Should Apple Ditch Its Hardware?
No surprise from me, but my answer is a resounding “no.” I guess this report was written before Apple’s blowout earnings for this quarter (dubbed iProfit by Good Morning Silicon Valley) were announced. To sum up, Gartner suggests Apple would be better off licensing its Mac OS X to Dell and getting out of hardware completely.
There is no question that OS X, now that it is runs on Intel chips, is totally capable of being packaged as a software product that could be sold to anybody with a PC. But I don’t think Apple will ever get out of hardware and sell OS X for PCs willingly. I think they are holding this possibility back, wisely, as the ultimate trump card and exit strategy.
If at some point in the future, Apple is down on its luck and nobody is buying Macs, then they can flip the magic switch and become a software company. But they would never do it unless forced into a corner. We all know Steve Jobs’ obsession with slick hardware products. And Apple has become good at product design: their comeback is largely based on taking average technology, and by adding design sense (to both hardware and software) making it into something people say “I want to own that”. It worked for the iMac in different colors, the PowerBook, and the iPod.
Dell makes great hardware that functions at a great price. Apple makes great hardware for people that are willing to pay a price premium, because the product looks so great just sitting around doing nothing.
Judging from this quarter’s sales numbers, a lot of other people think Mac hardware is worth buying, too.
Yes your right., its best for apple to stay where they are and keep entering into software as a last resort option and I think that is what they are going to do.
And your point of how people buy Apple because it looks good even when its not doing anything was spot on.
Man if Apple comes into gaming, I think it can make a big difference. I mean with their style and brand name it can be something to watch out for.
I dont want apple in the gaming area.
It wont succeed. I’m sure.
I think there is a still a long way to go for that and I think if Apple plans it well and then there would be no problem.
I feel that the whole USP of apple was that since all its parts were manufactured in-house, the chances of a crash is minimal. Once they drop hardware, apple will lose its charm.