Re: [NTLK] [OT] Concerning Apple's Switch to Intel Chips...

From: Joost van de Griek (jvdg_at_jvdg.com)
Date: Tue Jun 14 2005 - 11:10:37 PDT


On 2005-06-14 19:14, Martin Joseph wrote:

> On Jun 13, 2005, at 11:12 PM, Joost van de Griek wrote:
>
>> CPU's shipped: 1,046,000
>> Revenues on CPU's: $1,605,000,000
>>
>> Software revenues: $213,000,000
>
> True, but the profit margin on software is SO much higher then on hardware.

Is it? I know that a lot of people take that sort of statement at face
value, but don't programmers have to pay food and rent, too? I'd like to see
something to back those assumptions up.

> Once you examine the possibility of of multiplying your existing available OS
> install base by a factor of 20, while continuing to sell hardware mind you...

What makes you think Apple's market share would rise to those kinds of
numbers? They'd have to charge significantly more for Mac OS X if it wasn't
tied to the hardware, and how many people are willing to shell out for an OS
if they got one with their machine "for free"?

> Look at microsofts top line revenue versus there profits. Scary stuff.

Indeed, and I think Apple agree that it's scary stuff. You want to stay away
from those guys, they can kill you. They'll do crazy stuff like axe MS
Office for Mac and that'll destroy any hope of capturing the enterprise
market anytime soon.

> I agree that this isn't a change that could happen overnight. Still if the
> migration to Intel goes well, there are some very interesting possibilities. A
> direct competitor for windows would be a good thing.

For consumers, yes. For the company that makes it, I'm not so sure. OS/2 was
a direct competitor to Windows. It was arguably better than Windows in many
ways, it had IBM backing it, none of it helped. It's all but dead. That
could well be Mac OS X's fate if Apple went head-to-head with Microsoft on
the PC platform. Only, unlike IBM, Apple probably wouldn't survive.

,xtG
.tsooJ

-- 
If you play the Windows CD backwards you hear a satanic message.
But it gets worse... If you play it forwards it installs Windows.
-- 
Joost van de Griek
<http://www.jvdg.net/>
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