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I think purchase cycle times are getting longer on all devices.

Initially, everyone was on a contract, so they updated their phones every 2 years. But really, for most people, they can wait 3 years no problem....unless of course they break or lose the thing. I think there is a greater likelihood that you will need to replace a phone prior to the end of its useful life because they are just more likely to be lost, stolen or dropped then a laptop or tablet.

As for computers, there is no problem getting 5 years out of a Mac. You might have to replace the battery on your MacBook....but otherwise, they just keep chugging along with free OS updates.

Initially, when the iPad came out, there were lots of good reasons to update: RAM, Camera, weight, touch ID, retina display, etc... But recently, the reasons are becoming less compelling for the average user that really has no interest in keyboard and pencil accessories that cost over $250 in total. My wife is a good example. She had an iPad 4 that she used every day for 4 years. The screen had a small crack, so I bought her a base iPad Air 2 (which has 32GB of storage - twice her iPad 4) for Christmas on sale at BB for $275. I didn't buy a Pro model for $700 plus keyboard and pencil, which would have run $950 because it would have been a complete waste of money for her needs (If she wanted all of those features and planned to use the keyboard a lot, I would probably buy the rMB recently on sale at BB for $1,000). My wife is typical of most iPad users: Mail, iMessage, Safari, Netflix, calendar, contact, photos, notes, iBooks, Facebook, Youtube, create/edit an occasional document, and play a few games. She doesn't need a pro iPad model to do the common things 90% of the population does with their personal computers at home.

Bottom-line: there just isn't a big reason for most people to update and purchase the top of the line iPad Pro. Especially, if they do not want to buy the expensive Apple accessories that really differentiate the Pro models from the older models.
 
Yes that swift programming language is horrible, the processors they're making aren't best in class, focusing on services - that's just stupid, airpods - they didn't fix anyting in the blue tooth arena ... he's just making one stupid decision after the other - NOT!

I don't recall anyone ever saying Swift was horrible (if they actually used it compared to Objective C). I think you made that one up.
 
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You may feel like you got value, try being in the UK where they used the baseless excuse of Brexit to place a massive price hike on ALL their devices! That's assuming your not living in the UK?

And also have to say Apple products are not value for money in the slightest, what a maximum 1080P screen on a phablet, 760P on the other model with reduced features, let's not forget the ditching of the headphone port... everything they have done has been to drive that profit, not the experience or quality but profits. Hence the disgusting amount that they've made. And I've bought plenty from them the last year before you try the old why are you here crap.

I don't do the "why don't you leave then" bit. I've been a fan of many products and services (Apple included, hello Mac Pro) where I've taken issues with aspects of the business. I think you can be a fan without knee-jerk support of everything the organization does. In fact for a large business with complex products I think it would be impossible to (credibly) claim you have zero disagreement.

As to value though, I believe you are limiting your definition of value to maximizing specifications received per dollar/pound/euro/currency-unit spent. Bang for buck to use a turn of phrase. Value extends far beyond that ratio of spec/currency. I can spend a great deal of money on something, even significantly more than competing brands may ask for similar or higher spec components, and still receive value for my purchase. If the product improves my life or makes my life easier I have received value from that product. If the product makes me happy I have received value from that product. In my case with most Apple products I feel holistically they are better than Android/Windows based competition, that's not just specs but how the hardware works as a complete solution and iOS/MacOS running on that hardware.

I also own a Samsung mobile device and forced myself to use it for about a month to get a feel for Android, I didn't like it. It works well for others, that's great, I prefer iOS and Apple hardware. I have also not once thought "Gee I wish I had a headphone jack on my phone." I even have a Windows machine dedicated to various VR and AR units I own, It's a nice machine but I am not as productive on it as I am on MacOS.

I certainly have my criticisms of Apple and their products but despite those gaps they continue to provide me great value every day.

As to Brexit effect, I do business globally but I have the luxury of invoicing and solely accepting payment in US dollars; as such I don't consider myself an expert on foreign exchange. I really have no basis to comment on the validity of the price moves. I suppose you could look at Apple's moves in Russia for historical context.
 
Apple is owned by shareholders. They gave some of that back in the form of the dividend. Why would they give back to the customers? That's bad business logic.
The way I see it is that shareholders ARE customers. The product purchased is common stock. Any new purchases of Apple computer, software or services products that I make in 2017 will be paid for by my Apple dividend. Apple pays me for having purchased their stock. In addition to quarterly dividends, the stock itself has gained 1900% since I purchased it in the mid-1990s.
 
I don't recall anyone ever saying Swift was horrible (if they actually used it compared to Objective C). I think you made that one up.
it was a sarcastic response to a comment that says apple isn't innovating at all. IMHO i feel they are doing some incredible stuff and i llisted a few things.
 
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I went from a 6s to a 7. Completely worth it.

Of course. I know people who did that as well.

But I seriously doubt that most iPhone 7 sold last quarter went to iPhone 6S users. I would imagine it would be from iPhone 6 and earlier.

Upgrading from 6S to 7 would fall under the category "Results Not Typical" :D
 
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"But there’s bad news for Apple too. The iPad is in its 13th straight annual decline in unit sales . . . "
— per The Guardian *


An interesting take on Apple's current revenue from The Guardian. Naturally the iPhone remains the 900 pound gorilla, with the watch and services also mentioned.

Of note is that it seems the iPad is nowhere close to supplanting the Mac in users affections.
* https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/01/apple-quarterly-results-iphone-ipad-mac-watch
 
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Joni: Ooooaah, Tim I am soo excited ! This is the brand-new iPhone 8 with no bezels !!
Tim: Wow, looks great. But... we need a design that has proven itself in the market. Yes, everybody innovates, but we Think Different !
So: scale down your efforts back to an iPhone 7s
Joni: You bragging *sshole... Ehhh, right Tim
 
Apple Inc's Market Capitalization is $687.87 Billion for Feb. 1, 2017. To put that in perspective, if Apple was a nation it would rank as the 19th richest country in terms of Gross National Product, just behind Turkey and just of Switzerland.
 
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So can we give Tim a break for a minute or two before flipping about macs?

What is troubling is that the iPhone accounts for 69% of Apples profits. Think about this for a second Apple Inc is afloat on the performance of a single product category. If their mess up even a single iPhone release that will significantly hurt the company.

What is also sad is that Mac sales are on par with Services sales, that means there is a shift in focus for Apple to spend less R&D on Mac hardware and more on Services.

iPad sales are sitting at 7%, I was under the impression that this was supposed to be the future of computing, yet its sales are very close to Mac sales. Not sure if this is troubling for the Mac or the iPad, hard to say at this point.

Other sits at 5%, which includes the Apple Watch.

I am not sure if this is good news or bad, there will be a market breaking point when the iPhone can no longer demand a higher price compared to its competitors, at which point either Apple has to focus and participate in a new product category or ride the slide for market share and performance. Just think of it this way, a single slip-up in the iPhone segment will mean a significant hit to Apple. Tim Cook and Co are balancing on a high wire act and with high stakes at risk with the iPhone in the middle of it all.
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Apple Inc's Market Capitalization is $687.87 Billion for Feb. 1, 2017. To put that in perspective, if Apple was a nation it would rank as the 19th richest country in terms of Gross National Product, just behind Turkey and just of Switzerland.

How much of this Market capital has been taxed? I believe very company and citizen should pay its fair share of taxes for the betterment of the country and its citizens. I keep hearing that Apple tries its best to evade the tax man, not sure if I should be impressed or express disgust.
 
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Learn to read financial statements! Lol!

IN the history of the world, this is the biggest quarter ever to be seen. It was also the same last year within a few percent. What the heck are you missing anyways? Why so negative. You appear not to be able to see a good thing when it is right in front of your nose - at least that is my opinion.

So maybe, just maybe.... it's You that is wrong.

Maybe you are right. Maybe I am wrong.

But Enron, MCI/WorldCom, MicroStrategy and Global Crossing all had great financial statements.

As for learning to read financial statements, I work in corporate finance. I put together the numbers that go into financial statements. And I'm telling you nobody is that good.
 
Tim Cook is the luckiest CEO on the planet. Apple does next to nothing new in 2016 and yet they still deliver record results.

That red iPhone chunk of the pie is gradually gobbling up the rest of the business. Already at 70%.

If the Mac is to survive they need to spin it off into a separate company.

For you, you mean.

In 2016, I bought the 9.7" iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, series 2 sports watch and Airpods. Does that sound like a company doing nothing new?

While you were there bemoaning what Apple wasn't doing, other people were instead focused more on what Apple did do, and getting a great user experience for it.

Luck had nothing to do with it.
 
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"In 2016, I bought the 9.7" iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, series 2 sports watch and Airpods. Does that sound like a company doing nothing new?"

No it sounds like a company doing nothing new in the professional (traditional mac) side of the business, those are all consumer goods (calling an ipad 'pro' doesn't automatically make it pro).

Apple means totally different things to different folks based on their needs and uses, it is hugely disappointing though to many traditional users that the success of the consumer division didn't positively impact on the mac division but instead looks to have given Apple a reason to be far less focussed on it.

I'm glad the watch, airpods, ipad and pencil did the trick for you but for some of us, who rely on the mac professionally for horsepower, the consumer categories don't remotely cater to us or even really excite us.

I bought the 12.8 Ipad pro and Pencil when it came out but sold it a few months back after coming to the conclusion that to use it professionally involved compromise after compromise because of the consumer nature in which it was designed.
When it came to consumption though, the Ipad pro was the best comic reader/book reader/movie watching portable experience I've had, it's just a shame I bought it with the intention of using it for MY professional needs.

There seems to be a divide between different Apple users nowadays but both sides have very valid points that shouldn't be outright dismissed.
 
"In 2016, I bought the 9.7" iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, series 2 sports watch and Airpods. Does that sound like a company doing nothing new?"

No it sounds like a company doing nothing new in the professional (traditional mac) side of the business, those are all consumer goods (calling an ipad 'pro' doesn't automatically make it pro).

Apple means totally different things to different folks based on their needs and uses, it is hugely disappointing though to many traditional users that the success of the consumer division didn't positively impact on the mac division but instead looks to have given Apple a reason to be far less focussed on it.

I'm glad the watch, airpods, ipad and pencil did the trick for you but for some of us, who rely on the mac professionally for horsepower, the consumer categories don't remotely cater to us or even really excite us.

I bought the 12.8 Ipad pro and Pencil when it came out but sold it a few months back after coming to the conclusion that to use it professionally involved compromise after compromise because of the consumer nature in which it was designed.
When it came to consumption though, the Ipad pro was the best comic reader/book reader/movie watching portable experience I've had, it's just a shame I bought it with the intention of using it for MY professional needs.

There seems to be a divide between different Apple users nowadays but both sides have very valid points that shouldn't be outright dismissed.
Other people have posted here they use the ipad pro and Pencil in a professional capacity. It all depends on your use case, but I agree that apple customers have differing requirements and there always seems to be a group that feels disenfranchised.
 
Other people have posted here they use the ipad pro and Pencil in a professional capacity. It all depends on your use case, but I agree that apple customers have differing requirements and there always seems to be a group that feels disenfranchised.
And some actually are disenfranchised
 
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Maybe you are right. Maybe I am wrong.

But Enron, MCI/WorldCom, MicroStrategy and Global Crossing all had great financial statements.

As for learning to read financial statements, I work in corporate finance. I put together the numbers that go into financial statements. And I'm telling you nobody is that good.

Sorry if I was a bit crass and rude with my response.

I'm just so Giddy AAPL stock is being appreciated again.

P/E ratio is amazing with apple

Liquid value of shares is fantastic

A quarter trillion dollars in cash

Still showing double-digit growth in services, And for the biggest company in the world overall I think the company is headed for more good overall growth for the next six years at least

It's the safest and best stock

When I read a lot of the negative comments what I am hearing is :

"Pushing 130, but it's a troubled company with declining iPad sales and cannibalism of its own products. Not to mention market saturation and zero innovation"

So I think it over and I am easily able to dismiss almost all the negative comments about Apple in any of the ones that I agree with that or negative about Apple really don't matter too much
 
Have to say that's an obscene amount of money, and nothing given back to the customer. Also shows how much of a one trick pony they still are.
Would be nice if they reduced the iPhone and iPad costs in the UK, considering the pounds gone back up but noooo.

I don't think Apple is a one trick pony. Take a good look at the pie chart.

iPad, Services, and Mac sales are close to 2/3rds the revenue iPhones make.
Solution to boost these?
Services:
iTunes Radio marketing
- bonus download material from artist track and releases
(make videos of tracks free for download or watching, i highly doubt anyone is paying for this)
- involve more artists in GarageBand lessons, and even an 'Unplugged' collaborative and impromptu jam session that Mac, iOS, :apple:TV users can tune into to stream?
- TV shows (Apple is working on their own exclusive content)
^ would be nice for them to collaborate with creative users like they do with developers!
- STORAGE increases with more affordable pricing:
1, 5, and 10 TB options on the higher priced tiers, while 20/50/100GB options on the low end, bumping free to 10GB our devices do a LOT more and more of your users have many of them.
^^ TimeMachine iCloud backup!! MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
iPad:
continue hardware innovation and seriously better the marketing - much like the iPad Pro 9.7"!
- push how it's used in corporate, student life, and professional/creative user environments.
Mac:
- update the iMac,
- bring us backlit wireless keyboard that is ergonomic as well
- release new firmware/drivers that properly support eGPU use PLEASE!!
- update the Mac Mini ... LOTS of profits in that lil'beast - it's a fighter and I love mine that I bought second hand!
- Mac Pro ... GET ON WITH THIS ... The King is being treated like a streetrat of the product lineup! Apple internal developers and creatives are you NOT using your own products any longer?!
 
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But it's true and you know it. It's not rocket science, if you complain and aren't happy, switch to the Dark Side.
If you are not happy about something you tell them. Whinging is part of letting off steam. But its true and you know it. It's not rocket science, if you complain and aren't happy, come on macrumors and complain some more.
 
We get apple maps, siri that never works, calendar that is garbage, a mail app that is 5 years too old.. yah we really win guys :rolleyes:
Fantastical, the stock email app, and Apple maps all work just fine for me, all day and evening. They enable my work efficiently, which is just what I need. And they sync effortlessly across all my devices, including the one on my wrist. I'm happy.
 
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