I wonder what would happen if Apple decided to offer their hardware for about $100 to $200 cheaper per desktop and laptop and sold OS X as an optional Operating system to be used only on Apple hardware. Would people buy them and install another OS, or would they still install OS X.
I know they won't do it, but I've always wondered what would happen if they did. I would still buy OS X and run OS X as would everyone that prefers OS X, but would they sell more systems if LInux and Windows people still wanted to only run those OSs and choose Apple hardware at a slightly reduced amount because the OS was unbundled. Obviously, Apple wouldn't be the OS supplier or give suppert for the other OS's but still offer hardware support.
Easily one of the worst ideas of "Apple should do this" that I've ever read... and I've read quite a few. This would be an absurdly ridiculous move, on so many levels, and for so many reasons. Most of which is the fact that Apple sells an ecosystem with each of their products, designed to serve as a halo for their other products. Getting users on OSX is even more important than selling them the hardware. The 2nd major fail is asking users to install OSX themselves. This added "option" infinitely increases complexity for the user, dilutes the brand, and serves no real purpose. It's very easy for those that want to make a bootcamp partition to do so.
Am I the only person who believes that a greatly simplified PC with custom built in graphics would be an awesome product between a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro? The new 760 chip from nVidia is plenty of graphics for the next 4 years and if it were put into an inclosure smaller than the new MacPro and bigger than Mac Mini it would be worth the extra $250 for the computer.
The people that will say no are the ones who are lucky enough to have their needs and wants met by other Apple products.But for many of us we do recognize a gap between the mini and the Pro.
"Demand is even less for Apple's desktops, like the Mac mini,"
Perhaps because Apple's desktop line is in serious need of adjustment?
"Demand is even less for Apple's desktops, like the Mac mini,"
Perhaps because Apple's desktop line is in serious need of adjustment?
This is what I keep wondering. Apple sees that a product is selling poorly so they just discontinue it. I'm obviously not privy to what goes on in Cupertino, but I find myself wondering if there's a lot of consideration given to the possibility that people want something LIKE that but not THAT. Is it possible that maybe there's a touch of product egotism going on that leads Apple execs to believe that if what they're offering isn't selling, nothing will?
Often I think it may not be the whole product or category that buyers are avoiding, but perhaps just some specific aspect of the particular implementation.
"High-end laptop? Yes, please. Uses a storage format that no one else on the planet sells? No, thanks."
"Nice big monitor with Thunderbolt input? Yes, please. A thousand dollars? No, thanks."
Or whatever the particular device and objection may be... you get the point.
For what it's worth "v5v" is a noted troll on this site and is just trying to be as contrary as possible here.
They change their opinion week to week based on whatever is the most negative, and thus can't be really said to have an actual opinion per se.
You say white, they say black, you say up they say down, etc.
As you noted, in this case they are arguing that one of the best and most popular laptops available in the entire history of laptop computers, as well as the most popular smartphone ever made (one that actually defines the modern smartphone category) are both somehow not up to snuff.
More than a little irrational.
Jeez 'Zoob, I love you too...
I didn't say they're not up to snuff. I said *I* don't like 'em. There's a WORLD of difference.
You will note that I ALSO have acknowledged here that many of Apple's products sell as fast as they can make them, so obviously the majority of buyers don't share my views, and that's fine.
Feel free to disagree with everything I say, but knock off the bullshit about me just being contrary for the sake of it and my opinion being invalid. I expect the same respect I afford others here.
Please at least read my response to Slurpy before jumping all over me with insults.
P.S. The "best and most popular laptop" you refer to has seen both a price reduction and inventory surplus in the last several months. Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, not everybody is completely happy with absolutely everything Apple offers no matter what?
Yesterday Slurpy asked me what's keeping me from buying a new MacBook Pro, so I've been giving it some thought. Among other things, I realized I've succumbed to "anticipation paralysis."
First it was waiting for Lightpeak. Then we all knew the NEXT model would have USB3. Of course, it would have been crazy to buy right before ac-wireless was added. And now, it seems prudent to wait for the better battery life of Haswell and obviously Thunderbolt 2!
Are there enough people reacting to news of new technologies being "just around the corner" to affect sales over the last year or two, or is it just me? Again...
Apple resellers initiated a fire sale on the high-resolution display MacBook Pros in February, chopping hundreds of dollars off of the standard price.
Those sales preceded an unexpected minor update and across-the-board price drop instituted by Apple in mid-February. The move was largely seen as a sign that the initial prices on Retina display MacBook Pros were too high amidst a struggling PC market, and Apple had to move the premium systems due to a backlog of inventory in the channel.
Or because educated consumers realised cramming a retina display into something with an integrated graphics processor that can't maintain a decent refresh rate was a terrible idea.
All large tech companies buy smaller ones for different reasons, this has nothing to do with being innovative or not. What other company has reinvented or defined while product categories like Apple? Horrible attempt at trolling. Come up with something new.
What do you mean by while product categories? If you mean whole product categories then I would say many companies do that. I'm definitely not trolling. I think Apple was last innovative with the introduction of the iPhone. The iPad was already in development when the iPhone came out. Remember that Steve Jobs said that they had to invent the iPhone in order to get to the level of the iPad which was the thing he wanted to create in the first place. I think Apple peaked in 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone. I'm glad that they are refining some of their products but the speed at which they update things is just slow. Because I don't like the changes in their computer lines I won't be purchasing another Mac for a while.
If they feel dropping the optical drives is OK then fine. If they feel putting slower spinning drives in iMacs is better, fine. If they feel making machines that can't be upgraded or easily repaired by their customers with normal tools, then fine. If they don't want to compete on price then they can lose my business.
Like I said about the iPod Touch, I can get a full blown unlocked smart phone with extra storage for not much more money. There are even less expensive smart phones with more features than the iPod Touch. Apple would get $199 from me tomorrow if the latest iPod Touch with 64 GB of storage cost that much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePixelDoc
I was at a birthday party on Saturday of about 60 people, many of them clients and their families that I have the opportunity to mingle with outside of work once a year. A somewhat large portion have purchased their first smart phone or tablet since we last saw each other a year ago. The not surprising tale: they love their mobile devices; hate their PCs/LTs and rarely use them anymore unless they absolutely must. Many see absolutely no reason whatsoever to purchase a new PC.... some going so far as to say, "in their lifetime".
With the advent of these instant on, easy to use computers in your pocket... and in the case of iOS devices, 99% secure... it really is no wonder why people are gravitating towards them in droves.
I don't think it's too far fetched to predict that a very large majority of households will not replace their PCs at all in the future, and will rather upgrade their mobile devices every 2-3 years. I'm talking as high as ~75%. The "wiggle room" is for those that "really" need the power for film and picture editing and assorted business tasks that can't be accomplished efficiently on a mobile device. However, that dilemma is also changing quickly, so who knows? In 3 years we just may have docks, home servers, whatever that facilitates "big screen" computing. Heck, we're more than halfway there already if you think about it.
NOTE: a lot of people inquiring about the Chromecast(!) For those outside of the Apple gadget arena... gotta be honest... that inexpensive little device is revolutionary for many home and technophobic users!
Apple's refusal to put a file system on their iOS devices is limiting their usability. It was one of the first things that people wanted with the iPhone and then the iPod Touch. The iPad should have had one from the beginning. Adding an SD card reader to the iPads would have gotten me to buy one long ago. This is how Apple holds back technology improvements in order to keep up their profits. People who want more storage must pay hundreds of dollars more to get it.
For the people who will forgo buying another traditional computer they will soon have more choices. The Ubuntu for cell phones OS has all of the same features that are on the regular computer OS. That means it comes with a file system and can communicate seamlessly with the Ubuntu desktop OS. Apple isn't the only company creating a comprehensive ecosystem.
Apple isn't in the lead in all areas of software and hardware. They make pretty devices that function well. They make quality things. They just aren't always leading when they really could if they would put technology and innovation ahead of profits.
Am I the only person who believes that a greatly simplified PC with custom built in graphics would be an awesome product between a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro?
Serious question: what's so great about the Haswell, compared to, say, i7?
Thing about Intel is they use as vague and confusing a naming scheme as possible. Haswell is i7. It's also i5 and i3, just like every Intel chip since Nehalem.
What you want to know is the difference between Haswell, Ivy Bridge, and Sandy Bridge. The former has a ton of power saving features that PCs will even get (but Windows won't take advantage of any of them itself). Not to mention the 5000 and Iris Pro GPUs.
Laptops allow you to take your home computer with you anywhere you go, something that a tablet can not do
Sure it can. Rather, it will. We'll see a 13" iPad before long, and that's where the MacBook Air crowd will move. Then desktops take back over in the home.
Hiding a desktop is comparatively much harder.
Why would you want to? Apple's computers are gorgeous.
Furthermore, they come with their own UPSes and, if you buy a Thunderbolt Display, Wireless Keyboard, and Magic Mouse / Trackpad, you can have the full iMac experience with an additional monitor with a laptop.
So the full iMac experience for twice the cost and complexity of an actual iMac. :no:
P.S. The "best and most popular laptop" you refer to has seen both a price reduction and inventory surplus in the last several months. Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, not everybody is completely happy with absolutely everything Apple offers no matter what?
P.S. Come off it. You know exactly why that is happening. Enough FUD.
P.S. Come off it. You know exactly why that is happening. Enough FUD.
Maybe I missed something. Weren't both the price reduction and inventory surplus the result of sales being much slower than expected? Doesn't that mean buyers are not as enamoured of it as they are other Apple products?
Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass here. We often read the argument that the design of the iPhone is obviously ideal because they sell quickly and in enormous quantities. Is the converse not also true, that if something does not sell quickly or in strong numbers, there's obviously something about it that people don't like?
What do you mean by while product categories? If you mean whole product categories then I would say many companies do that. I'm definitely not trolling. I think Apple was last innovative with the introduction of the iPhone. The iPad was already in development when the iPhone came out. Remember that Steve Jobs said that they had to invent the iPhone in order to get to the level of the iPad which was the thing he wanted to create in the first place. I think Apple peaked in 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone. I'm glad that they are refining some of their products but the speed at which they update things is just slow. Because I don't like the changes in their computer lines I won't be purchasing another Mac for a while.
If they feel dropping the optical drives is OK then fine. If they feel putting slower spinning drives in iMacs is better, fine. If they feel making machines that can't be upgraded or easily repaired by their customers with normal tools, then fine. If they don't want to compete on price then they can lose my business.
Like I said about the iPod Touch, I can get a full blown unlocked smart phone with extra storage for not much more money. There are even less expensive smart phones with more features than the iPod Touch. Apple would get $199 from me tomorrow if the latest iPod Touch with 64 GB of storage cost that much.
Apple's refusal to put a file system on their iOS devices is limiting their usability. It was one of the first things that people wanted with the iPhone and then the iPod Touch. The iPad should have had one from the beginning. Adding an SD card reader to the iPads would have gotten me to buy one long ago. This is how Apple holds back technology improvements in order to keep up their profits. People who want more storage must pay hundreds of dollars more to get it.
For the people who will forgo buying another traditional computer they will soon have more choices. The Ubuntu for cell phones OS has all of the same features that are on the regular computer OS. That means it comes with a file system and can communicate seamlessly with the Ubuntu desktop OS. Apple isn't the only company creating a comprehensive ecosystem.
Apple isn't in the lead in all areas of software and hardware. They make pretty devices that function well. They make quality things. They just aren't always leading when they really could if they would put technology and innovation ahead of profits.
A unified file system would be great, in that we can agree. An SD card slot, not so much. Apple has their adapters which work just fine. Also, you may want to look into how many people actually use SD cards and the problems they have managing the file system on Android. That will give you the answer as to why Apple didn't and still hasn't went down either of those roads.
I was hoping that with iOS 7 Apple would have had a "Pro Settings" feature which would have exposed at the very least a limited file system for saving cross-app documents. Oh well. Maybe with with iOS8... because I'm not planning on going Droid any time soon. I have the sorry-ass excuse for a tablet called the Nexus 7 for dev only, and hate turning the thing on, even if it does have a file system... just sayin'....:smokey:
@tallest skill: My MBA (updated four times now) begs to disagree (it also wants to gag you, throw you in a dungeon to be eaten by ghouls and various stuff, but worry not, I unplugged it from power and restrained it until it calms down)
@jakeb: I've had limited success with iPad programming on servers via iSSH, and I'm confident the new Pro should be a good way to run XCode from a beanbag (no, actually, not... XCode requires screen real estate).
Maybe I missed something. Weren't both the price reduction and inventory surplus the result of sales being much slower than expected? Doesn't that mean buyers are not as enamoured of it as they are other Apple products?
Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass here. We often read the argument that the design of the iPhone is obviously ideal because they sell quickly and in enormous quantities. Is the converse not also true, that if something does not sell quickly or in strong numbers, there's obviously something about it that people don't like?
The part TS was referring to was the well-trumpted massive slowdown across the board in the PC market? You know, the one affecting everyone?
It still outsells most of its competition. It's a very well-received model, and super popular. Even so, that can't completely overcome broad economic trends and global, market-wide slowdowns. Please.
You making it an issue of being somehow 'disliked' is completely off the mark.
The part TS was referring to was the well-trumpted massive slowdown across the board in the PC market? You know, the one affecting everyone?
It still outsells most of its competition. It's a very well-received model, and super popular. Even so, that can't completely overcome broad economic trends and global, market-wide slowdowns. Please.
You making it an issue of being somehow 'disliked' is completely off the mark.
Thanks for the explanation. I wish TS would say what he means instead of just posting vague contradictions.
For the record, I wasn't trying to be disingenuous or misleading. The impression I get from articles and comments on this forum are that the rMBP was not nearly as well received as Apple expected, and that there was more to it than just a shrinking of the PC market overall. It is my understanding that the Air has managed to weather the slowdown quite respectably, whereas the rMBP has not done as well. Apple doesn't typically respond to global slowdowns with price reductions, do they? Was the price of any other product reduced?
Does anyone know how many they've sold? How do we know it's super-popular?
Anyway, I have no basis for a qualified opinion either way so I'll stop speculating. I'm sure it's a great computer.
Weren't both the price reduction and inventory surplus the result of sales being much slower than expected? Doesn't that mean buyers are not as enamoured of it as they are other Apple products?
We often read the argument that the design of the iPhone is obviously ideal because they sell quickly and in enormous quantities. Is the converse not also true, that if something does not sell quickly or in strong numbers, there's obviously something about it that people don't like?
The Retina Macbook Pro is far too expensive, that's the only problem it really has. The MBP is already an expensive laptop but $2200 for the entry 15" rMBP is a lot of money. If they can get the entry point back down to $1800, it'll sell better. People know that the current $1800 model is the old design.
Is it possible that declining sales of certain products are NOT the result of cannibalization by the iPad, but rather buyers just not being happy with the current offerings? I know that's the case for me -- I haven't updated my aged MacBook Pro or iPhone because I don't care for the current offerings -- but I always assumed I was the only one. Is anyone else thumbing their nose at what Apple sells now and waiting to see if the next redesign is better?
I'm a Mac fan. Heck, I'm the only Mac user remaining in my household of four. You would think people would think negatively about the rest of my family. No. They think negatively of me. Why?
Because I too am holding back.
While the rest of the family went elsewhere to find the features, hardware, "usefulness" that they either wanted or needed I stayed loyal.
I've been waiting for Apple to offer what I want and need. It's been close a couple of times but not enough to accept the compromises at the dollar amount it would cost.
So I keep using the Mac I have.
For being loyal to Apple but truthful in my needs I have been labeled on forums.
Amazing. Leave Apple and Mac users are okay with it. Stay with Apple and Mac users bitch if your needs aren't what theirs are.
I'm a Mac fan. Heck, I'm the only Mac user remaining in my household of four. You would think people would think negatively about the rest of my family. No. They think negatively of me. Why?
Because I too am holding back.
While the rest of the family went elsewhere to find the features, hardware, "usefulness" that they either wanted or needed I stayed loyal.
I've been waiting for Apple to offer what I want and need. It's been close a couple of times but not enough to accept the compromises at the dollar amount it would cost.
So I keep using the Mac I have.
For being loyal to Apple but truthful in my needs I have been labeled on forums.
Amazing. Leave Apple and Mac users are okay with it. Stay with Apple and Mac users bitch if your needs aren't what theirs are.
I read posts like this and truly marvel. You claim to have a family who all "left Apple" while you held on loyally, "waiting for Apple to deliver what you want and need (but haven't yet)…" You put it into the context of Apple being "Expensive" - presumably relative to the rest of the market, but since feature for feature, Apple isn't any more expensive spec for spec - then perhaps what you're really saying is you wished Apple produced cheaper 'junk' machines that were more 'affordable'?
Considering that Apple pretty much exist at, and often define, the leading edge of this market (and its hardware), what is it that THEY are not delivering for you (other than "cheaper hardware")?
Is it all about "lower prices"? They've lowered prices a few times over the past year, while increasing performance and specs at the same time. The MacBook Air is a fine example of this. Look at the base 13" model that sells for $1,299. That's an amazing package (performance, storage, you name it) for that price. No-one else really comes close.
Additional features? No less than the competition, that's for sure.
What is it exactly that the rest of your family needed that Apple doesn't provide?
I find this post of yours fairly disingenuous, I'm afraid.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
I wonder what would happen if Apple decided to offer their hardware for about $100 to $200 cheaper per desktop and laptop and sold OS X as an optional Operating system to be used only on Apple hardware. Would people buy them and install another OS, or would they still install OS X.
I know they won't do it, but I've always wondered what would happen if they did. I would still buy OS X and run OS X as would everyone that prefers OS X, but would they sell more systems if LInux and Windows people still wanted to only run those OSs and choose Apple hardware at a slightly reduced amount because the OS was unbundled. Obviously, Apple wouldn't be the OS supplier or give suppert for the other OS's but still offer hardware support.
Easily one of the worst ideas of "Apple should do this" that I've ever read... and I've read quite a few. This would be an absurdly ridiculous move, on so many levels, and for so many reasons. Most of which is the fact that Apple sells an ecosystem with each of their products, designed to serve as a halo for their other products. Getting users on OSX is even more important than selling them the hardware. The 2nd major fail is asking users to install OSX themselves. This added "option" infinitely increases complexity for the user, dilutes the brand, and serves no real purpose. It's very easy for those that want to make a bootcamp partition to do so.
Absolutely! But is it inexpensive ($300-440,- sweet-spot) AND easy to configure only using an iPad for example?
That's the device I'm thinking of and has been discussed here more than a few times over the last couple of years. :smokey:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macnewsjunkie
Am I the only person who believes that a greatly simplified PC with custom built in graphics would be an awesome product between a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro? The new 760 chip from nVidia is plenty of graphics for the next 4 years and if it were put into an inclosure smaller than the new MacPro and bigger than Mac Mini it would be worth the extra $250 for the computer.
The people that will say no are the ones who are lucky enough to have their needs and wants met by other Apple products.But for many of us we do recognize a gap between the mini and the Pro.
"Demand is even less for Apple's desktops, like the Mac mini,"
Perhaps because Apple's desktop line is in serious need of adjustment?
That wouldn't be between a Mini and a Pro - which is what was suggested.
And, yes, you can configure a Mini using an iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacTac
"Demand is even less for Apple's desktops, like the Mac mini,"
Perhaps because Apple's desktop line is in serious need of adjustment?
This is what I keep wondering. Apple sees that a product is selling poorly so they just discontinue it. I'm obviously not privy to what goes on in Cupertino, but I find myself wondering if there's a lot of consideration given to the possibility that people want something LIKE that but not THAT. Is it possible that maybe there's a touch of product egotism going on that leads Apple execs to believe that if what they're offering isn't selling, nothing will?
Often I think it may not be the whole product or category that buyers are avoiding, but perhaps just some specific aspect of the particular implementation.
"High-end laptop? Yes, please. Uses a storage format that no one else on the planet sells? No, thanks."
"Nice big monitor with Thunderbolt input? Yes, please. A thousand dollars? No, thanks."
Or whatever the particular device and objection may be... you get the point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
For what it's worth "v5v" is a noted troll on this site and is just trying to be as contrary as possible here.
They change their opinion week to week based on whatever is the most negative, and thus can't be really said to have an actual opinion per se.
You say white, they say black, you say up they say down, etc.
As you noted, in this case they are arguing that one of the best and most popular laptops available in the entire history of laptop computers, as well as the most popular smartphone ever made (one that actually defines the modern smartphone category) are both somehow not up to snuff.
More than a little irrational.
Jeez 'Zoob, I love you too...
I didn't say they're not up to snuff. I said *I* don't like 'em. There's a WORLD of difference.
You will note that I ALSO have acknowledged here that many of Apple's products sell as fast as they can make them, so obviously the majority of buyers don't share my views, and that's fine.
Feel free to disagree with everything I say, but knock off the bullshit about me just being contrary for the sake of it and my opinion being invalid. I expect the same respect I afford others here.
Please at least read my response to Slurpy before jumping all over me with insults.
P.S. The "best and most popular laptop" you refer to has seen both a price reduction and inventory surplus in the last several months. Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, not everybody is completely happy with absolutely everything Apple offers no matter what?
Yesterday Slurpy asked me what's keeping me from buying a new MacBook Pro, so I've been giving it some thought. Among other things, I realized I've succumbed to "anticipation paralysis."
First it was waiting for Lightpeak. Then we all knew the NEXT model would have USB3. Of course, it would have been crazy to buy right before ac-wireless was added. And now, it seems prudent to wait for the better battery life of Haswell and obviously Thunderbolt 2!
Are there enough people reacting to news of new technologies being "just around the corner" to affect sales over the last year or two, or is it just me? Again...
Quote:
Apple resellers initiated a fire sale on the high-resolution display MacBook Pros in February, chopping hundreds of dollars off of the standard price.
Those sales preceded an unexpected minor update and across-the-board price drop instituted by Apple in mid-February. The move was largely seen as a sign that the initial prices on Retina display MacBook Pros were too high amidst a struggling PC market, and Apple had to move the premium systems due to a backlog of inventory in the channel.
Or because educated consumers realised cramming a retina display into something with an integrated graphics processor that can't maintain a decent refresh rate was a terrible idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
All large tech companies buy smaller ones for different reasons, this has nothing to do with being innovative or not. What other company has reinvented or defined while product categories like Apple? Horrible attempt at trolling. Come up with something new.
What do you mean by while product categories? If you mean whole product categories then I would say many companies do that. I'm definitely not trolling. I think Apple was last innovative with the introduction of the iPhone. The iPad was already in development when the iPhone came out. Remember that Steve Jobs said that they had to invent the iPhone in order to get to the level of the iPad which was the thing he wanted to create in the first place. I think Apple peaked in 2007 with the introduction of the iPhone. I'm glad that they are refining some of their products but the speed at which they update things is just slow. Because I don't like the changes in their computer lines I won't be purchasing another Mac for a while.
If they feel dropping the optical drives is OK then fine. If they feel putting slower spinning drives in iMacs is better, fine. If they feel making machines that can't be upgraded or easily repaired by their customers with normal tools, then fine. If they don't want to compete on price then they can lose my business.
Like I said about the iPod Touch, I can get a full blown unlocked smart phone with extra storage for not much more money. There are even less expensive smart phones with more features than the iPod Touch. Apple would get $199 from me tomorrow if the latest iPod Touch with 64 GB of storage cost that much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePixelDoc
I was at a birthday party on Saturday of about 60 people, many of them clients and their families that I have the opportunity to mingle with outside of work once a year. A somewhat large portion have purchased their first smart phone or tablet since we last saw each other a year ago. The not surprising tale: they love their mobile devices; hate their PCs/LTs and rarely use them anymore unless they absolutely must. Many see absolutely no reason whatsoever to purchase a new PC.... some going so far as to say, "in their lifetime".
With the advent of these instant on, easy to use computers in your pocket... and in the case of iOS devices, 99% secure... it really is no wonder why people are gravitating towards them in droves.
I don't think it's too far fetched to predict that a very large majority of households will not replace their PCs at all in the future, and will rather upgrade their mobile devices every 2-3 years. I'm talking as high as ~75%. The "wiggle room" is for those that "really" need the power for film and picture editing and assorted business tasks that can't be accomplished efficiently on a mobile device. However, that dilemma is also changing quickly, so who knows? In 3 years we just may have docks, home servers, whatever that facilitates "big screen" computing. Heck, we're more than halfway there already if you think about it.
NOTE: a lot of people inquiring about the Chromecast(!) For those outside of the Apple gadget arena... gotta be honest... that inexpensive little device is revolutionary for many home and technophobic users!
Apple's refusal to put a file system on their iOS devices is limiting their usability. It was one of the first things that people wanted with the iPhone and then the iPod Touch. The iPad should have had one from the beginning. Adding an SD card reader to the iPads would have gotten me to buy one long ago. This is how Apple holds back technology improvements in order to keep up their profits. People who want more storage must pay hundreds of dollars more to get it.
For the people who will forgo buying another traditional computer they will soon have more choices. The Ubuntu for cell phones OS has all of the same features that are on the regular computer OS. That means it comes with a file system and can communicate seamlessly with the Ubuntu desktop OS. Apple isn't the only company creating a comprehensive ecosystem.
Apple isn't in the lead in all areas of software and hardware. They make pretty devices that function well. They make quality things. They just aren't always leading when they really could if they would put technology and innovation ahead of profits.
A man-sized screen would also be 16:10. 16:9 is too feminine.
Probably. The xMac crowed finally died out.
Thing about Intel is they use as vague and confusing a naming scheme as possible. Haswell is i7. It's also i5 and i3, just like every Intel chip since Nehalem.
What you want to know is the difference between Haswell, Ivy Bridge, and Sandy Bridge. The former has a ton of power saving features that PCs will even get (but Windows won't take advantage of any of them itself). Not to mention the 5000 and Iris Pro GPUs.
Sure it can. Rather, it will. We'll see a 13" iPad before long, and that's where the MacBook Air crowd will move. Then desktops take back over in the home.
Why would you want to? Apple's computers are gorgeous.
So the full iMac experience for twice the cost and complexity of an actual iMac. :no:
P.S. Come off it. You know exactly why that is happening. Enough FUD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
P.S. Come off it. You know exactly why that is happening. Enough FUD.
Maybe I missed something. Weren't both the price reduction and inventory surplus the result of sales being much slower than expected? Doesn't that mean buyers are not as enamoured of it as they are other Apple products?
Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass here. We often read the argument that the design of the iPhone is obviously ideal because they sell quickly and in enormous quantities. Is the converse not also true, that if something does not sell quickly or in strong numbers, there's obviously something about it that people don't like?
Looking for that official Apple app in the App Store didn't turn up anything.
Would you be so kind as to say at least what the App name is? I could really use that, so thanks in advance!
A unified file system would be great, in that we can agree. An SD card slot, not so much. Apple has their adapters which work just fine. Also, you may want to look into how many people actually use SD cards and the problems they have managing the file system on Android. That will give you the answer as to why Apple didn't and still hasn't went down either of those roads.
I was hoping that with iOS 7 Apple would have had a "Pro Settings" feature which would have exposed at the very least a limited file system for saving cross-app documents. Oh well. Maybe with with iOS8... because I'm not planning on going Droid any time soon. I have the sorry-ass excuse for a tablet called the Nexus 7 for dev only, and hate turning the thing on, even if it does have a file system... just sayin'....:smokey:
@jakeb: I've had limited success with iPad programming on servers via iSSH, and I'm confident the new Pro should be a good way to run XCode from a beanbag (no, actually, not... XCode requires screen real estate).
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
Maybe I missed something. Weren't both the price reduction and inventory surplus the result of sales being much slower than expected? Doesn't that mean buyers are not as enamoured of it as they are other Apple products?
Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass here. We often read the argument that the design of the iPhone is obviously ideal because they sell quickly and in enormous quantities. Is the converse not also true, that if something does not sell quickly or in strong numbers, there's obviously something about it that people don't like?
The part TS was referring to was the well-trumpted massive slowdown across the board in the PC market? You know, the one affecting everyone?
It still outsells most of its competition. It's a very well-received model, and super popular. Even so, that can't completely overcome broad economic trends and global, market-wide slowdowns. Please.
You making it an issue of being somehow 'disliked' is completely off the mark.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tribalogical
The part TS was referring to was the well-trumpted massive slowdown across the board in the PC market? You know, the one affecting everyone?
It still outsells most of its competition. It's a very well-received model, and super popular. Even so, that can't completely overcome broad economic trends and global, market-wide slowdowns. Please.
You making it an issue of being somehow 'disliked' is completely off the mark.
Thanks for the explanation. I wish TS would say what he means instead of just posting vague contradictions.
For the record, I wasn't trying to be disingenuous or misleading. The impression I get from articles and comments on this forum are that the rMBP was not nearly as well received as Apple expected, and that there was more to it than just a shrinking of the PC market overall. It is my understanding that the Air has managed to weather the slowdown quite respectably, whereas the rMBP has not done as well. Apple doesn't typically respond to global slowdowns with price reductions, do they? Was the price of any other product reduced?
Does anyone know how many they've sold? How do we know it's super-popular?
Anyway, I have no basis for a qualified opinion either way so I'll stop speculating. I'm sure it's a great computer.
Thanks for articulating your view!
The Retina Macbook Pro is far too expensive, that's the only problem it really has. The MBP is already an expensive laptop but $2200 for the entry 15" rMBP is a lot of money. If they can get the entry point back down to $1800, it'll sell better. People know that the current $1800 model is the old design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by v5v
Is it possible that declining sales of certain products are NOT the result of cannibalization by the iPad, but rather buyers just not being happy with the current offerings? I know that's the case for me -- I haven't updated my aged MacBook Pro or iPhone because I don't care for the current offerings -- but I always assumed I was the only one. Is anyone else thumbing their nose at what Apple sells now and waiting to see if the next redesign is better?
I'm a Mac fan. Heck, I'm the only Mac user remaining in my household of four. You would think people would think negatively about the rest of my family. No. They think negatively of me. Why?
Because I too am holding back.
While the rest of the family went elsewhere to find the features, hardware, "usefulness" that they either wanted or needed I stayed loyal.
I've been waiting for Apple to offer what I want and need. It's been close a couple of times but not enough to accept the compromises at the dollar amount it would cost.
So I keep using the Mac I have.
For being loyal to Apple but truthful in my needs I have been labeled on forums.
Amazing. Leave Apple and Mac users are okay with it. Stay with Apple and Mac users bitch if your needs aren't what theirs are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacTac
I'm a Mac fan. Heck, I'm the only Mac user remaining in my household of four. You would think people would think negatively about the rest of my family. No. They think negatively of me. Why?
Because I too am holding back.
While the rest of the family went elsewhere to find the features, hardware, "usefulness" that they either wanted or needed I stayed loyal.
I've been waiting for Apple to offer what I want and need. It's been close a couple of times but not enough to accept the compromises at the dollar amount it would cost.
So I keep using the Mac I have.
For being loyal to Apple but truthful in my needs I have been labeled on forums.
Amazing. Leave Apple and Mac users are okay with it. Stay with Apple and Mac users bitch if your needs aren't what theirs are.
I read posts like this and truly marvel. You claim to have a family who all "left Apple" while you held on loyally, "waiting for Apple to deliver what you want and need (but haven't yet)…" You put it into the context of Apple being "Expensive" - presumably relative to the rest of the market, but since feature for feature, Apple isn't any more expensive spec for spec - then perhaps what you're really saying is you wished Apple produced cheaper 'junk' machines that were more 'affordable'?
Considering that Apple pretty much exist at, and often define, the leading edge of this market (and its hardware), what is it that THEY are not delivering for you (other than "cheaper hardware")?
Is it all about "lower prices"? They've lowered prices a few times over the past year, while increasing performance and specs at the same time. The MacBook Air is a fine example of this. Look at the base 13" model that sells for $1,299. That's an amazing package (performance, storage, you name it) for that price. No-one else really comes close.
Additional features? No less than the competition, that's for sure.
What is it exactly that the rest of your family needed that Apple doesn't provide?
I find this post of yours fairly disingenuous, I'm afraid.