Apple Inc Post Steve Jobs Era

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

Steve Jobs (RIP) created the "reality distortion field" and captivated people during Apple product presentations (almost god like). Steve Jobs also pointed Apple in the right direction with a wide variety of new and innovative products. Jobs was stringent with releasing products and the quality of them as well when he was CEO. Now, I believe Apple is returning to its "1986?97 pre jobs era". Apples product presentations have been lackluster lately, lacking that reality distortion field effect and the effect Steve Jobs had also. Apple?s recent products like the retina display, and thinner Imacs, did not seem very amazing like before. Do you agree, now without Steve Jobs, Apple will sink back to its ?1986?97 pre-jobs era??

[+Warwagon MVC]

yep, they're screwed.

[+virtorio MVC]

Despite that fact I really like what they've been doing with the Mac (super thin, retina resolution, OSX features like Mission Control, great support for touch gestures, etc), it does seem like they're heading back in that direction. I'll hold judgement completely until I see what "big surprises" they supposedly have coming up, and if they actually bother to do something interesting with iOS this time (the last time I thought the iPhone might be worth buying was when the 3GS was new, and even then I didn't bother). I don't think an iWatch is going to cut it.

And I don't think Tim Cook is the right guy to be running Apple, he seems to have about as much creativity as a cinder block.

[+Warwagon MVC]

I think they should make Jony Ives CEO. He's the closet thing to Steve Jobs that they've got. Plus he has stage presents.

[Circaflex]

[greenwizard88]

Apple was sinking back to its' "Pre Jobs Era" about a year before Jobs died. They stopped having such a razor sharp focus on OS X, and went where the money was - iOS, and lost focus.

Before iOS, OS X was an amazing OS that had new features every revision. Post iOS, it's become a dumping ground for iOS features - iCloud, Full screen BS, etc. Meanwhile, iOS is confined to a single button and rows of icons, and they're too afraid to change it. So iOS stagnates and OS X gets downright bad features. Then you have the finicky customer who gets a new phone every 2 years. Maybe they have an iPhone now, maybe they won't in 2 years. Maybe they don't have one now, maybe their next one will.

Long story short, Apple neglected their core business for a fad. Sure it's a multi-billion dollar fad, but it's a fad none the less. Around the time Apple stock was hitting $550-$600, the cracks were beginning to show. OS X was stale, Final Cut X was MIA, and Apple was going all thermonuclear against Adobe instead of innovating.

A year after Jobs' passing, you have the remains. A company that's too caught up in iOS to realize that they're losing their core business customers, too afraid to alienate their consumers to do anything drastic, and now too stale to capture the media like they once did.

The iPod was all about "You" and "your music" in "your pocket". Current Apple is all about "Apple profits" and they need some better marketing.

[techbeck]

Shall have to wait and see if somethings comes out of WWDC.

[Motoko.]

Shall have to wait and see if somethings comes out of WWDC.

This

I believe Steve schemed to do something about OS X in his 8 years of planning with Cook

OS 10.9 could bring major revamps (a personal wish of mine but it's just logical that Apple can't focus on its mobile platform full frontal)

[COKid]

They could release "Apple Used Toilet Paper" for $100 a roll, and the sheeple would buy it.

Ok, a bit trollish there. Seriously, Jobs was hip. Cook is a bore. They need to go younger. Someone from the Brian Tong generation. Perception is reality and most people I talk with think (the) Apple is getting stale.

[(Account no longer active)]

I think that (at this moment of time in 2013) we've reached a bit of a stand-still in terms of technology progression. How much further can you improve the iMac/MacBook/iPod/etc.? It's not Cook's fault at all. If Job's was still alive, things would probably be the same as they are now. The same goes for other companies and their products. I wasn't surprised to hear that the Samsung Galaxy S4 launch wasn't as interesting as the S3's. I don't expect to see anything revolutionary with the iPhone 5S/6.

But, Mac OS X still has a lot of ares in which it can improve. If only Apple would see this. Window management/memory usage being the two main areas. I also dislike how MacBook Pro's have had the same design for the last five years. Once again, there are areas for improvement - their design is becoming old.

I guess there's only so far you can go with product innovation...

[astropheed Veteran]

. . . and the sheeple would buy it.

I rather be a 'sheeple' than be the guy who says sheeple. I'm not even a fan of Apple branded products and I'm completely sick of seeing this word, it irks me nearly as much as "Snappy" or "Snappier".

Apple will be alright, but they are out of the limelight -- this happens a lot and one day they may even be back in it.

[vcfan]

Steve Jobs would make excuses for not making a certain version of one of their products not because what hes saying is true, but because he knew it would hurt the business. Apple never made netbooks because he knew it would eat into their margins.If you entice someone who buys your expensive machine into buying your cheap machine instead,you just lost a ton of money. He said the same thing about 7 inch tablets. He made some excuse about how you'd have to sand your fingers to use a 7" tablet because its so small, but what he really thought was that someone buying a 7 inch ipad instead of the full size one would mean a loss of profits,and that is exactly what is happening today. There is also a reason why there was never an iphone mini,no matter how popular that request was.

Seems like Tim Cook and company got nervous pretty quick,and fell into the race to the bottom trap. That is why their profits fell for the first time in a decade.

[Torolol]

^yeah, its Steve Jobs decision who insist refusing Adobe Flash for iOS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_and_Adobe_Flash_controversy

[dead.cell]

Honestly, when it comes to computers, Apple is doing fine. Personally, I'd love to see some sort of push for touch on these devices, and see Apple's take on a touch based capable operating system, but I won't hold my breath. Also, I don't want to know how gross the cost for that would be. Ugh.

Currently, the selling factor for Macs that I'm seeing (aside from photographers and the creative minded) is people with a distaste for Windows 8. Regardless of what Microsoft does at this point, I feel that the perception of Windows 8 has already been established, and people are beginning to avoid it in favor for something else whether it's from their own experience or more often or not, their friend or family member who "knows a thing or two".

The iMac is a pretty easy sale too for someone who will just be using it at home. It's the best looking all-in-one computer you will find. I don't know what direction they would need to take them in to make it better, other than touch. It's a big pretty screen, and if I could navigate as smoothly as I do on an iPad, it'd be an easy buy if money was no issue.

Of course, I care about my money. Today, Apple provides much better options than they have in the past in terms of pricing. They're still pricey no doubt, more so on the accessories and the adapter for this, that, and frustration that can lead to. I guess it all depends on the person.

As for the company itself? I think they need to do something in the phone department more than anything. iOS is growing stale, fans have been left out in the cold so to speak waiting for something big to come along (no Samsung, I'm not talking about you're oversized phones). Something feature rich, with ideas that just make sense. It's no easy task though coming up with ideas and solutions to problems that people didn't realize they have, as they did with the original iPhone release.

I can only hope they come up with something great, as I love competition. Android has come a long way, and I'm quite happy with it. If they can have Samsung and Google scrambling, it will be a good day for me as an Android user. :)

[TheLegendOfMart]

Apple has billions in the bank, I don't think they care what a bunch of nerds think about them, the same nerds who won't use an Apple product "just because" it's cool to hate Apple.

[NeoWind]

All current apple product and iOS/OSX design is stale. OS X has been water down by iOS features ever since late 2010 with the unveil of OS X Lion.

Snow Leopard was the last OS X that bring powerful features like OpenCL.

As for whether or not apple is gradually sinking is not something that can be immediately predict or sense because they have over 100 Billion of cash. Maybe at least five years time will see how it works out for tim cook on how he handle the company.

The biggest mistake that they had done is refreshing all their product line up at last fall 2012...something that never happen before when steve jobs as a CEO of Apple.

[+virtorio MVC]

All current apple product and iOS/OSX design is stale. OS X has been water down by iOS features ever since late 2010 with the unveil of OS X Lion.

I see people saying similar to things all the time. Apart from the (very much optional) iOS inspired Launch Pad, how exactly has OS X been "watered down"?

[Steven P. Administrators]

Maybe The Woz will be Apple's next saviour :p

[+virtorio MVC]

Maybe The Woz will be Apple's next saviour :p

Only if Apple's next big thing is a Steak Restaurant franchise.

[MFH]

Maybe The Woz will be Apple's next saviour :p

Woz is an engineer that loves to tinker. He's not really the guy Apple would be looking for you (you know, a great salesman...).

[Growled Member]

I don't think we've seen a post Steve Jobs era yet. They are still working with ideas that Jobs left behind.It may be years before we ever get to that era.

[Kami-]

Maybe The Woz will be Apple's next saviour :p

Personally I think they need the charisma of RDJ!

[cooky560 Veteran]

I am fast losing faith in Apple. OSX 10.8 bought slowdowns in favour of iOS features, which I don't get.

The new iMacs have got both slower HDDs (21") than previous models and less ram slots (21") than previous models, while costing $100 more.

The iPhone 5 is just another iPhone. An awesome phone sure, but it's all been seen before by last years model.

In short Apple need to re-evaluate what they are doing to their software.

[xWhiplash]

God forbid a company produces products where the interest is (iOS vs OS X). OS X is still great, and the retina MBP is amazing. I think that is just fine.

[dead.cell]

I am fast losing faith in Apple. OSX 10.8 bought slowdowns in favour of iOS features, which I don't get.

The new iMacs have got both slower HDDs (21") than previous models and less ram slots (21") than previous models, while costing $100 more.

The iPhone 5 is just another iPhone. An awesome phone sure, but it's all been seen before by last years model.

In short Apple need to re-evaluate what they are doing to their software.

You mean like the App store? Every customer I've shown that's new to Macs loves the idea. I personally like it as well, though being on Windows, it's sort of a joke with the current app quality right now, but that's whole 'nother story.