Are Apple losing their way?

condra

When I first went to Mac around 2003, I fell in love with OSX Panther, with its simple, snappy, easy to use interface.

Unfortunately, since then relationship with Apple has turned from love affair into love/hate, and I'm starting to dislike Apple, a lot.

As I watch the OS, Safari and iTunes bloat to Microsftian levels, and as I try desperately to keep track of every new buzz name for new features, I feel as if they've lost sight of their old software design ethos.

But worse still, I think the problem has much more darker roots than a drift from design ethos. Apple it seems, have become more cynical than ever before, and are on a mission to trap customers with upgrades and cross dependency of hardware and software.

Yes of course, a large company needs to make money, but a large company also needs to look after its customers.

I'm quite sure I'll be flamed for this post, but I'm hoping some of you will be able to resist any "fanboy" urges, and discuss the matter objectively.

Cheers.

Breezer

Long post alert!

No, I don't think Apple is losing its way. However, I think it is now following a different strategy to that which it followed 5 or 6 years ago. This new strategy is proving very lucrative for Apple, but is alienating a sizeable proportion of its old user base.

I bought my first Mac in 2006, a first-gen white MacBook. I'd previously owned an iPod mini, and at the time of buying the laptop I upgraded to a 5G iPod. I still use the MacBook as my main computer (I'm typing on it right now). At the start of this year I wanted to replace the iPod with an integrated phone and media player solution. I went for Android over iPhone, and I think it was the right decision for me. A week ago I bought a new laptop. I went for a MacBook Pro over a PC that would run Ubuntu. But I very nearly didn't.

What swung it for me was the trackpad and battery life, which trump any equivalent PC laptop out there. The slick hardware design was also nice, but not nice enough to convince me. However, I'm what you'd call a prosumer. I do more than browse the net and use Office. I code websites. I rip DVDs and stream them around my house via a fileserver. I've been receiving RTE's DTT service via a Mac Mini for a long time now, and were it not for some red tape regarding satellite dishes on my house, I'd be doing the same with FreeSat from the UK. I use Photoshop for graphics work. You get the picture. What I don't do is a lot of video editing, audio editing, work professionally with enormous photo libraries, etc. If I did, I'd probably have passed over the Mac in favour of a PC with a quad core i7 that costs less money. And had I been buying a desktop, there's no way I'd now be going for the super-pricey Mac Mini or Mac Pro, or the difficult to upgrade iMac. I'd be going for a Linux home build.

Apple's focus has undoubtedly shifted to its media devices, with its strategy being to sell as much content through the iTunes store as possible. It's a good system if it meets your needs. But it doesn't meet mine. No TV shows in Ireland, currently. Video content is DRM'd. The quality isn't up to that of Blu-Ray. The prices are too high. And my internet is far too slow to avail of much.

Now, some of this isn't Apple's problem. Fair enough. Unfortunately, Apple's focus on this side of its business has been to the detriment of its software design, IMO. OS X releases pushed back to shift developers to the iPhone. Bugs not being fixed for long periods of time. Poor quality releases like Safari 5, which has a fair few usability issues and frequently hangs or crashes. iTunes becoming more and more bloated, with an entire social network now bundled in FFS. On the iOS side, we still don't have a proper notification system, just a load of pop-ups that cover each other. Still no proper multitasking. An unpredictable approval system for apps. Etc. Etc.

Put simply, Apple has discovered that if you build some (very) slick-looking hardware, create an OS where basic users won't ever encounter or care about its many, many flaws, couple it with a media distribution service that costs an arm and a leg but is easy to use (provided you have the pricey Apple hardware), and market the **** out of it with buzzwords like "magical," it sells.

And sell it does. Huge numbers of people now believe there is nothing out there that even comes close to the stuff Apple produces. I've heard countless people who know nothing about tech extolling the virtues of the iPhone to other people who know nothing about tech. And you know what? They're probably right. Apple's stuff probably is brilliant for what they want to do. It's just too bad that a company that used to cater so well for both prosumers and professionals has now left those people out in the cold.

conor.hogan.2

No.

They have moved focus to mobile - where the money is.

But osx has just gotten better imo. buzzwords were abundant back then, little has changed really.

My next laptop should this macbook fail within the next two years will be a 400-500 ish euro laptop with decent battery and then running ubuntu but dual booted windows and heavily edited to be as mac like as possible for both os'es (sp!).

Freddie59

I'm coming at this as someone who switched to Mac from PC in June this year.

I can only comment on my experience since. Firstly, if you suggest Apple have lost their way, it's only marginally when compared to Microsoft.

When opting for the Mac, I wanted to keep Windows as well. It's hard to just separate all at once when you've been PC-oriented for 14 years.

I bought Parallels (great system) and (foolishly) opted for W7 ahead of XP. What a mistake. I've had to keep the PC running side by side as many of the programs (even simple ones) that I use are 'incompatible' with Windows 7 64x.

Mac OSx on the other hand, while at first appearing quirky, is beyond what I expected. The software is slick, responsive, and while I can already see W7 begin to slow down, Mac OSx remains the same after three months.

The downside is that, for example, video editing programs appear to be confined to a select few, without the selection that PC offers.

However, that being said, these things do what they say on the tin. yes they are expensive. Yes they can be restrictive. But, speaking as what I would term your average consumer with an interest in Photography and Video, they are worth it.

What swung me to switch was when someone asked me to set up a new iMac 27" for them. I could not believe the quality of the display graphics (just on normal things like the Internet - photos go a step further) and the overall performance of Mac OSx.

For me, Apple have it just right. And with a few more tweaks they will be there.

Sad Professor

I've more or less grown-up with Macs. I've been using them since around 1995. Back then Apple was most certainly losing their way. They were making tons of products, most of them sh*t, the Mac was outdated, and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Then Jobs came back and since then Apple has - with a few exceptions (such as the Cube) - gone from success to success.

As said, during this time there's been a shift in Apple's focus - away from the Mac and toward phones and media gadgets. Mac fanboys, such as myself, don't like this, but the whole computer industry is headed the same direction. It would be foolish for Apple not to follow. There isn't a whole lot more Apple can do with OS X at the moment anyway. Mobile devices are the future and that's where all the potential innovation is right now. And Apple have brought the same philosophy and intuitive design to mp3 players and phones that they brought to the Mac.

OS X bloated? Not at all. Snow Leopard provided significant improvements across the board. If there's been an excess of flashy new features it's only because Apple have run out of substantial things to add to the system. My main problem with OS X at the moment is the UI, which is inconsistent, but that's been a problem for years. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier with OS X. It's fast, reliable and intuitive.

However, I wouldn't consider myself an Apple fanboy (Mac fanboy maybe, but that's not the same thing ). If tomorrow Apple bring out a crap product, I'll say so (new Nano, I'm look at you). But I genuinely do think they make the best computers and phones you can get. I've used and owned Windows PCs as well and I find them just as horrible to use as ever. And I never had a phone I really liked until the iPhone. That's not to say Apple are beyond criticism. I can't remember a time when I wasn't complaining about something they were or weren't doing. Apple have never been particularly responsive to the demands of their users. Jobs believes in offering a particular way of doing things and either you like it or you don't. But in recent years they've become much more responsive to users.

More cynical? I don't really know what that's supposed to mean. They are a multinational electronics corporation not a philanthropy. They make stuff, we buy them, they profit. Maybe they sell us a lifestyle while they're at it -welcome to consumer society. But despite this, Apple have been responsible for a great deal of innovation in a industry filled with companies that frequently seem incapable of it. They are leading the way with mobile devices right now. Even the people who claim to hate the iPad will soon find themselves using tablets from Apple's competitors that wouldn't exist if not for the iPad.

So if anything, Apple have found their way. Their products have become enormously successful in recent years. Macs and iPhones are everywhere. The price of this success is that Apple can no longer sell themselves as the underdog. "Think Different", etc, is all a thing of the past. But all that really means is that Apple aren't cool anymore. Instead, for the first time, they are in a position to stand up to the bloated bullies that once dictated to them. Maybe one day they'll become the bully, maybe they are already, but as long as they keep making good computers and devices I'll buy them. But personally I get a kick out of watching everyone hang on Apple's every move.

whiterebel

Flippin' 'eck, I could have written every single word that Sad prof did there. I agree with every sentiment, and strangely enough began my Mac usage at the same time with a Performa 5300.Nice idea, terrible software (7.5) until OS8 sorted out the whole mess, and went from strength to strength with OS9.
Snow Leopard has certainly trimmed down - I think I got back about 6GB when I installed it?? iTunes, though definitely needs sorting out, not to become Facebook for Music.

Actually I forgot to say the Cube was the most sexy piece of kit at the time, but was way over-priced. Terrible shame as it was so desirable.

Sad Professor

whiterebel wrote: »

and strangely enough began my Mac usage at the same time with a Performa 5300.Nice idea, terrible software (7.5) until OS8 sorted out the whole mess, and went from strength to strength with OS9.

I started with a Performa 5200. Great machine which I sadly don't have anymore. System 7.5 certainly had a lot of stability problems which I found very frustrating - it was constantly freezing - but then I got a taste of Windows 95 and my Mac didn't seem so bad anymore.

Actually I forgot to say the Cube was the most sexy piece of kit at the time, but was way over-priced. Terrible shame as it was so desirable.

Yeah, it was a terrible flop, but I loved it all the same. Always regretted not getting one.

Talisman

1984 - that Super Bowl advert inspired my father to buy one of the first Macs - Macintosh 512K. At the time it cost almost half the price of a house - I'm not kidding - the price was around £4k and that included software like MacPaint, MacDraw, MacWrite and MacPascal. A couple of years later Apple released the Macintosh Plus, they also offered an upgrade kit which replaced the motherboard of the 512K and the back of the case. The kit cost £400 at the time and there were no issues about replacing the parts yourself.

The company has come along way since then and a lot has changed - ironically Steve Jobs could now be considered the Big Brother figure.

I don't think Apple are losing their way, the company has evolved. It is a marketing machine which creates hype about its products so people will buy into the "Apple Experience" - rinse and repeat.

was.deevey

iTunes, though definitely needs sorting out, not to become Facebook for Music.

Ok first off I HATE social networks, I do not have a facebook, myspace or bebo, a Fad, a way of life... whatever ..I see them biting many people back in the ass in a few years time when they are older and wiser.

BUT Why on earth would they NOT want to become that ? ... not only as social network platform (already a revenue stream), but also a complete Ready made record Label A&R system and Sales platform for new musicians!.

... I can see this becoming the start of "artist stealing" from the large labels to an Apple or Itunes label, not having to pay the big labels royalties would be MASSIVE to Apple's revenue stream..

Their OS is snappy as Fcuk and just "Works"... their hardware designs keep getting "shinier" ... They've changed the mobile phone as we know it forever ... They've perfected online music sales ...Have they lost their way ..IMHO they are just getting started.

Its IS a shame the OS has become so bloated, true, considering the first OSX were only a few hundred megs and did 99% of what the OS does now .. but that seems to just be the way of software in general.

conor.hogan.2

bloated? how? (genuinely curious)

if you dont want something delete it. (solution - not being a dick)

was.deevey

Well at least its not windows so I can feel some comfort that with Apple the bloating is as well formed and rounded as a Rubens Nudie, rather than a Homer Beer Belly:P

Not everything is optional to delete however and IN GENERAL software has become bloated in raw SIZE, not just talking OSX or Apple's stuff btw .. Think different - make it smaller! or at least leave everything optional on the initial startup / register / setup screens when you buy one

Yes I did get rid of everything didn't want e.g. iphoto, garageband, Iwork trials etc etc, and then delete all the prefs and resource files, additional folders

Personally I like small Fast and Functional over Eyecandy on any machine.

Quicktime7: 70+megs
Quicktime6: 19megs

Is that not somewhat bloated considering VLC is only 13megs :-O