You missed the point. I said they've gone too far with it. Having celebrities advertise isn't a bad thing until you take it too far. Seeing pictures of anorexic models on magazine covers and fashion shows wearing the watch leaves me with negative feelings towards the product and Apple, not positive. If the marketing works on you though, cool. I suspect for many it does not.
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Jony Ive Reveals Exclusive Apple Watch Sport Bands at Milan Design Week
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I've already stated in various threads that Apple did a nice job with the watch. I've tried it on too and it is good quality. All Imsaid was the buzz factor would be near zero if anyone else made the same thing.
This isn't just a fashion item. It's a utility item that intersects with fashion. And Apple has played at that intersection for a long time. How many "flavors" did the original iMac come in?
If Apple had been satisfied to produce "utility" items they would have kept producing beige boxes, like Henry Ford used to produce only black cars. They wouldn't have allowed for wallpaper, or color- and font-coordinated the look of the GUI... Going all the way back to the "1984" ad, Apple has stated that gray uniformity is something to be resisted.
The watch will succeed or fail based on its utility, but it will be on people's wrists. While a certain number of people will only care about the utility of the thing, far more will want it to fit in with everything else they're wearing. No matter how useful, if people "wouldn't be caught dead wearing the thing," they won't take advantage of the utility.
Appearance is just one more form of communication. While at times, the message is one of class/social rank, it's hardly the only message.
Considering people have been adorning themselves since primitive times (and we're not the only species to do it), and that uniformity (including uniform non-conformity) is often used to symbolize membership in a particular group (and not just by economic and social status - religion, age, politics, family/tribe/nation, team/army... )... Uniformity is countered by expressions of individuality.
Somebody posted in this thread that he's going to make a band of gray duct tape in protest of this whole fashion thing. Why didn't he say, "I'll just wear the plain black band?" Presuming he actually does make that band, he just publicized the message he wants to send by wearing it.
Sure, part of "fashion" is to sell people new stuff every year. But fashion exists regardless, even if all it is is a home-made bracelet made of colored string, or proudly wearing the red kerchief of the Revolution. The Fashionistas are taking advantage of a basic human trait, they didn't invent it.
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Getting over the top
I dont remember any other Apple devise - iPhone - iPad - iPod - where so many famous people / directors / hip hop / fashionistas etc had the device and FLAUNTED it before the public could get it. This is beginning to be a little unseemly.
I dont remember any other Apple devise - iPhone - iPad - iPod - where so many famous people / directors / hip hop / fashionistas etc had the device and FLAUNTED it before the public could get it. This is beginning to be a little unseemly.
Understand the point all too well. When all else fails, it still tells time. Useless is the wrong term as few things are truly useless. They may have limited use for some people.
What they can tell from many reviews is whether it is likely to be of suitable value to them given cost and features. Thats different from Useless.
No it's more like Apple is giving away free Apple Watches to the rich & famous while the rest of us have to buy one.
Macrumors probably gets checks or envelopes full of cash from Apple to push this crap to make it seem like there is alot of demand for it.
I'm just waiting for the Apple Watch Edition C that only costs $200 and comes with 500MB of storage.
The Emperor has no clothes!!
I understand the need to promote a product and good luck to Apple, but is it just me or does all the media lately suggest Apple are more interested in what the fashion industry think of the Watch than ordinary people? A 10k watch doesn't make me feel any easier either.... I know people are gonna flame me for it, but the thing i like about Apple and Steve in particular is that they seemed to be "one of us". Geeks who built stuff all us geeks would love. To put it another way, it was all about the tech and product design and getting it into the hands of as may people as possible.... Apple are a tech company; sure, promote a product, and if a bunch of silly people in the fashion industry (who would pay $100,000 for a pile of poo if it was put in a gallery) like it, then great, no harm done... But what the fashion industry THINK has never been (and should never be) a consideration.... Until now apparently. In the previous article there are photos of Apple people at the Gallery looking like spare pricks at an orgy; looking like nerds sucking up to the cool kids in the playground... Come on... Since when does anyone's opinion in the fashion industry matter at all in the real world, let alone in the tech industry and let alone to the talented people at Apple.
I just wish Apple would make this about a wearable piece of tech rather than making it a fashion icon! If it becomes a fashion icon, fine, let it be one, but don't COURT the fashion industry to try and make it one. They didn't do all this with the iPhone; it became iconic because the tech changed the world, not because Apple marketed it to the fashion industry.
I blame Ive for all of this...
I think Ive has made the mistake many designers make in that he now cares what his peers think... This terrible mental virus is often the ruin of many decent careers; he needs one of this old mates from Newcastle Poly to slap him in the face and tell him he's being a prat and to go back to doing what he's good at... Someone needs to tell the king he has no clothes on.... Oh, wait, that was Steve's job.... Damn
/* End Of Rant */
I understand the need to promote a product and good luck to Apple, but is it just me or does all the media lately suggest Apple are more interested in what the fashion industry think of the Watch than ordinary people? A 10k watch doesn't make me feel any easier either.... I know people are gonna flame me for it, but the thing i like about Apple and Steve in particular is that they seemed to be "one of us". Geeks who built stuff all us geeks would love. To put it another way, it was all about the tech and product design and getting it into the hands of as may people as possible.... Apple are a tech company; sure, promote a product, and if a bunch of silly people in the fashion industry (who would pay $100,000 for a pile of poo if it was put in a gallery) like it, then great, no harm done... But what the fashion industry THINK has never been (and should never be) a consideration.... Until now apparently. In the previous article there are photos of Apple people at the Gallery looking like spare pricks at an orgy; looking like nerds sucking up to the cool kids in the playground... Come on... Since when does anyone's opinion in the fashion industry matter at all in the real world, let alone in the tech industry and let alone to the talented people at Apple.
I just wish Apple would make this about a wearable piece of tech rather than making it a fashion icon! If it becomes a fashion icon, fine, let it be one, but don't COURT the fashion industry to try and make it one. They didn't do all this with the iPhone; it became iconic because the tech changed the world, not because Apple marketed it to the fashion industry.
I blame Ive for all of this...
I think Ive has made the mistake many designers make in that he now cares what his peers think... This terrible mental virus is often the ruin of many decent careers; he needs one of this old mates from Newcastle Poly to slap him in the face and tell him he's being a prat and to go back to doing what he's good at... Someone needs to tell the king he has no clothes on.... Oh, wait, that was Steve's job.... Damn
/* End Of Rant */
Why men think these gaudy watches look good is a mystery to me... to each their own. I'm so glad Apple has more fashion sense than the people who design those watches.
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I think it's safe to say that anyone could potentially have made this watch. The question is why didn't they? Samsung. Motorola. Etc. why didn't they make a watch like this? Saying the buzz would be zero of they made this isn't really a good question when you and I both know all of those companies had more than enough time to make a watch of this caliber, but didn't. Apple is getting the buzz because apple took the risk and made an awesome, beautiful product. If any other company had done everything (design, integration, marketing, etc) that Apple has done then I believe they would get buzz. But none of them did. Apple does get a lot of attention for being apple. But they've earned it time after time.
So, wearing a $350 device (no more expensive than any decent watch), which is in fact a computer on your wrist, is a social status thing... Your right... In a way... Just like anything you buy, or wear.
Just like if the clothes you buy are from the Gap and not Walmart, that Iphone that cost 3 times what that other guy next to you has, or the fact you're buying a Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Acura and not a Focus.
Wealth and what you buy (what you wear is just part of that) is closely associated.
Apple has always projected social standing and at least a certain level of wealth. You think poor schlubbo was buying that Ipod and holding it in their hand while they ran? If you look at their early 2000s publicities, it is obvious who they were targeting initially : urban and relatively affluent.
That you think this has all started just now is plain adorable. How do you think they can charge higher margins for their products? From people that don't have money to spare?
Why do you think Apple has a such a large group of haters on the net already? It already has the reputation amongst a certain group of people as elitist. I always had that.
IF you think buying $4-7K products from Apple (in 2015 money) in the 1970s to 1990s somehow didn't make you part of the more fortunate, you're just being funny. If anything, Apple products have never been more democratic than now. Maybe you just embarrassed to show your own socio-economic status this openly by wearing an Apple Watch (instead of it being hidden at home).
You're not a target for ANY of Apple's current offering, so the comment is superfluous. If anything, you'd be even less a target for Apple'S offering in the 1980-1990s, which were in general even MORE expensive proportionally.
That's about the same comment as saying; what about the poor children in Africa, why don't they all get an Iphone (or even any phone)? what makes your depressed town more worthy than them? So, this kind of argument is basically pointless.
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Not going to flame you
but I totally disagree. What you are describing is Microsoft, not Apple. Microsoft was the real geeky company. Windows and PCs are geeky. It's for people that like technology for technology sake, even if it's not practical, even if it makes no sense, even if it completely excludes human ergonomy, even if it forces humans to adapt to machines, instead of the opposite. Windows and PC are loved by people who like to tinker with things, rather than use them. Microsoft wanted computers to be as cheap as possible. Economically, Microsoft are the democratisers. Humanly, Apple are the democratisers.Macs ( or the OS, or the iStuff) have never been really geeky. If anything they are anti-geeky. Steve Jobs wanted people to forget they had a piece of technology in their hands. He wanted it to be as invisible as possible , to be self-effacing. He didn't really care to get it in as many people hands as possible. He always, over and over again affirmed that he didn't care about market share, it would rather make the best stuff in the world, and sell his stuff with high margins to compensate for the lack of market share. ( He was extremely lucky to actually get both with the iStuff ! )
He always complained that people didn't care enough about quality. There's a photo of him that's very iconic, sitting on the floor in an almost empty house , with just a beautiful lamp next to him. That photo sums everything. He couldn't find any furniture he liked, so he prefered to have nothing ( except that lamp) than something he barely liked. "Own less, but own better" , in a way.
That's not really a "one of us" attitude. Steve Jobs thinks you should make a sacrifice and aim for the best, rather than settle for good enough. Own less things, spend more and get the best one. It can be seen as a pretentious attitude ( Apple detractors have used that argument a lot ), as elitist, but it is what it is, that people should aim higher, they should demand technology that is both beautiful and adapts to their needs, instead of settling for tech that you should adapt to, even though it's cheaper.
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Well said, Sir. If the Sport model were priced at £199 then I'd have no hesitation in ordering one, but £299 is beyond ridiculous. And £39 for a matching strap? Cook is living on another planet.
ITs called the planet were he is selling 350M devices a year and makes a mint for his company : planet earth.
I see Apple wants the most eyes on the Apple Watch. And Apple don't care to whom they give an Apple Watch for this purpose.
We can't say Apple is advertising a classy product on a classy wrist. Many of the wrists Apple watches are on now, are the exact opposite of classy.
Is it safe to assume that you're the arbiter of class?
Sam Smith is an award-winning singer. Pharrell Williams, also an award winning Singer, and quite involved in fashion. JJ Abrams, and award-winning director. Karl Lagerfeld, An icon in the fashion industry. These people influence music millions through music, film, fashion, and art.
'Showing stylish excellence' is the dictionary definition of class. Each of these people have displayed that in their respective fields.
Your post is more a classless attempt at trolling IMO.
Sam Smith is an award-winning singer. Pharrell Williams, also an award winning Singer, and quite involved in fashion. JJ Abrams, and award-winning director. Karl Lagerfeld, An icon in the fashion industry. These people influence music millions through music, film, fashion, and art.
'Showing stylish excellence' is the dictionary definition of class. Each of these people have displayed that in their respective fields.
Your post is more a classless attempt at trolling IMO.