bird in the hand vs. two in the bush
When it's Apple vaporware vs. some hot release like this, the overwhelming spin is "just wait" (for Apple's version).
When it's the other way around, we'll bash the vapor to no end.
It's like there's a chunk of this crowd that still sees Apple as this tiny, struggling company that needs every user working (complimentary) PR (spin) to try to keep it going.
Apple is a MONSTER-sized company now. They could have had 2X this Fire years ago. All they needed to do was focus some of their multitudes of internal talent on it. Look at Roku. Relative to Apple, they are a TINY company. But their talent is focused on their version of an
TV. Roku is not making phones, tablets & computers. They are just focused on one thing. Have they got deals done on considerably less leverage? Have they got deals done with considerably less subscribers to lure in partners? Have they got deals done without the whole iTunes ecosystem juggernaut? Have they got deals done without the promise of the halo by simply being associated with Apple? Could Apple do what they've done? Of course, just assign Roku-like talent to focus on doing the same for Apple. And Apple has the great advantage of a mountain of cash so they could easily afford 2X, 3X, 10X the talent pool & focus of a Roku… and grease the wheels with some of that cash to get deals done faster than a Roku… and own this particular space (years ago, before there was a Roku box, long before Amazon Fire, Chomecast, etc.). Instead, Apple has repeatedly deemed it a "hobby," neglected it for seemingly long periods of time and allowed these other guys to see the opportunities and take some good bites into them.
Amazon was books. Then, they were retail et all (eWalmart). Then, they decided to try to make a little Apple-like hardware. Then a little more. And now they've done something that "we" have been longing for Apple to do to
TV for years. App store. Third party Apps. SDK. Games. Game controllers. They've even got "thinner" by a long way (like thin is really some benefit) but not a word from "us" about the wonder of that much thinner shell. If this was Apple's show for
TV, "we" would be having Apple orgasms gushing at the wonder of so many (very) long-term wishes fulfilled. Instead, it's another competitor so we have to bash away at it and cling to the "just wait" argument (which we never do the other way).
We'll spin "Apple isn't first but they do it best" and yet "we'll" also poke at Fire by comments about Apple being first in 2007 with gen 1 while Amazon is "very late to this game." So only Apple can be NOT first but do it best?
So what do "we" do? We spin vapor. Just wait. Apple's forthcoming
TV 4 will blow this thing out of the water. And on and on. Like Apple faithful spending $99 on Fire (or any of the others) might bring Apple to it's knees? Like we're clinging to Apple in 1997 with all hands on deck trying to save a company that might be bankrupt in 6 months. Last I checked, Apple is bigger than just about everybody. They don't need "all hands on deck" anymore. What they do need is to get with it by focusing talent on opportunities beyond the current big 2 or 3 (iPhone, iPad and maybe computers).
I've owned each
TV myself and love them. But I'm not so Apple-centric that I can't appreciate good competition and long-wanted innovations showing up in the other guy's little boxes. The complimentary PR team is hard at work but the consumer that they really are should recognize that good competition is good for (complacent) Apple on "hobbies" like this. It's past time for Apple to get with it. I hope they show us something great soon. But I'm glad the competition is ever evolving where "we" wish
TV would go. Personally, I hope this Fire sells like crazy in hopes that it wakes up Apple when it comes to their version. Apple should have dominated this space years ago. A kick in the pants (I mean wallet) might finally get them moving.
