Apple's Greatest Mistakes of All Time

[IJ Reilly]

Microsoft already had an OpenDoc style technology called OLE. It really wasn't that great, as a technology it had some serious flaws. Read the Wikipedia page, it is quite enlightening.

I actually remember using an OpenDoc application for a short while, it wasn't all that.

OLE was primitive compared to OpenDoc, or at least the direction it was going. Apple had a similar technology called Publish and Subscribe. I sat though a hands-on demonstration of OpenDoc at a MacWorld Expo many years ago. Obviously it still needed a lot of work, but the potential was there.

 

[sushi]

So did OpenDoc. It required 25% of the RAM in your computer (well at least mine at the time) to just open an OpenDoc application. Sure once it was loaded you could open others without the load of the shared libraries but there were not enough OpenDoc applications out to make it worth it.

Unfortunately, OpenDoc was still in development when it was cancelled so we never saw the end result. So yes, it was resource intensive at the time. The developer information on it was superb. IMHO, if OpenDoc development had continued it would have become much more streamlined and would have changed the way we look at and use the desktop.

Also, I believe that it would have hurt Microsoft's and others who relied on proprietary standards to control the market. OpenDoc opened up file standards and accessibility. Rather than to purchase one huge application that did everything okay, you could purchase small streamlined and effective apps that did what you wanted to do, only much better, yet were standard so that other applications could edit the data.

OpenDoc was a very sweet concept.

OLE was not in the same ballpark.

OLE was primitive compared to OpenDoc, or at least the direction it was going. Apple had a similar technology called Publish and Subscribe. I sat though a hands-on demonstration of OpenDoc at a MacWorld Expo many years ago. Obviously it still needed a lot of work, but the potential was there.

Agree.

A simple analogy might be that Apple wanted cars to be able to use any gas that met a certain standard. Whereas Microsoft only wanted cars to use their gas.

 

[McGiord]

current poor quality

using cheap plastics and having lines of people waiting to get an issue resolved at the apple stores. Everyday it's increasing the amount of people walking in to the apples stores with their faulty apple products...

 

[Cromulent]

using cheap plastics and having lines of people waiting to get an issue resolved at the apple stores. Everyday it's increasing the amount of people walking in to the apples stores with their faulty apple products...

That is because their market share is increasing.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Unfortunately, OpenDoc was still in development when it was cancelled so we never saw the end result. So yes, it was resource intensive at the time. The developer information on it was superb. IMHO, if OpenDoc development had continued it would have become much more streamlined and would have changed the way we look at and use the desktop.

Also, I believe that it would have hurt Microsoft's and others who relied on proprietary standards to control the market. OpenDoc opened up file standards and accessibility. Rather than to purchase one huge application that did everything okay, you could purchase small streamlined and effective apps that did what you wanted to do, only much better, yet were standard so that other applications could edit the data.

OpenDoc was a very sweet concept.

OLE was not in the same ballpark.

Exactly. I lament being denied the opportunity to know what OpenDoc could have been. If it had fulfilled its early promise, the software industry as we know it would have been changed forever, and even more importantly, Microsoft's Offce hegemony would have been smashed. Maybe this would not have happened, but now we'll never know. So I think abandoning OpenDoc was one of Apple's greatest mistakes -- and I also suspect that Microsoft was behind it.

 

[remmy]

The latest mighty mouse

It could of been so much more if it didnt have so many little niggles.

 

[sushi]

So I think abandoning OpenDoc was one of Apple's greatest mistakes

Agree.

and I also suspect that Microsoft was behind it.

That would make sense.

 

[63dot]

Financially, the Cube but I liked that product.

The glitch in the iPhone 3G is a huge one. Time will only tell how bad this will turn out to be.

 

[McGiord]

That is because their market share is increasing.

and it's been poorly managed... they will start loosing some customers if they don't change the way how they are handling this market share increase.

 

[sushi]

and it's been poorly managed... they will start loosing some customers if they don't change this situation.

One thing you should remember, is that there are many satisfied Apple customers. They just don't post here.

On MR. we see the negative side of things.

Having said that, Apple does need to maintain their quality and customer service for if they don't this will adversely impact on them.

 

[63dot]

One thing you should remember, is that there are many satisfied Apple customers. They just don't post here.

On MR. we see the negative side of things.

Having said that, Apple does need to maintain their quality and customer service for if they don't this will adversely impact on them.

I think Macworld is especially hard on Apple, but they keep that company always striving to be better. Apple never sits on their hands and says, "we are the best", and they never ignore Macworld, which has a huge influence on buying trends. MacAddict and Mac Home are also influential and those three are what I see on the magazine stands.

Ironically PC World, same group ownership as Macworld, are friendlier in their reviews of everything Apple.

 

[elppa]

Apple's biggest mistake and nothing else even come close was the Lisa.

Why? It was a dry run for the Macintosh and did some things better than the Macintosh, mainly because the hardware was a whole heap more expensive.

 

[martychang]

Apple never sits on their hands and says, "we are the best"

They do when it comes to security issues..

 

[smurfjammer]

The first version of the hockeypuck mouse (the one without the groove)...the next version was better.

 

[sushi]

I think Macworld is especially hard on Apple, but they keep that company always striving to be better. Apple never sits on their hands and says, "we are the best", and they never ignore Macworld, which has a huge influence on buying trends. MacAddict and Mac Home are also influential and those three are what I see on the magazine stands.

Agree.

Speaking of MacWorld, I think that was a good decision on Apple's part to reduce the number of MacWorld events and now introduce computers, iPods, etc. on their own schedule.

Ironically PC World, same group ownership as Macworld, are friendlier in their reviews of everything Apple.

Ironic isn't it?

Apple never sits on their hands and says, "we are the best",

They do when it comes to security issues..

Please provide an example where Apple, knowing full well there was a security breach, but decided not to do anything about it.

 

[63dot]

They do when it comes to security issues..

What I wonder is how they are going to work out this software bug in the iPhone 3G.

On one hand, they can quietly fix the bug and release an update and hope we forget.

But they could, as in their past honest ways, tell us exactly what went wrong, and fix the issue since us Apple users really want to know everything. Apple has been good about telling us everything and listening to us and putting out products based on our direct input.

I hope Apple will continue to tell us what is up, admit their mistakes, and strive to go beyond our expectations.

I think Apple derives great joy in beating even the most hopeful rumors that come out of this forum. The TiBook was an example and the iPhone was another, and most here had no idea that Apple would make such an quantum leap over the competition.

The next thing I think that Apple can do again blow away the industry and even the most hope Mac users is to offer the next and future versions of OS X at $49 dollars a copy. Not only would this please all Mac users, but it would be a great way to truly distance ourselves from Microsoft since they are at a low moment with Vista. It may bring a few percentage points to Apple in the OS market.

 

[Abstract]

One thing you should remember, is that there are many satisfied Apple customers. They just don't post here.

On MR. we see the negative side of things.

Like you, I've seen this transition from small to large market share, and while I did believe this for awhile, I don't believe it anymore. Right now, if an Apple product was released with no major issues, I'd consider it a miracle.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

Remember, everybody's entitled to their opinion.

• Apple TV. I get no TV at all. Not even a DVD player. I have to re-purchase my entire movie collection via (guess who?) the Store! And they don't even have a fraction of my titles. Paying for your own slavery.

Why not just use or DVD player as well? Common sense would help a lot here. Using 2 devices isnt the end of the world.

14 day warranty is fairly standard for computers. And you failed to mention the biggest failure, the Pippin, leaving it for other people to post on.

 

[zap2]

Moving to Intel

Please...explain that one. That might be one of their best moves of all time.

 

[disconap]

The architecture of the Performa 6200. It crippled a great chipset.

That said, I had one in college and it was perfect for papers, basic internet, mac games, even early versions of Photoshop. But by the time I got out and started doing design work, I saw its flaws in all their glory...

 

[fleshman03]

Windows Me, sorry Mobile Me
2.0 through 2.02 software for i/Pod/Phone
Moving to Intel

What is it with things with Me in it? Am I really that bad?

The name alone is a mistake... where is the Mac .... or i ?

I was going to say the Pippin as well.

I don't think Apple was foolish to ditch the Newton. I think it was just before its time and demand wasn't very high for it.

I always wonder what those things were - now I know it's a Pippin. Looks cool and MS showed that a computer/software company can get into video games - after plenty of losses.

The 20th anniversary mac

Underpowered and expensive, but I would have jumped to buy one if I was old enough. It's looks are really something else.

No midrange machines.

This is possibly the biggest mistake. It really drives those away who only have $500 to spend on a system. Apple could do that, but they make too much on the iMac.

There are two or three things I see that are a mistake happening now.
1) Updates are where? In time for back to school?
2) Quality overall build quality has gone to hell. Seriously, what the heck happened?
3) Customer service. If someone spends $2.5k on a computer, they deserve to be treated like royalty in your store and if something goes wrong. That is how you get people to spend another $2.5k and talk their friends into it.

 

[Hrududu]

My iPod touch fills the void well. I can't complain...

I personally think their biggest mistake was renaming the portable line to include the name Mac. I liked the seemingly happy "iBook" name, and the brawn of "PowerBook". MacBook Pro is just a mouthful, and while I have gotten accustomed to it, I still dislike uttering that many ugly syllables.

Also, PowerMac was fine! it had Mac in it! Gahhh!!!

100% in agreement with you. iBook sounds so elegant and Powerbook sounded like business. Why on earth they re-named them such stupid names is beyond me. Who knows what they'll end up being called with the next revision. Powermacinbookintosh?

 

[Saladinos]

Not buying photoshop

Photoshop was one of the Mac's killer apps before it came to Windows. Under Apple's guidance, it could have made the mac a much more successful platform. Apple has always focused on markets it already has a strong foothold in - graphic design is a major one.

Adobe has made photoshop bloated, change the UI with every major version, and don't have Apple's creative atmosphere. Now Photoshop on Windows is surpassing the Mac version (with things like GPU acceleration in CS4). This could be a major market to slip from Apple's hands.

Applications like Photoshop and MS Office have been showcases of how professional applications can be very profitable when ported the Mac. This has helped convince developers to recognise the OSX as a sensible development platform. Now though, Adobe is focusing on Windows, and leaving OSX behind. Apple should respond, and has only 3 options:

1. Buy Photoshop. Refocus it for the Mac. Would be expensive, so the Windows code will have to be kept to get that money back, and even that could take a while.
2. Compete with Photoshop. Bad idea. It doesn't have the photoshop brand, and releasing a competitor would likely kill off Mac Photoshop entirely, along with a lot of other Adobe Creative Suite applications. Potentially catastrophic.
3. Press Adobe to focus on the Mac. Would probably be the best solution. Jobs noted in 97 that, even though Photoshop was one of the biggest Mac applications, Apple didn't support Adobe enough. They never asked Adobe how they can make a Mac that ran PS better. If Apple provided engineering support to Adobe to help them leverage OSX, it could rebalance PS in favour of the Mac. The danger is that Adobe will want flash on the iPhone as part of the deal, which would anger both Microsoft and (more importantly) Google, and is something Apple really don't want happening anyway.

 

[elppa]

Adobe has made photoshop bloated, change the UI with every major version, and don't have Apple's creative atmosphere.

Aperture vs Lightroom.

Aperture started with a huge lead, now Adobe's investment in Lightroom means they have caught up and in many areas surpassed Aperture. Doesn't say much for Apple's creative atmosphere.

 

[McGiord]

One thing you should remember, is that there are many satisfied Apple customers. They just don't post here.

On MR. we see the negative side of things.

Having said that, Apple does need to maintain their quality and customer service for if they don't this will adversely impact on them.

I was one of the satisfied customers, I am a macuser since 1986.
You are right about the fact that most of the posts are from people complaining, but to have a better idea of how the things are really going just go to an apple store, there you will see a lot of potential new customers, many people buying and a good significant amount of people bringing their apple gear for repair service/warranty.
I like the current products, but their quality isn't the same as it was.
I have changed my perception of apple's quality.
Software issues can always be controlled via an update, but hardware issues require an annoying trip or shipment plus time without your apple gear.