Apple (2013) = Atari (1983) ?

[Blue Azure]

This is not a normal post for 7800-gaming, but it is a valid topic for conversation with historians about "what was" (Atari/1983) vs. "what will be" (Apple/2013). (Apple stock was at an all-time high of $703.99 on 9-19-2012, and sunk to $450 today, prompting this blog).

 

This is background that led to Atari's balk at GCC's original 7800 work. In 1983 nobody wanted the Atari 7800, except GCC of course. The 5200 was just released in 1982, who needed "yet another" new console? But by January, 1984 the Atari 7800 suddenly was priority #1 for Atari Inc. The pressure was on to save Atari. Then in July 1984 Jack bought it and killed it so we could come back 30 years later, making better and better games for the 7800.

 

Fast backward to January 1983, I believe this was the month Atari announced its first layoff. A company with about 7,000 employees worldwide, about 1,000 were suddenly cut. America's sweetheart of a company was laying off. Shocking. It was horrible and as we learned to find out, not a one-time occurrence. But times were different back then, there were jobs and most people were quickly absorbed - many going to Apple and some to SONY to design/build the Playstation.

 

THE COMPARISONS:

 

Atari Profile (January 1983)

 

Employees: 7,000+

 

The products: Atari 800 computer and peripherals, 2600 VCS, 5200 (Pokey, but no 2600 compat), and soon-coming 7800 (2600 compat, but no Pokey).

 

The re-treds: 2600A, 2600LC (low cost), VAL 2000, 2500, SEARS 2800, joystick this and that, and so much more. ET video game. Really?

 

The CEO: Jim Morgan was a fine CEO but no entrepeneur like Nolan Bushnell.

 

The mega-building: There was a building built in San Jose designed to house thousands of Atari employees. It never saw a single Atari employee.

 

Fast forward to January 2013, exactly 30 years later, Apple has not announced a layoff yet. What's taking so long? They have $137 Billion in the bank. With that kind of money, a dying company can live a long time. If Atari/Warner had 1/10 of that money in the bank in 1983, things could have, would have, should have been different.

 

Apple Profile (January 2013)

 

Employees: 72,800

 

The products: iOS, iPod, iPad, iMac, iSick (?), MBP, etc, AppleTV (will it ever be what it should be?).

 

The re-treds: (I'd have to research everything, but here's a few examples): iPhone G3, G4, G4S, G5, ...G6?, iWatch, iDickTracy, iShoephone> all phoney baloney. AppleTV1...AppleTV2...AppleTV3 still doesn't do what I want it to do. OSX10.8 Mt. Lion looks like a clone of OSX10.7 Lion. But it isn't. So there was a 1.9GB update to OSX10.7 to make it look like a clone of OSX10.8. What's the point? Nothing new and that's what killed Atari.

 

The CEO: Tim Cook is a fine CEO but no entrepeneur like Steve Jobs.

 

The mega-building: There are plans approved to raze the former glory of Cupertino's Hewlett-Packard and build a mega-spaceship to house 10,000+ employees and their cars. Will this ever happen? Meanwhile, during a recent voyage to Silicon Valley I was planning to go to the Sunnyvale Post Office on Pastoria Ave, and there was NO BUILDING and a huge crater in the ground. I asked people across the street if they found black gold in the hole, and they said, no, it's Apple...They're building a 6-floor building with underground garage. Really? What for? Whatever remains of Apple in ca.2015?

 

What will become of Apple? In 30 years, will there be a www.appleage.com and people clammering "Long Live Apple?"

[7800 Emucoder]

Apple started before Atari.

[+Mitch]

Apple started before Atari.

 

??

 

Steve Jobs worked at Atari before he started Apple...

 

Mitch

[desiv]

If history holds true, Apple won't be doing what it's doing now in 30 years...

But it will be doing something different and probably well...

 

They will probably almost go out of business a few times, but that's one company I wouldn't bet against..

 

I don't see Apple as similar to Atari in that respect.

 

desiv

Edited January 24, 2013 by desiv

[8th lutz]

Apple started before Atari.

Not true. Apple was founded in 1976 and Atari was founded in 1972. Steve Jobs worked at Atari in 1975 also. You can say his stay at Atari helped Steve Jobs founding Apple based on what Steve Wozniak did with breakout with the pay Steve Jobs got from Atari besides the other things Jobs and Wozniak for starting Apple Inc.

Edited January 24, 2013 by 8th lutz

[akator]

There is no comparison between Atari in 1983 and Apple in 2013.

 

The recent stock drop has not changed that fact that Apple is still one of the most valuable companies in the world and in recorded history. Atari never was .

 

At one point during Atari's peak success under Warner ownership, Atari was valued in the hundreds of millions. By the time of the crash it was much, much less.

 

Apple is currently valued in the hundreds of billions. A billion is a thousand million. That means Apple is currently worth 1,000 times more than Atari was at its peak.

 

I cannot think of any situation where 1000 is comparable to 1. Money? No. Bees? No. Years? No. Anything? No.

[7800 Emucoder]

Not true. Apple was founded in 1976 and Atari was founded in 1972. Steve Jobs worked at Atari in 1975 also. You can say his stay at Atari helped Steve Jobs founding Apple based on what Steve Wozniak did with breakout with the pay Steve Jobs got from Atari besides the other things Jobs and Wozniak for starting Apple Inc.

Fine.

 

But Apple started before the VCS was released, and in 2013 they are still one of the biggest players in the home computing market, whereas Atari hasn't even been a bit player for close to 30 years.

 

Atari's glory years lasted from 1977-1983. Apple's lasted from 1984-2013+. They aren't even remotely comparable.

[desiv]

I cannot think of any situation where 1000 is comparable to 1

Value when multiplied by zero?

1000*0 = 0

1*0 = 0

 

There you go!

 

desiv

(And don't get me started about number of letters in a name starting with the letter A... Aha!!)

Edited January 25, 2013 by desiv

[8th lutz]

Fine.

 

But Apple started before the VCS was released, and in 2013 they are still one of the biggest players in the home computing market, whereas Atari hasn't even been a bit player for close to 30 years.

 

Atari's glory years lasted from 1977-1983. Apple's lasted from 1984-2013+. They aren't even remotely comparable.

 

I was only quoting you because of your claim of Apple got started before Atari only.

 

Mitch questioned you with that also. It was nothing about when the VCS got started or the glory years of Apple. I can tell you that not all the years you mentioned were not glory years for Apple. Apple was declining for for years before Steve Jobs took over Apple again. Apple was declining in the late 1980's to the point Steve Jobs had to take over.

Edited January 25, 2013 by 8th lutz

[Mirage]

So? Apple's earnings last quarter were at an all-time high.

 

They will continue to innovate and do just fine. Maybe not as well as in the past, or maybe better, but they're no Atari 1983.

 

Move along, nothing to see here.

[DracIsBack]

LOL - Apple is in pretty amazing shape financially. They could probably pay all their employees to sit at a desk and not do anything for several years at this point.

[Jinks]

Maybe blackberry?? If the ten dont save them..

[Atarifever]

Maybe blackberry?? If the ten dont save them..

No worries about them now. They've opened their security stuff up to iPhones and Androids now, and are refocusing on the businss client. It's a pretty bullet-proof strategy that has tripled their stock lately (obviously far below Apple or their own high). Got an iPhone? Got an Android? Got a Blackberry? Your business can pay RIM to keep them all secure. You're out of trouble when you've figured out how to make money from people purchasing your competitors. They never would have been in trouble if they had ignored the general consumer market a bit more and focused on their business user more. People like me who don't ever use Youtube on the phone, but always use email on there, will choose Blackberry. No one else will no matter what you do. You don't take iPhone share from the iPhone, that's just silly, unless you're Google.

[Chuck D. Head]

 

 

I cannot think of any situation where 1000 is comparable to 1. Money? No. Bees? No. Years? No. Anything? No.

A beach with only 1 grain of sand or 1000 grains of sand; not much difference.