Is Apple Losing It's Way

[alec1951]

I have just come from a meeting with some of my students. I was there with my Iphone and Mac Air, five of the students we laptop/tablets, and three had Galaxy Note 2's (the new must have device on campus)
and they had no problems doing what the rest of us were doing on laptops and full sized tablets.

To me the Note 2 seems to be a genuine advance in mobile technology, an easy to carry device that does the lot. To do what it does, I would need a couple of Apple devices.

Being Android it also has access to genuinely useful bibliography apps that are not available on IOS, and won't be because the developers say it is to much like hard work to get them into the app store. Which seems to be an increasing phenomenon with apps that have a relatively small audience.

To me Apple is closing off its system, and as a consequence beginning to atrophy?

[m00min]

I wish Apple would add similar stylus support to the iPad. It's the one thing in the Note 2 that gets my attention. I find the iPad styluses frustrating to use, reminiscent of finger painting; I grew out of that a good few years ago. I proper stylus would transform note taking.

[katewes]

I'll try to hit it on the nail with what is deeply wrong with Apple's philosophy:

Apple thinks that it can make its computers/OS designed for a target market, and can get away with ignoring other segments.

We hear this in platitudes such as "we can't please everyone, we just focus on making great products ... "

Take the iPad, and its non-existent filing system, or its in-app filing system. That is designed for, gosh, I have no idea, but they say that people nowadays don't need a filing system, and can rely on search to find their files. That blows my mind. Even a student needs to file their essays, projects in folders. Accountants, lawyers, etc who work on critically important documents need to file their matters in clearly defined areas. Sure, I can use Dropbox to be my defacto iPad filing system, but why can't Apple provide something so fundamental as a filing system.

Sure, there are some people who are flummoxed by a multi-level filing system -- but why couldn't Apple have created a simple and advanced mode in their OS? so that a wide range of users are catered for? Why shaft the work/business users, and say "we can't please everyone"?

So Apple thinks it can ignore that segment of the market, and justifies it because Apple keeps making a ton of money.

But something is lost along the way.

Every plus can become a minus, and I think this "we can't please everyone" will become like blinkers to Apple that I can't see that its products are no longer meeting people's needs.

The sad thing is, there's no competition to Apple right now that would lure me away from OSX - and Apple knows that, and is complacent because it knows it can make billions more even whilst ignoring major segments of the user spectrum.

And don't get me started on Apple's stubborn refusal to offer anti-glare screens on ALL its desktop hardware. By anti-glare, I mean a screen where I cannot readily discern the details in the background reflection -- and, by that definition, the Retina and new iMac screens fail to totally diffuse the background reflected detail. So how Apple has gone 6 years in thumbing their middle finger at people who need anti-glare screens on desktops.

I think Microsoft can get its Windows 8/RT act together in about 3 years -- and Microsoft won't go under in that time. Remember it took Apple about 3 years for its iPad/iOS to get to a plateau where recent updates are trifling in their modifications. When Microsoft gets to that level of fine-tuning, Apple might rue the day when misunderstood that "dumbing down their software" is not the same as having "focus".

[MonkeySee....]

No, Apple aren't losing their way.

[ugahairydawgs]

I don't think so. Are Apple products something for everyone? No. There will always be those out there who loathe the fact that Apple is trying to minimize the importance of the file system. For a lot of folks that is a great convenience as a lot of people are not diligent when it comes to saving files and having an organizational structure. So when it comes time to find a copy of their resume they have 6 different copies of it and they are spread out in various places all over the machine.

And that is assuming you want to use all of the Apple products (iWork and things of that nature) on your iOS devices. Me personally.....I like the file system and having access so everything. So I use Dropbox and have everything synced across devices.

[tersono]

Um. No. Apple is not losing its way. At least, not at the moment.

Look at the history of the company:

Apple develop something groundbreaking (or, at least, bring it to market). We then have a period where the competition sees what has gone before and starts to compete. After a while, they catch up. Occasionally they overtake. Then Apple comes up with something new and the race starts again.

The real question to be asking is what's Apple's next big thing? They're still sufficiently in the lead that they don't need it right away - but can they repeat the iPhone/iPad/iPod/iMac etc. thing again? Time will tell - at the moment, the rest of the market is still, mostly, playing catchup.

[alec1951]

Apple devices just work, but they work in the way Apples wants them to. You have to make them work for you. I cloud works, but Dropbox fits the way I work. Mountain Lion works, but I have to download a load of non Apple software to make it work for me.

The Iphone 5 works, but I have seen that I can make a Note 2 work for me more effectively than the Iphone.

Apple is increasingly locking down its devices to make an Apple ecosystem that 'just works', but the more they lock things down the less likely they are going to make a device that works for me.

[charlieegan3]

Originally Posted by alec1951

Apple devices just work, but they work in the way Apples wants them to. You have to make them work for you. I cloud works, but Dropbox fits the way I work. Mountain Lion works, but I have to download a load of non Apple software to make it work for me.

The Iphone 5 works, but I have seen that I can make a Note 2 work for me more effectively than the Iphone.

Apple is increasingly locking down its devices to make an Apple ecosystem that 'just works', but the more they lock things down the less likely they are going to make a device that works for me.

I completely agree, it's the reason I have a note 2 rather than an iPhone. I hope these methods don't move to lock down mac too.

[maxosx]

Originally Posted by MonkeySee....

No, Apple aren't losing their way.

I agree. It's just drifting about as they adjust to the new era. Having lost their magic bullet & master showman, Apple's got to work harder to keep up.

Anytime one single person is responsible for the lions share of sales, once that person vanishes, the company's loss of identity takes its toll.

The good news is... Apple already had massive momentum. In turn that buys them time to recalibrate to market forces. With a very well respected brand they have a distinct advantage. It's what they do with it that counts.

[iHailCarlo]

No, Apple is fine. They know their market and they execute the strategy for profitability.

[Toltepeceno]

Losing it's way? No. Going in a direction that alienates some? Yes. They won't let it hurt their bottom line in the long run though.

[m00min]

Originally Posted by alec1951

I don't think Apple are necessarily doomed but I don think that they have lost there way at this time. I am an Apple user, with a Mac Mini, Mac Air, Apple TV and Iphone 4s. In essence all my devices are Apple at this time.

However Apples current direction has drawn the Iphone increasingly away from my needs. It works, but not as well for me as competing devices.

On top of this, I am increasingly worried about being able to tailor a Mac to my needs. Sandbox already means that one aspect of my workflow is less fluid than under Lion. I can see why Apple wants to make the app store the only source of software you can use on the Mac, but that is just making the Mac work for Apple not for me.

Apple is not doomed, it is just moving away from me, as I am sure it is doing with a large proportion of the market - especially those who have to work efficiently and effectively with the devices we buy. Not just play with them.

This is more or less where I'm at. I'm still happily using my macs and I love my iPad and jailbroken 4S. I'd rather not shift to Android as I'm quite invested in iOS apps. I can't see myself switching to Windows anytime soon because I like that I can use unix-type apps (php, apache, etc) whilst still running commercial apps (Adobe stuff).

Still, the sandboxing and potential for dumbing down does worry me. I stomach the dumbing down on iDevices because I don't actually want to fiddle with their workings too much. BiteSMS and NC Settings are almost my sole reasons for jailbreaking. If Apple ever do the same to their computers then, reluctantly, I'm gone. I'll be forced onto Windows.

[chrono1081]

Can we merge all of these same style threads? There seems to be a new one every day.

[nuckinfutz]

Originally Posted by alec1951

To me Apple is closing off its system, and as a consequence beginning to atrophy?

I think this is all you really wanted to say. You feign interest in others opinions but there's not much we can say about your anecdote. Some people have a budget for one device and the Note 2 fits in that tweener area. Wether Apple is "losing it's way" can only be substantiated with concrete sales numbers. If they are losing their way there will be a decline in sales if they are not there will be an increase in sales. It's really pretty simple.

----------

Originally Posted by katewes

I think Microsoft can get its Windows 8/RT act together in about 3 years -- and Microsoft won't go under in that time. Remember it took Apple about 3 years for its iPad/iOS to get to a plateau where recent updates are trifling in their modifications. When Microsoft gets to that level of fine-tuning, Apple might rue the day when misunderstood that "dumbing down their software" is not the same as having "focus".

Problem is the people that like a more simplified user experience are in greater numbers and thus generate more profit/revenue than the geek that wants it all. Consumers used to be with Microsoft and now they buy Apple stuff.

[alec1951]

In some ways I agree with what most people above have said. The future is an interesting place, the pity being that we have to wait to find out what will happen.

The only thing that is certain is that if you don't try to influence the future, so that it unfolds in a way that you can support then you are partially to blame for things happening that you can't support.

The only place we have to act in the case of companies like Apple is in the forums and in the shops.

I have a lot invested in Apple products and I want to keep them working for me. To do that I have to be able to implement ways of working with the technology that suits me. Apple seems to me to be bent on implementing 'The Apple Way is The Only Way' you can use Apple devices, and I think that is a mistake because universal solutions very rarely fit individual cases. We will see.

[dxstewart]

I don't know about Apple "losing their way," but I will say I tried Windows 8 the other day. I was completely at a loss on finding everything at first, and I'm a pretty computer-savvy person. All I kept thinking was, "Wow, this is kind of complicated."

It just solidified my thoughts that I can never go back to Windows.

[m00min]

Originally Posted by dxstewart

I don't know about Apple "losing their way," but I will say I tried Windows 8 the other day. I was completely at a loss on finding everything at first, and I'm a pretty computer-savvy person. All I kept thinking was, "Wow, this is kind of complicated."

It just solidified my thoughts that I can never go back to Windows.

I think that only adds to my worry. If, one day Apple lock down their OS to a stupid amount I will be forced to move to something like Windows 8. I don't relish that possibility at all in its current form.

[nuckinfutz]

Originally Posted by m00min

I think that only adds to my worry. If, one day Apple lock down their OS to a stupid amount I will be forced to move to something like Windows 8. I don't relish that possibility at all in its current form.

Why worry about something that is infeasible? iOS is locked down to a certain extent but it's a mobile platform and that's not too much of a problem. Locking down the Mac is impractical on so many levels it's not worth the worry.

I know Apple is not losing it's way because we only need to look at the Jailbreak community to see what features are missing. Right now the most obvious thing is a quick reply SMS feature like BiteSMS. All the rest of the stuff is eye candy.

Apple has gotten iOS to the point where it can get the job down without headache for most people. The edge cases are dwindling and we're pretty much now down to fringe cases were some people have workflows so unique that they cannot be replicated easily on iOS.

Apple has most definitely not lost their way and if they can nail and I mean absolutely nail the next big obstacle which is security they'll have the market cornered for the near future.

[bigjim83]

I don't think I can ever go back to an iphone unless they come out with something really special in the future. I picked up an ipad mini and that will do as my huge iphone while I sell my soul to Samsung

[m00min]

Originally Posted by nuckinfutz

Why worry about something that is infeasible? iOS is locked down to a certain extent but it's a mobile platform and that's not too much of a problem. Locking down the Mac is impractical on so many levels it's not worth the worry.

I guess what worries me is the push towards the mac AppStore. Apple just seem a bit control freaky, it worries me.

[nuckinfutz]

Originally Posted by m00min

I guess what worries me is the push towards the mac AppStore. Apple just seem a bit control freaky, it worries me.

Me too but only a little bit since Gatekeeper is a nod towards wide distribution directly from vendors with a bit of added security.

[maflynn]

I think the OPs comments have been echoed over the past few years. I thought apple was playing it safe a few years ago. We weren't seening any new designs from them with regard to the iPhone and they were letting their Mac line seemingly languish. Then they came out with the iPad and boom - innovation.

I think apple is at a point in there life cycle that they've had some great success and are tweaking what they have, but their competitors are swinging for the fences in taking some serious risks. The Galaxy Note is one great example. Love it or hate it, win8 is another example of Microsoft taking some big risks.

Apple needs to keep innovating but also be mindful of its customer base. A very difficult balancing act imo.

I think its time that we see some serious updates to iOS and the iPhone the design is getting stale for both and its time that apple keeps up with its competitors.

They're recently refocused attention on their Mac line and I think it shows with the introduction of the retina based MBPs and the MBAs.

Overall they're doing great but they have to avoid sitting on their laurels because their competitors are not resting.

[quickmac]

I think in a way they have.

They've drifted away from the desktop/laptop market in a way trying to lure in the iDevice users who only came to Apple because of said iDevices. And they focus more on iDevices than computers I'd say. But in a way who can blame them, iPods and now iPhones and iPads have made them millions upon millions in easy cash flow so who would want to mess with that?

But on the other hand their products work less and less for me as time goes on. They seem to be moving towards the closed ecosystem others speak of, integrating it all. You get the "best features and benefits" if you're using all Apple products together. You're only getting part of the experience if you only own some of the components. And this is glaringly true in Apple's laptops and desktops these days.

I need productive devices I can tweak and work with for my needs as they change. I have an older Macbook Pro but the newer OS X is even more rigid than previous versions. I tried iPhone and realized it's workflow and design did not work well for my needs. They're excluding some users while bringing in new users.

[prutz111]

For me it is a question of philosophy. Apple's core philosophy is most efficient at the moment of a paradigm shift, but gets less efficient the further we move away from it. As mobile is reaching maturity the need for strict curation is no longer as strong, and perhaps it's also true that it stifles innovation. Apple simply is not the kind of company that is going to produce all the crap that a samsung is willing to try, so there is inherently less innovation going on.

The other big issue is just a numbers one, as android continues to over take apple, other companies are going to start shifting development to an android first strategy. It will be an accounting decision and nothing more. What this means is the innovations that are not directly apple's, but which happen within the apple ecosystem, are going to be moving to another place.

If I were apple, I would be focusing on getting as open as possible. I'd start by licensing iOS to players like HTC and allowing them to have the bottom of the market. This way apple could protect their ecosystem from getting undercut. I would also allow for two classes of apps in the app store, verified and unverified, so that any innovation going on in the jailbroken community could be brought into the mainstream faster.

My worry for Apple is that we are slowly moving toward a world of ubiquitous computing. When You look at the cutting edge of consumer technology you see things like hue lights, nest thermostats, wiithings scales, nike fuel and the basis bands and such. This trend does not play to Apple's traditional strengths. The OS of the future is going to have to function as a conductor for all of these little connected devices.

Well that got a little rambling, but You get the idea

[MonkeySee....]

Originally Posted by prutz111

For me it is a question of philosophy. Apple's core philosophy is most efficient at the moment of a paradigm shift, but gets less efficient the further we move away from it. As mobile is reaching maturity the need for strict curation is no longer as strong, and perhaps it's also true that it stifles innovation. Apple simply is not the kind of company that is going to produce all the crap that a samsung is willing to try, so there is inherently less innovation going on.

The other big issue is just a numbers one, as android continues to over take apple, other companies are going to start shifting development to an android first strategy. It will be an accounting decision and nothing more. What this means is the innovations that are not directly apple's, but which happen within the apple ecosystem, are going to be moving to another place.

If I were apple, I would be focusing on getting as open as possible. I'd start by licensing iOS to players like HTC and allowing them to have the bottom of the market. This way apple could protect their ecosystem from getting undercut. I would also allow for two classes of apps in the app store, verified and unverified, so that any innovation going on in the jailbroken community could be brought into the mainstream faster.

My worry for Apple is that we are slowly moving toward a world of ubiquitous computing. When You look at the cutting edge of consumer technology you see things like hue lights, nest thermostats, wiithings scales, nike fuel and the basis bands and such. This trend does not play to Apple's traditional strengths. The OS of the future is going to have to function as a conductor for all of these little connected devices.

Well that got a little rambling, but You get the idea

This is were you lost me and I was nodding with agreement up until then.

Apple will never and should never license out their software. iOS and OSX (yeah i'm lumping in OSX to make a point) should stay within Apple.

The OS needs to run smooth and that's why Apple need to control that. I'm sure android is great but stick it on the low end models and its pants.

What Apple need to do, which is going to be hard, is stay focused on what they are trying to achieve at Apple. Don't worry that Android Market share is growing. It was inevitable. You can get most Andorid phones free with a toaster or whatever so Apple was never going to hold onto the lead.

Stay working on integration with their existing product line. I love how my iPhone syncs with my Mac, iPad and Apple TV. Its for this reason I will never move away from iPhone.

Too many people are concerned about how the iPhone compares to other mobiles but should be concerned by how Apple will progress with their own integration.