Posted by Florian Wardell | 1 comment
The State of Apple
Love it or hate it, Apple has pretty much been the epicenter of the tech world lately. The over-hyped iPad, the leaked iPhone 4 and the “Antennagate”, all stories both entertaining, overblown, and symptomatic.
Yes, success kills, but has time come already? Is Apple really doomed to become the new Microsoft?
No doubt about it, the media make it seem worse that it is, but there was a time when journalists simply stood in awe before Steve Jobs. Let’s face it, after the original iPhone’s launch in 2007, Apple could have released a pretty, overpriced, underpowered, optical-drive lacking laptop and still gotten positive reviews. Oh wait.
But let’s not be unfair. Even though they released beautiful hardware, like the unibody MacBook Pros, the iPod nanos, and the iPhone 3GS, Apple’s genius is in the software they create. The AppStore, the iTunes ecosystem, the brilliancy of OSX, the simplicity of iOS, the standard setting software suites like iWork or Logic are all integral parts of Apple’s empire.
Yes, mentioning Apple’s spectacular comeback in the 00′s makes the present situation seem even more surprising. Steve complaining about the media? Apple losing legal battles? How did we get here? And more importantly, what can Apple do about it?
Well, first of all, Apple and Google, stop being babies and burry the hatchet. You two were forming one of the most beautiful alliances in the tech industry. Don’t you remember the “uuhhs” and “aahs” in the audience, when Steve Jobs, during his first iPhone keynote, was showing off Google Maps on the touch interface? Let Apple distribute media, and let Google find it, there’s no need for wars. Android is a nice mobile OS, and even if it does not really threaten iOS, a little competition won’t hurt. Google and Apple can still be friends.
Apple should also surprise us again. The iPad is great, and will probably blossom into a full laptop replacement one day or another, but it’s not revolutionary. The concept has been around for ages, and people were expecting Apple to launch it.
I’m talking about something like the iPod. A life-changing device. Something that has the potential to revolutionize an industry. Again.
Keep prices high. I hate to say this, especially as a student, but there are a couple of good reasons to do it.
First, Apple needs to remain the tech underdog. Doesn’t matter if they make billions, a Mac has to remain a rarity, a premium product.
Second, a low market share is the best antivirus there is. As a Mac user, I fear the day when the first big Mac virus will infect millions of unprotected Macs. Not to mention all the goodies a cash surplus will allow them to spoil us with.
Tighten corporate security. The whole iPhone 4 drama spoiled the launch for us. Even though hype may boost sales at first, on the long run, it will only create a lack of interest in Apple’s products. So Apple, lock everything down, create your own CIA, but please, don’t let this happen again.
Do not even think about the ads business. Not only is this Google’s territory, but nobody likes ads. While introducing iOS 4, Steve Jobs spent a fair ammount of time talking about Apple’s new iAd, and to be honest, I was appalled. Since when are ads a feature of an OS? Ads are there to provide financial means of sustainability without having to charge the customer, and they should not become the center of gravity of an operating system. This is especially true in Apple’s case, where the share of payware apps is higher than in other online app-stores, and where customers pay a not-so negligible premium for their products. So please, Apple, don’t put ads in OSX.
Steve Jobs should also stop responding to every email he gets. It’s cute and all, the big-shot CEO taking care of customers in person, but the problem is that emails can be faked. Even when they are not, they’re just too easy to quote out of context.
One more thing: put some friggin’ bluray drives in Macs. It’s a stable, proven, and lucrative tech. Those magnificent Cinema displays are in dire need of good cinema.
Finally and above all, Apple should stay Apple. A dynamic tech company, creating revolutionary products, focusing on excellence and quality. Some people don’t need free software. Some people need the best software. And when it comes to that, Apple delivers, and will hopefully continue to do so.
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