Should Apple, the computer company that exhorts consumers to "Think Different," take a dose of its own medicine and rethink its marketing strategy? Apple recently announced its strongest sales in nearly three years, with laptop and iPod revenue soaring, though profits were down from a year ago and desktop sales keep falling.
The sales numbers may sound good, but the reality is that Apple has failed to increase, or even stabilize, its desktop market share after years of trying. In fact, market researcher IDC reports that Apple"s worldwide computer market share fell to just 2.3 percent -- down from 2.7 percent a year ago. The natural question is, should Apple stop looking for market share and establish itself as the top-of-the-line personal computer -- with no apologies for cost?
Premium Position: Hard Sell
Some analysts say Apple already makes the best personal computers on the market, but acknowledge the challenge of transferring their higher costs to consumers. "Apple builds products with outstanding industrial design and a great software suite," Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds told NewsFactor. "However, these additions are too expensive for a volume PC manufacturer to support."