Review of the challenges that await Steve Jobs

The worldwide success of the iPhone and the dominance of the iPod portable music player, Apple growth slows. Its turnover and profits only grew by 7 in the first fiscal half, after respectively 35 and 38 growth in 2008. The group is sentenced to permanent innovation to keep his lead. Review of the challenges that await Steve Jobs.

The iPhone is no longer only "smartphone" to the mode

If the iPhone is already sold more than 21 million copies, Apple is no longer alone on the market of "smartphones" touch screen. Its global success has prompted most manufacturers (Nokia, RIM, HTC, Palm,...) to launch on the market of products whose features are close to the latest iPhone 3GS. And if the App Store application store has more than 1 billion downloads since its launch a year ago, the counter-attack was there also organizes: the world leader in mobile, Nokia, has just opened its Ovi Store Shop. And the giant of the Net, Google, is also a breakthrough in mobile with Android. After having established exclusive arrangements on all continents with major mobile operators (ATT, Orange, T-Mobile...), Apple will have to deal with the end of this system to the grumbling of consumers and regulators.

What future for the iPod and the iTunes store

If the iPod is the most sold digital player in the world with more than 150 million copies marketed since 2001, iPods for Apple and particularly its short Touch model the risk of phagocyté by the iPhone and other "smartphones", incorporating all the function music and video. In addition, 0.99 $ per title single tariff, which made the success of the iTunes Store, belongs to the past. Since April, the price can reach 1.29 dollar. The right holders demanded since long time better remuneration. What Steve Jobs refused until then, even threatened to close iTunes Store...

What is the place for the Macintosh

In the second fiscal quarter of Apple Mac sales declined by 3 over one year to 2.22 million units. It is from the 13 million PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard at the same time or 9 million Dell or Acer. According to Gartner, the society of Steve Jobs places to fourth on the US market but has only 3.3 of the world market. In early June, JP Morgan has revised downward its forecast of sales of Mac by Apple on the current quarter and the year.

Still eager fans of news

The commercial life of the products is more and more short and Apple customers want still more new products. In early June, its range has been renovated with including more efficient Macbook but prices still relatively high. A Macbook touch or an iPhone 'nano' 99 could be launched in the coming months. But Apple remains, for the moment, out of the market in growth of netbooks.

A closed world to open to the Internet

Apple has diversified in 2001 with its iPod player, whose success was bolstered by the opening of the store virtual iTunes Store in 2003. But, unlike the open Internet, this platform works in a vacuum otherwise said mode "walled garden", with the software of the same name and with the iPod or PC using iTunes software. Apple opened its ecosystem to developers with the iPhone and its App Store but group jealously takes its tithe on each downloaded pay application. A model that cannot last without open up more widely to the Internet.