If you put as much passion into coming up with things Apple SHOULD do, instead of what they shouldn't do, you'd have a shot at being their freaking CEO! Why don't you make a list of 10 things that - if Apple does them - they win?
Yeah, sure I would. But it's not that difficult either.
1> Fix the GUI convention problems.
-Regardless whether they maintain the "flat" look or not. Put busy indicators back where they belong. Make it obvious where window overlaps are. Make inactive windows DARK not "light" which makes no sense. Continue development of "dark mode" options (if Microsoft can manage this, so can Apple). Fix missing options like RAID (supposedly Sierra will at least do this, but there was no excuse for it to be missing in the first place).
2> Fix the hardware problems.
-Make sure that the Mac Pro and Mac Mini get at least yearly updates, even if it's just minor bumps (i.e. faster GPU included, a larger hard drive and/or ram or CPU). Don't build them with the expectation every user will replace them every single year, though.
-Don't purposely make them hard to open or upgrade. In fact, most users will appreciate it if they are designed to be easily user upgraded, even if the user never does this. Offer these upgrades for reasonable prices at Apple Stores so that squeamish users don't have to open it even if it is easier. It's a Win Win in terms of publicity, reputation and still getting upgrades.
-Offer a gaming level Mac with built-in Boot Camp ready to go. This could be a slightly larger Mac Mini with mid to high-end GPU. Go one better. Make it a standard connection so the user can take it to the Apple Store to have it upgraded the following year or upgrade it themselves. The goal should be to expand gaming on the platform (hard to do worse than they have) as it's an unfilled market. It would only take a short step from here to get a gaming console out of the same system with remote controls (i.e. Bluetooth connections for controllers, keyboards, driving consoles etc.). Why use iOS when "macOS" is so much better? Apple is HUGE now. Why don't they offer a competitive console gaming device? Why don't they make AppleTV into a 4K killer gaming machine with a cheaper model for movies light stuff only? Don't ask if it will sell! DO IT! Make it sell!
-Fix audio issues on iOS devices. This is a driver level and possibly hardware issue. I should be able to play my lossless CD collection at 44.1kHz instead of having to resample it to 48kHz. 24-bit audio should play with 24-bit output resolution, etc. This is SO 2006 and a decade late. The first AppleTV could at least do 44.1kHz and 48kHz output. Macs can do 16/44 to 24/192 with no issue. Why is iOS so freaking dumb?
-Put a freaking CAMERA on AppleTV so it can do Facetime and/or Skype calls. Make the camera detachable so you can set it wherever you want it. Better yet, have a freaking USB-C port on the device! Stop worrying about people using your devices for things you don't intend. That's a positive thing, not a negative. Stop being so damn overbearing controlling. The point is that I should be able to make video calls from my large screen TV when I want to.
-Move everything to USB-C and Macs to Thunderbolt III with USB-C but keep some legacy USB ports and the like for larger desktops, etc. when there's room so the transition is easier. Offer an official Apple "Hub" for Thunderbolt III with a GPU option and lots of traditional ports on it with a one-wire connection. Some of us are waiting for this. Stop stalling and wasting time on removing headphone jacks!
-Put the damn headphone jack back on the next model and apologize, at least on the larger model iPhone where there's no excuse for "no room". The arguments against waterproofing are nonsense. Greed is the only clear motivation to try and push Beats and Bluetooth sales.
-Get rid of Lightning NOW (realistically next year as it's too late for the iPhone 7). Move to USB-C. it's a STANDARD and it will suck to be at the airport in the near future with only USB-C ports available and you'll need yet another dongle to connect an iPhone. Ridiculous and pointless. USB-C is small enough. Phones don't need to any thinner as human hands aren't getting smaller.
3> Offer quality audio on the iTunes store. It's absolutely freaking RIDICULOUS that it's 2016 and there isn't even 1982 quality digital audio available on the iTunes store.
-iTunes sales are down and their solution is subscriptions to a "Radio" ? I'm not against a "Radio" option, but I don't agree it's the "future" of all audio. I personally despise Radio in general and not owning my own songs when they're not expensive and I have limited tastes is dumb. It's going to be good for some and dumb for others so why ignore the limited markets when you can improve them?
-In other words, offer LOSSLESS Audio for starters. At the very least, sell music in Apple Lossless at Redbook CD standards (i.e. 16/44). This is simple to do technically (CDs are already mastered and can be transferred with no loss to this format). Offer NEW albums at something better (20/48 is sufficient; anything else is technically inaudible, but 24/96 and even 24/192 "sound" (forgive the pun) like they would be better. There's no reason not to do it but some moron mentality that you don't sell music at "studio resolution". That's a load of horse crap. Your goal is to sell music so SELL IT (and RENT it to those that prefer subscriptions and offer the better quality there as well).
4> The Apple Watch is stupid.
-DITCH IT. Most of us stopped wearing watches when the iPhone came out anyway. What is the iPhone but a large pocket watch when not in use? I'm convinced this is simply a matter of "Gee, we need a NEW product. What can we do? What will be the next big thing?" Well, it's not a fracking watch, Apple.
5> Stop doing home automation half-arsed.
-IF you are going to do it, then make controls and devices for everything you'd want them for and make them reasonable. Put controls in AppleTV, the iPhone and if you're not going to get rid of it, the Apple Watch and give it voice control! Home automation COULD be a "big thing" but it's not going to get there with little more offer than over-priced colored "mood" light bulbs! This should be an Apple-wide system. If you have a Mac, an App should be in that room for voice control. If you have an AppleTV, it should have voice control (and I mean hands-free). Even Airport Express units should have a microphone for this purpose. You should be able to go anywhere in your house and control that room and it should not cost you more for rooms without controls (i.e. use the Mac in the den; make automation a semi-sleep enabled app so it's listening). What good is networking if you don't use it and force people to buy expensive separate control units for everything? Make them USB-C and move everything to USB-C.
-Eventually tie a centralized server control your entire house, home networking and terminals in each room fronted by AppleTV type units for various tasks (short of gaming units, you don't need a world of power just to do the Web, Facebook and Face Time!). Offer Macs for more power experiences and power users. The desktop is not going away just because most people don't need it for everything.
-Apple should be a continuous experience from home to car to office so you don't want anything else! iOS should continue to interface more with macOS to make it more seamless. Voice interfaces without even having to remove the phone from your pocket when you walk into a room with a TV while transferring over the relevant data to secure devices should be the norm at home. (See Face Time / Skype over "Apple TV" like devices above). Don't price it out of the stratosphere at first either. Get the market first. Apple misses this opportunity every time.
6> Bring back the PROS where possible.
-Apple lost a large segment of the video/audio market with that ridiculous new Mac Pro which they refuse to update (shock shock). Many won't want to come back, but you make it a lot easier if they restore internal PCI slots to a true "Pro" model. There's no reason for that garbage can look and it didn't sell big. Make a sleek "Pro" model and ditch the garbage can. Keep a team on Pro Apps ALL THE TIME. Pro Apps are a lightning rod for consumers. "Did you know that Macs are used in music production?" "I want THAT machine!"
-Was XServe such a bad idea or did Apple simply not know what the hell they were doing? There is no reason a UNIX based OS like macOS can't compete. Use a special networking version of OS X and license it for FREE. Outsource the hardware production and don't worry about anything but breaking even until you get a substantial market share. Make it easier to set up and control and more reliable. Pass the improvements on to the Home Sever App.
7> Clearly, the next big thing is going to be Virtual Reality sooner or later.
-Letting everyone else get ahead of you on this isn't a great idea. The experience isn't there yet, but Apple needs to be preparing behind the scenes for the right moment. The key is not release it before it's ready. The ability to sell anything from virtual vacations to virtual sex to virtual real estate in a socialized virtual reality is going to give all those people who are riding in automated cars something to do on the way to work or grandma's house. I personally hate social media, but I'm not blind to the fact the rest of the world is ADDICTED TO IT. Anything addictive that's legal is something you should be selling. Apple isn't even really in the game right now other than offering devices that can run the Apps. They've proven bad at it before because they build something and then they ignore it and they overcharge for everything. Not every single thing a company does has to be a profit leader. You want to bring people into your ecosphere and there should be range of products for this purpose leading up to higher profit margin items.
This is just all off the top of my head.
