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While the Wintel pundits continue to predict Apple's demise, Wired Magazine has rated Apple #3 in its annual "Wired 40" -- a list of 40 companies driving the global economy. The article isn't online yet (Wired says it will be tomorrow, 5/26), but I'm a (hard-coopy) subscriber, so I'm happy to report that Wired recognized Apple not only for the iPod and iTMS, but also for the G5, GarageBand, and more of that stuff Apple will no doubt "discontinue," were we to listen to the likes of Paul Thurrott.

This is the first time Apple has made the Wired 40, and their #3 debut is well ahead of Microsoft -- a company that Wired says needs to innovate in more ways than mere monopoly power.

Perhaps we should chip in and send Thurrott a copy. Wired has not, by any means, been Apple-friendly over the years. For Apple to debut at #3 says a great deal, IMHO.

First, the obvious: Who cares if the Mac "dies" in the first place? There's been no software innovation in the past 5 years, except the iLife suite (which we _can_ live without--PC users are living quite happily without it, you know), which compels the need for newer, faster, better hardware. With the exception of component failure, Macs tend to live forever. And I really don't need a G5 to balance my checkbook.

(The foregoing comment is, of course, the worst case for me: a Mac-less future is, indeed, quite bleak.)

Second, the not-quite-so-obvious: What do you think Steve Jobs will have on his desk in the future? A Dell? Do you think he'd abandon Mac development in favor of a Dell on his desk? Not as long as he's alive. (Note to Apple: restrict Steve's travel to his office and the corridor between it, the bathroom, and the cafeteria.)

Third, my take on these PC pundits: Ignore 'em. Don't give them the "honor" of a place on the Apple Death Knell Counter. In fact, kill off the ADKC--it's doing the Apple community a disservice by providing yet another outlet for Enderle and his ilk.

Bill

As a long time computer user, I would just like to know where this guy sprung up from? Until just the past year or so, I don't recall having ever seen his name. What was he doing before this, selling used cars? I believe his ascension is largely in part to his Mac bashing - user baiting columns that contribute to his popularity. He rarely has anything incisive to say concerning the Windows world, other than to spout the latest Microsoft line, which makes me think he really is respected in their world either. Anyway, the best way to deal with a windbag like that is to ignore him. Don't send missives, don't read his goofy PR columns. He'll be gone soon enough.

These sorry excuses for columnists bring to mind a sci-fi story I read, in which one of the characters insults the narrator (a sci-fi writer): "You load a blunderbuss with nightmares and fire it into a crowd. If one of the slugs happens to graze something, you call yourselves prophets."

I wish I could remember who penned that line; it's stuck with me for decades.

"There's been no software innovation in the past 5 years, except the iLife suite"

Define innovation. There are certainly elements in Mac OS X that can be called innovative - Expose, Quartz Extreme, Quartz 2D (since NeXT helped make Display Postscript which directly inspired Quartz 2D and Apple bought NeXT, Apple can claim credit) for instance. Even the package of open source and closed source with the ease of use of a Macintosh and almost all the power of UNIX is innovative as a product.

"Second, the not-quite-so-obvious: What do you think Steve Jobs will have on his desk in the future? A Dell?"

Ah, as far as I know, he used to use one or has used one for public demonstrations. After all, when NeXT Computer Inc. discontinued making their Motorola 68040 based workstations in 1993, it was then common to run NeXTstep/OPENSTEP on x86 based workstations (and in some cases, HP PA-RISC and Sun SPARC workstations). So to use a Dell x86 machine to run OPENSTEP for Mach, or WebObjects under Windows NT was not uncommon before Apple bought NeXT in 1997. If you wanted a truly portable OPENSTEP machine, you pretty much had to get a x86 machine (Tadpole SPARCs were notoriously expensive and short on battery life).

If Apple could not make a profit making Macintoshes at some point in the future, then certainly the management should kill the Macintosh - Apple is in the business to make money. However, the prospects for the Macintosh have never been brighter - even if Apple used to have much higher marketshare and unit volume. That's because with Mac OS X, Apple has a platform for growth that they didn't have with the classic Mac OS. It has been a miracle that the classic Mac OS survived as long as it did and was a productive and rewarding platform for so many. However, it had been dead man walking since 1994. The rebirth of the Macintosh platform has been a process that lasted almost 3 years (10.0-10.2) and now it is up to Apple to translate technical achievement into sales. Apple does still have work left in polishing Mac OS X and hopefully Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" will convince the many left on the fence to finally convert. If so, then the installed based of Mac OS X will hopefully cross the 12 million mark soon (more than half the combined MacOS installed base) and Mac OS X will lead the way back to where Apple is used in corporate environments as well as new frontier (back end for Xserves, Xserve RAIDs, and Xsan).

I don't believe that Apple is abandoning the Mac. However, I'm rather concerned on how long it's been since they've had any significant upgrades on their machines. When you're heading into June, and from the whole year, the biggest Apple news is the iPod mini, I can understand why some would speculate that the iPod is their new focus. Again, I don't believe it, but I wish Apple would get moving on new computer products.

Well, I don't think it would stop anybody from predicting the Apple "Macs" demise, however I think they would be fewer and less often.

And one thing you know for sure, is that at the end of this quarter market share will have slipped another couple notches, and the next quarter same thing. Somewhere along the line Apple will introduce a speed bump for the G5, sales will pick up a little, but market share will still continue to drop. I don't know if this is necessarily bad, but it is contrary to Fred Anderson's stated goal of 5% market share in the next couple years. And you can be sure that the dark shadow of Apple's silence is in itself indicative that things are not so rosy in Mac land. The aura of silence extends on to IBM and ongoing production problems with 970 90nm, reminiscent of the not so long ago problems at Motorola.

I think the Death Knell Counter is going to start really ticking away here in the next couple months, so ya “better be prepared” And I am not saying this to hurt anybody’s feeling or get their dander up..TMO is one of the very best websites for Mac related news I would just like to see good things happening in Mac land for a change. I kind of get the impression that before things start getting better for the Mac they are going to get worse, and drastic measures are going to take place to turn things around.

Just the way I see it…..

Apple is sure putting alot of development into things like Final Cut Pro and Motion to be giving up on the Mac platform.

When looking at a worrst case interpreptation, why not guess that Apple may want to spin off the iPod or iTunes part?

It makes more sendse to license the iPod - if it is to have a future - than discontinuing Macs. Moreover, when it comes to isolating costs, the iPod and itunes is more vulnerable than is the small but rather stable Mac market.

"More to the point, by the time Longhorn ships, Apple likely will have discontinued active computer OS development, anyway,....."

By the time Longhorn ships, we'll all have flying cars and be using quantum computers.

OK, it might be fun to give him a piece of your mind, but in the end it only means showing a bit of zealotry (because you're talking to total Windows fanatics who don't care either way how you feel about it) and giving him the satisfaction of heaps of hits.

And don't forget, the guy is a master spin-doctor, turning every piece of news into his own blend of propaganda, so that even when he seems to speak praise of new Apple stuff, he always implants grains of FUD and insinuations that Windows is vastly superior (even when the stuff he talks about is still years away from completion). You just don't want to associate with the likes of him.

While I respect Cringely (although maybe not his latest opinion piece), I have no lost love for Turd or Enderle. Just ignore them...

Interview with Donn Denman - 14yrs at Apple, just joined OSF.

http://www.macminute.com/2004/04/07/donndenman

Thought he would have loved this one.

On "imitator" - I was using Word & Excel on a Mack back when Windows was at version 2.0 - remember that one? I used it for almost 10 minuted before it died: killed by itself.

Common, RC, where you at?

in a windows sort of way

Quote

kenaustus wrote:
Thought he would have loved this one.

Common, RC, where you at?

I am sensing his tone in some other posts by "Guest" and other names. Possibly trying to get past his "Troll" flag. Either that or he is busy cleaning up the latest Windows worm and can't get on line.

Don't invoke him. He hasn't posted in more than 24 hours. Don't feed the trolls.

If I sat and thought of ways to improve an OS it wouldn't take me YEARS to decide translucent inactive window's would be cool. So I wouldn't exactly call it innovative.

Anyone who thinks M$ is the innovator and NOT the imitator must also belong to the Flat Earth Society.

http://www.flat-earth.org/

Yeah right, Steve really likely to discontinue Mac development after moving everyone at Pixar to the Mac.

The good news, if you take time to read Apple's latest 10-Q, is that their overall unit shipments are up compared to the year-ago 3 and 6 month periods. If they started going into a tailspin like they did before the introduction of the beloved iMac, I'd be really worried. As long as they remain profitable and keep shipping computers, I think most vendors will stick with them. I've always thought that the market share argument was overemphasized; if a company can make money selling Mac products, I think most would do it, despite market share.

It's unfortunate that so much of the hype and success of the iTunes-iPod combination has to come at a time when Apple is in the midst of the shift to the G5. They've done about what they can with the G4 in terms of faster chips and new enclosures to house them. Any new G4-based hardware will cannibalize sales of current models, and would only be a speed-bump anyway. With the G5 supply problems, though, Apple's been unable to release new designs with the new chips, except for the PowerMac G5.

Until they get decent G5 supplies going, Apple's just kind of stuck on releasing any new hardware worth getting excited over--or satisfying the expectations of Mac users and analysts. Of course, the analysts seem to be forgetting that it's been quite a while since the introduction of the 3rd gen iPods, too. Aside of the mini, there's really not been hardware news on the iPod side, either!

Remember in grade 2 when you liked a girl and you socked he in the arm. Well it looks like Mr. Thurrott has a crush on Apple and its products and just doesn't know how to shout it from the roof tops that he has found a new love. I feel for him. But he should join us all. Just switch and try it. Once he goes Mac he will never go back. Until Mr. Thurrott comes out and admits to himself what we all know, we should take his words on the death of Apple as his envy of us all that can proudly say using an Apple is grand.

I bid him good luck with his internal struggle