Apple Post 1984 Full Sail Dicussion Board

Prompt: “In looking back at the 1984 launch of the Macintosh computer, do you think that the strategic visioning and planning of Apple, Inc. has been effective overall and why?”


I think during my whole time at Full Sail I always go back to Guy Kawasaki’s concepts as a core. According to him Apple was and has been about making people’s lives easier.




From: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3xaeVXTSBg
Prompt: “Discuss at least three aspects of Product Management that exist at Apple, Inc.”



In this sense, years after 1984, Apple sold people on buying their products because they promoted a better way to live through their technologies. In this regard, the 1984 language of Macintosh was the idea of freeing computers from the cold clutches of IBM and corporate America. In 2003, when I was attending Fresno Community College my computer science teacher explained how IBM thought that computers should not be easy, but work. When Macintosh revolutionized the marker with it GUI (Graphic Interface System), IBM responded by paying Bill Gates who had reversed engineered windows (Burke, 1999).

Because of Apple’s personal computer at home movement, IBM decided to give a lot of technology and licenses away that established the PC and the open market for development. Because of what IBM did, Apple was hurting form the late 8o's to Early 90's. Apple then made a strategic alliance with grocery stores and public schools to get their computer to younger customer. When I was growing up, I didn't understand how can drive could lead my school to have a new computer lab with "Apple II E" computers until after I attended that class in 2003. This strategic partnering did two things: One, gave the a huge tax write off, and two just like the cigarette company access to a youth market. Add college kids, Microsoft giving them the I-pod technology to avoid an anti-trust lawsuit, and now we are in post 1984 and Macintosh being the protector of freedom when it comes to creativity, lol. Sigh, I personally chose a degree in teaching because in 2003 I say the effects of the 90’s bubble pop in California as what freaked out. Oh, only if I stayed in computer science.

Prompt: “Discuss what you think might be an effective strategy going forward for Apple, Inc.”



In this post 1984 world where we have accepted out fate as a society, I digress and have to say I am neither a “Mac” or “PC” guy. I’m a dude who just wants the freedom to produce and distribute what I want on the Internet. Thus, I contend that Apple is no longer the fighter of freedom, but has become the very “IBM” they branded to fight in 1984. Their products are no longer about innovating design but limiting it. For example, Google’s Android is beating the I-phone because Google is using the power of "free". The power of free is simply; if people are given freedom to explore technology innovation happens. However, Apple is more about control and protection of properties. Of course, giving creators of content such as music makers some protection from piracy is great, but the power of free is like water to stone. Meaning, no matter how hard Apple try’s to control certain things, it will be warn down. If Mac wants a better future, it has to remember what that hammer that destroyed the screen means… break the constructs that conflict with creative freedom.

Sarno, David (2010, Aug, 2nd) The business and culture of our digital lives,
from the L.A. Times Retrieved From: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/08/google-android-apple-iphone-sales-mobile-att-verizon.html

Burke, M. (1999) Pirates of Silicon Valley Retrieved From: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/

My Coverage of APE 2010

APE 2010, the first convention I did, I learned was more about selling prints, tee shirts, buttons, etc, and less about selling a small independent comic. If you had posters, people were more likely interested. However, even a pretty poster with eye-catching colors didn’t mean sales. A fabulous award-winning artist had a hard time making the final sale even though many onlookers came to visit the artist who had frequented the convention many times the past three years. From my observation and conversations, by Sunday, many in state creators did make profit, but a lot of out of state creators were lucky to break even.

A big reason to do APE is to join the point system for the other conferences of Comi-Con International. The point system leads to better positioning and a chance to get in the over pact San Diego comic-con. In California, San Diego Comi-con remians the best conference to sell original work after accounting for the massive markups and costs during the convention. Wonder-con also in San Francisco is also part of Comic-Con International.

None the less, APE 2010 according to many professional posts on Webcomics.com’s “Convention Dish” has been a more shirking market for comics in general. My onsite observations also had a startling revelation this Saturday, where were all the kids or teens? The demographic for APE did not lead itself to many different types of age groups.

On aside note, although inexpensive alternatives such as Comic Xpress are good for many creators, often creators will choose to print in places like china to lower their overhead and maximize their sales. Nonetheless, This sill means spending a lot money with little guarantee of sales in a year. Often creators have to sit on product for years until they sell out.

Other conventions to consider, Emerald City in Seattle Washington and STAPLE in Austin Texas, which seems to becoming another Emerald City Con, have more attendees hungry for product. Emerald City as a convention is a perfect example of a small comic convention that slowly grows over time because there is enough of a market for comic-books in that town.

In state, there are other conventions such Long Beach Con. In the Bay Area Zine Fest seems to be a great spot to sell alternative comics, but once an event develops a good name for itself, it becomes harder to get in if there are sales to be made. Thus APE, in relationship to Wonder-Con and San Diego Comi-Con, is a good conference to start to get into the swing of things, because it is a convention it gets you in larger convention. However, the lack luster sales for many artists who flew in to do APE often give these creators negative sales and negative attitudes about the show.


Unfortunately, aside from networking and meeting many wonderful artists, I did not sell many of my and my writer’s books. In this sense, if we had more eye catching swag, we could have sold more products; however, we wanted to focus on creating and telling a good story. In this sense, before we even consider to start-making t-shirts, we have to stick to the core product that is the pre-teen to adult graphic novel we intended to create. Still, I’m going to work on my ability to create high contrasting eye catching prints for other events where our project may be more appreciated such as Zine Fest or other local events.