The computer industry as a whole is moving towards less expensive computers with generally lesser hardware requirements. Not all parts of it, but a growing percentage. Yet, Apple has done little of nothing to compete with in these growing markets. It is my hope that this might be part of the lower margins comment.
First off, technology in general is always getting cheaper as new technology comes out.
However, the ewaste desktop PC market is stagnant and Apple's competitively priced, yet profitable Macs are outpacing the industry 3 to 1. Don't expect them to jump into a dying market.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
Yeah, the move to consumer products was a very intelligent one, but along with this move there seems to be a growing disconnect with their computer base. Again, referencing the lower cost computers.
Considering their growth and a 90% customer satisfaction rating, seems like they're doing something right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
There is also the move to get smaller, not just thinner, which Apple missed. Where is Apple's entrance into the booming Netbook market, or the fable iTablet to fill the niche between the iPod Touch (which isn't really an iPod at all) and the MacBook?
The netbook market of underpowered micro-laptops is hardly "booming." Apple has no interest in cannibalizing their far more popular mobile WiFi iPhone/iPod touch platform. The MacBook Air is one of the thinnest notebooks on the market, yet it comes with a full-size screen and keyboard and is very competitive in the emerging ultra-light laptop market.
Where would the fabled Mac tablet fit into their current line of Macs and/or iPhones/iPods? Tablet computers, in general, have been a flop.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
They were on the forefront of the growing all-in-one movement, but I have seen little sign that they are going to do more than rest on their laurels in that department. While their competitors are offering more hardware extras (TV cards, etc.) for about the same price.
Really? They just released the sleeker, aluminum iMac last year with a similarly slick keyboard. The MacBook Air is an "all-in-one" just like all laptops are and it's very thin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
Where in the heck is the "X Mac" that people have been clamoring for for years now? In the remaining traditional PC market those that have a smaller less expensive workstation can grab a large portion of the market share. The Mac Pro is nice, but as with many other Apple computers is many times too much hardware for too much money.
A minority have been asking for a headless mini-tower Mac and Apple has no interest in putting out such a thing because, as I mentioned, the tower PC market is flat-lining and an xMac could be undercut by the competition. The next major transition in computing is not going to be simply PC to Mac, but desktop to laptop and mobile platforms in general.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
iPhoto stores the rankings and keywords in a database instead of in the tags for the picture as is the standard. This also irks me since it means that if anything should go wrong with the monolithic database (Which we all know from messing with Window's registry would never happen right?) then I have lost all of the time put into those. And for what reason? So it is more difficult to move my photos to another photo management program? A form or lock in?
Well, I'd say iPhoto's database is a tad more trustworthy and stable than the Windows Registry. Just a tad.
But what format are you're photos in? Is Apple pushing some new proprietary format on you as Microsoft tried with Windows Media Photo?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
iWorks, especially the newly expanded Numbers. Why in the love of all that is holy did Apple think we needed yet another proprietary spreadsheet format? I truly wish that they would join up with the OpenOffice movement and incorporate the best of their iWorks with the OpenDocument standard format. Or if you don't like Sun being in charge then branch it off and make their own program to work with OpenDocument. Last time I checked I couldn't even open an open document formatted file in iWorks. Even Micorosft Office can open open document formatted files now. Yet Apple seems to want to lock us into yet another proprietary file format.
While Apple has a symbiotic relationship with the open source community, they don't have to support every new paradigm they spit out. iWork likely doesn't support ODF and such because...hardly anyone uses those formats. Not only that, Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers formats can likely offer more elegant, impressive graphics and effects. Of course, they can all be exported into a myriad of different widely-used formats and open those formats with pretty good conversion.
OpenOffice is archaic, clumsy and simply tries to clone the look and feel of Microsoft's Office. Apple's iWork suite is much more modern and user friendly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
Then beyond just open source software and formats, I was also referring to the openness of the company as a whole.
Why are they so secretive about security? Why force two presenters on security to drop out of presentations? Maybe they have a good reason, but they sure aren't sharing.
Sorry, I'm not following. Presenters?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
What was in that last update that I downloaded? Apple isn't going to say. It was just "fixes for stability and improved functionality". What the heck? Even Microsoft with their daily updates is more open about what they are doing.
The last update you likely downloaded was Apple's DNS patch, which was detailed in Software Update. Sometimes they do just say "bug fixes." They elaborate when major changes or advances are made. They don't have to detail every little fix, which the sensationalist tech media then raves about "well this should have been here from day one." All good software is a work in progress. Most consumers don't care about "fix #45: iChat's left window corner was not quite as rounded as the others."
Quote:
Originally Posted by mknopp
The Mac is less susceptible to viruses and other security nastiest, it is not immune and this closed lip stance that Apple has taken on security reminds me of Microsoft of a few years back. Security issues? What security issues? We don't talk about security issues.
Why would they blabber about the holes they're trying to patch!? The media would make an issue of it and more importantly, attackers would know exactly where to turn.
With that said, look at the subject of this thread: MobileMe. They have a dedicated chat line for its mail service and they have updates on bug fixes and problems still needing to be addressed.
Apple also leverages a lot of open source work, so you can oftentimes look there for security information and/or attribute holes in Apple's OS to the open source community.
Finally, sorry, but operating systems and software are not created equal. Apple has little to say about security because they built a better boat to begin with. Microsoft has a lot more to answer for because Windows has many more security problems, many of which are considerably worse than anything Mac OS X faces.
What Apple did was jump into a field of service they knew nothing about and tried to rebirth it with their own vision of how web services should be.
What they should have done was partner with Google the way they partnered with AT&T and Intel.
If you think Apple knows about phones, think again. AT&T is terrible. Apple would have been smart to grab some guys from Nokia or SonyEricsson and then set about designing a phone. Right now, you have nothing more than an iPod Touch with telephony features.
Certainly you wouldn't see the U.S.'s FBI/CIA, England's MI6/MI5/DIS, or Israel's Shabak/Massad/Aman send any of its personnel to participate or share in an open conference on security.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
How is that "open?" Something isn't open if only a few people know all the details.
How is that "open?" Something isn't open if only a few people know all the details.
They have meetings often as I stated. Meet and greets. The "other" stuff is not met in the open but is shared amongst each other behind closed doors. So, they do meet in the open but some info is not publicly stated. I thought I had caveated that.
I'm just fine thanks. If you read either the text next to the IE picture on the page you linked to, which I copied and bolded in my response, you'd understand why the IE icon is displayed.
MobileMe keeps a Windows user's Internet Explorer bookmarks synced between multiple computers, iPhone, and iPod touch.
Well then, if the business you're purportedly working for is cool with you checking your personal email on company time, then they should have no problem with you downloading a standards-compliant web browser so you can check your MobileMe mail. Is that your job, checking your personal email? Must be nice. You should be grateful, most people aren't so fortunate.
Indeed I'm more fortunate with the different companies I'm working for as a consultant than with Apple which refuses to refund my regularly cancelled subscription
So given that Apple "rarely" fess-up. You must think they aren't great, by any stretch of the imagination. Jobs only fessed up because he knew the secret approach wouldn't work this time. It's not Apple that needs to learn, it's Jobs.
From what I've seen they have had problems (though not usually on this scale) and solved those problems. Sorry if you see it differently.
Indeed I'm more fortunate with the different companies I'm working for as a consultant than with Apple which refuses to refund my regularly cancelled subscription
That's not a bug. MobileMe relies on open standards, which Microsoft still hasn't adhered to in Internet Explorer.
I really don't think that's an excuse, most sites apparently manage to work pretty well with IE. Not supporting IE is about as silly as it would be for them to not support iPods and iPhones under Windows.
MobileMe is Apple's answer to Vista- a distaster on so many levels. Rushed to market, dropped features, tons of bugs, poorly implemented, and overpriced.
MobileMe is Apple's answer to Vista- a distaster on so many levels. Rushed to market, dropped features, tons of bugs, poorly implemented, and overpriced.
Heh heh. Couldn't have said it better myself (hope I don't branded a 'troll').
In many companies, you're not allowed to install another browser than IE!
If you are using the latest version of IE or maybe 1 version older, it is possible to use mobile me. Anything older than that and you are told that it is not supported.
So given that Apple "rarely" fess-up. You must think they aren't great, by any stretch of the imagination. Jobs only fessed up because he knew the secret approach wouldn't work this time. It's not Apple that needs to learn, it's Jobs.
The fessing was only done internally, right? So, the consumers who have been getting the shaft have not received a formal apology.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
You have to be kidding. Name one publicized conference anyone of them attended.
I really don't think that's an excuse, most sites apparently manage to work pretty well with IE. Not supporting IE is about as silly as it would be for them to not support iPods and iPhones under Windows.
Well, if I'm wrong and Apple simply wants to, for instance, push as many MobileMe members as they can towards open, standards-compliant browsers, I won't shed a tear.
The fessing was only done internally, right? So, the consumers who have been getting the shaft have not received a formal apology.
Got this on July 16th, 2006:
We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.
Although core services such as Mail, iDisk, Sync, Back to My Mac, and Gallery went relatively smoothly, the new MobileMe web applications had lots of problems initially. Fortunately we have worked through those problems and the web apps are now up and running.
Another snag we have run into is our use of the word "push" in describing everything under the MobileMe umbrella. While all email, contact or calendar changes on the iPhone and the web apps are immediately synced to and from the MobileMe "cloud," changes made on a PC or Mac take up to 15 minutes to sync with the cloud and your other devices. So even though things are indeed instantly pushed to and from your iPhone and the web apps today, we are going to stop using the word "push" until it is near-instant on PCs and Macs, too.
We want to apologize to our loyal customers and express our appreciation for their patience by giving all current subscribers an automatic 30-day extension to their MobileMe subscription free of charge. Your extension will be reflected in your account settings within the next few weeks.
We hope you enjoy your new suite of web applications at me.com, in addition to keeping your iPhone and iPod touch wirelessly in sync with these new web applications and your Mac or PC.
Thank you,
The MobileMe Team
I didn't have any problems that I couldn't wait to be fixed. And although I didn't expect it, I did accept the extension.
Comments
The computer industry as a whole is moving towards less expensive computers with generally lesser hardware requirements. Not all parts of it, but a growing percentage. Yet, Apple has done little of nothing to compete with in these growing markets. It is my hope that this might be part of the lower margins comment.
First off, technology in general is always getting cheaper as new technology comes out.
However, the ewaste desktop PC market is stagnant and Apple's competitively priced, yet profitable Macs are outpacing the industry 3 to 1. Don't expect them to jump into a dying market.
Yeah, the move to consumer products was a very intelligent one, but along with this move there seems to be a growing disconnect with their computer base. Again, referencing the lower cost computers.
Considering their growth and a 90% customer satisfaction rating, seems like they're doing something right.
There is also the move to get smaller, not just thinner, which Apple missed. Where is Apple's entrance into the booming Netbook market, or the fable iTablet to fill the niche between the iPod Touch (which isn't really an iPod at all) and the MacBook?
The netbook market of underpowered micro-laptops is hardly "booming." Apple has no interest in cannibalizing their far more popular mobile WiFi iPhone/iPod touch platform. The MacBook Air is one of the thinnest notebooks on the market, yet it comes with a full-size screen and keyboard and is very competitive in the emerging ultra-light laptop market.
Where would the fabled Mac tablet fit into their current line of Macs and/or iPhones/iPods? Tablet computers, in general, have been a flop.
They were on the forefront of the growing all-in-one movement, but I have seen little sign that they are going to do more than rest on their laurels in that department. While their competitors are offering more hardware extras (TV cards, etc.) for about the same price.
Really? They just released the sleeker, aluminum iMac last year with a similarly slick keyboard. The MacBook Air is an "all-in-one" just like all laptops are and it's very thin.
Where in the heck is the "X Mac" that people have been clamoring for for years now? In the remaining traditional PC market those that have a smaller less expensive workstation can grab a large portion of the market share. The Mac Pro is nice, but as with many other Apple computers is many times too much hardware for too much money.
A minority have been asking for a headless mini-tower Mac and Apple has no interest in putting out such a thing because, as I mentioned, the tower PC market is flat-lining and an xMac could be undercut by the competition. The next major transition in computing is not going to be simply PC to Mac, but desktop to laptop and mobile platforms in general.
iPhoto stores the rankings and keywords in a database instead of in the tags for the picture as is the standard. This also irks me since it means that if anything should go wrong with the monolithic database (Which we all know from messing with Window's registry would never happen right?) then I have lost all of the time put into those. And for what reason? So it is more difficult to move my photos to another photo management program? A form or lock in?
Well, I'd say iPhoto's database is a tad more trustworthy and stable than the Windows Registry. Just a tad.
But what format are you're photos in? Is Apple pushing some new proprietary format on you as Microsoft tried with Windows Media Photo?
iWorks, especially the newly expanded Numbers. Why in the love of all that is holy did Apple think we needed yet another proprietary spreadsheet format? I truly wish that they would join up with the OpenOffice movement and incorporate the best of their iWorks with the OpenDocument standard format. Or if you don't like Sun being in charge then branch it off and make their own program to work with OpenDocument. Last time I checked I couldn't even open an open document formatted file in iWorks. Even Micorosft Office can open open document formatted files now. Yet Apple seems to want to lock us into yet another proprietary file format.
While Apple has a symbiotic relationship with the open source community, they don't have to support every new paradigm they spit out. iWork likely doesn't support ODF and such because...hardly anyone uses those formats. Not only that, Apple's Pages, Keynote, and Numbers formats can likely offer more elegant, impressive graphics and effects. Of course, they can all be exported into a myriad of different widely-used formats and open those formats with pretty good conversion.
OpenOffice is archaic, clumsy and simply tries to clone the look and feel of Microsoft's Office. Apple's iWork suite is much more modern and user friendly.
Then beyond just open source software and formats, I was also referring to the openness of the company as a whole.
Why are they so secretive about security? Why force two presenters on security to drop out of presentations? Maybe they have a good reason, but they sure aren't sharing.
Sorry, I'm not following. Presenters?
What was in that last update that I downloaded? Apple isn't going to say. It was just "fixes for stability and improved functionality". What the heck? Even Microsoft with their daily updates is more open about what they are doing.
The last update you likely downloaded was Apple's DNS patch, which was detailed in Software Update. Sometimes they do just say "bug fixes." They elaborate when major changes or advances are made. They don't have to detail every little fix, which the sensationalist tech media then raves about "well this should have been here from day one." All good software is a work in progress. Most consumers don't care about "fix #45: iChat's left window corner was not quite as rounded as the others."
The Mac is less susceptible to viruses and other security nastiest, it is not immune and this closed lip stance that Apple has taken on security reminds me of Microsoft of a few years back. Security issues? What security issues? We don't talk about security issues.
Why would they blabber about the holes they're trying to patch!?
With that said, look at the subject of this thread: MobileMe. They have a dedicated chat line for its mail service and they have updates on bug fixes and problems still needing to be addressed.
Apple also leverages a lot of open source work, so you can oftentimes look there for security information and/or attribute holes in Apple's OS to the open source community.
Finally, sorry, but operating systems and software are not created equal. Apple has little to say about security because they built a better boat to begin with. Microsoft has a lot more to answer for because Windows has many more security problems, many of which are considerably worse than anything Mac OS X faces.
While Apple is fixing its mistakes and bugs, now would be a good time to restore customer goodwill by reinstating terminated services that DID work.
BRING BACK APPLE iCARDS!
http://homepage.mac.com/mac.zooks/.Pictures/bryn.png
Petitions:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/06291970/petition.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/ic110608/petition.html
Adding a MobileMe category to Apple's feedback page would be a nice touch, too, by the way.
Two GREAT suggestions! Second.
What Apple did was jump into a field of service they knew nothing about and tried to rebirth it with their own vision of how web services should be.
What they should have done was partner with Google the way they partnered with AT&T and Intel.
If you think Apple knows about phones, think again. AT&T is terrible. Apple would have been smart to grab some guys from Nokia or SonyEricsson and then set about designing a phone. Right now, you have nothing more than an iPod Touch with telephony features.
Certainly you wouldn't see the U.S.'s FBI/CIA, England's MI6/MI5/DIS, or Israel's Shabak/Massad/Aman send any of its personnel to participate or share in an open conference on security.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
How is that "open?" Something isn't open if only a few people know all the details.
How is that "open?" Something isn't open if only a few people know all the details.
They have meetings often as I stated. Meet and greets. The "other" stuff is not met in the open but is shared amongst each other behind closed doors. So, they do meet in the open but some info is not publicly stated. I thought I had caveated that.
I'm just fine thanks. If you read either the text next to the IE picture on the page you linked to, which I copied and bolded in my response, you'd understand why the IE icon is displayed.
MobileMe keeps a Windows user's Internet Explorer bookmarks synced between multiple computers, iPhone, and iPod touch.
Well then, if the business you're purportedly working for is cool with you checking your personal email on company time, then they should have no problem with you downloading a standards-compliant web browser so you can check your MobileMe mail. Is that your job, checking your personal email? Must be nice. You should be grateful, most people aren't so fortunate.
Indeed I'm more fortunate with the different companies I'm working for as a consultant than with Apple which refuses to refund my regularly cancelled subscription
So given that Apple "rarely" fess-up. You must think they aren't great, by any stretch of the imagination. Jobs only fessed up because he knew the secret approach wouldn't work this time. It's not Apple that needs to learn, it's Jobs.
From what I've seen they have had problems (though not usually on this scale) and solved those problems. Sorry if you see it differently.
You've got to be kidding me.
No I'm not.
Why am I not surprised to see this kind of pro-Apple post here. AppleInsider has the most loyal Apple fans posting, doesn't it.
I'm certainly not an Apple "fanboi" by any stretch.
I wish they could fess up on certain hardware issues...
Like?
Indeed I'm more fortunate with the different companies I'm working for as a consultant than with Apple which refuses to refund my regularly cancelled subscription
Chill boy eh. No company is worth a heart attack.
That's not a bug. MobileMe relies on open standards, which Microsoft still hasn't adhered to in Internet Explorer.
I really don't think that's an excuse, most sites apparently manage to work pretty well with IE. Not supporting IE is about as silly as it would be for them to not support iPods and iPhones under Windows.
MobileMe is Apple's answer to Vista- a distaster on so many levels. Rushed to market, dropped features, tons of bugs, poorly implemented, and overpriced.
Heh heh. Couldn't have said it better myself (hope I don't branded a 'troll').
In many companies, you're not allowed to install another browser than IE!
If you are using the latest version of IE or maybe 1 version older, it is possible to use mobile me. Anything older than that and you are told that it is not supported.
So given that Apple "rarely" fess-up. You must think they aren't great, by any stretch of the imagination. Jobs only fessed up because he knew the secret approach wouldn't work this time. It's not Apple that needs to learn, it's Jobs.
The fessing was only done internally, right? So, the consumers who have been getting the shaft have not received a formal apology.
Actually it happens quite often. The sharing of "certain" info. They meet and great and trade war stories. The good stuff is saved for windowless rooms sitting on dampers, with piped in music, and white noise generators.
You have to be kidding. Name one publicized conference anyone of them attended.
The fessing was only done internally, right? So, the consumers who have been getting the shaft have not received a formal apology.
Actually I thought MobileMe customer did receive an apology (or two) as well as a 30-day extension for all of the trouble. Didn't they?
This memo sounds like a suitably internal analysis of their problems and a starting point for doing better in the future.
I really don't think that's an excuse, most sites apparently manage to work pretty well with IE. Not supporting IE is about as silly as it would be for them to not support iPods and iPhones under Windows.
Well, if I'm wrong and Apple simply wants to, for instance, push as many MobileMe members as they can towards open, standards-compliant browsers, I won't shed a tear.
The fessing was only done internally, right? So, the consumers who have been getting the shaft have not received a formal apology.
Got this on July 16th, 2006:
We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.
Although core services such as Mail, iDisk, Sync, Back to My Mac, and Gallery went relatively smoothly, the new MobileMe web applications had lots of problems initially. Fortunately we have worked through those problems and the web apps are now up and running.
Another snag we have run into is our use of the word "push" in describing everything under the MobileMe umbrella. While all email, contact or calendar changes on the iPhone and the web apps are immediately synced to and from the MobileMe "cloud," changes made on a PC or Mac take up to 15 minutes to sync with the cloud and your other devices. So even though things are indeed instantly pushed to and from your iPhone and the web apps today, we are going to stop using the word "push" until it is near-instant on PCs and Macs, too.
We want to apologize to our loyal customers and express our appreciation for their patience by giving all current subscribers an automatic 30-day extension to their MobileMe subscription free of charge. Your extension will be reflected in your account settings within the next few weeks.
We hope you enjoy your new suite of web applications at me.com, in addition to keeping your iPhone and iPod touch wirelessly in sync with these new web applications and your Mac or PC.
Thank you,
The MobileMe Team
I didn't have any problems that I couldn't wait to be fixed. And although I didn't expect it, I did accept the extension.
Perhaps you would like to apologize now.