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Ever since Steve Jobs passed Apple has gone downhill :(
- Thread starter techsavvy01
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I agree to a large extent - and this excessive worship of an unpleasant if gifted individual tells me more than is good for the peace of my mind about the capacity of humans to willingly suspend their critical faculties when offered the opportunity for mindless adoration - but will add one or two comments.
I would argue that, firstly, Steve Jobs had an eye for what was aesthetically and artistically beautiful - and was able to have this expressed in the field of tech, which was an innovation; at that stage nobody expected tech to have any sense of aesthetics - or aesthetic appeal - whatsoever, not least the gloomy nerds who designed the tech.
Secondly, he was a superb synthesiser - he could take ideas, concepts, inventions - stuff invented by others - and fuse them into something workable that would have wide appeal; most of what Apple produced already existed - but not as something that could appeal to a key segment of a mass audience, or market.
Thirdly, he had a keen eye for potential commercial success - for what would work before anyone had even begun to see that a market for that product or device might exist.
Excellent post and I agree completely with you.
From that point on, computers became only a part of what Apple did, and - as time went on - a part that was less and less necessary in terms of profit, and only indulged for reasons of prestige and - perhaps - nostalgia.
The truth is Apple no longer needs the computing arm for any reason, and can afford to run it as a loss leader. It doesn't have to perform commercially or in terms of tech reputation, or, as a leading, cutting edge design; for that matter, it doesn't have to turn a profit, and it is not needed to "sell" Apple products any longer.
Indeed, if anything, that old, querulous, cantankerous, self-selected, "elect" that Apple had encouraged to think were members of an esoteric elite of the tech universe, are - these days - a needy nuisance more than anything, their conduct and tone demanding of attention and reassurances that Apple still loves them (it never did), persuading themselves that Apple still needs them (it doesn't), a mindset not unlike that of a jilted lover.
These days, computers are only one small - and by no means the most important - sector of what a large, powerful, wealthy, international company produces.
As for myself, well, personally, I have greater concerns about the disgraceful use of something approximating to slave labour in China to manufacture Apple computers and products, than I do about whether Apple is quite as cutting edge in the tech field as it used to be.
And the veneration of the Founder is something I have long found repellant.
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If Jobs was alive, my guess is that they would have removed the headphone port in an attempt to actually push the industry forward instead of a lazy move to make money, like what they did with USB.
Things change, and they always will. Rather than speculate what would happen if Jobs was here, vote with your purchasing power. If you don't like the direction Apple is going, don't buy their products.
Why isn't anyone screaming at another manufacturer for not building something they specifically desire?
Why isn't anyone screaming at another manufacturer for not building something they specifically desire?
Excellent summation. I have had the strong feeling for awhile now that Apple doesn't want/need computers any longer, that at this point they are a niche product, more trouble then they're worth frankly, and will, in time, phase them out of their product lineup completely. Which will, of course, leave a lot of people (like myself) out in the cold, and feeling resentful.
I was pro-Apple with their decision to ax the headphone jack. Then was just getting ready to run a marathon, I had my extended battery and my iphone and headphones that came with the phone for some music. Then I realized I only have 1 lightning port so I had to choose between my GPS or music. I picked music.
I wish Apple had put two lighting ports in there.
Exactly.! I genuinely think Apple dropped the ball in this whole headphone jack issue. They should've done more market research. The battery technology is nowhere close for us to go full time wireless just yet.
Its the inconsistency. Schiller went up on stage and made a case on why the headphone jack is being removed, but fast forward a couple of months and boom, the MBP has a headphone jack. If the port is antiquated and we need something more powerful in 2016/2017 then for Pete's sake don't keep it in the laptop.
I guess you can argue that space is not at as much of a premium on a laptop compared to a smartphone.
Space was not the reasons Schiller gave for its removal.
I'm not arguing that they shouldn't have removed it. I think Apple could have handled it better but I do see the market moving away from that legacy port. Apple wasn't the first to remove it, and they'll not be the last.
The fact is that Schiller made a case on why its not needed, whether you agree with that use case is immaterial because Apple was standing behind it. Fine, Its not needed for xyz reasons, but then we see the new MBP with it. I'm not worked up by it, so don't get me wrong, but its these inconsistencies that is very un-apple like.
I really wish Apple would slow down, up the quality control of their software & hardware and train their customer service employees (phones and in store) properly. This past year has been the absolute worst for me as an Apple user, but the squeaking wheel gets the oil: apparently the 5th Avenue store wants to talk to me about last month's iPhone debacles. I know what I want, but will they do it?
At any rate, as much as I dislike Apple's direction and hubris snooty airs, not to mention now sadly crap products ...I am finding they aren't the only company with declining customer service. My bank sucks now too (blocking two charges I had to call in for anyway).
As badly as I want to pull away, Android is not a solution for me. I like the Moto phone but the software and I are not playing nicely. The workarounds aren't acceptable. And it's already wonky almost two weeks in.
At any rate, as much as I dislike Apple's direction and hubris snooty airs, not to mention now sadly crap products ...I am finding they aren't the only company with declining customer service. My bank sucks now too (blocking two charges I had to call in for anyway).
As badly as I want to pull away, Android is not a solution for me. I like the Moto phone but the software and I are not playing nicely. The workarounds aren't acceptable. And it's already wonky almost two weeks in.
I had a Moto Droid 2 several years ago and I didn't like it either. I did, however, really enjoy the Nexus 5 I had previously. I only switched because it was my employer's device and I switched jobs.
Essentially, it may be worth a try to check out other Android devices. I hate to say this, but this is the one time fragmentation is beneficial, but also puts a lot of work on the consumer.
Many thanks for the response. The phone is okay (though the camera is pretty bad), but google and android's workarounds are making me nuts.
My big sticking point is not being able to upload my movies and music without using WiFi or cellular. I dislike needing separate apps to do what iOS already does (even if it is a bit more of a headache to wrangle lately).
Insofar as my issue: I am not a streaming person, nor will I pay yet again for movies I already own digitally (and in some cases more for the native language dub.) Ironically, I have less problems adapting to a change in software on a desktop, but I expect my phone to be a cinch to use.
I think the people in the Mac Pro, Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro forums would disagree with you. Heck even the MBP was slow in getting released. Apple's problems is not related to rushing products out the door.
Politely saying, rushing software out the door, yes sir that is a problem.
I think folks who dealt with bricked iPad Pros 9.7 etc. might disagree with your comment.
But in terms of hardware, you are right.
Agreed. I remember my iPhone 6s being bricked after upgrading OTA to iOS 10, I think it was. I never expected that to happen and it caused me to change my habits - I'll wait at least a month before upgrading OTA from now on.
I see your point - yeah there's been times where the software is not as stable or had that unfinished look and feel.
I'd go on and say that's Apple's M.O. Get the software out the door and deal with the bugs later. Then there is the tendency to re-write the apps and gut them of prior features. The latest iteration is the PDF framework in Sierra, but Apple has done that with their other apps as well.
Maybe you can go here to lament, and you'll feel better:
Apple Has Officially Gone Downhill
How Apple Lost Its Way. Steve Jobs' Love of Simplicity Is Gone
Would Steve Do Things Differently? Would Apple Be Better Off or Worse Off With Him?
If Steve Was Still Around
If only the ipad pro 9.7 had 4gb ram 
[doublepost=1487400671][/doublepost]It's still a great tablet nonetheless
[doublepost=1487400671][/doublepost]It's still a great tablet nonetheless