I used to watch the big announcement event streams afterwards and always skipped her bit. I want to hear about the technology, not the retail experience waffle. In any case, most of the kit I've bought has been online. I just could not see the point of her. I want the latest tech, reliably implemented with innovative ideas. How the stores look is at the top of the irrelevance pile for me. On trips to Tokyo I always enjoyed going to Akihabara and just relishing the piles of kit. It was a mess of boxes, wires, gadgets galore. Perfect, and not a handbag salesperson for miles. Yay!! Need to go back there.
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Angela Ahrendts Officially Leaving Apple Today
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Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
That article regarding Flat Design is the single greatest reason why I've been frustrated with Apple, and the trend they've set the computer industry on, for years.
The industry simply doesn't realize that it was Steve Job's vision of computing that made Apple (and those that copied them) great.
But once he died, Apple has been completely OBLITERATING his vision but the industry just kept copying away, not realizing they were making things worse for EVERYBODY.
Thankfully, the industry is starting to notice but not fast enough, with the copying of the removal of the headphone jack and the stupid notch being the most recent, egregious examples in the hardware side, at least.
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The fact that you're laughing at the notion that Android could provide a better user experience than Apple tells me everything I need to know.
No point in discussing anything further.
I've noticed a chaotic vibe in the Apple Stores in the UK I've visited (Regent Street, Midlands) beginning in recent years. Being passed around is a big problem too. It must be because of changes in the business culture imposed from the top. Must be frustrating for staff too.
As a result I much prefer buying Apple gear from John Lewis instead. And their free 3 year guarantee doesn't hurt either
Aside from the small Hermes display, and train track of apple watch bands, I'm not sure I see her impact at all.
If anything, there's so little to buy at the stores. I went to the HQ visitor centre and they only had a few thin, poor quality t-shirts and hats for apple fans when they could have made a killing on even reasonable merch. There are so few opportunities to engage Apple in material ways that the company is loosing it's goodwill.
It seems if they can't do a 40% margin (think apple displays), or whatever the hell it is, they just won't do it. Premium is not margin, it leads to margin. They should aim to be a progressive, engaging and interesting company again.
If anything, there's so little to buy at the stores. I went to the HQ visitor centre and they only had a few thin, poor quality t-shirts and hats for apple fans when they could have made a killing on even reasonable merch. There are so few opportunities to engage Apple in material ways that the company is loosing it's goodwill.
It seems if they can't do a 40% margin (think apple displays), or whatever the hell it is, they just won't do it. Premium is not margin, it leads to margin. They should aim to be a progressive, engaging and interesting company again.
Unfortunately nobody can precisely iterate their sentiments that exactly aligns with changes Angela had made within her tenure. Not all stores received her touch if you will.
To keep this short so as to not thread-jack (I will tie this in with Angela later): I couldn't agree more. iOS 7 in 2013 was merely a bad copy of the best of the worst of Windows Phone, Microsoft's Metro design, Android, Google's Material Design, and Flat Design such that almost immediately afterwards, the designs of websites, iOS apps, and even professional programs like SAP lemmingly followed this flat, low-contrast, space-wasting, too-white, too-light blue design language that was all about following a certain form — function and intuitive design be damned. LINK (Most ironic: Windows Phone and Android were compromised copies of Apple's 1st generation iOS just to be safely/legally different than iOS5/6. Then comes iOS7 that's just a worse copy of the bad copies.)
Just today I come to realize my friend never saw the important email I sent to his Gmail account on Sunday because Gmail's awful and vague minimalist interface made it hardly clear to him that he received a reply to a thread of emails. For anyone who has Outlook, their interface is so, so, so, sooooo bad that it makes gmail seem good and iOS7-12 seem like a godsend.
And that, my friends, is why many of us still stick with Apple despite our complaints about too much focus on thin & fashion & appearance instead of durable, robust, and intuitive design that "just works" -- it's because Apple products are a better choice compared to Android, and no longer because they are unequivocally the best (which is how I felt after I made the leap to AAPL in 2005 and up until 2013's iOS7 and then the Fisher Price My First Computer-looking OSX starting with Yosemite).
Same for Andrea as best I can tell. She fixed a bunch of problems that really weren't huge problems. Moved the furniture around.
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Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I agree wholeheartedly.
Although I currently prefer to use Android over iOS, hands down.
And Apple's hardware blunders are making it IMPOSSIBLE to stay on OSX...ahem...macOS.
I think I just need to accept that (the) Apple (that I loved) died with Steve.
But it feels like being forced to be a vegetarian when steak is my favorite food.
