Apple Changes Course With Low-Priced Mac

January 15, 2005 06:33 AM

Apple Changes Course With Low-Priced Mac

Excerpt: Apple Computer introduced its first low-priced Macintosh on Tuesday, signaling its bet that most consumers now see computers as simply another appliance in the modern house.

Apple Computer introduced its first low-priced Macintosh on Tuesday, signaling its bet that most consumers now see computers as simply another appliance in the modern house.

While computers have long been sold as machines that can turn a home into an office, most Americans now use them in their bedrooms and kitchens as e-mail terminals; as hubs for playing music, storing and editing photos; and as stations for navigating the Web.

The new Mac Mini, priced as low as $499 without a keyboard, monitor or mouse, is aimed squarely at the needs of this new digital household.

The new Apple strategy, which moves the company deeply into the consumer electronics market, positions the new Macintosh as an entertainment and communication device. It also promises to intensify Apple's battle with Microsoft in the personal computer market dominated by machines using Windows software.

The move is in part propelled by Apple's success with its iPod digital music players; with 10 million sold in the last three years, the iPod has pulled Apple into the mass market. The popularity of iPod, analysts say, may persuade consumers who have not been Apple computer users to consider the Mac Mini.

"I wish I had a nickel for every time people have suggested that we do this," said Steven P. Jobs, Apple's chief executive, at a conference on Tuesday. "We want to price this Mac so that people who are thinking of switching will have no excuse."

But Apple's introduction of a low-priced machine is not likely to cut significantly into Microsoft's dominance in personal computing; more than 90 percent of PC's are Windows machines.

More important, Microsoft is also moving to turn PC's into entertainment centers with its Windows Media Center Edition software, which lets a computer double as a television and video recorder.

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Read all 54 posts in the same category of Spending:

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Best Rock For Your Buck - Feb 13, 2005
'Simplified' Ticketing Is Not So Simple For All Fliers - Feb 07, 2005
Blockbuster With a Joystick - Feb 07, 2005
Picking Rewards Deals? Seek Loyalty - Feb 07, 2005
FCC: Cable TV Rates Rose 5.4% In 2003 - Feb 06, 2005
Powell to Step Down at F.C.C. After Pushing for Deregulation - Jan 25, 2005
How To Tip Well - Jan 14, 2005
A Little Retail Hustle Paid Off in Holiday Sales - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Fare Plan Turns Industry on Its Head - Jan 07, 2005
Before Christmas, Wal-Mart Was Stirring - Jan 07, 2005
Delta Plans to Streamline Fare System - Jan 07, 2005
TiVo Upgrade Puts TV Shows On Laptops - Jan 04, 2005
What You Wanted, What You Got - Jan 01, 2005
How To Handle Charity Solicitations - Dec 29, 2004
Be Careful When Donating To Charity - Dec 29, 2004
Charged Today, Tapped Out Tomorrow? - Dec 28, 2004
Be Prepared When Returning Gifts - Dec 27, 2004
$10 for a Plain CD or $32 With the Extras - Dec 27, 2004
10 Ways To Save Money When Cruising - Dec 27, 2004
New Nigerian Scam Suckers Online Sellers - Dec 27, 2004
Stop Shopping; Give Cash As A Gift - Dec 27, 2004
Last-Minute Shopping Made Easier - Dec 26, 2004
Phone-Network Leasing Rules Eased - Dec 26, 2004
How To Minimize Holiday Debt - Dec 24, 2004
Holiday Shoppers Should Rethink How They Pay - Dec 22, 2004
Lower Living Costs, Keep More Money - Dec 22, 2004
Blockbuster Cuts Online Prices - Dec 22, 2004
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Price Cuts Get Deeper - Dec 21, 2004
Charitable Giving: The Right Match - Dec 21, 2004
In the Bay Area, TiVo Supplies DVR's at a Terrific Price: Nothing - Dec 19, 2004
Cell Phone Calls In Flight? - Dec 09, 2004
Holiday Tipping - Dec 09, 2004
Tunes Coming To Callers? - Dec 08, 2004
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The Trouble With Rebates - Dec 07, 2004
Customers Tire of Excuses for Rebates That Never Arrive - Dec 07, 2004
'Phishing' Attacks Surge In 2004 - Dec 06, 2004
Bush Signs Internet Tax, Special Ed Bills - Dec 05, 2004
The Wide World Of Online Shopping - Dec 04, 2004
Shopbots: Your Own Automated Shopping Assistant On The Web - Dec 04, 2004
Traveler: Know Your Options - Dec 04, 2004
Worried Merchants Throw Discounts at Shoppers - Dec 04, 2004
Regifting 101 - Dec 02, 2004
Health Costs Up 7.5% - Dec 02, 2004
5 Popular Holiday Shopping Scams - Nov 30, 2004
Slick Tips for Holiday Shopping - Nov 28, 2004
Give Gifts That Give Back - Nov 28, 2004
Tips For Stretching Your Holiday Budget - Nov 26, 2004
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Smart Holiday Shopping - Nov 25, 2004
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