SiliconValley.com Roundtable Asks "Does Apple Matter?"

SiliconValley.com has launched a roundtable discussion it is calling "Does Apple Matter?" The roundtable is a forum-like discussion by a number of industry personalities and ex-Apple employees. Their task is to debate Appleis relevance in todayis technology market. The guests include former Apple CEO, Gil Amelio, Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, Monish Bhatia of MacNN, John Fortt from the Mercury News, former Apple president and current CEO of Be, Inc., Jean-Louis Gassée, Dan Gilmor of the Mercury News, former Apple exec (and head of the Star Trek project) Mark Gonzales, Shawn King - the host of the Mac Show, David Leishman, formerly of MacWeek and currently with WorkingMac, and the granddaddy of the Mac itself, Jef Raskin. These people are discussing the issue in what amounts to a moderated forum. From SiliconValley.com:

Beyond the economic factors weighing on all computer makers, Appleis critics talk of missed opportunities and misguided investments. And despite the intense loyalty of the Mac faithful, the companyis share of the PC market remains marginal. Still, Apple continues to reinvent itself, offering innovations and refining its business strategies. In the past year alone the company has introduced a string of new products, reaffirmed its commitment to the education market and started a foray into retail stores.

But with the desktop PC market dominated by Microsoft and Intel, and the economy showing few signs of recovery, Apple faces an increasingly difficult future. Beginning Monday, Aug. 13, and continuing throughout the week, our panel of Apple expatriates and industry experts will discuss the company and how it can survive in a turbulent market.

Note: Despite our best efforts, Apple has declined to participate in this conversation.

You can find the roundtable discussion itself at the SilconValley.com Web site.