[Ti] Re: PowerBook competition

[Henry Kalir]

Dr Trevor J. Hutley wrote:

>
> On 22 Sep 2005, at 02:37, Chris Olson wrote:
>
>
>>   Apple needs to advertise.  I mean, go to Apple's website right  now 
>> and what do you see on the front page?  The iPod nano.
>
>
> Chris - first, thanks for that info about the Lenovo hZ60t Widescreen  
> titanium notebook.  Pretty impressive, incredible price.
> Although when I looked in detail at the site, I do not see much  
> difference when we compare like with like/same specification.
>
> I agree with your point about advertising.  Advertising and  
> education, I think are needed.
> If YOU think there is little advertising, and you are in the 'home  
> country', imagine how it is elsewhere.
>
> Here in Saudi Arabia, there is a new generation of Saudis who know  
> practically nothing about Apple.
>
> I had one student, who in his spare time runs a computer shop, who  
> asked me what my laptop was.  I said look at the (Apple) logo.  It  
> meant nothing to hin !  I have only found one student at the College  
> who has an iPod, and 1 member of staff.  iPod is unknown to more than  
> 99.9% of the people.  Only the Media Centre have a (G5) Mac for  
> publishing work.
>
> A junior staff member came to me the other day and said he wanted  
> some advice about buying a laptop.  He showed me a price list with a  
> Dell 15..4" screen and all the bells and whistles (Bluetooth,  
> wireless, long battery life) for at least $700 cheaper than the  
> equivalent Powerbook.  I could muster no arguments as to why this was  
> not the best option for him.
> I was in the IT Department this week at the College and looked at  
> their standard textbook on "Operating Systems".  Not even a mention  
> of Apple or Mac anywhere.  Talk about monopoly !  Most people here (>  
> 99%) don't even know there is a choice or an alternative.
>
> So I come somewhat reluctantly to the same conclusions as you, that  
> more advertising and communication is need (bring back the  
> evangelists), serious re-design is needed to cut out costs, margins  
> have to move down, prices have to move down.
>
> The Lenovo machine may have broken the paradigm of cheap and nasty.   
> Well designed and cheap seems a new market segment that previously  
> never exised.  I predict it is on a growth track.
>
> I think that it is unrealistic to expect that Mac-OSX-for-Intel will  
> stay on Apple hardware.  I believe that there will be a huge driving  
> force to make it run on 1/2 price (Dell, Lenovo) laptops.  This force  
> will at least activate hackers, but probably will be strong enough to  
> drive Apple policy, even if reluctantly.
>
> We are at a very interesting juncture in the development of the  
> laptop.  In my recent proposals for a new building (2y out) at the  
> College, I wrote that all staff should have wireless  laptops.  More  
> than half the desk-space in every office here is taken over with huge  
> ugly old CRT monitors, big boxes, thick cables and clunky keyboards  
> (all this from new HP/Compaq PCs running XP).  My laptop is the same  
> screen size, far better resolution and only a tiny footprint, and a  
> pleasure to work with.  But will those laptops be Macs or Lenovo ?   
> Interesting question.
>
> Myself, I know that I could not achieve the productivity I have with  
> my Al-book, Mac OS X and Keynote® with a cheap PC laptop.
> How much is it worth to me?  Probably a lot.  But for those who are  
> not power-users?  Maybe the advantages are worth much less, and the  
> new well-designed-and-cheap laptop may scoop some people.
>
> regards,  Trevor
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Titanium mailing list
> Titanium at listserver.themacintoshguy.com
> http://listserver.themacintoshguy.com/mailman/listinfo/titanium
>
> Listmom is trying to clean out his closets! Vintage Mac and random stuff:
>         http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmacguy1984
>
Thanks, Trev!

Very thoughtfully written.

Best,

Henry