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Apple’s 2016 in review

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Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#291

Post by sdegutis »

chaostheory wrote: post #286

> Defining products by the spreadsheet: A big percentage of complaints over the new MacBook Pro devices is that they ignore the needs of the “power” user. The problem? This group is fairly small and have needs living well towards the end of the bell curve. The problem with ignoring this niche is because these users are either developers or big influencers. They help with the ongoing success of the App Store as well a…

Yep. They probably don't realize how big of a part "Word of Mouth" marketing plays in their sales.

At every small business I've ever worked at, everyone praised the MBP highly, and if you didn't have one, you felt like you wanted and needed one.

Especially because it Just Worked™, it was kind of this sleek and powerful tool that only people who know the value of their time had, because they weren't going to waste their time on anything lesser. It was almost a status symbol.

Word of mouth is a powerful thing. It can make and later break a product. I bet that'll happen now.

That said, how can I buy stock in Apple? I'm betting they'll look at dropping sales, realize the above, and make a huge come back with a significantly better MBP and Mac Pro in a year or two.

EDIT: The above question is not rhetorical: how can a simple developer like me with no idea about stocks, throw $100 or $200 at Apple stock in hopes it grows a good amount in the next few years?

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#292

Post by ashark »

lobster_johnson wrote: post #54
mrmondo wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of all the MacBooks, MacBook Pros and idevices I've had over the years (including my still running perfectly Jan 2011 MBP) I've never had a single issue with any power cord tearing / breaking or power supply even fail as far as I can remember. I always assume when I hear of people with this problem that they're disrespecting their hardware by jamming it in doors / desks or perhaps have pets that chew on them.

Same here, and I used to think people were being careless... until I started working remotely from places like coffee shops where I had to bring my charger every day. Turns out the thinner MagSafe cable will fray after a while if you unpack and pack it on a daily basis. I bet it's due to winding the cord around the brick. I use the little legs you can flip out (they've been removed on the new charger). The last few m…

I guess my wad-up-roughly-and-throw-in-the-bag method is gentler somehow than using the built-in pegs. Laziness wins yet again?

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#293

Post by [deleted] »

nilkn wrote: post #280
Lio wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well a computer with enough GPU performance to work with VR would be a nice start. Apple don't currently have anything available other than hacking an eGPU set up together. The "current" Mac Pro is over 3 (4?) years old now. Users can't upgrade it because of the proprietary GPU cards and Apple don't seem able to keep it relevant themselves. It's difficult to have a professional relationship with a supplier where the…

VR is a subset of PC gaming right now, and Apple has never offered hardware sufficient for high-end PC gaming.

[deleted]

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#294

Post by intoverflow2 »

thr0waway1239 wrote: post #208
sangnoir wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a customer, I wouldn't buy such a device from a new entrant out of fear of the dreaded "Our amazing journey" blog post when the start up is inevitably shuttered or acquired. The existing players are likely to still exist for the 4+ year device lifetime, which is handy for security updates, warranty and service and replacement purposes.

Although it would be helpful to remember that: 1. The big companies also shutter projects. Minus the "amazing journey" blog post. Their announcements usually have the tone of "Thanks for being part of the gigantic data collection experiment although you wouldn't quite know that yet. Here, take this gratuitous 6 month window to take your data out and then go f yourselves." 2. The security updates, warranty and service…

The point is shuttering a product is rarely the end goal for a larger companies product.

It is the end goal for almost every startup in the current climate.

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#295

Post by intoverflow2 »

ghughes wrote: post #267
petra wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, Graham offers a naive reading about when hardware startups can win. Yes, a start-up came up with the smartwatch(pebble), and another came up with the wireless earphones. And those were pretty good products . Did they ever had a chance against Apple ?

No, because "pretty good" isn't good enough when your competition is Apple.

If we're honest is the Apple Watch even better than "pretty good"?

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#296

Post by Humdeee »

hoodoof wrote: post #70

Apple should spin off the Mac division to be its own company so theoretically the management might give sh*t about competing.

After brainstorming what they would call this subset company, it dawned on me that the Mac, as in the Mcintosh (fruit) is an apple. I'm embarrassed to admit I never put the two together. I am not a smart man.

They were correct in not naming the iPhone the Granny Smith.

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#297

Post by jclardy »

mrmondo wrote: post #15
quasse wrote: post #6

The day Apple makes a power cord that doesn't have a cable sheath with the consistency and durability of silly putty is the day I will recognize them as back on track. It's a small detail, but the power cord is the one part of the computer that users have no choice but to interact with every day and they've been ignoring the problems with them for the better part of half a decade. Every Mac at work either has detache…

Of all the MacBooks, MacBook Pros and idevices I've had over the years (including my still running perfectly Jan 2011 MBP) I've never had a single issue with any power cord tearing / breaking or power supply even fail as far as I can remember. I always assume when I hear of people with this problem that they're disrespecting their hardware by jamming it in doors / desks or perhaps have pets that chew on them.

I think the real issue is the old cable wrap design that comes with no visual instruction on how to use it. Most people with frayed cables I've seen pull the cable tight from out of the adapter and start wrapping, when it should stick out a bit then slightly bend with a relatively loose wrapping. That isn't just apple cables, every audio cable (live performance cables, xlr and quarters) I've used will break if you wrap it too tightly. That said I have also never had fraying issues with my apple PSU's and I've had a MacBook as my primary computer since 2006.

Now it doesn't really matter as they just use a standard USB-C cable so you can use whatever brand cable you want.

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#298

Post by intoverflow2 »

treehau5 wrote: post #275
deepGem wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out X.ai and Clara labs. Some of their blog posts highlight what needs they fulfil. These are not messaging agents but conversational nonetheless.

Has anyone stopped to think, "do people actually want to talk to a computer?" I think we are more simply interested in commanding them to get our tasks done easier, but this "conversational" nonsense and making it more human like is, well, nonsense.

>but this "conversational" nonsense and making it more human like is, well, nonsense.

Can't say I've ever been impressed when one of these systems fails to understand me and replies with a human-like response. Feels disingenuous.

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#299

Post by intoverflow2 »

nilkn wrote: post #280
Lio wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well a computer with enough GPU performance to work with VR would be a nice start. Apple don't currently have anything available other than hacking an eGPU set up together. The "current" Mac Pro is over 3 (4?) years old now. Users can't upgrade it because of the proprietary GPU cards and Apple don't seem able to keep it relevant themselves. It's difficult to have a professional relationship with a supplier where the…

VR is a subset of PC gaming right now, and Apple has never offered hardware sufficient for high-end PC gaming.

GPUs are for more than VR. All 3D rendering is moving to GPUs, All machine learning development needs GPUs.

GPU is the future of professional computing in many emerging sectors. Apple currently ships no hardware compatible with any of this.

Re: Apple’s 2016 in review

#300

Post by intoverflow2 »

ams6110 wrote: post #10
panic wrote: post #5

How do they fix this? They need to do more talking — and even more listening — with their users. Engage with the influencers. Sit down and find out what their developers need that the current products don’t offer. Find out what is making their users unhappy. Asking people what they want will give you predictable results: complaints about any kind of change and positive feedback about shiny-looking features that demo…

Henry Ford: "If I asked people what they want, they'd say 'faster horses'"

This pseudo-intellectual quote makes no sense when what was actually delivered was a slower horse with 3 legs.
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