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Translation: Apple is desperate to get into the surveillance business and Google is desperate to keep it out.
 
Apple trying to create their own search engine so they can collect user data and eventually show users ads. I see what you're up to. ;)

Apple has realized how lucrative the ad business can be
The ad business is lucrative, but it's effectively capped at 1-1.5% the world's GDP (and has been every year since 1925).

That means you can get a share of it but you won't be able to grow the pie.
 
is it me or is Siri suggestions and search on iPhone getting Worse?

I mean if I type in MAIL the top hit is (Peter - Private Mail). Peter stoped working in my company about 2 years ago and I have not even looked at his contact since that time.

Also WHY is Apple Music starting every time I tap play on my AirPods ???
I have not used Apple Music in let's say 5 years (not on purpose that is).

So I have my Mofibo /storrytell app open, I Pause it then 5 min later in the hope it will resume when I Press the headphone, Apple Music starts..... it's about a 50/50 chance I get Apple Music, an app I have not opened in 5 years and then the other option the app I HAVE open and I use for about 2 hours EVERY day, and is just on pause... how hard can that be ?

or is it Apple trying to force me into Apple Music until I buy - if so I hope the thet sued in the EU, for favouring their own app. (that is not even a competitor to MOFIBO , that is only audiobooks)
it's you
/s
 
I find it pretty funny that for all the people complaining about how Tim Cook does his job, Apple seems the most stable of its peers. Some are going to say that it’s because they act like a monopoly. Well, Google gets labeled as a monopoly. Microsoft is just as big and is entrenched. They all have varying degrees of issues.

This stuff is hard and no matter what, imperfect. Jobs, “the product genius”, was imperfect as well. Apple will need to do what it needs to do to keep the business stable.

Ultimately, I could care less about these companies. I’m more concerned with the employees getting laid off right before the holidays. Apple isn’t doing it, so that’s a good sign in my book.
Tim Cook is this super-boring, ultra-competent guy you trust to keep the business running in the best possible shape, and that just doesn't make for exciting tech-related news, so of course the media has to try and spin things in the worst possible light somehow in a bid to generate clicks and views.

I mean, look at the rest of the tech-landscape and look at the state of the competition.

Ad-driven businesses are facing problems across the board. Meta is facing declining ad spend, and their Metaverse investment is clearly going nowhere. They just announced they are laying off 11,000 employees. Meanwhile, Apple is getting flak for simply opting to not hire any more.

Amazon is facing declining margins in their e-commerce business.

Microsoft is no longer disclosing Surface hardware revenue, which is probably a red flag suggesting that their surface initiative is going nowhere. I maintain that it continues to be a niche product category, in stark contrast to the glowing reviews it received when first announced, and the juxtaposition against the Mac and iPad lineup. Microsoft is still doing pretty well as a business; just not in the areas that directly compete with Apple.

Alphabet's hardware bet is clearly not going anywhere either, much as this forum tried to hype up the pixel phone / watch some time back. It's also telling that both Facebook and Google find themselves having to go through Apple in order to reach us, the consumers, contrary to the popular-held opinion that Apple finds itself at the mercy of influential developers such as Facebook, google, Netflix, Spotify, Epic and other household names. Truth is, these companies need access to Apple's user base more than Apple needs them!

Roku is also facing problems from declining ad revenue (notice a common trend?), while Peloton continues to be on life support.

Elon Musk (whom some likened to Steve Jobs) is doing a mighty fine job of tanking Twitter even as we speak. I am just glad Apple opted not to partner with Starlink for their iPhone 14's satellite relay service.

Samsung's folding phone hasn't quite taken the world by storm. Seems the only people gushing over them are tech blogs and the odd YouTuber here and there.

This is what the critics want Apple to emulate?!? They would have you believe that the best path forward is for Apple to throw away what has worked for them marvellously over the decade, and copy the failing business strategies of a dozen different companies, and they are the smart ones who presumably know what's best for Apple?!?
 
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If you look at Google’s presentations of their products, it’s clear that they have a lead in AI and search technology which they leverage in a number of ways into product features such as the photography of the Pixel.

Apple‘s search products have been improving in recent years, but it’s true they are not yet where they need to be to be competitive. Google and Apple as companies have different strengths.
 
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It’s funny that when Apple didn’t have a search engine, people were pushing for Apple to develop one to give users an alternative to Google.

Now that news breaks of Apple reportedly trying to do so, they are accused of wanting to farm our user data for themselves.

This may just be my ignorance, but was there ever a real broad push for Apple to develop a search engine? Again, I might be wrong but this sounds like a niche priority to me.

In any case, there's been a few reports lately about Apple wanting to grow in the advertising space so it's natural, and perfectly prudent, to question Apple's motives here.

Who knows, maybe Apple search would not be monetised at all. Maybe they find a better balance between privacy and tailored ads. Maybe not.

Apple just can’t win, and it goes back to my burgeoning theory about how, as Apple goes on to be more and more successful, the haters are shifting their narrative from how Apple is doomed at the hands of countless android OEMS and shrinking market share, to blasting Apple for presumably being too rich and greedy.


Anything to avoid admitting they were wrong all along, and anything to avoid giving Apple the proper credit where credit is due.

I'm not sure we really need to paint Apple as the victim here either. Every successful company will have actual 'haters,' but that doesn't mean that there isn't legitimate criticism to be made of even commercially very successful decisions.

Also, Apple is of course a business, but that doesn't mean that we as consumers therefore need to give them "proper credit" for decisions that limit our choices to the benefit of Apple's revenue. I understand why they do it, but I don't see why I should celebrate it.
 
This may just be my ignorance, but was there ever a real broad push for Apple to develop a search engine? Again, I might be wrong but this sounds like a niche priority to me.
There were calls for Apple to acquire DuckDuckGo a while back. Maybe the people didn't realise that it was essentially a white-label Bing.
Who knows, maybe Apple search would not be monetised at all. Maybe they find a better balance between privacy and tailored ads. Maybe not.

There is precedence in the form of a subscription-based search engine service, but I am not sure how popular it will be with Apple Users, though I suppose Apple could always roll it into Apple One.
I'm not sure we really need to paint Apple as the victim here either. Every successful company will have actual 'haters,' but that doesn't mean that there isn't legitimate criticism to be made of even commercially very successful decisions.
That's the issue. I find that a lot of the criticism here to be hating on Apple for the sake of being a contrarian, rather than for the sake of being right. And then they end up being wrong as a result. And rather than admit this, they instead choose to double down.
Also, Apple is of course a business, but that doesn't mean that we as consumers therefore need to give them "proper credit" for decisions that limit our choices to the benefit of Apple's revenue. I understand why they do it, but I don't see why I should celebrate it.
I see it as the difference between a fact and an opinion.

For example, it's one thing to be unhappy over recent price hikes to Apple Music and TV+. But I also feel there is value in analysing why Apple is doing so for our own learning, rather than automatically writing everything off as "Because Apple is greedy" or making the same old tired argument that "Apple can afford to subsidise these price hikes with so much money in the bank, therefore they should do so".

I feel it's disingenuous. These are very superficial comments that frankly add little of value to the current discussion, and when everyone starts parroting the same refrain, you end up with one giant echo chamber. This basically sums up the bulk of comments here, and frankly, I do find it disappointing and frustrating.

Hate on Apple all they want. At least hate right.
 
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There were calls for Apple to acquire DuckDuckGo a while back. Maybe the people didn't realise that it was essentially a white-label Bing.


There is precedence in the form of a subscription-based search engine service, but I am not sure how popular it will be with Apple Users, though I suppose Apple could always roll it into Apple One.

That's the issue. I find that a lot of the criticism here to be hating on Apple for the sake of being a contrarian, rather than for the sake of being right. And then they end up being wrong as a result. And rather than admit this, they instead choose to double down.

I see it as the difference between a fact and an opinion.

For example, it's one thing to be unhappy over recent price hikes to Apple Music and TV+. But I also feel there is value in analysing why Apple is doing so for our own learning, rather than automatically writing everything off as "Because Apple is greedy" or making the same old tired argument that "Apple can afford to subsidise these price hikes with so much money in the bank, therefore they should do so".

I feel it's disingenuous. These are very superficial comments that frankly add little of value to the current discussion, and when everyone starts parroting the same refrain, you end up with one giant echo chamber. This basically sums up the bulk of comments here, and frankly, I do find it disappointing and frustrating.

Hate on Apple all they want. At least hate right.

You can't tell somebody that their opinion is wrong because you can't stand to hear it.


ECHO CHAMBER


1.
an enclosed space where sound reverberates.
"purpose-built echo chambers allow the addition of natural-sounding reverberation to the recordings"

2.
an environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.
"people are living in partisan and ideological echo chambers"
 
I don’t see what’s the point when you are getting 15 billion a year from Google. Are they expecting to make more with their search engine? I am starting to think this is because they can’t come up with anything innovative so they are entering markets where they always accepted the competition. I just feel like they are spreading themselves too thin. Something is gonna get neglected.

Ultimately what I think this means is hardware and software has plateaued. When you are moving to a services model for growth and revenue. I don’t Apple will ever make a car, it’s just too complex and has too many supply chain logistics involved. They also know they are too far behind. That’s why they are introducing that new Car Play experience instead.
 
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“The company's technology recommended websites based on a user's interests and browsing history.”

This is not a search engine.
 
That is what happens when the guy in charge only cares about money and hardware supply.

The person in charge should be tech aware and understand the software supply chain. Clearly that does not exist at Apple. With services becoming more important it is time for a change.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely for any future leadership to be immune to Wall Street pathology. This is systemic cultural disease.
 
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OMG...the sky is falling. Again, according to the experts here. Will Apple survive? Keep your pearls nearby. The Apple is doomed tsunami is coming!
It’s not Apple that’s doomed. At least not in this context or immediately.

It’s the customers and the quality of products that are doomed.
 
Apple is already in the ad business in other ways. They are also essentially already is in the search ad business by the $15+ billion deal they have with Google. I'd rather see Apple have its own successful search engine than simply be the (default) vehicle that pushes Apple users to Google search.
Why would you want Apple to further dilute their engineering, development, testing, and quality assurance resources??
 
I know what you meant, and good for apple they can collect on a default that can be changed and that imo happen anyway even without the transaction.

Some people feel "good for Apple" while others are disappointed that Apple has chosen to continue to make money off of pushing Safari users to Google, and contribute to Google's dominance in the search market. Instead of, say, taking a stand against Google's dominance and business model by making a more privacy friendly search engine the default. Of course, that would mean having to give up many billion$.
 
Why would you want Apple to further dilute their engineering, development, testing, and quality assurance resources??

Apple has a lot of talent and money to be able to do this. If they can make it a successful, profitable business and reduce Google’s dominance in search (instead of feeding it), that could be a good thing.
 
It's kind of sad how Apple buys these companies and then essentially lets the tech die on the vine, as evidenced by how many of the employees leave Apple soon after.
This seems to be a pattern with Apple, doesn’t it? They want to own or claim invention of a thing (even if it’s something they’ve merely acquired), but not spend money investing actual work into said things (whether bought or created at Apple). They want to convince customers to buy the same product again & again every year, but they don’t seem to understand that this is a nonsensical/unsustainable ideology… a mentality which most of capitalists today seems to be trapped within.

So, Wall Street pathology, yet again…
 
Apple search generally sucks:

Spotlight search sucks
Finder search sucks
Siri search sucks
Apple Music search sucks
AppStore search sucks
Network Share search sucks

What's left to suck?

When I search for files, I simply open the terminal and use "find ./ -iname '*filename*'" command, it's at least reliable.
I don’t find Finder/Spotlight search to suck. The only criticism I have is that it doesn’t index system folders. A simple checkbox for “include system folders” would be nice for tech people, but it’s irrelevant and is added complexity for general users, and I agree with serving general users before techs.

Siri is… frequently appallingly bad. I use it for basic math and timers. I don’t find it of much value otherwise, though I’d hate to lose what it DOES do for me.

App discovery/App Store search sucks. No question.
 
Some people feel "good for Apple" while others are disappointed that Apple has chosen to continue to make money off of pushing Safari users to Google, and contribute to Google's dominance in the search market.
True, each of us can have a different viewpoint. But it’s my opinion that when faced with a choice of search engine the dominant one would be chosen anyway.

1668265395735.png

Instead of, say, taking a stand against Google's dominance and business model by making a more privacy friendly search engine the default.
It wouldn’t matter based on the above graphic. So they might as well get paid anyway.
Of course, that would mean having to give up many billion$.
Sure, but why should they? It’s not like apple is locking out any competition.
 
so Apple is behind on the apple car.
Apple is behind on AR/VR headset.
Apple is behind on search
Apple is behind on <your favorite thing here>
Apple is doomed ...
/s
I don’t care that they’re “behind” in any of this. I’m annoyed that they worsen their existing products by wasting resources on these things. It’s called “diworsification”.
 
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