re: They have definitely expanded their potential share, but I think it will be tough to quantify. Again, speaking personally, I doubt that I will be willing to switch just so I can avoid some viruses by using a Mac. Assuming that a Dell is cheaper, I'll probably still go with the PC. This announcement might have made me switch back in '95, but in general, I find WinXP to be very good for my purposes (I cant remember the last time it crashed).
I'm not sure. The fundamental benefit of a PC as a product is not that it does any one thing well, but that it does so many things well. When you think of all the products that you buy, it's absolutely unique in product history. I could go on, it's my music source, my bank, my investment guide, performs a community function, newspaper, dozens of life's functions...
What I'm struggling to say is that a PC is all about versatility and multiple solutions. The next time that us loyal PC guys, that hugely value choice and compatibility go to buy a PC, we are going to look at MS and Apple. And the verdict?
*Apple will offer Apple solutions and MS solutions.
*MS will only offer MS solutions.
In the short term, maybe a lot of folks will buy out of habit... but all else being equal, many won't (representing a huge gain in unit sales from Apples small base). In the long term, I think people will buy for versatility, which (I think) is the key demand driver for PC's. Would you buy a PC that was "limited" in function if all else was equal?
I really think this was a master stroke... a turning point. Not sure that Apple will make a huge amount of money, but it will make the industry more interesting.
John |
