Woz is not a businessman. Woz is not a financial expert. Woz is not a marketing professional. All of his forays into business were abject failures. He even let Jobs screw him over on an Atari game Jobs was paid for but Woz actually coded. Woz is a legendary tinkerer engineer who happened to hook up with a genius to create an entire industry. Of course he is revered for his work on early Apple products but his economic opinions are just that of the common man, nothing special. Because of his celebrity his opinions are news.
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
The problem is that we don’t want to hear his opinion on this matter. He can talk whatever he wants. Why does he yet get attention from media?
My biggest problem is the Apple App Store. I do value the “walled garden” approach, but it’s definitely anticompetitive. I think there’s momentum to change how some of the things are done at Apple...legislatively. Apple should make changes preemptively...
Definitely anticompetitive? How so?
Does Apple have to pay the 30% “Apple Tax”? No.
That’s HUGE competitive advantage. Apple can develop any service/software and squash the competition (on their platform). Apple did so with Apple Music and they’ll eventually do so with Apple Arcade, Apple TV, New+ etc.
Anything sold through the Apple App Store is at a competitive disadvantage. And, that’s the only realistic way to install software.
Apple App Store... that’s going to be a problem. I don’t know the answer, maybe make it an Apple subsidiary... it would throw regulators a bone and increase tax revenues.
Apple is going to hate changing anything and fight anything tooth and nail (they don’t even give iPhone sales numbers anymore) but there is a problem.
I think regulations are going to come at Apple from every direction... I bet Apple Pay and Apple Card have them concerned. Apple is expanding in to many directions (yes, sometimes to consumers benefit). It isn’t difficult to find possible antitrust violations. Does Apple allow other companies Apple Pays level of integration? For example...
The dominance of Android globally, give Apple a strong case for not being considered a monopoly, but that’s a bit different. I don’t think Apple will be “broken up” but I do expect a settlement (non monetarily) that will requires changes.
So all the billions Apple spends on creating, managing, and supporting the App Store mean nothing? App developers should be able to hawk their wares on the platform without any compensation to Apple so they can “compete” on your utopian level playing field? Baloney.
I really get tired of those who downplay profits. Gross Profit makes the world go round, and, most importantly, funds research for new and better products.
Very true, the world is built on profit, on making a buck, on cutting a deal and screwing over the other guy. Of getting more things, and bigger things, and newer things than your neighbour. But I wonder why it has to be that way. Because yes Apple made record profits this year, Cook got a $115 million bonus for meeting Apple's profit target. But within a mile of Apple HQ there are people sleeping on the street and eating garbage. Profit doesn't mean much to them. There has to be a better way.
Do people really care what Woz thinks? Just because the guy can put together a circuitboard doesn't mean he has a clue as to how to run a Fortune 500 company. Isn't this kinda why Steve Jobs was the business guy at Apple and not Woz?
Quite clearly people do. Because you disagree with him does not make his opinion irrelevant. Frankly, and no offense intended, but his opinion counts for a whole lot more than yours (or mine).
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
Nah. Woz is selling his brand by publicly touting his opinions. When you submit ideas in this fashion it is entirely fair game for other people to say, “Those are dumb ideas. Your advice is bad.”
Because the Apple of today is so far removed from his day his opinion is worth as much as any other professional Apple commentator. No more, no less. No need to hate on him.
What? Pointing out that he isn’t qualified or that his opinions are nonsense doesn’t imply personal hate. It’s OK to criticize ideas and opinions. They’re not all equal.
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
The problem is that we I don’t want to hear his opinion on this matter....
Do people really care what Woz thinks? Just because the guy can put together a circuitboard doesn't mean he has a clue as to how to run a Fortune 500 company. Isn't this kinda why Steve Jobs was the business guy at Apple and not Woz?
Quite clearly people do. Because you disagree with him does not make his opinion irrelevant. Frankly, and no offense intended, but his opinion counts for a whole lot more than yours (or mine).
By what measure? He has little experience in management of public companies, big firms at all, and zero at Apple. He was a hardware engineer at Apple, and that’s as deep as it went. His thoughts on how or why Apple should be split up as as worthless as yours or mine.
My biggest problem is the Apple App Store. I do value the “walled garden” approach, but it’s definitely anticompetitive. I think there’s momentum to change how some of the things are done at Apple...legislatively. Apple should make changes preemptively...
Definitely anticompetitive? How so?
Does Apple have to pay the 30% “Apple Tax”? No.
That’s HUGE competitive advantage.
Does Target/Walgreens/Kroger have to pay itself “slotting fees” to put items on the shelf? No. That’s a huge advantage to in-house brands and clones of name-brand products. The name-brands have to pay retailers for product placement on highly sought after and limited shelf space.
Should grocery stores spin off their in-house bakeries? They have an advantage over branded baked goods.
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
Nah. Woz is selling his brand by publicly touting his opinions. When you submit ideas in this fashion it is entirely fair game for other people to say, “Those are dumb ideas. Your advice is bad.”
There is a BIG difference between disagreeing with another's opinion and trashing that person in order to refute his opinion. Lately, weak leaders in American politics have popularized and normalized the latter strategy.
Apple did spin off Claris/FileMaker. Might make sense to spin off their push into movies and tv shows.
Neither are their core.
Great example! Claris is such a household name, after the spinoff... probably just as recognizable as Apple itself!!!
FABULOUS idea that Apple should split up into a bunch of Claris Works companies, instead.
/sarcasm
Technically you're right, but only thanks to the quirks of corporate history. What if Apple had marketed all its standalone software under the Claris name? ITunes would certainly have helped make Claris a household name. Just the critical mass of having a wide variety of offerings would have helped make that happen.
Pundits who remind us that Apple is at heart a hardware company are right, and, under the current structure, Apple's software -- and even the new push into services -- will always serve to sell more devices. I've always considered that a missed opportunity for Apple and a loss for consumers.
I really get tired of those who downplay profits. Gross Profit makes the world go round, and, most importantly, funds research for new and better products.
Very true, the world is built on profit, on making a buck, on cutting a deal and screwing over the other guy. Of getting more things, and bigger things, and newer things than your neighbour. But I wonder why it has to be that way. Because yes Apple made record profits this year, Cook got a $115 million bonus for meeting Apple's profit target. But within a mile of Apple HQ there are people sleeping on the street and eating garbage. Profit doesn't mean much to them. There has to be a better way.
/philosophy
A gold rush brings out the best in men.
Would that that were true. Sadly, history has shown exactly the opposite on numerous occasions.
My biggest problem is the Apple App Store. I do value the “walled garden” approach, but it’s definitely anticompetitive. I think there’s momentum to change how some of the things are done at Apple...legislatively. Apple should make changes preemptively...
Definitely anticompetitive? How so?
Does Apple have to pay the 30% “Apple Tax”? No.
That’s HUGE competitive advantage. Apple can develop any service/software and squash the competition (on their platform). Apple did so with Apple Music and they’ll eventually do so with Apple Arcade, Apple TV, New+ etc.
Anything sold through the Apple App Store is at a competitive disadvantage. And, that’s the only realistic way to install software.
Apple App Store... that’s going to be a problem. I don’t know the answer, maybe make it an Apple subsidiary... it would throw regulators a bone and increase tax revenues.
Apple is going to hate changing anything and fight anything tooth and nail (they don’t even give iPhone sales numbers anymore) but there is a problem.
I think regulations are going to come at Apple from every direction... I bet Apple Pay and Apple Card have them concerned. Apple is expanding in to many directions (yes, sometimes to consumers benefit). It isn’t difficult to find possible antitrust violations. Does Apple allow other companies Apple Pays level of integration? For example...
The dominance of Android globally, give Apple a strong case for not being considered a monopoly, but that’s a bit different. I don’t think Apple will be “broken up” but I do expect a settlement (non monetarily) that will requires changes.
Would dropping the cut to Apple suffice, and prevent the need to break anything up?
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
The problem is that we don’t want to hear his opinion on this matter. He can talk whatever he wants. Why does he yet get attention from media?
Maybe "we" don't want to hear your opinion on the matter either.
Because the Apple of today is so far removed from his day his opinion is worth as much as any other professional Apple commentator. No more, no less. No need to hate on him.
What? Pointing out that he isn’t qualified or that his opinions are nonsense doesn’t imply personal hate. It’s OK to criticize ideas and opinions. They’re not all equal.
I think that’s what I was saying. That “hate on” part was not aimed at you or others with specific criticisms, but others whose negative comments were more of an ad hoc nature.
Do people really care what Woz thinks? Just because the guy can put together a circuitboard doesn't mean he has a clue as to how to run a Fortune 500 company. Isn't this kinda why Steve Jobs was the business guy at Apple and not Woz?
Quite clearly people do. Because you disagree with him does not make his opinion irrelevant. Frankly, and no offense intended, but his opinion counts for a whole lot more than yours (or mine).
By what measure? He has little experience in management of public companies, big firms at all, and zero at Apple. He was a hardware engineer at Apple, and that’s as deep as it went. His thoughts on how or why Apple should be split up as as worthless as yours or mine.
Woz was a gifted hardware engineer when discrete electronics, the 6502, and assembly language was king. He deserves accolades for that.
But he isn't a player in the industry anymore, so his comments are not really worth all that much, to me at least. People should remember, that at the time of Apple's founding, HP was the premier act in the tech industry; they're barely relevant now.
Why the venom in the majority of comments? The Woz is very clear that he is expressing his personal perspectives and not trying to shove his opinions down your throat. There’s nothing disrespectful coming from Woz to us so why sling disrespect back his way?
Geez, there was a time when men could express themselves and those who didn’t agree with them would politely nod and say “okay.” Now if someone says something people don’t agree with they’re likely to plunge a fireplace poker in the speaker’s face.
The chill is gone.
Nah. Woz is selling his brand by publicly touting his opinions. When you submit ideas in this fashion it is entirely fair game for other people to say, “Those are dumb ideas. Your advice is bad.”
Ha, if you specify why and be a bit civil, I agree.
Comments
Do you?
Because you disagree with him does not make his opinion irrelevant. Frankly, and no offense intended, but his opinion counts for a whole lot more than yours (or mine).
What? Pointing out that he isn’t qualified or that his opinions are nonsense doesn’t imply personal hate. It’s OK to criticize ideas and opinions. They’re not all equal.
Should grocery stores spin off their in-house bakeries? They have an advantage over branded baked goods.
Nope. Advantages are fine.
Lately, weak leaders in American politics have popularized and normalized the latter strategy.
Pundits who remind us that Apple is at heart a hardware company are right, and, under the current structure, Apple's software -- and even the new push into services -- will always serve to sell more devices. I've always considered that a missed opportunity for Apple and a loss for consumers.
But he isn't a player in the industry anymore, so his comments are not really worth all that much, to me at least. People should remember, that at the time of Apple's founding, HP was the premier act in the tech industry; they're barely relevant now.