I miss the old Apple.

[dogslobber]

I first used a Macintosh SE circa 1990. First Mac I owned was a Performa 450 in the mid-90s. I liked the fact that I used Macs and not Windows machines. I liked buying MacUser and looking at the various video cards, third-party add-ons and all the various Mac configurations I could investigate if I were so inclined and had the funds to do so. I could waste a whole afternoon drooling over my dream configuration – and what I might actually be able to afford (hence the Performa 450). I owned Apple-badged scanners, printers, PowerBook docks, mini docks and what have you at various times alongside the associated hardware. I also liked that you could tinker under the hood, so to speak, and get to understand something of the way the hardware and software worked.

These days, there are far fewer problems to have to troubleshoot. Indeed it's weird now to have to deal with anything too challenging. The computers are wholly impressive and so I don't have to think about things in quite the same way any more. As tools, they're excellent. But it's not the same sort of adventure in computing at all. I'm glad I get my work done efficiently. But I miss some of the character that the older Macs and systems possessed. And even MacUser doesn't publish any more. Times change.

The trouble with Apple prior to 1996 is that their computers were wrapped in proprietary crap for everything. Keyboards, mice, network, etc, all used incompatible interfaces to the rest of humanity. They didn't even use centronics for parallel printers which meant more proprietary nonsense. Talk about lock in to the extreme.

I used Macs all through the 80s & 90s and they sucked.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

The "old Apple" back then was a terrible company. Really, Apple only became functional again when Jobs returned. Its history before then is best forgotten as it was a bit player that was second to other computer companies like Atari.

Nothing is static - from day one Apple evolved in its focus and the kinds of products it developed.

I disagree with you though - for all their faults (and there were many), Macs of the 1990s still had a superior user interface and had some innovative features, and the fact that some of their hardware became orphanware was not strictly down to technical inferiority. There was plenty wrong with the Win 3.x platform back then too, and plenty of crap hardware/software in the Windows world.

Without Jobs, would Apple have survived? possibly, but if so it would likely be a niche market manufacture, small potatoes. Then again, the direction Jobs took Apple in ultimately made the company a designer/luxury consumer goods manufacturer first and foremost, and it seems possible, even likely that the company will eventually go too far down that road for my taste.

The iWatch was the first major Apple product I found myself feeling total apathy towards.

 

[Starfia]

I miss that time too, but, man. I think of the "old Apple" as the dawn of OS X, the first iMacs – and even further back, using my first Macintosh Classic II in school. And I know that's still years ahead of its start. (And during that time, Microsoft utterly dominated the market compared to Apple.)

All that said, I love today. How many true system crashes do I have now? Like, one every 18 months? I can actually be a freelance artist and afford a 27" iMac, which a decade ago would have been considered a supercomputer, and which two decades ago would have filled an entire room to achieve the computing power? And compared to earlier, the Microsoft of today looks like an infant in innovation, finally starting to show a hint of finding itself – which I'm glad to see, if anything. As a bonus, Bill Gates has sort of drifted away into a kind of mission to help the world in whatever other ways he can think of.

 

[AFEPPL]

You're lucky, OS X is mostly unstable for me, a crash between the 3 device on average once every 2 weeks..

 

[MacsRgr8]

Nothing is static - from day one Apple evolved in its focus and the kinds of products it developed.

I disagree with you though - for all their faults (and there were many), Macs of the 1990s still had a superior user interface and had some innovative features, and the fact that some of their hardware became orphanware was not strictly down to technical inferiority. There was plenty wrong with the Win 3.x platform back then too, and plenty of crap hardware/software in the Windows world.

Without Jobs, would Apple have survived? possibly, but if so it would likely be a niche market manufacture, small potatoes. Then again, the direction Jobs took Apple in ultimately made the company a designer/luxury consumer goods manufacturer first and foremost, and it seems possible, even likely that the company will eventually go too far down that road for my taste.

The iWatch was the first major Apple product I found myself feeling total apathy towards.

Without Jobs Apple probably would have either:
a) gone bankrupt, or
b) was sold to a competitor.
Apple needed someone like Jobs with the enormous passion, vision and ruthlessness to keep "his child" alive.
Any other entrepreneur would have tried to win a quick buck by trying to sell it.

Steve Jobs transformed Apple from being a (near-to-dead) niche computer manufacturer to the most valuable consumer-tech company in the world by making tech-consuming products which everyone wants, due to styling and ease-of-use.

On topic:
I miss the "Steve-Apple". Cook cannot excite me in Keynotes and I don't think he leads Apple as I hoped he would.
Under Cook's leadership Apple has the most amazing results, but, IMHO, these results come from maximising profits based on engaging new markets (Asia) but relying on current technology.

The "new stuff" that came out under Cook's regime:
• Apple Music - I'm still paying for it and trying to like it, but I'm starting to hate it
• Apple Watch - I own one, I think it's okay, but far too expensive for what it is. It seems Apple just couldn't say to NO to having to make a Smart Watch.
• Apple TV 4 - Yes, I own one, but in no way ground breaking. A logical successor to the 3 and Apple had to enable apps if they wanted to sell just one more Apple TV. But... a bit late to the party IMHO.
• IBM deal - this is Cook-style.
• More mobile device management possibilities - Cook giving in to the IT departments of larger companies who use iOS.
• iPad Pro - another "couldn't say NO". I understand the thought you need a competitor to the Surface, but in no way earth shattering. It's one of those things you are more afraid of not to sell, than really are excited you can sell.
• Classic upgrades and updates - tech evolves, so do iPhone, iPad, Mac etc. Same goes for the OS. Boring but needed. Again, nothing that shakes my feet, but that can't be expected really.

To me, Apple is doing great now thanks to the tech already there, but it's surge into Asia. Good for Tim in doing that.
I just wonder how Apple will "stay up" the coming years once iPhone becomes "old news".

 

[Razeus]

I remember when Mac Rumors was about Mac rumors.

 

[vkd]

Who gives a shoot about the so-called old Apple? Their products were crap, vastly expensive crap. And mainly only for sale to yanks in yank-land. OK they had some ideas but didn't translate to mass-usability. Whereas on the other hand, Microshoot had products that did, so history shows they were in front throughout 90s and 00s. Then Apple got their shoot together, got Intel CPUs and Unix-based OS and since about 2007 maybe have had something worth thinking about. That being said I wouldn't buy/have bought a product of theirs earlier than 2011. However in recent years they have not made the desired progress. Over abundance of glue and proprietary screws, soldered on CPUs, RAM and GPUs, Thunderbolt closed shop interface, lack of connectivity to others products, I am thinking about how you can't use their iMacs as monitors for anything other than another Mac with Thunderbolt. A big hope once, now a big let-down. Of course, this is only one mans opinion so you are welcome to think otherwise as you wish and to do as you please according to your own free will.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Steve Jobs transformed Apple from being a (near-to-dead) niche computer manufacturer to the most valuable consumer-tech company in the world by making tech-consuming products which everyone wants, due to styling and ease-of-use.

On topic:
I miss the "Steve-Apple". Cook cannot excite me in Keynotes and I don't think he leads Apple as I hoped he would.
Under Cook's leadership Apple has the most amazing results, but, IMHO, these results come from maximising profits based on engaging new markets (Asia) but relying on current technology.

Capitalism doesn't excite me the way it did in my teens - there's something vulgar about CEOs, however charismatic they may be, dancing around on stage trying to sell billions of gizmos. Glorified hucksters.

I would also contest the assertion that Apple makes products everyone wants. I think Apple has managed to make everyone want its products, which is not the same thing at all...

 

[maflynn]

I would also contest the assertion that Apple makes products everyone wants. I think Apple has managed to make everyone want its products, which is not the same thing at all.

I have to agree with that sentiment. I think they struck gold with the iPod and iPhone, but I don't see the Apple Watch being a product everyone has to have.

 

[AxoNeuron]

Apple realized a long time ago that it needs to find something to replace the iPhone in order to continue growing revenue and profits. The problem is that they're trying to do it in all the wrong ways. The Apple Watch was dead on arrival (as far as a growth category) because it requires an iPhone to use it, so it was always going to be a relatively small percentage of iPhone sales.

Now they're trying to enter the automotive market. I have to say, at first blush it must have looked like a good idea, but had anyone with a brain in Cupertino given it any real thought, they'd quickly realize what an awful idea it really is. There are many reasons for this, but mainly it's because the automotive market is so different than the tech market. The economic forces at play are so staggeringly different in the automotive world. Tesla alone will compete with Apple so ferociously that any profits to be made will be competed away pretty quickly, and that's not to mention Google.

Apple is making the same exact mistake it made in the late 1980's, it's trying to enter way too many product categories. Death by a thousand cuts. They really need to just focus on something that actually stands a chance of ever making any real money.

 

[MarsViolet]

There are some out there made with real sugar instead of the high fructose syrup poison.

Ah, so real poison instead of high fructose syrup poison. Thank goodness.

 

[rhett7660]

To me "the old Apple" was getting laughed at by others at school for using a Mac. Wondering if the company would survive another 6 months. The very non existent computer games section for Macs. Clawing my eyes out every time System 8 would crash.

Wait you mean system 8 wasn't perfect right out the gate!

Ugh, how people forget there pretty much has been an issue with almost every incarnation of computing hardware/software Apple has put out.

Granted I really didn't get into Apple till a little bit later. Used the above system, but didn't own or dive into like I do now.

 

[Tech198]

Personally, i reckon whats happening here, is all the stuff Steve Jobs said he didn't like (DRM included). Apple abolished and adhered to HIS way.. some may say "a better Apple"

Now Tim is at the helm, Apple is "free" to change their ways... Steve probably kept things on track allot better too.

But now we have all the stuff Steve said wouldn't work..: A music streaming service which has problem, DRM is now back again, and maybe even operating systems which didn't crash as much.

 

[vkd]

Glue, proprietary screws, soldered on CPUs, GPUs & RAM, repairablility scores of 1/10, closed shop connectivity issues.

 

[rdowns]

The new Apple TV and the iPad Pro are nice products, the price is kind of higher than expected but for me they are really cool devices

After reading reviews and seeing benchmarks, I no longer think the iPad Pro is overpriced. Will be an awesome desktop/laptop replacement fr most when developers catch up.

 

[McGiord]

After reading reviews and seeing benchmarks, I no longer think the iPad Pro is overpriced. Will be an awesome desktop/laptop replacement fr most when developers catch up.

No doubt about the potential of it.

I think they should had included the Pencil as part of the price for all the models, and also the keyboard, therefore there is no contest about the Surface and any other combo/tablet out there.

The low end model should have 64GB or 128GB and the high end 256GB.

And it is very frustrating that the Pencil is not available, as well as many of the cases, what I experience at the local store is that they don't have the paired colors for the silicone case and the smart cover, they seem to be counting on people coming back to the store for more, and keep the traffic.

 

[seasurfer]

I remember getting off work early to get in line for the first iPhone. Someone offered to pay me $330 for my spot in line. I said no. I wanted that iPhone. It was so happy to have it. Compared to my Motorola Razor it was like trading in a moped for a spaceship.

Fast forward to today, nothing really hits that mark. I feel like Apple is slowly moving away from the era of where the "crazy ones" rethought technology to a company that re-packages technology into a store that sells it next to the Gucci store. I can't remember the last time I felt excitement over an Apple product and still felt the same excitement after purchase. I got an Apple Watch but it doesn't really do that much. I got the iPhone 6, but at the end of the day it's really just a larger version of the predecessor.

The new MacBooks are just a pretty version of a crappy computer (720 camera, really?!), the Music service seems like just a distraction, and the iPads desperately need more functionality in my opinion.

Here's the kicker. Microsoft is a on a roll. If you asked me 5 years ago if I was thinking of buying a computer I'd say "hell no". Have you seen the Surface? It's calling my name. Google also has something going on with the Android. Several years ago any app out there was more often than not on Apple only, but today I am seeing a lot more Android apps and their App Store isn't just filled with a bunch of garbage anymore. By the way, have you seen Google Project Fi? So tempting.

Amiright?!

Try to use the Surface Pro or Surface Book, it is not s smooth or great compare to the iPad Pro.

On the Android side, it is tempting, I agree. But the wider ecosystem is not there yet. I like my iMessage to be synchronized across all devices. I can't do that with Android.

 

[lowendlinux]

Try to use the Surface Pro or Surface Book, it is not s smooth or great compare to the iPad Pro.

On the Android side, it is tempting, I agree. But the wider ecosystem is not there yet. I like my iMessage to be synchronized across all devices. I can't do that with Android.

For some the idea of an ecosystem is a turn-off, people are people and we all like different things.

 

[CraigJoubert]

I miss the old iPhone...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Glue, proprietary screws, soldered on CPUs, GPUs & RAM, repairablility scores of 1/10, closed shop connectivity issues.

This was inevitable. The commodification of computers into disposable items has been a goal of the industry for many years. If they could wad everything up into one black box you'd have to throw away and replace every year, they would do it. They've almost achieved that with smartphones.

On the other hand, perhaps the increasing divergence of semiconductor development from Moore's law will ultimately lead to substantially longer lives for consumer PCs, leading to greater pressure for more durable, user-servicable machines. Time will tell.

 

[orioncrystalice]

They need to iron out some things, but I don't miss Maps being a disaster, iCloud being a vague beta level idea of a thing, Android demolishing iOS in terms of convenient features, OSX and iOS being less connected, MobileMe....I don't miss that....

 

[villicodelirant]

Yes, you've read that right. The old old Apple.

Disclaimer: I swear I'm not trying to troll, I just want to share my opinion and see if it resonates (which I doubt, but let me have a go at it).

Everybody is going on about how Apple is doomed, about how Ive and Cook are ruining Apple.
How they miss 2000s Apple. About how Apple was really great under Jobs.

Well, me, I miss the old old Apple. I miss beige Apple. I miss Sculley and Amelio-Apple.

I remember when I was a kid with no hair on my chest and my father brought home a spanking new LC.
I remember how it was a magical machine, how its shell was simple and sensible in a way that I've never seen since.
I remember when my father brought home a LaserWriter, I remember the first SCSI external CD-ROM drive.
The thing felt a bit like Star Trek.

Is it nostalgia? Of course it is. But it probably also isn't.
Allow me to continue.

A few years later my father then got a Powerbook Duo.
It went in and out of the dock which went "bzzz-click".
I was later handed it - sans the dock, which broke at some unspecified time.

I don't think I need to remind anyone of all the bad things that were pre-Jobs Apple.
It has been written at length about those.
Let me say something about the good things for a change.

Those were reassuring, practical, plastic beige or black machines., with that delightful embossed, colorful logo.
I liked them more than I like the current ultra thin thing going on.

Those were spreadsheet machines, not Facebook machines.
They were machines (with all their flaws) for people with an actual job.
For neon-lit offices, rather than Starbucks. 9-to-5, rather than 5-to-11PM.
Machines to go with a real car rather than a sweatshirt and an emo haircut.
Machines to go with an Omega Speedmaster rather than an Apple Watch.

I am now the age my father was when he bought the Powerbook.
I just bought a Thinkpad - the L series, the bulkiest variety; and a docking station to go with it.

After wiping the OS and installing GNOME it is a sufficiently close approximation of the Powerbook Duo.

It's no Powerbook, though, but then I'm not hip enough for a gold rMB.

 

[keysofanxiety]

For what it's worth, I have far more happy memories about Windows 95 than I do OS X. Split-screen Tetris, through the BOWEP (along with Chip's Challenge!). Playing the mind-blowingly good Rebel Assault 2 when my Aunt first gifted me the double-CD. Command & Conquer 95. Playing Descent 2 over LAN with my brother – a laptop each, networked with PCMCIA Ethernet. Hooking up to the Internet for the first time through the modem built-in on my Dad's IBM ThinkPad. Downloading GameBoy ROMs by searching through Astalavista.

I think back and I smile like nothing else. I can't begin to tell you how much joy those times brought me. But nostalgia is just that; a sentiment. A memory. It should be treasured, but not yearned for. The days were much more difficult than child-like wonder allows.

I wouldn't go back to Windows 95 if you paid me. I guess nostalgia just isn't what it used to be.

 

[villicodelirant]

I think back and I smile like nothing else. I can't begin to tell you how much joy those times brought me. But nostalgia is just that; a sentiment. A memory. It should be treasured, but not yearned for. The days were much more difficult than child-like wonder allows.

I wouldn't go back to Windows 95 if you paid me. I guess nostalgia just isn't what it used to be.

Absolutely.

However - "black plastic down-to-business notebook with huge docking station and lots of ports" is a product category that is still viable today, it's not a product of nostalgia.
There are i7 machines like that made today.
The big 3 manufacturers each have a line of those and they sell them by the truckload (and I've been through quite a few now).

It's just that 20 years ago Apple began to leave that particular market and decided to concentrate on... something more hip.

Not that I can't sleep at night, of course, but hey - if everybody can be nostalgic about the "hip" era of Apple (2001-2011, apparently), can't a few good words be said about the previous era as well?

 

[maflynn]

It's just that 20 years ago Apple began to leave that particular market and decided to concentrate on... something more hip.

That's because the current market was not making them very profitable. 20 years ago, Apple was a hair's breath to bankruptcy and needed a loan from MS to keep things going.

Things change and perhaps what you miss is the immaturity of the computer industry, now in 2017 the computer is less of a cool product that people are learning to use, and more of a commodity.