[Macworld.com]

The iPod has enjoyed the spotlight for a while. But at last week’s Macworld Expo, the Mac retook center-stage. [more]

[MacTel]

Of course it is the year of the Mac. Apple annouced a transition and the Mac is still a major chunk of their cash flow. Apple is hedging their bets at the moment by selling the new beefier models with the old models in tow. Their number will continue to beat previous years for Macs sold quarter by quarter. There's no doubting that Apple is healthy once again with a solid OS and hardware to boot it.
The only possible damper in the forecast this year is Vista. However, the way Microsoft has pulled people off of Mac products and the Windows XP SP3 release to work on getting Vista out the door we might not see Vista in 2006. The other Steve, monkey boy, said that 11:59:59PM on December 31st 2006 is still on time.
That being said, Vista will probably turn out to be the biggest piece of bloatware on the planet requiring everyone to upgrade or consider buying an Intal Mac.
Go Mac!!!

[uchuugaka]

except that traditionally, windows users, particularly in the enterprise sector, don't buy OS upgrades, they just get a new PC w/the new OS bundled.
Many Mac users do the same for the new OS or for the new iLife suite or both. Considering the total cost of the software separately, it's worthwhile.
However, mac lovers, the refurbs on the apple store site almost always include "drop-in" CDs/DVDs of the latest bundled software and the old version as well...!

[yangzone]

Actually 2006 is: Year of the Dog... so I'll be waiting for rev b MacBooks in 2007 which is the Year of the Pig (Vista?). /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[gomarky]

I dunno about Apple "Not Forgetting about the Mac User" comment.
I've been a huge Apple fan since my pizza-box Performa 400 in high school. Since then, I've become an art director relying on Apple's products along the way. I evangelized about the Mac all through the toughest of times and Apple pumped out the best hardware. Later on, they pumped out excellent software applications, too (Final Cut Pro, the iLife apps, iTunes, etc.)
But something funny happened when the iPod hit mainstream -- so did Apple's attention. Their concentration went away from the professional who supported them through the tough times to the everyday consumer. I was like, okay, if that's what it takes for Apple to succeed, then fine -- but don't forget about us professionals who supported you. And they have.
For example, a full week after the announcement of Aperture, I went into the Apple store to see if it would run a new Powerbook I was looking to buy. Of course, the first sales person didn't know anything much about the coming application. So, he got their imaging "expert". He looked at me and said (and these were his exact words), "Aperture? Never heard of it. I use Photoshop." I mean, COME ON!!!! This is ridiculous.
Fine, I purchase Aperture the day it hits the store shelves two months later. Great workflow--but it's missing a bunch of key features (e.g. channels, curves). Also, it's the buggiest software release from Apple EVER. It's sluggish even on a dual 2.7 Ghz G5 with 2.5 GB of RAM and 1/2 TB of HD space. Yeah, I know -- they'll improve it on the next release. But I can't help comparing that tactic to Microsoft's "Just release it even if it's not completely working and we'll eventually dominate the market on subsequent releases" tactic.
On top of all that, the sales help just isn't educated enough to help with professional questions. ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE TO PAY CLOSE TO $100 FOR PRO CARE. Imagine that: charge the professionals who supported the Mac from the beginning.
Shame on you Apple. You better get your act together because you're really beginning to disappoint me.
Then again, in a year or two you must might not care.

[hmurchison]

They've done a bit better on the computer front in unit sales but it's nothing to crow about. Apple's success is linked to the iPod and that's a scary thing because there's not the lock-in that you get with a computer platform.
Couple that a Mac strategy that placed heavy emphasis on doing what people do the least of overall(Creativity)
Apple is damn near AWOL on productivity stuff. iWorks still doesn't have what Appleworks had a decade ago featurewise. iLife is a great suite of apps but it's simply not indispensible. Macs have MS Office but that's about it for well known biz level productivity apps. There's little reason for companies to look at Macs and it shows by Apple having good but not great Macintosh sales despite being the only supplier of the hardware.
Macworld is a consumer show and I understand that biz stuff isn't going to be heavily focused on but let's be honest WWDC isn't going to focus on biz stuff either. Thus the outlook is things pretty much staying at the status quo. iPods iPods iPods and the slickly designed computer.

[drdreric]

In reply to:

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Vista will probably turn out to be the biggest piece of bloatware on the planet

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Also Vista was supposed to be a ground-up rewrite so security would finally be done the right way, yet the latest security flaw now turns out to be in Vista as well. Methinks that M$ STILL doesn't "get it" on the security issues. When Vista comes out and the security issues persist, all those companies that figured out it was cheaper NOT to buy into M$' new licensing scheme, and are thus NOT locked into upgrading, will finally take a serious look at OS X.

[macFanDave]

Is 2006 the year of the Mac?
Yes.
There has been a "perfect storm" that has been brewing for the past months and years that will coalesce into a great year for the Mac.
The Intel switch is just one factor. Even if the performance improvements are only modest, the fact that the supplier of the Macs chips has a solid track record of delivering improvements is one source of optimism for the platform.
The iPod/iTMS halo effect is real. It is not simply that people who buy iPods might tend to eventually buy a Mac. The more important aspect of the halo effect is the constant praise and accolades and the ongoing success of the iPod/iTMS makes many people think Apple makes great products. (Some of us have known this for a long time. The iPod is educating the rest!)
Microsoft's continuing struggles with spyware, adware, viruses, worms and delivering the next upgrade are opening up the door for Apple to reel in more customers.
2006 should be a great year for the Mac -- maybe the best ever.

[pixelcruncher]

I don't see anymore excitement from the Windows users of the world about the Mac than last year. People don't see the move to Intel processors as a leapfrog move - they see it as Apple desperately trying to catch up. iPod was a head-turner, unique and at the front end of a cultural shift in the music business. The Mac is as far behind in the PC world as the Zen is to the iPod.
What Apple knows it needs to do is produce a product that people purchase in addition to their home PC. A product that will grow in its functionality and people wind up using more and more, and their PCs less and less. I think they're headed in the right direction, and I think it will be released this year. It will be the "Year of Whatever that Thing is Going to be Called." (I keep thinking a Nintendo/Apple alliance would have benefited both - but oh well)
So what is the Mactel strategy? Simple. We Mac users have proven time and time again that we aren't going anywhere. Apple can count on us to continue to buy a certain number of Macs a year. Apple isn't going to reduce the cost of the Mactel systems, so their profit margins are going to increase. Without increasing sales, they are still increasing their profits. But Peter Cohen says it best when he says that you would be hard pressed to tell the systems apart. Apple isn't looking to make a big splash with the new Macs. People are walking into Apple stores having to ASK "is this the new Mactel iMac?" If Apple wanted this year to be the year of the Mac, I think it would be doing a lot more to call attention to it.

[MacTel]

I believe they've already done more to attract attention this year with the new Intel iMac commercial with the PC snub.
Apple is again proud to tout the Mac with respects to the Intel chips so you'll be seeing more such ads.

[LeoO]

In reply to:

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For example, a full week after the announcement of Aperture, I went into the Apple store to see if it would run a new Powerbook I was looking to buy. Of course, the first sales person didn't know anything much about the coming application. So, he got their imaging "expert". He looked at me and said (and these were his exact words), "Aperture? Never heard of it. I use Photoshop." I mean, COME ON!!!! This is ridiculous.

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Wow, that's awful! This is precisely the retail experience we went through for decades and which Apple finally decided to oversome by spending oceans of money on its own retail outlets. Your story reminds me of the bad old days of outdated, grimy, crashed Performas in the abandoned Mac corner of Sears and CompUSA; with salesmen being clueless at best ("isn't Apple out of business?") or outright hostile ("you can't run Word on it, and no-one uses these toys anyway.")

[LeoO]

Hooray, I'm a "member" now!

[hmurchison]

In reply to:

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Hooray, I'm a "member" now!

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Congrats leo0!!!!!!
It is Maccentral custom for you to be the first person that welcomes you a new iMac.

[Peter Cohen]

In reply to:

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Macworld is a consumer show and I understand that biz stuff isn't going to be heavily focused on but let's be honest WWDC isn't going to focus on biz stuff either. Thus the outlook is things pretty much staying at the status quo.

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I'm not sure I follow. By your measure, these are the only two public venues for Apple to turn out new products, but that's hardly the case. NAB might be another good venue, for example, or a special event, as Apple has done with iPods in the past.