[dilemma]

That's the quarter capitalist point of view.

The brand adoption cycle goes from Professional -> Prosumer -> Consumer. If you lose the pro market you lose brand equity that makes you a premium brand. Then, you eventually lose the consumer market and start cutting costs and prices to keep up.

[twblalock]

I don't believe that for a second. There are many successful companies that only target only one or two of those market segments.

Besides, Apple's products have traditionally attracted consumers and prosumers before professionals, e.g. the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone...

You've got the cycle wrong anyway. From Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations, it is traditionally: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority, Laggards. These are categories of people who have varying enthusiasm about trying new technology. They are not segmented into professionals and non-professionals. The first category includes all kinds of people, including consumers who want the latest and greatest iPhone for media consumption and playing Pokemon.

[astrodust]

That's how it works for markets but not individual products.

Cellular phones started with professionals, then prosumer, then consumer. The iPhone followed that track only because the market was significant in all areas, but it's worth noting they don't really have a "pro" phone.

Likewise, a lot of their pro gear is really expensive to engineer and the sales are thin. They'd rather make prosumer and consumer gear that they can crank out in volume.

Can't blame them, really. The entire PC market is imploding, so it's a lost cause to try and carve out new market share when everything's going to hell.