bsherm@umbio.MIAMI.EDU (Bob Sherman) (01/15/89)
Does anyone know why Apple has dropped further production, and All
support for GSBASIC?? The Word I get is that the beta version will
never be completed..
Add to that the fact that Pinpoint and AST have dropped ALL support and
production of Apple products, leads to my vision of the future..
The Apple II series are we now know it will die a quiet death, and within
a year or two after that, Apple will change it's corporate name to
better identify itself with what it makes (Macintosh?????) and the
market it serves.
That's my vision, any comments????
Lest we forget, Apple has not uttered the phrase "Apple II Forever" since
last spring.. Nowhere did it appear at the last Applefest, nor in any
promotion or advertising..
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Miami's Big Apple 305-948-8000 1200 baud 24 hours 8 years onlineSEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) (01/16/89)
>Add to that the fact that Pinpoint and AST have dropped ALL support and >production of Apple products, leads to my vision of the future.. > >The Apple II series are we now know it will die a quiet death, and within >a year or two after that, Apple will change it's corporate name to >better identify itself with what it makes (Macintosh?????) and the >market it serves. > >Lest we forget, Apple has not uttered the phrase "Apple II Forever" since >last spring.. Nowhere did it appear at the last Applefest, nor in any >promotion or advertising.. There's an interesting article in the 23 Jan '89 BUSINESS WEEK (pp. 90 & 92) titled "Apple Turns From Revolution to Evolution." The gist of the article is that Apple is embarking on a strategy of product line extension (as opposed to innovation). Apple president John Sculley also is reported to have decided to concentrate on maintaining high profit margins (practically speaking that's premium prices) rather than aggressively pursuing market share. The article comments specifically on the absence of any indications of a product beyond elaboration of the Macintosh (faster, larger capacity, etc.). The TOTAL focus is the business market. There is NO mention of education, hobbiest, or home markets. The Apple II line (past, present, or future?) isn't mentioned at all; the article leaves the STRONG impression that the Apple II line doesn't figure in management's strategic thinking for even the early 1990's. Anybody out there want to tell me I read that wrong? Murph Sewall Vaporware? ---> [Gary Larson returns 1/1/90] Prof. of Marketing Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET Business School sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu [INTERNET] U of Connecticut {psuvax1 or mcvax }!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL [UUCP] -+- I don't speak for my employer, though I frequently wish that I could (subject to change without notice; void where prohibited) According to the American Facsimile Association, more than half the calls from Japan to the U.S. are fax calls. FAX it to me at: 1-203-486-5246
keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) (01/17/89)
In article <1260@umbio.MIAMI.EDU> bsherm@umbio.MIAMI.EDU (Bob Sherman) writes: > >Lest we forget, Apple has not uttered the phrase "Apple II Forever" since >last spring.. Nowhere did it appear at the last Applefest, nor in any >promotion or advertising.. Now wait a minute! That's not true at all! Not only did I attend the last 2 AppleFests, but I WORKED at them. I worked in the various Apple booths, and was on several Apple Technical Panels. Apple has been at the AppleFests in force. Sculley and Woz have been the keynote speakers, we've had the largest displays, and we've have special presentations of ACOT (the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow). There have been presentations by Developer Services, Developer Technical Support, and Apple II Software and Hardware Engineering. Was it all wasted? Did anyone else miss seeing us...? Keith Rollin --- Apple Computer, Inc. --- Developer Technical Support INTERNET: keith@apple.com BITNET: keith%apple.com@relay.cs.net UUCP: {decwrl, hoptoad, nsc, sun, amdahl}!apple!keith "You can do what you want to me, but leave my computer alone!"
lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein) (02/03/89)
In article <8901160432.aa13054@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) writes: > >The gist of the article is that Apple is embarking on a strategy of product >line extension (as opposed to innovation). Apple president John Sculley We have been extending the Mac product line for sure; just look at the various CPU configurations that you can buy. But this is not in conflict with innovation. >The article comments specifically on the absence of any indications of a >product beyond elaboration of the Macintosh (faster, larger capacity, etc.). >The TOTAL focus is the business market. There is NO mention of education, >hobbiest, or home markets. The Apple II line (past, present, or future?) >isn't mentioned at all; the article leaves the STRONG impression that >the Apple II line doesn't figure in management's strategic thinking for >even the early 1990's. It shouldn't be surprising that there is no indication of a product beyond the Macintosh. Apple does not normally reveal projects that are in progress. (I suppose one might say that the fact there haven't been any leaks is surprising. Perhaps that is the "problem"; we are simply keeping things more secret than before.) There hasn't been any lack of attention to education. We have a new VP of Education, a position that didn't exist before. I just saw a Press Release today about a joint project with Stanford U. to advance the use of computers in instruction/research. The Apple Classroom of Tomorrow project has been going on for a couple of years now. -- Larry Rosenstein, Object Specialist Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS 46-B Cupertino, CA 95014 AppleLink:Rosenstein1 domain:lsr@Apple.COM UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lsr
SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) (02/03/89)
>In article <8901160432.aa13054@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph > Sewall) writes: >> >>The gist of the article is that Apple is embarking on a strategy of product >>line extension (as opposed to innovation). Apple president John Sculley > >We have been extending the Mac product line for sure; just look at the >various CPU configurations that you can buy. But this is not in conflict >with innovation. I WAS abstracting an article in BUSINESS WEEK (not my own opinions except for the fact that any abstraction is selective). It was late at night and I don't get paid for this so I didn't expend a LOT of time and energy on it (it's certainly possible to quibble with the quality of my abstaction). Short version: I'd be MUCH more interested in your response to the Business Week article (it's not an editorial, but even "objective" reporting is selective about facts and their order of presentation). Extending the Mac is not in conflict with innovation but it isn't innovation either -- 'various CPU configurations' are the substance of product extentions. For the layman, about all that amounts to is differences in price performance (speed, size of tasks that can be practically handled), but nothing truly NEW. Not that I'm complaining; I'd rather have a Mac SE-030 than a PS/2 model 70 (especially when one considers how much REALLY must be spent to use the Presentation Manager in a manner remotely competitive with what the Mac does. I'm also pleased (but hardly surprised) at Apple's discovery of price elasticity (roughly translated as: "sometimes increasing prices DECREASES REVENUE" :-) >It shouldn't be surprising that there is no indication of a product beyond >the Macintosh. Apple does not normally reveal projects that are in >progress. Surely you jest!!! You KNOW I have more than a passing interest in product rumors :-) The Lisa, Macintosh, and IIgs were such TOTAL *surprises*! The IIgs (originally IIx) rumors started in 1984 (of course that lead time was partly due to the on-again/off-again nature of that particular project). Maybe all the preliminary fuss about the Mac was due to Steve Jobs as the hoopla preceeding the NeXt machine was quite similar. > ...Perhaps that is the "problem"; we are simply keeping >things more secret than before.) If you are, I submit (putting on my 'hat' as a for real marketing professional) that you are making a MAJOR BLUNDER of the first magnitude (there's simply NO way I can emphasize that point enough in email)!!! Even "Big Blue" is smart enough to drop rather substantial "hints" (ever wonder how IBM gets so MUCH marketing mileage out of such technically conservative products??). You don't have to reveal details to convey the impression that something "interesting" is in the works -- an activity that surely OUGHT to become important when a MAJOR publication even suggests that Apple has lost the will to innovate. Note: I'm not recommending another "Lisa" -- a computer that's technically "gee whiz" but so close to the "leading edge" of what's possible that it can't quite deliver on its promise and is ahead of its time in the sense that too many customers will "wait and see" (won't actually buy the thing). Murph Sewall Vaporware? ---> [Gary Larson returns 1/1/90] Prof. of Marketing Sewall@UConnVM.BITNET Business School sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu [INTERNET] U of Connecticut {psuvax1 or mcvax }!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL [UUCP] -+- I don't speak for my employer, though I frequently wish that I could (subject to change without notice; void where prohibited) According to the American Facsimile Association, more than half the calls from Japan to the U.S. are fax calls. FAX it to me at: 1-203-486-5246