Apple's Strategic plan for professional artists and photographers

[jani]

One quick question... if you could install MacOS X on any computer, like you would with Windows, would you seriously stick to Apple Hardware? Honestly, I agree about OSX, I wouldn't swap it for windows either, and I have been a windows user for years, I simply think things are easier on MacOS and I waste less time working against the OS... but would you keep buying apple hardware, if you could install OS X on any off-the shelve notebook with a Core2 Duo processor?

Your question remains a hypothetical one, because Apple currently doesn't develop MacOS X for other than a very limited set of hardware configurations, and they don't appear to have any intentions of competing with Microsoft.

But as I noted earlier in this discussion, you can install MacOS X on other hardware than that provided you from Apple itself.

If you like the OS but don't care much for the rest of the stuff Apple puts there, you can use Darwin (briefly and inaccurately: the open source base for MacOS X).

What Apple does offer, is a reasonably well-configured and tested package of components. Sure, individual computers fail, but you avoid some of the problems of building your own hardware. (Not that this is unique to Apple...)

[dkeyes]

A better question might be: What computer company (electronics company) is focusing on professional artist/photographers?

Apple hasn't been for many years and I can't think of another company right off.
JJJ posted a link to a Sony laptop, has Sony ever focused on the high end any more than Apple? No. They've got tvs, cameras, games and even robots.

I think Apple needs a stripped down version of their product that you can order a la carte. I'm talking more than ram, a few video cards and hard drives. Different screens (matt, glossy), ports, drives (Blue ray), multi battery attachments, off-road/rugged versions. It's also telling that they have yet to update the MacPro desktop. It better be worth the wait. All that said, I've had fewer issues with my mac than I ever had with my PC. Also, the price difference between mac and pc, if you compare Apples to "apples", is very close. Much closer than it's ever been.

[JessicaLuchesi]

Well, yes, my question is merely hypothetical. A "what if" kind of question.

I have been a Linux user, and have tried Darwin. MacOS is a very good, stable and well rounded software, and it's the main reason I stick to apple hardware, because it's the only one ( so far ) capable of running MacOS. But for example, IBM has release a notebook with the professional photographer in mind a while ago. Wouldn't it be great to just install MacOS into the best hardware you can find?

For me, for now, my choice will be to get the (EXTREMELY overpriced) 15" MacBook Pro, wih the 2.8Ghz processor. That's as close as "desktop replacement" as it goes for apple. I guess apple knows that, if they just open up their OS, it's not really the matter of competing against Microsoft, because they already do. But the simple fact that I guess their hardware sales would go down the drain.

[jani]

For me, for now, my choice will be to get the (EXTREMELY overpriced) 15" MacBook Pro, wih the 2.8Ghz processor. That's as close as "desktop replacement" as it goes for apple. I guess apple knows that, if they just open up their OS, it's not really the matter of competing against Microsoft, because they already do. But the simple fact that I guess their hardware sales would go down the drain.

There's another simple fact, too:

Supporting a wide range of hardware options is far, far more expensive than just supporting a very limited set.

So not only do they risk losing hardware sales; they're also virtually guaranteed to have a very steep increase in expenses in their support apparatus.

I can see why they would hesitate in betting their financial edge on a risky venture.

[jjj]

A better question might be: What computer company (electronics company) is focusing on professional artist/photographers?
Apple hasn't been for many years and I can't think of another company right off.

Oddly enough Microsoft is!  
MS Pro Photo

JJJ posted a link to a Sony laptop, has Sony ever focused on the high end any more than Apple? No. They've got tvs, cameras, games and even robots.

Not sure how you equate the fact that Sony make a wide range of kit to not producing high end kit. They are a very,very big company.
Sony have been making higher end kit than Apple as well as lower end kit. Their broadcast equipment is very often seen on movie sets as well used to produce TV. So I'd say Sony is several notches above Apple in that respect when it comes to making serious gear. Not to mention they have a wide range of kit that suits many different user's needs, which to my mind is way more professionally biased than Apple's one size fits all. Bigger and more expensive does not equal professional.

Apple simply do not make kit that suits my professional needs for a laptop [small/light/powerful] as they now simply seem to be going after the consumer market, whilst cutting their costs at the expense of usability and yet increasing prices at same time.

[dkeyes]

Oddly enough Microsoft is!  
MS Pro Photo

Not sure how you equate the fact that Sony make a wide range of kit to not producing high end kit. They are a very,very big company.
Sony have been making higher end kit than Apple as well as lower end kit. Their broadcast equipment is very often seen on movie sets as well used to produce TV. So I'd say Sony is several notches above Apple in that respect when it comes to making serious gear. Not to mention they have a wide range of kit that suits many different user's needs, which to my mind is way more professionally biased than Apple's one size fits all. Bigger and more expensive does not equal professional.

Apple simply do not make kit that suits my professional needs for a laptop [small/light/powerful] as they now simply seem to be going after the consumer market, whilst cutting their costs at the expense of usability and yet increasing prices at same time.

My point was that Sony's focus (as a brand) was never the pro photog/designer or even the computer user, they were and still are in the entertainment/music business. Their core products being video, TV, games, music. Yes, they make hi-end versions of most of this stuff, but they have the resources to do that being so large. Like most companies, they've diversified to get as many users as possible, business users, etc. Apple is about design and experience which used to start at the hi-end/power user, including designers, scientists, etc. This trickled down to their consumer versions as you've mentioned. Now Apple is focused on entertainment and everyday household users which is too bad, I like Apple's design and interface better than most PC's. Unfortunately, everyone is becoming too diversified to please specific users, even Microsoft has Zune and Xbox/Games. Here is another entertainment device from Microsoft, their new Surface computer.  http://www.microsoft.com/surface/index.html

I do think Sony is the closest thing to Apple when it comes to design, at least their TV's and VAIO laptops.

[jjj]

My point was that Sony's focus (as a brand) was never the pro photog/designer or even the computer user, they were and still are in the entertainment/music business.

Which does not stop them producing very good professional kit. So not sure what your point is!  Canon don't just make cameras you know, does that make their kit less professiona/good/focused as cameras are just a small part of their business?
Plus you seem to forget that Sony are also attempting to end the Canon/Nikon dominance of the camera market and seem to be doing a pretty good job of things so far.

 

Apple is about design and experience which used to start at the hi-end/power user, including designers, scientists, etc.

It simply happened that the original creative software was first designed for the Mac, as at the time PCs were way inferior to Macs. Hence the Mac became known as the creatives platform, as for a few short years you couldn't get some software for PCs and people kept using them once they'd started. And for many years not many people outside of the creativce industries used them.

Unfortunately, everyone is becoming too diversified to please specific users, even Microsoft has Zune and Xbox/Games.

Actually, Diversification is the only way to please specific users.

Here is another entertainment device from Microsoft, their new Surface computer.  http://www.microsoft.com/surface/index.html

Just like Apple's new trackpad or the Wacom Cintiq is an entertainment device!! I think you've missed the point. It's an interface, not an entertainment device. So it may be brilliant for both work and play