BS

I hope someone marks his words and feeds him this buIIshit in a couple of months. "a plastic casing and no Retina display" - yeah, right.

BS

I hope someone marks his words and feeds him this buIIshit in a couple of months. "a plastic casing and no Retina display" - yeah, right.

Nonsense

Seriously? Apple announces yesterday that they no longer accept applications that don't support the retina display, and today people think that they are going to release a new non-retina device? Nonsense.

Not necessarily BS.

With Apple's charismatic leader gone, Apple's stock holders (seeing recent dips in their investment value) can lose their sights on the long term value of the company and start eyeing with greed the gains it's rivals are making. The late Jobs, had the strength and will power to keep everyone in the company, from the kid right off college to the experienced investor, focused on his view of the products that would lead the market on it's sector. With Steve gone, what felt like much more than a company to it's share holders, maybe even the feeling of owning a little piece of the technology of tomorrow, begins to feel like any other cash cow business. And here lies the reason the "new" Apple, is willing to invest in products that no longer lead the market, but rather follow it. A plastic iPhone with a non retina display, no problem if it brings in an extra fifty bucks peer share!

Originally Posted by Arne_Saknussemm

And here lies the reason the "new" Apple, is willing to invest in products that no longer lead the market, but rather follow it. A plastic iPhone with a non retina display, no problem if it brings in an extra fifty bucks peer share!

Or rather, this very story is indicative of the EXPECTATION that Apple will now follow "analysts'" recommendations and pull just that kind of crap.

Apple themselves have—so far—shown no inclination whatsoever to fall for the short-sightedness of making what some talking heads claim the market needs, rather than what they think is the best way to do something.

What about dropping the high-end?

The demise of the Mac Pro (for all practical purposes - a pro user cannot rely on year old rumors for an update) is a clear indication of Apple's blurred long range view.

Some users argue that with today's processors even entry level systems are adequate to most pros, but this is not the point; The Mac Pro was as powerful as the best the competition had (and for a while very attractive price wise too), user serviceable, expandable (quite obsolescence proof too), and of course (being an Apple product) very elegant. It was the crown jewel to the core Apple users that stuck to the company even through it's worst times.

Killing off this system (not to say anything of all those pros that started small and latter on ended up setting up a large studio with the Xserve...) disillusioned many loyal users; if this did not seal the fate of the pro line from apple, a year latter the "dumbification" of Final Cut Pro X certainly did.

Apple has (and is doing it's best if the rumored iWatch is really next), turned itself into a fully (and almost only?) consumer product oriented company. A far cry from it's beginnings full of user replaceable parts (and batteries), that not just served innovative products to the medium consumer, but to the advanced early adopter technophile and of course to the artists that wanted to innovate and feel free.

Apple's turning it's back on it's loyal early followers with systems designed from the start to not be easily upgradeable is just as blind a policy as trying to cater to the low end of the spectrum, selling itself off as a premium company. A cheaper iPhone just makes sense given all of the above.

Oh, the "loyal early followers" argument, where "early" means "late 90s", when nobody bought their machines.

The EARLY followers only got non-upgradable machines. The first expansion slot didn't hit the Mac until 1987.

And since their comeback, Apple has managed to "lead the market" by catering to pros? And now they've given up that lead by producing cheap plastic crap with low margins?
Are you high?

In my universe, Apple's comeback centered around the iMac, iPod, the oh-so-unconfigurable-and-limited iPhone, the iPad, and the (admittedly plastic) MacBooks. These have been their business for the past FIFTEEN YEARS.

(Why do I always fall for the dumbest trolls? I think it's because the idiocy insults me.)