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Just a Thought - Decisions, Decisions...
by
- June 7th, 2005"This sucks!"
Steve paces an oblong path in his sizable office that takes him a full 30 seconds to complete. He looks as if he could take a bite out of the hull of a battleship, chew the steel, then spit perfectly formed nails.
Anyone else would have cringed at the heat emanating from Steve as he paced, fearing for their jobs, their physical and mental well-being. But the man seated in one of the four milk chocolate colored leather chairs shows no sign of distress or fear; he calmly watches Steve pace and rant with a look of detached bemusement.
"Did I not announce to the entire world more than a year ago that we would be shipping 3 gig G5s by now? Did I not?"
The seated man nodded. "You did say that, Steve."
"Here it is, June, a full six months after we are suppose to be pushing out 3 gig G5 Power Macs, and the best we can muster is 2.7 gigs. That's absolute crap!"
"Well, they are dual processor boxes, it's not like they are slow," the seated man offered.
Steve stopped his pacing and glared at the man. "No, they're not slow. It's not about them being fast or slow, is it?"
The seated man was about to answer when Steve answered for him. "No! It's about perception! It's about how we look as compared to others. Our fastest box is on the low side of being on par with their fastest box; we're in the running, but we can't seem to win the race, and THAT SUCKS!"
Nodding in agreement, the seated man said, "Very true. But yours is still the coolest looking computers around."
Steve's eyes narrowed to slits. "There's only so much mileage we can get on cool, Buddy Boy, and cool don't mean diddily to corporate buyers."
"True."
Steve starts pacing again. "I thought we'd be beyond this problem when we dumped Moto for Big Blue. And that was no small matter, I'm here to tell ya."
"But it looks like Big Blue is not coming through, for you, too" the seated man says, smiling at his rhyme.
A hint of a smile crosses Steve's lips, then disappears. "This isn't funny. We are ankle deep in kim-chi, here, and there's another dump truck load on the way."
The seated man fakes an effort to look more serious. "Sorry," he says insincerely.
Steve ignores him. "What really bakes my biscuits is that I have very few options, and they also suck."
The seated man raises an eyebrow a la Spock, "Options? What kind of options?"
"Well, we can either stick with Big Blue, and pray that they figure out how to fix their chip building problems soon, maybe wait until they come out with the Cell processor; we could go back to Freescale and see what they have to offer besides that souped up G4; we could talk to AMD, or we could talk to Intel."
At the mention of Intel, the seated man winced, "None of those options sounds very encouraging, especially the Intel one."
"Now you know my pain. IBM is working on the problem they are having with going to the smaller size runs, but they have no real fix date. Waiting around for the Cell processor is not an option, I can't wait. Freescale has proven themselves to be unreliable in the past, and I really don't want to have to depend on them. AMD has interesting products, but the only one of the group that has had any real success in delivering on promises is Intel."
The seated man winced again. "Yeah, but it's Intel."
Steve stopped pacing again and faced the seated man squarely. "You know, you really have to get passed this anti-Intel thing you have going, they are just chip makers, like IBM, and Freescale. The thing is, that IS their business, that's what they do, make chips, and they are good at it."
"But," the seated man countered, "as you said, it's a matter of perception. Intel is synonymous with Big Redmond. Just as Apple is closely aligned to the PowerPC processors. If you sign on with Intel you are basically saying the PowerPC architecture is crap, that everything you've done up till now has been just wasted time, and that Michael and the Gates Gang were right all along."
The seated man leaned forward in his seat to emphasize his point, "Put Intel inside a Mac and the Mac faithful will become disillusioned; they will wander the technical world, lost, without a cause, feeling abandoned."
Steve stared at the seated man for a full five seconds before he spoke again. "That is the biggest pile of cow-processed hay that I have ever heard in my entire life!"
Steve's hand waved about him as he made his argument, "What we've done till now was great. The design of the PowerPC was, and still is great stuff, and Big Blue will continue to get lots of mileage out of it. But the simple fact it that Big Blue can't deliver, and I have to sell Macs; that's my business, selling Macs. If Big Blue or Freescale can't deliver the product, I have to find someone who can. And it's looking more and more like Intel is the only one who can."
With a look of real concern, the seated man says, "But what about your customer base? When folks hear that you are considering Intel, many balk at the idea. Even now some say that a Mac with Intel inside ain't a Mac, and they won't buy one."
"A Mac is whatever that heck I say is a Mac! If I put a gerbil with and abacus and a flashlight inside a pretty box, as long as it boots OS X and has an Apple logo on it, it's a Mac. People who really use their computers are more concerned about getting things done, quickly, easily, efficiently, and with a little bit of style. Those are the folks I need to concentrate on, not the zealots."
The seated man sighed heavily. "Again, it's a matter of perception. You think that just because you build it people will come. I don't think you realize how strongly people feel about what makes a Mac a Mac."
"Well, they will surely stop coming if I don't build something that screams."
"But aren't Mac sales going well right now? And you've just released a faster Power Mac..."
"Yeah, sales are OK, but they aren't what I need to gain market share; and I need to gain market share. And yes, we did just released a Mac with a small speed bump, but that's all it is, a speed bump. I need speed. "
Both men were silent for almost two minutes before the man sitting in the leather chair spoke again. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know," Steve said with exasperation. He sat heavily in his chair behind his oak desk, leaned back, and ran both hands through his thinning hair. "I really don't know.
"If I go with Intel the Mac faithful will label me a sellout, but there's a chance that I could pick up some corporate users. If I stick with Big Blue, then I have to keep using smoke and mirrors to sell Macs, and there's no guaranty that Big Blue will ever get to 3 gigs."
"IBM makes other types of PowerPC based processors, couldn't you use one of them to run a PowerMac?"
"Yeah, that's possible. In fact, anything is possible, but opening the door to Intel does one thing for Apple that sticking exclusively to IBM can't: it give us options. There's nothing that says Apple can't have Intel AND PowerPC based Macs. If I diversify my processor line-up, then I'm not stuck depending on one vendor. And, truth be told, OS X runs great on Intel processors."
Steve looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Yes, Intel and PPC Macs, for a while at least; see how it works out. If IBM comes through I can stay with the PPCs, if people like the Intel processors then I can make those too."
The seated man nods in agreement. "Options are a good thing, Steve. A very good thing."
The seated man rose from the leather chair, stretched, and dug into his pocket for his car keys. "Well, I need to get moving."
Steve rose from his chair and walked around the desk, hand extended. "I'm glad you stopped by. And I'm sorry if I'm not good company."
"No, it's all good, Steve," the man took Steve's hand firmly and shook it. "You've got a lot on your mind."
Steve spied the car keys in the man's other hand. "You still driving that Mini?"
"Absolutely! You want to take another spin? I've got Black Eyed Pea and Cold Play on the iPod..."
"Tempting, but I'd better not, I've got a lot to think about and a decision to make. Then I need to makes some calls."
The man with the Mini keys says his goodbyes and is gone. Steve turns and walks to one of the large windows in his office. Beyond lie the campus of Apple headquarters. It is early evening, but the sky is prematurely dark; thunderheads have blocked the last rays of the sun. The trees on the campus begin to sway as breezes from the coming storm builds.
Steve likes storms; they're full of energy and majestic power, and after they have moved on, you are left with air that is sweet and clear, and everything looks new.
Lightning strobes through the approaching storm clouds, and Steve smiles. "Maybe it's time we had a little storm of our on," he says to himself. "Just a little one."
is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He's been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.
You can send your comments directly to me, or you can also post your comments below.
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Observer Comments
Give Mac users some credit. We know what are macs are. Just because Steve might think he could put a gerbil and an abacus in it, doesn't mean it's still a Mac. That didn't work for Gil Amelio either. After 20 years, the expectations are VERY high on both sides.
I still think he sold out. (I would have opted for AMD as there would be a higher degree of control. Hell, Apple could BUY AMD)
Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:27 am Subject: It isn't so much
Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:36 am Subject: Great one Vern!
Hey buddy! it's been a looong while... this is a great piece my friend. I truly enjoyed reading it. I also just noticed your signature now says "writer who currently lives in Orlando": if there was ever any doubt, you've just earned that title fair and square. Get that book going!
Say hi to everyone for me... 
QuoteAl Swearengen wrote:
I wonder when the new Intel Macs will be on the market.
June, 2006, although from what I hear it may be the consumer products that get them before the pro lines. So it could be closer to 2007 before you see an Intel Powermac. If you're looking at G5 products now, it's probably fine to buy one now sine it will be awhile yet before they're phased out.
Actually, that makes sense if you think about it. They'll probably replace all the G4's first, then move on to the G5's second.
That's backwards from the way new chips usually work, but in this case I'm sure they'll really be hurting for faster laptops by next year.
The most interesting piece of this article is the hint that with the "Universal Binaries" Apple has the option to always switch back to PowerPC or have mixed PowerPC/Intel offerings in the future if a decent PowerPC processor becomes available.
Of course, IBM isn't likely to be working that hard on the G5 now, unless they really got stung by Apple's switch. It'll be interesting to see their reaction.
As for me... I'm still not sure if the switch was a good idea or not (AMD would seem like a better choice if they had to goto x86). My gut is very much against it, my brain is going back and forth.
Since I as paning on getting a dual 2.3GHz G5 this week if nothing major was announced (I'd count this news as beyond 'major' 
), I've got to decide if I'll get a new G5 now that will old me for 4-5 years or wait 1-2 years for a MacTel.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:18 am Subject: Wasn't IBM once the big enemy too?
This is being blown out of proportion. Intel makes good chips. I trust that Jobs and Co. have looked hard over the last 5 years at what Intel has been doing, and, more importantly, what they WILL be doing in a couple of years.
It's a gamble, but one that needs to be done. Anybody think that IBM has been delivering? No 3 GHz, no chip for the PowerBooks....I don't want to have the Macs left in the dust again, like Motorola did.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:59 am Subject: Apple knows what they are doing
"This is being blown out of proportion. Intel makes good chips. I trust that Jobs and Co. have looked hard over the last 5 years at what Intel has been doing, and, more importantly, what they WILL be doing in a couple of years. "
I agree.
Some posters write as if they know more about Apple's business than Apple. This Intel decision wasn't made in a vacuum. Jobs, et. al., have a plan and roadmap where they want to take their company and Intel will get them where they want to go.
There is a lot more to this than Ghz that we don't know. We will just have to wait to see how it plays out.
I don't care what chip Apple uses as long as they build great products!
The fact of the matter is most Mac users, and I have been one since the original Mac, do not care what is in the box. Mac's are about the user interface and experience. The hardware is just the stuff needed to get the job done.
As some others have pointed out, Mac's these days use mostly PC components, except the CPU. The reason that Apple laptops are better than the other PC laptops is (besides OSX) because the design is better, not the hardware.
For most users (those using email, the web, iLife, etc), this switch is no different than going from G3 to G4 to G5. It will be transparant. There will be software that needs updating (MS Office for one, and you bet MS will charge a lot for it, but they charge a lot for upgrading to any new version anyway), and that is why Steve is giving plenty of time to the developers.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:49 am Subject: I have the same problem
QuoteGuest wrote:
Jesus [tapdancing] christ TMO
"But the simple fact it that Big Blue can't deliver, "
DO YOU [nice fellas] EVEN HAVE AN EDITOR!?
I have a bit of dyslexia and like to take time when composing email, posts, coding, and such to make sure that I don't make a mistake. With a news site such as TMO time is a factor and sometimes an error slips in, let context be your guide. Anyway, note that "it" IS spelled correctly, a current spell checker wouldn't catch it.
"Maybe it's time we had a little storm of our on"
Ugh. These typos are sooooo distracting. C'mon guys.... just re-read what you've written just ONCE, okay? As much as I love TMO, there is no excuse for the constant errors. It only makes the site look unprofessional, and undermines what is otherwise top-notch reporting and commentary.
We Mac users (even the barely-literate ones among us) demand high standards, so raise the editorial quality bar just a tad, PLEASE.
-Ken P
Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:46 pm Subject: Do you care what controls your toaster as long as it toasts?
Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:52 pm Subject: Re: Man you guys cant spell
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
Jesus [tapdancing] christ TMO
"But the simple fact it that Big Blue can't deliver, "
DO YOU [nice fellas] EVEN HAVE AN EDITOR!?
Technically, according to linguistic standards, ebonics is a step in the right direction when it comes to etimological devlopment. It still doesn't stop you from sounding like a dumb-ass though.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:18 pm Subject: I just noticed
The guest complaining about spelling mispelled "can't" in the subject line.
Okay, I gotta get back to work.
QuoteSchmuckyChucky wrote:QuoteAnonymous wrote:
Jesus [tapdancing] christ TMO
"But the simple fact it that Big Blue can't deliver, "
DO YOU [nice fellas] EVEN HAVE AN EDITOR!?
Technically, according to linguistic standards, ebonics is a step in the right direction when it comes to etimological devlopment. It still doesn't stop you from sounding like a dumb-ass though.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 2:27 pm Subject: Typos
All,
I am truly sorry for the typos.
In my defense, weak as it may be; when I write this stuff, I know what I'm saying, and I see what I want to say, even if what I wrote isn't actually what I meant to write, and meant to say. So, even after I reread what I've written, I can still see what I meant say, even though it isn't what I'm really saying or seeing. See?
I realize the typos are distracting, and I do make a real effort to minimize them. When I read other people's stuff I see the typos they've overlooked easily, but even then, I believe that typos will get through, especially if you are in a rush to get something out.
Some folks can spot a typo a mile away, buried under 3 feet of foilage, and camouflaged to look like a mushroom. Then there are folks like me, who won't see one even if its part of a stampeding herd of typos that's about to run us down; it's just not as simple for some of us as you might think.
I'm being rather long winded about this, but I want you to know that I am trying to reduce the typos, and I will make an extra effort in the future so as not to offend the eye of my readers.
And before you point at Bryan, who edits my mess and makes something readable out it; be mindful that he sees nearly everything that goes up on this site. That he misses a few typos that he does is really a credit to his editing skills and patience.
Thanks for reading my stuff anyways, typos and all. I'll try to do better.
Vern Seward
Tue Jun 07, 2005 2:50 pm Subject: Yes, he has
Tue Jun 07, 2005 7:16 pm Subject: Looking for answer.
Tue Jun 07, 2005 8:01 pm Subject: Re: Looking for answer.
Quotecwbullet wrote:
How long will apple suppory the PPC? If I buy now, when will I have to purchase a mactel machine to continue to use new version of my favorite adobe software?
Well they're claiming that any software written for a Mactell will also work on a PPC just because of the way it's made.
So, I guess...never?
Well, I'm sure some day you'll have to, but that day will probably be further in the future than you'd want to keep one computer anyway.
Considering the amount of material that goes up here day after day, I think your typographical error ratio is pretty low. I see more typos on biggie sites like CNN and Newsweek.
Besides, without the typos, what would all us armchair editors out here do? God forbid we should try to run a huge news site on our own and keep typos off of it.
Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:00 am Subject: Re: The Guy...
QuoteiJack wrote:
the guy in Jobs office? Am I missing something? Was I supposed to know who he is?
Well, not necessarily. But the guy first appears here:
http://www.macobserver.com/columns/justathought/2005/20050114.shtml
Then again here:
http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2005/02/18.1.shtml
Vern Seward
but shouldn't it be Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" (played by Cream if you like) on the IPod?
In all the wailing about "we've been dissing Intel for years, now we have to eat crow?" people are missing the point that these are new different Intel chips. /. had a report that their lineup is going 64 bit in the same time-frame, we're talking P4-M Centrino here, not the old toaster Pentiums that were outclassed on heat, output and battery life by the TiBooks when they came out. The timing of this is as much about where Intel's getting to as it's about where IBM / Motorola(freescale) have failed to get to.
Interesting times..
QuoteGuest wrote:QuoteVSeward wrote:
All,
I am truly sorry for the typos.
...
Some folks can spot a typo a mile away, bury under 3 feet of foilage, ...
..
Vern Seward
Vern,
You did mean "buried", right? (
Your magnanimous reply shows a commendable respect for your readers. It's much appreciated, especially as it responded to some rather intemperate, inane and irrelevant digression from the main topic into grammatical pedantry.
Cheers.
SSS
Buried?? Isn't that what I said??
I am overwhelmed by your gracious response; thank you.
Vern Seward
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