Leader: Apple for business?

When it comes to 'lifestyle computing', Apple is king. It could well be argued it not only perfected but invented the concept of computers being (or at least looking) cool.

But will it ever be able to translate its lifestyle prowess into enterprise pounds?

The lifestyle agenda gets all the press. It's sexier - it's U2 at product launches, it's colourful music players that slip into a shirt pocket.

And it's where Apple gets the most return on Steve Jobs' vision and charisma. The last thing on the mind of those purchasing hardware and software for a business environment is the cool factor, whereas for so many consumers it's top of the list.

This week at Macworld Apple unleashed two products that could be seen as contenders for office space.

First the iWorks suite - a word processor and slideshow application - which goes another step towards making sure you can perform of all your at-work tasks without launching Microsoft software.

Second the Mac mini, aka the 'Headless Mac', a low-cost (for Apple) desktop system that comes sans monitor and keyboard.

This system is Apple's way of capitalising on the popularity of its iPod music player - research has shown iPod users are keen to choose Macs over PCs (and perhaps even more likely to choose a cheap Mac). And it's a way, as Jobs said in his keynote, to make sure "people thinking of switching have no more excuses".

Those "people" include not just music-happy consumers but also IT directors and others who make buying decisions for businesses.

It remains to be seen how popular the Mac mini will be with either of these groups, though it's likely to be a steeper hill to climb with the corporate folks.

Along with the original question posed here - will Apple succeed in the enterprise? - comes another: Does it want to?

Short answer: Yes. Who wouldn't want a slice of that pie? And Apple needs to go beyond the iPod to bolster profits down the road.

But we're betting Jobs isn't losing too much sleep over it. Style will always be Apple's best selling point and it will never matter to corporate types.

Plus those grey suits - they just don't go with black turtlenecks.