Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mit-eddie!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!merchant
From: merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Apple Gets Greedier (Read it and Weep!)
Keywords: Apple, Mac, Prices, Rip-off
Message-ID: <10076@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 14 Sep 88 15:00:46 GMT
References: <1018@lakesys.UUCP> <68072@sun.uucp> <68083@sun.uucp> <1025@lakesys.UUCP>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
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Organization: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY
Lines: 53

In article <1025@lakesys.UUCP> macak@lakesys.UUCP (Jim Macak) writes:
>But look at it this way for a moment:  IBM is currently faltering badly wrt
>its line of PS/2 computers.  No matter what IBM claims, the PS/2 line is not
>selling as well as IBM had expected.  The "new standard" of PS/2 and OS-2 has
>thus far been largely rejected by corporate America.
>
>This would seem to be a golden opportunity for Apple: IBM loosing market share
>with its graphic interface looking dead in the water.
>
>What if Apple pulled out all the stops, hurredly brought new manufacturing
>facilities on line, and started flooding the market with reasonably-priced
>Macintosh CPUs?
>
>OK, maybe the Mac still wouldn't become the dominant business computer.  But I
>bet the Mac's share of the business market would increase _dramitically_ under
>this scenario.

If Apple could suddenly flood the market with low-priced CPUs, they'd be all
set!  Of course, what are they going to use for memory in these machines
flooding the market?

Yes, chip prices have gone down.  But it's still not down to the point where
they are available cheaply and in large quantities.  And, don't forget, there
are a number of clone makers out there who would love to get these chips, and
will fight Apple tooth-and-nail to get them.

Now, if Apple could suddenly produce it's own memory chips, or the good witch
of the east would drop billions of 1Mbit DRAMs on Apple's doorstep, they'd
rule the world.

Here's an intriguing concept.  Picture this:

Apple increases it's prices.  Demand for Apple machines drop.  Not
precipitously, no, but they do drop.  This allows Apple to clear out some of
it's backlog of orders.  The "extra" profit from those who do order now goes
into new manufacturing facilities.  New Apple manufacturing facilities gear up
to produce all sorts of things...

As soon as the DRAM shortage eases to the point where it is felt that a profit
can be made, WHAM!  Apple comes out with it's laptops, it's 68030 Macs, and
lowers prices again.  It now has the manufacturing clout to produce all these
products in amazing quantities.  With the demand for the existing CPUs and the
new products spurred by the lower prices and figuring in IBM's problems with
their PS/2s and OS/2s, Apple steps forward, takes over corporate America :^),
buys out IBM stock :^), puts a Macintosh on Mars (a smiling Mac with little
antennae) :^), rules the world :^), and utopia reigns :^).

Wouldn't you like to assist Apple in that?  Buy now.  Pay the higher price.
Think of it as an investment in a better world...  :^)  :^)  :^)  :^)  :^)
---
"Everybody's going nowhere slowly.     Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP)
 They're only fighting for the chance        (Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu)
 to be last."