Carving up Apple

[Zombie9920]

[Page 1 of 4]
With sales of its splendid new G4 laptops gaining pace after the phenomenal five-year run of the iMac, Apple Computer Inc.'s shareholders should be beaming. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, wearing his trademark black mock turtleneck and blue jeans, certainly hoped so when in late April he unveiled the company's much anticipated iTunes software, which allows users to purchase music online legally and affordably.
Most Apple shareholders, however, aren't applauding Jobs' sudden infatuation with the music industry. Nor are they particularly pleased with the company's otherwise moribund business strategy or a stock price that has stagnated for the past year.

What's the problem? Apple has failed to rebuild its flagging software and hardware businesses despite its brilliant marketing campaigns. And now the company's strategic direction appears more desperate than ever as it ponders whether to deploy its $4.5 billion cash hoard to buy and resurrect Universal Music Group, the world's largest music label.

Shareholders reacted to news of Apple's informal negotiations for Universal with ailing French conglomerate Vivendi Universal SA

[Calum]

well i have always been sceptical of Jobs' ability to manage apple computer well. unlike bill gates, jobs did not have an empire in mind when the company was small. In fact he can more accurately be described as having a small company mentality even when the company was big. The only reason apple computer have survived so long is by bringing out really sound hardware and software at prices high enough to make a profit. Nothing else about their setup impresses me (although nothing about it particularly abhors me either, again unlike microsoft). Apple remind me of a superhero from the mid 1940s i don't expect many of you know him but Mr Terrific* was very good at everything. if somebody was wounded he could bind their wounds expertly, if somebody could only speak german, it turned out he could speak fluent german too, any skill he was required to have he seemed to have, but he was not EXCELLENT at any of them. He couldn't run faster than sound like the flash, or lift cars like superman. He was a jack of all trades, master of none, and therefore when superman is still going strong after almost seventy years (outliving both his creators, Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster, who died in 1996 and 1992 respectively) almost nobody on the face of the planet except a few die hard fans will remember Mr Terrific.

And that's Apple Computer and Steve Jobs. I can't say anything against the man, he more or less started Apple Computer (well he needed Wozniac's skills or he'd have had nothing to market, but Wozniac would never have sold his work if not for Jobs) and i couldn't have done it any better i expect.


 

quote:* - Mr. Terrific. Terry Sloan is a bored millionaire who has conquered every possible field there is. He is so bored, in fact, that he decides one day to commit suicide. He sees someone else about to do so and stops them, and after finding out their troubles helps them out. He then decides to help people by fighting crime, emphasizing the ideal of fair play with the words plastered across his costume. He is a member of the Justice Society of America. He has no superpowers, but is a prodigy at everything he does; he has an aptitude for having aptitudes, and is the "best in the world" at everything, from being an architect to a hypnotist.
First Appearance: Sensation Comics #1 (DC).
from http://ratmmjess.tripod.com/ga/goldm.html[/quote]

[Faust]

Come on Calum haven't you learnt yet that the more money you have the more superior you are?  Ergo Bill Gates is lord.  And Mother Theresa was a stupid worthless old crone.

[Pissed_Macman]

I don't entirely agree with you Calum, but I'm not in the mood to argue so you're off the hook.

[mobrien_12]

I thought iTunes was doing very well.  Am I wrong?

[Pissed_Macman]

It is, but certain people can find a downside to everything.  :mad:

[Calum]

oh get knotted, we all know you braid steve jobs' butt hairs with your teeth* but what i would like to see is for you to refute some of the points i made, rather than making snidey potshots at me.

come on, convince me that apple are great and that their motives are altruistic or whatever it is that makes you think they are better than i think they are. All of that was only my opinion anyway as i am sure is perfectly obvious.

EDIT: in fact i can't actually see where i point out the downside in my post and i can't really see that i even criticise apple all that much, so what's got into your pants all of a sudden?

* don't take it personally it was a J O K E.

[ May 14, 2003: Message edited by: Calum: hopelessly outnumbered ]

[gnomez]

Who wants OS X?  I used it and apart from the headache-inducing transparent windows there was no sign of innovation.  In fact, it all looks like a ripoff of XP.

OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER! OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER!
OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER! OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER!
OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER! OPEN SOURCE NEVER!  MICROSOFT FOREVER!

[Zombie9920]

quote:Originally posted by Calum: hopelessly outnumbered:
oh get knotted, we all know you braid steve jobs' butt hairs with your teeth* but what i would like to see is for you to refute some of the points i made, rather than making snidey potshots at me.

ROFLMFAO. That is too funny. .

Macman, that is disgusting.

[M51DPS]

69waluigi69, you have my sympathy. I am very sorry that you are a blind dumb fuck   .

[jtpenrod]

Who wants Win XP? I used it and apart from the headache-inducing Fisher-Price-esque GUI there was no sign of innovation. In fact, it all looks like a ripoff of a toy computer called "My First PC" (age 4 and up).

MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER! MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER!
MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER! MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER!
MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER! MICROSOFT NEVER! MANDRAKE LINUX FOREVER!

                                                 
_____________________________________
Live Free or Die: Linux

"There: now you'll never have to look at those dirty Windows anymore"
      --Daffy Duck

[ May 14, 2003: Message edited by: jtpenrod ]

[bossesjoe]

quote:Originally posted by 69waluigi69:
In fact, it all looks like a ripoff of XP.!

I keep forgetting that XP came before OSX....  :rolleyes:

[Pissed_Macman]

quote:Originally posted by bossesjoe:

I keep forgetting that XP came before OSX....   :rolleyes:  

I hope that's sarcasm.

[bossesjoe]

quote:Originally posted by Macman: HAS 1000 POSTS:


I hope that's sarcasm.

please note the rolly eyes face

[Pissed_Macman]

quote:Originally posted by bossesjoe:

please note the rolly eyes face

Is that sarcasm too? WHERE DOES THE SARCASM END??!!