"America has now waded so deep into this pattern of cynical anti-intellectualism that we now have a national chief executive that doesn't understand basic policy, can't spell, and can't even speak in coherent sentences. But at least we don't have any "elites" running the country!"
And this is where I stopped reading.
If there is one thing that 40 years of life has taught me, it is that liberals can not resist two things:
1. Telling you they're liberals. 2. Slandering everybody who isn't.
This paragraph had no place in this article. This is why I rarely come to this website anymore.
Pout all you like but President Trump and his administration tweets and formally communicates in messages riddled with significant errors, and the man talks on a fifth grade level in inscrutable word salad.
Pointing it out isn't slander, it's an American freedom of speech that fascist-leaning fans of authoritarianism can't stomach.
Most of this guy's writing is really great, but I don't see the need to inject politics into a tech blog:
"America has now waded so deep into this pattern of cynical anti-intellectualism that we now have a national chief executive that doesn't understand basic policy, can't spell, and can't even speak in coherent sentences. But at least we don't have any "elites" running the country!"
This is offensive, and not appropriate. Also, The writer himself often makes spelling and grammar mistakes that apparently, the Apple Insider people fail to recognize. I will make a similar statement about pushing politics here that I make about actors. Shut up and write! I don't give a damn about your political opinions. I come to Apple Insider to read about technology. I will go to Fox News, or Drudge when I'm ready to read about politics. If I want to be insulted, I will head over to MSNBC and watch Rachel Madcow.
I've always found it odd that it's so often the case that the folks who want actors to 'shut up' (and apparently tech writers to 'just write') are also the same people who actually elect actors (Ronald Reagan, Arnold Scwartzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Fred Thompson, Sonny Bono, etc.), and now reality stars (!?!) into public office. I would suggest skipping the sources mentioned here for political writing (both left and right), and try looking for some better, fact-based journalism. And if you think celebrities (and tech writers) aren't qualified to express political opinions, for the love of Pete, please quit voting them into public office.
I thought the AI piece was fine, and while the jab at the current White House occupant was perhaps provocative, anti-intellectualism is indeed a problem that led to the Great Orange Train Wreck, and also contributes to much of the bizarre punditry constantly directed at Apple. The folks running Apple have a pretty well-established track record for understanding and implementing their own very successful business model. Much of the negative chatter about Apple is predicated on a fundamental disregard for how Apple has built its success, substituting nonsensical demands that the company instead do things that would depart from anything resembling Steve Jobs' legendary vision. That negative chatter comes from sources that either do not value Apple's expertise, or - interestingly - from intentional disinformation campaigns seeking to subvert the company's reputation. So yeah, the comment was provocative, but not at all random or out of place.
How can you miss Fred Grandy- Gopher from Love Boat.
#1 iPad Pro : expensive no clear direction and purpose
#2 Apple Pencil : expensive no clear real world use case outside niche application
#3 iTunes App : too many function on one app
#4 Apple TV : un-intuitive UI and that remote is onother example of ID overreach
#5 Products languishing with out refreshing is a problem
@sog35 I'm amused that you you're self have on numerouse occasions complained about some of these things, I guess you feel you're the only person suitable to question Apple. My point how ever that you, like always failed to pick up before youre tirade on my post is that there's a lot of lambasting of jurnalists that I personally don't follow or care about spewing all kinds of garbage that people don't really care about and at the end of each there is something like "Apple has problems but those aren't them " and my question then in yours,Dan and Macalope's write-ups what are the actual problems then? if you are saying that Apple does have problems, to you what are they ?, I don't even get why you're bring up the fact that Apple is number one at the moment, they were number one in the past too and that didn't stop them from almost going bankrupt and no I'm not saying that things are that bad but it was this kind of arrogance that led MS to fall from grace as the article points out. IMHO Apple isn't under threat from anything that exists currently as MS and BB weren't pummeled by anything that they could see coming or had the conceptual understanding of to counter affectively, contrary to many here Apple's sucsses is mostly from people who could easily be swayed to jump ship if something close to iPhone in most things including UI,security and performance but cheaper appeared, or do you think only Apple can make it like Apple ?
It is generally useless to try and debate/discuss with someone like this, who simply will ignore the response and repeat what they feel like. And when the person writes in an almost unreadable form. However, why not give it a try:) Picking up on areas not covered by others.
IMHO Apple isn't under threat from anything that exists currently as MS and BB weren't pummeled by anything that they could see coming or had the conceptual understanding of to counter affectively You have to be specific about threats when you want to paint a company as vulnerable. Microsoft is still here and more profitable as ever. Despite some mis-starts, they have found a path forward leveraging their business markets. MS did not get mobile (so a lost opportunity), but they maintained their core base & expanding in new direction. BB (RIM) was a one-trick pony with a device that was a great email-phone. Apple was first with the premium mobile computer which made the functions of a BB apps on the iPhone. BB and Apple are nowhere near the same.
What is the threat to Apple? That they won't get "VR"? What does that mean. They are not in hard core gaming now, so what does missing VR mean in the end. They won't lead in "AI"? Perhaps, but how is AI brought to market? Google seems to think it is via premium devices...I think Apple is OK there. That Tesla is ahead in EV's? Technologically on the EV powertrain sure, but Tesla has never been profitable so they are clearly missing a few elements. Apple was a couple of decades late to mobile phones and seems to have done OK.
The point is you can't look at the broader world and say "well, something is coming down in the unknowable future and there is no guarantee that Apple will be involved in that so they are threatened". The rise of Google services has not affected Apple. The rise of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, has not affected Apple. They don't compete there. Be specific about Apple's vulnerabilities, if you think they have them.
Apple's sucsses is mostly from people who could easily be swayed to jump ship if something close to iPhone in most things including UI,security and performance but cheaper appeared, or do you think only Apple can make it like Apple ? Hmmm..this comment is a bit of a head scratcher. Competitors to the iPhone have been around for 7+ years. And mostly cheaper. While security is certainly up for debate, Samsung and others have ripped off Apple's UI fairly well. Performance is not as good, but I am sure good enough for most. And yet Apple continues to grow their iPhone user base. The real world has a problem because it is not conforming to your view of what "should" happen?
Alternate headline: Why Apple is Great and Should Never be Questioned.
Last line from the article, "Apple needs and deserves plenty of criticism. The critics just need to step up their game and understand what's going on better. So far, much of their advice largely deserves plenty of criticism of its own."
Apple's strategy has worked well for premium market in several product categories like iphone, but hasn't work same way in Macbook pro market. In order to expand that market, Apple must offer around $1299 13" and $1499 15" Macbook pro with decent price performance to college/high-school student and casual users. This base is large and potentially contribute lot to future Apple echo system, revenue.
Apple has something like 95% of the profits in laptops over $1000, so I'm not sure why you say their strategy is bad.
This is offensive, and not appropriate. Also, The writer himself often makes spelling and grammar mistakes that apparently, the Apple Insider people fail to recognize. I will make a similar statement about pushing politics here that I make about actors. Shut up and write! I don't give a damn about your political opinions. I come to Apple Insider to read about technology. I will go to Fox News, or Drudge when I'm ready to read about politics.
I agree about separating politics. I wish, though, that people who get their facts from Fox and Drudge would consider looking elsewhere. I'm not an American and used to like the Republicans, but I consider those extreme propaganda sites, which often contradict facts that I know from direct experience to be true.
"America has now waded so deep into this pattern of cynical anti-intellectualism that we now have a national chief executive that doesn't understand basic policy, can't spell, and can't even speak in coherent sentences. But at least we don't have any "elites" running the country!"
And this is where I stopped reading.
If there is one thing that 40 years of life has taught me, it is that liberals can not resist two things:
1. Telling you they're liberals. 2. Slandering everybody who isn't.
This paragraph had no place in this article. This is why I rarely come to this website anymore.
The ironic thing is that DED and Trump seem to both hate the media (with a few exceptions) equally accusing them of peddling fake news, etc.
Comments
Pointing it out isn't slander, it's an American freedom of speech that fascist-leaning fans of authoritarianism can't stomach.
IMHO Apple isn't under threat from anything that exists currently as MS and BB weren't pummeled by anything that they could see coming or had the conceptual understanding of to counter affectively
You have to be specific about threats when you want to paint a company as vulnerable. Microsoft is still here and more profitable as ever. Despite some mis-starts, they have found a path forward leveraging their business markets. MS did not get mobile (so a lost opportunity), but they maintained their core base & expanding in new direction. BB (RIM) was a one-trick pony with a device that was a great email-phone. Apple was first with the premium mobile computer which made the functions of a BB apps on the iPhone. BB and Apple are nowhere near the same.
What is the threat to Apple? That they won't get "VR"? What does that mean. They are not in hard core gaming now, so what does missing VR mean in the end. They won't lead in "AI"? Perhaps, but how is AI brought to market? Google seems to think it is via premium devices...I think Apple is OK there. That Tesla is ahead in EV's? Technologically on the EV powertrain sure, but Tesla has never been profitable so they are clearly missing a few elements. Apple was a couple of decades late to mobile phones and seems to have done OK.
The point is you can't look at the broader world and say "well, something is coming down in the unknowable future and there is no guarantee that Apple will be involved in that so they are threatened". The rise of Google services has not affected Apple. The rise of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc, has not affected Apple. They don't compete there. Be specific about Apple's vulnerabilities, if you think they have them.
Apple's sucsses is mostly from people who could easily be swayed to jump ship if something close to iPhone in most things including UI,security and performance but cheaper appeared, or do you think only Apple can make it like Apple ?
Hmmm..this comment is a bit of a head scratcher. Competitors to the iPhone have been around for 7+ years. And mostly cheaper. While security is certainly up for debate, Samsung and others have ripped off Apple's UI fairly well. Performance is not as good, but I am sure good enough for most. And yet Apple continues to grow their iPhone user base. The real world has a problem because it is not conforming to your view of what "should" happen?
Apple has something like 95% of the profits in laptops over $1000, so I'm not sure why you say their strategy is bad.