Affordable Luxury

The New York Times > Business > Your Money > Gates vs. Jobs: The Rematch

Key Quote: "As was the case in computers, Apple has sprinted ahead in the music market with an innovative product, elegant design and tight links between its hardware and software. Plodding along after it is a vast army, organized by Microsoft, of rivals that may be less skillful than Apple but offer a broader array of options and cheaper prices."

And so the battle continues...if I have any readers unfamiliar with me out there, I'm a huge "Apple evangelist"--even running a local "Mac User Group," dubbed WUMUG. Apple has, almost without fail, provided me with exactly what I need and want--often by making me aware of a previously unknown desire--in other words, Steve Jobs' "reality distortion field" at work giving real power to their marketing. They innovate themselves out of slumps time and time again, and their products are elegant, easy, and powerful. Afforadable luxury, perfectly position on the price vs. quality curve. Without Apple's innovations, I would lack any semblance of technical interest, even down to this blog. This is a fantastis review of the current scene in the digital music industry and the historic roles of Apple and Microsoft.

Here's another good one: "Still, dethroning the iPod won't be easy. One reason is that none of the rival electronics companies have made a player that is nearly as attractive and easy to use. "It is not an MP3 player; it is just an iPod, and it's only made by Apple," said Frank Sadowski, the head of Amazon.com's consumer electronics department. The proportion of Amazon.com customers who buy iPods continues to increase, he added."

I basically see Microsoft and Dell as the computer industry's answer to Wal-mart--dirt cheap and lower quality, but through the force of low prices and the exploitation of existing market share, they are able to dominate most sectors of the computer world in terms of numbers, but not innovation. Apple is the niche player, the upscale fashion boutique (like in the language above), the small luxury car manufacturer. For those that can reach for it, it's a great choice--but it does come at a slightly higher price. For the relatively priveleged; however, I have a hard time comprehending any other choice (yep, notoriously biased on this one). OK enough of toeing the company line--go read the article, it's a good one.