most of the big graphic arts sites have stocked up on G3s
Frank,
I respectfully suggest that you may be basing your conclusions on an invalid hypothesis.
While it's true that G3's have become immensely popular as new purchases and replacements for aging Mac's (and more than a few brand-new NT systems), as an Art Director here in New York, I can assure you that we are far from the saturation point for G3 installations.
Even so, Apple is in no way confined solely to the field of graphic arts (I mean, somebody's buying up all those copies of Office98).
Apple is aggressively making it's way into markets previously dominated by high-end workstations. For example, it turns out that Apple's new G3/300 is nearly 10% faster, and $2,300 cheaper than an identically configured Sun Ultra10 Workstation running at 300MHz.
Article at:
<http://www.maccentral.com/news/9804/13.sun-g3.shtml>
Also check the TechWeb article: "G3 Portables Rival Mobile PII's in Speed, Beat in Price" at:
<http://www.techweb.com/se/directlink.cgi?CRW19980413S0012>
I don't think anyone will argue that the hottest business ticket this year will be sub-$2,000 notebooks. The $1,999 (expected) 233MHz Mainstreet G3 PowerBook couldn't come at a better time. Unlike the sub-1,000 desktops of last year, this is something a company (Apple in this case) can actually make a profit on.
The G3's potential impact in educational markets become apparent in the 1997 Chronicle of Higher Education Survey released this week. It shows Apple popularity in academic circles - even prior the the G3's release - is considerable.
It's a patent simplification of the data, but if you look at combined desktops and portables as an indication of mindshare, Apple scores a 48 (24% + 24% PC/Portables). Its closest rival Gateway comes in with a total score of 35. IBM is next at 30, followed by Dell at 24, and Compaq trailing with a score of 12.
Draw your own conclusions at:
<http://hed.info.apple.com/news/a7294872290.html>
Ian Bruce
New York, NY |
