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The PC Industry is a Vampire Living off Apple Blood

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There is a Vampire Sucking on Steve Jobs Neck Right Now:

It’s the truth and the PC industry has been living off Apple releases for years. Literally leeching off the products and efforts by Apple. What’s ironic is Apple is not even the first to bring these products to market; usually the PC industry is first. Somehow when Apple releases a product it brings credibility to that type of product and paves the way for others. This is clearly the case with mp3 players, small-form-factor computers, streamlined laptops, and now most recently tablet PCs.

That’s right: Apple is nowhere near the first to bring tablet computing to consumers. Long before Steve Jobs had even heard the name iPad, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and others offered just such a product. Though, it could be argued that Apple made a similar venture into this product category with the Newton many years ago and is just now coming back to this product type. In either case the tablet PC has been around for a long time, so why is it just now that consumers are taking tablet computing seriously? Why is it that media attention is finally being focused on products like the JooJoo tablet? More to the point, how is it that Apple products have a legitimizing effect for their PC equivalents?

Well for one, Apple has put the time, research, and development into doing it right. Consumers recognize a quality product when they see it, and Apple is not known for releasing low quality products. Even now with the iPad released, the subsequent vampiric flood of tablet PC computers on the market are doing it wrong. It seems the PC market is doomed to under-achievement for the simple fact that they act as vampires and don’t give their products anywhere near as much forethought as Apple does. A simple look at the design and execution of the iPad and you too will draw that conclusion.

In contrast, the PC industry has seemed to adopt a strategy of releasing cheap products to make a quick profit before rapidly moving on to the release of their next product. Long term investments or refinement of a product line has not traditionally been a hallmark of the PC industry. In those rare cases where a manufacturer has invested the time to create a higher end product, it still did so in a half-hearted manner thus resulting in lackluster sales.

Take, for example, the Dell Adamo laptop PC. Upon first look it seems Dell took its design cues straight from Apple and included features that consumers might actually want. The Adamo has a sleek and slim design with aluminum casing and refined touches. A winner, right? So where is the flaw, you ask? Easy: a simple look at the specifications and performance of the product reveals that it’s not really a usable product. A low-end processor, poor battery life with its non-removable battery, and a very high price make a deadly product combination. Put the nail in the coffin – “he’s dead, Jim.”  I’m not saying that the Adamo has a bad cosmetic design but usability and performance win every time.

This is why Apple products shine and why they will continue to win the hearts and dollars of consumers in growing numbers. Apple products work and they work well; this alone would win many consumers but Apple has gone the extra mile to complete their recipe for success and executed a near flawless design of their products.  To summarize, Apple products look great and work great. With that combination, consumers are willing to pay a premium for the product. None of this is really a secret or should come as a major revelation to the PC industry, so why haven’t they caught on and starting doing the same thing? Again the answer is simple: they are vampires.

Think of your classic horror movie by Boris Karloff or your favorite vampire flick; they all had two things in common. There was a victim and there was a culprit; in this case the culprit is a parasite. Parasites find it easier to go through life letting the host do the work for them. R&D is expensive, as is refinement of a product, testing, collecting feedback, evaluation, making sure your consumers’ needs are met and exceeded. Why go through all that trouble when you can let your host (Apple) release a product that is excellent and then you can simply make a lot of cheap knock-offs and collect on all those people who don’t want to pay the premium for the real McCoy?  Seems like a philosophy that has worked for the PC industry for years.

Right about now you’re thinking I’m a Mac fan or a PC hater; you would be wrong. In fact, I unfortunately don’t own an Apple laptop or desktop. I simply have a growing respect for a good product and the ability to recognize one when I see one. I have attended CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and Computex for many years now and I always get excited when I see a product with lots of potential. Unfortunately more often than not I am let down by those same products when I actually get to play with them. I am to the point that I refuse to buy a product before I play with it and thoroughly do my homework on the product. I am also a big fan of going into a store and putting my hands on products. I find that when I see a product in person, pick it up, and play with it, a lot changes. I may or may not buy that product in the store as opposed to online, but I always insist on seeing a product in person before I buy.  So what does this have to do with the Vampire that is the PC industry?

Consumers need to broaden their horizons, especially businesses and higher education. I’m not advocating for Apple here; what I’m saying is that consumers need to insist on better-made products. For those companies that continue to release cheaply made, poorly implemented products, I say “Stick a Steak in their Blood Sucking Hearts!” This applies to laptops, desktops, computer products, and right on down to your cell phone, your car, and that AOL e-mail address you covet so much. (I swear I received close to 500 of those CD’s and still can’t believe there are people who use them.) If you don’t insist on a good product then you won’t get a good product. Until the PC industry changes from parasite to real flesh-and-blood entity dedicated to producing products that have had some considerable time invested into them, they will never be able to match Apple. I hope I get to see that happen, or my next article will be titled “How my PC forced me to buy a Mac.”

7 Comments... What's your say?

  1. First things first; If it wasen’t for Bill Gates, Apple woulden’t even be a thought in anyone’s head – even Steve Jobs, to be frank. Overall, Windows lives up to it’s name every single time – “life without walls.” Macs are overrated and underpowered computers for the simple minded – Hell, I’m not a simpleton and I like a challenge when it comes to computers. Oh, Macs can get no viruses? Bullsh*t, you don’t even know what a virus can do to you. “Look at all the stuff I can get for free-” I can get a crapload of stuff for free on my Windows! The point? “My Mac makes life easier”- That just shows that you need something to think for your everyday needs. Not to mention, Mac needs specially-designed software to use! Fail. Windows does what Macindon’t.

  2. Apple is too controlling of hardware,and software , and just way overhyped. Apple knew they had to switch to Intel hardware or they would have been left in the dust. Too bad OSX sucks. I like Windows better. Apple can keep the simple minded customers, I’m advanced and require something a little better to play with. I had an Mp3 player way before the Ipod came out. I hate having to use Itunes to put mp3’s into an Ipod. It just sucks all around. My Windows Mobile cell whips Iphone all day every day because I can install what i want on it and no one can stop me. I can design my own software for it and install it right away without calling microsoft like he’s my daddy. OSX is just halfway functional Linux. Get a real Linux system going and now were talking.

  3. the reason apple is able to sell computers with high build quality is that their profit margin on a given system is much higher than dell, hp, or most other major manufacturers. they are in constant competition to release at ever lower price points. your article is like comparing a bmw to a ford focus. when you look at high end machines from dell’s business line or lenovo’s thinkpads apple doesn’t stack up quite as well. think corvette vs. bmw. not quite so clear cut is it?

  4. I couldn’t get through this article after reading paragraph about why are companies so serious now about tablets. The main reason is technology. Battery life and user experience is what’s been holding back the success of the tablet. Usage model has been as well. If the iPad became availble 5 years ago, it would not be as successful.

  5. Seriously?

    Apple people are such elitist snobs! I equate Apple fanboys with cultists. “All hail the Great Leader, Steven (Master of the Universe) Jobs! ”

    I do not own, nor will I ever buy an over-priced, limited function, piece of Apple-crap! You knock the PC industry by giving one less-than-shining example of a laptop (which is admittedly a POS), to justify your demagoguery.

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