Stealing Share

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Look Out Microsoft

Take it from us, Apple computer is now on track to steal market share and change the face of personal computing forever. Those that know us, remember that we have been railing at Apple for almost five years now to add Windows capability to its Macintosh computer line. Eureka — the dual core Intel based Macs do just that. Now, for the first time, Windows users can compare apples-to-apples and decide which brand is superior on a level playing field. The answer — hands down — is Apple and its OS! Considering the power of the Apple brand and the magnificent job of brand management the company has always exhibited, it seems to be a total disconnect to state emphatically that Apple has never really understood its brand and therefore has always underestimated its power.

Switch Did Not Work

Some years back, Apple launched the “switch” campaign to little avail. It did not matter that the design of Apple products outshone the category, it did not matter that OSX was a decade ahead of the competitive (read Windows) set. It did not matter that the computer engineering and ease of use of EVERYTHING Apple made was head and shoulders above the competitive set — Apple was not for everyone. Why was that? Simply put, we all have 15 times more invested in software than we do in hardware and Apple was trying to get you to switch brands by promising you benefits that meant all of your software applications would suddenly become useless. An iMac cost less than $1,500 and yet even some software that Apple markets (Final Cut Pro, for example) costs more than that hardware investment. Suddenly that has all changed. When Apple launched Boot Camp — the software allowing Windows users to select which operating system the end user wishes to run on its new Intel machines it is a whole new ballgame. All the computer users in the world that have admired the Apple design from afar can now put one on their desktops or lap. Look out Windows, Apple did not just level the playing field, they tipped it in their direction.

Macintosh For Everyone

The take away is that you can use you old PC software — run it blazingly fast, and also use OS X and run all the robust, exciting, and well designed software that hitherto belonged only to those hippy and artsy Mac users. Windows aficionados will now be able to compare systems and will never buy another Windows based application again, if they have the choice. And they do have a choice. What is the Apple brand? How about Smart, elegant and aesthetically cool. It is simple to use and, as a brand, makes the user feel special for having chosen it (and discovering it). Those are attributes that any brand would die for. Apple owns them.

Someone Woke The Sleeping Giant

Today is the dawn of a new era for Apple. They are no longer “the other guys” now they are us. What does this mean to their brand? What does it mean to Dell, Gateway, SONY and ultimately Microsoft? Well it depends on what Apple does now. If they create a stand-alone version of their OS that runs on competitive Intel machines then they are split in two… a software company and a computer hardware company. It would allow users to never really buy into the brand and simply use a cheaper version of the brand essence. Apple should resist this temptation. They should ask users to take the whole plunge and understand that the Apple brand is so special that it demands a bit of a commitment. Only then will it be possible for Apple, not only to steal market share but also to dominate the market. Lookout Microsoft— the sleeping giant has awakened!