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Is a Higher Market Share Good or Bad?
- Thread starter CalBoy
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As long as Apple don't go back to the 23 motherboards they had when Steve Jobs returned to the company. That was an excessive time when they had lost direction.
i voted good. understand the current frustrations, but apple is in the midst of growing pains, and the faithful must endure along with the mother-ship, unfortunately.but i think we can all agree that the world of computing will be a better place without the current monopoly of the mediocre. Lessons will be learned.
No biggieAre you using an iPhone?
No, since you asked. I just like to promote the image.
If anyone thinks higher market share is bad, you have got to be kidding. Just think about all the Windows apps you love, but aren't available for Mac. Or even all the Windows apps that are ported to Mac and suck (think Quickbooks).
But, it doesn't matter. The OS war is over and MS won that a long time ago. Apple is clinging to scraps. Unless Apple licenses OS X----game over. And please spare me the argument, "Well Apple tried that in the 90s." This is a different day and age. Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple will "Think Different."
But, it doesn't matter. The OS war is over and MS won that a long time ago. Apple is clinging to scraps. Unless Apple licenses OS X----game over. And please spare me the argument, "Well Apple tried that in the 90s." This is a different day and age. Unfortunately, I don't believe Apple will "Think Different."
Ahh. You really did have me there for a second.
I don't either. I think the only way that will ever happen is if Jobs leaves (more a matter of when, as he's not immortal). If market share is at 20%, the new leader of Apple might realize that there is great potential in limited licensing (ie, only to companies who agree to have high hardware standards and follow Apple's guidelines). It's true really: those who don't understand history are doomed to repeat it.
It also means more QA problems and more security vulnerability. It isn't a one-sided thing. That said, I too believe that on balance, it's a good thing.
I voted "yes" that more marketshare is a good thing for the platform, as it will lead to more third party software and hardware choices, fewer compatibility problems with web sites, &c. I want to see AutoCAD on the Mac, I want to see more games, I want to see Intuit actually give a crap about the Mac again. These things will happen if companies see that they would leave too much money on the table by continuing to ignore the Mac.
However, I do not think Apple should chase marketshare for marketshare's sake at the expense of profitability. Dell has a far greater marketshare than Apple, but their short-term prospects are in the tank and journalists have stuck the dreaded "beleaguered" tag on them now. For now, Apple has struck the right balance IMO, even if they're not giving me everything I'd hope and wish for.
I do think Apple may be considering "opening up" Mac OS X to third party x86 machines if they make huge gains in marketshare. Something in the 20%+ range might be feasible, though it's a long ways between now and then. If they do it too soon, they'll torpedo their own profitability that's largely driven by margins on hardware and you'll probably see a repeat of the whole OS/2 situation with IBM in the 90s. Apple's smarter than that.
Stay The Same Apple!
I'm one of those people who doesn't like change. I just want Apple to stay the way it is. What's wrong with the current market share. I don't want to go to the coffee shop and see nothing but mac users, what's the fun in that. But what do I know?
I'm one of those people who doesn't like change. I just want Apple to stay the way it is. What's wrong with the current market share. I don't want to go to the coffee shop and see nothing but mac users, what's the fun in that. But what do I know?
Bigger market, more money. More money Apple can take risks. Risks means new products. New Products is good.
Do you think we'd see if the iPhone is Jobs had not come back, if iPod had not sold well, if iMac had failed?
If only, the problem is that guys like Steve and Gates are getting up there in terms of age, and while they have delegated significant responsibilities to other higher-ups, once they retire/leave their respective companies, their vision probably won't be continued with their replacements. Its the unfortunate truth
I said that a higher market share is bad because of the potential for viruses/spyware.