Apple's Mac Sales Down in Q3 2018 Amid a Lack of Updates

Other then tech specs, my engine is larger and makes one feel more macho, what Apple Mac does not function for the the vast majority of Apple users? Additionally noting that Apple Mac’s remain relivent far longer then PC’s in both hardware and software. Which by the way negatively impacts sales. MacOS the main differentiator in how efficient the hardware functions. Apple gets kudos on this one.
 
npmacuser5 said:
Other then tech specs, my engine is larger and makes one feel more macho, what Apple Mac does not function for the the vast majority of Apple users? Additionally noting that Apple Mac’s remain relivent far longer then PC’s in both hardware and software. Which by the way negatively impacts sales. MacOS the main differentiator in how efficient the hardware functions. Apple gets kudos on this one.
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You're right, the hardware is powerful enough as it is. I think people just don't like paying today's prices for yesterday's technology. All other PC makers either constantly refresh their models, or lower prices as time goes on. Apple never really has sales, discounts are rare unless you're in Education or have a bulk agreement with Apple, and they never lower prices as the technology gets less expensive for them, as their hardware ages.
 
brofkand said:
Keep waiting, Apple is moving in a different direction. A lot of people were nonplussed when they removed the floppy and ADB ports in the iMac G3, and through the rest of the line over the next year or so. Technology moves forward and Apple usually is the first to remove legacy features.
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I don't care so much about removing legacy features, I just want a keyboard that feels nice to type on and doesn't bug out after a year or so while at the same time being impossible to repair.
 
GadgetBen said:
Announce the Keynote Apple! My wallet is waiting!
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My wallet is no longer waiting.

I had been ready to replace my 2014 Retina MBP since 2016, but a 30% price increase (here in AU) and lack of compelling improvements made me hold out. I have now given up, and the funds have been diverted to an entirely different project. My 2014 MBP will serve me fine for another 3-4 years, after I replaced the battery with a $90 part from eBay... :p
 
Dozer_Zaibatsu said:
I like the new Apple Keyboard butterfly switches. And I agree with Apple that touchscreens aren't all that.

I still ordered a Dell XPS for my laptop at work. I got more oomph for the price, even more resolution. And I'm not a huge fan of the touch screen, but I don't find the touchbar useful enough to bother. The Apple touchpad is good, but it's also too big to be cumbersome.

Also, the insistence that "Apple is better than Windows" is old dogma. I used all OSes all the time constantly. For the first time, I find Windows has aesthetic advantages over MacOS. Odd, I know. But it's a relief to me to use Windows 10 after trying to get around a Mac.
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I don’t agree about the aesthetic of Windows but I do think MacOS crashes more often Windows does. I cannot remember the last time I crashed a Windows machine. Photos crashes my 5k iMac all the time.
 
I think that real progress in the Mac space is held back by Intel's lack of pace. It seems to me that Apple have done what they could to innovate around the stale architecture. The next big leap is going to be ARM or something similar. I'm content to wait till then.
 
brofkand said:
You cannot operate the TouchBar F-Keys by feel, they have no tactile response and there is nothing to feel except glass. Ever try typing on your iPhone while looking away from it? Same thing. Traditional keys can be used without looking, the Touch Bar cannot. That is a huge deal to many people, you know "Pros" who buy Pro machines - like the MacBook Pro.
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I don’t know about you but I have no issues typing iPhone while looking away from it the same for using the Touch Bar, that’s called muscle memory, something you should be familiar with. What the heck pro are you talking about? The MacBook Pro is not a computer specialized for a niche group of people. It’s simply Apple’s more powerful laptop hence why it’s called Pro. “Pros” as you say buy the laptop to get the highest performance Apple can offer in a portable package to get their work done as smooth as possible.
No real “Pro” is going to be ranting about something so ridiculous like a touchbar, unlike you. Take care ;)
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cppguy said:
You can remove the Control, Option and Command keys, too. The touchbar has every shortcut that anyone could ever need. /s
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And what does that have to do with my previous response?
 
Much of this is due to the constant negative coverage of the MacBook Pro. Whether the keyboard issue, over-exaggeration of dongles, attacks on the Touch Bar, base model with only 2 ports, lack of Type-A ports, lack of SD card slot and whatever else people have complained about. PC sales haven't been doing too well for anyone. HP and Dell sell more because they're Windows machines and there is one for every budget. They also have lots of discounts and special offers throughout the year which Apple never does apart from throwing in a free pair of Beats with a Mac purchase for back to school.

Now I do think Apple has botched their lineup. The 12" retina MacBook was and still is a mistake. I don't know what Apple was thinking introducing USB-C back in early 2015 and only offering one port on top of that! The fan-less design is impressive and I think it's a gorgeous device but not practical enough. It used to be that the regular MacBook looked very similar to the MBP and the main difference was the use of slower CPUs, weaker GPUs and the lack of the highest-end ports. For example they wouldn't include Thunderbolt 3 and just go with USB-C 3.1 gen1 and USB 3.1 Type A.

I think Apple should eliminate the 12" MacBook and replace it with a non-pro retina MacBook that takes the place of both the MacBook Air and MacBook. Call it the all new 13" retina MacBook or just use the Escape MBP as the regular MacBook leaving it with CPUs a generation behind to keep the price down.

13" MacBook Kaby Lake Refresh i5-8250U 1.6 GHz 8GB RAM 128GB SSD = $999 256GB $1199 512GB $1399 1TB $1799
 
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A lack of updates, ****** software plagued with bugs, mediocre & gimmicky hardware and a CEO coasting on his predecessor's work and reputation, all too focused on driving his profits while being completely oblivious to the fact that his company is going down the cr@pper.

No this isn't Microsoft in the 00's with Steve Balmer at the helm.

This is Apple under the helm of Tim Cook.
 
As for the Mac mini, it has now become a niche product for those who want an affordable desktop Mac or want to use it for all sorts of purposes like an HTPC or a MAME emulator inside a custom built Arcade cabinet for example. There will always be people who will buy it but it will never sell as much as it would've 15 years ago. I still think a complete redesign is long overdue!

The iMac 4K and 5K are fine as is except for the HDD, Fusion drive and a hexa-core CPU refresh. Apple should stop selling them and only make them available with SSDs. Apple should encourage the use of external HDDs or SSDs hooked up with TB3 for those who need more storage. Apple can even offer them as an option when ordering one for those customers who don't know which drive they should buy. The iMac is not a portable machine and external drives take up very little space on a desk.

The iMac Pro is fine as is so they only other product left is the Mac Pro. I hope Apple reintroduces some kind of mid-size to full-size tower.
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Naraxus said:
A lack of updates, ****** software plagued with bugs, mediocre & gimmicky hardware and a CEO coasting on his predecessor's work and reputation, all too focused on driving his profits while being completely oblivious to the fact that his company is going down the cr@pper.

No this isn't Microsoft in the 00's with Steve Balmer at the helm.

This is Apple under the helm of Tim Cook.
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How is macOS plagued with bugs? It's more stable than Windows 10. Just look at what the last Win 10 update was doing to your data! It can't get any worse than that! macOS is an extremely mature product in contrast to iOS which is still a baby when compared to Linux, Windows and OS X. There isn't much new that can be introduced every year to macOS and we live in a mobile world where the smartphone is everyone's main device. It is the only one that no one leaves home without.
 
scottinlexky said:
my 2014 iMac 5K still does what I need of it, but it's lagging poorly in 4K playback even with an SSD. I can see myself going back to a tower next year at somepoint, and it will most likely be my first windows 10 machine ever. Tim Cook has to go!
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As somebody who has a fusion drive in my 2015 iMac 5k and runs 4k footage just fine, I'm thinking something is wrong with your iMac rather than apple is somehow at fault here. I am not a big fan of the new keyboards. But have you played around with a windows 10 machine? It's much better than it used to be, but I have recently played around and it still doesn't cut it compared to Mac OS. As for Tim Cook, he's doing the job he's supposed to, which is make the company more money. Do I want the new MacBook air's to have the old style keyboard? Sure, but I don't think they will. I'll either put up with them, (like on an air plane) or bring a wireless keyboard that I love. I'll still take that over a laptop that I hate the operating system, which you can't control (without tinkering around with it) when it updates, and which updates can delete entire folders of files, and has not as good build quality as apple laptops. (You may not love the keyboard, but the design of the new mac's is still incredible. As for the new towers, yeah, they need to put those out, and they will in 2019.)
 
And the MBP update still sucks. I ended up getting a 2017 one because my workplace provided it, and I thought maybe I'd get used to the keyboard and trackpad, but no. They're just bad. The touch bar was a good idea, but the volume controls make it not worth using (3 taps to change the volume is idiotic), so I've set it to act like function keys, except now I still have no escape key. And I have to use a USB adaptor. No wonder people won't buy them.

The ONLY positives are that I'm free from Apple-proprietary chargers, and I have TouchID. Both nice things but not at all worth the keyboard/trackpad being crappified.
 
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For all the hate it gets on this forum, the MacBook Pros with Touchbars are now the best-selling Mac models per Apple's executives. Sure, you can say they are lying, but the Average Sales Price for the Mac has been trending strongly upwards since the 2016 model's release and that would not happen if everyone is buying clearance 2015 models or MacBook Airs.
 
Better for what? Depends what you are doing. Despite the premium price, apple laptops still have incredibly weak GPUs, for example.

waquzy said:
Decent? Are you kidding me? The MacBook(pick any) is still better than all the other windows laptops. Case closed my friend.

You don't like the keyboard? That's your problem. I think it's the best keyboard out there, trying going back to the old keyboard is like cutting the bread into slices again.
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fairuz said:
And the MBP update still sucks. I ended up getting a 2017 one because my workplace provided it, and I thought maybe I'd get used to the keyboard and trackpad, but no. They're just bad. The touch bar was a good idea, but the volume controls make it not worth using (3 taps to change the volume is idiotic), so I've set it to act like function keys, except now I still have no escape key. And I have to use a USB adaptor. No wonder people won't buy them.

The ONLY positives are that I'm free from Apple-proprietary chargers, and I have TouchID. Both nice things but not at all worth the keyboard/trackpad being crappified.
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How did you customize it so you use the old function keys -- the multiple taps to adjust volume is driving me nuts?
 
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