Steve Jobs Made Apple Care. Who Does Now?

[ForkHandles]

What does the competition offer over apple?

I absolutely hate the directions that MS is taking with windows, so much so I bought a M4 Max Studio to replace my PC this past June. I don't see anything in android that could tempt me away from ios.

Is macos and iOS perfect? Far from it, but they are better then the competition.

My loyalty only extends to the point where a product keeps meeting my needs. Phones, computers and services are all expensive, and I don't choose one over the other based on the logo, but how well it meets my needs. Apple continues to do that in many areas for me and so I'm happy to stick with them

I wonder if you’d agree with me that people on this thread write like spoilt children.
All tech these days is so many leagues above that from 15 years ago, my original 3gs , 2010 MacBook Air, iPad 1 are unusable in comparison.

Every so often new tech comes into existence.
1985 - lipo batteries
1990 - http
2003 - capacitive touch
2018 - LLM

Then for the next few decades that technology is honed to perfection. Then Nada!

Posters here seem to be demanding something innovative, they haven’t got a clue what that would look like, what problems they have that need solving by something revolutionary.

They want solutions to problems they just don’t have. So they complain, they whine like children instead of just getting things done on their beautiful tech.

 

[Imperial926]

Deleted

 

[MBAir2010]

And yet….. here you are….. on an Apple Rumors forum.

Why would someone who hates the brand so much stick around?

Hmmmm 🤔🤔🤔🤔

I never hated , which is a worn out word being used wrongly this decade.

im here to get some inform and help other try to understand this change in 's approach.

you can always ignore me!

 

[8483011]

Your comment is funny given that MacRumors forums are social media.

I know what I said

 

[ayephoner]

As much as anything, I'm committed to Apple. I have an apple watch and airpods and a brand new iphone. I'd guess that 95% of my friends/family have an iphone. I think 99% of my texts are imessages.

That said, I like a lot of android phones. I do kind of miss actually having options for my phone. Now, when it's time to upgrade, I just get the newest pro max and don't really think about it.

None of either point has anything to do with whatever was posted in the OP.

 

[ZiBart]

My hot take, Apple Silicon was the greatest Apple product for the computing industry since the original Mac. Their current MacBooks are the best they have ever made and outside of gaming, are the best pound for pound laptops by far in the industry. If there was a way to dual boot an X86 version of Windows like the old days of Bootcamp, it would be icing on the cake and who knows how many more users Windows would lose. Steve Jobs would have been a better marketer of the release but credit is where cedit is due for Apple SOC.

Realistically, the alternatives aren't better.

Most people, like me, don't experience most of the OS update issues for general use so it won't impact Apple's bottom line that much especially with the alternatives. And like the old days, those that fear impact, wait it out until the releases mature. Rumors point towards Apple making next OS year a "Snow Leopard-style" year to focus on code cleanup and stability. These OS rollout issues existed before in the Jobs era, with substantially less OS platforms, less complex code and features.

 

[rappr]

The Steve-era Apple was introducing things we’d never seen before. The energy has shifted from “Here’s something new” to “Here’s something better.”

Wait…how is that not also true of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad? Music players, smartphones, and tablets all existed before Apple entered those categories. They just did them better.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I was about to say the same thing, but we should distinguish between Facebook, with its "algorithm" that is shoving propaganda, adverts, and generally things you didn't sign up for in your face, and this forum, which is simply a message board.

I know, I just like to point out that "social media" includes everything from letters to the editor of a newspaper to any online message boards to comments on news stories to TikTok/X/Facebook/etc.

 

[ZiBart]

you would think, but many people here and other social media sites largely hold a near religious fervency regarding their platform of choice. Not just computers, but everything - I've seen videos of people getting into fist fights over Chevy vs. Ford.

Truth. We are and always have been, instinctively tribal amongst our kind. It used to be for survival, but now, mostly for ego, social and superficial reasons. Some at the expense of our long term detriment. You see it everywhere. Not sure we can ever evolve it out of our "code".

 

[-BigMac-]

I wonder if you’d agree with me that people on this thread write like spoilt children.
All tech these days is so many leagues above that from 15 years ago, my original 3gs , 2010 MacBook Air, iPad 1 are unusable in comparison.

Every so often new tech comes into existence.
1985 - lipo batteries
1990 - http
2003 - capacitive touch
2018 - LLM

Then for the next few decades that technology is honed to perfection. Then Nada!

Posters here seem to be demanding something innovative, they haven’t got a clue what that would look like, what problems they have that need solving by something revolutionary.

They want solutions to problems they just don’t have. So they complain, they whine like children instead of just getting things done on their beautiful tech.

I get the point you’re making, and I actually agree with part of it - tech today is miles ahead of where it was in the 3GS / iPad 1 era. Nobody is debating whether modern devices are more capable. They obviously are.

But asking for innovation isn’t the same as being a spoilt child. It’s simply recognising a shift in how Apple used to operate versus how they operate now.

You’re right that major underlying breakthroughs are rare. They always have been. But Apple built its reputation on taking those rare breakthroughs and turning them into world-changing products. Not every year, but consistently enough that people came to expect the spark, the ambition, the “we’re going to do something bold” energy.

That’s the thing many of us feel fading — not that our tech is bad, but that Apple’s drive has become safe, cautious, procedural. The refinement is excellent, no dispute. But refinement isn’t the same as vision.

Nobody here is asking for teleportation. We’re asking for a company that once prided itself on disruption to still show signs of wanting to disrupt.

Wanting that back isn’t childish. It’s acknowledging what made Apple different in the first place.

 

[-BigMac-]

Putting words in bold doesn't make them more real or persuasive. The "spirit of innovation" is just weasel words. Apple Silicon creates the best CPUs for computers, tablets and phones in the world. It's not even close.

Bold text isnt meant to persuade anyone, and ignoring the ‘spirit of innovation’ doesn’t make it imaginary. Companies absolutely have cultural shifts. Apple under Jobs pushed new categories into existence. Apple today is world class at refinement, not disruption.

Apple Silicon is fantastic. No argument there. It’s fast, efficient, and it raised the bar for the whole industry. But its still an evolution of decades of ARM work. Evolution can be impressive without being revolutionary

The point isnt that Apple is failing. It’s simply that being the best at polishing existing ideas isn’t the same as creating new ones — and recognising that distinction isnt ‘weasel words,’ it’s basic honesty about how the company has changed.

 

[ForkHandles]

I get the point you’re making, and I actually agree with part of it - tech today is miles ahead of where it was in the 3GS / iPad 1 era. Nobody is debating whether modern devices are more capable. They obviously are.

But asking for innovation isn’t the same as being a spoilt child. It’s simply recognising a shift in how Apple used to operate versus how they operate now.

You’re right that major underlying breakthroughs are rare. They always have been. But Apple built its reputation on taking those rare breakthroughs and turning them into world-changing products. Not every year, but consistently enough that people came to expect the spark, the ambition, the “we’re going to do something bold” energy.

That’s the thing many of us feel fading — not that our tech is bad, but that Apple’s drive has become safe, cautious, procedural. The refinement is excellent, no dispute. But refinement isn’t the same as vision.

Nobody here is asking for teleportation. We’re asking for a company that once prided itself on disruption to still show signs of wanting to disrupt.

Wanting that back isn’t childish. It’s acknowledging what made Apple different in the first place.

The Spoiled Child is an unessecary pejoritive.

I think though you are looking at Apple Inc with rose tinted glasses. This company wasn't built on disruption, it was built on user operability, first and foremost refinement second most. They have only really brought two new products to market that have revolutionised sectors, the iPod and the iPhone. The iPod, especially with capacitive touch, gave us almost instant access to any song in our library. In comparison to CDs and competitors it was a speed, portability revolution.

The iPhone in 2007 combining phone, iPod and Netscape Navigator was their second. The UI was revolutionary, assisted by capacitive touch but a proper considered OS made it shine and made the company what it is today.

My thoughts on the rest.

The iPad (Big iPhone) cool but ,minor revolution, great OS
Laptops, just refinement, great OS
Desktops, just refinement, great OS
iPhones today, refinement, great OS
Vision Pro, R&D project, great for patents I'm sure.
HomePod, just refinement, weak OS
Wacthes, just refinement, great OS

The iPhone is our everything in our pocket, there is so little else that tech can bring us , see Vision Pro, that will make a fundamental difference. Except teleportation, which the blooming Quantum Scientists have labelled impossible, thats the last thing we need to make our lives better than Star Trek.

 

[HouseLannister]

The iPhone in 2007 combining phone, iPod and Netscape Navigator was their second.

Netscape never appeared on an iPhone.

 

[GioGiusi]

Honestly the poll is weird because there is no real alternative. Not even close. Even shït Apple, is better than everyone else by miles.

 

[ForkHandles]

Netscape never appeared on an iPhone.

Ten points to Hufflepuff. Thank you for playing.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Uhh you totally skipped Apple Watch and AirPods. Also skipped Apple Silicon Macs.

If you exclude all the innovation, then look at what’s left, see? No innovation!

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Wait…how is that not also true of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad? Music players, smartphones, and tablets all existed before Apple entered those categories. They just did them better.

Must admit, though, when you exclude any information that disproves the point you’re trying to make, it makes your point read better. 🙂

 

[Melbourne Park]

I have a 16 max phone, and it has monthly AppleCare, because if one breaks a screen, a 3rd party screen will not have water resistance. The AppleCare does work, but its a significant extra cost, with about 4.5 years of insurance being the cost of the phone when I last looked at the costs.

I have a MacBook Pro max (m4) and its internal architecture should allow hard drive upgrades or an additional drive. I also think its reprehensible for a computer that suffers an SSD drive failure, to have to have its motherboard replaced in order to replace the drive.

I also think Apple should have a keyboard that is spill proof, like work class HP notebooks feature.

I don't mind windows that much due to chatgtp making solving an issue easy. But the processors for notebooks seem well behind.

And the way things come together easily - such as using Notes to share information across phone and computers - is almost fun and its very useful.

One thing I do not like - the constant change to interfaces. If something works, leave it alone. Hey - lower the price if you have to. But don't change things when the change is irritating and less functional than what one has been using for many years. People do not enjoy having to re-learn something that they have done in a reflex way - almost automatically. That Apple techno's come along and try to re-invent the wheel, and the user ends up bemused and bumping along riding on square wheels until learning something that should never have had to be learn't at all.

 

[Ctrlos]

I also think Apple should have a keyboard that is spill proof, like work class HP notebooks feature.

IP68 on the iPad is long overdue. If Samsung can do it, so can Apple. That sort of protection is harder on a laptop due to the hinge but then again Google managed to make an IP68 foldable phone so again, if they can do it it should be no sweat for Apple at all.

 

[Velli]

iOS 26.2 RC2 dropped today. According to MR users, no ongoing bugs were fixed.🥳

You know what? I am sort of glad. Finally, Apple’s quality control is so bad it doesn’t just linger like a bad smell. It hits you square in the face.

Our bug reports? Mostly ignored. Feedback? Doesn’t matter. Prices for hardware and software? Going up every year.

This is a stark contrast to 2009. Back then I emailed Steve Jobs directly for advice on a warranty issue. The Apple store didn’t want to hear it, even though my iPhone was clearly covered. So I emailed Steve - his email was well known.

The next day, the Apple store manager called me directly. He said he would love for me to come back to the store, so he could personally handle a free iPhone exchange, whenever I was available. I went in the next day. In and out in two minutes. They didn’t even look at the phone. Just swap, done.

I’ll never know if Steve read my email or if it was his team, but one thing is clear. Steve at the helm made a difference. He had mechanisms in place that no longer exist. I felt supported. A potentially terrible customer service experience became amazing. Just because someone listened. Someone cared.

I don’t see that anymore. Apple seems to have lost its passion. There is no above and beyond. No real listening. Just the bare minimum to keep the cash cow growing.

I love Apple. I always have. Every iPhone since 3G. Mac user since 2008. I line up for launches. I am the ideal customer. Apple loves me for that.

But I see a trend across the forums: more negative feedback, less certainty about the future, and growing frustration. It makes me wonder: what is the plan? Will we still be using Apple in five years?

I don’t want to jump ship. Most of us don’t. But is it even possible anymore to send a message to Apple? Can the company that I loved for decades still have a soul deep inside, waiting to be shown again?

Or are we stuck here on MR, giving props to Apple just for being Apple, while the innovation and product quality quietly slip away?

I don’t evaluate Apple versus what Apple was before. Things evolve, the “good old days” won’t come back. I look forward. And I don’t see ANY company that has signs of becoming a serious alternative for me, the next five years. I have lots of things to criticise about Apple, but on every single point, I can’t find the better alternative.

And if you really push me to look back, it’s not like I can’t find things to complain about in the Jobs era.

Edit: Part of the problem is, it’s not Apple that have decreased in innovation. It is the business as a whole. We are comparing today, where most significant tech product segments have pretty much matured, to the period where tech innovations were at it’s peak. No tech hardware product will ever have the social impact of the iPhone. The end.

(AI arguably will, but I’m not in the camp of wanting Apple to be an AI leader anyway…)

 

[apple contributor]

You know what? I’m with you.

Apple used to own innovation. They created the first accessible personal computer, the first GUI + mouse combo, iPod, iPod nano, iPhone, App Store, iPad - Steve at his peak. Passion, vision, absolute market boss.

The last ten years? VisionPro and HomePod. 👍 Yes, I’m sure the dozen or so VisionPro owners really love it - but the rest of us? Not exactly a headline-grabbing revolution.

iPhone updates in the last decade? Tiny screen tweaks, never ending debates about aluminium, and camera lens shuffles. Everything else is just minor polishing of old tech.

Where’s the hyped stuff:

• Apple Car/Project Titan – rumors started around the time of Steve’s passing. So it was underway conceptually when he was alive, but the release got pulled.
• Apple TV “television” – Steve personally hinted at it in 2010 in a Mossberg interview. After his passing? Pulled.
• Under-screen camera - Rumored since 2019 on MR here. Maybe one day Apple will deliver.
• Bezel-less screens - MR posted in 2014 suggesting iPhone 6 would be bezel-free. 2016, repeated this, citing supply chain leaks.

Thb it feels like the company is on autopilot. All flash, less substance.

I also kinda get a feeling that there is no one who innovates. Not that people don’t try. But till someone like Steve rises up, it’ll take time. Now, we are at the peak, and we need someone with just one simple yet brilliant idea to rocket with innovation.

 

[rappr]

I also kinda get a feeling that there is no one who innovates. Not that people don’t try. But till someone like Steve rises up, it’ll take time. Now, we are at the peak, and we need someone with just one simple yet brilliant idea to rocket with innovation.

I hope we’ve moved away from the idea of one single person being responsible for innovation to groups of people that are empowered to push innovative ideas.

 

[ChrisMac47]

I agree with the OP ... Apple just does not have the spark it used to. Of course Steve Jobs was mercurial, and wanted to make lots of money, but that was not his first love.

I'm posting again below a figure showing the different iPods, to me one of the high points of Apple. The key takeaway here is that these were five very different devices, with different form-factors and UIs ... and very different price points! There was something for everyone and they were FUN.

In comparison, the iPhones are DULL and they are all "the same" ... slabs of metal and glass. We all know that Apple Engineers have the talent and ability to make, for example, an entry level $200 phone ... something different ... but of course we shall never see such a device.

And we all know why. Even if Apple maintain their 40% margin on a $200 phone, they can make a lot more money selling a $2000 phone at the same 40% margin.

It's that simple. It's not that Apple are incapable of making exciting new products ... of course they are ... it's that they are driven exclusively by greed. Greed and only greed. Until that changes, all we shall see is incremental updates to their established products. How boring for the 99.999% of us (customers) and how "rewarding" for their senior employees and shareholders.

 

[I7guy]

[…]

The last ten years? VisionPro is really the only headline innovation, and let's be honest, the VisionPro audience is… very small. AirPods and Apple Watch are great, but they feel more like extensions of existing categories, not earth-shaking new products.

[…]

m chip, various improvements and innovations with AirPod like live translations , Apple Watch, Apple TV , etc. (I’m sure I left out a laundry list of them) All of these are headline innovations.

I’m sure there are hundreds I’ve missed. Innovation is just not creating the next widget. Tim Cook was masterful how he grew Apple into today’s powerhouse.

 

[rappr]

It's that simple. It's not that Apple are incapable of making exciting new products ... of course they are ... it's that they are driven exclusively by greed.

Wouldn’t products like the $349 iPad or the $249 Apple Watch SE, or the $99 HomePod Mini contradict this? Diversifying the lineup so that Apple actually offers decent products at lower price points is one of the highlights of Tim Cook’s Apple.