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I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

morrick.me

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Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#231

Post by MangoToupe »

raw_anon_1111 wrote: post #137
MangoToupe wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airpods are very, very expensive compared to competitors with 90% of the same features. I've been using a $30 set for several years and the main drawback is it's difficult to switch devices—because apple doesn't allow third parties to use access the proprietary comms that allows this for airpods. Also, I think the white is ugly. But kids seem to love it.

I doubt very seriously your $30 headphones sound as good as AirPods Pro or have the ANC. But you can buy much cheaper headphones with the H1 chip for fast switching between devices by buying one of the Beats headphones. I love my $60 Beats Fiex with the double flange ear tips for traveling.

I have proper over-ear headphones for when I want to listen to music. I'm not sure what ANC is or why it's worth hundreds of dollars—hence why I said 90%.

I don't know what the h1 chip has to do with the fast switching—surely this is a bluetooth protocol detail, yea?

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#233

Post by freehorse »

xmprt wrote: post #126
snowwrestler wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What would be the “great cost” of moving from an iPhone to an Android phone? I’m struggling to think of what would cost money at all, aside from the phone itself.

There's no straightforward way to migrate between an iPhone and Android so you'd spend a lot of time. Also I'm not sure if it's even possible to fully move over - for example would you be able to export your iMessages? Also, if you're fully bought into the ecosystem with Airpods and a Watch, you'd be better off replacing those (at least the watch which turns into a paperweight without an iPhone).

That’s only if you are deep into one ecosystem or the other, or you don’t want to start with a clean state. Taking the time to move some basic apps and install the rest in time as you need them does not take much.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#234

Post by kjkjadksj »

jandrewrogers wrote: post #104
dmbche wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't most people use nondescript earbuds?

I rarely see any earbuds except AirPods in the US, they are the overwhelming majority. Several other countries I’ve worked in also have pretty ubiquitous AirPods penetration, though not quite at the level of the US. I have a few friends that bought every inexpensive alternative to AirPods, had a poor experience with all of them, finally relented and bought AirPods. Now they won’t use anything else. They spent more mo…

It was like that in the wired earpod era too. It just carried over when they dumped the headphone jack and sold you the airpod you didn't need before. I still remember those early ipod commercials with the silhouettes dancing with the white cord.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#235

Post by vineyardmike »

socalgal2 wrote: post #136
raw_anon_1111 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And this is why you shouldn’t listen to the “less space than Nomad. No Wireless. Lame” tech crowd [1]. A TV is bulky, race to the bottom commodity that is only replaced every 5-8 years. > Neckband-style airpods with all-day battery life? Might not sell out, but would be popular. I don’t think Apple has any issue selling AirPods. But honestly, I do like my $70 Beat Flex for traveling. I don’t have to worry about them…

> A TV is bulky, race to the bottom commodity that is only replaced every 5-8 years. True but, can't you kind of say the same about phones? My sister buys Moto-G's. They cost her $120. Apple charges more. They make their own market. I don't know how much I'd be willing the pay but I feel like I'd pay for an 65" Apple TV. Sony, LG, Samsung, Roku, TCL, all make crap TVs that want to spy on you. They are almost universa…

> True but, can't you kind of say the same about phones?

No, at least not at the flagship $1k+ market Apple competes in. Maybe for $120 motos, but apple is competing in an entirely different market segment. They're absolutely not commodities - apple charges a premium with strong margins and a differentiated product. They have regulars who upgrade (bi-)yearly, regardless of the features and price and necessity. They literally have a subscription program for iPhones.

> The market for an apple branded TV...

They already have the most profitable part of the TV market. They sell an expensive add-on to TVs that offer over-the-top subscriptions and software services. The remaining panel is sold nearly at-cost on the assumption that the underpowered processor inside will serve you ads instead. They're expensive to ship, tough to stock, and high-end ones worth selling are a niche market.

Apple sells computer monitors, which are pretty close to TVs in terms of "commodity" status, and the products are like 2x the cost of their closest competitor spec wise. That should be a clear indicator on the potential and costs for even bigger screens.

> Who would have guess headphones would do so well before they did so well?

Well, they bought beats who certainly helped prove the market for headphones expensive headphones from a recognizable brand (to say nothing of Bose, Sony, etc who had sold headphones for a generation prior).

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#236

Post by avidiax »

blitzar wrote: post #226
avidiax wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is a hostage of its own marketing. A modular iphone that has an easy to replace battery, easy to replace screen and is maybe 2mm thicker to account for it? That would be a sellout. A convertible Macbook Air with a touch screen? It would be sold out. Neckband-style airpods with all-day battery life? Might not sell out, but would be popular. A best-in-class TV powered by Apple TV? Would probably sell well. But al…

100% disagree - they all sound like terrible products for various reasons. Apple will probably try and make some of them at some point. They product they won't make ... the $400 iPhone.

> $400 iPhone.

A $600 plastic MacBook air with 4x usb-c.

A $300 cross between the Mac Mini and an Apple TV

A fairly priced computer monitor.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#237

Post by dmbche »

jandrewrogers wrote: post #104
dmbche wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't most people use nondescript earbuds?

I rarely see any earbuds except AirPods in the US, they are the overwhelming majority. Several other countries I’ve worked in also have pretty ubiquitous AirPods penetration, though not quite at the level of the US. I have a few friends that bought every inexpensive alternative to AirPods, had a poor experience with all of them, finally relented and bought AirPods. Now they won’t use anything else. They spent more mo…

I'm suprised, might just have been lucky I got a pair of Jlab pro whatever for 30$ at Canadian Tire and have been getting other ones when I lose them for years now - never thought of shopping for something else.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#238

Post by blitzar »

Animats wrote: post #125

To some extent Apple is now a "lifestyle brand", like Rolex. Rolex was originally a rugged, waterproof watch for people who needed such a watch. Pilots, divers, mariners, and military officers wore the things. Rolex had the accuracy of a marine chronometer in a small package. The Rolex Submariner was introduced in 1953 at $150. That would be $1,820 today. But the base price for a Rolex Submariner today, the same watc…

I think the problem is deeper than that.

Apple Employees are "lifestyle employees". They can't imagine why someone wouldn't just buy the $5,000 spec of a laptop if they want a modest quantity of storage or memory, and then get another one in a few months time when that one gets old. They are too rich, too comfortable and too out of touch with the common person - and in many cases what people actually use their products for.

At the same time they try and squeeze every drop of money out of developers the can, Apple is owed for making their market available to others.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#239

Post by asdff »

CharlieIsAHero wrote: post #187
kelnos wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's bizarre to me that we've gotten so used to disposable things these days that we're conditioned to think of replaceable batteries as an odd feature. I remember when Powerbooks had batteries that were not just user-replaceable, but field-replaceable.

In headphones? I think it’s a bit dump. The form factor is more important. I would be happy for replaceable battery in MacBooks tho.

It used to be replaceable in the macbook without any tools. Then that was whittled down to requiring a phillips head, and eventually taken away entirely.

Re: I feel Apple has lost its alignment with me and other long-time customers

#240

Post by DeathArrow »

>The more Apple talks and moves like other big tech companies

I don't get the rant. Apple is just a random big tech company. It doesn't care about users more than any other company does and it optimizes for profit like most businesses do. It doesn't have anything magic, and I don't get why people get sentimental when they talk about Apple.

Apple doesn't owe users more than they are required by laws and users don't owe Apple anything. It's a business relationship, not a romantic one.

If you like the products and find them useful, buy them. If you don't, you have alternatives.

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