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If customers are Apple's most important assets, then Apple has an odd way of showing it. Over the last several years, Apple has "courageously" been quite adept at offending a large segment of its customer base.
Apple (or any other company) faces an impossibility of keeping 100% of it's customers happy, 100% of the time. Not going to happen. This board is evidence of that. From all indications though, apple is keeping the right customers happy at this point.

It has changed its focus from Macintosh laptops and desktops to being a luxury mobile device manufacturer, primarily iOS oriented. That this Apple focused forum still calls itself "Macrumors" has become anachronistic. "Applerumors" or "iPhoneTrends" would be more apropos. In reading through posts on this forum it is clear that a substantial number of Apple's current iOS-centric customers would prefer Macs to go away, being disdainful of the general computer line as a whole as being "old fashioned" and out of sync with the times. I mean, good grief, Macs still incorporate old timey headphone jacks.
So in that vein, what does the company name "Apple" have to do with mobile phones? As far as the statement that "Macs go away", I don't want macs to go away, there are three in this household. The entire headphone jack is a non-issue, at least to me.

I still maintain that a company that treats its employees well will generally have no problem with "loyalty" issues. A trend, since the turn of the century, has been suppression of wages and benefits for workers, resulting in frequent employee turnover, and yes, not so much company loyalty. You get what you pay for in this regard.
I too believe that an employer with a top down approach to good employee management reaps a lot of benefit and get's paid back in spades for those efforts. But that has no relationship to that there are always "bad apples" in the bunch. I flat out disagree that an employer who treats employees well has no problems with "loyalty". There are always those who have moral, personal or ethical issues, no matter how well they are treated by their employers, are loose cannons who can be swayed to believe they can do whatever with the information their employer has entrusted to them.
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I would hardly consider reading that article as proof of the fall of Apple - it's dreadful; poorly written, lots of grammatical and syntax errors etc.. It reads like a fanatical teenager would rant.
The entire piece is an opinion and ends with the "downfall has already started". Based on what? Is that the way one ends an article trying to establish some credibility?
 
Not the ones that violate the law, ethos of the company. But your most important assets are your customers and keeping them good is a job for the most important resource. But good job deflecting.
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Except it’s not sinking.

Not sinking, just seems to be sailing away from customers’ expectations of quality and care for products (the trade Apple used to be known for)
 
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In reading through posts on this forum it is clear that a substantial number of Apple's current iOS-centric customers would prefer Macs to go away, being disdainful of the general computer line as a whole as being "old fashioned" and out of sync with the times. I mean, good grief, Macs still incorporate old timey headphone jacks.

I would take most of this forum with a grain of salt, and use your own best judgement by also observing the people around you. There are a number of people in this forum that are completely content or discontent with the current state of the ecosystem for irrational reasons.

For me personally, I don't feel Macs are outdated. All they have to do is just upgrade their hardware specs every year, and they will have a constant stream of people like me who will refresh every so often. The headphone jacks are actually very useful and necessary on Macs, and most people who'd argue otherwise don't understand the usefulness it brings.
 
Not sinking, just seems to be sailing away from customers’ expectations of quality and care for products (the trade Apple used to be known for)
What is the line in the sand for that comment? To me, the apple of today is not "sailing away" from my expectations of quality and care. Could things be better? Surely, but this is not a new thing under Cook, things could always have been better starting from Sculley.

Apple will never be able to please 100% of it's customers, 100% of the time.
 
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LOL… Thank you for confirming I am correct. I think you must have forgotten what you said. You stated a January rumor came from last month. I pointed out last month wasn’t February. So you’re wrong, and I’m glad you recognized it. ;):):cool:
Oh, I thought I originally said 2 months ago. That’s what I meant to say at least. Apologies :oops:
 
It’s a bit embarrassing for a report to come out that says they’re delaying features to fix performance issues

Fixing performance issues is necessary and it should be humbling for Apple.

What is embarrassing is the state of Apple's operating systems--both iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.
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Apple told employees that leaking information about an unreleased product can impact sales of current models, lead to fewer sales when the product is released, ....

And yet Tim Cook did not think about how the battery replacement program would affect future iPhone sales?

And if Apple is hinting at the problem of potential lost sales due to the rumor of Apple's transition to ARM, then perhaps this should give Cook and Co. a much needed pause before proceeding.

I am tired of the Apple PR spin which claims all is roses and blames Apple's struggles on everyone and everything else, including "leakers":

--proclamations about the greatness of new software which functions more like beta-ware (iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra)

--the consecutive failures of hardware design (touch bar--no real mention at last WWDC has made it feel orphaned; USB-C which the wider tech industry still does not embrace apart from eGPUs and an occasional OEM branded dock; keyboard failures on new MB/Ps, iPhone performance drop off due to poor design and inadequate battery, iPhone X and Home Pod whose production was drastically reduced due to lackluster sales)

--lackluster sales (iPhone X and HomePod verified cuts in production by suppliers) hidden by inflated pricing (MBA is outselling all other Macs locally but high cost of MBPs balances lower sales figures)

--over-priced hardware (Mac Pros, Mac Minis, MBAs) which is outdated by many years and has led even many long-time Mac journalists to question the value proposition of Macs

--the loss of brand appeal in the eyes of the public (in part due to the battery scandal) and among tech enthusiasts (MBPs prior to the introduction of the TB generation used to be rated as the best PC--Mac or Windows--money could buy; now they are mentioned only as alternatives for those stuck in the Apple ecosystem and have been supplanted by Dell's XPS line and Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Carbon line).

Making money in the short term is not enough to sustain Apple in the long term--just look back at John Sculley's tenure--and what remains of the Mac ecosystem stands in tattered ruins (loss of Apple displays, wireless routers, home server functions touted by enthusiasts). Apple is courting disaster by marketing and designing to the lowest common denominator (iOS devices and functionality) at the expense of its most vocal enthusiasts and professionals.

Could it be "leakers" are concerned about the direction at Apple and leak information in a subversive attempt at dissuasion?

Apple has never been perfect, but this is a different Apple which to me seems to be drifting without a coherent vision and without perfectionistic implementation of what little vision exists.

PS--Flame away, Kool-Aid Kids. I have been around long enough to know that if Apple remains on this trajectory, it will become marginalized once again. I don't want to see that happen.
 
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Scare tactics. Will stop the rookie looking for $5k to not bother with leaking something but not the guys who do it properly.

In fact,will make it more lucrative for leakers who do it confidentially. For the bigger plans, this isn’t meant for tech blogs to have their egos pumped by being be first to break news, its analysts looking to play big money games with Apple stock.

Be interesting to see the tech blogs and bloggers going forward. You could see the glee of being on Apples side oozing out of some of them, especially with this new iPad being billed as well as it is, for the addition of pencil support and ignoring it was meant (and failed) to make inroads into the education market. Part of this glee is the self satisfaction that they knew some plans and had some insiders so that they felt they knew more then the general public, and could fawn over Apple as a result, and more to the company in reviews, to maintain relationships within Apple.

Now, who knows. If leaks are a thing of the past to the ones that aren’t willing to pay the high risk game (and really,do the bloggers who get info get punished), will the relationship with Apple sour, or will it get even more pathetic, with the tech companies really making sure that they don’t get shunned by Apple if they leave bad reviews?

And there is an element of hypocrisy here too. Apple wants positive PR. They think they control the press and bloggers with the way they reward companies who leave positive reviews through getting testing units of next device early. They also reward by floating product ideas out through back channels months in advance to gauge press expert reaction, that the public never knows about. They’ll call it R and D, but really it’s a leak by any other name. Look at the Gold IPx.

Will see what Apple’s resident analyst whom studies the supply (yeah right, he’s on Apple pr payroll) does going forward.
 
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Leaked information about a new product can negatively impact sales of the current model; give rival companies more time to begin on a competitive response; and lead to fewer sales of that new product when it arrives.
Then why was the Homepod announced officially, far before it was ready for sale? In the words of Apple, did they "get played" by their own hands?
 
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The irony of this leak

There's nothing ironic about it. Apple doesn't release something to 80K employees on a blog without expecting, and indeed planning on it being forwarded outside the organization. This memo has an obvious intent to spread the word that you face more than just being fired for leaking, you may in some circumstances, be charged with a crime.
 
The irony of this leak

If you have a leak, you have a leak.

If your water pipes have sprung a leak; they're still going to leak, even if you pour oil down them.

A leak doesn't care what passes through the pipe, it's still going to come out.

I doubt the leak at Apple even looks at what it's dripping anymore. Probably heads straight out the pipe to the Internet.

Wouldn't surprise me if it turned out that the leak was really just Apple's server.
 
“In 2017, Apple said it caught 29 leakers…”

Now that I think about it, there were 29 new emoji that year.

Seriously, given Apple’s ho-hum product improvements, the leakers probably assumed the information was low level.
 
If you know that Apple is going to release a new iPhone in 6 months, will you possibly buy a competing phone that releases before the new iPhone comes out? I am sorry, but this is an ancient way of thinking for an industry leading company. To add to the irony, Apple has been last on everything except for in the category of unneeded and unwanted, like a freaking Touch Bar on a laptop and not a touchscreen.
The touchbar doesn’t appeal to me either. But it makes much more ergonomic sense to build the Touch components into the horizontal part of the notebook. Touch screen notebooks are an ergonomic nightmare.
 
I feel like Apple benefits from the leaks as well. Since it builds hype to upcoming products without them officially announcing them. If they don’t want leaks, they should be more transparent with their customers and shareholders about there roadmaps.
The flip side is events become boring when all those who would tune in know what’s going to be announced beforehand and nothing is a surprise. Also how many companies are really transparent about their future products? I would argue most aren’t, especially not with consumer products.
 
Oh yes, we can't have leaks building hype, that would be bad..

I would suspect that if it weren't for the leaks, fewer people would tune in to Apple events. Tim Cook isn't the type that people will seek to listen to without some reason. He simply cannot draw the audience on his own that Steve Jobs could.

Whether you liked Steve Jobs or not, he was a charismatic person that people would tune in for. If Steve was going to speak, then you made sure to find a way to hear him. Steve was the kind that could sell anything. If Steve were here today, he could talk about a brand new wooden pencil with #2 lead, and we'd all hang on his every word. Even if it wasn't amazing, the way Steve could use his charisma to draw us in, we'd be standing there forking money out for it just from the excitement he conveyed.

I can remember listening to him, and simultaneously being excited about everything he said, while realizing that oh... I've seen this before. But, Steve made it cool. He made it necessary. He gave everything a breath of new life. It was just the magic of Steve.

But, Tim Cook has never managed to establish that charisma. Like him or not, he's an office guy. He does try to establish a sense of importance by dabbling in political and social issues. Unfortunately, that doesn't create the excitement or desire to hear him speak. When you think of Tim Cook, you don't immediately jump to thinking about "Cool" and "amazing" new products. My first association with Tim Cook would be gay rights, immigration, and china. If I delve deeper, I get to business man, office worker, money. It takes a lot of delving into associations before I get to product innovator.

That doesn't make him a bad guy... it just means that he hasn't established himself (at least in my mind) as an exciting person to listen to. I don't associate him with "new" ideas.

If I was standing there with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook at the same time, and each had something in their hand to sell me:

Tim Cook could be holding a cup with a potion for eternal youth for $1

Steve Jobs could be holding a cup of ordinary drinking water for $50

And, if both of them gave me their sales pitch, I'd probably be more excited to drink the cup of ordinary water for $50 that Steve Jobs was offering. Not because I would idolize Steve Jobs... Honestly there was a lot I didn't care for about him. But, there was some good too. And, his personality made it easy to get excited about anything he spoke of. So, yes, Steve could likely create a sense of excitement that would give anyone the urgency and impulse to buy his $50 glass of plain drinking water.
 
If customers are Apple's most important assets, then Apple has an odd way of showing it. Over the last several years, Apple has "courageously" been quite adept at offending a large segment of its customer base. It has changed its focus from Macintosh laptops and desktops to being a luxury mobile device manufacturer, primarily iOS oriented. That this Apple focused forum still calls itself "Macrumors" has become anachronistic. "Applerumors" or "iPhoneTrends" would be more apropos. In reading through posts on this forum it is clear that a substantial number of Apple's current iOS-centric customers would prefer Macs to go away, being disdainful of the general computer line as a whole as being "old fashioned" and out of sync with the times. I mean, good grief, Macs still incorporate old timey headphone jacks.

I maintain that most of Apple’s user base are happy with what they are doing, and it’s mainly a small group of extremely vocal individuals who are making all the noise about Apple supposedly losing their way.

Maybe their criticism is valid; maybe it’s just the fevered ranting of a bunch of old-timers who have problems letting go of the past. Either way, they are a niche group who don’t get to speak, much less represent the majority of Apple customers, as entitled as they may feel simply they are self-proclaimed “Pro users”.

They have basically criticised every single thing Apple has done. iPad Pro. Apple Pencil. AirPods. Apple Watch. And you know what? I love them all. They have some extremely well. Are extremely popular. And the forums basically bashed them since day one.

Yes, I am one customer who has been extremely happy with Apple’s focus on iOS. And I have nothing against Apple’s current product roadmap. However, I do have someone against people who would use this as an excuse to anchor criticism and pollute this forum with their vitriol and their hatred.

It’s not helpful, it’s not constructive, and it simply makes the whole mood that much more toxic while also drowning out the legitimate voices who do wish to have a civil discussion.

And it’s clear this has zero signs of abating, because the haters are always going to hate.

They are the ones who have their way. Not Apple.
 
What is the line in the sand for that comment? To me, the apple of today is not "sailing away" from my expectations of quality and care. Could things be better? Surely, but this is not a new thing under Cook, things could always have been better starting from Sculley.

Apple will never be able to please 100% of it's customers, 100% of the time.

There is something very organic in Apple software thought, I must say.

My family, quite a big one, is on iPhones and iPads and Macs.
using the same iOS and the same hardware and software, yet on the same setting as my brother’s devices, he has got tons of glitches and I don’t. I have constant problems with High Sierra, yet he, on the same device, nada. Not a single problem.
Both of our Apple watches, bought months apart, different series, both stuck on a logo while starting.

It almost feels like all those devices have their own, independent, and quite rebellious, mind :)
 
Then why was the Homepod announced officially, far before it was ready for sale? In the words of Apple, did they "get played" by their own hands?
There was no legacy Apple product that would lose market share/sales by letting the Speaker’s future release be fully understood. But other competitive products could lose sales by letting the consumer know that there was an Apple speaker option in the pipeline. Very different than the impact of having major leaks about the next iPhone come out 5 months before it hits the market.
 
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