Scenario: Police try to push into a party. The Resident of the place the party is being held says no. The police arrest that person for all to see and haul them away. Then they come back and say they want to come in.
Can a random party goer let them in? What if the room mate is intimidated because he/she just saw the other roomy get hauled away? Couldn't this ruling be used as a sort of coercive ploy to get those intimidated by authority to give in? I have seen these tactics used before even without this precedent.
A large portion, or a vocal small portion who votes in large numbers while everyone else is apathetic? I thought religion was dwindling in the US as it has in other regions of the world. Is this a flawed assessment? I haven't seen that the numbers of the christian fundamentalists has risen. They seem to have figured out how to use the system we have more effectively to put politicians in power who have their same sets of beliefs. Since these politicians only owe their allegiance to the vocal minority who put them in power and with whom they agree, it is sort of a perfect storm for a new fundamentalist order in some regions of the country.
No virus' or trojans on any of my OSX or Linux boxes over the past 8 or so years. Lots on the windows boxes in the past. But times are changing as they will. The higher OSX gets or iOS gets the more likely folks will be seriously targeting these platforms. Just simple economics really.
Is it ok for a state to codify religiously based bigotry? I thought that is what our constitution was against favoring any religious based doctrine over any other. And who really thinks a christian variant of sharia law is a good idea in a modern civilized democratic republic?
I started trying to get in at 13 min past midnight. Took a couple days to even get a login that would allow me to fill out a form. Once I filled out my stats, it told me I couldn't proceed to find out what plans were available because my identity could not be verified. I tried to upload a document to verify my ID, but it wouldn't let me do that. So I called the ID verification folks who verified my ID, but told me it would take about 24 hours to go through so I should check back then. I checked back, but no verification. After about 5 days I finally was able to upload a document, but 7 or 8 days later I still have my ID confirmation as pending.
Fairly messed up process, but I realize there are millions more in the same predicament. Hopefully things will get ironed out before the thanksgiving.
Just tried to get on again.... down again for maintenance. Have been trying around the clock since 13 minutes after it went into effect. I have called in 3 times and have inched along. Right now I am at the impasse of it can't confirm my identity for the last couple days and have been unable to upload my document to confirm it. Called and had my identity verified, but still my process says it can't verify my identity.
Bummer about the iOS7 for you. Good thing you could get a replacement with iOS6. Perhaps once they allow you to turn all the movement stuff you will be able to install iOS7 if you liked anything about it.
I preferred the window shade kind of animation.... that way, all the bars were on the desktop where I arranged them nicely. This was great in Linux...and I always made my desktop this way in windows when I had to use it.
I think they may have ignored people with color blindness. Now the toggles just have a green color or not. There is not word indicating on or off. I can't say for sure if this is a problem with color blind folks, but I could imagine it might be a bit of a problem. Hopefully, someone who is color blind can comment further on this issue.
If it was truly affecting 35% of the people over age 40 then Apple would most likely have known about the issue before now. But this seems like it is something that affects a relatively smaller segment the population. The more likely scenario is that some small number of people are affected in the general population and even amongst the 35% over 40 with acute vestibular dysfunction. Since most of these folks are not likely to be amongst the self selecting population of product testers at Apple who spend countless hours looking at screens with moving objects for months on end, the problem was not really apparent.
"While perhaps no longer quite top of the line, it is still a rather competitive device and, on par, I would argue with the iPhone 5."
Equivalence is a hard thing to measure between platforms to be sure. I agree, The Nexus 4 is definitely a great phone and highly equivalent to the iPhone 5. Specs can tell certain things, but overall function of the device is in the end more important to the end user. Largely end users will pick not merely based upon specs of devices, but they will pick based on what the device can do for them.
Questions like.... does it do what most people need it to do and does the device do it well are more apt. The Nexus 4, the galaxy 4s, the galaxy 3, the iPhone 4s all succeed well and satisfy the needs of consumers. Even older phones do well meeting peoples needs. I grabbed an old 3gs that was broken and fixed it for $20 bucks. It does more than I need it to do. All of these phones do more than most people will ever need them to do which makes these phones such versatile computing devices.
"There was at one point the perception that the iEcosystem had all the apps that you wanted and you didn't get the same apps on other platforms. "
Yes. But that time has passed a while ago I think.
" I suspect that a mass number of people just go to the store looking for a phone, don't want to spend the money on an iPhone and get some Android phone instead because the salesman says 'it is basically the same'."
I suppose, but in the US if you can get a free iPhone 4 or 4S vs a free Android with your phone contract... the choices are are pretty equivalent now. People are free to choose cheap or expensive options depending upon what they want these days in the US.
I'm just really glad there is a choice. I am hoping Microsoft can get things going with their windows phones so there is even more choice. That is great for everyone because healthy competition drives technologic evolution and helps all of us who use these devices. Competition is a great thing.
But I don't understand the fanboism that runs around these inter webs.... as if one platform or other is doomed. Everyone has a choice and everyone has preferences. Both platforms will be successful for at least until the next great thing comes along.
I don't get why some people feel personally invested with the platform they prefer as if their life depends on it being better than what the other people have chosen. We all like to feel like we chose well, but.... really... come on. Apple is doomed because of blah blah blah or Android is doomed because of blah blah blah..... get a grip people.
These are phones folks. Choose the device you like. 10 years from now none of this arguing will matter because the paradigm will have shifted and we will be arguing about something completely unknown to us now. The current phones will be quaint reminders of a bygone era.... like those big brick phones from the 1990's.
Is it spin to acknowledge that PC's sales globally are down and most folks who know anything about the issue will tell people that mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are ushering in a new Post PC world?
So why is it spin if apple acknowledges that some people who would have bought a mac might buy an iPad instead? That seems to be an acknowledgement of what is actually and generally happening in the electronics world.
People are buying tablets and phones and maybe putting off the purchase of new PCs or may even decide that they don't really need a PC anymore. I know of several folks who have switched out their notebook computers for newer dell tablets. Those tablets are really nice and I would prefer something so light compared to my clunky old beast of a laptop.
Will I buy a clunky old laptop next time? Not likely. I will get something lighter with a lower power footprint. So yes a tablet will likely cannibalize one more PC sale for me as well.
Yep. And yet I read a study that found that mac sales account for 45% of total PC profits world wide even though they are only 5% of the total market. I find that amazing.
Except its not true. Apple is only similar in price if its masked with the massive subsidy on a two year contract...which is basically the American Market (In China its $700 vs $130).
Fair enough although I was talking about the American market to begin with as indicated by the "at least in the US" portion of my sentence.
But you are right, what holds true to this market does not hold true in others. However, what is this $700 vs $130 price? Seems like you are comparing the iPhone 5 to a lesser phone and not something comparable to a Galaxy S4. I would be astonished if a Galaxy S4 were being given away for a mere $130. It would be like me saying you can get an iPhone for much cheaper in china than you can get an android, but then using the iPhone 3gs as my iphone against a Galaxy s4. What are the true comparables? I think the numbers you mention don't really add up.
That is the whole point why its share place had its largest drop since year start everywhere else the iPhone is simply overpriced and looks stupid in markets with little or no subsidy, and this panicked investors.
I'm pretty sure the reasons for Apples share drop are more complicated than merely the price of the iPhone appearing stupid vs a comparable Android like the S4. The S4 is a premium device, the iPhone 5 is a premium device. I've read the Galaxy S4 goes for 600+ in china... of course you can get a knock off which really isn't an S4 for something around the price of $130 you were using in your comparison above, but good luck with that.
I think the markets were reacting to many many factors regarding Apple when the price began to plummet. Factors like: 1. Apple was well over valued since there was a stock rush on Apple leading to an over-inflated real value and expectations. 2. I think that the cooling of the top tier smartphone market played was a factor. 3. I think Steve Jobs dying played into it in an increasingly large way and etc.
There really are a ton of factors that play a role in the rise and fall of stocks. The iPhones price, when it was continuing to break every quarters earnings each and every quarter, was not a primary concern. I think uncertainty about the future played as much or more into the narrative as did anything.
But you are correct that one of the roles in the decline had to do with Apple not having a major footprint in 2nd and 3rd world markets because they don't offer a low margin device. People seem to think Apple needs to come out with a low cost low margin device. Perhaps they do if maintaining market share is what they are into. I don't see a reason they wouldn't do well at that other than they are not really in charge of their entire supply chain like Samsung is. It might be difficult to find a supply chain big enough to manufacture 100's of millions of phones that make very little profit if any. It seems to not be part of Apple priority right now in any case which has everyone second guessing what they are doing and arm chair quarterbacking Tim Cooks decisions.
I find it hilarious that now Android has more Applications is a meaningless metric.
It was a meaningless metric when Apple had more apps. Apple fanbois were howling from the rafters how Android wouldn't be successful because it didn't have 80 gajillion apps, but Androids had enough for a robust platform. It was a silly argument... just as it is now.
How many apps does anybody need? Certainly not 100k, nor 300k, nor 600k. The only question any of us really needs to answer is can I get the apps I need??? The simple answer for both platforms is resoundingly yes... and in 20 plus ways for most of what one can think of. Therefore, the number of apps whether 1 million, 1 billion or whatever is useless. All important functions for the current paradigm of smartphone devices can most certainly be had on either platform or perhaps in the odd esoteric case where someone thinks of something unique... that app is likely
Those 4 Quarters, in case you didn't glean it, were the current last 4 quarters which you seem to indicate show Apple in decline. The 4 quarters before that saw a massive spike of a 26% gain in mac sales and a bump in market share worldwide. Which quarters would you wish me to cherry pick exactly?
You seem to be asserting that Mac market share is not rising overall or is maybe even dropping based on the info of 3 quarters you yourself provided. But the information you provided does not paint the proper picture since in 2 of those quarters Apple's market share worldwide increased.
Further, Apples market share has been rising fairly steadily since 2004 with the big spike in 2012. Then in 3 out of the last 4 quarters (including those you outlined) mac sales have fared better worldwide than the PC sales as a whole meaning mac as a percentage of overall PC's have increased as a percentage of the world market.
BTW the 22% drop in sales from Q1 2013 was largely due to a delay in iMacs because of production issues. It was followed by a 15% increase quarter over quarter sales the following quarter when the iMac was released in countries where the iMac was released. The assembly of iMacs was newly moved to the US and US customers were the largest recipients of this new influx of macs as the kinks got worked out. Most customers had to wait up to 2 months to receive macs they ordered in the previous quarter. So sales were down that quarter but up the following.
Otherwise Apple would have been showing worldwide computer market share increases for all quarters this current year despite not meeting 2012's numbers.
But an ecosystem and applications are not equivalent.
I would argue that the Android ecosystem is fantastic and serves the needs of most of its users well. I would argue that apples ecosystem is fantastic and serves the needs of most of its users.
I would say that iPhones and top of the line Android devices are fairly equivalent in meeting the needs of their users which is why they continue to use them.
Both have more apps than anyone will every be able to use so there are lots of options at all price points in terms of apps. Also price is also very similar. One can get android devices for zero money down, one can get iphones for zero money down at least in the US. Or one can pay roughly the same for a iphone 5 or Galaxy 4s at the upper end of things.
If by a larger ecosystem you are meaning Applications, I would say that Applications, once you are verging on 600k apps in both app stores is a rather meaningless metric.
How is Android ecosystem larger? I am curious because I really don't know. How is Android OS ahead of iOS? What are the metrics by which you make this assertion exactly? I really don't have a horse in this race.
Only point I am trying to make is that Apple didn't initially diversify. They sold one iPod. Eventually when that played out, they started producing other ipods starting with the nano, then color nanos and their clip on thingies.
This time Apple has been selling one iPhone initially, now they are selling a parsed down version that is colorful.
I think eventually they will producing a wider variety to remain a player in the markets they can glean a profit from. Maybe that will be in smaller clip on phone devices, maybe that will be in larger phablets.
This just seems similar to me to what they did with the roadmap of the iPod. I wasn't even thinking of the marketshare aspect really.
I disagree Apple is sacrificing market share for profits any more than they have always done. Apple has been getting the bulk of profits from the phone market up until Samsung was a good match for them. Apple still gets 45% of the worldwide PC profits despite having only a 5% share. Apple seems to be operating like Apple has forever and yet people seem to find that this approach is somehow flawed, as if Apple will magically disappear at some point when their phones make up some smaller percentage of the market.
Overall, in 2012 the macs experienced a 26% year over year growth.
*In Q4 2013 mac sales 2% drop, while the PC market dropped 4.9% - Apple gaining market share In Q1 2013 mac sales 22% drop, while the PC market dropped 14% -- Apple losing market share In Q2 2013 mac sales 5% drop while the PC market dropped 11.4% -- Apple gaining market share In Q3 2013 mac sales 5% dropwhile the PC market dropped 8% -- Apple gaining market share
Also one must remember that worldwide Mac marketshare has risen steadily from less than 2% in 2004 to over 5%. Doesn't sound like much, but one takes into account actual profits, Apples minute worldwide percentage of computers takes on more significance. 45% of worldwide PC profit doesn't sound so bad on a market dominating percentage like 5%.
Seems like Apple is doing ok, and I believe that as long as they are interested in producing macs they may even grow their overall percentage of the worldwide market a point or two more.
Slashdot Mirror
Scenario:
Police try to push into a party. The Resident of the place the party is being held says no. The police arrest that person for all to see and haul them away.
Then they come back and say they want to come in.
Can a random party goer let them in?
What if the room mate is intimidated because he/she just saw the other roomy get hauled away?
Couldn't this ruling be used as a sort of coercive ploy to get those intimidated by authority to give in?
I have seen these tactics used before even without this precedent.
A large portion, or a vocal small portion who votes in large numbers while everyone else is apathetic? I thought religion was dwindling in the US as it has in other regions of the world. Is this a flawed assessment?
I haven't seen that the numbers of the christian fundamentalists has risen. They seem to have figured out how to use the system we have more effectively to put politicians in power who have their same sets of beliefs. Since these politicians only owe their allegiance to the vocal minority who put them in power and with whom they agree, it is sort of a perfect storm for a new fundamentalist order in some regions of the country.
No virus' or trojans on any of my OSX or Linux boxes over the past 8 or so years. Lots on the windows boxes in the past.
But times are changing as they will.
The higher OSX gets or iOS gets the more likely folks will be seriously targeting these platforms.
Just simple economics really.
Is it ok for a state to codify religiously based bigotry? I thought that is what our constitution was against favoring any religious based doctrine over any other.
And who really thinks a christian variant of sharia law is a good idea in a modern civilized democratic republic?
It is an amazing spectacle to be sure.
Reminds me of Kafka's "The Castle" sadly.
I started trying to get in at 13 min past midnight.
Took a couple days to even get a login that would allow me to fill out a form.
Once I filled out my stats, it told me I couldn't proceed to find out what plans were available because my identity could not be verified.
I tried to upload a document to verify my ID, but it wouldn't let me do that.
So I called the ID verification folks who verified my ID, but told me it would take about 24 hours to go through so I should check back then.
I checked back, but no verification.
After about 5 days I finally was able to upload a document, but 7 or 8 days later I still have my ID confirmation as pending.
Fairly messed up process, but I realize there are millions more in the same predicament. Hopefully things will get ironed out before the thanksgiving.
Who is the tyrant?
Just tried to get on again.... down again for maintenance.
Have been trying around the clock since 13 minutes after it went into effect.
I have called in 3 times and have inched along.
Right now I am at the impasse of it can't confirm my identity for the last couple days and have been unable to upload my document to confirm it.
Called and had my identity verified, but still my process says it can't verify my identity.
Bummer about the iOS7 for you.
Good thing you could get a replacement with iOS6.
Perhaps once they allow you to turn all the movement stuff you will be able to install iOS7 if you liked anything about it.
Yippie... 9 years and you will pay nothing for unlimited everything.
Cheers... wish I had that kind of deal.
I preferred the window shade kind of animation.... that way, all the bars were on the desktop where I arranged them nicely. This was great in Linux...and I always made my desktop this way in windows when I had to use it.
I preferred win2K and used it far more than XP. It is only recently that I have installed XP in a VM.
Personally, I like the parallax and the other zoomy things.... but I don't have a phone that will do iOS7.... looks nice though.
I think they may have ignored people with color blindness. Now the toggles just have a green color or not. There is not word indicating on or off.
I can't say for sure if this is a problem with color blind folks, but I could imagine it might be a bit of a problem. Hopefully, someone who is color blind can comment further on this issue.
If it was truly affecting 35% of the people over age 40 then Apple would most likely have known about the issue before now. But this seems like it is something that affects a relatively smaller segment the population.
The more likely scenario is that some small number of people are affected in the general population and even amongst the 35% over 40 with acute vestibular dysfunction. Since most of these folks are not likely to be amongst the self selecting population of product testers at Apple who spend countless hours looking at screens with moving objects for months on end, the problem was not really apparent.
"While perhaps no longer quite top of the line, it is still a rather competitive device and, on par, I would argue with the iPhone 5."
Equivalence is a hard thing to measure between platforms to be sure. I agree, The Nexus 4 is definitely a great phone and highly equivalent to the iPhone 5. Specs can tell certain things, but overall function of the device is in the end more important to the end user.
Largely end users will pick not merely based upon specs of devices, but they will pick based on what the device can do for them.
Questions like.... does it do what most people need it to do and does the device do it well are more apt. The Nexus 4, the galaxy 4s, the galaxy 3, the iPhone 4s all succeed well and satisfy the needs of consumers. Even older phones do well meeting peoples needs. I grabbed an old 3gs that was broken and fixed it for $20 bucks. It does more than I need it to do. All of these phones do more than most people will ever need them to do which makes these phones such versatile computing devices.
"There was at one point the perception that the iEcosystem had all the apps that you wanted and you didn't get the same apps on other platforms. "
Yes. But that time has passed a while ago I think.
" I suspect that a mass number of people just go to the store looking for a phone, don't want to spend the money on an iPhone and get some Android phone instead because the salesman says 'it is basically the same'."
I suppose, but in the US if you can get a free iPhone 4 or 4S vs a free Android with your phone contract... the choices are are pretty equivalent now. People are free to choose cheap or expensive options depending upon what they want these days in the US.
I'm just really glad there is a choice. I am hoping Microsoft can get things going with their windows phones so there is even more choice. That is great for everyone because healthy competition drives technologic evolution and helps all of us who use these devices. Competition is a great thing.
But I don't understand the fanboism that runs around these inter webs .... as if one platform or other is doomed. Everyone has a choice and everyone has preferences. Both platforms will be successful for at least until the next great thing comes along.
I don't get why some people feel personally invested with the platform they prefer as if their life depends on it being better than what the other people have chosen. We all like to feel like we chose well, but .... really ... come on. Apple is doomed because of blah blah blah or Android is doomed because of blah blah blah..... get a grip people.
These are phones folks. Choose the device you like. 10 years from now none of this arguing will matter because the paradigm will have shifted and we will be arguing about something completely unknown to us now. The current phones will be quaint reminders of a bygone era.... like those big brick phones from the 1990's.
hehehe.
How did you get a zero score?
Speaking truth will get you flamed I guess.
Is it spin to acknowledge that PC's sales globally are down and most folks who know anything about the issue will tell people that mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are ushering in a new Post PC world?
So why is it spin if apple acknowledges that some people who would have bought a mac might buy an iPad instead?
That seems to be an acknowledgement of what is actually and generally happening in the electronics world.
People are buying tablets and phones and maybe putting off the purchase of new PCs or may even decide that they don't really need a PC anymore.
I know of several folks who have switched out their notebook computers for newer dell tablets. Those tablets are really nice and I would prefer something so light compared to my clunky old beast of a laptop.
Will I buy a clunky old laptop next time? Not likely. I will get something lighter with a lower power footprint. So yes a tablet will likely cannibalize one more PC sale for me as well.
Yep.
And yet I read a study that found that mac sales account for 45% of total PC profits world wide even though they are only 5% of the total market.
I find that amazing.
Except its not true. Apple is only similar in price if its masked with the massive subsidy on a two year contract...which is basically the American Market (In China its $700 vs $130).
Fair enough although I was talking about the American market to begin with as indicated by the "at least in the US" portion of my sentence.
But you are right, what holds true to this market does not hold true in others. However, what is this $700 vs $130 price? Seems like you are comparing the iPhone 5 to a lesser phone and not something comparable to a Galaxy S4. I would be astonished if a Galaxy S4 were being given away for a mere $130. It would be like me saying you can get an iPhone for much cheaper in china than you can get an android, but then using the iPhone 3gs as my iphone against a Galaxy s4. What are the true comparables? I think the numbers you mention don't really add up.
That is the whole point why its share place had its largest drop since year start everywhere else the iPhone is simply overpriced and looks stupid in markets with little or no subsidy, and this panicked investors.
I'm pretty sure the reasons for Apples share drop are more complicated than merely the price of the iPhone appearing stupid vs a comparable Android like the S4. The S4 is a premium device, the iPhone 5 is a premium device. I've read the Galaxy S4 goes for 600+ in china... of course you can get a knock off which really isn't an S4 for something around the price of $130 you were using in your comparison above, but good luck with that.
I think the markets were reacting to many many factors regarding Apple when the price began to plummet.
Factors like:
1. Apple was well over valued since there was a stock rush on Apple leading to an over-inflated real value and expectations.
2. I think that the cooling of the top tier smartphone market played was a factor.
3. I think Steve Jobs dying played into it in an increasingly large way and etc.
There really are a ton of factors that play a role in the rise and fall of stocks. The iPhones price, when it was continuing to break every quarters earnings each and every quarter, was not a primary concern. I think uncertainty about the future played as much or more into the narrative as did anything.
But you are correct that one of the roles in the decline had to do with Apple not having a major footprint in 2nd and 3rd world markets because they don't offer a low margin device. People seem to think Apple needs to come out with a low cost low margin device. Perhaps they do if maintaining market share is what they are into. I don't see a reason they wouldn't do well at that other than they are not really in charge of their entire supply chain like Samsung is. It might be difficult to find a supply chain big enough to manufacture 100's of millions of phones that make very little profit if any. It seems to not be part of Apple priority right now in any case which has everyone second guessing what they are doing and arm chair quarterbacking Tim Cooks decisions.
I find it hilarious that now Android has more Applications is a meaningless metric.
It was a meaningless metric when Apple had more apps. Apple fanbois were howling from the rafters how Android wouldn't be successful because it didn't have 80 gajillion apps, but Androids had enough for a robust platform. It was a silly argument... just as it is now.
How many apps does anybody need? Certainly not 100k, nor 300k, nor 600k. The only question any of us really needs to answer is can I get the apps I need??? The simple answer for both platforms is resoundingly yes... and in 20 plus ways for most of what one can think of. Therefore, the number of apps whether 1 million, 1 billion or whatever is useless. All important functions for the current paradigm of smartphone devices can most certainly be had on either platform or perhaps in the odd esoteric case where someone thinks of something unique... that app is likely
Those 4 Quarters, in case you didn't glean it, were the current last 4 quarters which you seem to indicate show Apple in decline. The 4 quarters before that saw a massive spike of a 26% gain in mac sales and a bump in market share worldwide. Which quarters would you wish me to cherry pick exactly?
You seem to be asserting that Mac market share is not rising overall or is maybe even dropping based on the info of 3 quarters you yourself provided. But the information you provided does not paint the proper picture since in 2 of those quarters Apple's market share worldwide increased.
Further, Apples market share has been rising fairly steadily since 2004 with the big spike in 2012. Then in 3 out of the last 4 quarters (including those you outlined) mac sales have fared better worldwide than the PC sales as a whole meaning mac as a percentage of overall PC's have increased as a percentage of the world market.
BTW the 22% drop in sales from Q1 2013 was largely due to a delay in iMacs because of production issues. It was followed by a 15% increase quarter over quarter sales the following quarter when the iMac was released in countries where the iMac was released. The assembly of iMacs was newly moved to the US and US customers were the largest recipients of this new influx of macs as the kinks got worked out. Most customers had to wait up to 2 months to receive macs they ordered in the previous quarter. So sales were down that quarter but up the following.
Otherwise Apple would have been showing worldwide computer market share increases for all quarters this current year despite not meeting 2012's numbers.
But an ecosystem and applications are not equivalent.
I would argue that the Android ecosystem is fantastic and serves the needs of most of its users well.
I would argue that apples ecosystem is fantastic and serves the needs of most of its users.
I would say that iPhones and top of the line Android devices are fairly equivalent in meeting the needs of their users which is why they continue to use them.
Both have more apps than anyone will every be able to use so there are lots of options at all price points in terms of apps.
Also price is also very similar. One can get android devices for zero money down, one can get iphones for zero money down at least in the US. Or one can pay roughly the same for a iphone 5 or Galaxy 4s at the upper end of things.
If by a larger ecosystem you are meaning Applications, I would say that Applications, once you are verging on 600k apps in both app stores is a rather meaningless metric.
How is Android ecosystem larger? I am curious because I really don't know.
How is Android OS ahead of iOS? What are the metrics by which you make this assertion exactly?
I really don't have a horse in this race.
I just find the entire food fight interesting.
Only point I am trying to make is that Apple didn't initially diversify. They sold one iPod.
Eventually when that played out, they started producing other ipods starting with the nano, then color nanos and their clip on thingies.
This time Apple has been selling one iPhone initially, now they are selling a parsed down version that is colorful.
I think eventually they will producing a wider variety to remain a player in the markets they can glean a profit from.
Maybe that will be in smaller clip on phone devices, maybe that will be in larger phablets.
This just seems similar to me to what they did with the roadmap of the iPod.
I wasn't even thinking of the marketshare aspect really.
I disagree Apple is sacrificing market share for profits any more than they have always done. Apple has been getting the bulk of profits from the phone market up until Samsung was a good match for them. Apple still gets 45% of the worldwide PC profits despite having only a 5% share.
Apple seems to be operating like Apple has forever and yet people seem to find that this approach is somehow flawed, as if Apple will magically disappear at some point when their phones make up some smaller percentage of the market.
Overall, in 2012 the macs experienced a 26% year over year growth.
*In Q4 2013 mac sales 2% drop, while the PC market dropped 4.9% - Apple gaining market share
In Q1 2013 mac sales 22% drop, while the PC market dropped 14% -- Apple losing market share
In Q2 2013 mac sales 5% drop while the PC market dropped 11.4% -- Apple gaining market share
In Q3 2013 mac sales 5% dropwhile the PC market dropped 8% -- Apple gaining market share
Also one must remember that worldwide Mac marketshare has risen steadily from less than 2% in 2004 to over 5%.
Doesn't sound like much, but one takes into account actual profits, Apples minute worldwide percentage of computers takes on more significance.
45% of worldwide PC profit doesn't sound so bad on a market dominating percentage like 5%.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/04/18/apples-mac-took-45-of-the-profits-in-the-pc-market/
Seems like Apple is doing ok, and I believe that as long as they are interested in producing macs they may even grow their overall percentage of the worldwide market a point or two more.