1984年1月24日,，蘋(píng)果公司發(fā)布了第一臺(tái)Macintosh電腦。它是計(jì)算機(jī)史上最重要的電腦之一,，也是第一臺(tái)帶有圖形用戶界面（GUI）的大眾市場(chǎng)電腦,。它采用了屏幕一體機(jī)設(shè)計(jì)，并且自帶鼠標(biāo)——這兩個(gè)功能現(xiàn)在幾乎已經(jīng)是標(biāo)配了,，但在當(dāng)時(shí)還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)沒(méi)有普及,。

在接下來(lái)的許多年里，Mac系列電腦都是蘋(píng)果產(chǎn)品線中的中流砥柱,。

然而35年后,，很多事情都已經(jīng)改變了。Mac電腦依然暢銷,，每年都能創(chuàng)造幾十億美元的收入,。但在蘋(píng)果公司的產(chǎn)品線里，Mac已經(jīng)不像過(guò)去那么舉足輕重了,。

最近十多年,，iPhone才是蘋(píng)果最重要的產(chǎn)品，它將公司的收入和利潤(rùn)推向了新的高度,。而包含蘋(píng)果應(yīng)用商店（App Store）和蘋(píng)果音樂(lè)（Apple Music）在內(nèi)的蘋(píng)果服務(wù)部門(mén),，則已經(jīng)成為僅次于iPhone的蘋(píng)果第二大業(yè)務(wù)部門(mén)。Mac雖然排名第三,，但業(yè)務(wù)規(guī)模遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)落后,，增長(zhǎng)也陷入了停滯。

過(guò)去幾個(gè)財(cái)年,，Mac的銷售額基本上是一潭死水,。比如2014財(cái)年，Mac的銷售額為241億美元,，次年增長(zhǎng)到255億美元,，2016年則下降到228億美元，2017年又回升至259億美元,。2018財(cái)年,，Mac的銷售額又下滑到255億美元。就連年銷量也是差強(qiáng)人意,。2015財(cái)年,，蘋(píng)果每年還能賣出2060萬(wàn)臺(tái)Mac，但去年的銷量就只有1820萬(wàn)臺(tái)了。

對(duì)于一個(gè)年收入達(dá)到250億美元級(jí)別的業(yè)務(wù)部門(mén),，我們以乎也沒(méi)有理由對(duì)它評(píng)頭論足,。而且我們也應(yīng)該意識(shí)到，計(jì)算機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)不同于手機(jī)和軟件業(yè)務(wù),，消費(fèi)者并沒(méi)有經(jīng)常升級(jí)的迫切需求,。這幾年的趨勢(shì)也表明，蘋(píng)果要想讓Mac實(shí)現(xiàn)銷量的躍升,，顯然不是一件容易的事情,。

Mac銷量不景氣，一是受行業(yè)大氣候的影響——比如很多人買了移動(dòng)設(shè)備后就不需要購(gòu)買電腦了,，此外低價(jià)產(chǎn)品的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)也給Mac的銷量造成了沖擊,。二是因?yàn)樘O(píng)果公司的一些“自殘”的做法。

比如最近幾年,，蘋(píng)果搞出了一款備受吐槽的“蝴蝶鍵盤(pán)”設(shè)備,，遭到了廣泛差評(píng)。蘋(píng)果還想通過(guò)觸控條功能將Mac觸屏化,，但這個(gè)創(chuàng)新也反響平平,。另外，Mac系列真正的爆款產(chǎn)品（比如MacBook Pro等）很少有設(shè)計(jì)上的顯著改進(jìn),，導(dǎo)致很多消費(fèi)者不愿意花幾千美元買一臺(tái)跟老款看起來(lái)幾乎一模一樣的電腦,。（更別說(shuō)像Mac Mini和Mac Pro等型號(hào)要等好久才能迎來(lái)一次升級(jí)。）

所以說(shuō),，現(xiàn)在的現(xiàn)實(shí)是,，Mac的重要程度已經(jīng)排在了iPhone業(yè)務(wù)、服務(wù)業(yè)務(wù)和蘋(píng)果的很多其他項(xiàng)目后面,。經(jīng)典的Mac品牌也因此遭受了不小的打擊,。

展望2019年，我們?nèi)匀徊恢捞O(píng)果對(duì)Mac系列產(chǎn)品有何計(jì)劃,，只知道今年蘋(píng)果會(huì)推出一款新的Mac Pro電腦,。有些型號(hào)的Mac產(chǎn)品或許也會(huì)迎來(lái)更新。

在35歲生日這年,，Mac電腦能有什么突破性的成就嗎,？從目前掌握的情況看，結(jié)合蘋(píng)果最近的表現(xiàn),，似乎沒(méi)什么可能,。這實(shí)在太不幸了。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者:樸成奎

On January 24, 1984, Apple unveiled the first ever Macintosh computer. The machine, one of the most important computers ever released, was the first mass-market computer to ship with the graphical user interface (GUI) and came with a built-in screen and mouse—two features we take for granted today but weren’t ubiquitous at the time.

The Macintosh, or Mac, as it became known, helped to drive Apple’s business for years.

But 35 years later, things have changed. The Macs are still around, of course, and they still generate billions in revenue. But they don’t seem to carry the same weight at Apple as they once did.

For more than a decade, the iPhone has been Apple’s most important division, driving the company to new heights in revenue and profits. And in recent years, Apple’s Services division, which includes sales from Apple’s App Store, Apple Music, and others, has become the company’s second-largest business unit behind iPhone. The Mac is a distant—and stagnant—third.

Over its last several fiscal years, Mac sales have been largely static. In Apple’s 2014 fiscal year, for instance, Apple’s Mac sales stood at $24.1 billion. They grew to $25.5 billion the next year, dropped to $22.8 billion in 2016, and climbed back to $25.9 billion in 2017. Apple’s last fiscal year, Mac sales stood at $25.5 billion. Even unit sales each year have been stagnant, standing at 18.2 million last year—down from 20.6 million in Apple’s 2015 fiscal year.

Criticizing a division that makes $25 billion a year can be difficult. And it’s important to realize that the computer business is different from iPhones and Services, where people are willing to buy refreshes more often. But the trends over time suggest Apple is having some trouble jumpstarting the Mac.

Industry-wide trends, like people turning to mobile devices instead of computers, and competition from lower-priced options, are affecting Apple’s Mac sales. But the company is also hurting itself.

In just the last couple of years, Apple has been taken to task for a flawed “butterfly keyboard” design that was nearly universally disliked. The company’s Touch Bar was supposed to bring touchscreens to the Mac, but it largely fell flat. And with few design upgrades to Apple’s most popular computers, including the MacBook Pro, some folks are loath to spend thousands on a machine that looks nearly identical to their previous model. (And don’t even get me started on the long wait for Mac Mini and Mac Pro updates.)

The truth is, business realities make the Mac less important than the iPhone, Services, and other projects Apple is working on. And unfortunately, the iconic Mac brand has suffered because of it.

As we look ahead to 2019, there’s no telling what Apple has planned for Macs. We do know that the company will be showcasing a new Mac Pro this year, and some updates to some of its devices seem likely.

But will we have another groundbreaking Mac achievement at 35 years of age? Given what we know right now—and Apple’s recent track record—it seems unlikely. And that’s unfortunate.