We are seeing the demise of Apple unfold before our eyes

[Pjstock42]

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releasing a smaller tablet that has top of the line specs with a premium price, they released a smaller tablet that has outdated specs yet is still priced well above the competition.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.

 

[brutusvimes]

iPad refresh mirrors the way Apple has been refreshing computers for years now. No major product iterations anymore like the iPhone. Works for computers, will work for this.

Jobs changed his opinion on many things, including this one. Useless to cite it.

Retina is less of an issue on a desktop device, not to mention the amount of pixels pushed would not be worthwhile at that distance. It's a matter of utility, which is the same choice they made for iPad mini.

Apple is fine, you're exaggerating, and if I had a nickel for every critic that preemptively defended their rant with a "I'm a huge fanboy" I could afford the new iPad.

 

[jabingla2810]

Different products highlight different features.

Always been that way.

In 2008 they stressed how fast and capable the MacBook line is, then they introduced the MacBook Air which was much less powerful, but Apple just highlighted how thin it was.

The ipad mini is 8" so it's just as capable as an ipad 2, and again Apple highlighted its small size and weight.

The product that I think indicates the lost focus at Apple is the Smart Case, but that's another story.

 

[stuaz]

wow Apple changes the release schedule of one product and all of a sudden the company is in 'demise'....

 

[hackjo]

I think you're right - Apple is in decline. All the figures suggest it.

Time for you to take over from Tim. I'll back you!

Lol

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

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.

So your basic thesis is that if a company CAN improve on their product offering, they shouldn't? This isn't the first "silent refresh" Apple has introduced in their lineup. Any moron with half a brain could have seen this coming as the iPad becomes a dominant product in the Apple stable. Macbooks have been "silent upgraded" for years now. This is no different, not in the least.

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.

The iPad Mini is a 7.9" device, not a 7" device. Jobs arguments remain valid. Next topic....

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.

You really have no concept of economies of scale do you? Care to guess how much a 21" iMac with Retina screen would cost? Now take into consideration total sales of all iMacs and compare that to total sales of all iPads. Do you get it now? Can you say "Cost Prohibitive?"

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.

Actually, this could be the only accurate thing you've said. Apple, like all companies, will have its ups and downs for market share over the years. Its quite possible they may be due for a market correction, but it won't be because of anything you've predicted. In fact, I'd say it will be for a ton of reasons you are likely too shallow to even contemplate. But that's a topic for another thread.

 

[scaredpoet]

It's sad to say, but the market is ripe for another competitor to come in and dominate.

We'll miss you. Please let us know which superior platform you convert all of your products to.

 

[Troneas]

Look mate, you're doing it wrong.

If you're going to predict the beginning of the end you need to make it more dramatically. Much more doom & gloom is required. Also calling on ancient prophecies is a plus, especially those somehow related to the ancient Maya.
First, go to excel and make up a spreadsheet showing either an extremely dramatic rise or drop of something marginally related.

Second, write a long post referencing anything that turns up in the first 5 pages when doing a Google-search on "the end of Apple". Include your made up graph at the end.

Third, make several alt-accounts to be your disciples and wholeheartedly agree with your OP, further referencing the next 5 pages of your Google search as additional evidence. Additional made-up graphs are recommended.

Fourth, go spam this over several Apple forums. The more you say it, the more likely people are to believe it.

Fifth, create a movement fighting to stop the end and rake in the cash from donations!

Overall I find this a very disappointing effort at predicting the end....

 

[StumpyBloke]

In fact, I'd say it will be for a ton of reasons you are likely too shallow to even contemplate.

Wow! You must feel good now eh?!

 

[hackjo]

I'm annoyed that he predicted the end only back in March and here I am still enjoying re-reading his post and he goes and brings out another one!

And to top it all off, he releases a mini-summary of his post that is slightly bigger than all the other mini-summaries I have read and doesn't have as many colourful typefaces in it.

I feel very insulted.

 

[smiddlehurst]

Good lord there's some tripe popping up tonight. In order:

1) Apple pushed the engineering envelope for the iPad 3. One look at the A5X proved that, it's an insane design and I can't blame them for shifting to A6X as soon as possible. I also, as an owner of the iPad 3, don't give a damn. It's a spec bump for gods sake, they way people are acting you'd think Apple had sent teams to personally shoot every iPad 3 and demand payment for a new one! Real world impact will be minimal, it'll be a bit faster and that's it. iPad 3 has the Retina display and THAT is the big feature of both the 3 and the 4 and hasn't changed.

2) Oh goody, the spec argument! Let's keep this brief: Apple just introduced a product that sits at the premium end of the mass market and will entice millions of customers who don't consider 'premium' to be all about spec. When will people realise it's about the ecosystem and overall experience in the consumer space with factors such as the feel, fit and finish being just as important as the SoC or, indeed, resolution? Retina will come but I just don't think the components are in place to deliver it without compromising design and battery life right now. At the same time Apple just introduced a major hurdle for Windows RT devices when it comes to pricing. They can't just drop $50 below the iPad and have done now.

3) Desktops that are already running at 1920 x 1080 (or 2560 x 1440) and are viewed from further away than a phone, tablet or laptop would see very little benefit from doubling the pixel density. More importantly, how the hell would you drive a panel that dense?!? You'd need an SLI rig to run gaming at any sort of decent performance figures and that ain't happening in the iMac chassis.

Ultimately what Apple introduced today is going to keep them at the top of the mountain and probably expand their sales figures considerably.

 

[mantan]

Apple is in demise.

It's essentially just going into cruise control where they can put anything out there and watch the money pile up. No reason to innovate anymore (just keep going 'thinner and lighter!'

They aren't the company people thought they were anymore...but a lot of that was built on the cult of Steve Jobs.

 

[hackjo]

Good lord there's some tripe popping up tonight. In order:

1) Apple pushed the engineering envelope for the iPad 3. One look at the A5X proved that, it's an insane design and I can't blame them for shifting to A6X as soon as possible. I also, as an owner of the iPad 3, don't give a damn. It's a spec bump for gods sake, they way people are acting you'd think Apple had sent teams to personally shoot every iPad 3 and demand payment for a new one! Real world impact will be minimal, it'll be a bit faster and that's it. iPad 3 has the Retina display and THAT is the big feature of both the 3 and the 4 and hasn't changed.

2) Oh goody, the spec argument! Let's keep this brief: Apple just introduced a product that sits at the premium end of the mass market and will entice millions of customers who don't consider 'premium' to be all about spec. When will people realise it's about the ecosystem and overall experience in the consumer space with factors such as the feel, fit and finish being just as important as the SoC or, indeed, resolution? Retina will come but I just don't think the components are in place to deliver it without compromising design and battery life right now. At the same time Apple just introduced a major hurdle for Windows RT devices when it comes to pricing. They can't just drop $50 below the iPad and have done now.

3) Desktops that are already running at 1920 x 1080 (or 2560 x 1440) and are viewed from further away than a phone, tablet or laptop would see very little benefit from doubling the pixel density. More importantly, how the hell would you drive a panel that dense?!? You'd need an SLI rig to run gaming at any sort of decent performance figures and that ain't happening in the iMac chassis.

Ultimately what Apple introduced today is going to keep them at the top of the mountain and probably expand their sales figures considerably.

Well said.

----------

Apple is in demise.

It's essentially just going into cruise control where they can put anything out there and watch the money pile up. No reason to innovate anymore (just keep going 'thinner and lighter!'

They aren't the company people thought they were anymore...but a lot of that was built on the cult of Steve Jobs.

What a load of bollocks!

 

[jmgregory1]

The demise of Apple - famous last words spoken thousands of times before.

Just fill in the blank for the reasons people cite - price and features (lacking thereof generally) are two of the most oft cited reasons. Remember when the iPad 1 was released and people said they were overpriced and would be destroyed by the coming Android competition - which happened to come to market with less of a product at a higher price?

I can remember back to a time when Apple dropped the floppy drive and went all cd-rom and the pc fools all laughed at Apple and any Apple using consumer, saying they dumped the only way to load programs onto the computer - that will kill the company!

And for those people who think Apple is not innovating, you're expecting exactly what kind of radical innovation to be implemented? Maybe an hdmi port? Or sd card reader?

Apple created (go ahead and argue Apple didn't create but simply stole, if you must) the smartphone, tablet and AIO markets as we know them today. Will they at some point make another revolutionary change that screams innovation? Probably yes, but before that happens, they'll make incremental improvements the same way that every competitor will with their tablets, AIO's and smartphones.

For Apple and the vast majority of Apple using public, they're not concerned with making change for change's sake, but to ensure the user experience is as good as it can be based upon the existing technology at the time they're releasing any particular product.

The iPad 4 update wasn't just a decision to upgrade so as to keep ahead of the competition, they did so because they could given they needed to update to the lightning connector anyway - which itself was a change that required the volumes that the iPhone 5 alone could force to happen and not create too much of negative backlash.

Even if you take the lightning connector - it's the perfect example of Apple pushing change, innovating, to make things better for the consumer experience and for their own design and profit requirements. Sure, they could have gone to micro USB or mini USB, but they suck, to put it bluntly.

The list could go on and on for why Apple is, for the foreseeable future, going to lead and grow while you watch competitors continue to falter.

 

[onthecouchagain]

How much would a retina iMac 21" cost anyway? Like... $2799 starting?

 

[PlutoniusX]

The demise of Apple - famous last words spoken thousands of times before.

Just fill in the blank for the reasons people cite - price and features (lacking thereof generally) are two of the most oft cited reasons. Remember when the iPad 1 was released and people said they were overpriced and would be destroyed by the coming Android competition - which happened to come to market with less of a product at a higher price?

I can remember back to a time when Apple dropped the floppy drive and went all cd-rom and the pc fools all laughed at Apple and any Apple using consumer, saying they dumped the only way to load programs onto the computer - that will kill the company!

And for those people who think Apple is not innovating, you're expecting exactly what kind of radical innovation to be implemented? Maybe an hdmi port? Or sd card reader?

Apple created (go ahead and argue Apple didn't create but simply stole, if you must) the smartphone, tablet and AIO markets as we know them today. Will they at some point make another revolutionary change that screams innovation? Probably yes, but before that happens, they'll make incremental improvements the same way that every competitor will with their tablets, AIO's and smartphones.

For Apple and the vast majority of Apple using public, they're not concerned with making change for change's sake, but to ensure the user experience is as good as it can be based upon the existing technology at the time they're releasing any particular product.

The iPad 4 update wasn't just a decision to upgrade so as to keep ahead of the competition, they did so because they could given they needed to update to the lightning connector anyway - which itself was a change that required the volumes that the iPhone 5 alone could force to happen and not create too much of negative backlash.

Even if you take the lightning connector - it's the perfect example of Apple pushing change, innovating, to make things better for the consumer experience and for their own design and profit requirements. Sure, they could have gone to micro USB or mini USB, but they suck, to put it bluntly.

The list could go on and on for why Apple is, for the foreseeable future, going to lead and grow while you watch competitors continue to falter.

Sooner or later, companies will unfold. The OP is right on the line. Reminds me of Sony.

 

[dmelgar]

LOL. Good one. Amazing the stuff people make up.

Apparently you don't know what a blind update means. Might as well stop there.

 

[richpuer]

I completely agree op. but didn't need you to write all that. Just pull up an aapl stock chart. Te daily chart has already topped out...Look intraday and you can already see it falling apart after keynote.

People can sit here and argue back and forth about how good their products are and blah blah blah but People have already voted with their dollars and pulling money out of this company. Denise indeed. Stock price will tell you all the facts you need to know

 

[mac jones]

Apple pays no attention to normal update cycles. They do this all the time.
People will make a huge noise, and Apple, in their sage like wisdom, will proclaim a refund for those who have bought their items 30 days or less, rather than the regular 14 window.

They will make this announcement amidst much fanfare and accolades. The Queen will knight them, and we will bless them here.

Of course this was all planned months ago.

 

[ActionableMango]

I completely agree op. but didn't need you to write all that. Just pull up an aapl stock chart. Te daily chart has already topped out...Look intraday and you can already see it falling apart after keynote.

People can sit here and argue back and forth about how good their products are and blah blah blah but People have already voted with their dollars and pulling money out of this company. Denise indeed. Stock price will tell you all the facts you need to know

AAPL often falls right after a keynote. People see a solid product but were expecting a magical unicorn. So they sell the stock based on the lack of magical unicorns and the stock price falls.

But then over the next quarter Apple sells the products just fine, and the results speak for themselves. This drives the stock back up. I've seen it many times.

 

[willmtaylor]

This OP amounts to little more than the myriads of others clamouring to declare, "First!!!"

 

[djransom]

Demise? No. Arrogance? Yes, but people, including myself, will continue to purchase the Apple products they like. I purchased an iPad 3 a couple weeks ago and I'm good with that until next fall.

 

[willmtaylor]

I completely agree op. but didn't need you to write all that. Just pull up an aapl stock chart. Te daily chart has already topped out...Look intraday and you can already see it falling apart after keynote.

People can sit here and argue back and forth about how good their products are and blah blah blah but People have already voted with their dollars and pulling money out of this company. Denise indeed. Stock price will tell you all the facts you need to know

You've seriously never watched Apple's stock before, have you? It does that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

 

[deaglecat]

Now if you want to see a major company's demise then just watch MSFT.

Nobody has been able to touch the surface.
Nobody has been allowed to touch windows 8 phone
Many hate the Metro desktop

Folk are going to be angry when they realise that the surface RT cannot run their existing windows Apps.

Microsoft failing this holiday season is the story of a giant struggling (and failing) to find its way.

RIM is another contender
As is Nokia...

Spread the joy !

 

[SR45]

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.

Really? What have you been smoking. "Another dark age" Goodness sakes. Get a good week of sleep and stop ranting this stuff that actually does not make sense nor will ever play out..... EVER.

If Apple waited a few more months with this iPad 4, the OP would say things differently and praise Apple, but just because its about 5 month sooner for OP, he goes nuts.