Apple becoming a one trick pony

[tentales]

Referring to this story:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102187628
watch the pro & con video

I'm not subscribing to either one opinion, but I am leaning towards those that are saying the jig may be up next year unless we see more signs of Apple pushing the envelope further.

1. The mobile phone fad phase victims: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Blackberry... is Apple next ?
Each manufacturer led the space about 6-8 years. People want constant change and new revolutionary devices, the iPhone turns 8 in 2015. What do you think about its future ?

2. Tablets. Fad phase or here to stay ?
Personally I've gone through a maturing process. When the iPad first appeared it was fantastic and a new way to do many common "PC tasks" untethered from your office desk, but is it really replacing the desk PC or Laptop as the #1 productivity device, or is it rather a consumption device for Movies, Music, Books & Games ? Will we want to continue paying the Apple premium when M.M.B.Gs look and sound the same on nearly any tablet ?

3) MacBooks. IMHO best engineered and longest running consistent product from Apple. Will it stay that way ?

4) Hybrids or the http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eierlegende_Wollmilchsau
The larger iPhones, especially the Plus is replacing the tablet for many, contributing to declining iPad sales. Is there any point in still having an iPad Mini ?
My point is, we want to carry less and less diverse devices and ideally want one device to "rule them all". A phone with VNC or Airplay could easily transform into a work PC with the right accessories.
Microsoft's Surface Tablet is an interesting direction. Why couldn't Apple merge the Macbook Air with the iPad Air ?

5) Watch & other "breaking new ground" devices.
Personally, I was very disappointed in the last presentation. The watch didn't wow me. What, a smaller screen remote control for your iPhone ?
Will it outsell iPhones or even be in the top 3 Apple products of all time ?

I'm posing these 5 questions to encourage a healthy debate.
Please think about a mature response / opinion.

Agree, disagree with me, but I would appreciate if name calling, Apple/Android bashing and the usual dick measuring could be kept out of it. It turns most adults off and I want to honestly hear about diverse opinions and not be distracted by verbal abuses.

Poll vote:
1) Yes, Apple jig is up in 2015
2) No, Apple's just warming up and has a long way to go.
3) I don't know

 

[Astroboy907]

The only things Apple really has going for it are
1. Easy to use
2. Good looks
3. Good build quality.

If they were some Android based phone with the same specs and a plastic body, I'm betting Apple would be where Blackberry is sitting right now.

The iPhone really doesn't have much going for it, but it will stay alive due to "ease of use" customers.

Same for iPad and MacBooks - for people wanting "ease of use" and "thin and light". They will continue on for at least a couple years more.

I'd love to see Apple make a hybrid and they are moving closer and closer to this, but it will be at least a year before anything really happens I'm betting.

My guess is that the Apple watch will be a fad. A long fad, but a fad. People will be so enamored with it when it comes out that they just have to have one, only to figure out that it is literally a watch. With a screen. It will probably stay on for a few years, and either a) continue on and smartwatches will keep getting better and better, or b) Die the iPod Classic death


I'm quite sure that Apple will be sticking around for quite a while longer, but as they go on they keep on alienating their original core user group, and replacing it with non-power-users. I'm guessing that in 20 years, most of us that are here now won't be using Apple computers anymore.
At least those are my feelings about it

Edit: I should clarify that I didn't watch the video. lol.

 

[sand_man]

Smart phones get smarter, their owners don't.

If you were to compare a list of your favorite apps today and that which you had installed on your 1st or 2nd smart phone 7 years ago, I bet that list would look more or less the same!

Fundamentally we using our smart phones now for the same tasks that we did 5 or 6 years ago.

Humanity is a one trick pony. We creatures of habit and strive for simplicity, continuity and intuitivity (sic) in our lives! Apple, in that regard, not only remains relevant but continues to entrench their footprint on global markets.

 

[Rogifan]

The only things Apple really has going for it are
1. Easy to use
2. Good looks
3. Good build quality.

If they were some Android based phone with the same specs and a plastic body, I'm betting Apple would be where Blackberry is sitting right now.

The iPhone really doesn't have much going for it, but it will stay alive due to "ease of use" customers.

Same for iPad and MacBooks - for people wanting "ease of use" and "thin and light". They will continue on for at least a couple years more.

I'd love to see Apple make a hybrid and they are moving closer and closer to this, but it will be at least a year before anything really happens I'm betting.

My guess is that the Apple watch will be a fad. A long fad, but a fad. People will be so enamored with it when it comes out that they just have to have one, only to figure out that it is literally a watch. With a screen. It will probably stay on for a few years, and either a) continue on and smartwatches will keep getting better and better, or b) Die the iPod Classic death


I'm quite sure that Apple will be sticking around for quite a while longer, but as they go on they keep on alienating their original core user group, and replacing it with non-power-users. I'm guessing that in 20 years, most of us that are here now won't be using Apple computers anymore.
At least those are my feelings about it

Edit: I should clarify that I didn't watch the video. lol.

The iPhone doesn't have much going for it? What??

 

[Astroboy907]

The iPhone doesn't have much going for it? What??

I mean, it just got a 4.7" screen and NFC payments. Which are limited to Apple Pay. Hardware-wise it doesn't have much going for it, it's actually a little behind the curve (where apple tends to stay with it's products).

Apple has consistently shown that they can continue to put mediocre hardware into products as long as it comes with iOS or OS X
I for one, am tired of it. But that is just one persons opinion

 

[satcomer]

I sure hope someone figures out the HUB style of networking. Sure AC is trying but is not fully there yet. I bet a good number of you think you are getting 5GHz speed on 2.4 channels!

 

[firedept]

I am in agreement with most of your topics. The only one I have a different opinion on is the iPhone. I believe Apple still has room to work with on this device. Both in hardware and in style. It's biggest advantage to date in my opinion is the apps that are available to it.

As for the iWatch and iPad, they can go by the wayside for all I care. Unless I can be productive on a device, I see no value in it. When my iPad dies, I will not replace them. I will never own an iWatch.

The Mac Pro, MacBook and iMac are all still good in my opinion but need to head a bit backwards, where they were more user upgradable. Apple charges way to much for upgrades that can be done for a minimum of what Apple charges, plus the fact that better upgrade parts can be found by the user, than what Apple offers. Very productive machines.

I do not believe Apple is going to sink anytime soon. They have a lot of resources and very smart people running the ship. I do believe they could use some NEW thinking though. But then again, what do I really know?

 

[fisha]

Im not sure I would call Apple a one trick pony, but I do think they need to be careful to not be resting on their laurels a little bit ... and the iPhone 6 is a case in point.

To me, its not that great a product compared to the other phones available ... or more to the point in my case, its just not worth the extra money over other phones. I've just renewed my phone, and the 6 was an option, but it was just too much money all round ... and its not really that i couldn't afford either, just wasn't worth it. ( I got an xperia Z3 in case youre wondering )

And I think thats a little where Apple is heading too much ... just pushing the price beyond what iis worth it ( even considering what you could call premium pricing )

Regarding iPads, I think that a) they are still primarily consumption b) at a spec where they can handle just about all consumption aand have been a for a while now c) as a result, people less likely to upgrade cause the device does and continues to do what they expect of it. Even Cook commented to a similar effect that the product life of iPads was something that was hard to predict.

Laptops / Desktops - whole heartedly agree with previous comments of should be able to upgrade some aspects. People who buy desktops and laptops are generally not luddites (for the most part) and shouldn't be treated like them.

Apple Watch - I think it'll always be a sideline product like AppleTV - but the correct market to be in at the moment.


I think Apple will be around for a bit yet, but that there is becoming a bit of a disconnect between what Apple tells us is innovative/great and what we the public consider desirable/want

 

[Menel]

I mean, it just got a 4.7" screen and NFC payments. Which are limited to Apple Pay. Hardware-wise it doesn't have much going for it, it's actually a little behind the curve (where apple tends to stay with it's products).

Apple has consistently shown that they can continue to put mediocre hardware into products as long as it comes with iOS or OS X
I for one, am tired of it. But that is just one persons opinion

In what way is the hardware behind? I think you may be confused.
The A8 crushes all or almost all other SOC.
The camera is class leading on low light performance.

I don't know of any factor where they lag on hardware... at least until the spring android refreshes.

 

[roadbloc]

You never know, Apple may have a field of ponies for the future...

 

[decafjava]

In what way is the hardware behind? I think you may be confused.
The A8 crushes all or almost all other SOC.
The camera is class leading on low light performance.

I don't know of any factor where they lag on hardware... at least until the spring android refreshes.

I agree, of course this part of the race, a kind of endless leapfrog.

 

[Astroboy907]

In what way is the hardware behind? I think you may be confused.
The A8 crushes all or almost all other SOC.
The camera is class leading on low light performance.

I don't know of any factor where they lag on hardware... at least until the spring android refreshes.

More like what firedept and fisha said... that Apple is starting to rest on it's laurels a bit, at least with the MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. Not much has happened with them that the industry has not expected of them. To me, it's like they keep re-releasing the product saying that it's a little bit better, a little bit faster, but it will have the same effect on the industry as the original iPhone.

 

[tentales]

More like what firedept and fisha said... that Apple is starting to rest on it's laurels a bit, at least with the MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. Not much has happened with them that the industry has not expected of them. To me, it's like they keep re-releasing the product saying that it's a little bit better, a little bit faster, but it will have the same effect on the industry as the original iPhone.

Yep, you summed it up pretty good and that's exactly my impression also.
While not even the great Steve Jobs was infallible, he did push Apple out of the depths of depression in the late 90s to where it is now. I just see no new energy (leader) appearing at Apple to leapfrog today's technology status quo like they did last decade.

TBH, I don't think 2015 will be a Blackberry type event, but I believe we've reached the pinnacle and they will continue doing well enough but never better.
Just look at the discounts on all of their products lately, never before have we seen much more than 5-10% discounts once or twice a year. Now it's more like 20% especially on iPads and straight up $100 price drops on MacBooks because the incremental features cannot sustain the previous price levels.

 

[phrehdd]

I am in agreement with most of your topics. The only one I have a different opinion on is the iPhone. I believe Apple still has room to work with on this device. Both in hardware and in style. It's biggest advantage to date in my opinion is the apps that are available to it.

As for the iWatch and iPad, they can go by the wayside for all I care. Unless I can be productive on a device, I see no value in it. When my iPad dies, I will not replace them. I will never own an iWatch.

The Mac Pro, MacBook and iMac are all still good in my opinion but need to head a bit backwards, where they were more user upgradable. Apple charges way to much for upgrades that can be done for a minimum of what Apple charges, plus the fact that better upgrade parts can be found by the user, than what Apple offers. Very productive machines.

I do not believe Apple is going to sink anytime soon. They have a lot of resources and very smart people running the ship. I do believe they could use some NEW thinking though. But then again, what do I really know?

For what its worth, I totally agree with your thoughts here. What Apple (in my opinion) is doing is a very directional marketing scheme at the cost of usable innovation. Look how long Thunderbolt was around and by the time it was more accepted, Thunderbolt 2 came out. If people took the time to really think about what makes for a good device, Apple gets an A+ in some areas of usability and an epic FAIL in other areas by their own choice. After all, they are not just selling hardware they are selling a supposed life style.

 

[deluxeshredder]

I think Apple generally has a good track record with relatively few disaster products over the years. It will be very interesting to see how the Apple Watch will evolve and if the Mac Pro will get any decent competition.

 

[cambookpro]

Apple will be fine for a least the next 5 years, and probably a lot longer. When you have the user base with the brand loyalty that Apple has, even if the next iPhone only had one new feature, millions would still sell.

That doesn't mean Apple should try and get away with doing as little as possible. It's been quite a while since they came out with a new product and people gasped at how wonderful it was. The iPhone 4 is obviously a good example of this, but I also think the 2010 MacBook Air redesign, iPad 2 and retina MBPs came close to this. Possibly the new Mac Pro, but opinions seem divided on that one.

Next year is, at the moment, pencilled in to be a year of incremental upgrades for Apple - iPhone 6S, 10.11, iOS 9, a new iPad and perhaps a spec bump to their Mac line. The only thing I can see being exciting is the Apple Watch - if it's priced competitively enough to get enough consumers, and therefore developers, using it - and the rumoured fanless MacBooks. Even then, that doesn't exactly fill you with excitement.

I don't think its specifically an Apple problem - the whole consumer tech industry seems to be slowing down. There's only so much faster you can make a phone, and so much thinner you can make a tablet. Until something absolutely revolutionary comes along, Apple will continue to do fine, even if they don't set the world alight any more.

I would say I'd like to think Apple may start to concentrate more on the 'pro' user base they seemed to alienate the past half a decade, but I just can't see that happening. A more upgradeable line of computers, a working version of FCPX, a new display etc would all be welcome additions, but I can't really see Apple going that way considering how well their other products do.

 

[Naimfan]

I voted for the jig is up, but I doubt it will happen next year. Apple has a lot of momentum (to put it positively) or inertia (to put it more negatively.

Right now, I think Apple's wave is cresting, just as Google's did, just as Microsoft's did, as Dell's did, etc. Apple will remain an enormous company, but it seems very unlikely that it will ever produce another iconic product (the original Mac, the multicolored iMacs, and the iPod, to name what I think are the three most significant).

From here, Apple will continue to make large sums of money, to produce lots and lots of devices, and will, every once in a while, come up with something like Apple Pay that has the potential to make life a little more convenient, a little bit better. But its days of developing and dominating new product categories is over.

 

[Astroboy907]

I voted for the jig is up, but I doubt it will happen next year. Apple has a lot of momentum (to put it positively) or inertia (to put it more negatively.

Right now, I think Apple's wave is cresting, just as Google's did, just as Microsoft's did, as Dell's did, etc. Apple will remain an enormous company, but it seems very unlikely that it will ever produce another iconic product (the original Mac, the multicolored iMacs, and the iPod, to name what I think are the three most significant).

From here, Apple will continue to make large sums of money, to produce lots and lots of devices, and will, every once in a while, come up with something like Apple Pay that has the potential to make life a little more convenient, a little bit better. But its days of developing and dominating new product categories is over.

And so Apple follows the path of every other tech giant... HP, Dell, Microsoft, IBM... it's days are numbered.

 

[decafjava]

And so Apple follows the path of every other tech giant... HP, Dell, Microsoft, IBM... it's days are numbered.

Uhhh HP, Dell, Microsoft, IBM are still here?

 

[barkmonster]

Smart phones get smarter, their owners don't.

If you were to compare a list of your favorite apps today and that which you had installed on your 1st or 2nd smart phone 7 years ago, I bet that list would look more or less the same!

Fundamentally we using our smart phones now for the same tasks that we did 5 or 6 years ago.

Humanity is a one trick pony. We creatures of habit and strive for simplicity, continuity and intuitivity (sic) in our lives! Apple, in that regard, not only remains relevant but continues to entrench their footprint on global markets.

It's still just a PDA, music player and phone to me. I don't have many apps I use often and the one's I do are for shopping, storing documents like Acrobat reader or a spreadsheet app.

The iTunes/Podcast issue is the biggest downgrade for me. They're obsessed with "Pretty" over "functional", hence the coverflow view. You can't add Podcasts to playlists (or even music library files to Podcasts within the pointless Podcast app). You can't add items from existing playlists to other playlists either which is a pain if you have a lot of smart-playlists in the iTunes off your Mac that you want with you. These are a counter-intuitive and change for the sake of it "features" that represent fixing something that wasn't broken.

I don't like the way they're heading towards disposable technology either.

There's no basic "Mac" that isn't an all-in-one or low-spec compromise based on bargain bucket 13" Macbook CPUs, there's only a questionably useful workstation with zero internal expansion for a bloated price (I'm aware that the Mac Pro is meant to actually be good value because of the price of it's components but a single 8-core or 12-core is WAY more expensive than 2 x 4-core/6-core Xeons so the design choice is the problem here).

I love their laptops, I'd get a 15" Retina in a second if I could justify the cost but there's nothing in the way of desktops worth buying. I don't want a quad i5 iMac because it's an all-in-one, I don't want a dual i5 Mac Mini because it's underpowered with soldered RAM and even if I was in the market for an iMac, the BTO options are financially rediculous.

That leaves the used market for a 2009-2012 Mac Pro or for a quad i7 2012 Mac Mini (That was the "compromise" system they did offer before killing it off with the new models). Throughout the whole PPC era, there was always a range of full desktop systems, even the first Mac Pro had a BTO option of a dual 2Ghz system for £1,100 less than the cost of the current entry level Mac Pro.

The days of actually recommending a desktop Mac to anyone who doesn't want a laptop and wouldn't want an all-in-one are over and have been for some time. I'm not suggesting I jump ship to Windows, that'll never happen, I just mean they're really tight on specs/upgradability and obsessed with design over functionality.

 

[TimelessOne]

In terms of being the god company I honestly believe Apples days are numbers there.
At one point it was Microsoft and they fell out of favor. Yes MS is still big powerful and is not going anywhere soon it is not longer the top dog. Google will still be relevant for a long time. They used to be one of the tops as well. Now they are just another huge company.

IBM was top dog and now they are still moving along fine but changes their focus. Heck as a company I honestly believe IBM will out last Apple or microsoft.

Apple is huge but is going to become just another large tech company out there. I do not expect them to keep making waves. Apple biggest issue I see is they stay so lock into their more limited space that they are not trying to expand into new areas. Apple has never been a company that really push the boundaries and does things that are moon shots. Google and Microsoft do a lot of moon shots. Most fail but they are doing them. Apple tends to sit back and let those happen and jump in when it thinks the wave is starting to grow.

 

[samiznaetekto]

The gold Watch is the proverbial last nail in the 's coffin. Because it's the most ridiculous thing ever. It's like gold-plated Honda Civic - it's the same cheap stuff inside, but it's gold outside... a gold Honda Civic for $100M!

This ridiculousness just shows that totally lost any track of reality.

 

[lowendlinux]

It's still just a PDA, music player and phone to me. I don't have many apps I use often and the one's I do are for shopping, storing documents like Acrobat reader or a spreadsheet app.

The iTunes/Podcast issue is the biggest downgrade for me. They're obsessed with "Pretty" over "functional", hence the coverflow view. You can't add Podcasts to playlists (or even music library files to Podcasts within the pointless Podcast app). You can't add items from existing playlists to other playlists either which is a pain if you have a lot of smart-playlists in the iTunes off your Mac that you want with you. These are a counter-intuitive and change for the sake of it "features" that represent fixing something that wasn't broken.

I don't like the way they're heading towards disposable technology either.

There's no basic "Mac" that isn't an all-in-one or low-spec compromise based on bargain bucket 13" Macbook CPUs, there's only a questionably useful workstation with zero internal expansion for a bloated price (I'm aware that the Mac Pro is meant to actually be good value because of the price of it's components but a single 8-core or 12-core is WAY more expensive than 2 x 4-core/6-core Xeons so the design choice is the problem here).

I love their laptops, I'd get a 15" Retina in a second if I could justify the cost but there's nothing in the way of desktops worth buying. I don't want a quad i5 iMac because it's an all-in-one, I don't want a dual i5 Mac Mini because it's underpowered with soldered RAM and even if I was in the market for an iMac, the BTO options are financially rediculous.

That leaves the used market for a 2009-2012 Mac Pro or for a quad i7 2012 Mac Mini (That was the "compromise" system they did offer before killing it off with the new models). Throughout the whole PPC era, there was always a range of full desktop systems, even the first Mac Pro had a BTO option of a dual 2Ghz system for £1,100 less than the cost of the current entry level Mac Pro.

The days of actually recommending a desktop Mac to anyone who doesn't want a laptop and wouldn't want an all-in-one are over and have been for some time. I'm not suggesting I jump ship to Windows, that'll never happen, I just mean they're really tight on specs/upgradability and obsessed with design over functionality.

The new Mac Pro is generally fine for enterprise as the computers there generally stay static and are replaced on a regular schedule. The problem is enterprise really isn't Apples market, Apples market is consumers and jobbers/independents, those people need what the older MP offered.

 

[gnasher729]

The gold Watch is the proverbial last nail in the 's coffin. Because it's the most ridiculous thing ever. It's like gold-plated Honda Civic - it's the same cheap stuff inside, but it's gold outside... a gold Honda Civic for $100M!

This ridiculousness just shows that totally lost any track of reality.

And yet you will see many people who get photographed a lot buying (or otherwise acquiring) these gold watches, and they will not think of them as being expensive. They don't buy an Apple Watch, they buy a gold watch. And since these people are photographed a lot, Apple products will be seen a lot, which is all advertisement for Apple.

 

[tentales]

And yet you will see many people who get photographed a lot buying (or otherwise acquiring) these gold watches, and they will not think of them as being expensive. They don't buy an Apple Watch, they buy a gold watch. And since these people are photographed a lot, Apple products will be seen a lot, which is all advertisement for Apple.

I dunno, I might have the minority opinion here, but I don't "wear" Apple products for show. In fact, I make a point of making myself not a target for thieves.

My iPhone has a black no-name thin case around it and I keep it out of view, my Macbook Air is visible when outside my unpretentious looking shoulder bag, but I don't sit in a coffee shop pretending to work while phishing for a date and the last thing I'd need is an watch to completely out myself as a nerd alongside the "glass holes" from the Google camp.

I wear a real watch, a self-winding swiss made watch for over 10 years and it never needs winding nor software updates. No need for brandishing brand names. I like quality products, by I'm no one's walking billboard.

While I don't think the watch will be a "nail in the coffin", it'll be like the Apple Newton and fade away after an initial fad phase.