>>The problem is now they are competing with themselves.<<
Actually, they are competing with clone manufacturers. It's been a win/lose scenario, with clone sales helping to prop up shrinking market share while eating into sales of Apple products.
>>Why buy a Mac if next year their OS will be on Intel?<<
Speed, speed and more speed. Throw in Apple quality and brand loyalty, along with a dash of mathematical accuracy.
>>Why buy Apple's OS if next year Apple will have a completely different, incompatible OS? This is a common problem for companies who promise upgrades, not unique to Apple, but in their current situation it is extremely damaging.<<
Apple has stated that it will support OS 8 and its planned upgrades for the next 10 years, separate from the new Rhapsody OS. The 'common problem' you site is more applicable to other software companies. Why do I believe this promise? Because Apple has done something very similar before. You've forgotten that Apple made the transition from 68000 to PowerPC almost flawlessly; many said it couldn't be done. Non-PowerPC hardware and software peacfully coexists with newer PowerPCs and PowerPC-native software. You can still run the oldest Mac aps under current system software on a PowerPC. Having just recently made the PowerPC upgrade myself, I am constantly amazed at how well all my old software runs on the new platform. In fact, I waited so long because I erroneously thought I would have to upgrade all my old software. Contrast that fact with other platforms, where legacy software had to be abandoned if it wasn't rewritten. The new Rhapsody OS will run older aps in emulation. If anyone can do it, my money is on Apple to make it work.
>>I can bet their sales are going down the tubes (in fact, I am making such a bet).<<
Good luck!
D. Kuspa |
