The NEW Apple 2005. It’s All About The Numbers.

I came up with this idea a few weeks ago after hearing that Apple would charge $79 for iLife ‘05, $79 for iWork, only $499 for the Mac mini, and only $99 for the entry level iPod shuffle. Numbers.

It’s all about numbers.

What put me over the top was an article I found on MacDailyNews about Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, quoted in USA Today. Ballmer talked to USA Today about being “first.” You get to figure out what “first means.”

What’s that all about? Microsoft first? Click Here to read the whole article. Keep reading for my take on Apple’s “numbers” in 2005 (and beyond) and what it means for you, the Mac user.

Apple Profits
Begrudgingly, we have to admit that it’s OK for Apple to make a good profit selling us Macs, software, iPods, and music. If they couldn’t make a profit Apple wouldn’t be around. Profit is important (compared to, say, Microsoft’s obscene profits and illegal activities as a corporate criminal?).

So, like it or not, Apple has, since Job’s return in 1997, been about the numbers. Sales numbers. Unit numbers. Profit numbers. Balance sheet. Cash on hand. Numbers.

More Macs and more software sold means more profits for the Cupertino computer maker. That means we get more cool stuff on a regular basis. Some could argue we pay a premium for Apple’s goodies, but we love it regardless.

Other Numbers
Microsoft, the king of cash cows, has always been about numbers, too (obtaining appropriate numbers in a legal manner is a different issue). Sales, sales, features, profits, units.

The Redmond Goliath has more money (numbers) than it knows what to do with, so it’s giving some back.

In the past couple of years, Microsoft has had some problems with numbers. Not sales. Not profits. Problems. In numbers.

The number of problems Microsoft faces these days are enormous. The number of days, dollars, man-hours it’s taking to deliver the next generation of Windows (Longhorn). The number of security holes in all flavors of Windows products.

The number of customers who no longer appreciate Microsoft and are searching for new solutions has escalated rapidly. The number of Microsoft enemies has also increased. Corporations. Competitors. Governments. Countries.

While Microsoft isn’t going to disappear from the computer scene any time soon, the number of solutions relative to the number of problems appears to be disproportionate. They’ve got a lot more problems than they have solutions.

Numbers.

Apple’s numbers recently have been the best in the company’s history. Record quarterly revenue. Record profits. Near record stock price. Record numbers of products shipped (how does 4.5-million iPods in one quarter sound?).

The numbers don’t add up for Microsoft and they’re beginning to add up quite nicely for Apple.

Steve Ballmer claiming that Microsoft loves to be first got me to thinking. First at what? First at innovation? Nope. First at Swiss Cheese security software? Nope. First at profits? Possibly.

It occured to me that Apple’s numbers are the best they’ve ever been and are about to get much, much better.

For example, many of us headed out the door to pay $79 for a new version of iLife. Just a year ago it was free. It’s still free with every new Mac but the installed base is willing to pay extra for it now.

Millions of us have iPods. Yet millions more of us are going to ante up another $99 or $149 for still another iPod (shuffle). That’s good news for Apple as they’ll continue to dominate in a market they defined. Except this time, the numbers are on the low end.

Numbers.

The Mac mini
Apple’s announcement of a $499 Mac was a stunner. That number is about the bottom of the computer barrel, don’t you think?

You’d be hard pressed to find a comparable PC (in size, features, software, anything) for the same price. That means Apple has figured out how to make a quality, attractive product at a very competitive price.

Of course, Apple will need to sell about three of the Mac minis to make the same money as they did with an iMac G5. Here’s how they’ll do it and what it means for you, the Mac user. Apple plans to bring movies to your Mac mini over by the TV. Click Here for the final numbers on Page 2.