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At Apple, Mac Is Getting Far Less Attention - How It Handled the New MacBook Pro Is a Living Proof (bloomberg.com)
Apple CEO Tim Cook may have assured employees that the company is committed to Mac computers, but people working in the Mac team say the company now pays far less attention to the computer lineup, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who has been right just about every time with Apple scoops. From his report: Interviews with people familiar with Apple's inner workings reveal that the Mac is getting far less attention than it once did. They say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company's software team. They also describe a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware and technical challenges that have delayed the roll-out of new computers. While the Mac generates about 10 percent of Apple sales, the company can't afford to alienate professional designers and other business customers. After all, they helped fuel Apple's revival in the late 1990s. In a stinging critique, Peter Kirn, founder of a website for music and video creators, wrote: "This is a company with no real vision for what its most creative users actually do with their most advanced machines." If more Mac users switch, the Apple ecosystem will become less sticky -- opening the door to people abandoning higher-value products like the iPhone and iPad. The report also sheds light on battery issues in the new MacBook Pro lineup that many have complained about. From the report: In the run-up to the MacBook Pro's planned debut this year, the new battery failed a key test, according to a person familiar with the situation. Rather than delay the launch and risk missing the crucial holiday shopping season, Apple decided to revert to an older design. The change required roping in engineers from other teams to finish the job, meaning work on other Macs languished, the person said. The new laptop didn't represent a game-changing leap in battery performance, and a software bug misrepresented hours of power remaining. Apple has since removed the meter from the top right-hand corner of the screen.
been like that for years now. Apple would be dumb to delay a MBP launch to work on a product a lot less people are going to buy.
Apple is definitely losing it's rep among people that actually use computers for things other than surfing the web and checking email.
If more Mac users switch, the Apple ecosystem will become less sticky -- opening the door to people abandoning higher-value products like the iPhone and iPad.
Absolute bullshit, considering most people who own iPhones and iPads don't own Macs. Also the "ecosystem" for iOS has nothing to do with Macs except where Xcode is concerned, and 99% of people aren't concerned with programming for iOS.
I would be a lot less annoyed by the lack of Mac attention at Apple if OS X would run on non-Apple hardware.
...blah blah blah!
.
The Mac lineup looks to be on life-support, if not completely abandoned, at this point.
Anyone looking at a move to the Mac should really examine their decision process to assure it takes into account long-term viability of the product line.
For this past year, it has appeared that Apple is only interested in doing the bare minimum to string along current Mac customers. Innovation costs money, and Apple is clearly not looking as if it wants to commit innovation money to the Mac line anymore.
It feels like any hardware/software decisions they make with Macs have been alienating pros... Taking forever with significant hardware refreshes, non-modular hardware design, elimination of useful ports and connectors, Final Cut Pro X
Twinstiq, game news
Although insulated by iPhones etc, Apple would still do well to recall what happened to another computer company that ignored what users were *actually* using their computers for. I speak, of course, of Commodore, whose Amiga ruled the video world for a while, even as C= executives pushed low end game machine versions of the Amiga, vainly hoping to repeat the success of the C-64.
"People who use macs" vs "People who hate computers & would rather use a phone or tablet" Are very similar demographics.
I'm sure those two groups would overlap quite a bit if you made a venn diagram.
Open up OSX to non blessed hardware. Then you can stop worrying about those annoying people that want a Professional workstation class laptop when you want to deliver a netbook.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I've been a mac user for years so I pay attention to what they say in the annual conf calls. Every freaking year Steve Jobs or now Tim Cook would say that they have exciting new products in the pipeline and it's going to be an exciting year ahead.
And every single year we get nothing exciting or innovative or from the Mac side even a decent refresh. I'm now making the effort to move away when possible. I did the Fire TV instead of the new appleTV (which is good since the appleTV doesn't pay nice with the Harmony Hub) and there is no way I'll jump on the Home infrastructure. I like the Insteon system (currently).
The wonderful Intel NUC is making for a nice replacement for my mac mini (for headless servers) so that area is covered.
That leaves a replacement for the MacPro and my notebook (MBP). I have another 2 years or so before I'll be refreshing so I'm just going to wait.
The fact that they threw away monitors makes getting a Dell monitor that much easier. For my work the Dell's have been great.
Sad to see how much I've spent over the past 20 years but before that I was buying a Sony or HP every stinking year. It was nice to go 3+ years and then be able to hand the replacement to a family member. We have MBPs that are going on 8 years old still running strong.
What's the best hardware nowadays to run MacOS/X? Ahem, one with HDMI and normal USB ports. And magsafe.
It may have taken 30 years, but finally the Mac team now knows what it felt like to be on the Apple ][ team.
Support Right To Repair Legislation.
You have to have a Mac to make iOS apps.
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
At Apple, prosumer customers are getting far less attention.
And don't think they haven't noticed it.
the company can't afford to alienate.... business customers
Uhhh, when has Apple not alienated business customers this millennium?
Apple just needs to move it or milk it. Put some effort into getting new Macs out or spin off Macs to another company (like how Claris/FileMaker was done.) Keep iOS and macOS source trees open between both ventures.
Ideally, Apple should jettison Macs to a subsidiary that can focus some real attention onto them. Not just consumer level, "shinies", but after other markets, such as schools, colleges, and even the enterprise. With this, the subsidary could offer NDAs and roadmaps to customers, so timing of mass purchases can be synced with model refreshes.
This split will let Apple do what it wants to, but give customers the feeling of stability that is needed when buying bread and butter computing needs.
I know we're still a few years off, but I'd love to see Apple spin off the Mac book to a company that just concentrates on churning out MacBooks circa 2015 (with all the USB ports) for techies. The rest of Apple can FOAD - I have new use for any of the iTunes stuff.
I've run OS X since it pretty much came out as it was easier to manage than Linux and enable me to do my professional work. If the Mac ceases to be able to pretend to be a (well-configured) Linux box than I will have to go back to managing a Linux box. Doesn't matter what I and others like me do as I'm not writing iOS apps. But for those who do, kill OS X and where the %!(&# will the apps come from?
Or will they put an app development layer out for other operating systems and exit the hardware biz?
I'm writing this on my first-gen Surface Pro, which I bought in the summer of 2013 - It's still going strong.
Three years on, how can Apple still not have a touchscreen and stylus on their computers?
I don't think I'm a typical tech consumer, but I think consumers like me are pretty important to Apple's success in the last decade.
I've had pretty much Apple everything for a little over a decade. My Macs are always bought infrequently. I've had four iPhones, three Apple TVs, and two iPads in the time I'm on one Cinema Display. I've had three iPhones in the time I've had my current MacBook Pro. Ten percent of sales, sure.
But here's the deal: I'm about to buy a laptop that isn't a Mac. When I do, I'll probably stop updating all my other Apple products too. I had a Mac first, and even today, I buy all those other things because of how nicely they integrate with a Mac. The Mac anchors all my other Apple products, and frankly, I anchor the tech purchasing decisions of a lot of my friends and family.
Do you remember "Apple ][ Forever"? How about the March trade show "The Newton is an important part of the product line" statement? If you want 'caring' about your OS choice - go pick a [Free-Net-Open-Dragonfly-PC]BSD or a *linux OS. As the ex-CEO said "Apple is committed to shareholder value" and what value is there in giving a damn about MacOS?
Today is your lucky day, then. Here you go:
My macro language allows labels of traditional variables to begin with numbers.
Technically speaking, there's no good reason a compiled language can't be designed from the ground up to allow a variable name and/or a function name to begin with a number; it's an optimization that makes the source simpler to parse for the compiler and more restrictive for the programmer, which isn't exactly an ideal circumstance.
For an interpreted language, requiring labels to start with an alpha character probably saves a little (very little) time as a token would have to be checked to see if it's a variable first unless there's an indicator that makes it explicit, either required or optional.
Bottom line, if you decide that certain orders of numbers and alpha have meaning because of their order, again, you're basically making it easier on the computer, and harder on the programmer. That is the standard way to proceed, but it's habit, not a well thought out circumstance.
Annnnnd... there's markup languages, such as HTML...
<a name="2easy2disprove"></a>
Which can then be used like this:
<a href="pagelabelison.html#2easy2disprove">Let's go to a label!</a>
So there you go. 2languages (hey, look, English allows it too...) where labels can begin with numbers. As I said, HTML is a markup language, and English of course is a traditional language, but you were sloppy enough to not rule them out, so...
You won 3thrice! :)
--fyngyrz
The Mac Pro using the 12 core Xeon is based on Ivy bridge, that is quiet old. There has been Haswell, Broadwell, and now Skylake since it came out. The Wifi doesnt support N just AC. Only 1 Xeon CPU. Only 64 gigs of memory when you can buy 64 gigs for a desktop now cheap. And they still use the AMD FirePro D700 for the gfx card is bad. Its about the speed of a 980, when nvidia 1080's are out.
They gave up on power users, they gave up on power laptops. If you are an adobe photoshop user and you need speed, you migrated to windows awhile ago.
I'm writing this on a 13" mid-2011 macbook pro and I'm ready for a new purchase. For the first time since, well let's see, 1989, I will not buy an Apple computer. I'll probably purchase a Razor Blade Stealth. I will still need an Apple desktop for the time being, as my work demands the use of Pro Tools on an also aging 21 inch iMac. When you think about it, that's a pretty damn, damning statement on the current state of Mac development. The current lineup of MacBook(s) is overpriced, completely un-upgradable and just does not suit my needs. I will miss OS X, it's served me well, but it's development in recent years towards Mac iOS features just doesn't interest me. I'd rather purchase something like the Stealth, keep Windows on it and run Linux in a virtual machine for daily email, web browsing etc... When you start to lose loyal 25 year customers, something is really, really wrong. So Apple, it's been a nice ride. No longer will I extol your virtues to other users, no longer will I purchase your products or support your developers (I'm also an Android user). I stuck with you all those years, bought your stock at around 12 bucks a share when things were really dim for Cupertino in the '90s. It's been nice, but it's time to move on.
the company can't afford to alienate professional designers and other business customers. After all, they helped fuel Apple's revival in the late 1990s.
Yes, of course they can. If 10% of your userbase represents 90% of your costs, then it's not only affordable to get rid of them, it's profitable as well. Contrarians will argue that these people are "evangelists," responsible for bringing other people to the platform, but a) there's little evidence that's true, and b) even if it is true, they're doing a terrible job at it, objectively. Apple could definitely shut down the Mac line and go one of two ways:
1) Support OS X installations on commodity hardware (not super difficult).
2) Re-write Xcode for Windows or Linux (or both) to allow continued development for its, ahem, more profitable platform.
"Creative types" are more tied to the tools than the OS for their productivity. Most of the popular content-creation applications are available on Windows already, and have been for years.
Personally, I hope Apple doesn't kill OS X (which is the heart and soul of Macs, not the hardware), but they could easily cede the PC hardware market and be just fine, and maybe even better off. Like Microsoft, they could partner with manufacturers to ensure (or "ensure") compatibility.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Well, let's think about this one...which one would you rather manufacture?
- A high-margin computer, with high end components, requiring a lot of engineering effort to get right and keep supporting over an extended life cycle, or
- An even higher-margin, throwaway, replaced every 2 years, locked down device, on which you get a 30% cut of every single thing a user installs on it -- requiring lots less engineering since user interactions are artificially limited
I have been a long-time Mac user and supporter, but I'm mainly on Windows and Linux PCs now. Even locked-down spyware-laden Windows 10 is more customizable than Mac OS is these days, and most Windows/Linux hardware manufacturers don't solder the components onto the motherboard. (Surface Pro, you're the exception of course, but at least there's still ports on it.)
Considering the shite OS X / MAC OS has become. The last version that was ok was 10.6.8
I have an 8 year old Mac Pro with probably the nicest case ever made for a tower computer. It's expandable, serviceable and an all around great machine. When I decided to get a new computer, I was forced to build a generic machine rather than buy a Mac. I need storage and fast graphics and I need a computer that I can do simple repairs and upgrades on. I want my own keyboard and mouse and I want a real separate display. The Mac Mini is not a viable computer and I have no interest in a laptop. So, I am forced to change because of a complete lack of support by Apple for people who want a machine that can grow with them and not need replaced every 18 to 24 months.
Bring back the 17" MBP while they're at it. Older users like myself need bigger displays.
it does work just that the license says no to running in a VM on non apple hardware.
The new mac pro has failed in meany ways.
And they may of hit the wall of how thin you can go vs the power needed for an pro level workstation.
They need look the HP Z line to see what can done with pro workstations.
Run OSX under the VMware hypervisor and enable graphics pass through. Then you can do the same thing for Windows or Linux and switch between them as needed.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
... the company can't afford to alienate professional designers and other business customers.
I believe that ship has already sailed...
#DeleteChrome
What about letting a dell or hp do the workstation and server part. Apple can make the thin and under powered imac's and mini's.
But they don't lose the pro market that needs power and does not really want a thin system with poor cooling.
The bottom line is return on investment. While Apple may have almost infinite financial resources their human resources are limited. The relatively few loyal 25 year customers just can not contribute to the bottom line like a hoard of new customers buying phones for status. A new paint color for the phone is far more likely to generate profit than some MAC graphics enhancement. Get over it - Apple no longer needs or perhaps even wants the so-called creative types. Simple put public companies have a fiduciary obligation to provide the highest returns for their shareholders. A strategy that worked in 2010 is unlikely to work today.
I thought this would never happen, but there you go. I've been a loyal Apple customer for nigh on 30 years. My first professional gig was on a Mac II in 1987. I wrote my PhD thesis on a mac (a powerbook 140) a few years later. I've bought countless mac laptops and desktops for myself, family and co-workers (probably a dozen). Of course I kept up with Windows and Linux (lots of other unices over the years too). However laptops were always Apple.
Tonight I just bought a Dell Precision 5510. It looks OK, Linux is supported. It has an i5 with 4 real cores, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, The display is 15" HD and it came out the same price as a Macbook Air.
Yes it's plastic, maybe I'll regret it but i could not justify forking over another 700 euros for the cheapest, older macbook pro 15", with basically the same specs, previous generation CPU, non upgradable HD or memory. OSX is not worth that much and my eyes don't care about retina resolution.
People still need good laptops, Apple!
I don't care how good a mobile device is, I simply don't enjoy using them for anything other than basic comms: calls, texts
I cannot and will not watch movies or tv on a handheld device. I've tried. I want a decent experience. Likewise, I do not surf the net on my mobile phone; I just don't enjoy the experience. I prefer at least a 13" screen with a proper keyboard.
Everyone talks about how no one would buy the new Apple laptop, yet Apple claims it's their best-selling "pro" laptop ever: http://fortune.com/2016/11/02/apple-phil-schiller-macbook-pro/
Apple puts a tremendous amount of thought into these things and has some of the best market research in the industry. They're not perfect by any means, but they continue to place top in customer satisfaction. Being at the front of the pack, Apple often takes the risks the other guys won't. Apple decided to ditch the headphone jack on the iPhone because they decided they couldn't move forward with designs if they hung onto it. Everyone said it was a horrible choice and no one would buy the iPhone. Meanwhile, Apple sells more than ever, and sure enough Samsung announces they're ditching the headphone jack too.
Anyone who thinks the new laptops aren't pro grade hasn't used one. The SSD is blazingly fast. The lack of ports and need for adapters or hubs is annoying, but not a show stopper for most.
Not to dangle a caret in front of you, but let's return to a time where you don't cursor so easily. Because she may be on her period, and so you should really stop pounding on her so much. Otherwise, one day, she's going to turn on you with a rolling pin, and splat!
You have to have a Mac to make iOS apps.
Schnapple
I dunno... it certainly seems that way, especially when you consider that Macs (or rather, OSX-running stuff) represent what, 10-20% of their revenue nowadays, when compared to iPads and etc?
...
I think it's part and parcel of Apple's response to usage patterns among the general public (not the geeks, but the general public), which makes more sense to them, at least financially.
10% of Apple's revenue is still 20 billion dollars. Not exactly a niche market (or maybe it's a really, really big niche).
If more Mac users switch, the Apple ecosystem will become less sticky -- opening the door to people abandoning higher-value products like the iPhone and iPad.
about mac people
I've been debating switching from my Mac to A Razer. You know what the biggest thing that's deterred me So far is? iCloud. I'm locked into the entire apple ecosystem because I love how all my contacts etc sync seemlessly across my devices. Once the Mac line is so underwhelming for its price that I do switch, I no longer need my iPhone or my iPad. I can buy an android or whatever else I can sync with. So to me this comment is SPOT ON. Macs may only be 10% of revenue but my Mac was my FIRST apple product, and it was a gateway drug to all the stuff I bought after. If you kill the loss leader, it will be a mistake.
When Timmy said Apple will have great desktops in the future he meant iPads.
It is no surprise that Timmy and Jony hate the Mac and all its iterations including the iPod.
Why?
They cannot understand computers! They cannot and do not write programmes in any computer language! They cannot even speak French.
Apple, if Timmy and Jony live long enough, will make the iPad it's Etch-A-Sketch.
Siri will be your nagging nanny on a rag to make your day a real hell on earth.
And Apple Music will charge you $100 dollars to listen to Rap, that you did not request.
Apple Watch will call your local Police department to arrest you because you did not eat a carrot!
Timmy and Jony will joyfully masturbate together in the BIG O Apple Plex while counting the money they stole from your bank account.
Welcome to Brazil!
Bring back the 17" MBP while they're at it. Older users like myself need bigger displays.
Ditto. Fortunately, still a few out there (or were in October, the last time I really looked).
I really liked this thread and the above post especially. It shows that I am not alone, because that is pretty much where I am. I have had apples for a very long time. I have convinced friends and companies that I have been in to go mac. Now, I can't do so with a straight face. Deep in my soul, I know my current MacBook pro will be my last one, and it saddens mean. They were insanely great computers. Now, you are just insane to get one.
"Liberalism is a very noble idea, currently controlled by some very bad people. Be sure you do not get the two confused.