Tim,
Back in July at Apples Quarterly earnings call you made a comment that has been bugging me.
“Our goal is not to build the most computers. It’s to build the best.”
I get that and it’s great that you want to put out a premium quality product, but where we disconnect is the need for non-premium apple products. I love my apple hardware don’t get me wrong, but I think there’s a problem when the best that I can reasonably afford is a Mac Mini. You know that little standalone apple TV on ‘roids you keep trying to discontinue? It’s not enough though. I finally broke down and got myself a new laptop this year. A dell. Yes you heard me a dell xps 1530. I had to compare apples to oranges and when I can buy a faster processor, a larger hard drive, and more RAM for a fraction of the cost of a Macbook Pro? It really was a no brainer.
Just so there’s no confusion I hate windows. To me it’s about as intuitive as a circuit diagram for a deep space telescope, but I can always install Linux. I love the mac os. I’ve been using it since version 6 and rarely have had any complaints outside of the chintzy game availability. Let’s face it though that’s really the only difference between your Macbooks and any one of a dozen manufacturers using the same if not advanced hardware for less. Oh wait that’s right, your macs DO look nice with that brushed aluminum but it’s just not enough anymore. You charge premium prices and you are not providing premium products.
I know apple go burned once before when trying to open up to 3rd party manufacturers, but it’s been 10 years and, like dog years, technology years are highly accelerated. Get over it. We understand that there are bound to be some integration issues but that’s really up to the third party writing the drivers don’t you think? It can’t be that hard considering people are writing those drivers for free. So where is the real problem? Do you fear you will be slumming to open up os licensing? Do you think it might dilute your anti-establishment cred? I have news for you, Apple has become the establishment. It doesn’t make any sense to me and I can only see this path inevitably leading to obscurity. Those laptop hunter ads are working and a $100 price cut just isn’t going to make that much of a difference. It’s time to get with the program Tim, no matter what Steve says. Open the floodgates! Release the seeds of OS revival to the wind! Give us a more open license that all may enjoy the benefits of Mac Nirvana. The clock is ticking Tim.
I’m a Mac, but you’re turning me into a PC.
