, worked with it, and grew to prefer it.
Macs may not be for everyone; but I contend they are still the best machine for Joe User at home. Also, the more Joe Users there are with Macs, the less zombies there are out there attacking my net.
Our "Enterprise" Experience (Score:5, Interesting)
- Business users receive Macs, and use Parallels (and sometimes Boot Camp) for specific applications.
- Engineers have the choice between either Mac OS X or Ubuntu. They can also run Parallels or VMware for Windows applications, though they rarely do so.
- Artists run Windows, since their singular, primary application is 3d Studio Max -- Windows only 3d software.
Parallels has allowed us to make a long-term platform decision (Mac OS X and Linux) while continuing to support the short-term software requirements (Running Windows software). As more cross-platform software is made available, we will migrate away from the Windows-only solutions.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:2, Interesting)
Yeah, yeah, I know. There already are virtual machine products available for linux, however the average shmoe does not know that. Who is going to spend the marketing dollars necessary to educate potential average joe linux converts about that possibility? And no, Wine and its commercial derivatives is a crutch, not a good substitute for products that run natively on linux.
I believe distros have gotten better about making it easier to install dual boot, but that is so inconvenient.
I actually use Mac, Windows, Linux, VMware, Crossover for Linux, Parallels, etc personally and in my work environment. The virtual machine type programs are far and away the best option to working in an environment that uses multiple platforms.
Re:What about the Switch-back? (Score:5, Interesting)
I haven't met many switch-backers that say WHY they weren't as productive. Could you not find programs you liked? Did OS X do something different that you didn't like?
I don't have a problem with you switching back, it's just the lack of a reason WHY weren't you as productive.
Re:No way. (Score:3, Interesting)
Okay...
Excellent...
I see, so the MBP is this magical thing that resolves your hatred of Microsoft, allowing you to use XP on it and be happy again?
Or was your problem that you just hated your laptop?
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:3, Interesting)
When Frys is running a good sale, I can get the expandability equivalent of a
Mac Pro with a normal PC for $200. Under normal circumstances, that figure is
~ $400. At that price, I can still get a relatively low profile system too.
What the flying fuck? Have you even seen a Mac Pro in person? You're basically arguing that a Ferrari isn't any nicer than a Geo Metro because they both seat four people and have steering wheels. Go price out an equivalent system at a major PC manufacturer like Dell, and tell me how close you can get for $200 or even $400. Or perhaps you weren't aware that the Mac Pro was actually far cheaper than equivalent Dell systems upon its release?
The Mac Pro is a dual processor, dual core system with workstation class hardware and top of the line specs, not some shitty stamped sheetmetal no-name Taiwanese knockoff piece of crap. And considering what you get software and hardware wise, it's actually quite cheap.
Yes, Parallels + Windows + Linux works for me (Score:3, Interesting)
One thing: Microsoft still makes money from this arrangement (the Windows license fee) so it is not like this is a totally bad situation for them.
Being able to copy and paste between Windows and Mac applications is useful, as is an optional shared file system.
For software developers not focussed on the Windows market, this is a great setup. I use Common Lisp, Ruby, and Java - all portable to many OS platforms, so I usually work on OS X.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:3, Interesting)
How so? Most people buy their Windows PCs as an "all-in-one package" that includes an LCD screen. They don't buy componenets separately. The iMac gives them basically the same thing, but saves a heap of desk space, and doesn't have a tangle of cables running everywhere. Advantage: iMac.
This "all-in-one" market you speak of seems to be a fiction. People say "I want a new computer that works well" - not "I want an all-in-one" computer or "I want a computer with a separate monitor." People who segment the market in that way might be deluding themselves. I'm not sure where this crazy-ass categorization of the market comes from. It doesn't reflect reality, rather it seems to be a fabrication dreamed up by corporate executives, who are quite used to being divorced from the reality of the market, even though they think they know how to define it.
It's a good sign that someone lacks credibility when they start speaking of markets in these terms.
Re:What about the Switch-back? (Score:3, Interesting)
I have also found that my experience seems to be similar to others. After dropping a lot of money on a Mac and Mac software, there seems to be a tendency to reassure themselves that they did make the right decision and that the Mac is truly better and to make fanboyish comments on Slashdot. Of the people who haven't made the investment, a good portion of them just see the Mac as different, better in some ways, and worse in others.
*The same argument applies right now to switching to Vista from Windows 2000/XP, which I don't see doing anytime soon. Even though I do want the individual application volume controls.
Re:Microsoft should worry until... (Score:2, Interesting)
Now to Visual Studio. If there ever were a bigger POS out there, I don't know what it is. Notepad, maybe? It's the most rudimentary of IDEs in existence, falls woefully short of real productivity enhancing features, and most horridly produces lots of useless boilerplate code that you wind up having to rewrite anyways. The GUI portion works, but that's about it. Since I don't write thick client, that aspect is useless to me. And god help you if you need to do heavy refactoring of code with VS. (BTW, I own 2 copies of VS, although not the latest. A friend I trust owns that one and stated its usability had not improved).
And another argument from 1998.
(Especially now that CS3 is out) You should also look at the other packages available. Heck, the out of the box Mac comes with better multimedia editing software than most people buy for their PCs. I'm not even sure how expensive I'd have to go to match a PC package with the Mac packages I've got. I know the $100+ packages won't do.
Re:Windows apps and Macs (Score:3, Interesting)
I hoped Omni Graffe would work for me... it did many things better than Visio... but smart blocks from Visio weren't compatible in it. Other programs I have tried like Excel substitutes (Mariner Calc was one) couldn't even handle merged cells in a spreadsheet.
Primavera has hope, but the big picture still has a lot of major holes.
Again, for myself, I can work around limitations... but many of my co-workers can't. I hope things get better over the next year.