Newsletter #467 Preview: Is it Time to Ditch Desktops for Good?
November 9th, 2008For better or worse, Apple is often way ahead of the curve when it comes to anticipating industry trends. Sometimes it’s even responsible for those new directions.
Take the AirPort, which arrived at the very beginning of the wireless networking revolution. Today, pretty much every note-book computer has Wi-Fi capability, and it’s also available on many desktops, although sometimes strictly as an option.
Even though Apple invented FireWire, they were also responsible for taking the nascent USB format and giving it credibility beginning with the iMac. Although they originally got plenty of lumps for ditching ADB for input devices and LocalTalk for printers and such, readily-available adapters came out to handle legacy devices. The rest of us quickly adapted.
These days, some suggest that the desktop computer itself is probably an endangered species. Indeed, over 50% of the new personal computers sold are portable. Apple, however, anticipated that trend, too, and the MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, together, amount for over 60% of Mac hardware sales.
Story continued in this week’s Tech Night Owl Newsletter.
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I can see the market for desktops continuing to shrink, but it will never go away. It may, however, drop to the point where Apple decides not to play there anymore, as they’ve already done with minitowers.
The Mac Pro and iMac have definite niches that they fill, at present, and those two models at least remain consistent with Apple’s premium place in the market. The Mini is a bit less solid in its product-placement, but assuming it gets the nVidia treatment it should remain a decent player as a premium-budget-style type of product.
I agree with Andrew, the desktop market is smaller and Apple has defined more clearly the pro/consumer markets with the selection of current hardware. I do not care for laptops/note/netbooks simply because it’s not something I want to carry around. I like to park the computer and leave it where it belongs, on the desk – life is already full of enough baggage to lug around, why do I want carry my computer too?
I also agree that the Mac Mini needs an update, a better video chip and for god sakes KEEP FIREWIRE! I don’t have loads of cash for a Mac Pro or 24″ iMac, I plan to make the Mini (with an update, fingers crossed) my next Mac.
Don’t screw it up Apple! – and no, I don’t want a 20 inch, 2.1 Ghz, 6-bit screen, dust collector, either, I’ve already had one Performa, I don’t want another.