They are clearly a consumer computer company. Most folks seem happy with their MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs. The people who need more power, regular updates, more ports, new technology are just not a priority. After years of complaints Apple acknowledges an issue with the Mac Pro line in 2017 and maybe in 2019 there might be a revision. I'd would have loved an Air with a retina screen in 2016 or a modular Mac Pro in 2015. Instead we get a ridiculously expensive iMac Pro. Bought both a 2015 MacBook Pro and a refurbed 2013 Mac Pro in 2017. Both compromises but clearly the only decent options on the non-existent horizon. And both are fine, just not what they could be if Macs were a priority for Apple.
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Popular Mac Developer Slams Apple for 'Sad State of Macintosh Hardware'
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When I am paying a premium; I should be paying for a great machine. I will not pay a premium on a "good" machine.
I honestly think this is the attitude Apple has. But it's wrong and incorrect. Tech is moving faster than ever before and you're experiencing a distortion of reality. Core count and power use is unprecedented, battery tech is maturing at lighting pace as is GPU and port design. Screen res is going up and many new input methods are making it into real products. Apple hasn't got any of these, because they design the products so tightly as to restrict their ability to update them. They run CPUs too hot etc etc. The list of issues is endless, meanwhile companies like razor, HP and Dell manage to update and include new hardware all the time!
Apple isn't going to be the first trillion-dollar company. Amazon is. Why? Because Tim Cook is too conservative. Apple is basically playing to stay pat. Apple is no longer hungry and investors can see that much. Apple doesn't belong with the FANG stocks that are always pushing hard for users and big investors. Apple is always taking some conservative approach. For what used to be known as a computer company, Apple has become iPhone-dependent and desktop complacent. Quite pathetic for a company with so much cash to use to build the best computers available.
It seems as though all that R&D cash is going into the iPhone. Pffft. No Mac Minis or Time Capsules. An under-supported iMac Pro is really sad.
I love Apple starting with the Apple //+. But desktop wise the lack of upgraded hardware concerns me. That said my 2 year old iMac works well. But I can’t help but think a non-pro iMac should offer higher end performance without the pro price.
I get that people want updates to the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. Apple seems to at least agree about he Mac Pro. But Apple doesn’t have to update every line if they don’t want to. The iMac is not ignored by any stretch of the imagination and neither are the MacBook Pro or MacBook lines. Apple just seems to have a focus and has been doing fine with that focus.
Tl;dr: I want a Mac mini update too, but Apple has no obligation to update it, especially if it’s not selling well.
Tl;dr: I want a Mac mini update too, but Apple has no obligation to update it, especially if it’s not selling well.
THIS. Tim Cook is, and always will be, an 'Operating Officer'.
Once you realize this and use this knowledge to analyze each major decision he's taken, it all starts to make sense.
The fact that some Apple fans support the notion that MacOS should be open is a real indictment of how poorly Tim has managed the Mac department and how much he's allowed it to fester & rotten.
It would have Jobs rolling in his grave and I state that in all seriousness, despite how cliche it might sound because anyone who knows anything about Steve Jobs knows he'd never allow it. (People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware)
The decision to let Forstall leave was also a disastrous display of poor judgment, a taint on his leadership, and a costly hit on Apple's reputation because it led to (IMHO) an unprecedented period of embarrassingly buggy software. Such was the state of Apple, that they even had to re-edit a commercial to remove one of the bugs that slipped through unnoticed until it was picked up and pointed out to Apple by the public.
What perplexes me the most is this: if software innovation has dipped ( I'm sorry but I don't consider shipping iPhone features like Siri to the Mac an innovation) and quality control has become almost non-existent (to the point that the consensus among leading apple journalists is they should extend the refresh cycle to 2 years), all the while hardware design has stagnated and their most successful new invention in recent years are earphones - what exactly has Tim done right?
Amen. I'm planning to buy a new laptop, but I can't help wonder if Apple gives a rat's patoot about computers any more. Sure, watches and phones are sexy, but sometimes you need a real computer with real applications, not a small-screen gizmo with 'apps'.
In my view, when macs are no longer self repairable or upgradable, the legendary "macs just lasts for years" is no longer true or applicable in the present line up. When Apple no longer has or showcases cutting edge performance pro hardware - as race cars are to auto manufacturers, the company loses credibility with their marketing message.
Unfortunately Apple IMO has lost critical focus on the Mac hardware line up, with more passion for the bottom line and future alternative business ventures - hello Oprah....(God help us). I feel that there is disconnect in the executive staff with the fan base and the Mac computer in general. This is apparent in the cheapening of the product line with glued parts, laminated coated screens, and QC issues with keyboards.
While the iphone has the greatest share of income, the very foundation of Apple's image, eco system, and success - the mac computer, is still a 50 billion dollar industry- thats nothing to sneeze at, and while many argue that Apple now is catering to the average consumer because of the present market, this path inevitably leads to an average company with average computer hardware - a far cry from yesterday's Apple's focus and endeavors.
Unfortunately Apple IMO has lost critical focus on the Mac hardware line up, with more passion for the bottom line and future alternative business ventures - hello Oprah....(God help us). I feel that there is disconnect in the executive staff with the fan base and the Mac computer in general. This is apparent in the cheapening of the product line with glued parts, laminated coated screens, and QC issues with keyboards.
While the iphone has the greatest share of income, the very foundation of Apple's image, eco system, and success - the mac computer, is still a 50 billion dollar industry- thats nothing to sneeze at, and while many argue that Apple now is catering to the average consumer because of the present market, this path inevitably leads to an average company with average computer hardware - a far cry from yesterday's Apple's focus and endeavors.
I have a 5+ year old iMac I want to replace ASAP, but Apple hasn't released a new iMac in over a year. As soon as they refresh the iMac (i9 six core I'm hoping), I'll order one immediately, but I'm not buying from the current lineup.
As an Apple investor, this lack of new Mac hardware is getting me concerned.
As an Apple investor, this lack of new Mac hardware is getting me concerned.
I have clung to all my old hardware because with some upgrades and hacks I have machines that run everything I need from a Mac just fine. I only use macOS to oraganize my photos and music. I really love using Windows 10 on some really nice new hardware, but my old MacBook 5,2 and my 8 year hackintosh I built still handle all my Apple needs quite well. I would love a new Mac and would jump on a new Mac Mini as a desktop to replace the hack desktop. They need to refresh the line before I would even consider it.
Sony comes out with a new product every few days and it takes Apple years for a simple speed bump.
Well, but product design isn't exclusively about aesthetics. I know some people have complained about Apple being "all form, no function" in the past, but for the most part those complaints were invalid. With the latest MacBook Pros, however, they're totally justified. Machines that sustain lasting damage from absolutely ordinary use are not well designed, however beautiful they may look (and they do look amazing).
Apple still makes MacBooks and MacBook Pros.
Even Steve Jobs himself said that the regular consumers mostly buy laptops.
Thank you, MacRumors, for headlining this. I feel it is important that this is brought forward in the news and shame Apple for their willful negligence it continues to show its Mac clientele.
What's worse is that some of the new Mac products they have bothered to update (with exception of the iMac Pro, bizarre of a concept as it is) are in many ways inferior to their predecessors. The worst offender of them all being the Trash-can Mac Pro. Just no comparison to the cheese grater. One has to wonder what they were thinking when they approved that design.
Then there is the terrible new MBP. Made so anorexic they had to throw out a lot of useful hardware in order to get there. Sacrificing usability and cleanliness (dongles are nasty!) over design. The once perfect Trackpad has now gotten so large that it just gets in the way, often triggering unintended cursor actions because fingers have no place else to go.
And then the Emoji-bar, a poor attempt at placating the 'Touch-crowd', while pissing off everybody else.
I don't need to talk about the still unaddressed disaster that is keyboard-gate.
And lastly, the anti-Pro attitude in Apple's design/manufacturing process that purposely thwarts users from upgrading and servicing their machines themselves. A clever ploy to increase sales, but a big middle finger to those who can't afford to pay Apple's expensive Ram/SSD upgrades, not to mention a nightmare to repair (and repair it needs with that ****** keyboard in there.)
The new MB(P)'s feel terrible, just terrible to use. To lay blame at Intel for lack of updates, while so much else could (should!!) be improved is disingenuous and tarnishes Apple's once excellent reputation.
It's probably right they took off the glowing Apple logo, as these MBP's don't deserve that badge of honour. Oh such tragic irony.
What's worse is that some of the new Mac products they have bothered to update (with exception of the iMac Pro, bizarre of a concept as it is) are in many ways inferior to their predecessors. The worst offender of them all being the Trash-can Mac Pro. Just no comparison to the cheese grater. One has to wonder what they were thinking when they approved that design.
Then there is the terrible new MBP. Made so anorexic they had to throw out a lot of useful hardware in order to get there. Sacrificing usability and cleanliness (dongles are nasty!) over design. The once perfect Trackpad has now gotten so large that it just gets in the way, often triggering unintended cursor actions because fingers have no place else to go.
And then the Emoji-bar, a poor attempt at placating the 'Touch-crowd', while pissing off everybody else.
I don't need to talk about the still unaddressed disaster that is keyboard-gate.
And lastly, the anti-Pro attitude in Apple's design/manufacturing process that purposely thwarts users from upgrading and servicing their machines themselves. A clever ploy to increase sales, but a big middle finger to those who can't afford to pay Apple's expensive Ram/SSD upgrades, not to mention a nightmare to repair (and repair it needs with that ****** keyboard in there.)
The new MB(P)'s feel terrible, just terrible to use. To lay blame at Intel for lack of updates, while so much else could (should!!) be improved is disingenuous and tarnishes Apple's once excellent reputation.
It's probably right they took off the glowing Apple logo, as these MBP's don't deserve that badge of honour. Oh such tragic irony.
I'll be branded a heretic for this, but I actually like the trash can Mac Pro. I just can't believe that there have been ZERO hardware updates in 2013.
And look how successful Sony is... oh wait.
There are now laptops with 128GB of RAM. Where's our 32, Tim?
Maybe it's time to spin it off as a separate company?
Maybe it's time to spin it off as a separate company?
True, my main Mac is a 2007 MacBook Pro on El Cap, and my secondary is a 2009 Mac mini on Mavericks. Granted with Mojave coming out I may have to get a newer Mac to support it as Mojave seems like a worthy and good upgrade from El Capitan.
Then the Mac I use at work is a late 2013 iMac with High Sierra and aside from the all the security software and profiles installed on it, it works pretty well.
Though with that being said the current Mac lineup really is quite sad and could use a large refresh.
Rogue Amoeba developer Quentin Carnicelli, who works on Mac software like Airfoil, Audio Highjack, Loopback, and Fission, this week penned a critique of Apple's Mac lineup and the company's recent lack of Mac updates, and that missive has been gaining some attention from Mac fans.
Using MacRumors' own Buyer's Guide, Carnicelli points out that it's been more than a year since any Mac, with the exception of the iMac Pro, has been updated.
It's been 375 days, for example, since the iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air machines were last updated, and it's been 437 days since the Mac Pro saw the price drop Apple implemented as it works on a Mac Pro replacement.
The Mac Pro has not seen a hardware update since December of 2013, more than 1600 days ago. Apple has promised its professional users that a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro system is in the works, but we thus far have no details on when it might see a release.
The Mac mini, Apple's most affordable desktop Mac, has gone 1338 days without an update, with the last refresh introduced in October of 2014. While Apple has made promises about a refreshed Mac Pro, no similar statement has been provided about a future Mac mini, aside from a comment from Apple CEO Tim Cook stating that the Mac mini continues to be important to Apple.
According to Carnicelli, the state of the Mac lineup is "deeply worrisome" to him as a person who works for a Mac-based software company. Customers are, he says, forced to choose between "purchasing new computers that are actually years old" or "holding out in the faint hope that hardware updates are still to come."As Carnicelli points out, Apple could reassure its Mac users with updates and speed bumps to its Mac lineup on a "much more frequent basis," calling the current lack of updates "baffling and frightening to anyone who depends on the platform for their livelihood."
Apple in 2017 refreshed much of its Mac lineup (iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook) at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but this year, Apple opted to focus instead on software, with no new Mac hardware announced. With no new hardware in June, based on past release history, we could be looking at an 18-month upgrade cycle this time around, as pointed out by iMore's Rene Ritchie, with new Macs making an appearance in September or October.
Some of the blame for Apple's lack of updates can perhaps be placed on its reliance on Intel, and in the past, some Mac refreshes have been pushed back due to delays with Intel chips. This is likely one of the reasons why Apple is planning to transition from Intel chips to its own custom made Mac chips as early as 2020.
MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and MacBook Air upgrades are not in the dire state that Mac Pro and Mac mini upgrades are in, but increased attention on issues with the MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards has left Apple customers eager to see those machine updated, especially as Apple has not acknowledged these keyboard issues despite their prevalence in the media.
"Apple needs to publicly show their commitment to the full Macintosh hardware line and they need to do it now," writes Carnicelli.
Carnicelli's comments on the state of the Mac lineup came just before Apple released a new Mac advertising campaign. Called "Behind the Mac," the campaign highlights creators who use their Macs to "make something wonderful."
The first ad spots in the series focus on photographer and disability advocate Bruce Hall, who uses his Mac for editing photographs, musician Grimes, who uses the Mac "from start to finish" to write all of her music, edit music videos, and more, and app developer Peter Kariuki who used his Mac to code the SafeMotos app, which is designed to connect passengers with safe motorcycle drivers in Rwanda.
These ads, while inspiring, may be seen as too little too late by those who have grown frustrated with Apple's Mac lineup and have come to see the lack of updates as an indicator of a lack of commitment to the Mac.
Article Link: Popular Mac Developer Slams Apple for 'Sad State of Macintosh Hardware'
If you want to know just how bad the Mac hardware offerings have become, go to Amazon, select the computer area, and then enter either "windows desktop" or "windows laptop." You will see an incredible abundance of hardware to choose from, some inexpensive and some that'll run circles around anything Apple sells.