| Mummelmann said: Has Apple ever had a smash hit that was not a rip-off of something else? I-pod and I-book ideas were already in use as far as I know. And just how well is Mac doing these days? |
Apple doesn't tend to invent as much as it perfects. Xerox Parc created the GUI interface with mouse input, but Apple made it usable and marketable.
As far as how Mac is doing these days, Mac marketshare has been growing for quite a few months.
Concerning the original post, Apple can be a force to be reckoned with. Mr. Jobs seems to have learned a lot of hard lessons during his tenure at Next, and since regaining control of Apple has begun to take over several markets, such as portable music players and online music sales. The iPhone is also having a significant impact on the smart-phone market.
I understand the skepticism. When the iPod was first released I said, "Who the heck would pay that much for an MP3 player?" Well, now that they own about 80% of that market, I guess there is something compelling in a device that has a very elegant interface and ease-of-use out the wazzu... regardless the price.
