Personally, I think it's going to be the Next years all over again.
Why would that be? Remember, Jobs ran NeXT. That doesn't make sense.
Jobs had a decade to train his team his methods, if his methods didn't rub off on Cook, etc. then he really has failed.
Buy the product that suits your needs, not the celebrity behind it. I don't buy Apple products because they've been blessed by Jobs. It doesn't even factor in the decision.
Welcome to the brave new world, where Apple users don't have to be Apple Obsessives, and can remain unbiased and realistically critical, even if the product/software/service did happen to come from the Church of Steve. Get used to it, because there are more and more of us everyday, and very soon we will outnumber you and your fanboy ilk.
Yes, you're probably right. The future Apple mainstream user will never do anything but bitch about how overpriced, overhyped, underpowered and under-featured Apple's stuff is, speculate darkly about the locked down police state that Apple's policies are inevitably leading us toward, and brutally attack anyone that expresses satisfaction with Apple's products or policies as being grotesque simpletons, sycophants and hipster posers. Should be a laugh riot.
Apple used to be the brand which appealed mostly to self-satisfied cultists. Now it has set its sights on the mainstream.
It used to happen a lot with musical acts. A small group of cultists would love their first indie release, and congratulate themselves on being better than the squares. But when the band releases a major-label hit, and starts to sell in the mainstream, they abandon them.
Are we seeing Apple go that route? When it was Macs, Apple was a cult brand.
With the success of their non-computer products, they are quickly becoming the mainstream choice for the "I don't know nothing" crowd. Grandmothers. Children. Technophobes.
And everyone and anyone else.
So just like The Clash, just like U2 and R.E.M., just like Nirvana, Apple is switching from cult to mainstream. It will blow the minds of the fanboys, and it will take years to happen. Expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the meantime.
Apple has been about as mainstream as it gets for some time now, and any teeth gnashing from "cultists" has long since been drowned out by people who claim to use Apple products but never have a good word to say about them. Odd that.
And why would it have any effect on consumer demand?
Only in the delusional and perverted minds of Android fans, trolls and other mentally unstable people with underdeveloped sexual organs, does the demented fantasy exist that Apple will be doomed after Steve Jobs is gone.
As long as Apple continues to release kick ass products that puts the competition to shame which spurs a million copycats, people will continue to buy and want Apple products.
Apple won't be teh doomed until they release a iMac that is 3/8th of an inch thicker and comes with and optional blu-ray drive. Then it's time to sell the stock and lament how Apple has become a sellout!
And why would it have any effect on consumer demand?
Only in the delusional and perverted minds of Android fans, trolls and other mentally unstable people with underdeveloped sexual organs, does the demented fantasy exist that Apple will be doomed after Steve Jobs is gone.
As long as Apple continues to release kick ass products that puts the competition to shame which spurs a million copycats, people will continue to buy and want Apple products.
Two Reasons Steve's Departure is SIGNIFICANT:
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything.
Now with those two pieces of information - imagine Apple two, three years from now.
It's a different world now man. 5 years ago, Apple was nobody - just iPod people. Google dominated search and eyeballs. Fast forward to now. Apple dominates, Facebook gives Google fits, and what's coming on the horizon?
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything.
Now with those two pieces of information - imagine Apple two, three years from now.
It's a different world now man. 5 years ago, Apple was nobody - just iPod people. Google dominated search and eyeballs. Fast forward to now. Apple dominates, Facebook gives Google fits, and what's coming on the horizon?
My personal guess - Microsoft...
There are some significant differences this time.
Firstly, Scully and Amelio operated in direct contradiction to the way Jobs wanted to do things.
Cook, Ive, Schiller, and Forstall have been trained from the ground up to behave the way Steve desires.
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything..
You forget that Jobs picked the folks he left in control. He picked them, he trained them. He poured the KoolAid they drank hourly
Its a bit early to be discussing the effect of Steve leaving. Products coming out in the next couple of years are all likely to had a large involvement from him already so there not exactly post Steve.
Lets wait and see how well they do at going onto another product market without Steve. That's the real test.
Comments
Personally, I think it's going to be the Next years all over again.
Why would that be? Remember, Jobs ran NeXT. That doesn't make sense.
Jobs had a decade to train his team his methods, if his methods didn't rub off on Cook, etc. then he really has failed.
Buy the product that suits your needs, not the celebrity behind it. I don't buy Apple products because they've been blessed by Jobs. It doesn't even factor in the decision.
Welcome to the brave new world, where Apple users don't have to be Apple Obsessives, and can remain unbiased and realistically critical, even if the product/software/service did happen to come from the Church of Steve. Get used to it, because there are more and more of us everyday, and very soon we will outnumber you and your fanboy ilk.
Yes, you're probably right. The future Apple mainstream user will never do anything but bitch about how overpriced, overhyped, underpowered and under-featured Apple's stuff is, speculate darkly about the locked down police state that Apple's policies are inevitably leading us toward, and brutally attack anyone that expresses satisfaction with Apple's products or policies as being grotesque simpletons, sycophants and hipster posers. Should be a laugh riot.
Apple used to be the brand which appealed mostly to self-satisfied cultists. Now it has set its sights on the mainstream.
It used to happen a lot with musical acts. A small group of cultists would love their first indie release, and congratulate themselves on being better than the squares. But when the band releases a major-label hit, and starts to sell in the mainstream, they abandon them.
Are we seeing Apple go that route? When it was Macs, Apple was a cult brand.
With the success of their non-computer products, they are quickly becoming the mainstream choice for the "I don't know nothing" crowd. Grandmothers. Children. Technophobes.
And everyone and anyone else.
So just like The Clash, just like U2 and R.E.M., just like Nirvana, Apple is switching from cult to mainstream. It will blow the minds of the fanboys, and it will take years to happen. Expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the meantime.
Apple has been about as mainstream as it gets for some time now, and any teeth gnashing from "cultists" has long since been drowned out by people who claim to use Apple products but never have a good word to say about them. Odd that.
And why would it have any effect on consumer demand?
Only in the delusional and perverted minds of Android fans, trolls and other mentally unstable people with underdeveloped sexual organs, does the demented fantasy exist that Apple will be doomed after Steve Jobs is gone.
As long as Apple continues to release kick ass products that puts the competition to shame which spurs a million copycats, people will continue to buy and want Apple products.
Apple won't be teh doomed until they release a iMac that is 3/8th of an inch thicker and comes with and optional blu-ray drive. Then it's time to sell the stock and lament how Apple has become a sellout!
And why would it have any effect on consumer demand?
Only in the delusional and perverted minds of Android fans, trolls and other mentally unstable people with underdeveloped sexual organs, does the demented fantasy exist that Apple will be doomed after Steve Jobs is gone.
As long as Apple continues to release kick ass products that puts the competition to shame which spurs a million copycats, people will continue to buy and want Apple products.
Two Reasons Steve's Departure is SIGNIFICANT:
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything.
Now with those two pieces of information - imagine Apple two, three years from now.
It's a different world now man. 5 years ago, Apple was nobody - just iPod people. Google dominated search and eyeballs. Fast forward to now. Apple dominates, Facebook gives Google fits, and what's coming on the horizon?
My personal guess - Microsoft...
Two Reasons Steve's Departure is SIGNIFICANT:
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything.
Now with those two pieces of information - imagine Apple two, three years from now.
It's a different world now man. 5 years ago, Apple was nobody - just iPod people. Google dominated search and eyeballs. Fast forward to now. Apple dominates, Facebook gives Google fits, and what's coming on the horizon?
My personal guess - Microsoft...
There are some significant differences this time.
Firstly, Scully and Amelio operated in direct contradiction to the way Jobs wanted to do things.
Cook, Ive, Schiller, and Forstall have been trained from the ground up to behave the way Steve desires.
Two Reasons Steve's Departure is SIGNIFICANT:
1. There was a time without Steve Jobs - and Apple almost went under. Google John Sculley and Gil Amelio. These guys were VERY capable CEOs... but not Steve.
2. Ask ANY employee of Apple Corporate what it was like to work there. Steve had his hand in EVERYTHING. He was THE quality control, usability, cool-ness, etc. police. If it wasn't to Steve standards, the project got scrapped, you got fired, or both! Well ok maybe not so crazy, but Steve has A LOT of influence in everything..
You forget that Jobs picked the folks he left in control. He picked them, he trained them. He poured the KoolAid they drank hourly
And he's still there. Just not as CEO.
Lets wait and see how well they do at going onto another product market without Steve. That's the real test.