Apple is a 50 billion dollar company. At some point just over 10 years ago, it was a bankrupt technology manufacturer on the verge of bankruptcy. What happened in the middle? Well, in addition to an updated design and user-friendliness department, a new business strategy has emerged.
Most people don’t like change. It is uncharted territory and brings many mysteries and potential dangers. But many companies don’t realize that, and as a result, try to reinvent the wheel with each new product launch. Take the music player business as an example. First they try to add a button for each action, then they remove all the buttons that don’t necessarily have to be there and now a touch screen seems to be the way to go. Of course, the industry is changing every time, but it’s awkward that a big company can release such a large number of products that have a completely different feel. Users don’t like that for two reasons. First of all, when they buy a product, it becomes outdated almost instantly. And second, the public has to adapt to use the product almost always.
Apple knows this and has adjusted its roadmap accordingly. How? Well, by adding two or three clear product lines in a particular market. For Apple in the music business they have the: iPod Nano/Classic (clickwheel), iPod touch (touch screen) and the shuffle (headphone control). And here’s the thing, I just wrote this off the top of my head! I know that if I buy a nano, I can expect some form of user control curtain. And it won’t change because the next iPod Nano will still use the Click Wheel, it’s just their trademark. Just like the iPod Touch, it will always keep the touch screen. So what does that mean for future products from this company? It’s simple, don’t expect big product transitions. Here is a simple table:
iPod: Controls remain the same for appropriate models, minor refinements.
iPhone: Visual appearance will remain similar, with minor hardware and software refinements.
Mac: Better hardware, same price.
Those are the three main sources of income for Apple. The launch of the iPad is a different story. Here Steve Jobs clearly showed a new line of products, which completely differs from everything that came before. But guess what, the next iPad will look similar to this one. Users are used to it and don’t have to adapt every time Apple announces something new. As a result, the following almost overtime applies: Once Apple, always Apple. This is simply because users are familiar with the products and are satisfied with them.