CompuServe Messages

"PPC is doing very well in places where Macs were previously not welcome." I'd be interested in knowing what sources you're citing here. Everything I've read to date says no. "I would bet that the Macs are not radicilly higher in price than the big name brand PCs." Wanna bet? <G> The Pentium I purchased has 32Meg RAM, 512K cache, 2Meg VRAM, 1Gig HD, CD-ROM, DAT tape, Ethernet card for less than what I paid for a PowerMac 8100 with a 500Meg HD and 8Meg RAM – and which would have required an additional $1,400 video card to drive a large monitor. I've been comparison-pricing Mac's vs. Intel machines for a long time now and Mac's are always more expensive for less capability. But, yes, I do agree that buying some brand names could rachet the price up. "I can buy a 60Mhz PowerMac for $1,200 today (monitor sep), or complete system with bundled software for under $1,500" And you can buy a Pentium 90 system with a larger drive (but no bundled software) for $1,625. The Wall St. Journal reported today that U.S. computer shipments for the fourth quarter were up 32% from a year earlier at 5.8-Million units. I think your analysis of Apple's happy state of marketshare is somewhat off: Apple's marketing cost is significantly higher than those for Intel based machines. Their R&D expenses are also higher. Having 8 to 14% market share doesn't mean much if you can't turn a profit. Finally, Apple's sales are not increasing each quarter: they've been up and down like a yo-yo in recent years, although the last two quarters have been up. The real question is when do they reach the end of the string on the PowerMac's. "Put another way, they are selling as fast as Apple can make them." Not quite. Some models (such as the PowerBook 540c) are in chronically short supply, while others (the PowerMac 6100) sit in unsold stacks at their warehouses. Apple has one of the worst records for consistently failing to match production with demand. "Either way, no matter what we think, the market will decide." For sure. I'm not predicting doom and gloom for Apple, just a steady slide into a smaller and smaller market position. You can still make money as Number 10 or Number 50 in the market if your management is good. People just don't a lot about you or buy your stock and stuff like that. Sort of like IBM. <G> Jerry