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Apple's Strict Security Measures for Pre-Release Hardware

The secrecy of apple devices is actually an important part of their business strategy with these iDevices. I read a previous user commenting that its just a toy so why all the secrecy like it has national security implications? It doesn't, but it has $$$ implications to Apple. The hype that is created around these products is unmatched. Hell I am perfectly happy with my iPhone 4 but have no problems admitting that the fog surrounding the iPhone 5 has me intrigued to the point where I've considered upgrading out of contract without even knowing what the device is going to offer.

The key to it all though, is they usually deliver on the hype that gets created around the secrecy. Sure, the devices don't have everything that everyone dreams they may have, but they seem to deliver a great experience regardless. I have actually done a 180 in the last few months regarding the iPhone 5. I thought for sure it would be an improved iPhone 4 released in the late summer/early fall, but the secrecy and time frame seems to point to something much bigger/better. I'm anxious to see what it is.
 
I remember when that photo was shown on here, because the hype around the iPad meant not one noticed the iPhone 4 sitting there until much later.
 
I can understand Apple's secrecy: it builds anticipation, prevents competitors from stealing ideas before they're released, etc.

On the other hand, people in the enterprise market need to know about product roadmaps, new updates, discontinuations, etc. in advance so they could adequately prepare. I have a friend who's the head IT guy in a school district. He had just convinced his board to buy an xServe when Apple discontinued them. A few weeks notice isn't good enough. Some of these things take months of planning, plus it's not good enough to say "We're having event on this date!" People in medium-large companies need good lead time to prepare.
 
alent1234 said:
and if apple didn't take these measures then pictures and all kinds of details would leak out months prior to release
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And how is that a big deal, what if we knew before hand people would not by it, what a joke. :rolleyes: Its not like we buy Apple products because we don't get to see it, people even today buy Apple products because they F work, hard to say that about a lot of other products.

I still think its top management and self induced paranoia. Either way bring it on Apple I have yet to feel cheated out of my money for all the products I ever bought from you over the last 15 years. :D

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guzhogi said:
I can understand Apple's secrecy: it builds anticipation, prevents competitors from stealing ideas before they're released, etc.

On the other hand, people in the enterprise market need to know about product roadmaps, new updates, discontinuations, etc. in advance so they could adequately prepare. I have a friend who's the head IT guy in a school district. He had just convinced his board to buy an xServe when Apple discontinued them. A few weeks notice isn't good enough. Some of these things take months of planning, plus it's not good enough to say "We're having event on this date!" People in medium-large companies need good lead time to prepare.
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Really IT and Apple products don't mix, small endevors are fine but I have never been able to get anyone in the companies I have worked or contracted with to move to anything Apple. The secrecy is fine for getting people high on what could be next, but companies are not that stupid or want secrecy there is just to much money at stake. I love Apple but I don't ever recommend it for enterprise purchases.

Thought for the most part the phone and tablet are going to be stable items you can be sure will have incremental upgrades for a long time, so I have recommended them for medical facilities. Server no way, its not like IT directors would even consider it until Apple is a much more open company. But do we really care if Apple products are at the enterprise level. I for one would rather they where not, that what keeps them coming out with cool consumer goods.
 
alex2792 said:
This is a little ridiculous IMO. It's a a toy not a top secret black project with national security implications.
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Apple has sold $10 billion in iPads alone. Maybe they might want some secrecy with product details?

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kiljoy616 said:
And how is that a big deal, what if we knew before hand people would not by it, what a joke. :rolleyes:
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When you have dozens of multibillion dollar companies ready to see what you release so they can copy it IMMEDIATELY, you're telling me you'd allow details to leak out?

Seriously, sometimes I feel like the smartest person in the world. Are these concepts really that difficult to grasp?
 
And how is that a big deal, what if we knew before hand people would not by it, what a joke. Its not like we buy Apple products because we don't get to see it, people even today buy Apple products because they F work, hard to say that about a lot of other products.
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It's a BIG DEAL because the COMPETITION would get to see images of the device and COPY anything that is new or innovative (see Android phones before and after Schmidtt took the iPhone look and told it to Google).

Seriously, sometimes I feel like the smartest person in the world. Are these concepts really that difficult to grasp?
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For some in these threads...common sense eludes them greatly.
 
Rayday said:
Sites like this wouldn't exist without Apple's strict secrecy. How many Intel rumor sites are out there?
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You'd probably be surprised, people get together to discuss more boring things :rolleyes:

I still shake my head at the huge crowd of Plane Spotters surrounding the fence around the Air Field, with their huge camera waiting to take pictures of Jet Fighters landing and taking off.

And the amount of communities that spawn up purely for 1 car.
 
alex2792 said:
This is a little ridiculous IMO. It's a a toy not a top secret black project with national security implications.
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Wow, -30 votes. This type of secrecy is a bit ridiculous. Apple are well within their rights to be this secretive, but if you read this article and see the picture and still fail to say "WTF?," I think you may have issues.
 
alex2792 said:
This is a little ridiculous IMO. It's a a toy not a top secret black project with national security implications.
Click to expand...

Oh young padawan, calling an Apple product a toy on macrumors ... much to learn you have
 
budafied said:
Wow, -30 votes. This type of secrecy is a bit ridiculous. Apple are well within their rights to be this secretive, but if you read this article and see the picture and still fail to say "WTF?," I think you may have issues.
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You still don't get it.

Apple wants *zero* information getting out before release day. They are simply taking extra precautions to ensure no information gets out. Multiple layers of secrecy, identifying leakers, none of this is new to Apple. If you think Apple has tight security, you'd be astonished at the level of security of a defense contractor. Did Apple shoot people when they were running away with iPads? Nope, just kept information to themselves. What a wild idea!
 
guzhogi said:
People in the enterprise market need to know about product roadmaps, new updates, discontinuations, etc. in advance so they could adequately prepare. I have a friend who's the head IT guy in a school district. He had just convinced his board to buy an xServe when Apple discontinued them. A few weeks notice isn't good enough. Some of these things take months of planning.
Click to expand...
In all those "months of planning" he never bothered to look at Apples track record when it comes to supporting enterprise customers? Sounds like he got from Apple exactly what he put in to his proposal. Namely, a lot of empty hype but no actual substance.
 
Having the benefits of a public company (like special rights and limited liability) should demand more openness. Only private companies should be allowed the level of privacy Apple exhibits.
 
Now if Apple could just keep their employees from getting drunk in bars they'd be doing alright.
 
DisMyMac said:
Having the benefits of a public company (like special rights and limited liability) should demand more openness. Only private companies should be allowed the level of privacy Apple exhibits.
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Let me guess, you'd also like to limit how much money "rich" companies make?
 
santaliqueur said:
You still don't get it.

Apple wants *zero* information getting out before release day. They are simply taking extra precautions to ensure no information gets out. Multiple layers of secrecy, identifying leakers, none of this is new to Apple. If you think Apple has tight security, you'd be astonished at the level of security of a defense contractor. Did Apple shoot people when they were running away with iPads? Nope, just kept information to themselves. What a wild idea!
Click to expand...

people expect extreme measures for a defense contractor. It often involves government secrets. Apple has its own secrets but some of it is a bit out there.

rotating lock codes, no windows those are not extreme imo.

But they want/need Social security number? To do what exactly? background checks? if it was corporate espionage they'd wouldn't be sending in someone who is going to raise red flags.
 
ufwa said:
people expect extreme measures for a defense contractor. It often involves government secrets. Apple has its own secrets but some of it is a bit out there.

rotating lock codes, no windows those are not extreme imo.

But they want/need Social security number? To do what exactly? background checks? if it was corporate espionage they'd wouldn't be sending in someone who is going to raise red flags.
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Exactly for what you said...yes BACKGROUND CHECKS.

And for tracking other things if needed...like if something did get leaked, they could look at these people and have the FBI or others check to see if they got any unusual amounts of $$$ deposited in their accounts and so on.

This is a companies lifeblood..their products and the less that gets leaked out from the main INNOVATOR, the longer it takes for the competition to catch up and when they do, the INNOVATOR is already on to the next big INNOVATION.
 
santaliqueur said:
You still don't get it.

Apple wants *zero* information getting out before release day. They are simply taking extra precautions to ensure no information gets out. Multiple layers of secrecy, identifying leakers, none of this is new to Apple. If you think Apple has tight security, you'd be astonished at the level of security of a defense contractor. Did Apple shoot people when they were running away with iPads? Nope, just kept information to themselves. What a wild idea!
Click to expand...

I once worked for a defense contractor and witnessed three armed guards draw their weapons and detain an executive with the company because his badge wasn't visible when he entered the security checkpoint and when they asked him to reveal his badge he just waved them off.
 
I don't see any problem with this. And I don't feel that way because it is Apple, I think any company developing their own product can/should do the same. There is no public "right-to-know act" enforceable here.

Don't want to comply or don't want to give SSNs? Then you don't need to develop for it. If enough people protested then Apple couldn't do this.
 
BC2009 said:
It's not a toy... Its a multi-million dollar investment with potential multi-billion-dollar revenue. To a single person its a toy, to the company who makes and sells the product, its the company's revenue stream.
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very true indeed i used the first gen today its a toy to me but say that to the millions of users they have sold these things too
 
Moof1904 said:
I once worked for a defense contractor and witnessed three armed guards draw their weapons and detain an executive with the company because his badge wasn't visible when he entered the security checkpoint and when they asked him to reveal his badge he just waved them off.
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Irrelevant, sample size of 1. And you are only talking about 3 security officers who, if they let the executive go without revealing his badge, probably should have been disciplined or fired.

No security is perfect, as shown by the iPhone 4-in-a-bar disaster. Is your example trying to show that all defense contractor security is mediocre?
 
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