Apple's Focus on Product Secrecy Thwarted by its Massive Supply Chain

[tdream]

sorry but incremental changes just aren't "exciting" anymore

we were used to LIFE changing products

not just crap thats slightly better ...

do you want to make iPad Mini's the rest of your life

or do you want to change the world...

Well fricken said

Steven Jobs had the secret sauce that's missing from now. Charisma, spark, revolution, magic. It's just a high end boutique brand now, before it was... life changing

 

[Rogifan]

sorry but incremental changes just aren't "exciting" anymore

we were used to LIFE changing products

not just crap thats slightly better ...

do you want to make iPad Mini's the rest of your life

or do you want to change the world...

Just curious what life changing product you want? A updated MacPro?

 

[mtrctyjoe]

Will Apple use it cash to purchase the Supply Chain?

I remember reading this article ... and I am beginning to think that this might be true... Even if they do, there will still be 1,000's of employees overseas - even if they are Apple employees....

http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2012/04/17/apples-secret-plan-for-its-cash-stash/

 

[MacinDoc]

the only way to counter this is to announce products and THEN start manufacturing them...leading to at least a few month waiting time. I'm not sure people would want that

You mean like with the Surface? Works OK if you aren't already trying to sell another product in the same category. Otherwise, your sales tank for a few months. Doesn't help the bottom line much.

but that's the difference between everyone else and apple... this is what drives apple... I don't even remembering hearing anything about the surface before it was announced...

See above. We've know for a long time that the Surface was coming.

 

[Rogifan]

Well fricken said

Steven Jobs had the secret sauce that's missing from now. Charisma, spark, revolution, magic. It's just a high end boutique brand now, before it was... life changing

What revolution are you looking for exactly?

 

[TheHateMachine]

Life Changing Products?

 

[tdream]

What revolution are you looking for exactly?

To change the way we do things. Like the iPhone did and the iPad did.

 

[2crazy]

I think these leaks work out well for Apple. It creates a constant buzz and excitement around their products. The competition keeps releasing new and exciting products all the time. Keeping people hyped up with long release cycles is a real challenge.

 

[rcappo]

It might suck for the rumor sites, but it is a lot better when there isn't speculation or actual photos of the device before it gets announced.

 

[One Still Sheep]

Life Changing Products?

Yeah, you know, washing machines, air conditioning, and water filtration.

----------

It might suck for the rumor sites, but it is a lot better when there isn't speculation or actual photos of the device before it gets announced.

Why?

 

[Blorzoga]

I'm honestly surprised that supply chain leaks come as late as they do. The 13" retina leaked just a week before it is announced, but they have got to have been making these things for a while.

I don't think people get as excited about a 13" RMBP as they do about, say a new iphone or ipad. Hence, the demand and payment for such leaks may not large enough to be worth the risk.

 

[rcappo]

I think these leaks work out well for Apple. It creates a constant buzz and excitement around their products. The competition keeps releasing new and exciting products all the time. Keeping people hyped up with long release cycles is a real challenge.

It also lets the competition know where the market is, and what features the market wants. 4G for instance in 2011 should have been in the 4S, but it gave the other players months before the Oct 2011 launch to work on it, and sell 4G phones for a year before Apple.

Some people can wait, others trade up with no regard to money, but most people don't want to know that there is better tech out there, yet it isn't in their product.

There might be constant buzz, but also no one is buying a iPad in the past few weeks until they see what is released tomorrow.

 

[Konrad9]

How about doubling down on quality control?

That would decrease their massive profit margin, something they are completely unwilling to do.

 

[sputnikv]

Build them all here in the USA in one giant factory.

willy wonka?

 

[iChrist]

good!

.

In the end, this is good for the consumer. You have advanced notice on which to make purchasing decisions. You know what is coming out in next couple months so you can decide whether to wait or not.

Glad is not built in USA, imagine the QC nightmare with US workers. yikes.

 

[Carouser]

no one is buying a iPad in the past few weeks until they see what is released tomorrow.

Most people aren't paying any attention to whether there'll be an iPad Mini tomorrow - they don't care about reading the rumor mill. I'm quite sure iPad sales have remained fairly steady.

 

[Renzatic]

Well fricken said

Steven Jobs had the secret sauce that's missing from now. Charisma, spark, revolution, magic. It's just a high end boutique brand now, before it was... life changing

I think we're setting the bar a little too low on life changing events. Getting my iPhone was a nice and neat, but it didn't do much to alter the way I live. My pre-iPhone life was me walking around and doing stuff. Post iPhone? Walking around and doing stuff...with an iPhone.

 

[One Still Sheep]

willy wonka?

I didn't care for the Tim Burton remake, but I would love to see the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remade with Steve Jobs, as the character of Willy Wonka, making little Apple products in his all aluminium, uni-body factory. I think it would work pretty well.

 

[Rogifan]

To change the way we do things. Like the iPhone did and the iPad did.

Not sure how you can expect revolutionary products to come that quickly. Plus Apple doesn't just throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. If you want that go to Google.

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That would decrease their massive profit margin, something they are completely unwilling to do.

Really? So their profit margins are due to selling low quality products?

 

[mdelvecchio]

It would be nice to have a little more surprise in apple keynotes. Just doesn't happen like it used to.

I'm not complaining though, it's just a byproduct of getting bigger

no...its a product of your decision to visit sites like this one. want surprises? dont go to leak/rumor sites. problem solved.

 

[Antares]

give me a break...this is not national security here. It's a friggin computer.

An Apple computer is not just a computer. Once you learn that, you will understand the secrecy involved with them. The reason why the culture and community exists around Apple products.

 

[Konrad9]

I love how Apple employees are speaking "on the condition of anonymity" about internal policies regarding secrecy. Ironic much?

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

 

[HishamAkhtar]

Question: is this problem only exclusive to Apple or do Google/Android/Lenovo, etc have the same issues?

 

[mdelvecchio]

sorry but incremental changes just aren't "exciting" anymore

we were used to LIFE changing products

not just crap thats slightly better ...

do you want to make iPad Mini's the rest of your life

or do you want to change the world...

...then you need to get over it. this is what happens as a product matures...incremental updates, polish, etc. change-for-change's sake has never been the goal and never will be.

if you want excitement try a roller coaster.

 

[One Still Sheep]

An Apple computer is not just a computer. Once you learn that, you will understand the secrecy involved with them. The reason why the culture and community exists around Apple products.

...how disturbing.