Chief executive officer Steve Jobs is attempting a makeover of Apple with a change in emphasis to “killer apps” that will sway Windows users, The Wall Street Journal reported today.
According to sources who have met with Jobs and other company executives recently, Apple officials believe that new Apple applications — such as the much rumored iMusic product thought to be a MP3 player and CD recorder application — will give Wintel users a reason to supplement their existing Windows-based systems with Apple hardware.
Sources report Apple recently purchased CD-authoring software and hard-drive formatting technology from Radialogic Software. A Radialogic spokeswoman declined to reveal the identity of the company which bought Radialogic’s products in early December.
Sources tell the Journal that in recent conference calls Jobs disclosed that Apple plans to roll out several new software apps, hinting that two will be launched in the first half of 2001.
“In private, Mr. Jobs has described one of the applications as being ‘on a par with iMovie,’ and the other as ‘the greatest thing that Apple has ever done,’ according to people who spoke with him,” the Journal reports.
In addition, WSJ reports that Apple is working with third-party hardware and software companies to “create bundled packages to sell to the public as complete solutions.” The Journal quotes an unnamed software developer as saying Apple contacted his company three months ago to ask about bundling the company’s business software with Macintosh computers.
On the dealer side, Apple has been encouraging independent dealers, Apple Specialists and Apple Solutions Experts to stage more events where total turnkey solutions involving hardware and software are demonstrated. MacCentral has learned a number of new demonstrations are to take place at regional Apple offices across the US have and are being planned for the next six months.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the WSJ report.
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