Apple - the return to the ordinary

[throAU]

All i know is that my 2015 Macbook is the best portable i've ever owned, my iPhone 6 is the best phone I've ever used (even with its caveats) and as an ecosystem, if you're invested in it mostly it just works.

yes there are flaws, but seriously... products now are definitely better than when steve was around.

don't forget, OS X Lion, no app store for iOS, and mobile ME and Apple Maps were on all Steve's watch.

I think people forget that there was a lot of total crap that apple put out under Steve.

I could go on.. hockey puck mouse, the original Mac (and how he didn't even want it to have a single port), etc.
[doublepost=1459344804][/doublepost]Don't get me wrong, i'm a jobs fan, but seriously.... he's gone, he was human, he made mistakes, just like anyone else and just like perhaps some of the Apple team are doing from time to time now. At least they're actually trying things, and not just smashing out garbage at rock bottom price and driving quality down to get there.

There's simply nothing available on the market for example that gets me the same real world battery life, 1.4 gigabytes per second SSD transfer speed and a trackpad that works to compare to my Macbook.

And it's not just the mac. I've got the full Apple stack at home from airport to iPad to Mac and if i was to try and get anything like the sort of synchronisation. compatibility and credential caching, etc. between devices there's simply no other single vendor that does it out of the box.

If you're simply comparing hardware spec to whatever you can get cheaper from ASUS you're missing the point.

 

[kshitijshah]

Right now I see Apple playing it safe, looking not to lose, where as years ago, Apple was playing to win. In sports when teams play not to lose they typically do.

This line summarises it perfectly. Apple post Jobs is not confident of what will work and hence is throwing everything possible at the customer. The new upgrade plans for the iPhones are a key example that they want customers to continue to buy the iPhone because it's easy to buy them and not because it's going to be a great product. Phil was literally begging Windows users to switch to the iPad Pro. They never needed to use these tricks earlier with great products. Legacy can only carry you so far. I don't think one more colour on the iPhone is going to excite people anymore.
It doesn't take long for tech companies to fall from grace. Look at Nokia and Blackberry. I'm not saying Apple is even close to that yet but if they continue only with new colours and screen sizes over the next two years they will be.

 

[zhenya]

I don't think that the new Apple is bad; I'm still a loyal customer, love my rMB, like my AW way more than I ever expected, and will probably buy a new iPP because I've been waiting forever for a great stylus on the iPad. That said, I do feel that some of the magic is gone. There was a golden age under Jobs where the company was extraordinarily consumer-focused and that is what drove them to the heights they are at today. Now it's easy to say that more choice is good for the consumer because in a sense that is true - but much of the magic that has been lost at Apple is the fact that so many of their new hardware and software offerings are confusing to the average customer. This is exactly what Jobs was focused on weeding out - and it's something that is extraordinarily difficult to do in this industry - so difficult that Apple under Jobs was probably the only company to ever get it right - and they were only able to maintain that for a short period of time.

 

[kerrikins]

Well that actually kinda proves his point rather than destroying it..
AW is a total flop, its less than half baked as a product and more than that it way behind the other vendors in terms of features and functionality. it's one of two returns i have made of apple products..

And yes they've sold some, but thats more the result of the fanboys who would buy ANYTHING with the logo on.

Their sales are dominating the smartwatch industry. Your personal opinion of a product is not what deems it a success or not. Either way, my point was that the article is cherry-picking by implying that Apple has not come up with anything new since 2010, which is patently false.

 

[Dave245]

Their sales are dominating the smartwatch industry. Your personal opinion of a product is not what deems it a success or not. Either way, my point was that the article is cherry-picking by implying that Apple has not come up with anything new since 2010, which is patently false.

To be honest I don't think it matters what Apple does there are still going to be the people who say that Apple is doomed or that the innovation has gone since Steve Jobs died. People wanted bigger screened iPhones, Apple created them (4.7" and the 5.5") and people still moaned and groaned, Apple kept the 4" and turned it into the SE and people are still moaning. It doesn't matter what Apple does they won't win with some people, the iPhone is still the best smartphone on the market, I can't see that changing any time soon, the Mac is the best laptop on the market, I can't see that changing any time soon and the iPad is the best tablet on the market and I can't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Gjwilly]

Apple has gone from just a manufacturer to a content provider. iTunes, App Store, iAds, News.....
Giving consumers choice is the byproduct but I think their goal has become to get their devices in as many hands as they can. What better way to sell their content.

 

[yep-sure]

To be honest I don't think it matters what Apple does there are still going to be the people who say that Apple is doomed or that the innovation has gone since Steve Jobs died.

It's this sort of mentality that stops these discussions from going any further.

No one in this thread is saying Apple is doomed. No one in this thread is saying Steve Jobs never made mistakes. No one in this thread is saying the Jobs era of Apple was perfect. And I'm pretty sure the article didn't either.

The point is - the Apple of the Jobs era was all about creating products that provided an amazing user experience. That user experience was the core driver of sales. This is not the case in present day Apple. It doesn't mean Apple is doomed, but it is different than it was and there's nothing wrong with comparing.

People wanted bigger screened iPhones, Apple created them (4.7" and the 5.5") and people still moaned and groaned, Apple kept the 4" and turned it into the SE and people are still moaning. It doesn't matter what Apple does they won't win with some people

Different sets of people complaining I imagine. And this was part of the point I was making earlier - buying an Apple product these days is about sacrificing something. There is not a product in any range that ticks all the boxes. Because each range has become so bloated and complicated, the things/attributes one needs in their device are often spread over multiple different models.

 

[Azl]

It's this sort of mentality that stops these discussions from going any further.

No one in this thread is saying Apple is doomed. No one in this thread is saying Steve Jobs never made mistakes. No one in this thread is saying the Jobs era of Apple was perfect. And I'm pretty sure the article didn't either.

The point is - the Apple of the Jobs era was all about creating products that provided an amazing user experience. That user experience was the core driver of sales. This is not the case in present day Apple. It doesn't mean Apple is doomed, but it is different than it was and there's nothing wrong with comparing.



Different sets of people complaining I imagine. And this was part of the point I was making earlier - buying an Apple product these days is about sacrificing something. There is not a product in any range that ticks all the boxes. Because each range has become so bloated and complicated, the things/attributes one needs in their device are often spread over multiple different models.

If you have fewer products to choose from you sacrifice something as well, the only difference is - you dont know, because there is nothing to choose.

And whats so complicated about it anyway?

Look at the features you most care for and Decide. Done.

How complicated that is, depends on the buyer.
Why (for example) compare ipad cameras when you are never going to take Pictures anyway?

 

[Fuchal]

We're just used to this technology more than we were then. The new products are very nice. Looking back on it, my 12" PowerBooks were total trash. But I was amazed at them then. iPod Nanos were incredibly small. But now everything is that small. It's hard to get the WOW factor these days until the next big technology comes around.

 

[Rogifan]

Interesting indeed.

Apple has been on the top for a long time, and no company can remain #1 forever, apple is doing everything it can to squeeze out all the sales they can from the iPhone but growth is slowing.

They've yet to figure out what's wrong with their iPad sales, and I think raising the price is probably not their best move.

Macs are certainly selling well but as I mentioned, its a small part of their financial success.

Right now I see Apple playing it safe, looking not to lose, where as years ago, Apple was playing to win. In sports when teams play not to lose they typically do.

Where wasn't Apple playing it safe before where they are now? The 6S is safe but the 3G and 3GS were not? Sometimes I think people are remembering history wrong. Everything being said about Apple now was said under Apple 2.0 with Jobs at the helm. Just on this site alone I could post numerous quotes complaining about an Apple product launch and how the product was lame, lacking, too expensive, etc.

 

[I7guy]

Where wasn't Apple playing it safe before where they are now? The 6S is safe but the 3G and 3GS were not? Sometimes I think people are remembering history wrong. Everything being said about Apple now was said under Apple 2.0 with Jobs at the helm. Just on this site alone I could post numerous quotes complaining about an Apple product launch and how the product was lame, lacking, too expensive, etc.

When you have one billion customers you have one billion opinions. Doesn't make any of them right, wrong or justified.

 

[mcdj]

That "article" was painful to read. So poorly written. Someone writing a piece about how the world's most successful company needs to get their sh*t together had better have their own sh*t together.

 

[smokesletsgo]

I don't think anyone's trying to say Apple is dying. If mediocrity such as Samsung/Android exists then definitely Apple isn't going anywhere, even if legacy is all it has left. But it sure is becoming just another company. Tons of different iPhones "for everyone", all of them feel uninspired just like the software. The shift in philosophy is just written all over the new iPhones as well as the new MacBook, and it screams ordinary.

Apple Watch? Who cares about a watch? It's not like they did the watch wrong it's just the basic idea of a watch, I just don't care about one as well as majority of the people I assume, since it's not doing so well. They should let 3rd parties to take care of the petty junk like watches/cases/whatever and focus on one thing - making devices that have 0 competition, just like they were 6-10 years ago. Back then the only reason you wouldn't buy an iPhone over all the crap that surrounded it was price. Now every android can be compared to iPhone, it's a shame. iPhones feel and even look like every other device. OS X got completely stripped off and made dull since Yosemite. I know for sure I wouldn't be so quick to jump to OS X/iOS if it looked like it looks now back when i made this decision.

Apple isn't premium anymore, they still sell the most of all but only because of legacy.

 

[I7guy]

I don't think anyone's trying to say Apple is dying. If mediocrity such as Samsung/Android exists then definitely Apple isn't going anywhere, even if legacy is all it has left. But it sure is becoming just another company. Tons of different iPhones "for everyone", all of them feel uninspired just like the software. The shift in philosophy is just written all over the new iPhones as well as the new MacBook, and it screams ordinary.

Apple Watch? Who cares about a watch? It's not like they did the watch wrong it's just the basic idea of a watch, I just don't care about one as well as majority of the people I assume, since it's not doing so well. They should let 3rd parties to take care of the petty junk like watches/cases/whatever and focus on one thing - making devices that have 0 competition, just like they were 6-10 years ago. Back then the only reason you wouldn't buy an iPhone over all the crap that surrounded it was price. Now every android can be compared to iPhone, it's a shame. iPhones feel and even look like every other device. OS X got completely stripped off and made dull since Yosemite. I know for sure I wouldn't be so quick to jump to OS X/iOS if it looked like it looks now back when i made this decision.

Apple isn't premium anymore, they still sell the most of all but only because of legacy.

I don't think they ever were premium but if you thought they were, certainly however not less than before.

 

[mojolicious]

With the launch of iPhone 5C, Apple started to move from user obsession to market obsession where it no longer aimed to delight its users but wished to service number-crunching analysts in order to justify its share price / market cap / valuation and those crazy EBITDA multiples.

The 5c delighted me, at least.

 

[jerwin]

people getting sick of Apple ? tenth millions of customers begs to differ....
[doublepost=1459336581][/doublepost]
sure, and if BMW would stop making .... cars, BMW's profits would be very pedestrian.

BMW needs to get back to its roots.

 

[Radon87000]

I don't think they ever were premium but if you thought they were, certainly however not less than before.

600 bucks for a 28 gig tablet and you think they are not premium?

 

[I7guy]

BMW needs to get back to its roots.

Does Apple?

600 bucks for a 28 gig tablet and you think they are not premium?

Something could be expensive and not premium. No doubt apple manufactures very well made and (some) expensive products. A GT-R for example is expensive but it's not considered premium (at least not on the auto boards I participate on)

 

[Radon87000]

Does Apple?
View attachment 624806


Something could be expensive and not premium. No doubt apple manufactures very well made and (some) expensive products. A GT-R for example is expensive but it's not considered premium (at least not on the auto boards I participate on)

Can you explain how Apple is not a premium company?They have the best mass produced quality hardware in the industry and taking into consideration the Apple Watch Edition costing thousands and thousands of dollars they most certainly are a premium company

 

[MacsRgr8]

Regarding the amount of choice, i.e. the amount of products (the options) a company is making:

It seems that whenever a company is doing well, it tries to build on the successes by expanding the (similar) products / the options. (Apple 1976 - late eighties, and mid 2000's - now)
Inevitably, whenever the company is doing "less well", the company tries to focus on a few "core products" (Apple mid-nineties - mid 2000's) but doing them very well.

Remember what Steve said about the Mac lineup when he returned in 1996: he couldn't even recommend a Mac to his own mom. There were too many options to choose from.

You see it everywhere.
Look at BMW now.... (the current series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, X1, X3, X4, X5, X6, GT's, sedans, hatchbacks, tourers in all series, the "M"- series... too much IMHO).
It wouldn't surprise me that once BMW will be doing less well, they will go back to the classics:
3, 5 and 7 series: but done exceptionally well.

Apple is doing well, so it's expanding the options as it seems logical to do so.
More similar products, more markets to cover.

But, too many options >> you will stop focussing on details >> your quality diminishes >> your brand starts to fall behind >> etc.
IMHO it's all about finding the balance. When are you giving too many options? When are you stopping focussing?
A good CEO feels that balance.

IMHO, it seems Apple hasn't gone too far yet. A good / better / best -option per product is fine.
- iPhone "S", "SE", "Plus", is good.
- iPad Pro (large, medium), iPad and iPad mini is fine (time for a naming update, though)
- MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro is hmm... alright... but here you do have an issue: which one would you recommend you mom: MacBook or MacBook Air?
- iMac two sizes: okay, per size: good, better, best.
- Mac Pro: good, better, best. Okay... albeit too old (lol)
- etc...