Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Adam Shapiro
Again, I would be more than happy to continue the discussion if you'd still like to, but I'm not sure that it belongs in this thread. We could start a new thread if you would like?
|
The reason I brought this up in this thread is to make people aware that Apple's sales, marketing and engineering approach is very different from the PC line of computers and laptops (that changed our world).
There are two ways to approach engineering:
1. Make the best products possible at a price the market will accept. Continue to innovate and improve - stay locked in the engineering design cycle - keep you quality standards high - keep your customers happy by meeting their needs and solving their problems.
Accept competition as the driving force that keeps you on your toes, and keeps your engineers working to stay on top of the game.
2. Sell your customers products for reasons other than engineering/design excellence (fads, image, snobbery, vague indications that your products are better with no real substance behind the claims). Then lock your customers in by not letting them modify, fix, improve your products, and not letting them use anything off the shelf from other suppliers whenever possible.
Dont allow competition. Make a big profit every way you can from your customers: original sale, upgrades, extended warranties, repairs, supplies, accessories - keep sticking it to them.
A good example is the new Apple video Ipod. There have been video&audio cables out on the market for years with the 3.5mm 4 conductor connector on one end, and the yellow/red/white RCA plugs on the other. Camcorders have standardized the pinouts - you can buy these cables off the shelf at Radio Shack or any AV store. So what did Apple do with the AV cable for the Ipod Video? (Take a guess) they changed the pinout so only $30 cables from Apple will work! Whats more they had to put the video signal where the ground signal should be on the 4th pin of the plug - they had no problem compromising the engineering design to take more money out of their customers pockets.
Thats my point, Apple is not just another company selling computers and laptops and MP3 players - their focus is not on technology and innovation, its on your wallet!
When you walk into an Apple store and hand the Apple saleman $1200 for a computer, when you could get something better for $600, then he
knows he has you!