Apple has appeared to dismiss the idea of an Apple netbook, with acting-CEO Tim Cook saying, in response to their latest results, that netbooks have "hardware that's much less powerful than what customers want," with "cramped keyboards" and "small displays."
He's summed up Apple's attitude to netbooks by saying: "We think the products there are inferior."
That's been interpreted by some reporters as a 'dismissal'. To me, that's the sound of Apple interestedly rubbing its hands together.
Let's run it through our patented reality distortion field unscrambler:
"Hardware that's much less powerful than what customers want" is the sound of Apple tracing its finger along the Moore's Law curve and reading off a hardware delivery date.
"Cramped keyboards" and "small displays" is Apple-ese for "opportunity for cool interface innovations."
"We think the products there are inferior" is another way of saying, "we have a clear view on what they are inferior for. Therefore, we could do them better if we wanted to".
Apple has built two great businesses by looking at existing products, working out what sucked about their killer apps, then doing it right. It did it with portable MP3 players and smartphones, and it's a model it must want to repeat.
When Apple starts disdaining something, that's when you should pay attention, because it means Apple has a view on how it could be done better.
Whether it will... well, watch this space.
Your comments (5) Click to add a new comment
kasino72
January 25th 2009
5. I used "software" twice in the same sentence there. Sorry :)
Alert a moderator
kasino72
January 25th 2009
4. At the risk of playing Devil's Advocate here (I'd buy an Apple netbook like a shot and I really hope they do one soon - a tiny MacBook Air works for me) you could argue that the iPhone *is* apple's netbook. It already does mail, proper internet, games and other apps; all it really needs is a keyboard and some new software to do the word processing stuff, which they could easily do with software. I can't imagine document editing is more demanding than, say, Super Monkey Ball.
Same OS, slightly better internals, netbook form factor... I'd buy that.
Alert a moderator
nicolasmerritt
January 22nd 2009
3. @*****ain
Yeah, I thought that too. Makes one wonder how Apple's come to that conclusion. Underpowered for what - web browsing? Hardly a problem there. Underpowered for laptop type applications? There's a case for that, perhaps. Underpowered for the things Apple customers might want to do? Maybe.
Alert a moderator
bitchain
January 22nd 2009
2. funny, I thought netbooks were flying off the shelves like hotcakes for precisely the reason that users wanted that hardware. "hardware that's much less powerful than what customers want" does not tally with sales figures.
Alert a moderator
badgaz
January 22nd 2009
1. Whilst I do not doubt Apple could make a high quality netbook that would set the standard for all netbooks after it there is one criteria I do not think they will meet for a netbook, affordable.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments