Mac Users Of Mtc (apple: Go Ahead, Take A Bite!)

[boomouse]

guys may konting problem ang mga latest macbook at macbook pro na aluminum.. nag blablackout sya. Black screen of death.. wala pa nilalabas na official statement ang apple kasi di pa nila alam kung hardware or software problem..

 

lets wait and see.. hold your money muna bago kayo buy.. paayos muna natin ang problem.

 

Yes. I read that in the forums too.

 

Fortunately, my new MBP hasn't displayed this. Yet. But probabaly it is because I do not play games on it. From what I read in the forums, the problem 'presents' itself when running a game app.

 

Ang mahal naman nito para gawin palipasan ng oras. Limang PS3 ang mabibili mo. Baka anim pa.

 

So, I have a hard time finding sympathy for people who use a Mac for playing games.

 

But you're right. Wait for Apple to fix this. There are suspicisions that this is again an overheating NVIDIA chip. dalawa pa naman yun. Since Apple's first fix will porbably just to run the fans faster, better just get SMC Fan control (Google nyo na lang) to do that. that is what I do if I have to do some heavy duty processing on an MBP which I cannot offload to the Mac Pro.

 

The second update will be the real fix.

 

But, since the laptops are all under warranty, just complain to the nearest Apple Center papalitan kaagad. Hassle lang nga mag lipat ulit ng files pero hindi kasing hassle ng paglipat ng files sa Windows.

[roxysnonie]

Bro, mukhang ginagamit mo naman ang mga app na to (except for Limewire) sa hanapbuhay, dapat siguro hindi Jack Sparrow ang gingamit mo kung pinagkakakitaan mo naman. Para fair naman sa mga nag-program ng app. Binigyan na kita nung isa nito ah.

 

Gamit ng mga banda, DJ, at big time na mga mobile music rental into eh. Yun Limewire malamang, pang download ng Jack Sparrow na MP3, ingat lang at maraming nag momonitor ng mga IP address sa Limewire. Medyo sikat na ang 'pinas sa ganito.

 

Gastusan mo na lang para iwas problema. At para fair.

 

so true...pero its just a hobby, not a line of work.

 

i would still prefer vinyls over digital anytime, because of the "feel"!

 

thanks anyway...

[boomouse]

Well guys, it looks like it has finally happened.

 

Apple has officially advised Mac users to start using not one but several anti-virus programs to make it harder for the 'sneaks' to get into your Mac.

 

The exigency of success I guess.

 

My bet is Sophos anti-virus for the Mac. It stops everything including windows malware.

[Nismo]

I was going to ask you Sir Boo about this nga, anyway do you have a link where I can download this app? Is this free by the way? In another popular site for Mac users, one suggested Clamxav. Any recos Sir Boo?

[boomouse]

I was going to ask you Sir Boo about this nga, anyway do you have a link where I can download this app? Is this free by the way? In another popular site for Mac users, one suggested Clamxav. Any recos Sir Boo?

 

ClamXAV is okay. Free too. Get it here:

 

http://www.clamxav.com/

 

Don't forget to read the documentation. At least get to know what its limitations and capabilities are. Usage is, as in most Mac apps, quite intuitive.

[artvader]

Well... I've always said that no OS was ever too secured...

[boomouse]

Well... I've always said that no OS was ever too secured...

 

Anyone who ever worked and understood IT work will always accept that it is impossible to declare a system unbreachable. Itis only possible to say that it can be compromised.

 

Having said this, it does not put Windows on equal footing with Mac OS. It looks like all the concern was over nothing.

 

Because…

 

 

Apple deletes Mac antivirus suggestion

 

FROM: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10111958-...ag=2547-1_3-0-5

 

 

Updated 7:45 p.m. PST with expert comment, at 7:20 p.m. PST with context on previous coverage, and at 7:08 p.m. PST with background.

 

Apple removed an old item from its support site late Tuesday that urged Mac customers to use multiple antivirus utilities and now says the Mac is safe "out of the box."

 

"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," Apple spokesperson Bill Evans said.

 

"The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box," he said. "However, since no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection."

 

Apple's previous security message in its KnowledgeBase, which serves as a tutorial for Mac users, was: "Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."

 

Security experts, while pleased that Apple would urge Mac users to install antivirus software, had warned that running multiple antivirus products could cause problems and recommended against it.

 

Apple's antivirus support note was initially published last year and was updated last month, despite reports that it was a new note.

 

One Apple expert speculated that Apple was merely removing a poorly worded support note and said it probably wasn't ever Apple's intention to tell Mac users they need antivirus.

 

"I bet you it was a low-level support note and it hadn't gone through the right approvals," said Rich Mogull, security editor of Apple news site TidBITS. "That's my guess."

 

To some, Apple's latest move will be seen as back-tracking given that it comes one day after those misleading reports circulated. The motive remains unclear, particularly because Apple didn't replace the previously published suggestion with an updated one.

 

The message that remains is that Mac users don't really need to take additional steps to protect against viruses and other malware. Telling customers they can run antivirus for "additional protection" could be interpreted as a way to protect against any liability.

 

There are no known viruses in the wild that exploit a vulnerability in the Mac OS, and Windows continues to be the overwhelming preference for malware writers to target their programs. But malware isn't just taking advantage of operating system weaknesses anymore. In fact, the majority of such threats now come from code that targets weaknesses in browsers and other applications that aren't platform specific.

 

Mogull said he doesn't recommend that the average Mac user install antivirus software because of the low-level of malicious software seen for Macs at this time.

[brian]

Got this from a Daily Tech:

 

Hi I'm a MAC and I'm a PC!!

 

MAC: Uhhhh PC

PC: What is it MAC

MAC: Well I've got this rash and it hurts when I pee.

PC: Oh thats a virus MAC, not to worry, I'm sure your anti-virus will get rid of it

MAC: My what?

PC: Don't you use protection MAC?

MAC: ???? Protection thats for PC's, I'm a MAC we don't get viruses!!!!

PC: Well you have one, and well your probably going to die from it.

MAC: BUT......

PC: Yep you whored yourself around around without being safe and now look at you.

MAC: ........

PC: OH PC's are stuffy, Vista has annoying popups, BLA BLA BLA..... I hope you suffer!

MAC: Can't you help me PC!!! I'll be better I swear!

PC: Well I guess I could ask my DAD Bill gates, If he could pay for a doctor visit.

MAC: REALLY! Wow that's swell PC!! I love you PC.

PC: I love you to MAC.

 

The End

 

[brian]

Here's another one:

 

Next commercial:

 

Mac (Muffled): Hello, I'm a Mac

PC: Hello, I'm a PC.

PC: Hey Mac, I see you're all better now, but...

Mac (muffled): But what? I feel great!

PC: But why are you wearing 2 large body condoms?

Mac: Oh, this is Apple's new iDoubleBag program to fight off nasty viruses, because you never can be too safe, you know.

PC: Uh, I thought Macs didn't get viruses.

Mac: Well, it turns out that viruses just didn't know we were out there. Now that Leapord has sold so many copies, I'm feeling a little exposed.

PC: Honestly, you look pretty ridiculous.

Mac: Yeah, well, it is a bit stuffy in here, and I do feel a bit sluggish.

PC: I think that's because you're running out of air.

Mac: Yeah....well.....(Thud)

PC: Uh, Mac?

 

Fini

 

[karim06]

funny

Edited December 9, 2008 by karim06

[free_lancer_s2000]

guys ano po bang pinaka magandang video converter for intel macs?? i have handbrake,visualhub, appleMacsSoft video converter, 4 media appletv video converter at ipsp.. ano pa po ba yung pinakamagandang converter?

[lomex32]

Something i wanted this year ... just got it

[djrs]

too bad proven na nvidia videos ang sira... pati older macbook pro may problem basta nvidia chips ang gamit..

 

yung video naman hindi lang pang gaming pati sa photo and video editing malaki naitutulong ng magandang videocard.

 

buti nalang ati ang mbpro ko. hehehe.

[Nismo]

10.5.6 Software Update

 

Direct Download : http://support.apple.com/downloads/

[boomouse]

too bad proven na nvidia videos ang sira... pati older macbook pro may problem basta nvidia chips ang gamit..

 

yung video naman hindi lang pang gaming pati sa photo and video editing malaki naitutulong ng magandang videocard.

 

buti nalang ati ang mbpro ko. hehehe.

 

I have the X1600 on an older MBP too. Question lang. Do you experience out of memory situations when you are really pushing the hardware? When I do some video renderign or encoding while watching a movie (while waiting for it to finish) I notice that once the system temp (I use SMC Fan control which has a temp monitor on the menubar) hits over 80°C the video gets flaky. Usually, it pixellates. Sadisplay lang naman. If you force quit the player usually the other apps are not disturbed.

 

I have been doing this ever since I got this laptop and it is only in 10.5.5 that it happened.

 

Today is the first day on 10.5.6 and I have really pushed the laptop. Video render, plus Xgrid transcode of another video off the network, plus Photoshop CS4. Everything was cool this time.

 

I hope it was just a glitch in 10.5.5. But it wold be interesting to hear if anyone was getting the same experience.

 

Updating my own post… 0914 hrs, 17 Dec 2008

 

I checked the Apple knowledge base, yes the OS 10.5.6 update does address instab ility issues in certain ATI cards.

 

Overall, the update feels like a very positive change. Bear in mind that it is 190 MB and it does take a while to install. So, if the blue screen hangs around for what feels longer than what you are used to, just bear with it. And "configuring installation" is a message that will also take a while. Do not mistake it for a hang.

Edited December 17, 2008 by boomouse

[serpentor_ph]

@boomouse - boss nabalitaan nyo yung bagong flaw ng taga-kabila ? big ha ha !!! to me.

[boomouse]

@boomouse - boss nabalitaan nyo yung bagong flaw ng taga-kabila ? big ha ha !!! to me.

 

Yes. Deadly siya kaya ang bilis mag labas ng patch ni M$. Pero hindi naman kataka taka. Pag nasa IE ang butas, deadly siya.

[chancepassenger30]

Just heard that Apple recently announced that the MacWorld Expo in Jan 2009 will be its last and Steve Jobs will not be delivering the keynote address at the show.

[boomouse]

Just heard that Apple recently announced that the MacWorld Expo in Jan 2009 will be its last and Steve Jobs will not be delivering the keynote address at the show.

 

Yes. And the chismosos are out in force.

 

The most rational discussion I have seen is from Carl Howe:

 

http://notes-from-anywhere.blogspot.com/2008/12/apple-pulls-out-of-macworld-and-floppy.html

 

Apple pulls out of Macworld! And floppy disks are gone too!

 

The blogosphere is aflutter with the news that this year will be Apple's last Macworld event and that Phil Schiller rather than Steve Jobs will be doing the keynote. What could have gone wrong? Is Steve ill? Does this mean the end of Apple?

Get a grip people. The real reasons behind this move are exactly what the press release says (gasp! can you do that in PR?). Macworld, like most other trade shows, wasn't really working as part of Apple's marketing strategy, so they gave notice that they aren't going to do it any more. The reasons? It's actually pretty simple. Apple's annual Macworld extravaganza was:


 

• Expensive
  . Macworld Conference and Expo may be a cultural icon to some, but it is actually just a trade show organized by IDG. While that is a great business for IDG, it's a multi-million dollar expense for Apple, all to reach around 50,000 attendees. While that may be nice, it's about the same number of people Apple reaches at its Fifth Avenue Store in New York in a few days. Not exactly the best return on investment.
  
  

• Inconvenient
  . Let's see, what's the best way to annoy employees? I know, we'll make them work through the holidays to prepare for a big trade show on the first week of the new year. While all of the consumer electronics industry seems to honor this tradition for the January Consumer Electronics Show, that doesn't mean it's a good practice. Apple and its employees don't need the hassle.
  
  

• Way too predictable
  . There's no better way to ruin surprise and excitement than to schedule it months in advance (proof point: Microsoft OS launches). Pundits everywhere (myself included) now plan stories and research around the first week in January knowing that Apple must have something new to talk about. That doesn't fit with the amazingly great marketing Apple likes to produce. And yet the downsides of this predictability are huge: if the unthinkable should happen -- some technology is late, there's a new product production glitch -- Apple has to jump through hoops to deliver regardless or be painted as having "failed" because they didn't deliver in time for Macworld.
  
  

Despite the end of Apple's participation in Macworld, no one should think that this is the end of the Apple, new Apple products, or even Steve Jobs' famed keynotes. Instead, these will now be surprises, undoubtedly announced using Apple's now famous special event invitations emailed to attendees. And while Apple won't have the throngs of every day fans at those events, special store events will offer venues to reach that audience. People often forget that Steve Jobs shows up occasionally at non-Macworld events such as the opening of the Regent Street store in London; not doing Macworld will undoubtedly create new opportunities for other appearances. And no matter where he goes or what he does, he will still draw a crowd. And those who need a structured schedule and their annual fix of Jobsian presentation mastery, they can always attend Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference in the summer, where he will undoubtedly be doing keynotes and cameos there for years to come.

 

The bottom line: Apple has again figured out yet another way to "think different" by leaving something out, just as it did with the floppy disk. And just as with floppies, the rest of the industry will go through denial, rejection, and finally acceptance that it was the obvious thing to do. 2009 is already shaping up to be a very interesting year.

 

Posted by Carl Howe at 11:37 A

 

Much has been written and said about the fabled reality distortion field of Apple. Specifically, that segment of the computer buying market that looks only at price in which to base their buying decisions have a hard time understanding why Mac users pay the higher price for a Mac. Their abilities of comprehension only allow them to assume that Mac users are stupid for paying such prices. They are lemmings under the spell of a Pied Piper named Steve Jobs.

 

The following discussion gives a very clear and logical explanation of this phenomenon from of all people, a financial analyst who has wondered why Apple went from 1% - 2% market share two years ago to almost 10% today; why Apple sales growth is three times that of the rest of the computer industry; and why traditional stalwart users of Windows are now breaking faith.

 

By TURLEY MULLER, The Financial Alchemist

http://financial-alchemist.blogspot.com/20...ook-at-mac.html

 

Friday, December 19, 2008

Apple Inc (AAPL): Taking a Look at Mac Pricing (or: Why cheap and nasty netbooks are not a threat to the Mac)

 

MAC DEMAND CONCERNS:



For the past couple months, Wall Street's concern du-jour for Apple has been Mac demand. No PC/consumer electronics firm is immune to this economic downturn, but many analysts believe there is substantial downside risk for Mac sales. Analysts claim the contracting economy is causing changes to the complexion of industry demand that could have further negative implications for the Mac segment. Specifically, the slowdown in consumer spending will cause industry demand to contract, and within the computer industry, demand will shift away from Mac to lower-priced PCs. This double-blow presents a considerable threat that Mac sales will come in way below expectations. Some argue the popularity of netbooks and other low-price PCs present a major challenge for Apple since Macs' price points encompass the high-end of the spectrum. Thus, Apple lacks a low-price offering within the price range where demand has been and will continue to be strong.

 



Given the pullback in spending and the shift to lower-priced PCs, analysts have been calling for Apple to introduce a cheaper Mac to become more competitive. Many were expecting just that when Apple unveiled its new MacBooks last October. Missing from the event were price reductions. The legacy white plastic, low-end MacBook received a $100 price cut ($1099 $999), but the mid-range model's price ($1299) was unchanged, and the high-end MacBook price increased $100 ($1499 -> $1599). This was a disappointment for those who were expecting price cuts of $200-$300, at minimum.



 

There was ample speculation for Apple's Black Friday discounts. Most analysts/journalists were predicting larger than usual discounts, 15% compared with Apple's typical discounts of 5%-10% from previous years. However, Apple offered modest discounts that were inline with its previous Black Friday promotions. Some were disappointed, notably Shaw Wu of Kaufman Brothers: "We would have hoped that with its nearly $25 billion net cash position and very favorable component pricing environment, that Apple would have taken slightly more aggressive action on pricing given that consumers are still hurting from the tough credit environment." Ben Reitzes of Barclay's Capital says "like to see Apple get more aggressive in terms of pricing." The crux of the matter is that if Apple believed steeper discounts would significantly lift demand then it would have cut prices more aggressively.

 



Aside from the Mac Mini and legacy plastic MacBook (October price reduced to $999), Apple doesn't offer a sub-$1,000 model. In September, Kathyrn Huberty at Morgan Stanley cut her price target on Apple citing slowing global PC sales. The next Monday, Huberty cuts her rating on Apple, and slashes her price target to $115 from $178 based on the concern that "PC unit growth is decelerating and the remaining source of growth is increasingly in the sub-$1000 market where Apple does not play."

 



According to NPD, Apple had 66% market share for the above $1000 price category, and 14% overall. In an August 2008 NPD study, Apple's market share for the past 12 months in the above $1500 price segment was 69%, up from 41% in the August 2007 survey.



 

Huberty points out that revenue for the premium segment has been declining (y/y) every month since the winter, and that the sub-$1K market's revenue has been growing. She concludes that consumer demand is shifting to the low-end, where Apple does not have a presence. In addition, Huberty claims Apple is at risk because it's highly exposed to the premium-end, where demand has been falling. However, Mac unit sales grew nearly 40% for 2008, and its share in the premium segment almost doubled. Mac sales have been growing roughly 3x the market.



 

Therefore, it's Windows PC demand that is shifting to the lower-end.

 



If the overall industry is trending to lower price points, how does Huberty reconcile the sub-trend of increasing Mac demand, which is mostly confined to the premium segment? If Mac demand runs counter to the premium segment's overall trend, one can't make the assertion that there's a strong correlation. There is a convincing relationship between ASP and growth for the industry, but not for Macs. The PC industry is comprised almost entirely of Windows PCs, thus demand for Windows machines determines industry demand. In short, Macs and Windows PCs are not similar product offerings. Some analysts, notably Huberty, appear to conflate the two. Macs are Windows machines, for one can install Windows OS on Mac hardware and use it just as if it were a Dell or HP. But, PCs such as Dell and HP can't run Mac OS. 



 

MAC VS WINDOWS HARDWARE:

 


The reason why demand has shifted towards cheaper PCs is because of substitution. A $1500 Windows PC may not be noticeably different from an $800 machine for most users. With economic fears engulfing the consumer, a less expensive PC still can do everything that a higher-end PC does, albeit with less performance. However, many consumers are not heavy users where such a difference would be detected. Even so, for most users, less performance can be tolerated. Therefore, the question is "What more do I get from spending more? What I am sacrificing by spending less?" For many, the answer is "nothing." In short, there isn't much difference. The consumer isn't going to pay more if he/she doesn't have to, especially in a tough economy.



 

Windows machines increasingly compete on price, and price alone. PCs have become commodities; there is little, if any differentiation among hardware manufacturers, especially desktops. Essentially, the sole proprietary aspect of a Windows machine is the brand name; most of the hardware components are sourced from 3rd party manufacturers. Whether it's Dell, Gateway, HP, or Sony hardware makes little-to-no difference.

I understand why consumers aren't paying-up for Windows PCs. How are HP, Dell, Acer, Toshiba, etc different from each other if they all use Intel chips, run Windows, and have many other of the same components? Consumers don't see the value in paying a higher price for a Windows PC versus another. For a significant portion of consumers the main purpose of owning a computer is internet/email access, as well as ability to create documents. Any computer accommodates those needs, thus for many, price is the most relevant attribute. I believe this is the driving force behind netbook popularity. Many consumers desire a computer capable of performing basic tasks, such as email, internet, etc. Netbook CPUs are low-powered, and are not suitable for heavier usage, such as graphic intense games or spreadsheets containing complex formulas.

Consumers perceive less differentiation among Windows hardware, thus they are more likely to select whichever brand offers the best price for the desired configuration. Consumers are not necessarily shifting to cheaper PCs solely based on price. Consumers trade down because there isn't sufficient value-added to justify paying a higher price.



 

Conversely, there is a stark difference between spending less for a Windows PC (or any amount) opposed to buying the higher-priced Mac. Mac OS X and the associated user experience are significantly different from Windows. Hardware isn't the differentiating factor; it's the OS. PCs are not substitutes for Macs. People who desire Macs have to spend more, but those who don't care for Macs don't have to pay the high prices due to the availability of less expensive Windows machines. Consumers desiring Windows OS don't purchase Macs to exclusively run Windows since it would be a waste of money. Consumers purchase Macs for the value-added benefits supplied.



 

The robust growth in Mac sales demonstrates that consumers are willing to pay more for Macs. Mac's 70% share of the premium segment suggests that Macs are essentially the only computers for which consumers are willing to pay up. Windows PCs can't compete in the premium segment against Apple. Premium Windows PCs can't even compete against lower-priced Windows PCs. Since Macs run Windows (many say Windows runs best on Macs), PCs don't provide any value-added benefits over Mac. Thus, to create value to the consumer, PC hardware firms cut prices to make their machines relatively attractive. Since the Mac offers Windows OS plus Mac OS, it provides additional benefits that command a premium price.

PC prices have come down a great deal, and continue to fall. However, Mac ASPs have been relatively flat since 2003 (~$1500). It should come as no surprise that Apple's GM has risen from 26% to 35%, while Hewlett-Packard and Dell have seen their margins shrink. Where are these analysts getting the notion that cheap netbooks will pressure Mac sales when notebook prices have been relatively cheaper for years?



 

APPLE'S MAC SALES STRATEGY:

 


The two main reasons why consumers buy a Windows PC instead of a Mac are:

 

1) Unaware of added benefits

2) Aware of added benefits, but assign little value preferring a low benefit package at cheapest price, i.e. price-sensitive.

For many, they choose a Windows machine because it's cheaper. Consumers would pay more if they believed the incremental value added exceeded the incremental cost. Many are unaware/unfamiliar of the incremental value the Mac provides, thus Apple's primary goal is to inform consumers most likely to perceive added-value.



 

The primary challenge facing Mac growth is educating the market about Mac benefits. Due to Apple's tiny market share, its growth potential is massive. At the start of the decade, Apple's share was roughly 1%-2% and will likely reach 10% by decade-end. The major catalysts to share growth have been the iPod, iPhone, and Apple's retail store strategy, which have increased Mac curiosity and awareness. For the past couple years, Apple has been reporting that more than 50% of retail Mac sales are to new Mac users. This is no surprise since Mac sales have outpaced the industry by a factory of three (3x).



 

Remember that Apple's share of the computer market has been in the low single digits throughout time, only in the last several years did Mac sales takeoff. Therefore, most haven't used or possibly seen a Mac in the wild. With little or no Mac experience, an individual would have difficultly to justifying the higher price. In addition, consumers don't actively seek to acquire more information on products that are relatively more expensive. One has to spend more time and effort learning about a product that costs more and ultimately may not be suitable or worth the price. Therefore, expensive, less-known products experience greater difficulty in making the short-list of a consumers consideration set for a given purchase decision. Apple believes its Macintosh provides a superior computing experience. There is evidence supporting that claim as Apple earns the highest satisfaction ratings and gets the best reviews from industry pundits. So, it's more about informing consumers that its product is the best than it is making its product the best.

Apple leverages the popularity of its iPod and iPhone to heighten attention for Mac. These gadgets arouse curiosity and interest about the Mac, as well as driving traffic to its stores where consumers can experience Macs first-hand.



 

MAC PRICING STRATEGY:

 


Since Macs are highly differentiated and offer features/benefits unique to its brand, Apple is afforded significant pricing power. Apple believes since it offers a premium product it should charge a premium price. Exploding demand for Macs seen in the past several years demonstrates that consumers justify paying a higher price (relative to PCs) for the extra value/benefits unique to Apple. Apple believes that there are many potential consumers that would share the same opinion if they were more knowledgeable about Macs.



 

Cutting prices does little to advance product knowledge for the uninformed consumer. Macs would still be pricier, and the consumer still wouldn't know why. Thus, reducing Mac prices wouldn't boost substantially boost demand. Many analysts miss this point. Amazon's best selling notebooks are all within the $350 - $600 price range. If Apple cut the price on the $1299 MacBook to $1000 or even $800, it's still more expensive than the more popular, cheaper notebooks. The $999 legacy white plastic MacBook has been less popular at Amazon than the $1299 new aluminum MacBook. There is a bifurcation in the computer market- 1) consumers seeking lowest price 2) consumers seeking value-added. The former are buying netbooks and the latter are buying Macs. If price were as significant an issue as analysts claim, then the $999 MacBook (actually $910) wouldn't be ranked #15 behind the $1299 MacBook ranked #7.

I believe it's not the size of the price differential versus the amount of added benefits that is in question. To clarify, it's not that consumers don't believe that the higher price of Macs aren't justified by their unique features, it's that consumers aren't aware or don't care for Mac features.

Those who are price-sensitive and seek bare-bones machines are a waste of Apple's time to pursue.



(underscoring is mine - Boomouse)

 

Apple would have offered larger discounts (as analysts were predicting) on Macs for its Black Friday sale if it thought lower prices would materially affect demand. Unit sales wouldn't increase very much, but dollar revenue would decline (lower ASPs) when customers are willing to pay the higher prices.

Apple still has an abundance of potential consumers willing to pay premium prices for a computer that Apple has not yet penetrated. It is these consumers that Apple is chasing, the mid to high income demographic, which are less price-sensitive and receptive to a product that offers value-added benefits. Generally, these consumers understand that "one has to pay more to get more," and that if a product is cheap, "then it's cheap for a reason." In addition, sometimes saving some bucks might result in owning a product that is unsatisfactory, or possibly worthless. In these circumstances, one often is forced to make another purchase since the original product was a dud. Thus spending the extra cash, on the margin, makes the most economical sense. In essence, by spending more, one may be actually be paying less considering the long-term costs and product life.

 



On the 4Q 2008 conference call (from Seeking Alpha), Steve Jobs remarked: "There are some customers which we choose not to serve. We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that. But we can continue to deliver greater and greater value to those customers that we choose to serve and there's a lot of them. And we've seen great success by focusing on certain segments of the market and not trying to be everything to everybody. So I think you can expect us to stick with that winning strategy and continuing to try to add more and more value to those products in those customer bases we choose to serve."

 



APPLE'S CHALLENGES:

 


The economic turmoil presents a significant challenge for Apple. As I mentioned previously, it's not consumers that normally would buy a Mac trading down as some analysts suggest. Consumers either want the added benefits Macs provide, or they desire the basic functionality of Windows OS PCs. If one wants a Mac, then there are no other alternatives; Macs can't be substituted by Windows PCs opposed to the substitutability of cheaper Windows PCs for more expensive Windows PCs.



 

The recession won't cause cheap Windows PCs to take sales away from Macs, instead it will slow the rate that Macs take share from PCs. The higher-end consumer that Apple targets is less sensitive to the economic cycle, yet not immune. Consumers are less receptive to learning about/trying out unfamiliar products, as their mood to spend is subdued. During periods of rising asset prices, the wealth effect reduces the threshold for capturing a consumer's attention and subsequently closing a sale.

I eventually expect Apple to address the popularity of the netbook segment by introducing a computing device in a tablet form. I imagine it will be something similar to the iPod Touch, yet with more power and viewing area. It will offer the same functions that consumers look for in a netbook, yet the form factor will be different.

 



CONCLUSION:

 


The popularity of low-priced PCs stems from the lack of added value for pricier Windows computers, rather than the inability/unwillingness to spend more for a computer. Lower prices are driven by the intense competition among Windows PC manufacturers whereby the primary differentiating factor is price opposed to other value-added benefits. The fact that Mac demand growth (which sell at higher entry price points) has been much higher than the industry indicates that Macs don't compete on price, but rather features/benefits.



 

It's incorrect to assert that Mac sales growth is vulnerable to netbooks or cheap PCs. The real challenge facing Apple in this rough economy is attracting new users and enticing current users to upgrade/replace. New models, the expansion of the retail store footprint, the halo effect from iPod/iPhone, and positive word of mouth are the primary driver in sustaining Apple's Mac sales.

Edited December 25, 2008 by boomouse

[kimkulit]

good am to all, i don't know if im in the right room, my gusto lang sana ako i-tanong sa mga fellow mac users. i just bought a Macbook with Intel core 2 duo @ 2.0Ghz 4gb memory and 160 hard drive. and im planning to buy a Western Digital External hard drive either a 640gb or 1TB. and im having a second thought it might cause a problem with the compatibility or something.

 

thanks i hope to here answer from u guys.

[fulgar]

good am to all, i don't know if im in the right room, my gusto lang sana ako i-tanong sa mga fellow mac users. i just bought a Macbook with Intel core 2 duo @ 2.0Ghz 4gb memory and 160 hard drive. and im planning to buy a Western Digital External hard drive either a 640gb or 1TB. and im having a second thought it might cause a problem with the compatibility or something.

 

thanks i hope to here answer from u guys.

 

Don't think you will have a problem. Although IMHO as long as the WD hard drive is formatted as FAT (same as typical USB thumbdrives, it will work with MB, I took the 'safe' route and looked up the WD site and made sure I bought the one which is specified as compatible with Mac (WD Home Edition 512GB). The difference is that the WD had Firewire ports with it which MB's (white) has. Apple eliminated Firewire with the Aluminum Unibody MB's it launched mid 2008.

 

By the way - I use external HDDs (with off-the-shelf external cases) formatted as FAT and the MB detects them.

[jayar]

Hello!

 

And help!

 

Last night I was watching a movie with my mac. I noticed that the power was low, but no message of having low power appeared. so I just continued running the movie.

 

After a few seconds, the mac just turned off. Assuming that the power finally ran out, I connected the power cord. But it wouldn't turn on. After a few tries anyway. I turned the computer over to check on the battery, which seemed fine.

 

When it did power up, I noticed something missing...the sound of the optical drive powering up!

 

Also, I found a very small piece of metal very near the keyboard.

 

I tried to detect the drive through the about this mac feature, and indicated that it couldn't detect any burning device. I powered down everything and went to sleep, but its still the same this morning.

 

Any thoughts?

 

How much are optical drives for my macbook? Is there anywhere where I can get them cheaper than at the Mac store? Maabilidad naman tayong mga pinooy eh...hehe

 

Computer specs:

 

ibook G4 1.2 gh 14" (circe early or mid 2005).

Superdrive 8x

 

Thanks for any help that you can give me.

[serpentor_ph]

@boomouse - bossing, any idea of a free avi to mp4 converter software for Mac. Thanks !

[boomouse]

@boomouse - bossing, any idea of a free avi to mp4 converter software for Mac. Thanks !

 

Sent you PM.

 

 

==================

 

Results of Apple's MacWorld 2009 announcement:

1. New iLife 09 will be released in a few weeks
   • iPhoto will have face detection, face recognition, geotagging, new templates and will be able to put togethe smart albums using geo tags or face tags
     
   • iMovie has more precision editing tools, new transitions, you can now edit vids and audio, and green screen capability
     
   • Garageband has learning music tools with tutorials for guitar and keyboards from Dan Fogarty, Norah Jones, Sting, etc...
     

[*]New iWorks 09 is also announced with better templates, and nifties features

[*]New Macbook Pro 17 with 8GB maximum RAM, 2.66 and 3.0 C2D. Same monocoque construction as the newer Macbook and MBP 15. 256GB SSD available, non-removable lithium polymer battery gives 8 hours of operating time. woot!!!

[*]iTunes is now DRM-free

[*]iPhone can now download from iTunes via 3G and not just wifi

Some disappointments

1. No iPhone Nano
   
2. No improved Mac Mini with NVIDIA graphics
   
3. No updated iMac with quad core
   

My Crystal Ball based on Apple's past behaviour:

1. Expect a MBP 15 with the same capability as the new MBP 17, i.e., 8 GB max RAM.
   
2. A new MBP 17 with the new low power quad core chip
   
3. Am still expecting a new Mac Mini with which I can expand my budding supercomputing cascade (C2D with a 4 GB RAM limit, not just 2GB)
   
4. With iMovie closing the convenience gap on Final Cut, expect a new Final Cut with more HD-oriented conveniences, Red Camera support but not until Snow Leopard and Open CL (parallel processing between main CPU and GPU) is released
   

Edited January 7, 2009 by boomouse

[Spurt]

just a question, is there any other way to sync iphone 3g to other mac even to a pc - meaning syncing iphone 3g to two machines, one pc then a mac. i've seen some answer from google but its difficult for a regular non-techie guy like me.