Apple Sold Fewest Macs in Any Quarter Since 2010 as Nearly Entire Lineup Was Outdated

[Abazigal]

Yes they need to. Why? because in order to make money you need actual customers, customers they are slowly losing.

So they indeed "need to change".

If you were to just fixate myopically on Mac as though it were its own standalone company, this would be a bad thing. But in the greater scheme of things, the extra resources funnelled into their other projects such as wearables, health, AR, iOS and content, does seem to be paying off.

The way I see it, the loss of Mac users seems commensurate with an increase in revenue for their other products, especially on the iOS and wearables side. Especially when it becomes increasingly clear that its products like the iPad. wearables, AR and self-driving tech are the future, not the Mac.

As someone who is more deeply invested in the iOS side of Apple than their Mac branch, it’s a pretty fair trade off for me.

 

[DNichter]

"My guess is they'll want to upgrade them more frequently and drop prices a bit."

Do you seriously think they will? The rumored Macbook with price drop will replace the Air as well? I have no doubt it will drop magsafe, be USB-C only, and have the butterfly keyboard. All 3 of which I detest on my 2017 15inch Macbook Pro. If they do that and get rid of the Air, IMHO all good Mac laptops will be gone.

I do think they are trying to shift their focus back to the Mac a bit, but I am not sure how quickly it will occur. Yes, the rumored MacBook will replace the Air and will likely have all of what you mention. I suppose you will be out of luck if you're looking for a current machine.

 

[MBAir2010]

Aaaaaaaaand doubled their profitts!

Yiiiiiiiiipie!

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

????? I use a ThinkPad T580 as my main work computer. I also have a 15inch Macbook Pro (2107). My ThinkPad is the perfect computer for me. Speed, ports (USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet) and a freeking amazing keyboard. Windows 10 is fine. It is easily tamed. We use LTSB version which is a no BS build with no BS installed. I am not sure why people focus so much on the OS. If it gets in your way then it is bad. It is the apps that matter. Windows has everything I need. As a network engineer Visio is a must have. I have tried to use Omni Graffle but it just does not work in a world where everyone wants Visio diagrams.

I notice you didn't say that Omnigraffle is inferior to Visio; just that people want Visio diagrams. Pretty lame unless they are supposed to EDIT the diagram. Just send them a PDF. Oh, and people whine on Windows-centric forums ALL the time about Visio. People want PowerPoint, too; even though Keynote is VASTLY superior.

Oh, and although I don't use Omnigraffle (and have only used Visio a few times), I thought there might be a way to get to/from Visio from Omnigraffle.

Well, there is:

https://discourse.omnigroup.com/t/e...ormat-readable-by-visio-or-excel-word/22273/2

Oh, and that took exactly 0.5 seconds searching on Google. You must not have looked very hard.

That's just like my Mac-using architect-consultant client/friend. He uses the (VASTLY Superior) VectorWorks for CAD. All of HIS Clients use that abominable AutoCAD. But since VectorWorks does a 100%-fidelty Import/Export from/to DXF/DWG Formats, it hardly matters. He Imports the AutoCAD file, reviews/makes his changes (or simply adds his "Approval"), then Exports it back out. It has been MANY years since there were any compatibility problems.

Oh, and a GOOD OS (like macOS) doesn't NEED to be "tamed". But you saying that just proves my point about Windows.

 

[pgwalsh]

One thing for certain is Apple is not focused on the personal computer market because that's not where the money is for them. If they were, they would have updated their entire lineup regularly. To ask professional to wait years for their new Mac Pro, after the mistake, is all you need to come to this realization. The Mac Book Pro's are not mobile workstations, yes powerful to a degree and extremely attractive, but not mobile workstations. Apple is no longer Apple Computer and Apple's focus is on consumer devices and entertainment services. Just look at the pie chart and how they've handled their computer business. The writing is on the wall and has been for a long time.


Coming form someone that's owned: Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, PowerMac G3, PowerBook G4 and MacBook, 2008 Mac Pro , 2011 iMac. Bought the 2011 iMac and waited for a proper Mac Pro replacement. No longer waiting and have moved on.

 

[Bornee35]

This is a fake argument. Fake because your premise is that we're asking for "yearly refreshes" and we need "groundbreaking hardware advances". That's silly and it's fake. None of what I'm suggesting is yearly or "groundbreaking" in any sense of the word.

Just look at my sig for some suggestions. Give us Nvidia GPUs again so we can do CUDA based rendering. Give us 32 or 64 GB RAM again. Make a Retina 17" screen. Put some real damned SSDs in there, or let us add them.

There are TONS of things that can be done, and very little of this is "groundbreaking".

No 17" rMBPs with discrete Nvidia graphics. Fail!
No rMBP with > 16 GB RAM. Fail!
No rMBP with ability to add internal drive capacity. Fail!

Everything you're demanding is groundbreaking, you want a portable Mac Pro to carry wherever you go! Apple produces ultra portable laptops with low weight and equally low form factor. You want an eight pound monster that's as thick as a college text book. As for CUDA, Apple has been very clear that Metal is the direction they're taking. I know you feel like a small town girl who's boyfriend ditched for college, but it's time to admit apple has left you behind.

 

[Tozovac]

I don't know about you; but I seriously wouldn't call a laptop (2018 MBP) that uses a CPU that is the most 6 core i9 recent generation, configurable up to 32 GB of RAM and 4 TB SSD (BTW, fastest in any laptop!), with 80 Gb/s of raw I/O bandwidth (the most in any laptop! And the most user-configurable and flexible I/O in any laptop, too!), with a TrackPad the size of an iPhone 5(!!!), plus a unique, Application-Configurable Touch Display that offers controls that DON'T compete with screen real-estate(!!!) to be a product with a "focus on fashion instead of function."

And BTW, soldered-in RAM and SSD makes a product MORE durable, not less.

Sure. If you're lucky enough to prioritize the things you quote above (and be able to afford said configuration every few years as needed) then yes, you should be quite the happy camper. I'm jealous.

I, on the other hand, say the non-expandable non-easily-replaceable-ness of soldered-in RAM/SSD as a result of (I assume) Apple's focus on fashion (thinness) and profit first and foremost are quite the liability. Having been able to afford a 2014 MBA i7 with full 8 gb ram but only 128gb SSD at the time, I'm quite ready to upgrade the SSD, and even RAM. But guess what my options are.... And the touch bar is horrible to work with instead of physical function keys, IMHO, which I use quite often at each use.

It would be quite interesting if Apple were to offer a 1/8" thicker (gasp!) laptop with swappable internals, even if at 30% more than I paid at the time, which I would have paid -- cost considerations of my one-and-down non-expandable MBA were quite the factor at the time of purchase... I.e., if Apple were to focus on function aspects beyond just performance which can't be later improved by the owner. It would be *very* interesting to see how consumers would shop if Apple were courageous enough to prioritize those abandoned aspects...

 

[jsalda]

Sad, how things changed.

Notice how Tim has a glazed look on his face?

 

[Flight Plan]

No 17" rMBPs with discrete Nvidia graphics. Fail!
No rMBP with > 16 GB RAM. Fail!
No rMBP with ability to add internal drive capacity. Fail!

Everything you're demanding is groundbreaking, you want a portable Mac Pro to carry wherever you go! Apple produces ultra portable laptops with low weight and equally low form factor. You want an eight pound monster that's as thick as a college text book. As for CUDA, Apple has been very clear that Metal is the direction they're taking. I know you feel like a small town girl who's boyfriend ditched for college, but it's time to admit apple has left you behind.

Well, I do see that the 2018's can come with an i9, up to 32 GB RAM and up to a 4TB SSD, so that's a good start. I guess I missed a memo. I'll have to update my sig. Still looking for a 17" screen and CUDA, because that's what I want and that's what my rendering engines use.

So it's gotten better; for sure.

Oh, and thanks for the childish crack. We could have had a real conversation, but you had to take it in in the other direction. That's too bad.

 

[Bornee35]

Well, I do see that the 2018's can come with an i9, up to 32 GB RAM and up to a 4TB SSD, so that's a good start. I guess I missed a memo. I'll have to update my sig. Still looking for a 17" screen and CUDA, because that's what I want and that's what my rendering engines use.

So it's gotten better; for sure.

Oh, and thanks for the childish crack. We could have had a real conversation, but you had to take it in in the other direction. That's too bad.

Why doesn't company X stop selling product x and give me product y. What just buy from company Y? Preposterous. To apple CUDA ain't gouda

 

[Tech198]

Mac decline | iPhone/iPad go through the roof

(wow.. look at the slice of that pie chart)

I still reckon more are shifting to iOS... Its the only reason why you would really do 'universal apps"

(1. to try and make it easy for developers, one app across both (and)
(2. to make the Mac 'part of the family again'

 

[cmaier]

Yes they need to. Why? because in order to make money you need actual customers, customers they are slowly losing.

So they indeed "need to change".

You think they are LOSING customers?

That’s hilarious.

 

[Frank Dalton]

As for CUDA, Apple has been very clear that Metal is the direction they're taking.

A silly direction at that. They should be going with Vulkan. Metal is like QuickTime 3D all over again.

 

[Flight Plan]

...To apple CUDA ain't gouda

Maybe not, but successful companies listen to their customers. History is filled with excellent examples of formerly successful companies who met their demise because they stopped listening.

 

[rafark]

products like the iPad. wearables, AR and self-driving tech are the future, not the Mac.

They may be, but keep in mind that lots of iPhone, iPod, music, etc users are in fact mac users as well. remove the mac and these people will be more likely to buy products (like smartphones, tablets, watches, streaming services) from other companies. It is very likely a mac user has an iPhone for a Smartphone.

We need to remember that the mac powers all Apple products.

The irony is I hate computers, I'd much rather do my web consumption on iOS, but as a programmer I understand the importance of computers, as they are the backbone for pretty much anything human-made today.
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You think they are LOSING customers?

That’s hilarious.

Mac users, yes I do.

 

[rocknblogger]

I know I won't be buying another MacBook Pro until they design something as solid as the last generation. Or even a Mac Pro until it is user upgradable and repairable like the last generation. See a pattern?

Ten to fifteen years ago my dream computer was a Mac Pro. By 2011-2012 I saved up enough to buy a 6-7K machine but I decided to wait for the next refresh. I was watching live when they introduced the “Can’t innovate my ass” trash can Mac Pro and I seriously almost cried. My heart sank because I immediately knew that I would never get the chance to experience my dream computer. If I was going to spend that kind of money it had to be user upgradable in almost every way, just like the Mac Pro was pre-2013.

Instead I started building my own powerful PC’s and it’s gotten to the point that it looks like my 2013 rMBP might be the last Mac that I will have purchased. It’s sad because up until 2015 I thought the MBPs were the very finest laptops that were worth the money that they cost. Ironically in 2015 I decided to wait for one more generation and what we got was the touch bar which I’m not interested in...at all.

Who knows, maybe in the next couple of years Apple might surprise me but I’m not very hopeful. Sad .

 

[lJoSquaredl]

I'm just waiting to snag a refurb model, but I plan on buying a 6 core model asap. These laptops can last forever tho and that's why people buy em, I upgrade every 2 years but my dad is still using my old 2012 MBP and it still works great.

 

[itsamacthing]

This is nothing to be proud of... I look around and see my Apple Ecosystem decreasing. Apple TV's are gone now, Sony smart TV with the same apps replaced them. Content is ruled in our house by Netflix, Youtube, Plex, Spotify. We love and enjoy Amazon Echo, Google Home, Sonos. Apple Airports were all just replaced with Linksys, Apple Monitor replaced with Dell.. only thing left is our iPhones, MacBooks. Something is wrong with their marketing plan...and ability to execute and come to market.

 

[pl1984]

Sure, Apple could abandon some of their design philosophies, rework the designs more often to fit certain chips, etc., but they choose not to do so. I still feel Intel is somewhat at fault when they are supppsed to have 10nm chips this year and then they are delayed until 2019. That example is one reason it’s best for Apple to move on. I base that inevitability on history, Apple’s stance on control, the success of the iPhone and iPad, the success of their A series chip design, and their move to unify their app platform between macOS and iOS. Ultimately I feel they want to control every critical piece of their machines. And yes, this is all opinion, just like everyone else on here.

So they're behind on releasing the 10nm chips. Are the A series chips at 10nm? IMO the success of the iPhone and iPad are not due to the A chip. But I'm welcome to see evidence to the contrary.
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????? I use a ThinkPad T580 as my main work computer. I also have a 15inch Macbook Pro (2107). My ThinkPad is the perfect computer for me. Speed, ports (USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet) and a freeking amazing keyboard. Windows 10 is fine. It is easily tamed. We use LTSB version which is a no BS build with no BS installed. I am not sure why people focus so much on the OS. If it gets in your way then it is bad. It is the apps that matter. Windows has everything I need. As a network engineer Visio is a must have. I have tried to use Omni Graffle but it just does not work in a world where everyone wants Visio diagrams.

This has always puzzled me. IMO the OS takes a backseat to the applications that run on top of it. Yet there are Mac users who place the OS at the top of their requirements.

 

[cwanja]

Sorry if a dupe.

Off on the quarter numbers. Apple's fiscal year starts Oct 1.

http://investor.apple.com/faq.cfm

Thanks for the update, never the less it would not make it into Q4 numbers if they are not released before October. Meaning another abysmal quarter on the Mac side.

 

[Tozovac]

This has always puzzled me. IMO the OS takes a backseat to the applications that run on top of it. Yet there are Mac users who place the OS at the top of their requirements.

Well, the apps "wear" the OS. For me OSX starting with Yosemite is unbearable to look at and use. Childish flat simplified appearance and one that's not very Apple-Like but more MSoft-wannabe. Regardless of how smart the emperor may be, in this case his clothes are a complete turn-off.

 

[convergent]

If you were to just fixate myopically on Mac as though it were its own standalone company, this would be a bad thing. But in the greater scheme of things, the extra resources funnelled into their other projects such as wearables, health, AR, iOS and content, does seem to be paying off.

The way I see it, the loss of Mac users seems commensurate with an increase in revenue for their other products, especially on the iOS and wearables side. Especially when it becomes increasingly clear that its products like the iPad. wearables, AR and self-driving tech are the future, not the Mac.

As someone who is more deeply invested in the iOS side of Apple than their Mac branch, it’s a pretty fair trade off for me.

And its one of the reasons that someone deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem might leave Apple entirely... which is the case with me. You ignore a part of your loyal customer base and its going to eventually catch up with you. I figured out a while back that Apple is no longer a computer company... they are a smartphone company (first) now and that is the center of the universe. Everything else they make is an accessory or service to their smartphones.

 

[Zdigital2015]

So they're behind on releasing the 10nm chips. Are the A series chips at 10nm? IMO the success of the iPhone and iPad are not due to the A chip. But I'm welcome to see evidence to the contrary.
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This has always puzzled me. IMO the OS takes a backseat to the applications that run on top of it. Yet there are Mac users who place the OS at the top of their requirements.

Indeed, the A11 Bionic is manufactured on a 10nm FinFET process and the iPhone uses LPDDR4X, two things we have been waiting on from Intel for quite a while. I would argue that the A-Series CPU and it’s rapid progression in raw power since the introduction of the A7 in the 5s has been the engine the driving the features that have contirbuted to the iPhone’s success. Whether it be FaceID, Portrait Lighting, gaming, et al.

I can use macOS or Windows, but there has always been something elegant about the Mac (esp. MacOS 7.1-9.2.2), something that Windows continues to lack. Perhaps, it’s just philosophical. Apps matter though and macOS still has better apps, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[Tozovac]

And its one of the reasons that someone deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem might leave Apple entirely... which is the case with me. You ignore a part of your loyal customer base and its going to eventually catch up with you. I figured out a while back that Apple is no longer a computer company... they are a smartphone company (first) now and that is the center of the universe. Everything else they make is an accessory or service to their smartphones.

Hear hear. The utterly ridiculous "What's a computer" ads made me cringe each and every time I saw them. As if all Apple engineers could possibly design and develop their product line using an iPad. Ho ho ho ha ha.

 

[Sackofnickels]

Regardless of the reasons, today I read Apple stock reached an all time high. That means even with outdated products and lagging quality and innovation, they are still making a ton of money. I am beginning to feel some of that in part may be due to customer loyalty. I read comments from the cheerleaders here on these forums every day.

The only thing is if loyalty is driving profits, that could be short lived. If they don't provide products people actually want to buy they will lose customers, and new users might be turned off by the lack of innovation and updates and decide to try something else.