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Ballmer takes another Jab at Apple

FF_productions

FF_productions

macrumors 68030
Apr 16, 2005
2,822
0
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
I won't take an offense to that, but he does (as article says) forget to mention the difference in software...that can usually make a person switch despite the price difference.

When you take a jab at Apple's pricing, do you really think Apple is going to respond with lower prices? That'd be like them bowing down...of course I'm in favor of lower and fairer prices, but Apple's not going to do it, they have their target market, and that's the high end customers. (I'm not saying their products are of the highest quality build, that has degraded with the rise of their market share)

When Apple does come out with a netbook, it'll either be paralyzed running an iPhone OS, be favorably priced, or it will be a netbook totally out of it's normal price range (the Apple way of doing things, such as the MacBook Air).

Then again, this is the same guy that said iPhones were an epic fail, so should we ever listen to him despite his status at Microsoft?
 
Goona

Goona

macrumors 68020
Mar 11, 2009
2,268
0
Why doesn't he go and complain about the likes of Sony who also charge the same prices or even more than Apple, what about the new Adamo or whatever they heck they calling it, I guess that's also selling for 500 less? :rolleyes:
 
spork183

spork183

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2006
878
0
Balmer an idiot, but this is not evidence of that. He likely right, the difference in price is more pronounced in a down market.
 
L

liptonlover

macrumors 6502a
Mar 13, 2008
989
0
Basic math... how can you pay $500 more for an ipod when most of the ipods (or all?) cost less than $500? Unless microsoft is paying people X to buy zunes, which wouldn't surprise me...

He sort of has a point in that people are probably more likely to buy cheaper computers in the economy, but Apple certainly won't lose its regular customers over that. People who buy macs buy them because it's what they prefer, enough to pay the extra $500 or whatever.
 
N

nick9191

macrumors 68040
Feb 17, 2008
3,407
313
Britain
Beware, slight rant, if you read any part of this make sure its the last paragraph.

dejo said:
Meanwhile, Dell profits plunge 48%...
Click to expand...

Agreed. Ballmer doesn't seem to realise that Apple is doing better than its competitors in the recession.

Secondly no Mac is comparable to a PC mini tower. Apple don't make a mini tower. Macs compare well to there PC counterparts, for example the iMac is cheaper than a PC all in one, a Mac Mini is cheaper than most Mini ITX systems, and a Mac Pro is cheaper than a Dell Xeon workstation (or at least used to be, we'll see come the end of March).

Obviously it's Apple's fault that they don't make a mini tower (not that I care), so it is correct to compare an iMac to a Dell box, and yes the Dell box will come out cheaper, but to say you are paying $500 just for the brand is ludicrous.

Apple has the best consumer customer support and the best reliability and the highest customer satisfaction in the business, that doesn't come from taking that extra $500 and lining shareholders pockets with it. That comes from investing it into R&D, into customer service and into marketing.
 
FX120

FX120

macrumors 65816
May 18, 2007
1,173
235
nick9191 said:
Obviously it's Apple's fault that they don't make a mini tower (not that I care), so it is correct to compare an iMac to a Dell box, and yes the Dell box will come out cheaper, but to say you are paying $500 just for the brand is ludicrous.
Click to expand...

Why can't I compare a iMac to a Dell desktop? The function is the same, they do the exact same things, and it is the closest thing in Apple's lineup offering even closely comparable hardware.

The core function of the computer is the same whether you pay $550 for a Dell desktop (including a 22" monitor), or $1299 for a base model 20" iMac. The only thing the iMac has going for it is the all in one design, which while nice, is not a critical function of the computer, and not having it will not impact the computers ability to perform otherwise. These days it's a tough sell to people who have their budgets streched thin, to spend more money on a computer just so it looks nicer on their desk and has a few less wires, myself included. That's why when I needed two new computers for work, I didn't buy iMacs, I bought Dell desktops, and by doing so saved well over $1000 and ended up with superior machines.
 
Sun Baked

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,941
162
I've seen those pictures of him running on stage all sweaty, so when I see this thread title I am thinking he'd go down with a heart attack by the third round if he is in the ring shadow boxing by himself.
 
B

Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Jul 4, 2004
21,929
265
A friend of mine who has used Macs for the past 10 years or so, and loved her iBook, couldn't be persuaded to buy another one earlier this year. Too expensive relative to the laptop she was offered by a UK department store, I think it was an HP. She's a journalist, just needs Word and a few other apps. Not interested in iLife or any other arguments.

Lots of people are making similar decisions. Apple's loss.
 
skaertus

skaertus

macrumors 601
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
Steve Ballmer has got a point here. Look at the recent iMac/Mac Mini update. After almost a year, the iMac has got basically the same processor again. The price went down a little, but not enough. Look at the MacBook. C'mon, US$ 1,600 for a P8600 with a 9400M? Sounds expensive, huh? OK, there's the aluminium unibody and the multi-touch trackpad, but is that stuff worth the premium price? Isn't raw performance more worth it?

Apple takes cheap shots at MS all the time, why should this be treated any differently?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's true. Steve Jobs has criticized Microsoft, and Apple always does some jokes with Microsoft products. Bill Gates even said good things about Apple products. Steve Ballmer is much more aggressive.
 
NoSmokingBandit

NoSmokingBandit

macrumors 68000
Apr 13, 2008
1,579
3
skaertus said:
Yes, that's true. Steve Jobs has criticized Microsoft, and Apple always does some jokes with Microsoft products. Bill Gates even said good things about Apple products. Steve Ballmer is much more aggressive.
Click to expand...

As far as CEOs go, Bill was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Though i guess that possible when you have more money that is possible to count. Ballmer is aggressive, and thats not something we are used to seeing from MS. Good for him though, he needs to change MS to avoid slap-happy Vista-esque ventures, and a good place to start is show that he isnt going to sit back while the competition makes petty insults all day long to fit in with the "cool" crowd.
 
skaertus

skaertus

macrumors 601
Feb 23, 2009
4,252
1,409
Brazil
As far as CEOs go, Bill was pretty relaxed about the whole thing. Though i guess that possible when you have more money that is possible to count.
Click to expand...

Well, Steve Ballmer and Steve Jobs are not exactly poor guys. Jobs has around US$ 4 billion and Ballmer is worth a whooping US$ 15 billion. Is it possible to count so much money? :D

Ballmer is aggressive, and thats not something we are used to seeing from MS. Good for him though, he needs to change MS to avoid slap-happy Vista-esque ventures, and a good place to start is show that he isnt going to sit back while the competition makes petty insults all day long to fit in with the "cool" crowd.
Click to expand...

I like Ballmer's spontaneous attitude. Why do people always criticize Microsoft and applaud the competition when they do the same stuff?
 
Goona

Goona

macrumors 68020
Mar 11, 2009
2,268
0
skaertus said:
Steve Ballmer has got a point here. Look at the recent iMac/Mac Mini update. After almost a year, the iMac has got basically the same processor again. The price went down a little, but not enough. Look at the MacBook. C'mon, US$ 1,600 for a P8600 with a 9400M? Sounds expensive, huh? OK, there's the aluminium unibody and the multi-touch trackpad, but is that stuff worth the premium price? Isn't raw performance more worth it?
Click to expand...

Is the new Adamo's raw performance worth more?
 
Lesser Evets

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,295
This guy is really off the wall. I am curious why he is so upset over Apple when Windows has 90%+ of the market? It points to internal problems and insecurities at Microsoft.

Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it?
...has this guy actually used an Apple? Has he ever priced up PCs vs. Apples, when you load in all the software needed to make the thing run, be stable, virus free, and manage media? Did he ever factor in the man hours people waste working ON the PCs while Apple users are doing whatever they want to do?

Insane.

Maybe, just maybe design and software had something to do with it?
Ya think?
 
G

gollum

macrumors regular
Jan 29, 2007
176
60
NKY
Gee, maybe he should think about consumers paying more than double for an inferior operating system in this economy.
It's not like M$ has ever been known for providing value for the money.
 
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