Apple's current direction

mrbell1984 said:
Why make big changes. I hope it to be stable and a beutiful design. That is all I want and it doesn't matter how much the features change in every release.

What more can you possible do and how far can you actually push technology to make it a wow factor? It's already a wow factor since iOS 4.
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The whole thing reminds me of this Louis C.K routine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk
 
Just having a further think about it and here is why Apple doesn't have to worry (if taking 70+% of global phone profits is anything to worry about):

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Those fancy Android features that make it "better" than iOS. Most people don't even know they exist :p
 
Apple are no longer hippies with a niche in the market. But no other company have such expectations place on them.. Users can't really moan when they are talking or demanding the 'next' thing as soon as they release something. Apple are the only company that comes to mind that have to develop hardware, os and software, so they need time or the standards will drop.

Since the switching to the Intel CPUs, the users of Iphones buying other apple productions, Apple the company have had to change as their customers have changed.

I rather have the 'classic' generation than today's 'iWant', but that's business :)
 
Craigus said:
It may be better in the mobile device world.

But if you are using Apple products to try to run a professional business with networking and the like it is far from going in the right direction.
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This is true. Apple is vacating the professional space and doubling down on consumer products. You can't really blame them, I suppose. They've found a niche with the iPhone and iPad and are doing very well with it.
 
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Yes I agree, it is very frustrating though. It would be nice if they just said they are phasing it out, I know they obviously aren't going to do that but it is annoying when they remove certain things without telling you about it.

My work has a 2 year plan in place to convert the whole system we run to Windows, a very costly procedure and a big change, simply because we don't feel Apple is any better than it's competitors anymore.
 
As a shareholder (33 shares bought at $105 :D), I am concerned.

Mostly because of iOS 6. Specifically the maps fiasco. I feel that Tim Cook coming out and suggesting people use a different mapping solution so soon after launch, is going to hurt them.

It's very poor of Apple to release something so half-baked, and I think they should have delayed the release of the maps app by 1 year, so they could release it with iOS7. That said, without maps they don't have so many "standout" features, so I see why they felt they "needed" to ship.

Anyway, I haven't owned a Mac since I sold my Mac Mini a few months ago, but I will probably get a laptop if needed. The iMac is nice, but I've come to rely on a powerful PC for my photo editing and gaming, and it doesn;t do what I want.

The iPhone 5 feels like an evolution over the 4/4S, whereas the 4 felt like a revolution over the 3/3GS. Again, they could have waited a year and released a revoltuionary device, but the fact is, the rate at which Android devices are released would cripple any hope they had of releasing a phone every 18-24 months. In a way the 5 is a great upgrade, but it feels like a "paint by numbers", "play it safe", evolution, not a bold "look what we can do" statement.

They haven't been focused on the desktop market since they dropped the "computer" from their company name, which incidentally was around the time iPhone became a household name.

I personally would have liked to have seen them buy the rights to the Premier League and compete with Sky on digital / IPTV, not flog the iOS cash cow, but there we go.
 
EVH said:
It's very poor of Apple to release something so half-baked, and I think they should have delayed the release of the maps app by 1 year, so they could release it with iOS7.
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The thing is, it would have been almost as bad in a year's time - the only difference being that they'd be even further behind Google. Maps was only ever going to reach Google standards through customer feedback and evolution. Might as well take the flak now and break dependence on Google ASAP.

Wish I'd bought some shares back then. You're $18,539 up right now...
 
Not if they hadn't shown their hand regarding flyover.

Imagine every major city in the world being done, for iOS7. Or even if they had just spent a chunk of money taking their own satellite pictures. I'm not saying they wouldn't be playing catchup up (they would), but at least they could have come out of the gate with something a bit more polished.

I have no problem with maps. I will use the turn-by-turn feature a lot, but it is disappointing coming from Google maps, and being used to the satellite pictures, and going to a pixelated mess. This is the problem.. they've had a decent mapping service in Google for so long, breaking people's dependency was always going to be hard enough, without kicking them in the balls and giving them fisher price maps.
 
I think right now apple isn't giving it there all, they know they will be selling like hotcakes. I felt with Jobs apple always looked after the bottom line, however they also really pushed the game forwarded and really wanted to actual make a difference. Now it just seems like a pure profit making machine.

EVH said:
Not if they hadn't shown their hand regarding flyover.

Imagine every major city in the world being done, for iOS7. Or even if they had just spent a chunk of money taking their own satellite pictures. I'm not saying they wouldn't be playing catchup up (they would), but at least they could have come out of the gate with something a bit more polished.

I have no problem with maps. I will use the turn-by-turn feature a lot, but it is disappointing coming from Google maps, and being used to the satellite pictures, and going to a pixelated mess. This is the problem.. they've had a decent mapping service in Google for so long, breaking people's dependency was always going to be hard enough, without kicking them in the balls and giving them fisher price maps.
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I think this is very true, but I think they could have spent 1 year maybe having people out in the field testing the maps, maybe testing some of the bigger landmarks to make sure they were oki on flyover. I think their claim its the most advance maps was really the thing that made it look so stupid, it is typical apple to claim their version is best but in this instance it was really just so far from that.
 
The public as a whole have worked themselves into such a frenzy about Apple and the next product that they almost can't be anything but disappointed, and of course Apple are more than happy to have all this hype.

Personally, I have been using Macs for 11 years, and other bits too, and I have no issue.

I had a bit of a worry about the way the OS is going, and too much focus on mobile devices, but honestly? Mountain Lion is an impressive operating system and what they have done with the new laptops is great. There isn't anything crazy but they've added USB 3.0 which I didn't think they would and the Retina MacBook Pro is 100% awesome.

Everybody expects a complete computing revolution every time a computer is launched and Apple have never ever done this. What they have is consistently improved their hardware and software products in large and small ways over time and made what I consider the best products, both in mobile devices and computers. Apple are a bit strange in that they don't use focus groups - they mostly produce their products without consulting anyone else which is unusual. I read somewhere that the only products they've tested on humans was the last gen Nano, aside from that they just do whatever they want and I like that... they end up spitting out some weird products but they move things along by not really caring what you think. It's arrogant certainly, but it does feed progress (cue Henry Ford quote about faster horses, I suppose).

I sometimes worry about where they're headed but really... it's not just them, the meshing of mobile and computer devices is happening everywhere whether I like it or not and it's not as bad as I think it is.

I've got a Galaxy S3 at the moment and before the iPhone 5 I was dreading the inevitable regret when it launched. It hasn't happened - I've finally clicked with Android which took a while, and the iPhone 5 hasn't blown me away but the iP5 and the S3 are between them the best two phones on the market by absolutely miles, and I wouldn't have looked elsewhere a year ago.

Competition like this can only be a good thing for everyone. If another company produces something that is close to beating, or does beat, an Apple product, I don't get worried that Apple are losing their touch, I get excited about what they will do to beat it.

I've been an Apple bod for a long time and probably will be always, but between MS, Google and Apple, lots of good things are happening and as long as we always have several companies at each other's throats we will always have ace stuff coming out for us to choose between and that is a GOOD THING.
 
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They just need to be careful IMO or else the competition will catch up. A lot of people are already touting the Samsung Galaxy S3 and I think Apple could have done more with iPhone 5 (plus iOS 6 sucks balls)
 
I personally don't see why everyone has got their knickers in a twist, seemingly as a result of iOS6 maps not quite meeting their expectations they've decided to be 'concerned' about Apple's future.

I can't say that maps bothers me, it will improve over time. I've used the turn by turn nav on a couple of occasions for test purposes, and was suitably impressed both times.

People seem to be full of hate because Apple aren't 'innovating' anymore. I would say they are doing so more than many of their competitors. What more do you honestly want a phone to do ??? I've moved from a 4 to a (white) 5 and I'm really impressed tbh - the hardware is superb and the OS is fast.

OSX is still great as a home user, more integration with iOS devices (which is a good thing), but again what more do you want an operating system to do that OSX doesn't do already?
 
It goes far beyond iOS6 and maps. The rot set in years ago and it's got far more to do with their corporate attitudes and policies than the design team.
 
Turbo-G said:
I personally don't see why everyone has got their knickers in a twist, seemingly as a result of iOS6 maps not quite meeting their expectations they've decided to be 'concerned' about Apple's future.
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I don't know either. Google maps can be easily re-obtained on iOS anyway. At least with me it is.

And my iPhone isn't jailbroken.
 
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theheyes said:
It goes far beyond iOS6 and maps. The rot set in years ago and it's got far more to do with their corporate attitudes and policies than the design team.
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I think to a big extent their profits are so depended on the iPhone that they will play it safe every release now and innovation will be left to the likes of Samsung.
 
Turbo-G said:
I personally don't see why everyone has got their knickers in a twist, seemingly as a result of iOS6 maps not quite meeting their expectations they've decided to be 'concerned' about Apple's future.

I can't say that maps bothers me, it will improve over time. I've used the turn by turn nav on a couple of occasions for test purposes, and was suitably impressed both times.

People seem to be full of hate because Apple aren't 'innovating' anymore. I would say they are doing so more than many of their competitors. What more do you honestly want a phone to do ??? I've moved from a 4 to a (white) 5 and I'm really impressed tbh - the hardware is superb and the OS is fast.
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It has become cool to hate on them, people are manufacturing things out of nothing. They were sitting on $100b in cash last year, they aren't going anywhere yet. They'll probably sell more iPhones in a month than Samsung will sell of their Galaxy in a year, that speaks volumes imo. I do like the direction Samsung are headed in and do feel it is good for the industry if they keep on doing well.

The current iPhone software may not be imo as good as it could be but the hardware is superb. It feels so well built and it is super quick, benchmarks have shown it to wipe the floor with so called better phones. The screen is brilliant imo and reviews have shown the colour and contrast performance is the best out of any smart phone. People aren't giving that as much credit as they deserve. The software imo needs more to it though there have been some very nice touches to iOS 6 but feels more like iOS 5.5 rather than something ground breaking imo.

Also the irony is things like NFC won't really take off until Apple adopt it, Apple I believe like to see things mature a bit more rather than rush to be the first to put things in. I suppose also to see the cost of those parts come down so to higher their profit margins! Some developers will prioritise Apple platforms as it is more lucrative to them in comparison to Android. Google last time I checked were struggling to make good money out of their App store. When a new iOS comes out people adopt it a lot more quickly than on Android devices as the graph higher up in the page shows so developers will find it easier and better as their products hit a wider audience.

It will be interesting to see if this rumoured iPad mini comes out and how it does.
 
JAzz said:
It has become cool to hate on them, people are manufacturing things out of nothing. They were sitting on $100b in cash last year, they aren't going anywhere yet. They'll probably sell more iPhones in a month than Samsung will sell of their Galaxy in a year, that speaks volumes imo. I do like the direction Samsung are headed in and do feel it is good for the industry if they keep on doing well.

The current iPhone software may not be imo as good as it could be but the hardware is superb. It feels so well built and it is super quick, benchmarks have shown it to wipe the floor with so called better phones. The screen is brilliant imo and reviews have shown the colour and contrast performance is the best out of any smart phone. People aren't giving that as much credit as they deserve. The software imo needs more to it though there have been some very nice touches to iOS 6 but feels more like iOS 5.5 rather than something ground breaking imo.

Also the irony is things like NFC won't really take off until Apple adopt it, Apple I believe like to see things mature a bit more rather than rush to be the first to put things in. I suppose also to see the cost of those parts come down so to higher their profit margins! Some developers will prioritise Apple platforms as it is more lucrative to them in comparison to Android. Google last time I checked were struggling to make good money out of their App store. When a new iOS comes out people adopt it a lot more quickly than on Android devices as the graph higher up in the page shows so developers will find it easier and better as their products hit a wider audience.

It will be interesting to see if this rumoured iPad mini comes out and how it does.
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But the thing is Apple sell themselves as the big innovators and people pushing the boundarys bit in actual fact all they have done of late is incremental updates.
 
DIABLO said:
But the thing is Apple sell themselves as the big innovators and people pushing the boundarys bit in actual fact all they have done of late is incremental updates.
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I'd agree with that but when it comes to products I think Apple have hit a point where what exactly do you do that makes people go wow. Look at Windows, last few has few has a lot of changes under the surface but what the customer sees it doesn't make them thing bloody hell this new Windows is amazing compared to the last, they are going to rock the boat with the Windows 8 so maybe in the next few years Apple will completely overhaul their UI? One thing I will say is iOS 6 is a very refined and well polished OS compared to the current Android offering imo. I've had a good play about with the Galaxy S3 and my cousin has one and he says the same as to a few other people I know. So Apple may feel justified in not trying to change things for the sake of it.

I do think they have a new product launch up their sleeves but don't know when it is coming out or what it may be, not the iPad mini btw! Maybe the Apple TV that we have heard about in the past?
 
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