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From: derek@leah.Albany.Edu (Derek L. / MacLover)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Loss of Mac's 20% over Windows 3.0 : The TRUTH
Message-ID: <3293@leah.Albany.Edu>
Date: 7 Jul 90 03:17:10 GMT
References: <1990Jul3.113921.1299@d.cs.okstate.edu> <77516@aerospace.AERO.ORG>
Reply-To: derek@leah.albany.edu.UUCP (Derek L. / MacLover)
Organization: State U. of New York at Albany Computing Svces.
Lines: 35

In article <77516@aerospace.AERO.ORG>, doner@spot.UUCP (John Doner) 
 spilled his guts, writing:
>In article <1990Jul3.113921.1299@d.cs.okstate.edu> minich@d.cs.okstate.edu
 (Robert Minich) writes:
>>  I personally think it is in Apple's best interests to come as close to
>>giving away Macs as is possible to increase the installed base. In the
>>long run, this would be very beneficial.
>Do that, and they won't be around for the long run, or if they are, we won't
>care.  The money for all that R & D, developing and improving user interfaces,
>innovative software like Hypercard, etc., let alone the hardware, has to come
>from somewhere.  The only way Apple could sell computers at PC-clone prices
>would be to give up its future; they could lay off the research staff, and
>start pumping out lots of cheap variations on the SE.  This would expand
>market share for a while.  Then what?

	Well, first of all I don't think selling a low-end machine would
hurt either their high-end sales or their profit margin.  And even if major
across-the-board price cuts aren't forthcoming, they could concentrate on
selling at much lower prices to certain markets:  they should REALLY attack
the higher-education market much more strongly than they are.  A campus rep
is something that is very missed -- going to a dealer with questions is a
big mistake, and I think it loses more sales than it gains (especially OUR
dealer!  Argh!).  I'll just use one example to illustrate my point:  we've
only had an on-campus (student) Amiga rep for a month or so, and I'd say
he's worked out more than a dozen deals.  This is part-time work only, too.
Amigas are, of course, more competatively priced (and what are they
competing with? -- Macs), but even so it could make a real difference.

	Ahh, I'm no corporate marketing strategist...

						Derek L.
-- 
+ +   One Mac is worth exactly 2.317 PCs (based on current price indices)   + +
	Disclaimer:  I was asleep.	---}=-------------------------`
++    All the busy little creatures / Chasing out their destinies --Peart    ++