[WashingtonSource]

Interesting.

[Dr. Sivana]

An Apple employee from “the 1990s” has little to no experience under Steve Jobs, and certainly none under Cook, or with nearly all the Mac line. If he was under Spindler and Amelio, that doesn’t give him much more insifght than almost any palooka.

We may be past “Peak Apple”, as every booming company has its peak. That does not necessarily spell “DOOM”.

[Honorary Serb]

Apple has been “doomed” several times in the past.

It always came back, supported by a loyal core of Apple diehards like yours truly!

[Seruzawa]

Inferior products?

So, Apple is going to become more like Microsoft?

[lacrew]

I’m not an Apple cheerleader; but, my understanding is the company is doing beter than ever?

[InterceptPoint]

Long-term, the verdict is out. Jobs has only been gone for a year. Apple has yet to do a Big New Thing without him.

Apple is to Microsoft as hardware is to software. What "Big New Thing" is left for Microsoft in the software realm? Not much that I can see. Just ...

OperatingSystem=8
StillViable = TRUE
Do while StillViable
OperatingSystem = OperatingSystem+1
End Do

So if this is not good enough you go into Hardware, which Microsoft is doing.

So where goes Apple when there are no obvious Hardware "Big New Things". I'm not sure. Invade the automobile industry is a possibility. Put Apple software in every washing machine.

I think even Steve Jobs would struggle with the question. But unless they figure it out they will just duplicate the Microsoft code with something similar but with OperatingSystem replaced with iPad, iPhone, iTouch etc.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Sounds like what Carly Fiorina did to HP.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Apple is now being run by the Bean Counters.

Macbook Pro is largely un-fixable because everything is soldered.

IPhone5 is not a compelling upgrade because of IOS6.

Mini-Pad sounds stupid and is built from 2 yr old off the shelf parts.

PR war games because of FoxConn’s China plant.

I hear of nothing on the horizon or in the pipeline resulting from R&D.

Sounds like Apple has sacrificed their future for current profits.

[Jumper]

Apples problem is that US Law and the separate laws in different countries will result in different viewpoints. For example, in South Korea which is home to Samsung a near identical legal decision was rendered not in Apple's favor as had been the case in the US courts. Apple is only as secure as the political allies and perceived clout it can derive over competitors. Just as Microsoft has a major operating system, manufacturers their own hardware, and vendors a product line, each competes for shelve space in the open markets. The global economy may find Apple too expensive, or downtrodden peoples form a movement against them for their use of Chinese slave labor. The point is that Apple's value is derived from the perception of its worth - and today with so many other producers competing for the same currencies in all the markets, they have an advantage of playing politics, the courts, rolling out more products, etc. Ultimately dropping prices to sell as does Amazon a product at a breakeven price will break the Apple 40% profit driven stock value; If Samsung wanted to sell their S-IIIs for $300 it would kill the iPhone. If both Samsung and Amazon teamed together, and then further partnered with Nokia, HTC, and other manufacturers in a marketing campaign of giving more value than Apple and arguing their value over Apple in a prolonged marketing campaign it would doom the stock.

However, I do not think any of these manufacturers would drag another one down, and one need only look at the two party political system which needs each other, or the MSM which all work together to make their niche profits.

[pepsi_junkie]

The gist of this article is to list criticism of apple and then say "Steve Jobs did the exact same thing". It appears to be all its true, with specific examples.

On the other hand, Steve Jobs had an almost mystical aura. A cult of personality built up around him. Apple fans were in awe of him. He could get away with a lot that a room full of suits cannot.

[dfwgator]

This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced.

Agreed....This was key to Apple's success, sure newer models would come, but for the most part, you could use their products for years.....I still use my iPod "Classic" that I've had for five years.....no need for me to upgrade, it works great as it is.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Well I for one hope they are able to continue giving MS and Droid a run for there money BUT I don’t find their products too compelling personally. I like my iPhone so much I got an iMac, a beautiful 27” sculpture of a machine, but I found it to not as configurable as Windows.

Trying to learn development for Apple (I was using XCode) was definitely not an experience I remember fondly.

One thing that I think a lot of people miss is that Apple was given a shot in the arm by the AntiTrust suit that Clinton brought against them. That caused MS to take their eyes off the ball for long enough for Apple to get an edge. I am fond of saying that every mobile device from Apple has a $100 over charge that the increased demand as a result of the lawsuit against MS has added.

One of the first things Bush did after giving the military a raise was dismiss the lawsuit against MS.

[Talisker]

Dan Crow: "At Google, products are built by largely self-directed teams..."

Liberal hypocrisy is so intense it burns.

THIS is how Google's "self directed teams" ACTUALLY work: The Delphi Technique

It's also how every California liberal works - right down to when they order fries at McDonalds. You want to understand liberals? Study this until it drips out of your pores, and then, when you completely get it, imagine being so morally cowardly, so utterly soul degraded, so steaming with compacted filth and lies, that you swear upon satan's soul to never, even with a single breath, stop using this technique with anyone, friend or foe, family or stranger, work or play, young or old, male or female, formal or informal, for the rest of your life.

Does that sound insanely intense? Obsessive-compulsively neurotic? Like, hey dude, calm down already?

Good - then you're starting to understand liberals.