Firstly, I am a huge Apple supporter and own essentially every product Apple makes, so no, I am not a "hater".
I will keep this short and simple, but I think that what we saw at today's Apple conference was a multitude of business strategies that Steve Jobs would have never chosen to pursue.
1. The silent refresh of the "new iPad". This one just makes no sense to me. Usually when a new iPad comes out, it is well anticipated and the launch of the newer model brings with it a reduction in price of the old model. The sneaky "silent refresh" seen by Apple today is really a release of "The new iPad v2". By not considering this to be a new model, those whom have purchased the original retina iPad are left in the dust with a product that Apple now wants to you believe never even existed. This is simply unfair to those who were early adopters of the retina iPad.
2. The iPad mini. Jobs' thoughts on 7" tablets have been well documented so I won't get into that, and before anyone posts "WELL ITS BETTER TO HAVE CHOICES!!!", that isn't what this is about. Yes, it is better to have choices, and usually Apple's version of a product is the best choice. Rather than releasing a smaller tablet that has top of the line specs with a premium price, they released a smaller tablet that has outdated specs yet is still priced well above the competition. A lower pixel density than the Nook HD, Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 yet still over $100 more? That is a joke... By slapping the Apple logo on this inferior product, the brand as a whole is starting to become diluted and is no longer the symbol of prestige that it once was.
3. The "new" iMac". How does it make ANY sense that the presentation goes from boasting about the retina display of the new 13" MBP and how you can't live without it, to discussing the refresh of their desktop line that is inexplicably lacking a retina display? The refresh of the iMac line makes little to no sense. Yes, thinness is nice, but not as important of an attribute for a product that is not portable and is simply planted on your desk. Rather than the updated innards and a slightly thinner bezel, there is almost no reason for any current iMac owner to upgrade to this new model. The fact that the iPhone, iPad and MacBook have all progressed to retina displays while the desktop line has been left behind is inexcusable.
It's sad to say, but the market is ripe for another competitor to come in and dominate. Tim Cook's leadership will bring Apple back into another dark age for the company.
I will keep this short and simple, but I think that what we saw at today's Apple conference was a multitude of business strategies that Steve Jobs would have never chosen to pursue.
1. The silent refresh of the "new iPad". This one just makes no sense to me. Usually when a new iPad comes out, it is well anticipated and the launch of the newer model brings with it a reduction in price of the old model. The sneaky "silent refresh" seen by Apple today is really a release of "The new iPad v2". By not considering this to be a new model, those whom have purchased the original retina iPad are left in the dust with a product that Apple now wants to you believe never even existed. This is simply unfair to those who were early adopters of the retina iPad.
2. The iPad mini. Jobs' thoughts on 7" tablets have been well documented so I won't get into that, and before anyone posts "WELL ITS BETTER TO HAVE CHOICES!!!", that isn't what this is about. Yes, it is better to have choices, and usually Apple's version of a product is the best choice. Rather than releasing a smaller tablet that has top of the line specs with a premium price, they released a smaller tablet that has outdated specs yet is still priced well above the competition. A lower pixel density than the Nook HD, Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 yet still over $100 more? That is a joke... By slapping the Apple logo on this inferior product, the brand as a whole is starting to become diluted and is no longer the symbol of prestige that it once was.
3. The "new" iMac". How does it make ANY sense that the presentation goes from boasting about the retina display of the new 13" MBP and how you can't live without it, to discussing the refresh of their desktop line that is inexplicably lacking a retina display? The refresh of the iMac line makes little to no sense. Yes, thinness is nice, but not as important of an attribute for a product that is not portable and is simply planted on your desk. Rather than the updated innards and a slightly thinner bezel, there is almost no reason for any current iMac owner to upgrade to this new model. The fact that the iPhone, iPad and MacBook have all progressed to retina displays while the desktop line has been left behind is inexcusable.
It's sad to say, but the market is ripe for another competitor to come in and dominate. Tim Cook's leadership will bring Apple back into another dark age for the company.