06/15/98 STEVE JOBS, LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

STEVE JOBS, LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

I just finished reading ''Back to the future at Apple'' (Information Technology, May 25). I am 13 years old and a loyal Mac supporter. I have always had an Apple or a Mac to use. Now, I am trying to buy a new computer. I looked around for the cheapest one I could find without sacrificing quality. I noticed the sad fact that most Macs were way more expensive than other computers.
I may wait until the iMac comes out in August. After learning that it will not include a floppy drive and will have only a 33.6 modem, though, I will probably not buy it. I might have to get a Windows PC. I think Apple could make a comeback if they had the software and could make Macs cheaper without sacrificing quality.
Nicolas Gauthier
Wilmington, Del.

Steve Jobs continues to confuse marketing with promotion and promotion with hype. Marketing requires listening to customers, something Mr. Jobs seldom does. Promotion requires providing the customer with information. Does he really think that hype (e.g., fancy colors and jazzy commercials) will make up for lack of functionality (e.g., a slow modem and no floppy drive)?
And he still doesn't seem to understand that his real competitor is not Dell Computer Corp. (or other PC manufacturers) but Microsoft. Until he licenses his still superior operating system to the widest possible array of hardware suppliers, there will never be enough Mac OS computers in the hands of users for Apple to be more than a fringe player, and Apple will have to continue to depend on a dwindling band of loyalists (like me) for support.
Michael Hayes
Westminster, Colo.