← Back to context

Comment by JumpCrisscross

3 days ago

> At at this point, Apple just needs to get anything out the door

To the extent Cupertino fucked up, it's in having had this attitude when they rolled out Apple Intelligence.

There isn't currently a forcing function. Apple owns the iPhone, and that makes it an emperor among kings. Its wealth is also built on starting with user problems and then working backwards to the technology, versus embracing whatever's hot and trying to shove it down our throats.

Lately, they've arguably been starting from their own priorities (i.e. pushing and protecting their "services" revenue at all cost) and working backwards to an acceptable user experience from there.

> Its wealth is also built on starting with user problems and then working backwards to the technology, versus embracing whatever's hot and trying to shove it down our throats.

Then again, remember millimeterwave? But yes, as a general rule I think your point still stands.

> Its wealth is also built on starting with user problems and then working backwards to the technology

Since when?

> versus embracing whatever's hot and trying to shove it down our throats

I agree here, to a degree. It's just that Apple tells its customers what's hot and then shoves it down their throats.

  • > Apple tells its customers what's hot and then shoves it down their throats

    I don't really understand this. Is it shoving when something is actually popular? The iPod was legitimately extremely popular. Did Apple decide it was hot and then somehow force people to buy 450 million of them?

    I mean I'm just curious what products you're thinking of when you say "shoves it down their throats"

    • Is the iPod your only example? That was a quarter century ago.

      What's hot about less ports, no headphone jack, no SD card, a tax when buying apps for your phone, planned obsolescence, antagonistic behavior towards app and software developers, an unchanged aluminum rectangle, thinner devices that look cool at the cost of performance and efficiency, heaviest laptops and phones on the market, phones made out of glass front and back, the touchbar, the notch, etc.?

> There isn't currently a forcing function

Sorry but if there wasn’t a forcing function then “Apple Picks Gemini to Power Siri” wouldn’t be the headline

  • > if there wasn’t a forcing function then “Apple Picks Gemini to Power Siri” wouldn’t be the headline

    A pair four-trillion dollar companies striking a deal in the hottest technology space since the internet getting headline treatment is not evidence of a forcing function.

    • Them having bolted on ChatGPT in the ugly way they did is evidence though.

      Their naff image generation tool (Playground) is further evidence.

      Apple are definitely panicking. And they should be too.

      5 replies →

    • I mean, maybe if the headline was “For no particular reason whatsoever, under absolutely no pressure from their millions of customers to deliver on the promises they paid for nearly two years ago, Apple picks Gemini to Power Siri”

      Or maybe you’re arguing that Apple never did intend to commit to those promises and it was all intentional and part of a well orchestrated plan from the outset? Seems like an odd strategy

      2 replies →