If You Ran Apple What Things Would You Change?

[gunraidan]

Imagine that you are positioned at the head of Apple. You own the majority say in the company and thus you can do nearly anything you want to. What changes would you mae?

Would you lower the prices of some products?

Introduce a specific new SKU to the Mac desktop or notebook line?

Expand the iPhone product series?

[MacMini2009]

I would tell people when new products or new versions of products would come out and tell people if I'm dying or got surgery. -end sarcasm- :D

[anti-microsoft]

I dunno what I'd do but as a customer I'm just not getting the magic anymore... does anyone feel the same? Remember the iPod nano intro? or the iBooks... They where cool Hi tech and quality products that made Apple stand out... I dunno maybe someone will understand

Ams.

[Krafty]

I would make the mini in the shape of a triangle.

[gunraidan]

I'd launch a line of mid-tower desktops. I think the iMac is far too weak and the Mac Pro is far too expensive. I'd launch something that would connect the two.

Mac Tower

Entry Level Specs -

- Radeon HD 4870
- Intel Xeon E5506 Nehalem 2.13GHz
- 160GB Hard-Drive
- 4GB DDR3 1066
- SuperDrive
- 700W
-Sleek White Case

Entry Level Price - $1299

[jessica.]

I would create a Quality Assurance/Control department.

[bartelby]

I would keep an eye on MR. Every time someone said "It will not happen" I'd make sure it did.

[.Andy]

I would keep an eye on MR. Every time someone said "It will not happen" I'd make sure it did.
You apparently already run Apple barteby :D!

[Cassie]

Start putting functionality over form, as opposed to the current vice-versa mindset.

People wouldn't like it, but I wouldn't care if Macs were the worst looking machines on Earth, if they actually had useful features.

[jessica.]

Start putting functionality over form, as opposed to the current vice-versa mindset.

People wouldn't like it, but I wouldn't care if Macs were the worst looking machines on Earth, if they actually had useful features.

Here here. Because Cassie, who has a PPC desktop that runs well and is built to last?

You ... and me. ;)

[jav6454]

Keep things as they are, just release no credible rumors tho to throw people off what is really coming.

Oh and a biggie, get Apple back into Macworld.

[bartelby]

You apparently already run Apple barteby :D!


Hush up. You'll blow my cover.

Why did I think NDAs were a good idea...

[Cassie]

Here here. Because Cassie, who has a PPC desktop that runs well and is built to last?

You ... and me. ;)

And they even look good while doing it. :p ;)

[MorphingDragon]

I would create a Quality Assurance/Control department.

Yay!!!

BTW, I know what that Apple Spark is... The iMacs now don't impress me as much as the G3-G5s. They're nice to look at but who gives a hoot.

Now the G3/4/5s, they reinvented how computers were made.

[gnasher729]

I would tell people when new products or new versions of products would come out and tell people if I'm dying or got surgery. -end sarcasm- :D

So what surgery have you had in your life? Anything interesting or embarrassing?

This thread seriously reminds me of "what would Homer Simpson do if he ran a car company?"

[MorphingDragon]

This thread seriously reminds me of "what would Homer Simpson do if he ran a car company?"

Thats seriously offensive. :mad:

The car company you're thinking of is GM BTW... :D

[sammy2066]

I would create a Quality Assurance/Control department.

Well said. I would do the exact same thing.

Also, increase employee compensation.

[matthewscott661]

1- give people more BTO options
2- bring back the distinction between the consumer and pro lines
3- redesign apple stores (they just make me uncomfortable)
4- think different

[gunraidan]

I'd go iPhone 3G with the White Macbook SKU's. I'd have the previous year model still for sale for only $749.


Also it sounds like a lot of people here prefer PowerPC as opposed to Intel.

[pelicanflip]

definitely improve quality control. the new 3GS's could use some help...

[the vj]

1. I would realease a computer a good as the Powerbook G3 Pismo, basically a transformer. The best laptop ever.

2. I would release a 12" mac book pro because the 12" powerbook was the best.

3. I would release an smaller Mac Pro because the actual enclosure is too heavy and too big an I would add firewire again and reduce the price.

4. I would release a 12" multitouch tablet, or probably 10". That would work as a remote control for many things in the world.

That's about it.

[the vj]

This thread seriously reminds me of "what would Homer Simpson do if he ran a car company?"

Well... if you haven't noticed... but a bunch of Homer Simpsons have been running the car companies, banks and government. That is why we are where we all are today... in deep ******.

[LizKat]

1. I would realease a computer a good as the Powerbook G3 Pismo, basically a transformer. The best laptop ever.

2. I would release a 12" mac book pro because the 12" powerbook was the best.

3. I would release an smaller Mac Pro because the actual enclosure is too heavy and too big an I would add firewire again and reduce the price.

4. I would release a 12" multitouch tablet, or probably 10". That would work as a remote control for many things in the world.

That's about it.

Ladies and gents, the next CEO of Apple!!

Perfect path forward.

[PracticalMac]

1. FireWire800 in all products (except iPod Shuffle), use USB for what it was intended for.
2. Keyboard for iPhone
3. Very low cost Mac and/or MacBook, even if just below break even cost, compete against cheap.
4. FW education, be it TV ads or other method.
5. Get MS to make working FW drivers for Windows.


I have some other ideas.

[puffnstuff]

1. I would realease a computer a good as the Powerbook G3 Pismo, basically a transformer. The best laptop ever.

2. I would release a 12" mac book pro because the 12" powerbook was the best.

3. I would release an smaller Mac Pro because the actual enclosure is too heavy and too big an I would add firewire again and reduce the price.

4. I would release a 12" multitouch tablet, or probably 10". That would work as a remote control for many things in the world.

That's about it.

Yes!

Let me add... Thinner, smaller, and lighter MBA with better battery life.

A more open iPhone OS and 4.3" screen iPod Touch

[thegoldenmackid]

I would make all iPhone related issues be handled solely in AT&T and other carrier stores.

[djellison]

I would publish a product routemap for the next 12-24 months so as to keep potential customers as informed as possible. The potential for other firms to 'trump' Apple on products would be offset by people happier customers imho.

I would put a mic and camera into the iPod Touch

I would deploy iChat on the iPod Touch / iPhone platform

I would put GOOD screens in all laptops, with more USB ports.

Put VGA adaptors and remotes in all laptop purchases as standard.

I would release a desktop mac using a Core i7 CPU (Xeon is a pointless expense on a single socket machine) with room for two HDD's.

Cull the AppleTV - replace it with a TV-centric docking port for iPhone/iPod touch.

Bluray AS STANDARD in all MBP's.

Get some frickin QC on new product lines.

Banish network exclusivity for iPhones.

Fix Keynotes exporting feature. Seriously - it's pathetic.

Produce an iChat client for PC's. (iChat Theatre is pointless when only 5% of people can receive it)

Competitively priced 20, 24 and 30 inch displays with calibration tools.

Dump the old, stereotype reinforcing and frankly, lie filled 'I'm a Mac' ads, and replace them with short adverts that highlight one home media creativity project instead. (i.e. import photos, make photo book. Capture video, edit, put on Youtube. etc etc)

Stop lying in iPhone adverts.

Fix audio hiss on laptops.

Fix Safari. Seriously.

Fix the Sync processes. Every 10 mins, my mac sticks at 100% CPU for a minute because of damn Sync processes.

Infact, fix MobileMe sync features all together. Very broken.

'Try a Mac' - leave a deposit and you can try a mac for a week. Like the 3 day car test drives.

Spend SIGNIFICANT advertising budget HONESTLY dispelling some of the Mac myths out there.

Spend SIGNICIANT time making sure advertising stopped pushing the smug arrogant t**t image they're doing right now.

Make a 10" netbook the same form factor as the Samsung NC10. Make it £300. Make it have 3G. Make it now. Watch the customers ROLL IN.

Higher res screen options for ALL laptops.

Stop taking the piss with HDD and Ram upgrade prices in the store.

Block facebook, bebo, myspace etc. in Apple Stores.

Fix the Apps store submission process. Reward your developers - don't make them jump through hoops.

Stop pretending that downloads are the short or medium term future of HD programming.

Stop charging more for a track/album/tv series/movie in the iTunes store than it costs to buy physical media.

Get rid of the frankly pathetic Windows bashing at developers conferences. It's childish. It's embarrassing.

Broadcast ALL sessions of ALL conferences, live.

Developers blogs for upcoming software and hardware.

Make me feel like a customer, not some annoyance.

[dmmcintyre3]

In no order
Snow Leopard on PPC
Express Card on every laptop
1680x1050 screen on 15 inch MBP
FIX the fry pan bottoms
Give us a decent tower with PCI express and 4 HD slots and quad core for PC prices ($500 last I checked:eek:)
Quad Core MBPs
SD and CF slots on every laptop (CF on MBP expecially. Pro cameras are CF)
Bring back the PBG4 design (unibody or not who cares. Just build the bottom case like the top case of the unibodys with a small door for the HD/RAM
7-8 hour removable batteries on all laptops
Backlit Keyboard on desktops and white MB
Drop prices 20% on everything
3 year warrantys standard with accadental damage protection included

[dukebound85]

i would cease to be a computer maker

only make iphones and osx

[whooleytoo]

I would create a Quality Assurance/Control department.

Oh, they have one. (I used to sleep^h^h^h^h^h work there.) They just don't listen to it any more.

There definitely was a change in attitude around the time Jobs & the NeXT crew came back. Apple went from a "ship it when it's done" to a "ship it on time" company. Probably a LOT better for Apple. Not so good for QA.

[acxz]

30" iMac with AV inputs.

[whooleytoo]

Less pizzazz, more functionality.

Forget stacks, bring back pop-up windows which Apple did away with years ago and have yet to equal.

Forget about using Cover Flow to browse your Applications icons, how about a better network browser?

Better support for games/games developers.

[VirtualRain]

1. Focus energy on a game-changing Apple TV successor.

It would combine the best of iTunes (selection of affordable media), Nintendo Wii (controller), and iPhone (Apps) with some modern hardware capable of 1080p playback that can stream media of any type off internal or external storage with a killer UI.

A key component to this would be negotiating deals with the major TV networks and movie studios. So I'd need to keep Jobs around as my chief negotiator. :D

2. Another product I would deliver would slot in between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. A desktop replacement (perhaps a cube form factor) with two drive bays, an i7 quad-core CPU, expandable DDR3 memory, and a couple of PCI expansion slots with your choice of graphics card.

3. A revised 30" monitor and a extension cable included with the 24" LED display to round out the desktop usefulness of this display.

4. I would make a refresh of the Snow Leopard UI with more transparency a key priority for that team (assuming this is not secretly in the works already).

[MTI]

Contine to transform technology so that it loses the connection with what computers were 10 years ago - keyboards, mice, tower cases, disc drives, all so so late 20th Century.

[Lixivial]

There are probably plenty of things I'd change, but I don't know the extent of them all. Primarily, however, I'd make the company much more transparent.

First thing? Actual release notes.

Secondly, now that the company is completely recovered, I'd look at bringing manufacturing back in-house. If it's not feasible, I'd institute tighter QA/QC policies. Something has to be done regarding build quality. Perceived quality is what fostered the brand loyalty Apple enjoys today, and anything to harm this is a potential detriment to Apple's bottom line.

I would make all iPhone related issues be handled solely in AT&T and other carrier stores.

If you did this, then you'd also have to cede control of the platform to the whims of AT&T and other carrier stores, and we'd be right back where we were pre-2007.

[Diseal3]

Make Mac OS X open to all with a computer. Given enough time to catch up with the amount of drivers windows has of course... and making sure they are flawless.

[shadow1]

I would introduce fair international pricing unlike the 25% to 50% international mark up for non US customers.

[instaxgirl]

1. Make macs that are comparable in power to other computers in the same price range. Last time I can remember them doing that was in 2007. The mini especially is a bloody joke.

2. Drop the prices. Nothing drastic, but £750 for the white Macbook? A 3 year old (flawed) design? £350 for a year old iPhone 3G? £500 for the mini?

3. Official unlock for iPhones, like every other bloody phone. Open it up to other networks as well.

4. Sort out the (plastic) MacBook line.

5. Lower prices on the iTunes store. I never buy anything on there anymore.

6. Improve QC.

7. Stop giving exchanges to every idiot who wanders in complaining that their iPhone screen isn't quite exactly level (I'm not a fan of all the posts from people who find "faults" so they can then sell their new phone on eBay)

[gunraidan]

Introduce the Mac Pro Mini. Basically a headless desktop that is upgradable by adding new components (much like the Mac Pro) with the following specs:

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz
GeForce GTX 260 Core
4GB (2x2) 1067 DDR3 RAM
M-AUDIO Delta 44 24-bit 96KHz PCI/Break Out Port Interface Professional 4-In-4-Out Audio Card
850W Power Supply

Price: $1399

I would publish a product routemap for the next 12-24 months so as to keep potential customers as informed as possible. The potential for other firms to 'trump' Apple on products would be offset by people happier customers imho.

I would put a mic and camera into the iPod Touch

I would deploy iChat on the iPod Touch / iPhone platform

I would put GOOD screens in all laptops, with more USB ports.

Put VGA adaptors and remotes in all laptop purchases as standard.

I would release a desktop mac using a Core i7 CPU (Xeon is a pointless expense on a single socket machine) with room for two HDD's.

Cull the AppleTV - replace it with a TV-centric docking port for iPhone/iPod touch.

Bluray AS STANDARD in all MBP's.

Get some frickin QC on new product lines.

Banish network exclusivity for iPhones.

Fix Keynotes exporting feature. Seriously - it's pathetic.

Produce an iChat client for PC's. (iChat Theatre is pointless when only 5% of people can receive it)

Competitively priced 20, 24 and 30 inch displays with calibration tools.

Dump the old, stereotype reinforcing and frankly, lie filled 'I'm a Mac' ads, and replace them with short adverts that highlight one home media creativity project instead. (i.e. import photos, make photo book. Capture video, edit, put on Youtube. etc etc)

Stop lying in iPhone adverts.

Fix audio hiss on laptops.

Fix Safari. Seriously.

Fix the Sync processes. Every 10 mins, my mac sticks at 100% CPU for a minute because of damn Sync processes.

Infact, fix MobileMe sync features all together. Very broken.

'Try a Mac' - leave a deposit and you can try a mac for a week. Like the 3 day car test drives.

Spend SIGNIFICANT advertising budget HONESTLY dispelling some of the Mac myths out there.

Spend SIGNICIANT time making sure advertising stopped pushing the smug arrogant t**t image they're doing right now.

Make a 10" netbook the same form factor as the Samsung NC10. Make it £300. Make it have 3G. Make it now. Watch the customers ROLL IN.

Higher res screen options for ALL laptops.

Stop taking the piss with HDD and Ram upgrade prices in the store.

Block facebook, bebo, myspace etc. in Apple Stores.

Fix the Apps store submission process. Reward your developers - don't make them jump through hoops.

Stop pretending that downloads are the short or medium term future of HD programming.

Stop charging more for a track/album/tv series/movie in the iTunes store than it costs to buy physical media.

Get rid of the frankly pathetic Windows bashing at developers conferences. It's childish. It's embarrassing.

Broadcast ALL sessions of ALL conferences, live.

Developers blogs for upcoming software and hardware.

Make me feel like a customer, not some annoyance.

Awesome post!

[spillproof]

Banish network exclusivity for iPhones.
Fix audio hiss on laptops.
Fix Safari. Seriously.
Stop charging more for a track/album/tv series/movie in the iTunes store than it costs to buy physical media.
Get rid of the frankly pathetic Windows bashing. at developers conferences. Period. It's childish. It's embarrassing.
Make me feel like a customer, not some annoyance.

Amen to these.
Notice that more products are becoming similar to Apple's. iPhone- large touchscreens. All-in-ones (http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/desktop-studio-one-19?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs) started to appear more and more after the iMac G5. Slim Laptops (http://www.adamobydell.com/commit). Multi gesture trackpads are appearing on notebooks. Others are catching up, slowly, but still. Apple may not have all the advancements in their products (Blu-ray) yet though.

[Adam0306]

Definately bring the iPhone to every cell carrier other than ATT cause they have worthless service!

[nick9191]

You are looking at it from the point of view of how it could benefit yourselves (ie. lower prices), rather than a business point of view. The question is, are Apple doing very well? They are, therefore I would change nothing, I would continue with current management style.