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And Then There Were 7 (5/26/99)
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If you've been thinking that Apple's board of directors has been way too static lately, you're in luck. We're pretty sure that ever since the coup d'etat that revamped the whole board way back in August of 1997, the line-up has remained the same-- until now. Apple issued a press release announcing that they've added a new face to the board, bringing the total to seven; please welcome Mr. Millard Drexler, the CEO of Gap Inc.
Why is this interesting, you ask? Because Drexler has absolutely nothing to do with the computer industry (and we refuse to capitalize on an easy pun involving "soft wear"). Instead, his company sells clothes-- lots of clothes-- to the mainstream consumer market, which is the same market Apple's trying to court with the iMac and the upcoming consumer portable that may or may not be called the iBook. Coincidence? Piffle. As a Mac Observer article deftly points out, the addition of Drexler to the Apple team is likely indicative of Steve's grand vision of "Apple: The Sony of Computers;" in their words, the choice "shows that Apple is far less concerned with being a computer company and far more concerned with continuing to transform Apple into a consumer/fashion/appliance/information/etc. company." Like it or not, this may another step in a brave new direction.
Personally, we at AtAT are happy to see a change on Apple's board. Sure, we understand the whole "if it ain't broke don't fix it" concept, but in general, we think change is an inherently positive force overall. And the fact that Drexler is bringing in a vast wealth of knowledge regarding how to sell products to the average consumer really gives us hope that he can strengthen Apple's position in that competitive market. Plus, we're interested to see whether Gap khakis will soon be available in fruit flavors or if we'll spot any "iMacs Swing" commercials on TV...
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 5/26/99 episode: May 26, 1999: Apple's board brings in fresh blood, and it's khaki-colored. Meanwhile, iMacs have already started to surface in Sears, and an IBM executive reveals a sordid past of Microsoft nastiness in preparation for next week's return of "Redmond Justice..."
Other scenes from that episode: 1563: Shaky Out Of The Gate (5/26/99) Memorial Day weekend quickly approaches, and many of us in the U.S. are looking forward to a three-day weekend; a whole extra day to kick around the house, maybe defragment the old hard disk, apply a fresh coat of varnish to the garden gnomes, etc... 1564: Ugly Threats, Tasty Snacks (5/26/99) With only a few more days until "Redmond Justice" heads back into the courtroom, you can bet that fans of the antitrust melodrama are getting prepared: we expect the country will see a sudden spike in the money spent on snack foods and carbonated beverages as people gear up for justice parties everywhere...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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