Apple declares war on the entire PC industry • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#11

Post by jacquesm » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:05 PM UTC

adriand wrote: post #5

jacquesm wrote: post #3

Mac == PC (Personal Computer). I think the author meant to say on Microsoft.

Language changes over time. You are technically correct but no one is confused by the author's terminology, because people clearly understand what he means. And since people clearly understand what he means, there is no reason for him to change what he says or writes, because by definition he is using language correctly: he is communicating.

Well, maybe you do. But I was wondering where apple would get their harddrives, screens, processors and other bits and pieces if they declare war on the entire PC industry. The only thing that differentiates a 'mac' from a 'microsoft windows computer' is the software, and the design.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#12

Post by olliesaunders » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:07 PM UTC

What is the article even talking about? Netbooks are destroying things? Netbooks are the best thing to happen for ages.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#13

Post by mikedouglas » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:11 PM UTC

olliesaunders wrote: post #12

What is the article even talking about? Netbooks are destroying things? Netbooks are the best thing to happen for ages.

From the article:

    [Netbooks] are cannibalizing Windows PC sales at an alarming
    rate. By comparison, laptops commanded higher margins and
    average selling prices when their popularity started to
    increase. PC manufacturers -- and even Microsoft -- benefited
    from notebooks' reversing the trend of falling computer ASPs;
    for a time. By comparison, netbooks are a plague, because
    they dramatically lower ASPs and margins and pull away sales
    from real laptops.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#14

Post by junklight » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:13 PM UTC

mikedouglas wrote: post #13

olliesaunders wrote: post #12

What is the article even talking about? Netbooks are destroying things? Netbooks are the best thing to happen for ages.

From the article: [Netbooks] are cannibalizing Windows PC sales at an alarming rate. By comparison, laptops commanded higher margins and average selling prices when their popularity started to increase. PC manufacturers -- and even Microsoft -- benefited from notebooks' reversing the trend of falling computer ASPs; for a time. By comparison, netbooks are a plague, because they dramatically lower ASPs and margins and…

They are "a plague" for hardware manufacturers. For the ordinary user - a great many of who only really use their computers to read email, access facebook and watch youtube clips - I suspect they are ideal.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#15

Post by JulianMorrison » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:16 PM UTC

mikedouglas wrote: post #13

olliesaunders wrote: post #12

What is the article even talking about? Netbooks are destroying things? Netbooks are the best thing to happen for ages.

From the article: [Netbooks] are cannibalizing Windows PC sales at an alarming rate. By comparison, laptops commanded higher margins and average selling prices when their popularity started to increase. PC manufacturers -- and even Microsoft -- benefited from notebooks' reversing the trend of falling computer ASPs; for a time. By comparison, netbooks are a plague, because they dramatically lower ASPs and margins and…

Translation: "those consumers! We used to force them to accept a bundle of all the unnecessary extra features of a laptop with their netbook-level compute needs. Now the sneaky bastards are un-bundling it and ruining our sweet scam! The cads!"

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#16

Post by habibur » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:18 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #11

adriand wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Language changes over time. You are technically correct but no one is confused by the author's terminology, because people clearly understand what he means. And since people clearly understand what he means, there is no reason for him to change what he says or writes, because by definition he is using language correctly: he is communicating.

Well, maybe you do. But I was wondering where apple would get their harddrives, screens, processors and other bits and pieces if they declare war on the entire PC industry. The only thing that differentiates a 'mac' from a 'microsoft windows computer' is the software, and the design.

These terms come from 80s and 90s when PC meant Intel/Windows and Mac was Mac. I had not seen this usage for some long time now. No wonder the newer generation who missed the PC/Mac war will find it very confusing.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#17

Post by olliesaunders » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:22 PM UTC

mikedouglas wrote: post #13

olliesaunders wrote: post #12

What is the article even talking about? Netbooks are destroying things? Netbooks are the best thing to happen for ages.

From the article: [Netbooks] are cannibalizing Windows PC sales at an alarming rate. By comparison, laptops commanded higher margins and average selling prices when their popularity started to increase. PC manufacturers -- and even Microsoft -- benefited from notebooks' reversing the trend of falling computer ASPs; for a time. By comparison, netbooks are a plague, because they dramatically lower ASPs and margins and…

OK, the source of my confusion was not knowing what "cannibalizing" meant in this context. Turns out they mean Netbooks are taking sales away from PCs.

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#18

Post by jacquesm » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:23 PM UTC

habibur wrote: post #16

jacquesm wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, maybe you do. But I was wondering where apple would get their harddrives, screens, processors and other bits and pieces if they declare war on the entire PC industry. The only thing that differentiates a 'mac' from a 'microsoft windows computer' is the software, and the design.

These terms come from 80s and 90s when PC meant Intel/Windows and Mac was Mac. I had not seen this usage for some long time now. No wonder the newer generation who missed the PC/Mac war will find it very confusing.

Those terms come from the 70's when PC meant 6502, 6800, 6809, Z80 or other 8 (and later 16) bit small computer which was meant for a single user instead of the time sharing minis and mainframes.

No wonder newer generations who missed the transition from minis and mainframes to personal computers find it very confusing.

Your honour, I present exhibit 1:

http://codytaylor.org/images/apple/apple-computers-personal-...

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#19

Post by netsp » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:26 PM UTC

junklight wrote: post #14

mikedouglas wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article: [Netbooks] are cannibalizing Windows PC sales at an alarming rate. By comparison, laptops commanded higher margins and average selling prices when their popularity started to increase. PC manufacturers -- and even Microsoft -- benefited from notebooks' reversing the trend of falling computer ASPs; for a time. By comparison, netbooks are a plague, because they dramatically lower ASPs and margins and…

They are "a plague" for hardware manufacturers. For the ordinary user - a great many of who only really use their computers to read email, access facebook and watch youtube clips - I suspect they are ideal.

They seem to agree

Re: Apple declares war on the entire PC industry

#20

Post by Tichy » Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 1:33 PM UTC

Why are netbooks only the problem of the PC industry? Surely they "cannibalize" Mac sales just as they cannibalize PC sales. Except for the people who would buy Macs no matter what.