To add to your comment, I have also seen a large group of older adults patronizing Apple products. They claim the user friendliness and ease of use in general.
TaimoorZ, Assumptions sometime shouldn't be taken too seriously. The social sciences rely on the behavior of people who are often influenced by factors few people can comprehend and at times by subjective events that differ from one person to the other. It's extremely difficult in this stuation to make generalization but analysts and investors keep trying to make sense of their environment and improve odds of makng money. They don't always get it right but by refining assumptions it's possible to arrive at an acceptable point.
@ pocharle, you are right on the prediction that "only a major gaffe as a reason why consumers would switch from Apple to a competitor". Apple's base is that of the current young adults and mid-life group who started using the Apple products from elementary school on. The products themselves are great and so there is hardly any need for change. Also, most people find change difficult and tend to stay with what is familiar and comfortable. I foresee the gulf between Apple and its competitors will continue to widen.
Every analyst, be it a company-hired or an independent one, does the analysis based on certain assumptions and expectations. When there's such a huge divide between the predictions by internal analysts and the market analysts, don't you think it's a good idea for each of them to share the assumptions they have used and the underlying expectations behind their numbers? The general public may be able to assess them better in that case. Even in the case of company predictions, it would give more credibility to the numbers.
Apple will still most likely stay on top. The model they've built with the trust of their fanbase (increasing more & more each day) will be tough to rival. I see only a major gaffe as a reason why consumers would switch from Apple to a competitor.
i think you gave the correct strategy to stick with. I think Apple will not show any sign of slowness anytime soon and after the developed market is saturated as a consumer market then Apple can focus on the developing market. Their products are high end and are expensive for the developing market so customization might be required.
Prabhakar, You are right but the rivals are catching up rather fast on Apple. Fortunately, it made good use of the lead time it built while competitors doodled. Now it has to figure out new ways to keep fending them off. It's going to be fun watching this happen.
In my opinion Apple's rise has been accentutaed by the disaatrous failures of its rivals like Nokia , Motorola in introduicng new competing products. Apple and along with it the Korean giants with their Android based product offerings have captured this opportunity and widened this gulf.
The europian crisis is one more reason why Nokia has failed to get support from its mother nation Finaland.
While I find it hard to believe that Apple can maintain a staggering double digit growth every year, they still have potential to stay strong. It is certainly looking like we are going to have only a few major companies left and the small competitors are going to get pushed aside. Maybe a couple small companies merging could help keep things competitive.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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