Apple's Renewed Focus on iPad Left the Mac Behind This Year

[ScottNWDW]

do you like the keyboard on your new mac book ?

I love it. Very responsive and I am actually typing faster with it.
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There is a wide range of what constitutes 'professional'. So what you're saying is, if the current macs can at least satisfy the BOTTOM RUNG of what a 'professional' might do with a computer ... why then ... it's perfectly fine for everybody!!!

With logic like that, we don't need any other meat in the world other than chicken!

No, what your saying is basically that if you don't have a need for apps like Final Cut Pro, or apps to to do Video Editing, or write code then you can't be a pro and should just stick with a "basic" MacBook because you don't really need the extra power. Hate to break it to ya buttercup, but the word "Pro" means a lot more than that and in todays world is just a marketing gimmick to make you think something is more powerful. I need a dependable laptop and my 2011 MacBook Pro served me well for almost 6 years and still works well. I wanted something a little more updated and went with the 2016 MacBook Pro and it certainly is a huge improvement. The whole point of this thread was how Apple focused more on the iPad and not the Mac this year, not whether the MacBook Pro is for artists of business people. For me, my devices work seamlessly together, I can open whatever document I want on any of them, and with handoff just bring them right over. Couldn't do that in a Windows environment and certainly a long way before android gets anywhere close to that.

Just because a person doesn't have a need for these "artistic" apps doesn't mean they don't need a professional grade computer like the MacBook Pro.

 

[MacBH928]

When your computers are priced with the inflation prices of the year 2030, your specs are from the year 2012, and your strategy is to abandon current standards like USB-A, Ethernet, and headphone jacks...

Were you really expecting Mac sales to skyrocket?

FIRE TIM COOK, SAVE APPLE

 

[Dave245]

It seems that all the doom and gloom posts do not represent the majority, Apple still seem to be doing well, not only is the MacBook Pro the best selling but it seems (as per this article) that the IOS is seeing growth in the U.S and here in the UK as well. https://9to5mac.com/2016/12/07/kantar-ios-market-share-iphone-market-share/

I think Apple will update the iMac next year along with new iPad Pro's.

 

[A-Sign]

Apple will discontinue the entire Desktop Mac product range explaining it doesn't sell well enough like they have done with the Xserve, X-Raid, Server OS... it is always the same game that Apple plays - first you see Products that aren't updated over the years, then customers aren't buying it and Apple will argue nobody is buying them. But it is their fault...

 

[hawkeye_a]

Apple will discontinue the entire Desktop Mac product range explaining it doesn't sell well enough like they have done with the Xserve, X-Raid, Server OS... it is always the same game that Apple plays - first you see Products that aren't updated over the years, then customers aren't buying it and Apple will argue nobody is buying them. But it is their fault...

I too see it panning out this way.
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The Apple ecosystem has never been stronger, and as such, there has never been a better time to be an Apple customer.

Apple is now managing 4 software platforms simultaneously (iOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS), plus their numerous services (Siri, iCloud, iMessage, Apple Music, app stores, amongst others), not to mention working on god-knows-what products are still in their pipeline (we know they are already in AI, home automation, health and self-driving car tech).

Not to excuse Apple's shortcomings, but I think it needs to be viewed in perspective. Seems they have quite a lot on their plate, and I guess some products simply fell through the cracks.

Some (for example I) might argue that they are spreading themselves too thin. Not only are they developing/supporting too many things, each product line has too many variations (selling 2 generation old devices, etc).

Personally, i'd get rid of AppleTV and the Watch, unless they are transformed into something great (which seems unlikely given the current CEO).

The simplicity of the 4X4 product matrix with "good, better, best", was IMHO a great 'interface'/'language' the company used to communicate with customers. Now, the complexity in their offerings reminds me of the early 90s. (Albeit, they have a much healthier balance sheet this time around).

The similarities between Apple the first time it was without Steve Jobs and now without Steve Jobs again worries me (as far as the actual products go).

 

[Tech198]

No dice for which the bigger number is on this one

I fail to still agree on *waiting on updates*

We've been waiting for looks like ages..... When will people start saying "Apple is not updating the Mac Pro"

Perhaps, if we keep continuing to say it, it will finally come true, or wait for 7 years then say "ok, I guess they really are not making this anymore"

Just because Apple has not said anything why should that automatically assume we "waiting for updates" ? there is no proof no that

 

[A-Sign]

Just because Apple has not said anything why should that automatically assume we "waiting for updates" ? there is no proof no that

The same people that are saying Apple will provide updated Mac Desktop hardware in the next year (at spring, summer or winter?) are those who still think Apple will introduce another Cinema Display in the future - although if you use your logic and see what they have done at the "Hello Again" keynote it will become clear that they won't.

The "Hello Again" keynote pretty much reflects what Apple is seeing as being important in their Mac line-up. Not introducing new iMacs, Mac Mini and Mac Pro computers is like saying slowly "good bye" to those products. I have seen already third-party vendors that operate Apple shops which are having only MacBooks on display at their showroom. It was quite a surprise to me as they also had previously shown iMacs, Mac Mini and Mac Pro computers in the past.

 

[ventricle]

@DanTheAppleMan They were aggressive then, competing for market share. And so proud of the performance of the new Pro. I remember also when they cannibalized sales of their own good-sized iPod Mini in order to reduce the size. Then the iPhone gave ‘em a ton of money, and later they went into the content business (App store, music…) which for hardware makers tends to degrade product imho (think Sony).

 

[irishv]

Better Headline - Tim Cook Left Apple Behind This Year.

1. Removed 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhone
2. Made the Macbook Pro less pro
3. Neglected iMac
4. Ditched Display Business
5. Has made a loyal Apple customer not find any interest in any product in the Apple store

You can add gave up on the wireless router market. I just bought a Netgear router to replace a dying Time Capsule + Airport Express network. Also the first year I did not upgrade to the new iPhone.

 

[boilingDream]

Alright! Back onto the real issue at hand;

What do Apple consumers do now that Apple is essentially selling yesterday's tech (that's also gimped) with tomorrow's prices? What are the alternatives? Me personally, I went the Hackintosh route for a desktop but what about laptops? Anyone got experience with the Razer Blade? It looks pretty solid on paper especially with that matte finish display.

Thoughts?

I have been using Apple computers since 2008. My next laptop will probably be either a Dell XPS 13 or a Lenovo X 1 Carbon. Dualbooting Ubuntu with with Windows.

Part of me regrets switching back to PCs, but Apple has just dropped the ball too many times now, both hardware and software wise. Enough is enough.

 

[BlargKing]

Alright! Back onto the real issue at hand;

What do Apple consumers do now that Apple is essentially selling yesterday's tech (that's also gimped) with tomorrow's prices? What are the alternatives? Me personally, I went the Hackintosh route for a desktop but what about laptops? Anyone got experience with the Razer Blade? It looks pretty solid on paper especially with that matte finish display.

Thoughts?

There are PC laptops that can be made into Hackintoshes as well. Its not as easy as with a desktop, but I'm pretty sure theres a list out there of laptops that work with OS X. If I recall correctly, a lot of Lenovo laptops work very well with OS X.

 

[kingtj]

This might be, but it's still irrelevant, IMO.
The "majority" are exactly the type of customers Steve Jobs used to say he wasn't interested in chasing down.

Trying to offer a superior product that the majority probably wouldn't buy is like running a gourmet restaurant instead of opening another McDonalds, or selling a luxury sports car instead of an economy car.

Apple never sold Macs in WalMart or Target for a reason. (If they did, surely their sales figures would go up -- but they were looking at the bigger picture of how they wanted the products presented.)

I don't think most of these complaints are really focused on iOS, in any case? iOS is seen as a completely separate product from Mac OS X for a good reason; it's the offering that may have more appeal to the "masses". It's going to run pretty much every smartphone in the world that's not an Android device, as well as a whole lot of tablets. I'm glad iOS is seeing growth, but I'm not too worried if it does or doesn't in a given year -- because it's essentially tied to a group of devices that are in very wide use and made Apple huge profits. A decline in iOS popularity just equates to a year where the market is more saturated for mobile devices and users are content to keep using the iOS devices they already bought.

It's the Mac side where Apple has real problems.

It seems that all the doom and gloom posts do not represent the majority, Apple still seem to be doing well, not only is the MacBook Pro the best selling but it seems (as per this article) that the IOS is seeing growth in the U.S and here in the UK as well. https://9to5mac.com/2016/12/07/kantar-ios-market-share-iphone-market-share/

I think Apple will update the iMac next year along with new iPad Pro's.

 

[robeddie]

I love it. Very responsive and I am actually typing faster with it.
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No, what your saying is basically that if you don't have a need for apps like Final Cut Pro, or apps to to do Video Editing, or write code then you can't be a pro and should just stick with a "basic" MacBook because you don't really need the extra power. Hate to break it to ya buttercup, but the word "Pro" means a lot more than that and in todays world is just a marketing gimmick to make you think something is more powerful. I need a dependable laptop and my 2011 MacBook Pro served me well for almost 6 years and still works well. I wanted something a little more updated and went with the 2016 MacBook Pro and it certainly is a huge improvement. The whole point of this thread was how Apple focused more on the iPad and not the Mac this year, not whether the MacBook Pro is for artists of business people. For me, my devices work seamlessly together, I can open whatever document I want on any of them, and with handoff just bring them right over. Couldn't do that in a Windows environment and certainly a long way before android gets anywhere close to that.

Just because a person doesn't have a need for these "artistic" apps doesn't mean they don't need a professional grade computer like the MacBook Pro.

I think we agree that there are any number of ways to define pro. My point, which seemed to elude you, buttercup, is that there are several 'pro' use cases this laptop could have satisfied much much better (as previous macbook pros did - for their era).

 

[MacsRgr8]

Can't we just change the name here from MacRumors Forums to IHateTimCook Forums? It would be more aptly titled.

So little real input other than whining.

I'm not an *Apple Sheep*, I just liked when there were more balanced discussions.

Tell me, why is it that there are less balanced discussions now..?

It's obvious the majority of the readers are "whining" because of the dislike of the current product strategy. Not because it's fun to whine.

I miss your real input as to why Macs are still good value.

 

[greenmeanie]

When you start Speccing out those Z Series they get quite expensive.

Who cares at this point. There are better computers that destroys anything that Apple will bring. Definitely can't touch z series like mc hammer.

 

[nick42983]

Yes, people rushed out to get the 2015 models over the 2016 models.


For me, the arguments were lack of SD slots, magsafe, slower then the 2015 model (cpu wise), and less battery life. I think those are compelling arguments.

As for dongles, its a minor irritation that needs to be put up with until USB-C is more accepted.

All good points, battery life is probably the biggest one on that list. I was disappointed to see that 10 hrs. is their new benchmark. My Haswell Macbook Air was getting 12+ hours when it was new in 2013. Maybe we'll see it again, but probably a few generations from now.

As far as USB-C being more accepted, sure, but it's less about more peripherals being available than my need to buy them. My podcasting microphone is just fine (USB-A), my three external hard drives fine too (USB-A), my iPhone 6 same, so are my handful of SD cards. Maybe in a couple of years it will make sense, but it'd be too big of a compromise at present. It's buying into a future that won't be a reality until 3-5 years from now when it'll basically be time to start thinking about a new laptop.

 

[bjjp2]

I got the new MacBook Pro 13" non-TB from work and I like it. Bought a bunch of dongles. It's fine.
I also recently got my first Windows computer in like 15 years--a Black Friday marked down Lenovo 17" with great specs--to use for gaming.
Having not been on a PC for a while, I have to say--Windows still=Yuk! Really miss the MacOs on the thing. Already having all kinds of problems, crashes etc.

 

[pat500000]

When you start Speccing out those Z Series they get quite expensive.

Yeah..but it's an investment..not like those throwaways products from apple.

 

[Juicy Box]

the word "Pro" means a lot more than that and in todays world is just a marketing gimmick to make you think something is more powerful.

This is definitely true of the 2016 MBP. But with Macs of the past, "Pro" was for creative professionals.

My wife uses her MBA to type notes and submit billing for psycho-therapy sessions. She is considered a professional, but using a typical "Pro" computer would be overkill.

Actually, if the new MBP was just named MB, it would probably fit right in and there wouldn't be complaining about it not being a real "Pro" computer.

Just my thoughts.....

 

[superberg]

Anyone got experience with the Razer Blade?

If it weren't for the lackluster (separate physical buttons!) trackpad, I'd have bought the Blade 14 w/ 1060 instead of a 2016 MBP15.

It's power consumption is outrageous, though.

 

[swajames]

I got the new MacBook Pro 13" non-TB from work and I like it. Bought a bunch of dongles. It's fine.
I also recently got my first Windows computer in like 15 years--a Black Friday marked down Lenovo 17" with great specs--to use for gaming.
Having not been on a PC for a while, I have to say--Windows still=Yuk! Really miss the MacOs on the thing. Already having all kinds of problems, crashes etc.

I use both MacOS and Windows 10 on a daily basis, and truthfully find neither one to be markedly better than the other. The old "it just works" is no longer true for MacOS, and I find there are far fewer Windows frustrations than there used to be.

To my mind what used to be a clearly differentiated and less frustrating user experience with OS X/MacOS compared to the Windows of old is now much more similar than different.

For me, it's another example of what used to be a genuine Apple advantage being frittered away.

 

[idunn]

I see lots of people using mobile phones and tablets... but outside of purely domestic users, they're using them in addition to a laptop or desktop. While mobile is great for communication, taking notes in meetings, entertainment or a handful of niche applications where touch/stylus works well, as soon as people need to write a 10000-word report, edit a video, write some code or do their accounts, they reach for a proper computer.

Exactly this. To be fair, there was a segment that used desktops or MacBook Pros who didn't really need them and find their wishes and needs better met in the iOS world. It is good that Apple has devised a way to better fit their requirements.

Where Apple has badly gone off the tracks however is in being seduced by the extravagant profits—in perhaps a historical anomaly—obtained through the iPhone and then thinking this will answer all needs, as where the majority of their profits are presently derived. In theory wonderful if they can divest themselves of the bother of all else with lower returns.

But that is turning a blind eye to reality. With all iOS limited at the outset by design; iPhones and iPads are principally and best used as consumption and communication tools. If nothing else and to begin with, iOS doesn't even have a proper file system, not one designed, as OSX, for real work. Nor, that huge limit aside, does any current iOS hardware have enough horsepower for real work. With real work being defined as tasks such as video rendering in which one usually needs all the power available and then more preferably.

Not everyone falls within that camp, most do not. But many lesser tasks are still best done beyond iOS, with all needing to do so finding Apple is slowly decimating everything OSX. Which, despite what Tim Cook might think, still arguably forms the core of what Apple is.

They'll discover that as soon as the fortunes of the iPhone fade and Apple becomes just another appliance maker fighting for sales in a fickle market. Or indeed the day all the many presently enamored with the brand realize this emperor has no clothes.

At which point it would be nice to have a sound professional and prosumer market to fall back on—the company respected because that on offer is simply the best for the task on hand.

 

[Keerock]

Tell me, why is it that there are less balanced discussions now..?

It's obvious the majority of the readers are "whining" because of the dislike of the current product strategy. Not because it's fun to whine.

I miss your real input as to why Macs are still good value.

Wow, check many of my posts.

TCO - Total cost of ownership. Less downtime, more productivity. I'm not a computer nerd that likes to tinker with hardware, I like to do my job and not futz around.

By the way, back in the late 90's and early 2k's all I ever did was restart my parking Mac while it froze. You had to be a computer nerd (and I was and I am, just would prefer not to make it my job) to keep your machine going all day. Yeah, ask around to any professional using Macs during that time and you'll hear it. And guess what, that was during the reign of Jobs...

And sorry, every discussion seems like "Tim sucks, Jobs is a God" mentality.

If anyone is a real student of Apple they would know how many failures Jobs had compared to wins. TC is doing fine, Apple is doing fine. I would 100% agree with everyone that they have missed opportunities to do better and to keep serious professionals happy. That has been their one glaring mistake.

But my entire point is simply that Tim Cook is not an evil man, a moron or even misguided. He is doing very well for Apple. If you read these forums you would think we were discussing a failing company. But I'll just keep buying Apple stock on the dips.

 

[doctor-don]

If Apple abandons the Mac then I will abandon Apple.

If Apple abandons the Mac then I will BE FORCED TO abandon Apple.

 

[kirkbross]

Gonna wait to see if MacBook Pro sales reverse the trend??

Maybe it's just me, but IMHO, a laptop is not a "Mac." All laptops, pro or not, belong in the iPhone, iPad, iPod "mobile" universe.

I kinda wish they'd just formally discontinue Mac Pros and iMacs and force us sad, neglected, old-world desktop folks to move to another platform. Meanwhile, I'm still in love with my big-ass silver 2008 tower.