|
Charles Cooper at c|net is saying Apple doesn't understand corporate computer buyers and users. He writes:
"At a point when people were increasingly using average computer systems to run a few apps, send e-mail and surf the Web, Apple was more keen on spending its money on the "Think different" campaign--which was just another way of saying, "Screw MIS."
And you know, he's exactly right about the Think Different campaign. I think he's wrong that Apple doesn't understand what it's doing, though. In saying "Screw MIS," I like to think Apple is saying, largely, "Screw corporate America." And yeah, Apple's a corporation, and they want to make money, but, think about if for a second: If Apple really just existed as a profit machine (like IBM or Micro$oft), would it really have done everything it's done? I mean, could anyone so spectacularly mismanage a company -- on purpose? I don't think so. Which makes me think that Apple has never really wanted the corporate market because that's not what it's about. Apple has never been about domination; it's always been about great stuff that makes computing possible for anyone. Unfortunately, Apple's small market share has meant that their products only reach a market whose purchasing decisions aren't based solely on price, which means that Apple is basically targeted at a more upscale market. However, this has less to do with Apple and more to do with the fact that consumers can't see past the initial price-tag to the long-term cost of buying that cheap PC that's going to give them all kinds of crap (and extra costs in support and maintenance). The point is: Apple has not failed simply because it hasn't become the machine everyone uses. That was never the point. 12:08:07 PM 
|
|
