Apple Board of Directors 'Concerned' About the Speed of Innovation?

[SusanK]

But wasn't it Scott Forstall that demoed a perfectly flawless maps app at WWDC? He had no problem taking credit for it then. Of course we'll never know for sure why Forstall was let go but all rumors point to him being incredibly difficult to work with. And I also read he'd often dress down other employees by saying "Steve wouldn't have..." Perhaps he was too obsessed with "what would Steve do" and Cook felt it was time to move on and start Apple 3.0

Thanks for your post. I didn't see that WWDC clip. I'll check You Tube for it.

 

[skinnylegs]

its not the IR blasters.



face it with every new phone from samsung, nokia, htc, heck even LG is bringing something new to the table.

take the new moto x for instance, and how its voice recognition software is completely hands free.

the last time apple brought something new to the table was siri back in 2011.

iOS 7 is iOS 6 with makeup on and features such as control center that have been on other phones for years.

....and Android OS has changed dramatically over the last several years? Please! .....have fun sending an MMS video from that Moto X that doesn't look like a video sent from a clamshell phone from 10 years ago. .....and have fun dl'ing a craptastic Visual Voicemail app cause I guarantee it won't have integrated VV. .....and have fun dl'ing Google Play apps that do nothing more than spam your phone with ads. No really. Have fun with that. Seriously, dude. Let's keep it real. Android OS has nowhere near the fit-and-finish of iOS. I know. I've used both OS 's extensively.

 

[sleepyking]

Have you used a touch one? That is simply the most awful keyboard in existence. Essentially Microsoft took an iPad Smart cover and tried to put a touch sensor in it.

Why do you think so many people have been asking Microsoft to allow people to disable Metro interface on startup? It is simply not something people want. Especially those who use mouse as input as opposed to touch screen.

Yes I actually own one. And I hear the same reasoning you stated above from those who barely tried it a few times.
When in truth, it was a very quick learning curve, especially if you're a pretty decent typer to begin with.

I agree about the metro part. While I do enjoy the metro interface, I wish they had kept that separate entirely as a tablet OS only and kept the desktop as the real W8. Keep in mind those who dislike metro on startup are those using it as a PC. Now, as a standalone tablet, I'd choose metro over iOS, sorry to say.

 

[xsmspiffx]

You become the devices everyone owns by opening yourself up, offering large ranges of choice, so everyone can pick the model they want at the price point they want.

Go to Dell and buy a laptop.
Go to Apple and buy a laptop.

Which took longer to find and configure the one that best matched your needs?

 

[SusanK]

Antennagate affected a vocal minority. Maps affected basically EVERYONE using an iOS device. On top of that it was a very publicly visible one-to-one comparison between a Google product and an Apple product. To the world, it looked like Apple was faltering, that it couldn't at least match Google's product. That's a much larger PR problem than a hardware design flaw. Steve knew that, and I don't think he would've let Maps out the door in that state. So that's on Tim.

But Maps is fundamentally not an engineering problem, but a data problem. Apple gets the Maps data from 3rd-party sources, and a lot of that data is poor to terrible. You can't just patch that in. Google spent years getting their map data to be excellent, with their mapping cars and ground truth teams. Apple foolishly/arrogantly thought they could just license some data from other companies and match Google Maps in quality. That arrogance probably stems from Forstall, and I have a feeling Cook wasn't down in the weeds enough to know how bad Maps was, let alone understand that they couldn't just cobble together Yelp and Tom Tom data and be done.

Very thoughtful post. Thank you. I found it odd that Apple wanted to use their own map app rather than Google's for the reasons you stated regarding Google building theirs from the ground up.

Thanks again.

 

[TennisandMusic]

....and Android OS has changed dramatically over the last several years? Please! .....have fun sending an MMS video from that Moto X that doesn't look like a video sent from a clamshell phone from 10 years ago. .....and have fun dl'ing a craptastic Visual Voicemail app cause I guarantee it won't have integrated VV. .....and have fun dl'ing Google Play apps that do nothing more than spam your phone with ads. No really. Have fun with that. Seriously, dude. Let's keep it real. Android OS has nowhere near the fit-and-finish of iOS. I know. I've used both OS 's extensively.

Obviously you haven't, because that's not how Android is these days.

I chose my Nexus 4 over my iPhone 5 any day of the week. It's not even close anymore. Apple has a looooong way to go.

 

[Gatesbasher]

I love all the idiots screaming that Apple needs to bring out a giant iPhone. If they think all Android phones are these ridiculous penis substitutes they're sadly deluded. The majority of Android phones sold are the same size as the iPhone or smaller.

I remember when the iPhone came out the same losers were screaming that it was too big—"It'll stretch out your pocket!" Yes a few geeky Fandroid degenerates are clamoring for ever-bigger screens (to cover the bigger batteries that their inefficient OS chews up.) They buy each new one that comes out, then the spike subsides, and the latest big-ass Android brick bubble bursts.

Believe me, out here in the real world, among normal people, anyone who pulls out one of these abortions is a complete laughingstock.

 

[teknikal90]

Just because they can put that many cores in a phone does not mean they should. Needs to have some reasoning behind it.

Not only does the operating system need to be optimized for multicore so does the applications that use it.

Doing something "New" does not always make it better or an improvement.

Just look at Microsoft. They have been doing quite a lot of new things, but they are far off the mark.

but now that they could make such a leap, their next product is only going to get better.

Look, my point is not about how many cores or how many megahertz. My point is that Apple is not pushing the envelope as much as they should, or they used to. Other companies - I used Samsung in this case - are. They're putting skin into this cutthroat smartphone game. Not just mere specbumping.
Sure an Octocore processor is risky! It's overkill, it doesnt make sense. But some day, it might. And on that day, Samsung will be ready - they're explored that path. What about Apple? Stuck in their spec-bumping day-job?

 

[HurryKayne]

So Cook has doubled down even with Apple Board..?
Looks like they don't know what Cook and his team are doing,
could be?
By the way ..dear Santa..
i hope that..
Ive loses a little of his obsession to thin everything,
Cook loses a little his obsessions to cut things like changing the Gpus
in order to avoid to have Mac.Mini.Pro in the next Mac Pro
or to cut out Discrete Gpu from Apple Notebooks because of the profits
(and this also to satisfy the board...so board...make him breath a little)
making Phil able to do his magic without so many limits maybe given out
an external thunderbolt enclosure to hold our Gpus,if only Intel understands
how to stop killing the thunderbolt standard.
This with Apple Hdtv and I-Watch but also with I-Macs able to
be driven as monitor in target display mode by non Apple hardware.

 

[linuxcooldude]

The first x86 tablet as well as converged tablet/PC OS - it's innovative, just plagued by horrible marketing and execution.

I just did not see the Surface Pro doing very well before it launched. x86 tablets have been out since 2000 with even recent tablets with Intel i5 & windows 7. But it will always be a niche product.

What else are they innovating - digital console gaming distribution

Not really, they started doing it after others did it first like Valves Steam gaming.

cloud based PaaS solutions across different markets via Azure

Yes, that seems to be doing well for them.

41 MP is for oversampling and lossless digital zoom. On top of that, it has a Zeiss lens, second biggest sensor behind the 808, and a xenon flash.

But they seem to still like to use that high MegaPixel count for a marketing blitz. What megapixel does it for the actual picture size? My guess its less than 41.

How has Apple been innovating lately?

How has any other tech company innovated lately? Both Apple and its competitors in recent years haven't really innovated as much as just improvements.

And more importantly how has any other tech company innovated compared to what Apple has done with the iPod/iPhone/iPad along with its entire ecosystem.

It innovated so much it nearly killed the PC & Netbook market. Its MacBook Air line also help spawn Intels campaign to compete by the way of Ultrabooks.

 

[JoEw]

Yes I actually own one. And I hear the same reasoning you stated above from those who barely tried it a few times.
When in truth, it was a very quick learning curve, especially if you're a pretty decent typer to begin with.

I agree about the metro part. While I do enjoy the metro interface, I wish they had kept that separate entirely as a tablet OS only and kept the desktop as the real W8. Keep in mind those who dislike metro on startup are those using it as a PC. Now, as a standalone tablet, I'd choose metro over iOS, sorry to say.

I personally having used one do not find it very intuitive or innovative at all. And judging by the way it sold, I feel many agree. Not saying you should not like it, but I hardly call Metro or Surface game changers.

 

[skinnylegs]

Obviously you haven't, because that's not how Android is these days.

I chose my Nexus 4 over my iPhone 5 any day of the week. It's not even close anymore. Apple has a looooong way to go.

I just love it when peeps such as yourself make broad statements with no substance. LMAO. Maybe you would care to elaborate? Feel free to address those items I listed. Have fun with that. .....and for the record I bought an HTC One and used it for several months and I stand firm by my assertions.

 

[HurryKayne]

but now that they could make such a leap, their next product is only going to get better.

Look, my point is not about how many cores or how many megahertz. My point is that Apple is not pushing the envelope as much as they should, or they used to. Other companies - I used Samsung in this case - are. They're putting skin into this cutthroat smartphone game. Not just mere specbumping.
Sure an Octocore processor is risky! It's overkill, it doesnt make sense. But some day, it might. And on that day, Samsung will be ready - they're explored that path. What about Apple? Stuck in their spec-bumping day-job?

Octocore will just make sense only if have app like Logic on my Ios devices or a real Autocad..(even if Autodesk is going quite close Sketchup with Formit and 123 design..just with A5),real rendering with radiosity and global illumination or if i can have a Kontakt from Native Instruments able to load real libraries as in the Mac starting from the Air but i think that day we will simply ^^ have an Air driven by an A11 or an Hybrid Air such the one seen in a patent with a detachable display ( ipad 13? ) some ago.
Till there i won't need it ,such as a giant iphone or a giant ipad.
Now if only Ios 7.1 will going to introduce a real side by side app multitasking (a la Quasar //Jailbreak tweak ) would be very pleased with that.
http://9to5mac.com/2013/08/08/a-look-at-what-an-ios-7-inspired-os-x-could-look-like-gallery/

 

[vpro]

Sensational Media

Sensational reporting, over dramatic banters. Everyone loves drama. They are writing a play in favor for the big red shiny fruit company. Cook is super sexy and really good with the ladies. There are lots of things coming through the pipes as they say... Nothing bad is going to happen to anyone, just go back to punching in credit card numbers people, don't stop now because of jumpy reporters. LMAO!

 

[taptic]

They will eventually come up with something we need, but don't know we need....

 

[Gus Van Der Mee]

Very thoughtful post. Thank you. I found it odd that Apple wanted to use their own map app rather than Google's for the reasons you stated regarding Google building theirs from the ground up.

Thanks again.

Nothing thoughtful about it. Pure arrogance to assume such things.

 

[sseaton1971]

My question was sincere. The gent at Apple and I have been around long enough not to know everything. We have seen ups and downs enjoying products introduced during the tenure of several Apple CEOs.

Thank you for responding. Your input is appreciated.

My point is that nobody really knows why Foratall was ousted, including Apple Store employees. Speculation is that Frostall had a hard time working with others. If his presence caused others to be less productive and innovative or to leave Apple, then, perhaps, Cook decided it was time for him to go. But, of course, I have no idea of what really happened as well!

 

[MJD Dawg]

Not sure why people are so concerned about the lack of innovation.

The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 brought us an extra row of icons for God sakes.

"Can't innovate any more, my ass"!!!

 

[unobtainium]

Neither of those were segment changers at their release like the iPhone, iPad, iPod were.

Air set the stage for lighter laptops but it took years for it to catch on.

Yeah but it's absurd to expect whole new consumer electronic segments to be created every year. For one thing, it would defy the laws of supply and demand. Consumers only have a finite amount of disposable income and you're restricted by the rate of growth of the overall economy.

 

[Tysknaden]

Exit

Cook's days in captain's chair are probably numbered. He loses control. He neither does have charisma nor vision.
He is an accountant.

 

[Rogifan]

I don't think it's that Cook is so bad. Maybe, and most likely, he just isn't the visionary and leader that Steve was. Neither are any of the other execs, hence they can't really leave and fault Cook because they can't replicate Steve themselves.

So the only visionary at Apple was Steve and all these guys just did what Steve told them to? Even though we know the original iMac design existed prior to Steve returning, even though Steve didn't want to port iTunes to Windows and was against an App Store for the iPhone? Sorry not buying it. Where would Apple be if not for Ive's iMac design, Cue's insistence on bringing iTunes to Windows and Forstall/Schiller pushing for an App Store for iOS?

 

[Liquorpuki]

So they are going back to mainframe type technology. Thats all PaaS is - putting your stuff in the datacenter. And Azure is underwhelming as it's still way too Microsoft centric and expensive. If you want to dabble in the cloud, Amazon S3 is a much better way to go.

A PaaS is not data storage - it's a dev tool to run custom apps in the cloud. And Azure vs AWS are closely priced enough that the question isn't which is cheaper, its do you run a Windows shop or a Linux shop.

And Touchless TV? Please. People are already concerned about the fact that the new XBOX watches your every move. I doubt they are clamouring to look like an ass waving, jumping, or talking to their TV. That could be a PITA when a family starts doing it to confuse the TV.

People are concerned because MS is an eroded brand with horrible PR, not because they're planning do something they'd get sued up the ass for. Ironically Google's phone uses the same active listening approach as the Kinect and also has a camera and they get zero PR backlash because of positive branding. This has everything to do with brand erosion and nothing to do with innovation because both MS and Google are using the same AI approach to disrupt different markets - they're both innovating. Meanwhile Apple could've used SIRI back in 2011 to do either of this but they decided giving it the ability to bring up sports scores and changing its voice to a guy is good enough.

Oooh, customized faceplates. Nokia called from 1998 and wanted their idea back. And it's not even customization. It's pick this front from these few colors, pick this back from these few colors, oh, and we'll engrave it too. Want somewhat "true" customization - head over to Nike ID and design yourself a pair of sneakers.

Dude customization is deeper than that. You think they're ripping off Nokia detachable faceplates from the feature phone days. I see them leveraging their supply chain to disrupt this boring industry standard where everyone has to pick the same 2-3 colors because it's easier for OEM's to mass produce.

Not really, they started doing it after others did it first like Valves Steam gaming.

Steam = the PC market, not the console market. You can look at every form of physical media and the most innovative players in the past decade used the internet to disrupt distribution of that media. Apple did it with music and mobile software. Amazon did it with books. Netflix did it with rentals. Steam did it with PC games. MS tried to do it with console games for this next generation but failed. Apple was supposed to do it with TV but Tim Cook decided he likes watches instead.

But they seem to still like to use that high MegaPixel count for a marketing blitz. What megapixel does it for the actual picture size? My guess its less than 41.

Depends on what you set it for. You can get a 5 MP image with 7 pixels binned for oversampling, providing a superior image. And unlike every other phone, where digital zoom = zooming into the image and blurring the jaggedness (usually making a noisy mess in the process), the 1020 zoom is lossless because you're cropping the image at the center of the sensor.

How has any other tech company innovated lately? Both Apple and its competitors in recent years haven't really innovated as much as just improvements.

Look for disruption if you want to find innovation. Google is extremely good at this and is willing to disrupt industries even if they don't know how to make money off it (IE Android). All of MS's moves in different markets as of late have been all about disruption, mostly because they're now playing from behind and status quo will kill them. Amazon is very good at disruption - online retail, cloud services, budget tablets - all markets they've blown up. Meanwhile Apple hasn't done anything except maintain status quo with marginal improvements over the last couple product cycles.

 

[lordofthereef]

I agree with the Board of Directors. There has been nothing *phenomenal* from Apple recently, at least not at the pace other smartphone and PC manufacturers have put out groundbreaking products.

This is a point other people seem to miss. While others are giving Apple excuses, it's important to remember how fast the mighty can and do fall.

No, this isn't my doom and gloom For Apple post. But as soon as a company starts resting on its laurels, problems often rise.

 

[olowott]

Dont believe - why didnt they voice out last year?

 

[thekeyring]

I doubt there is anything to worry about. We were spoilt having the iPhone 1 and iPad 1 released fairly close together. Now people expect whole new products when before apple just added to/updated their existing lines.