Retail Representation

According to an article from CNET news, for the 7^th year in a row Apple has topped its competitors in the PC world.

Apple scored an 86 out of a possible 100 on the University of Michigan’s “America’s Customer Satisfaction Survey” (ACSI). This was the highest-ranking score since 1995. Dell, Acer and HP tied with a score of 77 and Compaq trailed with a score of only 74.

One reason Apple’s customer service is so superior is because of the implementation of their retail stores. Apple retail store are one of the most important ways for customers and potential customers to interact with apple in a face-to-face situation.

Apple controls the entire experience of the store, from the geeky/hip employees, to the limited amount of products on the shelves, to the layout of the store, to the educational classes taught by the tech staff. People feel as if they are owners of the products and getting special attention.

Apple iPad; Business or Pleasure?

Apple released the iPad in April 2010. They sold three million iPads within 80 days of the release of the device.

Many thought of the iPad as a recreational product that was intended for pleasure. It wasn’t until the fall semester, when I realized that the iPad was being using for both business and pleasure.

Although the primary use of the iPad is considered consumer based to be used for activities such as, watching movies, playing games and searching the web

A survey commissioned by Sybase found that "the number one reason U.S. consumers would use a device such as the Apple iPad is for working on the go." The nearly 2500 survey participants indicated business use over watching movies or playing games.

I do not own an iPad, but I would like to sometime in the future. I find them to be sleek and convenient. Weighing only 1.5-1.6 lbs, the iPad is portable and easy to take with you on the go whether it is on vacation or on a business trip.

PC World, Business Center describes the iPad as delivering “notebook-functionality on a smart phone OS platform.”

Another way that the iPad is benefiting society is by giving disabled people the opportunity to excel and have just as many opportunities as everyone else with built in accessibility features and an intuitive multi-touch interface.

In a recent New York Times article, Massachusetts Representative Edward J. Markey, “Apple is an outlier when it comes to devices that are accessible right of the box. 

I would personally, like to use my future iPad for both business and pleasure. Being a student I find myself always having to do some last minute touch up on a paper or look something up on blackboard at any moment during the day. Having the ability to send an email, check my grades, play some games, and online shop all on a lightweight, eight by ten device.

Bad PR Affects Apple's Bottom Line

Bad PR happens all of the time and is something that is usually out of the hands of the company or individual it is effecting. Crisis PR is used when a “crisis” breaks out, which is something unexpected that affects the company or the individual itself. Crisis PR is used more avidly within corporations and celebrity scandals.

            Apple is one the fastest growing companies in the world. According to Steve Cheney of Business Insider, “It’s pretty clear that Apple is in a league of its own in terms of capital efficiency. Competitors are spending staggering sums on both M&A and R&D with limited results. Meanwhile Apple is innovating internally at a fraction of the cost, while cherry-picking strategic investments, which tightly complement its core platforms.”

            With all of the success Apple has had they do encounter the occasional crisis which in turn has been seen to effect Apple’s shares in the stock market. In October of 2008 CNN released a false report that Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs had experienced a heart attack. The rumor was announced in the morning and resolved by the afternoon but within this short time span Apple’s shares had dropped 9.5 percent. The stock was back up to one hundred and four dollars by the end of the day.

            In 2008 Steve Jobs announced that he was taking a leave of absence in order to examine his health. The day the news broke, shares dropped 7 percent. Charlie Wolf, a financial analyst with Needham & Co., said the "Steve Jobs health" factor could cause the stock to fall an additional 10% to 15%.  Wolf was correct, pre-crisis price was $92.70 and a post crisis price of $82.33, which was a drop of 11.19 percent. 

Product Preference

Are you a Mac or a PC?

From my last post, I see that people seem to prefer either a PC or a Mac for various reasons. To expand on this I want to know what your preference is?

Some of the things I have heard and experienced myself is that Macs are less prone to viruses and run faster. Also the battery strength Kicks @$$. My battery lasts at least 6 hours straight!

New products apple has come out with include, Apple TV, Ping, iPhone 4^th generation, the iPad and the new Nano.

The new iPhones were sold out before they were released and customer’s phones were placed on backorder until they could keep up with the demand of the public.

On the apple news section of Apple’s website, it states that, “CNET reports that for the fourth consecutive year, J.D. Power and Associates has ranked Apple highest in customer satisfaction among smartphone manufacturers. The study showed that iPhone scored particularly well in ease of operation, operating system, features, and physical design.”

Apple In The Classroom

The Mac Book pro was introduced in January of 2006, the Mac Book in May of 2006 and the Mac Book air in January of 2008. 

In what is just about 5 years, apple has taken control of college campus' with the various versions on the Mac book. I look around my lecture classes at the University of Texas at Austin and I am shocked with the number of students who are Mac users. I'd say in a class of 300 students here at UT, about 70 percent use some version of the Mac Book. 

The high school I attended only had PCs and that is what I grew up knowing how to use. My senior year I was given the choice of a new laptop by my parents as an early graduation present. Wanting to keep up with others my age I wanted a Mac Book pro. I had NO idea how to work it and I still am learning more and more everyday about my Mac. 

Given that the users of these computers in my classes have grown up the same way I did, which was with a PC. I can only assume they purchased their Mac based on Apples growing popularity instead on their familiarity with the product.

Over the summer I was cocktailing at a country club and the Dell development team was there. I was asked by a designer what kind of computer I owned. I replied that I was a Mac and he quickly asked the question, “Why?” It took me a second to reply because I didn’t really have a solid answer other than, “because it’s pretty.” Feeling extremely materialistic, I then followed up by saying that, “being a communication major at UT, it is hard to not use a Mac because most of the other communication majors are also Mac users and it just makes my life easier.”

My obsession with Apple products started off with the iPod, then the iphone and now the Mac Book. Soon I hope to also be the proud owner of an iPad and Apple TV.