David,
I'm just your basic end-user, but the reason I've never seriously considered an Apple computer for my home is the price. And now, we, as a market place, are turned off by their historically, much higher cost. We just don't like them. They've always been blue-nosed, stuffy, "better-than-thou-ish", and too damned expensive... as though they were worth the high price. But whether they were or weren't, the bottom line was that the consumer didn't agree. And now we have a negative feeling about them that only Apple can change.
So, Apple's first chore is to offer the consumer a product that is cost-competitive AND gives us more. Either more goodies or more speed or better reliability, better OS, or whatever. Their second problem is to overcome the harm done. Make us like them. Change their approach. Change their image.
Apple has to make the consumer want to come to them. As it is, we're all still turned off.
Personally, I look forward to buying a home computer that's better than what I can get from the clone-world of PC's. I don't need something that says IBM and Intel on it. I owe allegence to no maker. If Apple looks like they can produce what's best for me, I'll buy their computer AND their stock, not necessarily in that order..
They need to have somebody like Ronald McDonald do their PR. They need to be more "human", less haughty, and generally more consumer friendly. IMHO.
By the way, I don't think they can do it, primarily because their opinion of themselves appears to be too high. But I'd love to be proven
wrong.
Please let me know if you think this touches the nerve.
Greg |
