The future of Apple?

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Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
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most the people I have talked to who I know with an iphone 4 was disappointed and is just going to wait for the 5 now. it's not a big enough upgrade to justify the cost to them.

This makes sense given the IP4 was already quite good in most areas, and most users aren't needing more performance for the generic tasks they do with them. The most compelling upgrades would be things like battery life, larger screen, and cosmetics, for the user base that demands these things.
 
Dec 28, 2001
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Agreed. I know plenty of Apple folks that weren't very impressed by the iP4S. I have a feeling that iPhone users who were perhaps thinking about trying Android for a change, may have just been given the push they need. No iPhone 5, plus the best Android device on the planet only days away from being announced. I think there will be a good number of people going with Android this time around. If ever there was a time to give Android an honest test, ICS and the Nexus Prime are the time to do it.

But I digress.

I've heard remarks such as "nothing changed."

I think this has just affirmed my previous belief that people need crazy buzzwords that they don't understand. If you asked some random Apple (or not Apple) fan what a "retina display" actually is, do you think they can answer it (correctly)?

Exactly. A bit of armchair analyzing here, but what Apple has succeeded is not in the enterprise market, but as a consumer-grade goods company.

I can see Windows platforms surviving if only because it is integrated so much into business computing - changing OS' would require - on top of changing the OS itself - finding and implementing new 3rd party solutions that may/may not work, security overhauls, etc. as opposed to making sure that the OS has been upgraded and that it has a legacy function for older programs to function properly. Outside of a few niche markets I just don't see Apple as a necessity or a must-have in the enterprise sector.

Which would mean, to me, that Apple is at the mercy of the general consumer's whims and tastes, which is fickle and not necessarily a good place to be.

Think about it this way:
- Do you want to run a business? Run Windows.
- Do you want to play games? Run Windows.

Where does it leave Apple in terms of finding solid ground? I realize that Apple's strength/majority marketshare was never computers, but what I see as Steve Jobs' genius was that he brought new markets to the masses - he didn't invent them necessarily, but certainly made it hip/popular.

The question is, can they maintain what they have in the smartphone/tablet sector? I don't rightly know the correct answer, but I'm inclined to say no; while we gadget nerds can say, "yes, there is a valid reason to upgrade", the general consumer - the ones that Apple is and should be gunning for - doesn't know the difference (my coworker, a mom of 4, didn't know if the iPhone 4S was new or not, even going to the website) and won't rightly see the need to upgrade. And I may be assuming too much here based off of 1 announcement; they may come out and say "Hey, that's fine, but here's the REAL announcement" a month down the road but if this is the general trend of the company it will not bode well.

It is really a fragile time for Apple; we'll just have to see where it'll lead them next!
 
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Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
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^^ Truth. One of my larger clients, a midsize law firm, has seen several of the partner attorneys grab Macbook Airs and Macbook Pros as work units, and it's been a huge pain trying to get them to play nice with all of the legacy stuff they have there, from printers to cloud apps, to email access w/exchange, etc.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
21,995
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IMO, once Apple unleashes its next round of products that was already in place be fore steve died, they will slip back to what they were in the late 90s early 2000s. Somewhat struggling but staying afloat, until the next true visionary arises. I dont think they are doomed, but they definately will not be what they are/were. If they follow steves vision they will be ok, but I dont think steve really confided too much of his vision unto others. There was only one steve, and he is dead. Douche or not, they will not find another. I just hope they dont look for the youger crowd of todays teens/20s people to help them as really, that generation has no freaking clue.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,418
1,599
126
^^ Truth. One of my larger clients, a midsize law firm, has seen several of the partner attorneys grab Macbook Airs and Macbook Pros as work units, and it's been a huge pain trying to get them to play nice with all of the legacy stuff they have there, from printers to cloud apps, to email access w/exchange, etc.

parallels or bootcamp

i got a dev on my project team who has an MBP and just bootcamps into XP whenever he walks into work
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
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The Walt Disney company is a great place to look when seeing what can happen after a visionary leader dies.

Walt died in 1966 and the company drifted until 1984 when Eisner came along and turned the company into the media company it is today.

But even Eisner needed the help of Frank Wells and Katzenberg and once both of them were gone the company suffered.


I think the lesson is that replacing an icon like Jobs is very hard and that it may take the team work of multiple people to match the genius of just one. But it can be done.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
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I dont' see Apple going down much if at all. its to big and they have to many smart people.
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
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parallels or bootcamp

i got a dev on my project team who has an MBP and just bootcamps into XP whenever he walks into work

That's what I've been pushing, but have been meeting stiff resistance. Best I've been able to do so far is have them running a RD of their W7 Pro workstations for certain tasks. I am hopeful that a couple of the apps that are major sticking points will finally be 100% on OSX within the year.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,418
1,599
126
That's what I've been pushing, but have been meeting stiff resistance. Best I've been able to do so far is have them running a RD of their W7 Pro workstations for certain tasks. I am hopeful that a couple of the apps that are major sticking points will finally be 100% on OSX within the year.

i mean really, it is quite unfortunate that some of these legacy apps require IE 7.0 or w/e to run.
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
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i mean really, it is quite unfortunate that some of these legacy apps require IE 7.0 or w/e to run.

Yeah, by no means am I criticizing Apple on this. If anything, their products are largely excellent. But the reality on the ground in a business evironment is tough if you're trying to implement Apple products into an existing group of components and services that vary wildly in terms of working well with OSX.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
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My last two companies - Pharmaceutical and Internet, any new products/vendors have to be compatible with Macs either via web, fusion or citrix.
 
Dec 28, 2001
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I dont' see Apple going down much if at all. its to big and they have to many smart people.

Right, much like Enron, Fannie Mae, AIG, GM, etc.

Different scenarios I admit, but I don't think that "it's too big to fail" logic applies . . . anywhere, really.
 

Kev

Lifer
Dec 17, 2001
16,367
4
81
4s is only considered a "flop" to android fanboys, people who had no interest in apple anyways. so i don't think your "flop" is going to be as catastrophic as you think.

Well for me, I was planning on getting the next iphone as I'm due for an upgrade from my 3GS. Now I'm contemplating either flipping the 4GS on ebay or switching to a SGS2 or Nexus Prime. I wonder how many people like me are out there. Apple really shit the bed as far as hardware innovation this year.
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
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I'm not saying they aren't going to do well now, I'm talking slightly longer term. With the way Apple runs their business, just how long do you think it'll be until they try to lock down the shit in China over jail breaking? They also won't exactly be able to make money off of iTunes there because well the Chinese don't exactly much give a flying fuck about our IP and Copyright laws. I think they'll sell well enough until Apple does what Apple does and kills their own business in China, then you'll see Apple products in China with a different logo.


Without someone to make Apple products "magical" the magic will eventually fade. They need a new salesman.
the urban middle-class Chinese now have incomes in the low 5 figures (PPP higher) and an almost insatiable demand for Western-style living standards. That's why every multinational company wants to sell its goods there even in the face of a corrupt regime. Like I said, when the Chinese buy iPhones, all they care is they can sideload cracked apps. I think its possible iOS hackers will continue to figure out ways to pierce the walled garden. Apples does not need to make any money off of iTunes, they already claim they don't anywhere in the world.

You're silly to suggest Apple will somehow shoot itself in the foot and then allow FoxConn to rip off its products. Consumers violating copyright laws is entirely different from IP violations at the corporate level.

most the people I have talked to who I know with an iphone 4 was disappointed and is just going to wait for the 5 now. it's not a big enough upgrade to justify the cost to them.
this is just common sense, the average iPhone 4 is less than a year old. Not too many people are willing to pay full price for an unsubsidized handset when their current one is not outdated, was groundbreaking upon its release and is getting a new OS. Only the earliest iP4 adopters will get a 4S because AT&T will liberally offer them the full subsidy to
ward off defection to VZ/S.

Steve Jobs really hasn't been involved as the face of Apple since the iPad 2 keynote. If your premise is that he's only the consummate pitchman is true, it shouldn't take very long for their growth to level off due to his absence. I've put my money where my mouth is, confident that the team he's put in place will just keep executing in 2012.
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
11,849
2,805
136
I'm biased as an investor but they're well set to succeed in 2012. Just from China, VZ/S and continued organic growth in smartphones being dominated by both Android and iOS. Beyond that, you figure the law of large numbers has to set in; and who really knows who the winners and losers will be way down the line.
You don't know very many Chinese people do you? Most of those I talk to laugh at Apple products and those who don't only want them because Americans have them. Not to mention Apple isn't to fond of jailbreaking their devices which seems to be all the rage with the idevices in China.
Apple is top banana in China
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
63
91
Apple is going to stay extremely profitable for a long time. They don't need to keep growing their pc marketshare to still make ridiculous profits & they will only lose significant tablet marketshare is if the tablet market suddenly expands on the back of cheap Amazon or other android tablets. They'll continue to command the high end of the tablet market, which is where the $ will continue to be. They may begin to stagnate, but it won't be for at least 5 years, at the very very earliest.
 
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