White goods, etc.

[return2sendai]

Re: the Internet of Things.

Do you think Apple should branch out into white goods: smart fridges, smart washing machines, smart toasters, etc.?

What other electronic products would you like to see with the Apple logo?

 

[Successful Sorcerer]

Only if they think they can improve greatly on existing products. But I think most of those machines aren't techy enough for a brand like Apple. So who knows, I don't think it's very likely at the moment

 

[BigMcGuire]

Users already complain enough about Apple Products, I can just imagine the threads now if Apple ventured out into other products. I would not want Apple to do this. One, my wallet can't afford it. Two, I'd want it because they'd probably find some way to make it easier, better to use.

 

[jeyf]

tech products are too "defining" for this 40+ year old company. Apple should concentrate on entertainment, theater etc.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Re: the Internet of Things.

Do you think Apple should branch out into white goods: smart fridges, smart washing machines, smart toasters, etc.?

What other electronic products would you like to see with the Apple logo?

No.

And, no.

And, none.

Personally, I would like to see them - Apple - devote more attention to the design and delivery of sort the of products with which - from which - they had originally made their name: Better, cutting edge design, and that fusion of form and function in computers, excellent quality merchandise and first rate customer service that Apple used to be known for.

That is what I want from Apple. A computer that is not too thin, - yet is very portable, fast and capacious re memory storage - and one where the keyboard still works effortlessly for several years and where devices one still uses (USB etc) are not deemed obsolete.

Now, I do not want "smart fridges", "smart washing machines" or "smart toasters"; such things would be an absolute nightmare, - good grief - and - worse - would serve to tie in even more of the tech universe to the securely enclosed and hermetically sealed tech ecosystem of an already rich company which does not need to distract itself by diversifying in such a manner.

Why over complicate something that already works perfectly well?

Besides, modern Germany (with companies such as Miele, etc) produces superb fridges, and, one shouldn't need a hyper rapid online connection in order to be able to run basic devices and household white goods.

And, at present, if my fridge or washing machine break down, I am not obliged to contact Apple and fight with them over whether 1) it is under warranty, or 2) it can be repaired, and 3) the conditions under which it can be repaired.

 

[Mousse]

Only if they think they can improve greatly on existing products. But I think most of those machines aren't techy enough for a brand like Apple. So who knows, I don't think it's very likely at the moment

Oh fridges nowadays are plenty high tech. They have fridges that are connected to the Internet and can tell you if you're out of milk. I prefer low/mid-level tech for things where reliability is more important than anything else: fridge, washer/dryers, oven, cook tops. The last thing I want is for someone hacking my refrigerator and screwing my the temperature settings.

I wouldn't mind a smart toilet though. There are times when the kids "forget" to flush and I'm too lazy to get up/yell at them to flush. Flushing from my phone would be nice.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh fridges nowadays are plenty high tech. They have fridges that are connected to the Internet and can tell you if you're out of milk. I prefer low/mid-level tech for things where reliability is more important than anything else: fridge, washer/dryers, oven, cook tops. The last thing I want is for someone hacking my refrigerator and screwing my the temperature settings.

That it does what it is designed to do well - and is well built, easy to use, and utterly reliable are what I ask from such white goods.

Spare me the horror of over complicating something that performs a basic function well.

I wouldn't mind a smart toilet though. There are times when the kids "forget" to flush and I'm too lazy to get up/yell at them to flush. Flushing from my phone would be nice.

Oh, dear.

Several years ago, actually, only a few short years ago, en route back home after monitoring/observing an election, where I had been deployed for the best part of the previous two months, I travelled back to the incredibly modern capital of a nameless country, where I was billeted for a few days in a five star hotel, as we were debriefed, gave briefings and submitted final reports.

The extraordinary and lavish facilities came complete with an incredibly smart toilet, the control panel of which would have required a degree in physics and engineering to understand, let alone master. This was one of those days where attending to nature's (siren) call conflicted strongly with toe-curling and excruciatingly embarrassing complete incomprehension.

Fortunately, the facility also worked perfectly, as a colleague and I agreed when we discussed it subsequently, sotto voce, "the old fashioned way".

 

[Expos of 1969]

No. Apple can't cope with what they produce now. I don't want my washing machine or fridge to slow down because Tim thinks it is time to open my wallet and buy a new one. Also, I don't want to be lugging my broken washing machine to the Apple Store in a mall and then be shunted from waiting area to waiting area by well meaning t-shirt clad clones while they figure out who is the correct "genius" to handle my case. NO WAY

 

[ApfelKuchen]

No chance. At most they'd do something like CarPlay, AirPrint, or AirPlay 2- expand the ecosystem's reach without producing the product.

One of the biggest problems (literally) with white goods is that they're so bulky. The financial performance of Apple Stores is based in part on how compact the products are relative to their price, both to display and to maintain in backroom inventory. The stores would have to dramatically increase their square footage with little prospect to increasing the sales per square foot - more likely, that number would decline substantially from today's jewelry store-like performance.

"Apple TV" has remained a very compact little box. Despite the rumors, Apple hasn't produced actual televisions. If they resisted that (which would have been a natural outgrowth of existing entertainment products), I think they can resist the urge to go farther afield.

 

[LizKat]

The last thing I want in my kitchen is a toaster ordering more bread when the fridge says to it, "Pssst, she just took the last two slices of raisin bread but I'm in defrost mode now and really busy, so can you re-up on the bread when you're done toasting her breakfast?"

I loathe the idea of a house full of "smart" things. Our world is a hackers' paradise already.

 

[Successful Sorcerer]

Oh fridges nowadays are plenty high tech. They have fridges that are connected to the Internet and can tell you if you're out of milk. I prefer low/mid-level tech for things where reliability is more important than anything else: fridge, washer/dryers, oven, cook tops. The last thing I want is for someone hacking my refrigerator and screwing my the temperature settings.

I wouldn't mind a smart toilet though. There are times when the kids "forget" to flush and I'm too lazy to get up/yell at them to flush. Flushing from my phone would be nice.

Yes but if you look at the pure user experience, does it change the way you use a refrigerator? Most people will know what's left because you use it every day and order new stuff anyway or drop by the grocery store to shop. So it's more a gadget or gimmick. And people want to control their usage and spendings, what if you don't want new milk.

Apples philosophy is to only launch a new product if they change the way people use the existing product. That's not (always) inventing completely new stuff but design it so well it's more usable or different in a better way than the rest. Think of the iPhone, there were other smartphones but the integration of everything, speed, browsing experience and the screen made it better. Or the iPod, a more user friendly mp3 player with their clickwheel with a faster way to sync and more storage.