Will Apple lose the 'cool factor?'

[!on]

Apple will never lose their cool, but it will diminish in very tiny amounts.

It was the ipod that made them cool in the first place, before that they were just as nerdy as microsoft, but 'alternative'. All they've done since then is capitalized on portable devices, using the ipod cool factor to keep it all relevant. There's a lot of late comers to the world of apple, most probably due to the price. So when they come out with portable devices, people can afford a small piece of apple.

Think of them as an ageing dog; it molts, but it still grows. But there is only so much left in an old dog!

 

[kevincott]

Maybe 'cool' was the wrong word when 'hip' would have worked.

In times past, Apple users were sort of outsiders in the IT world. Mac owners had local support groups with monthly/weekly meetings, a culture that Apple somewhat cultivated and encouraged.

I think at one point Apple peeps were the hippies of their time and took pride in shunning IBM/Microsoft or anything mainstream.

Now Apple is THE establishment.

 

[lunatic59]

Maybe 'cool' was the wrong word when 'hip' would have worked.

In times past, Apple users were sort of outsiders in the IT world. Mac owners had local support groups with monthly/weekly meetings, a culture that Apple somewhat cultivated and encouraged.

I think at one point Apple peeps were the hippies of their time and took pride in shunning IBM/Microsoft or anything mainstream.

Now Apple is THE establishment.

"Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."

--Roger Daltry

 

[pbf98]

Just watch their stocks, that will ultimately tell you what people think of them. If people start disliking them, they will stop buying their products and services, if people stop doing that, their stocks will go down. So I believe that would be the best way to tell.

Did you know that Apple charges you $30 for a call to customer support if your warranty is expired? I have a cousin that had a mac book pro..

 

[Prinny]

I charge $30 to my family when they call me for support.


Hah no I kid.

Yeah when I worked for Samsung, a lot of the times cusomters would be like DO YOU CHARGE FOR THIS!? Or people would ask me to troubleshoot their X product, because the company would charge for service.

Anyway as far as the 'cool factor' its kind of...more than that I think. I'm not an advocate for apple or anything, but a lot of people get an iPhone as their first smartphone. My mom did. Know why? It just works. How many android devices have to be rooted/rom'd in order to placate the user? Every android phone I've had, I had to root. It was so sluggish otherwise with all the bloatware, or crappy rushed products (Read: Triumph.)

I think I agree with 9to5, though, I would love to see RIM come with something new and amazing. I would go back to BB in a heartbeat.

 

[pbf98]

or crappy rushed products (Read: Triumph.) .

Hey I resent that haha just kidding.. it was a horrible phone but I do like it still although I don't have service on it anymore I just use it with wifi and rooting

 

[!on]

Actually I may revise my statement slightly. I do think they'll lose their cool quicker.

Why? I was just stumbling & found The man who foresaw science fiction | Ars Technica

It reminds me: why has apple not made the pocket TV cool again?

Is it because internet is killing TV? Possibly.

Is it because of Steve Jobs dying wish to kill off android, above anything else? Bingo

(yes, I know the link has not much to do with subject but that guy with his TV goggles prompted me to think of personal TV )

 

[smartphoneguy]

I see so many more people using Android devices over iOS devices now than 2 years ago. iOS and Apple has lost its luster imo.

 

[ari-free]

However, it is really no longer the Android OS, is it? Once you make all of those changes, only the framework is left. True or not? A friend of mine installs powerful engines, special suspension, brakes, fuel thing-a-ma-jiggers and other stuff that makes his Corvettes no longer Corvettes in many respects.

Android is whatever you want it to be. If you have the programming skill, the sky is the limit. If you are artistic, you can create a great theme.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I see so many more people using Android devices over iOS devices now than 2 years ago. iOS and Apple has lost its luster imo.

Seems to me, one must know why one OS is growing in popularity over another before one can draw any meaningful conclusions. I mean, lots of people settle for something because they cannot afford their dream whatever.

And is your statement true? I do not know because the data is all over the place. I am just asking. This gathered group will likely agree with you and on an Apple forum, they will disagree. Apple's numbers are difficult and you really do not know if the numbers are accurate.

I have mentioned this before, but when you look at Apple's iPhone market share, it might be lower than Android's share, but Apple has two phones and there are many Android phones. Taken as a whole, Android might have the largest share of the market, but Apple still has a larger market share on a phone by phone basis.

I think. Again, I do not have reliable numbers and as always, correcting Bob is a popular AF passtime.

If there are more Android phones (rather, BECAUSE there are more Android phones than iPhones) obviously you are correct. People seem to want smartphones and if they cannot afford Apple, they will go Android because there is no other choice. Well, there is BB I suppose.

This does not mean Android is better.

I buy what I want and I am generally happy. That is enough for me.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Android is whatever you want it to be. If you have the programming skill, the sky is the limit. If you are artistic, you can create a great theme.

True enough I suppose. Be it Apple and a JB or Android and a Root, those that like that sort of thing will change their phones and tablets to such a point that they do not look like the stock offering.

I run a theme (JB, iPad) that often makes people ask about my Android tablet.

 

[Bob Maxey]

It reminds me: why has apple not made the pocket TV cool again?

Is it because internet is killing TV? Possibly.

Is it because of Steve Jobs dying wish to kill off android, above anything else? Bingo

(yes, I know the link has not much to do with subject but that guy with his TV goggles prompted me to think of personal TV )

Not sure why the tiny TV is not more popular. I own a Kenwood unit that is geared towards amateur radio types. Wonderful for satellite work. I think the net has had some impact on TV. At least for me. It fits my briefcase nicely and I can see it all. Or most of it, anyway.

I can stream TV from other parts of the world. I cannot do this on my TV room full of TV crap. I can watch TV through HULU or Crackle, too. Add YouTube and my favorite Cure Kitty videos, my portable HT, my portable shortwave and AM broadcast/FM broadcast radios and my Yeasu portable backpack radio for HF and other frequencies and I have vast amounts of things to watch and/or listen to.

Who needs a TV set anyway.

Now, much of my equipment can be left home and I can see or listen on my iPad or Android phone. i can watch TV from Germany while I ride the rails. No old school portable TV will do that.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Just watch their stocks, that will ultimately tell you what people think of them. If people start disliking them, they will stop buying their products and services, if people stop doing that, their stocks will go down. So I believe that would be the best way to tell.

Did you know that Apple charges you $30 for a call to customer support if your warranty is expired? I have a cousin that had a mac book pro..

The market does tell the tale to some degree. Not that it makes much difference to the average consumer in most cases. Lots of reasons why Apple stock can drop and lots of reasons it goes up.

If Apple drops three bucks a share, my iPad does not stop working and iTunes is sill going strong. If I own Apple stock, a three buck share price drop might not mean anything because the markets adjust, people react to rumors and some people panic react and worry because they have no knowledge of the markets or how they usually work.

I am in it for the long term.

You need to know the reasons why Apple (or any other) stock goes up or down. It might not have anything to do with customer confidence. Not sure how far Apple stock must drop before I go all Chicken Little.

As for the cost of Apple CS, what are the costs of CS offered by other carriers and manufacturers? It is one thing to point out Apple charges 30.00, but that means little to nothing if others charge even more or they charge the same but their support stinks.

If you are being "helped" with your Android issues by some off shore idiot that cannot understand you, remember, for some of us, time is cash and even "free" CS is most definitely not really.

I do not call CS, I have Mr. Google. But for me, a 30.00 call is far cheaper than a free call if I am on the phone for an hour and I cannot resolve the issue I am having.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Android is whatever you want it to be. If you have the programming skill, the sky is the limit. If you are artistic, you can create a great theme.

Here is the problem with BOTH operating systems: one must jump through hoops to make it work like their PC. One does not need to do anything if they just want a useable device and Android can be changed because it is open source.

If you suffer buyer's remorse because you bought an iPhone, you will find plenty of people to tell you you are a fool. If you hate your Android device, visit an Apple forum to confirm you are a fool.

There is a choice to meet every need and wish and desire. If you hate Android, you have Windows phones and Apple and BB; if you hate BB, there is Windows, iOS and Android. If you hate smartphones, Verizon has a $9.99 special that actually makes phone calls.

If you hate cells, you can use Skype, chat rooms, Facebook and email; if you hate electronics, you can write letters and if you are 87% Luddite, you can fax a hand written note.

You must (generally) root Android to get rid of bloatware and you must jailbreak iOS to install custom themes, icons and applications from other places. No OS is perfect and no matter what your goals are, you can pick and choose.

Both systems require work to make your device truly your own and both systems if left alone work out just fine for most users.

Just be happy we can still JB/Root because remember that the LOC will (or did they already?) soon decide if rooting and Jailbreaking will remain legal.

No OS is perfect, no OS sucks and no OS is what we really want out of the box. By the time we are done, no OS looks like another OS and that is a good thing indeed.

Go Apple, you ROCK!!! And Android, well, at least you are trying. Please survive the huge jump in sales of the new iPhone.

 

[XplosiV]

I love how everyone knocks Android for being bloated by the carrier. Maybe I'm (and others of course) just lucky. My first Android phone was a Galaxy Portal, yes it was labeled as T-mobile, no it didn't have bloatware. Yes I rooted it. Why? Because no one was actually releasing any updates and it was stuck on 1.5 cupcake, and I wanted multi-touch & flash - user preferences.

Now both me and miss X Have the S3, still on T-mobile (UK) still no bloatware, and yes the phone works out of the box, it does its calls, data/Internet functions and gps, wifi etc no problem.

Sure I could root and do more advanced things but right now (subject to change) I don't REALLY need to.
It sounds like some people are blaming Google / Android for issues that are brought about by their carrier.

End of the day, are people just expecting too much from a 'smartphone' after all its a phone. Sure Iphone's work, out of the box, as do BB's but they are phones, not desktop PC's.

Any function a smartphone provides other than calls/texts/mms should be seen as a bonus, not a standard. It's a convenience there to be used if you have the need to use it. If you don't, get an old nokia 3210 (or other) and it'll still work and keep you in touch.

iOS works, Android works, BB's work, if you want 'more' well, then your just being greedy, give tech and tech companies time to evolve and stop expecting everything NOW! like a spoilt brat.

Just my opinion.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I love how everyone knocks Android for being bloated by the carrier.

Perhaps one should hammer the carriers for adding the stuff in the first place. It is not really an Android problem, is it? I can delete everything on my laptop, why not the phone?

So to be clear, I'll stop blaming Android and e-smack the carriers. Then again, something makes me think those apps are there because they paid for the ad space, so to speak. Perhaps my service is more costly if the apps are not allowed? Bob does not know.

My phone came with all sorts of stuff. Several games you could try out. Once I decided I would rather visit a bowling alley and wear some smelly shoes, I wanted it gone. Several other trials as I recall. Nothing of value.

I could nor delete the programs. I think I should have had the option, right?

 

[TJGoSurf]

I think they already have,

Late last year, market research firm MetaFacts dealt Apple's image a body blow when it claimed that almost half (46%) of Apple's customer base were age 55 and older, nearly double the share of average home PC users (25.2%).

Apple And Microsoft Users Differ On Age And Bias - - - Informationweek

 

[9to5cynic]

So word on the street is that Apple has a new iphone coming out in the near future, do you guys think that'll have any impact on apples cool/not cool image? I'm guessing it'll bump sales, but I don't know if that means they are cool. ?

 

[kevincott]

The iPhone 5 has been announced and tech-heads already know the amount of 'innovation' added - 0.

I have come to believe that sheeple really are affected by Apple's advertising and will continue to drink the kool aid.

If you haven't seen the Jimmy Kimmel video take a look. I know that the video does not represent the total Apple fanboi population but I bet around 75% is a solid guess.

Watch along as iPhone fans mistake the iPhone 4S for the iPhone 5 [IRONY/VIDEO]

 

[Bob Maxey]

I have come to believe that sheeple really are affected by Apple's advertising and will continue to drink the kool aid.

http://phandroid.com/2012/09/13/wat...ke-the-iphone-4s-for-the-iphone-5-ironyvideo/

But people purchase Android because of advertising. Did that thought not occur to you? Advertising is largely why we ALL purchase ALL the stuff we ALL purchase.

We are not sheeple and I prefer Two If By Tea over Kool aid.

Most of us purchase Apple products because we want top quality. And because Apple sells tens of millions of iPhones, clearly, there are tens of millions of sheeple.

And please do not take that comment to mean I think Android is not a quality product.

I bought an iPad because there was simply no other choice. And from looking at the current crop of Android tablets, my opinion has not changed. Apple iPads are great tablets, period.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Watch along as iPhone fans mistake the iPhone 4S for the iPhone 5 [IRONY/VIDEO]

Very easy to do, I am afraid.

Most Android users likely cannot tell either. And many dedicated iPhone users might not be able to tell. Not sure every Apple store employee would be able to tell. They seem to not know much these days.

I cant tell them apart at first glance, either. And I am super duper uber crazy smart. Not sure I can tell an iPhone 4 from the previous version. I can likely tell the iPhone 5 from the 4/4s if they are sitting side by side and my brother cant. but he has a family, a difficult job and an actual life, so he cares not one darn bit.

Line up fifty smartphones and most people cannot tell you who made what. I know I cannot and I am super duper uber crazy smart.

Perhaps the most important question is this: who cares what some users can ID or not ID?

 

[Gmash]

Very easy to do, I am afraid.

Most Android users likely cannot tell either. And many dedicated iPhone users might not be able to tell. Not sure every Apple store employee would be able to tell. They seem to not know much these days.

I cant tell them apart at first glance, either. And I am super duper uber crazy smart. Not sure I can tell an iPhone 4 from the previous version. I can likely tell the iPhone 5 from the 4/4s if they are sitting side by side and my brother cant. but he has a family, a difficult job and an actual life, so he cares not one darn bit.

Line up fifty smartphones and most people cannot tell you who made what. I know I cannot and I am super duper uber crazy smart.

Perhaps the most important question is this: who cares what some users can ID or not ID?

Because it's funny.

 

[pancho32392]

Apple will never loose I believe the company would still be the best no not the best the GREATEST COMPANY IT'S A LEGEND ALREADY there's a A LOT reason why apple released the first iPhone back in 2007 I have an android its a HTC evo v 4g from virgin but I love apple soo much because that company is very different from all the other company to be honest I hate people that just talk alot smack to apple come on guys just put it simple iPhone is the revolution and innovated phone out there basically Google got alot ideas from them not gonna lie they do copy a lot that's why Steve jobs wants to put them down I hope it will

#RIP STEVE JOBS THE APPLE IS NOW ON THE HANDS OF TIM COOK AND YOUR TEAM

 

[ari-free]

Perhaps the most important question is this: who cares what some users can ID or not ID?

 

[kevincott]

But people purchase Android because of advertising. Did that thought not occur to you? Advertising is largely why we ALL purchase ALL the stuff we ALL purchase.

I did not purchase my first smart phone (Android) due to advertising, I bought it because it seemed the best value over Windows/Apple/Blackberry. Since then I have learned about smart phones and will continue to use Android or equivilent phones.

TBH Apple never stood a chance with me as they charge WAY too much. Apple products are like buying motorcycle parts, think of a reasonable price then tripple it and thats what you'll pay.