BYOKMD doesn’t work for low-budget consumers

The Mac Mini hasn’t been a great success in large part because of Apple’s flawed Mac Mini strategy. Yesterday, Steve discussed Apple’s philosophy on consumer products, he said,”It’s an All-in-One World”. But the Mac Mini is the farthest thing from an all-in-one machine. Most low-budgeted consumers don’t already have a display and/or peripherals. So, when checking out the Mac Mini, they don’t understand the Mac Mini’s lack of a display, mouse, or keyboard; and they ultimately look to alternatives because of this. The Mac Mini doesn’t offer everything out of the box, and that turns off many low-budget consumers.

Additionally, customers realize that the price of a Mac Mini with a display, mouse, and keyboard would be around the same price as a MacBook or an iMac.

AppleTV is replacing the Mac Mini as the affordable media center solution

Initially, many Mac Mini users were using their Mac Mini as a home media center. And now, Apple’s cutting into it’s own marketshare, since the AppleTV has replaced the Mac Mini as the preferred Apple media center for half the price. This effect will only snowball as the AppleTV gains more functionality and popularity.

$599 > $499

When the Mac Mini was unveiled, Apple was getting a lot of positive feedback for finally offering a budget-driven Macintosh for only $499. But Apple quietly increased that price $100 for each model on the February 28th special event in 2006 and has yet to lower the models back to their original prices, while other PC manufacturers have continued to lower their prices. That extra $100 makes a big difference for a lot of people, especially when the consumer has to buy a separate mouse, keyboard, and display in order to use the computer.

A proven failure

Right now, the Mac Mini seems to be going through the “Cube effect”. Two Apple-related products, the NeXT Cube and the PowerMac G4 Cube, were both discontinued due to their high price-points and lack of necessary peripherals. Those two products also didn’t survive because consumers prefer functionality over design. And unfortunately, it looks as if the Mac Mini is already on the way to suffering the same fate if Apple doesn’t do anything about it.

How Apple can save the Mac Mini

The Mac Mini’s price-point aren’t targeted toward a big consumer audience. It’s awkwardly priced too high for low-end consumers, and it doesn’t offer some of the features high-end consumers want that can’t afford a Mac Pro and already have a display. Apple could either go two directions with the Mac Mini, lower its value and cater to the really low-end consumer; or bump up its graphics and processing capabilities and cater to a higher-level consumer audience that already have a display. Either way, the Mac Mini would finally be saved from its unfortunate fate and finally have a respectable place in Apple’s product line.

First off, I wish to clarify my feelings towards these types of articles, where the author only gives his/hers first impressions of a product. I do not believe that a switcher can successfully provide enough information to support his case for or against a product only after thirty days. It’s ridiculous that an author can achieve so much information to already form conclusions only after working with a product after thirty days. I do not believe that a product as complex as Mac OS X (or any other OS) can be given a fair review after only thirty days of on person’s experiences.

In many arguments Brian made, it was obvious he didn’t have enough experiences with OS X to fully support his arguments. One of the arguments he discussed against using a Mac is the lack of a stable, functional word-processor. The author listed all of the major word-processors in the Mac market, but failed to give his feelings towards each of them. He complained about the Microsoft Office and iWork trials, but never actually tested the fully-functional registered product, which is essential to truly understand the software. Possibly if he had given iWork a sincere try, he would have grown used to the rich features Pages and Keynote provide, compared to Microsoft Office. Additionally, I challenge his complaints towards a lack of a freeware word-processor. In respects to Windows, the exact circumstances apply. Windows usually comes with a demo version of Microsoft Office, and doesn’t have a complete, stable freeware suite of office applications that fully match the capability of Microsoft Office.

I would also like to mention the great chance that Apple will bundle its iWork and iLife suites into Leopard, therefore making the office and multimedia suites free. This actually presents another strong case defending OS X from one of Brian’s arguments, which is that this article was published only two weeks away from WWDC. It should be noted that this article is judging years-old software that are soon to be updated. Microsoft Office, iWork, iLife, OS X, and even the Mac Mini he used are all about to be upgraded soon.

Brian also admitted that “I didn’t want my experiences with the hardware to taint my results evaluating the operating system”. But unfortunately, much of his review was really based off of the hardware he was using. So, to be fair, its not right to judge a piece of software by the hardware you test it on, especially if that hardware is the cheapest offering available.

Also, he blamed his unsuccessful attempts to play 3D accelerated games on a Mac due to the hardware, without providing any evidence for support. In case he doesn’t know already, Boot Camp is beta, and not to be used without acknowledging that fact. It is not fair to judge a piece of software based on its beta versions. Plus, he should have clarified that Intel Mac Mini and MacBook models do not have an independent 3D graphics card, and the performance when attempting to display 3D graphics will simply not compare to a Mac that actually has a 3D graphics card. So, if you are looking into buying a Mac for gaming, maybe its best you upgrade to either an iMac or a MacBook Pro.

Other simple arguments he made against OS X further made me lose my beliefs that this author knew enough about the subject to know what he was talking about. A few of these cases include:

1. His belief that “Safari’s not as polished as FireFox”. Joking, right? If not, try Camino.
2. In order to disable Dashboard you must “go into the command-line terminal and enter a few complex commands”. -Onyx, a great freeware utility app.
3. His theory that Mac OS X doesn’t have a wide-variety of freeware selection. -MacUpdate.
4. Not researching to find out how to take screenshots of DVD Player in action. -Try Screenshot Plus or using Terminal commands.
5. Upgrading RAM with a Mac is difficult. -Actually try upgrading the RAM before making inferences that it will be difficult.

Moreover, probably the most ridiculous part of the article that genuinely describes Brian’s complete ignorance is his comparison of Windows Vista’s anti-piracy protection and Mac OS X’s deep ties with Apple hardware. Apple’s decision to tie down its operating system to its hardware is really a business strategy to couple products for profit and boost product performance and stability, which is totally irrelevant of a business strategy that prevents pirates from using and distributing pirated version of Windows. It’s sad that this author’s definition of DRM has been skewed to this degree, and the confidence the author had in this definition allowed him to make such preposterous accusations.

Simply put, thirty days of experiences just simply doesn’t allow an author to fair review a product as complex as OS X. Maybe if Brian continued to work with OS X on a number of environments and systems, after a year he would really be able to give a fair analysis of Mac OS X. Especially considering the fact that he’s testing an operating system and hardware that are soon to become obsolete.

The Apple TV is a great example of the typical first generation Apple product. At first it seems to lack features that make it worth the high price Apple is asking for. Just like the iPod and many other Apple products, the Apple TV will probably follow in iPod’s footsteps and eventually become that “must-have” device that every home will have. It will just take about three to four generations to catch on. In my opinion the Apple TV is going to have to meet these requirements to start flying off the shelves:

1. HD content.
2. Much cheaper price. Nothing above $199.
3. Rental movie downloads.
4. An iTunes store for the Apple TV possible.

5. Apple, give up .Mac or make it free

I know many proud .Mac subscribers may disagree, but I just do not understand how the services Apple offers in its .Mac subscription is close to being worth $99. It offers sub-par bandwidth and memory restrictions and packaged with a lot of bloatware that can be substituted for free alternatives. Apple’s already shown its lack in .Mac when it announced its compatibility with Yahoo mail’s mail-push functions and saying they will offer free email addresses and these special push functions to all iPhone customers. Give it up Apple, .Mac is a failure. The only way you are going to start getting subscribers it to either make the price worth the features or better yet, make it free!

4. Updates for iWork and iLife

We’ve all been waiting since January for an update to our iLife and iWork suites of applications, and for the first time since iWork ‘04 Apple didn’t release the new suites at Macworld. We’ve speculated the past four months and made rumors of when the new suites will be announced, but still no details on the suites have been released by Apple. Many are anticipating the new iWeb 2.0 release that hopefully will have FTP/SFTP features and new, richer, cleaner templates. Others are waiting for an update to Garageband and the other old iApps.

Many iWork users are waiting for a spreadsheet application to compete with Microsoft’s Excel program. Looking at some of the screenshots of Office 2008 for Mac and playing with Office 2007 for Windows, I feel Apple really needs to improve the interface and friendliness of iWork to really make it work. I’m a big fan of the iWork suite but the current “Inspector” interface simply doesn’t compare to the ribbon interface in the new Office suites from Microsoft. We’ll see how Apple can implement the Inspector interface in the next iteration of the iWork applications and hopefully make it a little easier to use without involving dialogue boxes and extra windows, etc.

3. iPod Update to at least iPhone specs

The current iPod is really an embarrassing video player compared to both the Zune and Apple’s new iPhone. It wouldn’t take much to turn the current iPhone product and sub in a hard drive (or a lot of flash memory) for all of the phone innards and make a killer music, video, media, internet-browsing device. Hopefully this new iPod will at least match its competitors and include a built-in Airport wireless adapter to browse websites (just like the iPhone), download media from the iTunes store, sync with your Mac or PC, connect to an Apple TV, etc. Maybe these features sound a little idealistic, but it surely is possible and would be very well received. Knowing Apple, a November release date sounds likely; however knowing Apple, you can never bee too sure.

2. Interface Updates to Mac OS X – Illuminous

It was a hot topic discussed on Appleology a while back, but its still a very important topic since we haven’t had any updates since. In my opinion, user interface and user experience is pretty much 75% of what is great about using a Mac. but I’m ready for Apple to impress me again like they did with Aqua. I want a really rich user-interface that has more feeling and depth. And it all comes back to the idea of Illuminous and a new generation of user interfaces for the Mac. Apple’s going darker, sleeker, shinier with every product they release. The iPhone, Apple TV, iTunes 7; they all have that same interface that we nicknamed “Illuminous”. Now it’s Mac OS X’s turn for a change. Leopard’s resolution independence features along with the progress Apple’s made developing Multi-Touch interfaces with the iPhone and integrate that technology with OS X and run with it. The result could change the way users operate with their computers forever. And if Apple can’t get this far by June, hopefully they will at least match Vista’s impressive GUI.

1. Lower Prices on All Consumer-Level Macs

Price has to be the biggest complaint from potential switchers whenever I try to persuade someone to consider buying a Mac. They don’t care if Macs last longer or consider the bundled software, when they are thinking about buying a computer all they only care about the price of the computer. If Apple really wanted to maximize their market share, they would have lowered their prices on all of their Macs by now. When it comes to most of the consumers today, all they want to hear is price and Apples simply can’t compete with notebooks starting at $1099.

Its no question that Leopard will feature a new GUI, but no one really knows what it will look like. Its no doubt that Leopard will feature resolution-independent graphics support that will allow for greater resolution displays with the same and windows sizes. However, the details of the interface have not yet been revealed, but many are hoping that we will see the final announcement of Leopard features at Macworld 2007, where chances of a GUI announcement are high.

Apple Gazette has featured a new rumor from a supposed insider that has claimed that the new GUI that will replace Aqua will be nicknamed ‘Illuminous’. The report has no solid information on what the Illuminous theme will look like, but I believe I know exactly where Apple might be headed.

As I said, Apple’s latest trend in its software GUI is a darker, flatter, translucent, reflective, “illuminating” glass appearance. The GUI is also making headway beyond the sheer appearance, to window sizes, visual effects, icons, etc. Fullscreen applications will definitely be a hit in Leopard, to clear your desktop from clutter and manage your workspace more efficiently. Just like Aperture and iPhoto, imagine fullscreen browsing, video-editing, Garageband, iWork, etc. Sleek graphic effects when opening windows, files, applications, are also likely to be improved making the OS seem more alive, similar to the widget ripple effect. And with the new GUI change, I am also expecting Apple to replace their outdated icons. Ultimately, Apple is heading towards a sleeker, darker, simpler, livelier GUI.

Apple has been the leader in computer and GUI design for years, and Vista’s new Aero interface has probably provoked Apple’s design team to topping them off with a mind-blowing interface (that requires half of Aero’s hardware requirements). It would be a true disappointment if there was no sort of GUI announcement when Steve finished giving the major features in Leopard.

The dark translucent appearance Apple has developed over the last three years has seemed to have expanded to many of the operating system’s core applications. Here are a few of the many traces of the new dark glass appearance rumored to be featured in Leopard:

Aperture 1.5’s navigation window

iPhoto’s Adjust Window

Leopard’s new QuickLook feature

Front Row’s sliding dark glass

iTunes 7’s new darker appearance

Where would Apple be now if they had stuck with the PowerPC architecture? Would we have seen a PowerBook G5 or an sexier iBook? Would there still be a growing demand for Macs as the iPod halo starts to glow and Apple markets their products? Apple’s bold move to move over to the Intel camp was risky, but it would have been one of Apple’s biggest mistakes to have continued to produce more PowerPC machines.

I’m starting to realize the same growing trend in Macs as I’ve noticed in iPods. Macs are being used at homes, businesses, at school, on the road, and in public. Macs, especially the Macbook, are starting to get a ‘cool’ factor just like the iPod. I know many PC users expecting to buy a Mac and many parents planning to buy a Mac for their child. Even my cable guy pointed out this phenomenon when he asked me about my MacBook Pro, ‘It seems like I’ve seen more Apples the past six months than ever.’

It won’t be long until more PC users switch when they start to see more and more Macs around. It will just take some time before the majority of consumers realize you can run Microsoft Office on Macs, you can play video games on your Mac, and you can run any Windows program on your Mac.

Don’t forget MacWorld 2007 is around the corner and new products are bound to be released, including the infamous iTV (code-name, official name not released). The release of a new ultra-portable Macintosh is one of many rumors for the great event, and such a product could be the missing link between an iPod and Macs. A revolutionary product like an ultra-portable Mac could start a new progressive growth in Apple’s market share.

iTunes 6 was a lean, mean music machine, and Apple has taken iTunes 6 and somewhat cluttered it with bulk and extra features. Many are reporting major differences in speed from iTunes 6 and iTunes 7. I honestly can’t say that I have seen a significant drop in performance, but I have experienced a few bugs and annoyances that will likely be fixed in the next update or so.

iTunes 7 changed one of the biggest things I liked about iTunes 6, which was the graphical user-interface. If I were to describe the iTunes 7 GUI in one word, I would say “Web 2.0ish”. Just take a look at the new iPod information window that comes up when you connect your iPod or iTunes-compatible device and you see what I mean. The entire Aqua UI that has existed since the first days of Mac OS X has almost completely disappeared from iTunes. iTunes 7 takes on a new flatter, Web 2.0ish look with a gray and blue color scheme. I don’t believe it is quite up there with Aqua, but the new look is refreshing. Change is always good, but this new look isn’t quite there yet. A few more tweaks, maybe some brighter colors and some opaque windows and toolbar, maybe this GUI will turn out to be the one that will eventually replace the Aqua UI that we use today.

Version 7 is the biggest update to iTunes that I’ve seen since 4.7, when iTunes introduced support for podcasting back in Summer 2005. I don’t think iTunes 7 is quite ready for prime-time, but I do think it is an excellent foundation that Apple can improve on. Many probably won’t completely appreciate the new features and benefits that iTunes 7 comes with until it becomes as fast and stable as iTunes 6, but nothing a simple software update can’t cure.

What’s your opinion on the new iTunes 7?

Microsoft is supposedly pouring money into this project for it to be released before the holiday season with a big marketing impact. A new rumor is stating that Microsoft will scan the iTunes library for every song bought on iTunes and will grant the user one free song for every song bought on iTunes when he/she switches to the Microsoft software. Microsoft is also heard to be discussing with may record companies with a model that could benefit the record companies more than Steve Job’s $.99 pricing structure.

Apple is also suspected to release a wireless-integrated iPod with a larger screen in time for the holiday season to ensure the iPod’s future and boost sales for the holiday season. The iTunes Music Store is also expected to start a new service for selling full-length movies, with a possible name change to the generic name “iTunes Store”. An iTunes Store with music, videos, and movies could really foil Microsoft’s plans for an iPod killer.

My opinion

Microsoft has the resources to develop a great iPod+iTunes competitor, but it is likely to never reach the success the iPod has received. Microsoft is too late to beat out the iPod’s progressing sales, and not even its plan to redeem all music bought on iTunes for a free WMA song will change that. Consumers are now comfortable with Apple because they are secure and cutting edge, and Microsoft’s approval has really taken a hit as many consumers are sick of being plagued with an insecure, unstable, ugly PCs.

The “bonus� for the extra price is a “free� 30 minute video. People are hung up on this free video, but think about it this way, 30 mins of video = $1/minute = $30. There’s where the extra $30 come in.

Also, I would jump on this right away except for the signatures, yeah it’s a U2 iPod so it makes sense to have the sigs of the band on there, but I just don’t want that in a black iPod w/Red scroll wheel.

I will soon hopefully go see one in store and add more to either this post or make a new one, but that’s my initial view.

Anyway, check out the first article. It is very interesting and enjoyable, and I can’t wait for the remaining five articles to be published.

Adobe has been slowly moving away from the Mac platform for years, and this is a great example of that. Adobe is not going to be making a Universal Binary for their Adobe CS2 software, more wait for the next release of the Adobe Bundle, possibly CS3, and make that a Universal Binary, instead. What does this mean? Well, it is basically going to pause the purchase of Intel Macs from people who need Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for their work. You can probably also include some big Macromedia applications, such as Flash and Dreamweaver, since Adobe bought Macromedia a couple months back.

I have heard many say that they “don’t want to be the first in line to buy an Intel Mac”. I have mixed feelings about acquiring a new Macbook Pro, but a part of me really wants to get one. Two weeks back, I talked with an Apple Store employee, and he said that he would never want to be the first in line, and that he’s most likely to wait for rev. b. I have debated with myself, and I think that I will be buying a Macbook Pro when they start shipping. I thought that if I kept waiting, I would never get anything, and I trust Apple that they have tested the Intel Macs to fix bugs, and I think that Apple could fix any problems if they do occur.

The Osborne effect was originally created because analysts thought that consumers would stop buying Macs, and would wait for the Intel Macs to come out, but now I think that some consumers will continue to wait for rev. b, and some will wait for pro applications to become Universal, and will not buy Intel Macs until then.