Is Apple still a computer company?
by Nate
1. With Mac OS X for x86 on the loose, many are predicting that Apple will just release the OS for all PCs.
2. Even if OS X stays on “Macintosh” x86 computers, Apple is not going to be doing much engineering on the boards. They can just pick up generic PC parts now. (Xavier points out they did do this before, I respond that “The difference now is that they’re not the only people working on motherboards in the given configuration. Before Apple was one of the only companies out there putting together PPC motherboards, now they are one of many. Somehow I feel that they won’t need to do as much work.”
3. The Apple homepage right now contains only iTunes or iPod related graphics.
4. Steve Jobs isn’t even bothering to show up at Apple Expo to explain the transition to Intel. (In a keynote, at least.)
5. Apple doesn’t advertise its hardware or its OS.
The focus is most definitely not on computer hardware, but rather on the iPod.
Is Apple still a computer company?
It sure doesn’t seem like it.
edit: There should be some responses to this in a bit, but I’d like to clarify my statements a bit.
Apple in the past was a computer company. Everything they made centered on the Personal Computer. Everything centered around the “digital hub.” The OS is included, as the OS runs on the computer and “runs” the computer. Printers, cameras, displays, etc. were all meant to compliment the computer. And that’s originally what the iPod was. A peripheral, an accessory.
Now Apple is a technology company, a broader category beyond computers, and I think it’s hard to argue that they always have been.
September 16th, 2005 at 11:42 CEST
Apple is and will always be a computer company; they’re just forward-thinking. The iPod is a computer. Apple will continue to add features to the iPod, and eventually it will be all you need. It will have the OS on it, with a mini wireless module built into it. Once wi-fi max really takes off you’ll be able to use your iPod to check email and get driving direction, etc. Then when you get home, just set it in your dock and it will display through your monitor and be controlled through your bluetooth, wireless keyboard and mouse. Apple’s way ahead on this obvious next move for computing.
September 17th, 2005 at 13:04 CEST
The iPod is an embedded device, what it is not is a computer.
October 11th, 2005 at 16:55 CEST
They are still a computer company, just one that is leveraging out of the HW business… unless they can use HW design to differentiate their products (see iPod success) - their software solutions are so solid that they (rightly so) should be focused AWAY from the innards that no one really cares about except for the performance which I believe Intel will be well suited to meet the demands… Apple’s has dramatically increased the market value of the stock since they realized they are NOT a computer company but a CONSUMER ELECTRONICS company that will make more money by focusing on what people do with their products, not focusing on what processor sits in the box… as long as the performance continues to increase Apple loyalists will buy and more Wintel slaves will convert - they key is 1) ease of use 2) convenience 3) performance
October 12th, 2005 at 05:47 CEST
I use both mac and amd computers and I haven’t seen a mac that will run as fast as the 64 bit amd let alone there x2 proc.
October 15th, 2005 at 20:42 CEST
hey pple,
apple is still and will remain a computer company. Of course they
are focusing on mass market easy-to-use devices but that is just a
way of taking less risks to strenghten the architecture
think about it
guigui de nice
October 15th, 2005 at 20:48 CEST
… like switching to intel … of course ;-)
they would never do that if everything was centered on the powerpc/osX duo
apple is gonna kick microsoft butt one day i tell you my friend, on the software side they just act like microsoft though they buy every best solutions; i am happy they bought emagic; logic is so cool;, its unbeaten i cant wait to see it running again on x86 it did pretty well back in lap5.5, cant imagine using 4 x86 and get all the plugins easy ported from vsti winblows stuff
cant wait to see that, yo
October 28th, 2005 at 19:11 CEST
I dont think Apple will just use Intels ready made stuff. It looks like they will have Intel create a chip for them and work around that. So that means that it may not even be a fully x86 based CPU which is created for the new Apples.
November 27th, 2005 at 19:14 CET
Apple is not advertising it’s OS or Computers? You should take a look at some of the latest Wired-mags…
September 8th, 2008 at 12:26 CEST
play hold em…
mist blondes,priority exploitations!botany!frameworks …