The founder of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs is a very well known figure in the high-tech industry, and the whole business world. His life story is pretty inspirational – he founded an extremely successful computer company back in the 1980’s, and a couple of years after parting ways with it, he was brought back at the helm, and turned the struggling business into a cash cow. He has achieved even more – Mac computers were made hip again, and iPod became a part of the popular culture.
In the last couple of days, Jobs and Apple got a lot of media attention again. News of the iPhone electrified the technology and business world, bringing Apple stock prices to an impressive high.
The iPhone follows the trend present in the mobile technologies sector in the last couple of years – more and more integrated features. “The device, priced up to $599 in addition to a two-year cellular service contract, allows users to download and play iTunes music, browse the Web, send email and make calls. Equipped with a wide screen and a two-megapixel camera it can also link wirelessly to music headsets, stereo systems and Wi-Fi networks.” (From: the Wall Street Journal online, by LI YUAN and PUI-WING TAM, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116836172312771508-search.html?KEYWORDS=Apple+Storms+Cellphone+Field&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month ).
The above named characteristics are not really something revolutionary; other cell phone manufacturers have already produced phones with similar qualities. The key to Apples potential success is not being innovative in this case. It rather is being better than the innovators and offering an appealing design, as it was in the case of the iPod. Most commentaries that I have read, agree that this project will probably be successful, especially that Apple should have a reliable distribution channel in Cingular Wireless.
One thing that is mostly overlooked by the media is the totally different mindset presented by Jobs – it is not Apple Computers Inc anymore, it is just Apple Inc, which underlines the company’s focus that is not just limited to computers, but it is rather moving away from the image of a computer company.
Jobs seems to be very confident, or even cheeky – he scheduled the Mac World Expo at the same time as the Consumer Electronics Show, and actually managed to grab most of the media attention! The iPhone has chances of becoming a phenomenon such as the iPod, which means the future might be looking bright for Mr. Jobs and Apple, and pretty bleak for it competitors.
In the last couple of days, Jobs and Apple got a lot of media attention again. News of the iPhone electrified the technology and business world, bringing Apple stock prices to an impressive high.
The iPhone follows the trend present in the mobile technologies sector in the last couple of years – more and more integrated features. “The device, priced up to $599 in addition to a two-year cellular service contract, allows users to download and play iTunes music, browse the Web, send email and make calls. Equipped with a wide screen and a two-megapixel camera it can also link wirelessly to music headsets, stereo systems and Wi-Fi networks.” (From: the Wall Street Journal online, by LI YUAN and PUI-WING TAM, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116836172312771508-search.html?KEYWORDS=Apple+Storms+Cellphone+Field&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month ).
The above named characteristics are not really something revolutionary; other cell phone manufacturers have already produced phones with similar qualities. The key to Apples potential success is not being innovative in this case. It rather is being better than the innovators and offering an appealing design, as it was in the case of the iPod. Most commentaries that I have read, agree that this project will probably be successful, especially that Apple should have a reliable distribution channel in Cingular Wireless.
One thing that is mostly overlooked by the media is the totally different mindset presented by Jobs – it is not Apple Computers Inc anymore, it is just Apple Inc, which underlines the company’s focus that is not just limited to computers, but it is rather moving away from the image of a computer company.
Jobs seems to be very confident, or even cheeky – he scheduled the Mac World Expo at the same time as the Consumer Electronics Show, and actually managed to grab most of the media attention! The iPhone has chances of becoming a phenomenon such as the iPod, which means the future might be looking bright for Mr. Jobs and Apple, and pretty bleak for it competitors.
