Nevertheless, in spite of incorporating the iMac's technical features in many of today's Wintel offerings no one has been able to create a PC that cuts directly into iMac sales. Few predicted the PC manufacturers' responses would so inadequately deal with the contingency that the iMac's appearance presented the industry. Even fewer observers realized the iMac would have such resistance to mere cosmetic imitation. I've been scratching my head in wonder for a year now over this logical conundrum and have a working hypothesis. I certainly welcome reader feedback on this topic since I believe it reveals issues central to understanding Apple's past and future success.
Corporate cultures create their destinies.
As Dell proudly reminds us in their advertising, they invented the online PC store business model, which garnered them amazing operational efficiencies and great profits. In fact, the online marketing of PCs is Michael Dell's one and only claim to history. Dell has never had a single PC hardware or software creative thought in his life, but he sure knows how to run a sales outfit. Likewise, Gateway has pioneered a number of creative marketing tools above and beyond the usual and this has made their business thrive. Dell and Gateway's business-orientated management have never envisioned their companies as anything more than marketing initiatives supported by product assembly lines.