Alternate headline: Why Apple is Great and Should Never be Questioned.
Come off it. You're just upset because he had an entire section for why the Beats acquisition was, in fact, a great decision. It was. You were wrong.
Apple knows what it's doing and I for one love to see editorial content recognizing this and devaluing the usually-wrong opinion of pundits and armchair executives. I know this is upsetting to concern trolls, haters, and hand-wringers, but oh well, this is an Apple site.
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.
I wonder when the last time was that the author of this piece substantively criticised Apple?
Why is that relevant? DED is an editorial columnist and his column isn't designed for that -- there's plenty others who do and you can get it there. DED's topic is why many of them don't know what they're talking about. Compare that to a blogger like Gruber who can both praise Apple and criticize it astoutely.
This is all swell, but they need to update their core products like the MacPro, the Mac Mini, and do better with the Macbook. They are leaving money on the table.
I would argue the Pro and Mini are niche products and not core products at all.
#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 ?
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.
I wonder when the last time was that the author of this piece substantively criticised Apple?
Yeah, its become more pronounced, I'm all for verbal slapping of idiots talking nonsense about Apple, but these one sided observations keep promoting the idea that all is hunky dory in Apple land when it isn't. I'm not really sure true Apple fans care about the nonsense outside the Apple kingdom, Apple is showing real problems, well "informed" and competent pundits who better understand what's going on are not addressing, if everyone is wrong about what the problems are, then what are the problems then ?
What are the "real problems" apple is showing? An outdated niche Pro is weird, but not problematic.
I think a lot of this goes back to well Steve isn't here and Apple can't survive without Steve, because the last time Steve wasn't there Apple was a disaster. So everyone is just waiting for Apple to screw up and start failing so they can say see I told you so. Well folks, its been nearly 6 years and recently Apple announced the best quarter its ever had in its history. I think its time to put this to bed. Apple is fine and will be fine without Steve. Perhaps, Apple is better off without Steve?
Apple, and the world, is much less well off since Steve's passing. However, Steve created a culture within Apple that reflected his values and hand picked his successor based on a belief that Tim would not only embrace Steve's vision and sustain the culture but also add the unique qualities that Tim alone and his team bring to the table. Maintaining a connection with Steve's legacy would never have been enough to sustain Apple after Steve's passing. From everything I've read I believe Steve knew this very acutely and made sure he picked a successor who would lead by looking forward, not backward. No doubt that Steve created a force that gave Tim and his team a strong wind at their back, but that was short lived and the new team has had to prove themselves going forward. IMHO they are doing an amazing job and have only just started.
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.
Although the premise of this article is correct, it saddens me to have to point out that it is a puff piece plain and simple. I've come to expect better appleinsider!!
Skype might not have been the best fit for Apple - but calling it another Youtube and implying that Youtube isn't commercially successful is strange. Youtube was the standout performer in recent Google earning calls and is likely one of Alphabet's chief profit drivers.
#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
I agree with sog, these are not indicative of serious problems at Apple:
- The iPad Pro is going to be the new iPad, seems pretty clear - Pencil has an obvious use case, and that's niche (art) and that's fine - People have said that about iTunes since Jobs, nothing new - ATV is completely intuitive and a joy to use IMO - The niche Pro obviously had an issue preventing it from being updated, but I don't see any reason to believe problematic incompetence is the cause
Also, the tired "Apple is arrogant!" meme does not prove or make any point whatsoever. It's just an opinion and doesn't have much to do with anything quantitative.
#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 ?
All those complaints are minor.
Just like Michael Jordan missing a couple free throws after scoring 50 points and winning the title.
Pencil has no clear use for you? Don't buy it then. Its not a problem. AppleTV remote not the best? Who cares. Again Minor. Products languishing? So why did Apple just have its best QUARTER OF ALL TIME!!! Maybe languishing in your mind but Apple is stronger than ever before when you look at FACTS.
Saying that Apple today is similiar to the Apple that almost went bankrupt is ridiculous. Give me a break. Apple has $250 billion in cash and over a BILLION active users. The near bankrupt Apple is not even a fraction of what today's Apple is.
I bring up Apple is #1 because that just proves that they don't have 'real problems'. They simply don't. You don't DOMINATE the industry by having real big problems. Minor stuff? Yes.
So now you say Apple has 'real problems' because some technology 'boogie man' is going to appear and kill the iPhone? LOLLLLLLLLOOLLLOLLLOLLLL!!!! Just stop. You are living in a fantasy world. Something may topple the iPhone eventually, but it won't because of the 'real problems' you listed.
Just like Jordan people like you think that just because he's made a lot of baskets in a row he'll continue to do so, it's called the hot hand fallacy,
I could go further to dealing with you're points but this is gonna go on and on and I'm really not in the mood but suffice to warn that $250 billion doesn't make Apple invincible, if money could shield companies from paradigms shifting then Microsoft would still be #1
Although the premise of this article is correct, it saddens me to have to point out that it is a puff piece plain and simple. I've come to expect better appleinsider!!
A puff piece is an "article or story of exaggerating praise that often ignores or downplays opposing viewpoints or evidence to the contrary."
So if you "have to point that out," you should at least offer some evidence supporting your idea. And what would that be, the pundit advice about making massive acquisitions of overvalued companies was actually a good idea? Or what were you thinking?
Alternate headline: Why Apple is Great and Should Never be Questioned.
Too bad you didn't make it to the end:
"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."
Alternate headline: Why Apple is Great and Should Never be Questioned.
Come off it. You're just upset because he had an entire section for why the Beats acquisition was, in fact, a great decision. It was. You were wrong.
Apple knows what it's doing and I for one love to see editorial content recognizing this and devaluing the usually-wrong opinion of pundits and armchair executives. I know this is upsetting to concern trolls, haters, and hand-wringers, but oh well, this is an Apple site.
I was wrong because an Apple sycophant on Apple Insider says so?
The unnecessary swipe at our current President would probably have more effective were the article not riddled with poor grammar.
Please note any grammar problems you run into so they can be fixed. But the anti-intellectualism that caused Americans vote for an unqualified embarrassment who lacks the ability to speak above a 5th grade level (and who ignores all security protocol, endangering national security) is quite relevant in discussing the media's love of attacking the competent (her emails!) and giving attention to incompetent out of a false sense of balance.
"When Microsoft was PowerPC processors for a new generation of Power Macs, after working with Acorn to codevelop fast, efficient ARM mobile chips for use by Newton."
I don't understand this sentence.
On the AI app the story cut off after the first three words of that paragraph. Something odd must have happened when publishing the story.
Was missing one quotation mark in a linked URL. Thanks for reporting this. The paragraph reads:
"When Microsoft was granted full rights to appropriate Apple's work in the early 1990s by U.S. courts, the Macintosh lost much of its proprietary value to the copycat, commodity Windows PCs of Microsoft's licensees. Apple shifted to focus upon a new advantage: performance.
At a time when Windows PCs could barely play audio, Apple sold multimedia Macs with the ability (via QuickTime software) to play full motion video. Apple also copied Steve Jobs' newly launched NeXT by incorporating fast ASP chips in its high end Macs for fast signal processing. It also worked with IBM to develop PowerPC processors for a new generation of Power Macs, after working with Acorn to codevelop fast, efficient ARM mobile chips for use by Newton. Apple also began using GPUs and developed advanced software for acceleration in other areas, focusing largely on multimedia, graphics and publishing.
This is all swell, but they need to update their core products like the MacPro, the Mac Mini, and do better with the Macbook. They are leaving money on the table.
MacPro and Mac Mini are NOT core products anymore. You need to move on.
And the Macbook is doing great. Last quarter was the highest Mac Sales OF ALL TIME.
There are core products then there are prestigious products. I'd say Apple see the MacPro in much the same way as BMW see the M range. I'd suspect BMW's bread and butter comes from the lower and mid priced range of cars but the prestigious high end models certainly bring that 'certain something' that helps the whole brand. I don't see Apple letting their top end product die. In fact I recall saying the exact same thing when rumors of the Cheese grater demise lead to prognostications of Apple dropping the entire MacPro line. Hell yes I am biased!
Conversely, there are also many examples of things Apple didn't acquire, despite many suggestions. For example, it didn't buy Pebble (as was being thrown about back in 2013), but rather developed its own Apple Watch program internally, using iOS as a starting point.
Nobody predicted this would happen, despite it all looking rather obvious in hindsight. Instead, Pebble's chief executive at the time scoffed that "the technology isn't sufficiently developed to truly miniaturize the full computing power of a smartphone in watch format," despite the fact that that was exactly what Apple was working to do.
Once it achieved this, Apple got little recognition from the cynical media for having pulled off the apparently impossible, a feat that Google and its partners are still struggling to deliver years later, despite throwing their beta plans out in public years ahead of Apple.
I don't recall the reports that said Apple making an iOS powered Apple Watch would be impossible (Pebble's CEO grandstanding really isn't the same), or a lack of predictions that Apple was making its own watch. Indeed, I remember quite the opposite.
A bit of historical revisionism going on here?
Yes. There were a ton of articles predicting Apple's "iWatch" smartwatch.
If you look at the predictions from 2013 (that you linked to here), they were similar to the predictions of iPhone. It wasn't that nobody knew Apple was working toward that product category. Rather, it was, as the article stated, broadly thought that Apple was far behind everyone else and therefore should buy up competitors. The article actually linked to AppleInsider's coverage of Pebble from 2013, and quoted the CEO saying things that were not broadly doubted at the time.
Your recollection doesn't really have the same weight.
Sure, there were some fan pics that portrayed iWatch as being a small iPhone with "swipe to unlock" on the front, which was wrong in the other direction, but based on what everyone else was doing, the predictions of the day were pretty basic.
There is already plenty of great criticism out there and this piece could have added a lot to it. The problem is that it conveniently side steps anything but cursory criticism of the company and its products to support its long winded premise. As an editorial piece that's fine, as it is up to the author to give his opinion and then the reader to form his or her own opinion.
Things like:
"Whether intentionally or not, Apple's decision to release a larger smartphone format with iPhone 6 Plus in 2014 (above) resulted in a new business for Apple between the smartphone and tablet"
'Whether intentionally or not' really has no place here and it reads like an admission that Apple's line on big screens being unadvisable was perhaps incorrect. Of course openly accepting that misjudged line of thinking would crash head on with one of the article's key points.
Samsung took the phablet market by storm with the Note line. Others followed suit. Apple didn't, even though all the pundits - and its own users - said they needed such a phone.
We can be sure that the Plus line was intentional. Most of us have seen the slide from marketing that says 'we don't have what our customers want' (bigger screens).
Fortunately, that particular change in attitude paid off handsomely. The iPhone 7 Plus pretty much stole the show in the latest earnings. But what would have happened if Apple had not changed its idea on larger screens?
The "intentional or not" comment pertains to whether Apple fully realized that selling a larger iPhone would replace some iPad sales, albeit with a higher end device with a faster replacement cycle. It has nothing to do with Samsung selling oversized phones first.
Samsung's sales of Note-sized phones remained small, it's just that they were premium and therefore profitable. Apple responded to that small success by introducing its own larger iPhone, and the result was devastating for Samsung. The entire article is explicitly based on the idea that intelligent strategy responds to what others are doing and the shifting environment.
To be clear: in 2012, Samsung was selling low quality Pen-tile big screen Notes in small quantities and low end phones in high volumes. Apple was selling very profitable small iPhones and large iPads in high volumes, and went on to fully exploit both categories (and sell tens of millions of smaller iPad minis) while it worked on the technology to deliver a larger iOS phone (via flexible app development tools) along with the availability of high quality larger phone displays. If Samsung & Apple had access to a time machine to do things over, both would try to be Apple, not Samsung. It's find to give Samsung credit for exploring big phones though, even if it wasn't able to hold on to the market or withstand competition from Apple.
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.
If freedom of speech means you can insult and disparage a blogger, surely you can grasp that it also means citizens can point out the sloven incompetency and embarrassing incompetence of an unqualified person who has taken over the White House in order to serve his own interests, and can't even be bothered to have his staff spellcheck his work. I find my own spelling mistakes (with some help from friends).
Comments
Apple knows what it's doing and I for one love to see editorial content recognizing this and devaluing the usually-wrong opinion of pundits and armchair executives. I know this is upsetting to concern trolls, haters, and hand-wringers, but oh well, this is an Apple site.
"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.
May you should write the piece they.
- The iPad Pro is going to be the new iPad, seems pretty clear
- Pencil has an obvious use case, and that's niche (art) and that's fine
- People have said that about iTunes since Jobs, nothing new
- ATV is completely intuitive and a joy to use IMO
- The niche Pro obviously had an issue preventing it from being updated, but I don't see any reason to believe problematic incompetence is the cause
Also, the tired "Apple is arrogant!" meme does not prove or make any point whatsoever. It's just an opinion and doesn't have much to do with anything quantitative.
I could go further to dealing with you're points but this is gonna go on and on and I'm really not in the mood but suffice to warn that $250 billion doesn't make Apple invincible, if money could shield companies from paradigms shifting then Microsoft would still be #1
A puff piece is an "article or story of exaggerating praise that often ignores or downplays opposing viewpoints or evidence to the contrary."
So if you "have to point that out," you should at least offer some evidence supporting your idea. And what would that be, the pundit advice about making massive acquisitions of overvalued companies was actually a good idea? Or what were you thinking?
Dropbox subsequently grew into a $10 billion valuation. Apple didn't continue trying to acquire it, despite foolish advice.
Too bad you didn't make it to the end:
"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."
Please note any grammar problems you run into so they can be fixed. But the anti-intellectualism that caused Americans vote for an unqualified embarrassment who lacks the ability to speak above a 5th grade level (and who ignores all security protocol, endangering national security) is quite relevant in discussing the media's love of attacking the competent (her emails!) and giving attention to incompetent out of a false sense of balance.
Here's how you can effectively report an error:
Was missing one quotation mark in a linked URL. Thanks for reporting this. The paragraph reads:
"When Microsoft was granted full rights to appropriate Apple's work in the early 1990s by U.S. courts, the Macintosh lost much of its proprietary value to the copycat, commodity Windows PCs of Microsoft's licensees. Apple shifted to focus upon a new advantage: performance.
At a time when Windows PCs could barely play audio, Apple sold multimedia Macs with the ability (via QuickTime software) to play full motion video. Apple also copied Steve Jobs' newly launched NeXT by incorporating fast ASP chips in its high end Macs for fast signal processing. It also worked with IBM to develop PowerPC processors for a new generation of Power Macs, after working with Acorn to codevelop fast, efficient ARM mobile chips for use by Newton. Apple also began using GPUs and developed advanced software for acceleration in other areas, focusing largely on multimedia, graphics and publishing.
Sure, there were some fan pics that portrayed iWatch as being a small iPhone with "swipe to unlock" on the front, which was wrong in the other direction, but based on what everyone else was doing, the predictions of the day were pretty basic.
The "intentional or not" comment pertains to whether Apple fully realized that selling a larger iPhone would replace some iPad sales, albeit with a higher end device with a faster replacement cycle. It has nothing to do with Samsung selling oversized phones first.