Apple Innovation

[chanchan05]

It is interesting that some cloud providers talk about freeing up your HDD by keeping files in the clouds, yet those files also exist on your HDD. Dropbox is a good example of this. I can see it because you might not have net access when you need it the most, so local file storage is always a good idea.

That said, I have had my laptop for a few years and I still have a largely empty HDD. Last time I looked, I had hundreds of gigabytes available and on a laptop that only stores perhaps 100 music files and twenty Word Documents and the only apps installed is Office, I feel confident that I will never need to store files in the cloud.

I do agree with those that think we are essentially being forced into the clouds; the lack of a SD slot suggests that manufacturers believe that we no longer need to store our essential stuff locally. We are being "forced" to use the clouds and I suspect things will progress to a point where one day, everything is in the clouds.

We are being assimilated, slowly and surely.

One thing about Dropbox I find interesting is when you add plugins, use certain addons and web services designed for DB, there is allot one can do that goes beyond simple cloud storage. I find that interesting and highly useful and a good reason for services like Dropbox to exist.

Western Digital allows you to buy an external HDD that can act as your own personal cloud storage server via their WDLive service, so technically, its not on your own PC's HDD.

However I do agree that while cloud storage is more convenient, I would still prefer local storage over cloud storage. Although I may be biased as I am currently not in a first world country where everybody has a data plan on their phone making it easier to share stuff. Local storage means I can use a simple bluetooth transfer or wired transfer of files like photos or docs to people who do not have data plan.

MS is an example of a company that recanted the no SD card slot paradigm many manufacturers are adopting (yes I am looking at you, Apple, HTC and Sony). Originally, Windows Phones do not properly support external cards, and now WP8 does. Being fully in the cloud means that our data is at the mercy of factors not in our hands, while having it locally means any damage to it is solely our own fault and we can take better care of it that way IMO.

As for Apple's innovations. I miss Steve. Tim Cook seems to be just slapping Retina Screens everywhere with little other innovation IMO. IF they fall into the same trap Nokia did with Symbian (got to complacent and thus innovation stagnated allowing iOS and Android to throw it down), they are going to fall. They need to catch up on a lot of things, and now with Windows 8 Pro on the tablet market, I am not sure even the iPad can hold its large lead for long.

 

[Bob Maxey]

iPhone 5 'world's thinnest smartphone' claim in dispute | TechRadar

That article aside, Apple makes an astoundingly amazing product for the market it captures. But no, not the thinnest smartphone in the world.

jmar

Apparently, Apple was wrong or partially correct depending upon how you view the data. One of Huawei's phones is thinner if you do not count the bulge at one end and another manufacturer nobody knows makes a thinner phone sans a bulge.

Apple should have left it at "the iPhone 5 is the thinnest phone we have ever made." (parahrase)

Seems to me if an Android maker said their phone was the thinnest in the world and a bulge at one end added three or for MM to the thickness, the Android side would ignore those iPhone users crying shenanigans and forget about the bulge because it does not count.

Mr. Cook either lied or he made an honest mistake. One is not the same as the other.

I do think Cook and others speaking for Apple should learn to check facts with greater care and if Cook has a problem, he should use an iPrompter. They/he should know by now that every word will be parsed and some of those writers hate Apple

 

[jefboyardee]

So did you pick it apart point by point and look to see how accurate the video is?

No, and I didn

 

[Bob Maxey]

No, and I didn

 

[Bob Maxey]

As for Apple's innovations. I miss Steve. Tim Cook seems to be just slapping Retina Screens everywhere with little other innovation IMO. IF they fall into the same trap Nokia did with Symbian (got to complacent and thus innovation stagnated allowing iOS and Android to throw it down), they are going to fall. They need to catch up on a lot of things, and now with Windows 8 Pro on the tablet market, I am not sure even the iPad can hold its large lead for long.

I think many people are asking if Apple can survive without Steve Jobs. No matter how good Cook is, he is not Steve Jobs. Let's hope he does not try to be Steve Jobs.

I'll bet many inside Apple are wondering the same thing. Will Apple fanatics and employes come to think of Cook as Jobs version 2.0 or John Sculley.

I am on the proverbial fence. I think Jobs was very special and I have not seen the love for Cook that SJ enjoyed. I think the power behind Apple is dead and I worry that the new leader will be an also ran.

Cook might be smart, but he can harm Apple if he makes mistakes. Apple has the cash to survive a bad CEO and Apple has a way of releasing new products that change the game, so perhaps I am worried for no reason.

For all I/we know, Apple will take a new direction and release something we did not see coming.

Or, Apple might not have anything new up its sleeve and for the next few years, all we will see is an iPad 4; an iPhone 5s/6/6s and perhaps a OD Green iPod Nano. Perhaps iOS 6 and 6.82a or 7.03b and nothing new and exciting.

Windows 8 is still new. Actually it is not available yet, just the Preview which will likely change many times before it is released. I do not see upgrading and that UI does not do it for me. It is as ugly as a boiled dragon.

And I do not want addons that give me the start button. Does MS sees it as a mobile device OS? With Surface set to drop, I hope MS is lucky. No guarantees it will surface, so to speak.

 

[kevincott]

I think many people are asking if Apple can survive without Steve Jobs. No matter how good Cook is, he is not Steve Jobs. .

I have no problem admitting I miss Steve Jobs.

But here is the deal, Jobs pushed Apple to make products consumers would want and that is good. Any company that pushes products for the consumer indirectly pushes other companies to do the same, otherwise competitors fail.

Any ribbing I gave Apple was good-natured until the 'Patent Wars' started.

 

[kevincott]

It occured to me that the media often times confuses innovation with progression.

A 3.5" > 4" > 4.3" screen is not innovation but normal progression.

The term innovation should be reserved for something totally new and/or unexpected.


Thought I would add my 2 cents.