作为美国最大的汽车生产商，通用汽车公司曾经代表了美国一代中产阶级的追求，但公司却在2009年迅速垮台;可同样接受经济危机洗礼的苹果公司和宜家公司，一个马不停蹄地用高端新品吸引全球目光，一个继续以价廉物美笼络顾客，两家公司的生意都蒸蒸日上。通用破产的背后折射出市场格局的动荡：一头是价格高昂的名牌产品，一头是价格低廉走平民路线的产品，原本作为中流砥柱的中端市场正被不断侵蚀。
Apple’slaunchoftheiPadisagambleinmorewaysthanone.[1] Tostartwith, it’sobviouslyabetthattherearemillionsofpeoplelookingforanewwaytosurftheWeb, watchmovies, andreadmagazines. Butit’salsoamorefundamentalgamble; namely, thatpeoplewillpayforquality. Startingatfivehundreddollars, theiPadissignificantlymoreexpensivethanitscompetitors. ButApple’sassumptionisthat, iftheiPadisalsosignificantlybetter, peoplewillhappilyshelloutforit (astheyalreadydoforiPods, iPhones, andMacs).[2] That’swhywhenSteveJobs[3] firstintroducedtheiPadhesaidthat, ifaproductwasn’t “farbetter” thanwhatwasalreadyoutthere, ithad “noreasonforbeing.”
ForApple, whichhasenjoyedenormoussuccessinrecentyears, “builditandtheywillpay” isbusinessasusual. Butit’snotauniversalbusinesstruth. Onthecontrary, companieslikeIkea, H. & M., andthemakersoftheFlipVideocameraareflourishingnotbysellingproductsorservicesthatare “farbetter” thananyoneelse’sbutbysellingthingsthataren’tbadandcostalotless.[4] Theseproductsaremuchbetterthanthecheapstuffyouusedtobuy, andtheytendtobeappealinglystyled, but, unlikeApple, thecompaniesaren’ttryingtobuildthebestmousetrapoutthere. Instead, they’reengagedinthe “good-enoughrevolution.” Forthem, thekeytosuccessisn’texcellence. It’swell-pricedadequacy.