Wrong about stealing from Xerox. Apple offered Xerox to buy $1,000,000 in pre IPO stock to visit PARC. Furthermore, "There is still some controversy over the amount of influence that Xerox's PARC work, as opposed to previous academic research, had on the GUIs of the Apple Lisa and Macintosh, but it is clear that the influence was extensive, because first versions of Lisa GUIs even lacked icons. These prototype GUIs are at least mouse-driven, but completely ignored the WIMP ( "window, icon, menu, pointing device") concept. Screenshots of first GUIs of Apple Lisa prototypes show the early designs. Note also that Apple engineers visited the PARC facilities (Apple secured the rights for the visit by compensating Xerox with a pre-IPO purchase of Apple stock) and a number of PARC employees subsequently moved to Apple to work on the Lisa and Macintosh GUI. However, the Apple work extended PARC's considerably, adding manipulatable icons, and drag&drop manipulation of objects in the file system (see Macintosh Finder) for example. A list of the improvements made by Apple, beyond the PARC interface, can be read at Folklore.org.[SUP][5][/SUP] Jef Raskin warns that many of the reported facts in the history of the PARC and Macintosh development are inaccurate, distorted or even fabricated, due to the lack of usage by historians of direct primary sources.[SUP][6][/SUP]" In addition, although Xerox tried to sue Apple for copyright/patent infringement and the case was dismissed, as it was for Apple vs. Microsoft.Look... here's the deal with Apple:
Jobs was the driving force. Like him or not HE is the only reason they did as well as they did. They are completely useless at coming up with any original ideas... Jobs had an uncanny ability of finding a neat product, repackaging it in a cool case, and then re-merchandising it as a new product. He also had the foresight and connections in the entertainment world to make it "cool" to own one. He did it time and time again...
- Apple II was a "cool" PC
- Mac was a "cooler" PC with a "stolen" OS (from Xerox...)
- Macbook is a "cool" laptop
- Ipod was a "cool" MP3 player
- Iphone was a "cool" Blackberry (with some "cool" Ipod integrated features...)
- Ipad, was a big iphone
His products were all pretty good... but they aren't GREAT! They were pretty much all proprietary, (a lot of people are PO'd about the chargers, lack of upgrade-ability, and battery issues...) and if something ever went wrong with them, a real pain in the ass to get fixed... but that was OK for their fans... cuz it was "COOL"!
He was a master marketer, and my hats off to him for being able to pull the wool over the sheep's eyes and make a gazillion dollars in the process.
He also made a lot of enemies... he was quite the asshole apparently.
But... he's gone now, let him rest in peace.
Apple is NOT the same company without him...
Apple going down the drain?
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Apple's always been reluctant to license its hardware or software. That goes back to the original Macintosh days. It seems that culture is still alive and well even though Steve died years ago. So I doubt licensing will ever happen unless some activists investors tell them to. Even then, they'll probably be stubborn and not do it.
The iPhone / Android battle is the same as the Mac / PC battle of years past.
I agree with your idea of "quality over quantity", "simplicity over functionality". However, I think Apple is really missing a big feature - flexible input method.
The reason there is no "demand" for Swype keyboard among iPhone users is probably like you, most of them don't even know about it. Whenever I show swype style input to an iPhone user, it never fails to wow them, like I don't even need to lift a finger to spell out words, correctly and effortlessly. It does take some time getting used to, but once you do, it's so easy.
But then, it always surprises me even more, when my iPhone friend tells me it's too complicated, or too hard to learn. They feel tapping one letter at a time is so easy already. One even claimed "Look how well iPhone keyboard is laid out, letters are so BIG!" LOL! There is the brand loyalty for ya! When home screen widget came out in Android, it was so obviously superior to iOS5, so Apple scambled to catch up. But features like customizable keyboards, swype style input methods, which takes some learning curve, is just too complicated for iPhone users. They don't have time to bother with anything that takes more than 5 seconds to learn. They'd rather stick with tapping one letter at a time at snail pace than taking some time to learn a more efficient input method that will speed up touch screen typing by two folds for life.
So if you are saying Apple is selling so well because their customers are lazy and ignorant, then I agree. But I hope one day, iPhone users will put aside their pride and prejudice and take a look at nice things Android does better, and petition Apple to do the same. What am I kidding, that's never gonna happen.
When did I say I didn't know about it? It is available on jail broke iPhones as a download.
I find these tech debates rather silly. Apple is a business. The business will survive/thrive as long as it sells products. If apple made an iPhone of cheese that could only dial three numbers but customer flock to it, it would be a valuable company.
So what if it's products only sell because of some perceived "cool" factor and they don't represent cutting edge tech? What are you guys? Hipster nerds?
I don't want a gazillion custom options or user modifiable interfaces.. I don't need that, nor do I have the time to fix shit that inevitably happens because of some software conflict. I want machines that help me do my job and work. Period.
So what if it's products only sell because of some perceived "cool" factor and they don't represent cutting edge tech? What are you guys? Hipster nerds?
I don't want a gazillion custom options or user modifiable interfaces.. I don't need that, nor do I have the time to fix shit that inevitably happens because of some software conflict. I want machines that help me do my job and work. Period.
Sure sure there game boy
First off with the HDMI port yes your kinda right but not really apple does not have a dedicated HDMI port like that dinosaur of a phone you call blackberry BUT I can steam my iPhone my iPad and MacBook to the television via my Apple TV or if I chose to I could buy a HDMI cable and plug it into my charging port and tether myself to the television but why do that when I can stream my iPhone iPads or MacBook Pro wirelessly on the television.
In regards to your buddy replacing his cables he could of done it for free just by taking it to apple and they would of gave him a new cables for free.
I have done that with my earphone and a iPhone I had and yes apple customer service is above average.
I find you are confusing the discussion of a "good business" and "good product". No doubt Apple is a good business model with high margins. However its product is not superior. I own stocks in Starbucks but never do I buy their coffee. I own stocks in MO, but I don't smoke. I also own Lululemon shares, where ladies pay hundreds of dollars for a thin spandex yoga pants with their logo on it, where the same quality pants can be bought at Giant Tiger for less than $20.
Good business make money, I don't care how it does, even if it means to rip off stupid people with money to burn, it is still good business. However it does not necessarily mean I personally will buy / use their products.
Again, you are equating a "good business" - must mean "good product". So what if it manage to fool millions of Apple fanbois. Good for apple can make billions of $$$ from fanbois. Does it mean you have to join them? I'd rather become Apple employee than Apple customer.
Not saying that at all, but all you're doing is using pekkerhead classic position, if it doesn't sell it's crap but if it does, it must be brainwashing. Good luck with the interview.
Did I? I did say Apple has its qualities, but also shortcomings. I am saying it is ignoring its shortcomings because it thinks it can keep selling to fanbois regardless how restrictive it is. Fanbois will always find reasons to justify it, and continue to wallow in their pride.
Nor did I say if a product sells it must be brainwashing. There are examples of indeed good products that sells because of its merits. But also there are products that sells not because its quality, but most due to the brand image and advertising.
I agree. Many fanbois maybe in different walks of life - such as doctors, businessmen, stock brokers, people with money and little time to learn advanced features and customize their smartphones. They are indeed smart in their profession, and can no doubt have higher IQ than me. But most of them no doubt chooses iPhone over Android because of its brand image and exclusivity, and relative ease of use, not because of its versatility and performance. No matter how smart they are in their own profession, and how much money they earn, it does not qualify them to speak about which smart phone is superior.I'm sure many of those Apple "fanbois" users are smarter than you ...
I much prefer the hardware and screen of of the HTC One but I use an iPhone because IT JUST WORKS AND ALLOWS ME TO DO WHAT I NEED IT TO DO!
I've enjoyed tinkering with PC's since my first 286 SX8 with DOS. But a few years ago I got tired of tinkering and bought a Macbook Pro to check it out. Since then it JUST works and does everything I need. Had Palm Treo's, BB and other smartphones and now an iphone. Again, it JUST WORKS. No tinkering.
I could not give a shit about the "prestige" anyone might impute to a phone.
Go ahead and enjoy tinkering. Yours is a harmless hobby but some people just want a fucking phone and computer that is easy to USE and is stable. Apple does that well.
I agree with most of what you say. I admire Apple's user oriented design approach. However as I pointed out it declining now because it getting so restrictive that it is affecting usability. Lack of customizable input method was the deal breaker for me to choose Android over iPhone. iPhone is NOT easier to use when it comes to typing.
It boils down to what you want to do with the phone. If lacking something specific is a deal breaker then go for Android. The key thing I like about Apple product is how fast I can go back to my own business instead of spending a lot of time on the business of configuring / setting up the phone. It's a productivity thing. Updated to iOS7 last night and been using it like before right away, it just works.
and that folks.. is 5hummer once again displaying his typical fanboy arrogance even when it's WRONG. Yep when backed into a corner assert they are smarter or 'better' just for being fooled into buying their Mactoy. Ho hum...
George pwned you kid.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned the thriving mod community Android has specifically CyanogenMOD. Unfortunately, Apple users will never taste that type of freedom. To the uninitiated, the world of modding opens up huge possibilities for Android like running the newest version of the OS on old devices, features that the original Android team never even dreamt to add, and so on. Then I have the freedom to change back to the stock experience if I want to. Funny thing is that Cyanogen wants to be the #3 mobile operating system choice in front of Windows Phone. We'll see what happens here.
Since Android is open source, it can be put on virtually any device that we want. We've already seen Android on so many different devices like the Kindle Fire, Ouya game console, tablets, smartphones, etc. This is true innovation folks. Rehashing old products with longer / smaller screens sadly, is not. Google gives its blessing to the developers to run with the operating system. Apple calls the shots for what products it wants to develop. If you want to add features to iOS, then that's too bad; you have to get Apple's blessing.
The Apple / Android battle is exactly the same as the Mac / Windows debate of years past. Windows is infinitely more flexible than Mac ever will be, which is why we have Windows powered ATM's, kiosks of all types, point of sale machines, even those fancy Willy Wonka candy machines at the movie theatre.
What are opportunities for Android? Virtually limitless since the operating system is open source. What are the opportunities for Apple and iOS? Thinner, lighter, more colourful iphone, ipad? Put an Apple TV inside a TV? That's about it.
Since Android is open source, it can be put on virtually any device that we want. We've already seen Android on so many different devices like the Kindle Fire, Ouya game console, tablets, smartphones, etc. This is true innovation folks. Rehashing old products with longer / smaller screens sadly, is not. Google gives its blessing to the developers to run with the operating system. Apple calls the shots for what products it wants to develop. If you want to add features to iOS, then that's too bad; you have to get Apple's blessing.
The Apple / Android battle is exactly the same as the Mac / Windows debate of years past. Windows is infinitely more flexible than Mac ever will be, which is why we have Windows powered ATM's, kiosks of all types, point of sale machines, even those fancy Willy Wonka candy machines at the movie theatre.
What are opportunities for Android? Virtually limitless since the operating system is open source. What are the opportunities for Apple and iOS? Thinner, lighter, more colourful iphone, ipad? Put an Apple TV inside a TV? That's about it.
