Apple - Understanding the Business You Are In

A recent article in PC Mag by Dan Costa pointed out something pretty interesting about Apple:

 Apple doesn't want to attract new customers—it mostly wants to keep its existing customers happy. Now, you might think that Mac people are so self-satisfied they don't need any help being happy. And you would probably be right. Still, these customers have proven they are willing to pay a premium for a product that is more commodified every day. In fact, Apple has a stunning 91 percent of the market for PCs that cost more than $1,000. Clearly, these are customers Apple wants to keep.

Costa points out that just 4.86 percent of worldwide Internet traffic comes from systems running the Mac OS. Even if you throw in iPhone users, the number barely passes 5 percent. Hardly a mass phenomenon. And thats a good thing indeed. You see by staying small Apple can be more innovative and flexible.

Apple is a great hedgehog organization, ala Collin's book. They understand the business they are in and act accordingly. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. That's its mission. The business understands its focus - Great businesses know its all about the consumer and the product. See an interview of Jobs as he talks about Apple.