iPad: Dry year from Apple?

[poloponies]

Originally Posted by polbit

Apple keeps releasing the same old, same old, while Microsoft is really trying to do something new.

Not exactly a fair (or direct) comparison. Apple has been an industry leader for some time and expectations are unrealistically high. Can they really be expected to create new markets every 2-3 years indefinitely? The Surface family is Microsoft's admittedly imperfect response and in 3 years the best they could so was the ho-hum RT and the Pro, which is reportedly a good device with some performance flaws. Getting overjoyed at MS doing something half-right 3 years after they were faced with a challenge is like being amazed at the kid from the short bus doing something ordinary. The Kin failure was less than 2 years ago. The Surface RT seems to be a flop. The subscription model for MS Office -- hardly innovative.

So it's great that you're happy with the Surface Pro, but it's really the first bit of hardware they've made that isn't a disappointment. And there are many more months left in 2012 for Apple -- and others -- to show their stuff.

[ThatsMeRight]

Originally Posted by jonnyb098

I never said any of this was exciting however they are releases none the less, 6 weeks after the holiday. Contrary to popular belief Apple is made up of human beings, not robots that just crank out AMAZING every couple weeks because fans are so A.D.D. Yet here they are, disappointed after a couple months. Apple had 2 back to back events in the fall in case anyone forgot.

I know the iPad mini, iPad 4, new iMac, MB pro, MB air, earpods, iPhone 5, and new iPods are soooooooo 4 months ago.

Hey, I never said I didn't like the products. I never said Apple was doing bad. I'm just saying that their attitude is changing and that I'm worried about their long-term business.

[jonnyb098]

Originally Posted by ThatsMeRight

Hey, I never said I didn't like the products. I never said Apple was doing bad. I'm just saying that their attitude is changing and that I'm worried about their long-term business.

OK, but your judging them on things that may or may not happen. 2013 will no doubt be a crucial year for Apple especially for mobile software. But its hard to judge based on pure speculation. And yes, their attitude IS changing. It has to. They essentially spearheaded the modern mobile computing market, so yeah, things may change. Their core (pun intended) mission will always be to create cool stuff. Just don't judge too quickly.

[irDigital0l]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

You need new products from them every other month?

Not really...still using an iPhone 4 and iPad 1.

Its just pretty amusing watch people defend Apple.

[fteoath64]

Apple launched almost everything they had for 2012 as if December were the end-of-the-world. This is why in 2013, the expectation is there. Considering what Apple has done that is within their core-competence, they ought to branch out to other areas and take some risks. They have too much money in the bank which means they are not running the company right. They ought to have expanded to 3X or 4X the number of employees and still would not hurt them much from a corporate perspective. Imagine how bad their MAPS are. And if they threw enough people and money on it, they can beat Google to a pulp easily. NO they choose to go the traditional way, as if they are a small company.
iWatch ?. Why not ?. Car computer ? Yeah. Home automation and control ?., why not ?. Oh, really erks me is why have they done done enough for schools ?. Mac Mini/iPad packages for school teachers and students with management software for distribution etc etc. So so many things they should be doing. And slam those secrecy rules as well. There are enough remote viewers out there and they do see your stuff!. They just would not tell but they do see it.
Just be transparent and get on with the stuff. NOw Steve is gone, Apple can diversify and needs to. They core market is getting saturated!.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by irDigital0l

Not really...still using an iPhone 4 and iPad 1.

Its just pretty amusing watch people defend Apple.

Not as amusing as all the people around here these days who criticize just about everything they do.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by fteoath64

Apple launched almost everything they had for 2012 as if December were the end-of-the-world.

Holiday shopping is the biggest time in retail. It makes sense they would go all in for that time period for everything that might sell during that time. The 128 GB iPad, intended for high end and business users, and Mac Pro, not likely big holiday items.

. They have too much money in the bank which means they are not running the company right.

Says who. you? A bunch of greedy hedge fund managers? We have no idea why Apple is hanging into that money but there might be a valid reason behind it

Also why must Apple so everything. Why must they be the ones to make watches, glasses, cars? Why stop the charity demands at schools. Apple should have to create a cell phone company, ISP etc and give it away free. Worldwide.

And they should be forced go tell us everything they are doing from the moment they have the thought. Right down to video cameras all over the campus so we know what they eat, drink, take a dump, who doesn't wash his hands afterwards etc

Oh and Apple should give a free one of everything to every shareholder every time some thing comes out. The souped up version not the low ball one. AND bail out the US and every state government, end world hunger, cure cancer etc. by the end of the year

[poloponies]

Originally Posted by charlituna

We have no idea why Apple is hanging into that money but there might be a valid reason behind it

We sort of do have an idea. 2/3 of that cash is overseas and doing anything with it over here gets a 35% tax hit off the top. Unless and until Apple can work out some deal on taxes (not just for them, obviously) it's staying where it is.

[rocat1997]

I think apple needs a user interface update. This ios 6 is the same as ios 5 as ios 4. Only features have been added, many of which are seldom used. Time to reinvent the apple so to speak. People are tired of buying just a faster version of what they owned before. I don't count the 1/2 inch screen as an improvement. It needed 1/2 inch width expansion too. Still a small phone, filled with numerous bugs. Apple needs to quit building junk and sell a product that's works properly.

[SeanR1]

Originally Posted by charlituna

Holiday shopping is the biggest time in retail. It makes sense they would go all in for that time period for everything that might sell during that time. The 128 GB iPad, intended for high end and business users, and Mac Pro, not likely big holiday items.



Says who. you? A bunch of greedy hedge fund managers? We have no idea why Apple is hanging into that money but there might be a valid reason behind it

Also why must Apple so everything. Why must they be the ones to make watches, glasses, cars? Why stop the charity demands at schools. Apple should have to create a cell phone company, ISP etc and give it away free. Worldwide.

And they should be forced go tell us everything they are doing from the moment they have the thought. Right down to video cameras all over the campus so we know what they eat, drink, take a dump, who doesn't wash his hands afterwards etc

Oh and Apple should give a free one of everything to every shareholder every time some thing comes out. The souped up version not the low ball one. AND bail out the US and every state government, end world hunger, cure cancer etc. by the end of the year

They should use all that money to go private and not have to worry about what investors think anymore.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by rocat1997

I think apple needs a user interface update. This ios 6 is the same as ios 5 as ios 4. Only features have been added, many of which are seldom used. Time to reinvent the apple so to speak. People are tired of buying just a faster version of what they owned before. I don't count the 1/2 inch screen as an improvement. It needed 1/2 inch width expansion too. Still a small phone, filled with numerous bugs. Apple needs to quit building junk and sell a product that's works properly.

So much personal opinion being put forth as fact.

Let's fix that.its not 'people' but rather you. YOU are tired of the interface, YOU are tired of the lack of whizbang cool new toys like NFC etc. YOU think the iPhone etc is a waste and junk and it doesn't work the way YOU think it should

But for 'the people', many love that they don't have to learn a new interface every year, they are fine with the features and use many of the same ones you think are bullturds. And they haven't been victim to all these bugs that hit a small sample of folks and should be expected in any computer software. But hey at least Apple fixes them and not by releasing a brand new version of the OS that only works on the brand new hardware. Like some companies. And despite folks whoring for attention by talking up Apple's bugs most have never really been that massive.

[rocat1997]

I don't know where you think that apple fixes anything? They have fixed a couple of issues but ios 6 still has major flaws. Imessage is very unreliable, maps is still failed, their is problems about switching wifi to LTE and back, data connections are sporadic. Itunes still is difficult and unfriendly to use. Why make a product that you preach is simplified, then make itunes so challenging. Im not the only one with these concerns. Read this board and others. Filled with problems. Bored with the interface? I don't care. I want it to work properly. For the price of the iPhone 5, it should. Junk? Yes. Build a product that works. Not shove it on the market, then try to fix it later.

[thewitt]

Originally Posted by rocat1997

I don't know where you think that apple fixes anything? They have fixed a couple of issues but ios 6 still has major flaws. Imessage is very unreliable, maps is still failed, their is problems about switching wifi to LTE and back, data connections are sporadic. Itunes still is difficult and unfriendly to use. Why make a product that you preach is simplified, then make itunes so challenging. Im not the only one with these concerns. Read this board and others. Filled with problems. Bored with the interface? I don't care. I want it to work properly. For the price of the iPhone 5, it should. Junk? Yes. Build a product that works. Not shove it on the market, then try to fix it later.

Funny how I don't have anywhere near the problems you are experiencing.

iMessage works fine for me with dozens of messages a day and half as many people I'm messaging, with iPhone, iPad and Mac all sharing an iCloud ID and total inter-platform messaging.

Maps works fine. I use it in several different countries in my monthly travels and have experienced no major issues, and the same type of minor issues I always had with Google Maps. They have correct the 4 things I reported using their problem reporting system. Google never fixed any of the issues I reported.

No issues switching between networks.

Data connections are solid.

iTunes works fine. Always has done everything I needed it to do.

I'm not sure how much experience with technology you have, but I do so much on my iPad and iPhone that my colleagues on other devices only dream of doing, I'm a very happy Apple customer.

Are there bugs? Sure. Can it be improved? Sure.

Many of the complaints I read are people griping because iOS doesn't have a file system, or doesn't work like their PC, or won't let them customize widgets or use themes. None of these things are remotely interesting to me.

[rocat1997]

My phone and my wife's has been nothing but problems. Imessage is slow to deliver sometimes taking 15 mins. Sometimes it fails out. I thought it was just ours, but 2 friends I have,that have iPhones,said theirs is doing the same. If the phone is asleep, sometimes messages never go through till its unlocked. Now Maps. The mapping part is fine. The search generally never finds the place I am needing to locate. Google always does. My data connections are poor. I'm in a major market. Can have 2 -3 bars and no data. Especially on calls where I need data. If I make a call using a Bluetooth headset, I lose data the entire call. As soon as I hang up, the data comes back. Never had that concern with my 3gs. Now, my wife's phone has developed dead pixels. I'm not wanting to switch brands, I just want it to work.

[Tankmaze]

it just doesn't make sense I think that apple would release new product in 1st quarter while the big revenue comes in the 4th quarter / holiday season where people would most likely to buy / consume.

imagine the people that bought new apple product in december and in march new product comes out.

in the 1st quarter I think apple should just bump spec on the mac line and update their software like iwork and iphoto garageband.

[iThinkergoiMac]

Originally Posted by Freida

It used to be iPad in March, Laptops around April, iPhone around june/ july, iPod september etc.

It was only ever ONCE that they did the iPad in March. That was the surprise iPad 3. The laptops in April was hit-or-miss. It's been a couple years since the iPhone was done around June or July.

Originally Posted by ThatsMeRight

Yep, Apple is nowadays driven by profits. That's why almost ALL new products from Apple were announced in September and October of 2012.

You're fooling yourself if you think Apple as ever driven by anything but profits. Steve and Steve didn't found Apple to altruistically deliver better computing solutions, the founded Apple because they believed they had a better, and thus more profitable, product than the competition.

[iThinkergoiMac]

Originally Posted by fteoath64

They have too much money in the bank which means they are not running the company right.

Apple has achieved record profits and has a lot of money stocked away; this means they are running their company incorrectly?! I'd say this is the standard most companies aspire to. If you have that much capital, you can survive really difficult situations.

They ought to have expanded to 3X or 4X the number of employees and still would not hurt them much from a corporate perspective.

To do what, exactly? Apple isn't going to hire people just to hire them.

Imagine how bad their MAPS are. And if they threw enough people and money on it, they can beat Google to a pulp easily. NO they choose to go the traditional way, as if they are a small company.

You think Apple could beat Google easily? How could Apple do this? Google has years, if not at least a decade, of infrastructure in place. I don't care how many people a money you have to throw at a project, you're not going to "beat Google to a pulp easily" in a year. You expect the impossible. And visiting major cities all over the world and 3D-mapping them is the way a traditional small company goes about this kind of thing?

iWatch ?. Why not ?. Car computer ? Yeah. Home automation and control ?., why not ?. Oh, really erks me is why have they done done enough for schools ?. Mac Mini/iPad packages for school teachers and students with management software for distribution etc etc. So so many things they should be doing.

I think you mean "could be doing". There's a lot of stuff Apple CAN do. However, that doesn't mean Apple SHOULD do it. You seem to want Apple to be the best at everything, and that's just not possible. Apple is extraordinarily good at what they do, and they're presumably planning to stay that way. Getting TOO diversified would be problematic.

[sectime]

Originally Posted by poloponies

We sort of do have an idea. 2/3 of that cash is overseas and doing anything with it over here gets a 35% tax hit off the top. Unless and until Apple can work out some deal on taxes (not just for them, obviously) it's staying where it is.

Better question is how the tiny countries hiding corp money bought off?
35% is never paid, just like personal rates, deductions and loopholes cut the rates. Many large corp pay nothing, the golden rule. He who has the gold, makes the rules.

[iEvolution]

Originally Posted by rocat1997

I don't know where you think that apple fixes anything? They have fixed a couple of issues but ios 6 still has major flaws. Imessage is very unreliable, maps is still failed, their is problems about switching wifi to LTE and back, data connections are sporadic. Itunes still is difficult and unfriendly to use. Why make a product that you preach is simplified, then make itunes so challenging. Im not the only one with these concerns. Read this board and others. Filled with problems. Bored with the interface? I don't care. I want it to work properly. For the price of the iPhone 5, it should. Junk? Yes. Build a product that works. Not shove it on the market, then try to fix it later.

Apple has been doing the "release now, fix later" since 2007 when they released the 2007 iPods:
- iPod Touch had the inverse blacks problem, a hardware defect that was "fixed" with firmware upgrades. Swear Apple is the only company that can get away with "hiding" defects with firmware upgrades.
- iPod Classic barely ran, forgot play counts when playing games, random lock-ups with iTunes at the time. Took them over 6 months JUST to get the device to run as advertised. Same with the iPod Nano that year.
- iPod Touch still had iPhone error messages.

Since then I have ALWAYS waited for ".1" releases from Apple before upgrading to anything from them. Their new products (software or hardware) are always terribly buggy.

iTunes is especially buggy, after loosing my library TWICE to x.0 updates I refrain from upgrading when a new release comes out.

That being said, iTunes is far from difficult to use in my opinion. In fact, I find it to be the most feature rich and easiest to manage of ANY Apple product. Can't find a product that offers such richness in smart play list management and is the single reason why I still chose iPods for my music needs.

.....

As for the OPs question, dry year from Apple? Not really. I thought they had some good updates this year. The mini and the 5th generation iPod Touch were two great products released this year even if the mini was intentionally held back as a 1st gen model for feature upgrades later.

The lightning adapter change was totally unnecessary and the way they released it last year is totally uncalled for. Not allowing 3rd party companies to be ready for the release instead waiting MONTHS after the release to give them the 411? Get real. Cornering of the conversion adapter as a Apple only product was a really tight move as if the company doesn't make enough money they have to corner the market? Anti-competitive much? Not to mention ZERO speed benefits over the hold adapter and there was already a well received micro size universal adapter that's been out for years, its called microUSB.

[Giuly]

Maybe it's just too much of an expense for Tim Cook to rent the Mascarpone Center twice a year?

Since then I have ALWAYS waited for ".1" releases from Apple before upgrading to anything from them. Their new products (software or hardware) are always terribly buggy.

But amazingly exciting. Buying .1 causes people to get bored with their iOS theme after looking at .0 for a year on the Internet.

[iEvolution]

Originally Posted by iThinkergoiMac

You think Apple could beat Google easily? How could Apple do this? Google has years, if not at least a decade, of infrastructure in place. I don't care how many people a money you have to throw at a project, you're not going to "beat Google to a pulp easily" in a year. You expect the impossible. And visiting major cities all over the world and 3D-mapping them is the way a traditional small company goes about this kind of thing?

They might not beat Google outright but they could have definitely challenged them a LOT more than they did. Maps was half-baked idea with clearly no real effort going into it. It was nothing more than a political move against Google.

Another thing that's bothering about Apple, they're more concerned about the competition (Samsung and Google) rather than satisfied customers. If you satisfy your customers then there is no need to worry about the competition.

[iThinkergoiMac]

Originally Posted by iEvolution

They might not beat Google outright but they could have definitely challenged them a LOT more than they did. Maps was half-baked idea with clearly no real effort going into it. It was nothing more than a political move against Google.

No question there. Apple was simply putting themselves on the map, so to speak.

Another thing that's bothering about Apple, they're more concerned about the competition (Samsung and Google) rather than satisfied customers. If you satisfy your customers then there is no need to worry about the competition.

In what way has Apple not met your expectations? I'm not talking about stories you hear, I mean you personally. I've had nothing but good experiences with Apple and I know far more people with experiences like mine than people who have had bad experiences.