That’s the exact thing Apple is doing since 2012. Apple got out of touch with its customers. That’s why they’ve lost the pro market, educational market. Areas they were king before. Not listening what those people want or need. Years of neglect and trying to become a fashion brand because those people are less demanding when it comes to soft-/hardware.
I think the problem here is that you are focusing almost exclusively on the Mac line, while seemingly ignoring that the Mac makes up only a very small portion of Apple's total revenues.
I don't think Apple is out of touch with the majority of their user base. Rather, it is precisely because most / all their attention is on mobile and wearables that necessitates the siphoning of resources away from working on Macs. While you all whine about the state of the Mac mini and wonder where the next Mac Pro is, tons of customers are enjoying their apple watches and AirPods, using their iPads for productivity and consumption, and looking forward to AR glasses and self-driving cars in the near future.
As such, what you deem to be Apple's inexcusable neglect of the Mac, I consider to be an acceptable tradeoff.
Form over substance is the result. Make it more expensive so the less demanding people might think it’s exclusive and better. That might work in the clothing industry but it won’t work with computers/electronics.
You are right. It doesn't. Which is why it is a good thing that Apple sells experiences, not technology.
But please keep neglecting 90% of the comments and throw it in the trashcan. Keep saying apple’s products are the best and ignore real life customer experiences. Keep on doing what you’re doing...
Apple's user base extends well beyond this small but extremely vocal user base here at Macrumours. Let's go out on a limb and say that Apple is indeed taking notes here at Macrumours. Yes, you have your needs and your concerns and your wish-lists, but you all don't make up the bulk of Apple's user base either, nor do consumers base their buying decisions based on Macrumour's buying guide either.
Apple has been posting record quarters consistently for the past couple of years. They clearly have to be doing something right despite all the complaining and whining here.
Maybe it's high time people started trying to explain Apple's numerous successes, rather than trying to explain them away.
Isn’t there a small voice in your head somewhere that says that all those whiners and complainers do have a point? Can’t it be that all those whiners and complainers are actually preoccupied with what Apple is doing lately? I think most of those what you call whiners and complainers are/were very loyal to the brand and see flawed products coming out of Apple if anything comes out at all.
My conclusion is that their wants, while valid, are also shortsighted.
The way I see it, you have this extremely loyal user base who bought into Apple via the Mac. For them, the Mac is pretty much the only product they care about, and they aren't really passionate about the rest. However, times change, and Apple too is moving along with the times and preparing to move beyond the Mac, because that clearly does not represent the future here at Apple.
The issue then is this small and vocal Mac user base who are unable or unwilling to migrate their workflows from the Mac to iPads. That puts Apple in a dilemma. The Mac is a dead-end compared to mobile. Apple can't close down the Mac line without generating a ton of ill-will, but it's clear where Apple's attention and priorities lie. In mobile, wearables, AR, health, transportation. Notice the trend? All of them will leverage on the iPhone to push them forward, not Macs.
Is it then any surprise as to why Apple is putting so much emphasis on iPhones, iPads and watches?
So while the critics here might have a valid point from time to time, it's ultimately an inconsequential one in the bigger scheme of things. Yes, there are cracks, and my suspicion is that Apple is aware of it, and okay with what they deem to be acceptable "collateral damage".
Can you honestly say their computer line is up to date and okay?
Their whole range suffers from thermal issues, meaning you can’t get the power of the chips inside it is marketed for.
Do you think the gimmick touchbar on the MacBook Pros are worth the extra $$$
Do you honestly find the extra price increases in their hardware justified while competitors offer the same or more without those price increases?
Are you satisfied with speed in progress of iOS, MacOS, tvOS compared to the competition?
I believe that Apple is currently moving mountains just to sustain an annual refresh cycle for the iPhone and Apple Watch, in addition to periodic updates of their other product lines, as well as keeping to yearly updates for macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS, plus the numerous other software and services in their ecosystem, plus to working on other products in the pipeline that we may or may not be currently aware of.
I don't think Apple is slacking off one bit. And yes, my Apple products still work great for me, flaws and shortcomings and all.
I can make a big list of all the areas Apple was king in 2012 but lost that crown by neglecting and not listening to what the ‘whiners and complainers’ want.
You can, and I have no doubt you have a long list that you are just itching to paste in here, but as I have stated above, it ultimately doesn't matter. Not in the greater scheme of things.
I can also make a big list of products faulty by design Apple was deaf to hear and it took class action lawsuits to admit. The structure and sturdiness of the new iPad Pro is one of them.
You speak as though the competitors' products are somehow paragons of engineering and completely free of flaws themselves.
All products are ultimately packages of tradeoffs. I go into a market, am faced with a variety of choices, weigh the pros and the cons of each option, and finally make my purchasing decision.
Of course all other things equal, a product with one less flaw is better than a product with an extra one, but it is what it is, and at the end of the day, I don't feel that the user experience has suffered much for it.
But keep on saying it’s nothing and ignore the whiners and complainers. Keep on being proud of the record profits Apple is making. Keep on believing those are the indicators what’s making the brand Apple strong for now and in the future.
Here's a random thought - what if the so-called flaws and limitations mentioned by the critics here are actually accepted as good design by the rest of Apple's user base? For example, I remember the Apple Watch and AirPods being met with a ton of derision here when they were first announced.
Fast forward 2-3 years later, and there is no denying that these products have taken their respective markets by storm. The criticism levelled at them turned out not to matter at all. Apple Watch straps are somewhat of a laughing stock here, but they are likely the key reason why the Apple Watch is even as successful as it is.
And here is a somewhat controversial statement - I happen to love the original apple pencil's charging method. It's how I have charged it for over 2.5 years, and I have no issues with it.
The Apple brand isn't strong because of Apple's record profits.
Apple's record profits are evidence that the Apple brand remains strong despite all its missteps and shortcomings and criticisms aimed at it.
Keep on pushing those 90% away!
The problem with the 90% is that they are looking at Apple from a purely tech perspective. However, Apple isn't a technology company. Instead, it is a design company focused on creating experiences for their end users.
That's the chief reason why Apple is such a polarising company, and why it is not an easy company to evaluate, because it bucks so many core tenets of what you would expect of a conventional tech company, and yet continues to prosper despite (or perhaps, because of) it.
When this 90% cannot seem to adequately demonstrate that they understand why Apple grew, or how Apple grew to be as successful as it did (beyond reposting a few hackneyed Steve Jobs quotes and videos), and when they aren't even willing to acknowledge the significance of the simple Apple Watch band, I see little reason why much weight should be placed on their words, if any.
It's not about not listening to your customer base. It's about know which segment of your customer base to listen to. And the 90% here at Macrumours ain't it.
