I don't even know who this Angela person is, but apparently we're all on a first name basis with her.
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Angela screwed up again...launched iPad with no accessories?!
- Thread starter yalag
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That's what happens when you employ young unprofessional stuff. don't understand me wrong I like young people working but you need some supervisors that will know how to run a business.
Angela Ahrendts. Former CEO of Burberry and presently the Senior VP of Retail and Online Stores at Apple. Tim (Cook) brought her onto the executive team in preparation for the release of the Apple Watch. That release turned into a bit of a fiasco as most people already know.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Ahrendts
According to SEC filings, she earned over $70 million dollars last year. That's more than CEO Tim Cook.
Apple launches used to be so organized and fun. The Apple Watch, I can understand maybe implementing some different tactics for the launch, but the iPad pro is just another iPad. The launch shouldn't have been a big issue. I can't recall apple ever just springing a release date on us like they did here. Employees weren't even made aware or put through any training. I've just never seen that happen.
This release is odd, the Apple Watch release was odd, ... but in between was (IMO) one of the least complained about iPhone launches that I can ever remember.
As for the pencils not being there, that's not great, but I remember an iPhone launch a few years ago where there were no cases available at the Apple Store on launch day. IIRC, that was during Job's era. So it's not like Apple's had a spotless track record with new product launches and then all of a sudden Tim and Angela come in and it all changes starting then.
Didn't she receive some compensation to make up for what she lost leaving Burberry?
If you read the review agreement apple has the right to restrict anything they believe is confidential and that is why the reviewers are in CONSTANT contact with apple through the review process. If the reviews were truly uncensored there would not be that strong of an embargo either. Remember thet GIZMODO does not get review units anymore.
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You are 100% wrong. The iPad Pro and its accessories were released at the same time. At no time did any press release say they weren't going to be. You did notice they went o sale at the same time and you cannot argue that the Apple Pencil and Snart Keyboard were marketed together as practically once package. When you receive same day confirmations that your iPad Pro, Apple Oencil and Smart Keyboard are available at the same time, that is the missing promise you claim. The world's most innovative tech company had a glitch...again.
They don't have to. They said available November and the items will be available November. That was all Apple promised. It's not Angela's fault you read more into it than what was there. Don't blame her because it's not her fault. She is doing great with the supply she has available.
I'd like to think in terms of customer experience, and I think it's undoubtedly true that it's a bad customer experience to launch an iPad Pro without accessories that really make it shine.
I don't know about blaming Angela, but I cannot help but feel there's a screw-up somewhere down the line, especially given how Apple Store employees have to recall demo units of the Pencil / Smart Keyboard that were given to pre-orders. I'm pretty sure this didn't happen with the Apple Watch, Apple TV etc.
I don't care about Angela. She is so far up the chain and really could care less. The promise for delivery was made with the confirmation that myself and hundreds of others received if you really want to play this lame plausible deniability argument that they said "available in November". It is a hollow argument.
Yup, the point isn't about who to blame (although that's the title of this thread heh...), but just the general customer "badwill" generated by the unmet but entirely reasonable expectations of customers.
And you do? She has turned around whole companies around. What have you done?
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I saw the same thing. I agree, it looked like they had a prototype that someone smuggled in from China on some random table. Terrible launch.
The fact that you expected someing that wasnt promised to you is not a hollow argument. Its the only argument that makes sense in this case.
Frankly WHO are you to judge if someone opinion is valid based on thierexperience or status?
see you missed the main point here, I've defended her from when she joined until now on these forums.
It was with the in store pick up confirmation.l is the promise making the claims that they would be all available at the same time a stronger argument. To defend the "we didn't say EVERY Apple Watch would be available" just makes defenders sound gullible.
More likely is that something is holding up production (e.g. Apple told FoxConn to prioritize something over the Pencil and Keyboard) and Apple didn't want to lose out on iPad Pro sales by not having them for the holidays. Ideally they would have everything available at the launch date.
The more issues Apple keeps having with launches, the more I think it's time for a full time COO. Tim Cook never found a true replacement for his old role when he took over as CEO.
I think some people forget that Apple is a MUCH larger corporation than they were even just a few years ago. Chalk it up to growing pains and building capacity.
Working at a large electronics retailer i saw first hand the disappointment in lack of accessories . This and the apple tv have have been a disaster . Anyone try to view 4k content from youtube on their pro? Or from other websites?
Personally I was no fan of how the Apple Watch "launch" was handled. And I'm very disappointed that I've got this beautiful new iPad Pro but no Pencil with which to use it. Thank $deity that they had the standard smart covers and silicone cases available, otherwise I'd have this huge naked iPad that I'd be too afraid to do anything with.
Let me lay out some credentials.
I first started using Apple Mac computers in 1988 when I went to college. Since then I have been utterly brand loyal to Apple and have bought almost every product they've brought out in an endless cycle of upgrading. This year alone I have bought an Apple Watch (42mm SS with Link strap), an iPad Air 2, and an Apple TV 4.
So I'm a big fan of Apple products.
Yet I continue to be astonished by the fact that there are people who will forgive and excuse any error Apple makes. It is genuinely cult-like.
One of the major selling points of the iPad Pro is the Pencil. Without it, the Pro is just a really big iPad. What's the use-case for that? Earlier this week Tim Cook said he thought a lot of people would use the iPad Pro to replace their laptops. Really? Without a physical keyboard?
It is beyond credibility that Apple planned to release the iPad Pro without the Pencil being widely available. It's a screw-up, plain and simple. Ditto the keyboard case. If you try to order the iPad Pro on the UK site, they keyboard isn't even mentioned. It's not even an option. Yet, I'm sure they mentioned it at the keynote . . .
Apple is continuing to make great products, but their sales operation is mediocre. Luckily they literally have more money than they know what to do with. But large companies don't stay on top forever. Not if they squander their brand capital.
I didn't buy the iPhone 6S because I'm beginning to think that they've already made the perfect phone. The sales nonsense about "the only thing that's changed is everything" is patently untrue. The iPhone can only ever get minimally incrementally better from now on.
I love my Apple Watch, but when it was originally released it felt like a beta. As does the new Apple TV.
Defend Apple all you like, but companies fortunes (in every sense) rise and fall.
As for Ahrendts, it's not remotely clear to me what she's supposed to do and what she's actually done. How she's worth millions to Apple is beyond me. I don't see a slick sales operation. At all.
I first started using Apple Mac computers in 1988 when I went to college. Since then I have been utterly brand loyal to Apple and have bought almost every product they've brought out in an endless cycle of upgrading. This year alone I have bought an Apple Watch (42mm SS with Link strap), an iPad Air 2, and an Apple TV 4.
So I'm a big fan of Apple products.
Yet I continue to be astonished by the fact that there are people who will forgive and excuse any error Apple makes. It is genuinely cult-like.
One of the major selling points of the iPad Pro is the Pencil. Without it, the Pro is just a really big iPad. What's the use-case for that? Earlier this week Tim Cook said he thought a lot of people would use the iPad Pro to replace their laptops. Really? Without a physical keyboard?
It is beyond credibility that Apple planned to release the iPad Pro without the Pencil being widely available. It's a screw-up, plain and simple. Ditto the keyboard case. If you try to order the iPad Pro on the UK site, they keyboard isn't even mentioned. It's not even an option. Yet, I'm sure they mentioned it at the keynote . . .
Apple is continuing to make great products, but their sales operation is mediocre. Luckily they literally have more money than they know what to do with. But large companies don't stay on top forever. Not if they squander their brand capital.
I didn't buy the iPhone 6S because I'm beginning to think that they've already made the perfect phone. The sales nonsense about "the only thing that's changed is everything" is patently untrue. The iPhone can only ever get minimally incrementally better from now on.
I love my Apple Watch, but when it was originally released it felt like a beta. As does the new Apple TV.
Defend Apple all you like, but companies fortunes (in every sense) rise and fall.
As for Ahrendts, it's not remotely clear to me what she's supposed to do and what she's actually done. How she's worth millions to Apple is beyond me. I don't see a slick sales operation. At all.
Apple's always made mistakes. Always. They are notorious for messing up launches. Why does Angela get her name called out now-a-days when this happens when Ron never did?
I continue to be astonished by the fact that there are people who act surprised and disappointed when Apple does make a mistake.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice (3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, ...), shame on me.
Seems like from the post histories of most folks, they don't fall in the first group. The tone that often happens around here when Apple makes a mistake seems just as cultish, IMO.