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Who gets to decide what Apple's core products are?

So you want Apple to focus on original content TV that they literally can not innovate in any way to have that as a core product? Apple should focus on what they're good at and make them their core products. As I said stuff they're good at is stuff they can improve, simplify and make better - technology that works together. Original content is far from that.
 
And the iPhone forms the hub by which Apple's other products revolve around. Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple music and the accompanying ecosystem.
Original TV content does NOT make the iPhone more compelling. Apple Music yes, because it is a way of allowing a more integrated way to access music within the ecosystem, if they were however just making original music than I'd say that would be rubbish as well. Making easy ways to access content is something that is up Apple's ally, original content IS NOT.
 
In the very least, this serves to remind Apple that they are not a computer company and should not operate like one.
Neil Cybart wrote a piece about the Mac being Apple's achilles heels. I'm sorry but that's absurd. The Mac isn't stopping Apple from focusing on what's next. Mac customers might be a tiny percentage of the install base but Apple ceding that segment to Microsoft makes no sense. Would the App Store even exist if not for the Mac?
 
I haven't said anything to suggest he is.

Odd that you would object to them working with R Kelly when they employ Dr Dre who has got a history of violence against women though.

Apple are a Tech company it isn't for them to sit in judgement of anybody. If they want to be involved in music it goes with the territory.
 
So you want Apple to focus on original content TV that they literally can not innovate in any way to have that as a core product? Apple should focus on what they're good at and make them their core products. As I said stuff they're good at is stuff they can improve, simplify and make better - technology that works together. Original content is far from that.
Honestly, while I personally don't mind newer Macs, I still don't think that Apple's future revolves around maintaining legacy PC hardware.

So to your question, my answer is a yes.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/10/20/apples-trojan-horse-into-hollywood

The Big Picture

Apple is not getting into video content to boost its services revenue. Instead, video and music streaming will be positioned as ways to increase the value found in using Apple hardware.

Apple sees itself as the company best able to bridge the gap between Hollywood and Silicon Valley - a technology company with a range of devices and a loyal base of more than 700 million premium users that values high quality content. In addition to scouting programming ideas on its own, Apple will take a few pages from its Apple Music playbook to embrace, and potentially partner with, existing content companies on original programming ideas if the right opportunities arise. Hollywood isn't Apple's enemy.

When comparing Netflix and Apple Music paid subscribers, it becomes clear why using Apple Music as a type of incubator for Apple's video streaming service ends up being such an interesting twist. By using original video content to boost Apple Music, Apple already has nearly 20M paying viewers accessing that video content. This compares to Netflix's 83M user count - not bad for a 16-month-old paid streaming service. As the amount of additional video content increases, Apple hopes this will further increase Apple Music subscriptions, thereby improving its video chances. Apple's $3 billion Beats acquisition was a Trojan horse into Hollywood.

I feel the one thing we all lack here is perspective. The Mac line is literally table scraps compared to what Apple could potentially gain here with music and video streaming.
 
Apple is trying to put its cloak of corporate greed round "pop culture", which is a transitory and energetic organic entity, then dominate it and squeeze the life and cash out of it.
 
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Take a Go Pro camera, mount it so it points to the inside of a van, overpay some people most folks don't know or want to see to sing along with the radio. Problem?

It's not impossible to believe that Apple can't manage that. Where's the new mini? Get off my lawn.
 
Am I the only one who is getting tired with the "we are going to do <x>...." comments/mantra? We are going to make Apple stores a community hub, we are going to build a modular Mac Pro, we are going to take care of creatives, we are going to have original TV/video content, blah blah blah.

Real innovation and success does not need announcing - it happens and is obvious. It's called "show don't tell."
 
Since Apple Music is global, I fixed something for you.
I agree about everything else though, hate Rap and HipHop.

Ha, thanks! We always need to guard against being America-centric! But, in this case, I think we can say that the global music and film industries are dominated by "US-centric" interests (which themselves are made of individual "players" and parts from all over).
 
And the iPhone forms the hub by which Apple's other products revolve around. Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple music and the accompanying ecosystem.

And could all these exist....or thrive without the iPhone ? What is the core product here? From a profit and ecosystem point of view ?
 
Original TV content does NOT make the iPhone more compelling. Apple Music yes, because it is a way of allowing a more integrated way to access music within the ecosystem, if they were however just making original music than I'd say that would be rubbish as well. Making easy ways to access content is something that is up Apple's ally, original content IS NOT.
Unfortunately Apple leadership bought into this services narrative BS and now they're trying to find stuff that can grow that segment. Here's an idea: why not Apple as a service. Wrap all hardware and services up into a monthly fee. Sure some people don't want to rent they want to own but I'll bet a large portion of the customer base would be on board with renting (with the ability to own). If I take the Apple products I own it works out to about $100/month (assuming 2 year upgrade cycle). I would totally sign up for something like that. And if there's no new hardware you want to upgrade to then you pay off what you have and you own it.
 
And could all these exist....or thrive without the iPhone ? What is the core product here? From a profit and ecosystem point of view ?
To me, the core product is still the iPhone, and everything else exists to sell more iPhones by increasing the value found in Apple hardware.
 
Today, Apple is going to re-invent music....and here it is:

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To me, the core product is still the iPhone, and everything else exists to sell more iPhones by increasing the value found in Apple hardware.

Bingo. Apple is a consumer hardware company. Where the profits lie, the rest....to support those sales...... hence why we get "free" software updates.....to sell more hardware....with a touch of planned obsolescence when ur old hardware struggles with your free software...
 
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Bingo. Apple is a consumer hardware company. Where the profits lie, the rest....to support those sales...... hence why we get "free" software updates.....to sell more hardware....with a touch of planned obsolescence when ur old hardware struggles with your free software...
Correct, and Apple music and video help to increase the value of the iPhone. Imagine being to get streaming music and video all with a single subscription. That's something no other company can currently offer.
 
To me, the core product is still the iPhone, and everything else exists to sell more iPhones by increasing the value found in Apple hardware.

Yet original content does NOTHING to make the iPhone more valuable. Apple doesn't have a single compelling reason to make original content. It is not an area they can innovate whatsoever.

This is where Apple went wrong in the 90s, arrogance, a lack of innovation in their core products and spreading too thin (cameras, scanners, printers etc) meaning a lack of focus. What saved them was cutting back to their core products and what Jobs did was refocus them. They're loosing that. I doubt they'll ever fall like the 90s again, but just because a company is profitable doesn't make them interesting or good, and it certainly doesn't say anything about the quality of a company's products.

Honestly, while I personally don't mind newer Macs, I still don't think that Apple's future revolves around maintaining legacy PC hardware.

So to your question, my answer is a yes.

Oh wow, so you think Apple should abandon what it actually does well, to go and make rubbish tv shows, something it has NO way of improving (far fewer variables in tv shows than anything else, beyond quality of script writing, acting etc), over products that they're actually good at making and improving. By all means they should create innovative delivery methods for TV, but original content makes literally no sense.

"legacy PC hardware" - that is hilarious. Apple owes it's existence to Mac users, it is part of their core business and a key part of the ecosystem. Macs are not their biggest moneymaker, but they still make huge amount of money from them. Apple has lost so much focus and needs to cut down again, or at least pause and put more effort into existing products before branching out.
 
Honestly, while I personally don't mind newer Macs, I still don't think that Apple's future revolves around maintaining legacy PC hardware.

So to your question, my answer is a yes.

https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/10/20/apples-trojan-horse-into-hollywood



I feel the one thing we all lack here is perspective. The Mac line is literally table scraps compared to what Apple could potentially gain here with music and video streaming.

Problem when you get too arrogant , and abandon that what you are good at .... you bubble bursts.... while you have a great grand vision for apple mate, they ain't got the talent to vision to achieve it .

People like apple for the hardware, and put up with **** services .... if apple abandons hardware.... :)
 
Correct, and Apple music and video help to increase the value of the iPhone. Imagine being to get streaming music and video all with a single subscription. That's something no other company can currently offer.

There is a difference between offering innovative delivery services for content and creating the content. Apple has no reason to create the content, it will never be able to create every tv show and movie people want, so there is no point. It makes sense to make a good way to deliver other people's content, but no one can seriously tell me that someone Apple will make every existing TV show and movie + new ones going forward and own the rights to previous creations as it is literally impossible in every sense of the word.

Let those who know how to do it create the content and focus on making what they are good at better and solid then continue innovating in areas that they can truly innovate in.
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Problem when you get too arrogant , and abandon that what you are good at .... you bubble bursts.... while you have a great grand vision for apple mate, they ain't got the talent to vision to achieve it .

People like apple for the hardware, and put up with **** services .... if apple abandons hardware.... :)

Thank you. The smart Apple would realise that they have limitations. Making more money through substandard new methods is in my opinion not a step forward.
 
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Correct, and Apple music and video help to increase the value of the iPhone. Imagine being to get streaming music and video all with a single subscription. That's something no other company can currently offer.

Disagree , as do many of the people who are huge apple fans, we hate Apple Music .... as it's just rap and hip hop.

Apple video..... god no.... carpool karaoke .... really... this is the future you talk of .... I'll skip the **** streaming services and stick to hardware.
 
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Say what you will about lens flares and the LOST finale, but JJA has been involved in some outstanding film and TV, even if just in a [Excutive] Producer capacity. Alias, Person of Interest, Westworld, MI: Ghost Protocol / Rogue Nation. He definitely has a good eye for talent if he lets them excercise creative freedom, so maybe he'll tap into some folks: Noah Hawley, Vince Gilligan, John Dahl, Phil Abraham, Sam Esmail (just to name a few amazing talents working in modern, cable TV).

Abrams has numerous clunkers too. However, he also has an exclusive deal with WBTV. So I'm not sure what Iovine is talking about. Warner Bros. will produce the programs for Apple.

I think Iovine is a loose canon, and I suspect he's a source of frustration to Cook and others.
 
There is a difference between offering innovative delivery services for content and creating the content. Apple has no reason to create the content, it will never create all content so there is no point. Let those who know how to do it create the content and focus on making what they are good at better and solid then continue innovating in areas that they can truly innovate in.
I feel Apple doesn't have to create all the content. Look at services like HBO. They don't have as much content as Netflix, and never will, and that's perfectly fine, because HBO is banking on people willing to subscribe to their service for a few shows that they do have like Game of Thrones.

Same here. Apple doesn't need to match Netflix in content. They simply need to have enough compelling content to get users to subscribe to them in addition to Netflix, and if I can get all that content for free by simply being an Apple Music subscriber (or by paying a little extra premium), that's one more reason to stay subscribed to Apple Music over say, Spotify.
 
As a consumer, I'm disappointed with the fragmentation going on right now. All of these tech companies are turning into TV channels, and yet you can't bundle them together, and they're a pricey addition on top of regular TV, which is still a thing that has shows. To make matters worse, you need an Amazon device to get the Amazon TV app experience, and presumably an Apple device to get their streaming service. That is, unless they pull an Apple Music and build an Android version—but are they going to make apps for a range of third party TV devices? On top of all that, you have the rights issues—many of these services restrict how many concurrent streams you can have, unlike traditional TV, and you can't record shows on some, others have an additional fee to do this. Then you've got the different tiers per service. Oh, and many services don't offer the sports part of TV. Want live games? Go screw yourself! You have to buy a subscription per sport type, and even then you're blacked out for all of the teams in your area, so good luck watching on your mobile. You need a hard-line cable connection with a ridiculous subscription price or TV antenna to watch local sports—and a really expensive one if you live a little outside of town, and even then it's flakey because DTV sucks.

It's just so confusing and frustrating and expensive when multiplied over everything you have to buy, the devices you have to buy, the various switches for all your inputs, having to make sure too many people aren't using it, trying to figure out a way around blackout restrictions and the various apps you need to watch sports, etc. Oh, you could use a paid VPN service, but then they need your GPS, so then you have to jailbreak your device and hack the GPS signal. It's madness. I refuse to play this game. I don't really watch sports any more, and I barely watch TV. I mainly play video games if I want to be entertained, or go outside or build things in my workshop. If I need video I go to YouTube. There are tons of how-to videos and a lot of good science and comedy channels as well.
 
I feel Apple doesn't have to create all the content. Look at services like HBO. They don't have as much content as Netflix, and never will, and that's perfectly fine, because HBO is banking on people willing to subscribe to their service for a few shows that they do have like Game of Thrones.

Same here. Apple doesn't need to match Netflix in content. They simply need to have enough compelling content to get users to subscribe to them in addition to Netflix, and if I can get all that content for free by simply being an Apple Music subscriber (or by paying a little extra premium), that's one more reason to stay subscribed to Apple Music over say, Spotify.

So what do they do? Buy HBO?

Start from scratch ? Problem apple has, they are positioning themselves with a certain demographic with Apple Music, double edged sword if you get my drift. They will not be the next HBO .....
 
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