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Apple Never Invented Anything

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Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#191

Post by greedo »

eckyptang wrote: post #32
VengefulCynic wrote: post #2

Whenever I'm using "enterprise" software or some equally-awful tool that's sold using a feature checklist, I can't help but think about Steve Jobs's line about how innovation is saying no to 1000 things. edit: Well, a feature checklist and $50,000 worth of sales dinners, games of golf and "gifts that do not violate the professional ethics rules of the company buying said tool."

"Enterprise software" is about selling a $10,000,000 piece of software to one entity which requires specific features (and usually complex logic). Apple's mantra is selling a $1 piece of software to 10,000,000 people who require a simple piece of software. The two are perfectly valid. In fact the latter would not exist if it wasn't for enterprise software (such as CAD systems, inventory, supply chain management etc).

Have you purchased any "enterprise" software lately? The idea that it's customized, bespoke software addressing specific requirements of the customer couldn't be farther from the truth. Here's how it works at my company. Some "architect" decides we need to have an Identity Management System and consults his latest Gartner report. He looks for the packages in the Magic Quadrant, and contacts the vendors. Then we buy what's the safest, least threatening application we can, for an exorbitant price. Hire consultants to help deploy it, discovering that it's a pile of dung that doesn't do what it advertises, much less what we actually need to do.

This happens all the time in the "enterprise" world. Whether it's sold by IBM, BMC, etc etc.

Don't conflate "enterprise" software with anything complex or intelligent. It's typically some of the worst software you can find.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#192

Post by greedo »

smartkids wrote: post #75

The iPaq was/is a fantastic device. You could attach peripherals. Try doing that with an iPad. I could put an entire OS on a CF Card and assuming I could boot from the card, the expanded functionality is limited only by the hardware specs. They are durable. I've seen consumer electronics businesses still using them to track inventory. I wish HP would revive the iPaq. My only imagined use for an iPad is as a portable…

There's this wonderful thing called Bluetooth. Better than connecting your iPaq to via cables, you can use a BT keyboard with an iPad.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#193

Post by greedo »

ars wrote: post #122
surrealize wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not as well as apple does.

Apple didn't even invent the idea - Bose has been doing it for years. Bose product sounds good, yes, but not as good as their price tag. Bose also severely restricts the way you can use the product - no bass/treble knobs for example. Very similar to Apple.

Bose sounds good? Ok. There's a reason for this jingle:

"No highs, no lows, must be Bose."

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#194

Post by greedo »

MaysonL wrote: post #146

Note this: Apple spends substantially less (as a fraction of revenue) on R&D, and gets substantially more, in terms of outstanding products, compared to every other tech company. What is it that they're doing so well?

Do you have some links referring to this? Specifically the R&D expenditures for Apple's direct competitors? Say, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung's smartphone division? You can't lump all of "tech" into one basked and compare it to Apple. You have to keep it aligned with companies that are in the same industry, and then exclude the extraneous R&D like Samsung's washing machine or refrigerator business.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#196

Post by Karunamon »

erichocean wrote: post #188
kyro wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you're aware of the sheer magnitude of revenue that pharmaceutical companies make. They often mark-up their drugs by 1000%.

I've sold software with a crazy markup too. Something like 100,000,000%! Because it's very cheap (far less than a penny) to duplicate the software, but I sold it online for $99. Pharmaceutical companies do the same thing. It's not the pill that's expensive, it's designing it. Same with software.

The difference being that your software probably isn't going to save anyone's life. While a specific chemical compound designed for that purpose probably can. There is a clear moral difference.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#197

Post by Someone »

pja wrote: post #181
pooriaazimi wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You offer 30, they say no, 10, you settle on 15. That's called negotiation.

And you know that Apple didn't say "No, the price is 30." how exactly?

And you know the price Apple asked is unreasonable. How exactly?

I cannot find logic that $30 is reasonable, but I cannot find logic that shows $30 is unreasonable, either.

Here is some food for thought: iSuppli claims the iPhone 4S contains $188 of materials (http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/iPhone-4S-Carrie...). That "$188 BOM" 16GB phone sells for $649 on the Apple Store.

Part of the price difference will be the cost of shipping and handling, customer service, warranties, etc, but I think it is reasonable to claim that at least $200 will remain after factoring in those. People do buy these phones, so there must be some $200 of value in an iPhone that is not attributable to its hardware. People will have different views on where that value is, but IMO, it is not unreasonable to assume half of it is in the iPhone UI.

Based on that logic, $30 seems not unreasonable.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#198

Post by pja »

Someone wrote: post #197
pja wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you know that Apple didn't say "No, the price is 30." how exactly?

And you know the price Apple asked is unreasonable. How exactly? I cannot find logic that $30 is reasonable, but I cannot find logic that shows $30 is unreasonable, either. Here is some food for thought: iSuppli claims the iPhone 4S contains $188 of materials ( http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/Pages/iPhone-4S-Carrie... ). That "$188 BOM" 16GB phone sells for $649 on the Apple Store. Part of the price difference…

My point was that the parent had no idea whether Apple's purported price was negotiable or not.

Whether $30 is a reasonable price for use of the UI elements that Apple claimed ownership of is a completely different question.

Re: Apple Never Invented Anything

#199

Post by eckyptang »

greedo wrote: post #191
eckyptang wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Enterprise software" is about selling a $10,000,000 piece of software to one entity which requires specific features (and usually complex logic). Apple's mantra is selling a $1 piece of software to 10,000,000 people who require a simple piece of software. The two are perfectly valid. In fact the latter would not exist if it wasn't for enterprise software (such as CAD systems, inventory, supply chain management etc).

Have you purchased any "enterprise" software lately? The idea that it's customized, bespoke software addressing specific requirements of the customer couldn't be farther from the truth. Here's how it works at my company. Some "architect" decides we need to have an Identity Management System and consults his latest Gartner report. He looks for the packages in the Magic Quadrant, and contacts the vendors. Then we buy w…

Actually I build enterprise software and am a enterprise architect at a large company :) Please don't tar us all with the same brush.

It's not all like that. You've been stung by a shitty purchasing and architecture team, probably put together from people who've ascended the ranks to the point they no longer understand the technology and want to suck up to management and wheel around the country in a company rollerskate with a ThinkPad and a caffiene problem. These are called ivory tower architects or as we call them: asshat-itects.

Enterprise should mean certain guarantees about scalability and reliability and ability to adapt to the organisation.

If it doesn't, you've bought a lemon, not a piece of enterprise software.

Note: there are more lemons than not so you have to be careful.

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