Apple suggests that it has permanently exited the stand-alone monitor business

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 82
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    This could be okay, if they had kept updating the Mac Pro and Mac mini, but they haven't. They're a wall of silence on this portion of their product when they should be trying to stop the erosion of it in content-creation studios.

    I don't care about aesthetics of a monitor casing as much as I care about the actual display itself. The obsession here with this LG display's exterior aesthetics is ludicrous. It just reinforces Apple's pathological obsession with thinness as "what consumers want". Great message to send, people.

    The worry here is about the professional content creators, not the end consumers. The end consumers are well taken care of. The content creators are not. They're being told "Apple doesn't have an interest in you". If those of you complaining about the aesthetics of this LG display are content creators, and you're willing to sacrifice retina resolutions for a prettier display casing, you may not be the professional you think you are.

     I keep waiting for Apple to return to being the company that sold me on their product; the company that made a full convert of me. It seems that company was killed by Wall Street obsessives and replaced with a look-alike invasion of the body snatcher style replacement.

    I keep waiting. I'm sick of waiting. But I've no alternative because when "not great anymore" is still superior to the alternatives, what's left to do? I'm sure as hell not going back to Microsoft operating systems and voodoo PC builds.

    There was so much potential in this industry when the iPhone took off, deeply changing computing and competition... For a few years. Now, instead of reaching that potential, Apple's leadership is demonstrating learning the wrong lesson from the iPhone's success. Share prices. Wall Street. Obsession with perpetual gains. Abandoning any product line that is focused anywhere but end consumers.

    The iPhone almost saved the industry but now Apple is using it to kill the industry, or at least lodge Apple back into the sugar-water-seller era of Apple that almost killed it once before, and letting the rest of the industry make Apple irrelevant. The rest of the industry will catch up to them again in the "good enough" consumer market (especially when Apple's UI design ethos sucks), and Apple will have no deeply entrenched professional computing user base to fall back on.
    cornchip
  • Reply 62 of 82
    dysamoria said:

    I don't care about aesthetics of a monitor casing as much as I care about the actual display itself. The obsession here with this LG display's exterior aesthetics is ludicrous. It just reinforces Apple's pathological obsession with thinness as "what consumers want". Great message to send, people.

    The worry here is about the professional content creators, not the end consumers. The end consumers are well taken care of. The content creators are not. They're being told "Apple doesn't have an interest in you". If those of you complaining about the aesthetics of this LG display are content creators, and you're willing to sacrifice retina resolutions for a prettier display casing, you may not be the professional you think you are.

    I don't think anyone is saying they want worse better looking technology. The message is we want the better technology packaged how it should be. Built like the machines we use and working with them.

    But the machines we all use are being eroded away from content producing people. Picture just about mid 2000's - Final Cut, Shake, Logic - Wide range of Mac's Displays etc. 

    Without all the pieces to the puzzle the sell of Apple products loses something. They don't even make a first party ethernet adapter for this new MacBook Pro themselves
  • Reply 63 of 82
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    edited October 2016
  • Reply 64 of 82
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    Can you explain why you believe the Apple TV was designed to be a "childish rivalry"? Did you not see the original iTV demo where Apple was trying to appeal to the content owners? Did you not see that there was no viable media extender appliance market before the Apple TV? How would I use AirPlay on my TV if not for having an Apple TV?
    edited October 2016 suddenly newtonnolamacguytmay
  • Reply 65 of 82
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    Can you explain why you believe the Apple TV was designed to be a "childish rivalry"? Did you not see the original iTV demo where Apple was trying to appeal to the content owners? Did you not see that there was no viable media extender appliance market before the Apple TV? How would I use AirPlay on my TV if not for having an Apple TV?
    As I recall, Apple TV was a "hobby" for the longest time, and wasn't heavily marketed during its first 3 generations. It sold well regardless. Apple TV has pivoted several times--from being a kind of "video jukebox" that got content from your iTunes PC or Mac, to being a streaming content player connected directly to Internet video services, and now it's pivoted to apps being the "future of television." To me, Apple TV is about exploring a market, and putting its vision out there for next generation Internet-connected TV. I don't think Apple TV was a "me too" product designed for "childish rivalries."
    cornchip
  • Reply 66 of 82
    wizard69 said:
    I've suspected this for a long time now.    Frankly I really doubt that Apple made money selling grossly over priced video monitors that had little applicability outside of Apples eco-System.    Sadly I had at times wished that Apple would actually produce a video monitor that was well integrated with its laptops via TB but I just don't think they understand user needs anymore.    With TB3/USB-C charging the monitor could have become the ideal "dock" for ones laptop, instead we got half implemented and grossly over priced solutions from Apple.   Hopefully with market demand now from Apple and other USB-C based laptops we will see some competition to deliver reasonably priced an functionally complete docking monitors for these new laptop designs.

    In the long run this is a good thing for Apple users.
    I think Apple does still understand user needs. This is why they worked with LG to deliver exactly what you are talking about. Yeah, everyone wanted it sooner, but here it is.
  • Reply 67 of 82
    wozwozwozwoz Posts: 263member
    Well there goes the whole .... we design the whole user experience, from OS, to computer to display ... You know ONLY Apple does that. Well, no more. Another loser decision by Tim Cook. 
  • Reply 68 of 82
    doggonedoggone Posts: 377member
    I stopped buying Apple monitors over 25 years ago.  The price difference for added aesthetics was not worth it.  So for the average user, having a non-Apple branded monitor makes more sense and the savings can be applied to getting a better Mac.

    The other thing to consider is that now Apple sell mostly units with built in screens.  Only the Mac Pro and Mini do not have screens built in so the market for up-selling those units is small.  The other market is add on monitors for laptops etc.  Probably again a small market and cheaper products with equally good specs abound.

    Since Apple have to design and manufacture the casing (in aluminum no less), the production costs are high and margins will be lower. So I can really see the case for pull out of the market. It doesn't create significant revenue, does not drive consumers to the main product line and consume significant R&D and manufacturing capacity.



  • Reply 69 of 82
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    First they exited the laser printer market, then they quit the game console race, then stopped making QuickTake digital cameras, then Newton PDAs, then Xserves, and now this. What's next?
    sticking to stuff that makes lots of money? (hopefully that was your point!)
    tmay
  • Reply 70 of 82
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    Can you explain why you believe the Apple TV was designed to be a "childish rivalry"? Did you not see the original iTV demo where Apple was trying to appeal to the content owners? Did you not see that there was no viable media extender appliance market before the Apple TV? How would I use AirPlay on my TV if not for having an Apple TV?

    Soli I never said Apple TV was for childish rivalry, what I said was it would be neat if Apple would create their own television with their own operating system built right into the set which would not only have Apple TV, but the ability to Watch Live TV with a subscription directly from Apple. A full Standalone OLED TV for everything. This would bring big bucks for them; By the way Apple TV was not the only device you could use for Apple Air Play, before you could use the cable from your iPad to your TV using Air Play and people who owned a TiVo DVR could use Airplay from there iPhone and iPad using the TiVo app. I was using Airplay through my TiVo Roamio DVR before I even starting using my Apple TV (4th generation).

  • Reply 71 of 82
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,311member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    Can you explain why you believe the Apple TV was designed to be a "childish rivalry"? Did you not see the original iTV demo where Apple was trying to appeal to the content owners? Did you not see that there was no viable media extender appliance market before the Apple TV? How would I use AirPlay on my TV if not for having an Apple TV?

    Soli I never said Apple TV was for childish rivalry, what I said was it would be neat if Apple would create their own television with their own operating system built right into the set which would not only have Apple TV, but the ability to Watch Live TV with a subscription directly from Apple. A full Standalone OLED TV for everything. This would bring big bucks for them; By the way Apple TV was not the only device you could use for Apple Air Play, before you could use the cable from your iPad to your TV using Air Play and people who owned a TiVo DVR could use Airplay from there iPhone and iPad using the TiVo app. I was using Airplay through my TiVo Roamio DVR before I even starting using my Apple TV (4th generation).

    There are a lot of things that are "neat" that don't make money, and don't kid yourself; television's don't make much money. The industry is desperate to convince people that they need 4K now, but most people will be in the market only for replacements when their current 1080P dies. If anything, the best the industry can do is push the higher spec televisions with HDR to get some margins.

    As for the tantrums about Apple not building a new TB monitor; it's pretty obvious, to me anyway, that it isn't a great seller. The only case that could be made for a new TB monitor is for a matching iMac add on, and again, most people don't use a second monitor with an iMac. I have a mix of Apple TB monitors and ASUS, all the same size an resolution and frankly, i don't spend any time naval gazing at the Industrial design of either.

    Seriously, PC's are a dying market with declining upgrade potential. MS is pushing a lot of design language to hold on to what's left as they have nothing but x86 to survive on in the consumer world, but Apple see's greener pasture's with a mix of iOS and Mac OS products. 

    Oh, look. Here's EIZO's design language for creatives....

    http://www.eizo.com/solutions/graphics/

    Pretty generic because nobody want's to pay for ID on a monitor.
    edited October 2016
  • Reply 72 of 82
    imatimat Posts: 208member
    Jeffree said:
    I've been an Apple guy since 1984 when i bought the original 128k mac. But I recently im beginning to feel the love wearing off as I see less exciting innovation at a snails pace. Not offering a standalone display and leaving a giant hole in the ecosystem that only a 3rd party can fill does not seem like Apple at all, even if its not a profitable venture. The aesthetic and visual quality is a critical part of the ecosystem and LG will not get it right. I hope this rumor is wrong.
    I agree with you 100%. On all of it. Apple never only made a product because of "profit", they carefully created an ecosystem. And leaving huge gaps in that, only opens it for competition.

    Remeber, an Apple CinemaDisplay is as much a statement as many other Apple products. There are probably cheaper alternatives, but having an Apple Display on a desk is a statement about care for design and not only tech specs. Leave that out? My desk is going to look like "any other" desk with "any other computer". About the lack of innovation: I couldn't agree more. Once you close the MacBook Pro there's no use for the "OLED screen". And limiting the RAM? Come on... For battery life purposes...

    I am seriously underwhelmed about what Apple came out with. And by the way they seem to spend the BILLIONS of dollars of R&D they pour each year. Pages, Numbers and Keynote languish. No relevant features added.
    AppleTV doesn't support Siri in many countries.


    And I own a lot of Apple products.
    iPhone
    AppleTV
    MacBook Pro
    Cinema Display
    AppleWatch (series2)


    But going forward I seriously see others doing MUCH better. You see... I am in the category of the "professional creatives" (Architekt). That's a market Apple used to cater a lot. And this gave the whole lineup the idea of "cool" "edgy" "design". Apple became what it is because the creative professionals were the ambassadors of this cool "club" of Apple owners who refused the dull PC ecosystem.

    Look at the Microsoft Surface Studio. Now look at LG's monitor. And tell me if you honestly like where Apple is going.
  • Reply 73 of 82
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung, Console, Apple TV all in one shot, that would crush Samsung.
    I'm completely agains the notion of a company making products simply to engage in some childish rivalry that consumers have against different vendors.
     Well if that's the case, then why does Apple TV even exist. 
    Can you explain why you believe the Apple TV was designed to be a "childish rivalry"? Did you not see the original iTV demo where Apple was trying to appeal to the content owners? Did you not see that there was no viable media extender appliance market before the Apple TV? How would I use AirPlay on my TV if not for having an Apple TV?

    Soli I never said Apple TV was for childish rivalry, what I said was it would be neat if Apple would create their own television with their own operating system built right into the set which would not only have Apple TV, but the ability to Watch Live TV with a subscription directly from Apple. A full Standalone OLED TV for everything. This would bring big bucks for them; By the way Apple TV was not the only device you could use for Apple Air Play, before you could use the cable from your iPad to your TV using Air Play and people who owned a TiVo DVR could use Airplay from there iPhone and iPad using the TiVo app. I was using Airplay through my TiVo Roamio DVR before I even starting using my Apple TV (4th generation).

    1) You wrote, "Apple needs to start making there own TV's to compete with Samsung." When you state your comment as what a company needs to do because of Samsung, it reads like a rivalry. 

    2) As for Apple getting the Apple TV into every home, we've had this discussion here over a decade, even before the Apple TV was first demoed in 2006. One thing I had hoped they would do—which looks like the direction they are going with their Project Titan—is to create a free, universal plug for all TV vendors. Then you simply attach to the back the Apple TV module of your choice (and potentially anyone else's media extender module). That connection would then connect into its speakers, its BT, it's WiFi, its camera(s), it's other ports, and display. The Apple TV becomes the default UI and then whether you had a DVD/BRD player (remember this started over a decade ago) or cable/sat box would be useable but the Apple TV would be the primary UI.

    Another option was an HDMI pass-thru on the Apple TV appliance that was separate, but achieving the same thing with an HDMI pass thru for your cable/sat box and DVD/BRD player.

    We also considered Apple getting into the cable/sat box business. Even Jobs was assed by Mossberg, I think, and he said that it's just a tough area because there are so many damn configurations that would have to be dealt with in just the US.

    Having to change inputs on the TV is a huge PITA for people since it required different remotes. Of course, now we have apps, and various one-click logins, and a new TV app that is coming, and HDMi-CEC so that old idea will never come to fruition.

    From last week's demo I'm not convinced that the upcoming TV app will be the solution, but I do believe that'll eventually have a modern living room system.
  • Reply 74 of 82
    That's beautiful... not professional grade, but beutiful both Apple and LG. Professional use either EIZO or NEC pro series in publishing\. None of LG or Appple is in that grade by quality (maybe by price only). The key is color precision - not resolution and if resolution then hand-to-hand with size, but then multimonitor configurations might be preferred. Consumers may bus some Dell, LG, Samsung, HP or lower end NEC.
  • Reply 75 of 82
    paxman said:
    mac_128 said:
    This is really unfortunate. That LG monitor has none of the design style that the current Apple displays have. I wouldn't want it sitting on my desk. Looks like iMacs for me.
    Which is key - most desktop Macs are iMacs. Why would you get anything else? The MacPro users out there wouldn't be buying an Apple monitor anyway and the MacMini users neither, unless it was super cheap. I have to admit that my ageing 24" Apple branded screen looks great and was, and still is, a good monitor that looks good plugged into an Apple laptop, but I paid way too much for it. My bet is that someone will bring out a monitor that to some degree takes on the Thunderbolt display looks and charge a little extra for it.
    Correct. Apple or LG monitors are not near pro grade. For that pros go to EIZO or NEC high end monitors. If one does not know what high grade monitor is then compare specs on NEC site. They have both types.
  • Reply 76 of 82
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Has anyone come out with a ultra-widecreen display that is 5K+?
  • Reply 77 of 82
    Soli said:
    Has anyone come out with a ultra-widecreen display that is 5K+?
    Looks like HP and Dell has. Web Links Below. FYI

    http://www8.hp.com/us/en/mpc/monitors/product-detail.html?oid=7130944

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081827-REG/dell_up2715k_27_5k_5120x2880_computer_monitor.html

    Video about the Dell, Not bad at all.


  • Reply 78 of 82
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    Has anyone come out with a ultra-widecreen display that is 5K+?
    Looks like HP and Dell has. Web Links Below. FYI

    http://www8.hp.com/us/en/mpc/monitors/product-detail.html?oid=7130944

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081827-REG/dell_up2715k_27_5k_5120x2880_computer_monitor.html

    Video about the Dell, Not bad at all.

    [video]
    Thanks, but both of those are 16:9 aspect ratio. I'm looking for ultra-widescreen. Something around 21:9, but with a 2160p height, or equivalent.

    Here's an example, but it's only 1080p height.
    edited October 2016
  • Reply 79 of 82
    Soli said:
    Soli said:
    Has anyone come out with a ultra-widecreen display that is 5K+?
    Looks like HP and Dell has. Web Links Below. FYI

    http://www8.hp.com/us/en/mpc/monitors/product-detail.html?oid=7130944

    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081827-REG/dell_up2715k_27_5k_5120x2880_computer_monitor.html

    Video about the Dell, Not bad at all.

    [video]
    Thanks, but both of those are 16:9 aspect ratio. I'm looking for ultra-widescreen. Something around 21:9, but with a 2160p height, or equivalent.

    Here's an example, but it's only 1080p height.
    Ahha I gotcha. my bad.

    Try this.

    http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-38UC99-W-ultrawide-monitor?cmpid=2016HEMonitor-SEM-CV-UW-UC99_US_Google_U-Brand_k1392&gclid=CI3QlLHMhtACFUMaaQodL20EMA
  • Reply 80 of 82
    Asus and Samsung have one just like that LG model, but they not expected to release until sometime this coming December.
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