One thing to remember, Guys, is that these so called experts are the same idiots who've forecast the demise of Apple about avery other year since 1984 ... and been wrong every time. Not only are they usually wrong in their predictions, but they're usually wrong in their analysis. For example, most of that group seems to be quoting each other in explaining that Apple's market share dropped due to the change from the 68xxx series t the PPC series of chips.
As I recall, there was a loss of market share about that time, but that was due to Gil's decision to enter the crappy computer market. Machines like the Performa 6200 made Apple more enemies than friends, I'm sure. Apple's sustaining market is with people who want the BMW/Mercedes of computers and are willing to pay a bit of an up front premium in exchange for long term efficiency and reliability. Crazier things have happened, I guess, but I'll be astonished and alarmed if it turns out that Apple will be wearing an "Intel Inside" warning label. However, developing a linkage with Intel so that the OS can be ported to Intel machines - cutting M$ totally out of the loop - would be a nice venture, and one Apple could make a lot of money with. There's be almost zero development costs so nearly every buck would be profit - with a potentially dramatic effect on bottom line. If you're read the Tipping Point - highly recommended - you're aware of the NE migration of companies with the exposure being to hungrier companies who invade from the SW of the market. By this process, Apple would position itself in the extreme SW corner of what is now the M$ market - where every point of penetration is profit - and it a situation where M$ is forced to do something we have not seen in a long, long time ... operate on the defensive. Bill Holt | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be May 24. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
