In 2001 there were hundreds of MP3 players out there with no one company dominating. Apple introduced the iPhone and changed everything.
In 2007 there were hundreds of cell phone models and the Blackberry was king. Apple introduced the iPhone and changed everything.
Companies had tried to make a practical, popular tablet for years. No one had hit that sweet spot of useful, portable and price until Apple made the iPad in 2010.
There were cheaper MP3 players, but Apple succeeded where so many had failed.
There were (and are) cheaper cell phones, but Apple dominates the industry.
There are cheaper tablets, but no one company comes near Apple’s sales of the iPad.
You may hate them to the point of delusion, but Apple has become the most successful company OF ANY KIND of all time.
If you have a problem with Apple, I suggest the source is you, not them.
There are several OSs but Microsoft made them work for everyone!
There are lots of laptops, but Lenovo has showed us how it’s done right!
You can get different Phone OSs, but Android has mastered it!
You can use lots of things to watch videos on TV, but only Chromcast makes it work!
You can use any web browser, but Internet Explorer is the gold standard!
Yeah you can buy an Apple server, but only real companies use Microsoft’s offerings!
Obama got more votes in the last two elections, Should we shut down FR and never question anything that comes out of his mouth?
Seriously, what’s your point? That Apple sells X amount of whatever, so shut up and worship them?
Perhaps you should go back further in the history of Apple.
Prior to Steve Jobs, Apple was mired in dysfunction, couldn't get a relevant product released and all sorts of other issues. So, Apple, without Steve Jobs, has NOT been the most successful company ever. Far from it. So, Apple has a lot to prove post-Jobs. This product is the first to be released under Cook.
In 2001, there were not "hundreds of Mp3 players. In fact, the early Ipod was one of the first. (http://gizmodo.com/5437243/mp3-players-in-the-year-2000-were-not-so-good-but-we-still-loved-them) At the time, I had a Archos Jukebox and after the ipod was announced, quickly moved to the original 30gb Ipod.
In 2007, there were not "hundreds" of smartphones. Apple CREATED that market. There were some early iterations of Android that could not even come close to competing with the smartphone Apple created. (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/24/smartphones-timeline).
Prior to the Ipad, very few were trying to make tablets. i had a version of a resistive touch screen using Android and it sucked. It wasn't usable. Again, I am the epitome of adoption at the bleeding edge. And I was one of the only techies I knew trying a tablet. There were Hundreds and thousands of computers, in different form factors at the time, but not Tablets. Apple CREATED the market. Apple also CHANGED how users interact with their computers in a massive way. I remember getting my first and second Ipads. Man - a game changer.
Now we come to the Apple Watch. Apple will sell a bunch. But, in wearables, there are literally thousands of competitors and options. At CES this year, I walked past hundreds of booths of manufacturers of wearables all with a different slant. Apple did not create this market. Their offering *seems* to be a "me too" offering and will count on the large number of iPhone users who want a watch in perfect sync. I don't blame those users at all and think they will sell a ton.
But this isn't a market mover product. Moreover, watches, unlike phones and computers, are a very personal decision. Unless you go back to Swatch, where you could make a plastic $30 watch unique, watches are personal and are not akin to mass adoption.
I also believe Tim Cook's Apple, while growing and profitable right now, still benefits from Steve Jobs. That will wear off more and more with each release. I think Apple is missing a massive market opportunity in tablet computers - where the Surface Pro and others have captured an important mix of full laptop capability but with touch screen, writing, etc. I cannot figure out why Apple didn't go after that space as they would have dominated from the user experience they brought to iPad's and macbooks.
So, I will happily hold on my posiiton that the Apple Watch is a "me too" offering that will be heralded by its sales in the first year but ultimately signal the first product released post-Jobs that didn't move a market.
Does that mean Apple sucks? Not in the least. But in this market, they are very vulnerable and that hasn't been the case since Apple Lisa.