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Would Samsung get rid of the A series in the future and no longer have a budget or mid-range lineup?
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
More likely they'll just change letters again. First it was J, then E, then A. It gets so confusing. I wish they'd just go back to names like Captivate, Relay, Note, Ace, etc.
The problem they got today is there are so many confusing letter/number combos and no way to know what is what.
Worse yet, there are like three or four tiers within the A-series, including some that get quite close to flagships on price and specs.
It's as bad as cars at this point. I can tell easily the difference between a Ranger and a Century, but how about an A6 or XT6 or SL2? Why? Is intentionally confusing potential customers a new trend or something?
The problem they got today is there are so many confusing letter/number combos and no way to know what is what.
Worse yet, there are like three or four tiers within the A-series, including some that get quite close to flagships on price and specs.
It's as bad as cars at this point. I can tell easily the difference between a Ranger and a Century, but how about an A6 or XT6 or SL2? Why? Is intentionally confusing potential customers a new trend or something?
they will always have low and mid range phones. the "a" series might go away, but who knows if or when that will happen. i would not worry about it. if you get an "a" series phone, samsung will still support it.
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Maybe because they're trying to standardise across multiple markets and countries? Names like Captivate, Relay, Note, Ace, etc, may not mean much in places like China or South Korea(Samsung's home country), where English isn't the main language.
VW still uses names for their cars...
In Europe this is a Passat.
In China this is a Santana.
Also it's a Carat, a Corsar, and a Quantum, depending on where you are in the world. Confusing or what?
Even the main marques can be confusing. in the UK I would drive a Vauxhall Corsa, in China I would drive a Chevrolet Corsa, in Germany I would drive an Opel Corsa.
Chinese car manufactures often just use numbers for naming their cars in the domestic market, e.g. Roewe 550.
BTW do you know what an XKE is, or a 409?
Obviously just using arbitrary letters and/or numbers for naming vehicles is not exactly a new trend.
And that's something a carmaker like Jaguar have nearly always done, ever since their founding.
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If they don't have a budget or mid range phone they lose part of the market and no phone maker wants that.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
This whole time I thought that Beach Boys song was about the cleaner Formula 409--probably because the commercial used the sample of that song for years.
I'm still dreaming of owning a Chrysler Cordoba in pristine condition, the old B-Body from the '70s. It would complete my vintage home. Plus the ride quality of modern cars leaves much to be desired.
I'm still dreaming of owning a Chrysler Cordoba in pristine condition, the old B-Body from the '70s. It would complete my vintage home. Plus the ride quality of modern cars leaves much to be desired.
I originally thought "409" was the surfboard the Beach Boys were modelling on the record cover.
I can understand manufacturers wanting to standardise their naming and designations globally, e.g. Samsung Galaxy S22, it's known as that everywhere, but other the other hand something like Motorola Droid, probably hardly anyone who's outside of the US and isn't familiar with Verizon hasn't heard of it. Other carriers, markets, and countries the same Motorola phones had different names and destinations.
I can understand manufacturers wanting to standardise their naming and designations globally, e.g. Samsung Galaxy S22, it's known as that everywhere, but other the other hand something like Motorola Droid, probably hardly anyone who's outside of the US and isn't familiar with Verizon hasn't heard of it. Other carriers, markets, and countries the same Motorola phones had different names and destinations.
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nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
I still say numbers/letters are even more confusing. How do you tell the flagship from the upper mid to the lower mid to the bottom of the barrel? Also names made the phones feel more special to me in a way. I never liked cars having letters/numbers. in the '80s any car with letters/numbers was a foreign pile of garbage that failed shortly after the warranty ran out. Like a many old Fiats and Bricklins.
The name "Ford Ranger" just rolls off the tongue better than "Subaru XT6". Also that Subaru (pretty much ALL Subarus) was a pile of crap.
Just because the rest of the world has zero imagination doesn't mean we should all live all homogenized.
The name "Ford Ranger" just rolls off the tongue better than "Subaru XT6". Also that Subaru (pretty much ALL Subarus) was a pile of crap.
Just because the rest of the world has zero imagination doesn't mean we should all live all homogenized.
Samsung's approach has always been to have devices in every market segment out there. They've never played the game of concentrating on just a single high-margin segment, and there's absolutely no reason to think they would change.
In short, I don't know where this idea came from, but it seems incredibly unlikely.
In short, I don't know where this idea came from, but it seems incredibly unlikely.
Mind you it is also confusing when they use the same name in different countries for very different cars (e.g. in the late 2000s Ford used the name "Focus" on both sides of the Atlantic but as I discovered when hiring one on a visit the US model was quite different from the European one).
I do think that numbered series are easier. Once you know that the Galaxy s is the premium series, A is midrange, E is entry, then the number just tells you how new it is. How you would know whether a Hero is above or below a Desire or a Sensation is anyone's guess. It may lack flaire, but many of the distinct model names were pretty naff anyway and none of them meant anything, so it's easy to see why most manufacturers stopped doing that.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Problem is Samsung made too many. What's the difference between an A52 and an A12. The higher number doesn't exactly mean better phone...Doesn't help they all look the same. Does anyone actually like living in 'modern' times? Where everything is the same, and all the colours are bland and all interiors are obsessed with blinding people with 5000K LEDs?
Maybe I'm just too old for this stuff. FYI E doesn't exist anymore. They joined J series phones. That's another problem--they keep changing the schemes. Just go back to what worked in 2011. Samsung made a name for themselves then. Today it's "Chase Apple"
You mentioned there being confusion between a Sensation, Desire and Hero. Here's the irony: HTC was leading the Android game back then. Soon as they started changing how Sense worked (i.e., make it as flat and boring as possible) and used Letter/number designations (M7, M8, U-series, etc) they died off like K-mart.
I want phone differentiation back. Give us features. Expandable storage, actual innovation. Be better than the Galaxy S5 (as in how many features it packed). MORE of an upgrade. Whatever happened to "Be different, not the same" (motto of Android). Why must it be 'look as boring and bland as can be, be more like Apple! make every phone a featureless black slab with no buttons and a screen that defeats pocketability?"
Maybe I'm just too old for this stuff. FYI E doesn't exist anymore. They joined J series phones. That's another problem--they keep changing the schemes. Just go back to what worked in 2011. Samsung made a name for themselves then. Today it's "Chase Apple"
You mentioned there being confusion between a Sensation, Desire and Hero. Here's the irony: HTC was leading the Android game back then. Soon as they started changing how Sense worked (i.e., make it as flat and boring as possible) and used Letter/number designations (M7, M8, U-series, etc) they died off like K-mart.
I want phone differentiation back. Give us features. Expandable storage, actual innovation. Be better than the Galaxy S5 (as in how many features it packed). MORE of an upgrade. Whatever happened to "Be different, not the same" (motto of Android). Why must it be 'look as boring and bland as can be, be more like Apple! make every phone a featureless black slab with no buttons and a screen that defeats pocketability?"
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There's no causal link there. HTC sales were already falling before then (indeed the Sensation was, I think rightly, seen as a major misstep which the early One models corrected). HTC were Android pioneers, but much were up against much bigger competitors: Samsung in particular decided that they wanted to own that sector and for several years spent more on marketing their phones than HTC's entire turnover. They made some bad decisions (not IMO the things you cite, but losing their way in hardware design after the M7/M8), but their big problem was that they were simply, massively outspent by some very aggressive competitors.
You know I've no time for oversized phones. But uniformity is inevitable in a mature product, especially when most of the market is low margin. Manufacturers stopped making the funkier form-factors because they were losing money making them, and it didn't matter how loudly a few dozen people said they wanted a sliding keyboard or whatever when too few people bought them for it to be worthwhile.
But let's be constructive: what innovation would you like to see?
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nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Anything at this point. A smartphone that packs more features than the Samsung Galaxy S5 did. There's not one phone out there that has as many features (and no compromises) as it did. They had IP67 rating without losing the removable battery for one.
A phone that is basically my Dell Latitude D6500. Packed with features, a thoroughly customizable UI that caters to more than one preference (instead of catering to folks over at Google). I'm sick of flat UI for one. It's been here for over a decade. It's time for something that doesn't remind me of my days of CP/M, Windows 1.x and Tandy DeskMate. I didn't miss flat UI then, and hate the thought of revisiting it today.
I want tech to move forward. We would be likely seeing holographic tech if we didn't decide to revisit the 1980s graphic design era. We have these screens capable of doing far more, why make them just display white with black text and basic shapes? Isn't that like buying an 8K TV and only playing black and white movies in 4:3 on it?
I'm just sick of this homogenization. When I am at home, using what we had in 2010, it was an amazing time. Tech that catered to every person, every preference. UI that was infinitely customizable. Beyond icon packs, beyond launchers. Tech that could actually be upgraded (why is soldered on RAM, sealed computers a thing?!) and that made it more eco-friendly. I find it ironic how OEM's claim to be all about the planet then make phones that are disposable and expect people to just toss it and buy a new one in 2 years when the sealed battery dies.
I want Android to be the Android it was. When it was 'be different not the same'. Stop using Apple as a barometer for crying out loud. We have had nothing but feature removals and boring tech since 2015. We can't stagnate forever!
We need competition back. We now literally hav two mobile OSs out there. With less competition, means less innovation.
Isn't the point of an 'upgrade' that it's supposed to be better than what we had before? So far all I'm seeing are downgrades. Why bother if I have less features than I had? What's the point? I mean, I got two laptops. One's a 2013 4-core with 8GB RAM running Windows 10 (themed, because I hate the default UI) and the other's my D6500. Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 5400rpm HDD. Why is the latter FASTER than the former? It should be slower since it's much older and the specs aren't as good. But it's actually faster. The newer device is also functionally a downgrade. Soldered on RAM, a reflective LCD display, worse keyboard (stupid butterfly crap) and overall cheaper feeling (lower quality plastic)
A phone that is basically my Dell Latitude D6500. Packed with features, a thoroughly customizable UI that caters to more than one preference (instead of catering to folks over at Google). I'm sick of flat UI for one. It's been here for over a decade. It's time for something that doesn't remind me of my days of CP/M, Windows 1.x and Tandy DeskMate. I didn't miss flat UI then, and hate the thought of revisiting it today.
I want tech to move forward. We would be likely seeing holographic tech if we didn't decide to revisit the 1980s graphic design era. We have these screens capable of doing far more, why make them just display white with black text and basic shapes? Isn't that like buying an 8K TV and only playing black and white movies in 4:3 on it?
I'm just sick of this homogenization. When I am at home, using what we had in 2010, it was an amazing time. Tech that catered to every person, every preference. UI that was infinitely customizable. Beyond icon packs, beyond launchers. Tech that could actually be upgraded (why is soldered on RAM, sealed computers a thing?!) and that made it more eco-friendly. I find it ironic how OEM's claim to be all about the planet then make phones that are disposable and expect people to just toss it and buy a new one in 2 years when the sealed battery dies.
I want Android to be the Android it was. When it was 'be different not the same'. Stop using Apple as a barometer for crying out loud. We have had nothing but feature removals and boring tech since 2015. We can't stagnate forever!
We need competition back. We now literally hav two mobile OSs out there. With less competition, means less innovation.
Isn't the point of an 'upgrade' that it's supposed to be better than what we had before? So far all I'm seeing are downgrades. Why bother if I have less features than I had? What's the point? I mean, I got two laptops. One's a 2013 4-core with 8GB RAM running Windows 10 (themed, because I hate the default UI) and the other's my D6500. Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 5400rpm HDD. Why is the latter FASTER than the former? It should be slower since it's much older and the specs aren't as good. But it's actually faster. The newer device is also functionally a downgrade. Soldered on RAM, a reflective LCD display, worse keyboard (stupid butterfly crap) and overall cheaper feeling (lower quality plastic)
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"More features than an s5" depends on what you count as a feature, and how you count features usually depends on how much value you attach to each. My s21 is dual SIM, European s5's weren't: this means nothing to me (Oh, Vienna 
), but to some people that's a big feature. Some people really value the multiple cameras that most phones have these days and so would count that as an important feature, some would dismiss that. Many counted larger battery capacity as a feature worth giving up the removable back for. That's why I was interested in what specific extra features, and especially new features, you'd want to see, because just saying "more" is open to debate about what we count as a feature.
Holographic displays, nope, sorry, the style of graphics is not the reason we don't have those, there are many technical reasons. After all, you don't have a holographic TV yet, and that's a far simpler thing to do. And frankly I personally doubt we ever will have phones with such things: for a portable device a pair of AR glasses is a far, far simpler and more flexible way of putting a 3D object in someone's field of vision (as well as more private). They had a major false start with Google Glass, but I do suspect that we are more likely to see practical AR specs this decade than we are to see major innovation in phones.
As for why soldered on RAM is a thing, apart from economics and portability there's also speed and reliability. The faster you clock your circuit board the harder you have to work to maintain signal integrity, and sockets at some point become limiting factors. Soldered RAM uses less space, and can be placed better (shorter signal paths, good for several reasons). Often the reasons for choices are purely economic, but sometimes there are technical factors too.
Ironically one company I can think of who have done what you ask are Apple: the current model Macbook Pros have ditched butterfly keyboards, brought back the SD slot and HDMI port, and brought back the dedicated (magnetic) charging port - and yes, they are thicker than their predecessors as a result of all of this! Of course they aren't ever going to go back to RAM sockets, but they have brought back things that there was a demand for (and got rid of things that people didn't like or never took off, such as their "touch bar").
), but to some people that's a big feature. Some people really value the multiple cameras that most phones have these days and so would count that as an important feature, some would dismiss that. Many counted larger battery capacity as a feature worth giving up the removable back for. That's why I was interested in what specific extra features, and especially new features, you'd want to see, because just saying "more" is open to debate about what we count as a feature. Holographic displays, nope, sorry, the style of graphics is not the reason we don't have those, there are many technical reasons. After all, you don't have a holographic TV yet, and that's a far simpler thing to do. And frankly I personally doubt we ever will have phones with such things: for a portable device a pair of AR glasses is a far, far simpler and more flexible way of putting a 3D object in someone's field of vision (as well as more private). They had a major false start with Google Glass, but I do suspect that we are more likely to see practical AR specs this decade than we are to see major innovation in phones.
As for why soldered on RAM is a thing, apart from economics and portability there's also speed and reliability. The faster you clock your circuit board the harder you have to work to maintain signal integrity, and sockets at some point become limiting factors. Soldered RAM uses less space, and can be placed better (shorter signal paths, good for several reasons). Often the reasons for choices are purely economic, but sometimes there are technical factors too.
Ironically one company I can think of who have done what you ask are Apple: the current model Macbook Pros have ditched butterfly keyboards, brought back the SD slot and HDMI port, and brought back the dedicated (magnetic) charging port - and yes, they are thicker than their predecessors as a result of all of this! Of course they aren't ever going to go back to RAM sockets, but they have brought back things that there was a demand for (and got rid of things that people didn't like or never took off, such as their "touch bar").
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Oh frell Apple with their anti-privacy (CSAM scanning), anti-right to repair mantra. Their laptops have two USB-C ports (which are of zero use to me) and nothing else. No SuperDrive, no HDMI out, nothing. Sealed battery, overheating issues (why make a computer so thin then make it out of freaking metal?!) and fan mounted right near the screen where it can't ventilate properly (and causes the unibody glue to part way)
Apple are the LAST company I want to support. They started this whole 'the corporation tells the customer what they want and they take it up the ass' vs the previous, free market 'company responds to consumer demand' lifestyle that preceded it. If anything Apple is why Android is where it is today, all locked down and crap.
No thanks. If not for folks following Apple after iOS 7, then 'flat UI design' would just be another Microsoft blunder (Windows 8 started the whole flat thing) and largely forgotten. If anything I want companies to be far less than Apple, and more like the Dell of 2010. Feature packed modular, replaceable, upgradeable and NOT DISPOSABLE.
The planet cannot take more e-waste. All modern tech is meant to be is disposed of when upgrade time comes. I if anything want tech to have longevity again. But I still want function over form. I don't need a paper-thin phone or a thin laptop. I want bricks for crying out loud. Let people who like thin and flat have it, but offer CHOICE. Let the market decide. The market didn't demand oversized screens, flat UI or lacking features, that was the company who decided it and folks just upgraded to what was available. By no means did the market decide anything. They merely tolerated it. If their current phone couldn't update enough to keep supporting a mission-critical app they used, they had to upgrade and if all that was available were limited models they'd have to choose from one just to keep using such an app or apps. The market literally had ZERO say in the direction phones went. Before someone responds with 'but LG tried and no one bought so that proves no one cares' no, LG killed themselves after the G4 and all the reliability issues they had since. Their phones literally boot looped. It wasn't the fact they experimented, their phones just self-destructed from crap build quality.
Oh and Apple never got rid of those butterfly switches. They 'fixed' them and all their laptops have that same chiclet style keyboard and SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. There hasn't been a laptop made with fully-mechanical switches since the 2009 Dell I'm using.
Apple had ZERO demand from consumers about screens over 3.5" or iOS 7 or anything. That was a decision by Apple. Not from the consumers clamoring for it. The consumers were still lining up for the iPhone 4 and Apple wern't losing any sales over it. Apple is the last company who cares about what the customer wants. In fact they built their whole reputation on telling the customer what they want and if anyone complained, they just said "go pound sand old man". In fact that was one of many reasons why I left Apple. I don't want to give any company like that my money. I'm only going to support companies who cater to me, and I ain't here to satisfy their shareholders. Their shareholders ain't their customers. Who the hell cares what a shareholder wants when no one buys?!
In the '60s if a company acted like that, as in not caring about what the customer wanted and acted all arrogant like that, they'd be bankrupt in short order. People today seem far too complacent today and only feed the monsters these companies became. That's why we have no choices anymore and live in this homogenized landscape of white and bright and flat. No one wants to do anything anymore. COVID only made that worse.
If only I could time travel back to 2010. Fully.
Apple are the LAST company I want to support. They started this whole 'the corporation tells the customer what they want and they take it up the ass' vs the previous, free market 'company responds to consumer demand' lifestyle that preceded it. If anything Apple is why Android is where it is today, all locked down and crap.
No thanks. If not for folks following Apple after iOS 7, then 'flat UI design' would just be another Microsoft blunder (Windows 8 started the whole flat thing) and largely forgotten. If anything I want companies to be far less than Apple, and more like the Dell of 2010. Feature packed modular, replaceable, upgradeable and NOT DISPOSABLE.
The planet cannot take more e-waste. All modern tech is meant to be is disposed of when upgrade time comes. I if anything want tech to have longevity again. But I still want function over form. I don't need a paper-thin phone or a thin laptop. I want bricks for crying out loud. Let people who like thin and flat have it, but offer CHOICE. Let the market decide. The market didn't demand oversized screens, flat UI or lacking features, that was the company who decided it and folks just upgraded to what was available. By no means did the market decide anything. They merely tolerated it. If their current phone couldn't update enough to keep supporting a mission-critical app they used, they had to upgrade and if all that was available were limited models they'd have to choose from one just to keep using such an app or apps. The market literally had ZERO say in the direction phones went. Before someone responds with 'but LG tried and no one bought so that proves no one cares' no, LG killed themselves after the G4 and all the reliability issues they had since. Their phones literally boot looped. It wasn't the fact they experimented, their phones just self-destructed from crap build quality.
Oh and Apple never got rid of those butterfly switches. They 'fixed' them and all their laptops have that same chiclet style keyboard and SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. There hasn't been a laptop made with fully-mechanical switches since the 2009 Dell I'm using.
Apple had ZERO demand from consumers about screens over 3.5" or iOS 7 or anything. That was a decision by Apple. Not from the consumers clamoring for it. The consumers were still lining up for the iPhone 4 and Apple wern't losing any sales over it. Apple is the last company who cares about what the customer wants. In fact they built their whole reputation on telling the customer what they want and if anyone complained, they just said "go pound sand old man". In fact that was one of many reasons why I left Apple. I don't want to give any company like that my money. I'm only going to support companies who cater to me, and I ain't here to satisfy their shareholders. Their shareholders ain't their customers. Who the hell cares what a shareholder wants when no one buys?!
In the '60s if a company acted like that, as in not caring about what the customer wanted and acted all arrogant like that, they'd be bankrupt in short order. People today seem far too complacent today and only feed the monsters these companies became. That's why we have no choices anymore and live in this homogenized landscape of white and bright and flat. No one wants to do anything anymore. COVID only made that worse.
If only I could time travel back to 2010. Fully.
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I'm sure the current M1 processor Macbooks don't actually have fans in them now. No need, mainly because ARM RISC processors run cooler and are less power hungry than their Intel or AMD x86 CISC processor counterparts. Microsoft tried to switch from x86 to ARM, but Windows RT was a failure.
As for no SuperDrive, many if not all current PC laptops don't have CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drives in them either, except for larger heavy machines possibly. Software hasn't been supplied on optical media for quite a few years now. For the few occasions I want to rip an audio CD to FLAC, I use an external USB CD/DVD drive, in fact I've got several of the things that have been passed on to me.
Macbook batteries can be replaced by the user, you just need the correct screwdriver.
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I'm not going to defend their resistance to right to repair, or many other aspects of their behaviour - though I think that in these respects they are absolutely typical of commercial corporations, not especially good or bad. But come on, this started when I pointed out that they have reintroduced HDMI out and SD slots and you respond by saying "they have 2 USB-C and nothing else"? Really? There are a number of things you say that do not match my experience (and I know hundreds of people who use those devices, so have a fairly solid evidence base to draw on), but I don't want to argue over that, I can't let that one pass
. I also think that companies have always sought to shape demand to suit them (and indeed control it when they can) rather than simply serve demands that are out there. That is the logical result of their purpose being to maximise returns, and antitrust laws exist for a reason. But I think that the current homogenous state of the phone industry is actually nothing more or less than the result of "free market" capitalism in operation: When smartphones were new nobody knew what would be the most popular design. They started off small, but then regular phones were even smaller back then, and they did gradually try larger devices (and found that they often sold well). There was a lot of experimentation back then, but as the market was rapidly growing you could do that and still have the rising profits that stock markets demand. But inevitably the market saturated, at which point it becomes a game of maximizing returns on sales that are no longer growing. And it got tight enough that it wasn't just small companies like HTC who were forced out but also giants like LG. So how do you maintain or grow profits in a saturated market? One way is by focusing on what's most profitable. So as larger phones were the most popular size (though not the overwhelming preference), and could be sold at a better margin too, it made sense for many of them to put their resources into that segment and drop the less profitable lines. For you or I, who don't like large phones, this is taking choice away. But this is perfectly logical in a capitalist market: the companies exist to maximize returns, and ignoring our preferences makes more money than catering for them, so that's what they do. It's a similar story in other aspects, e.g. sealed devices were easier to make and sold better, so almost everyone stopped making devices with user-replaceable batteries. Yes, there are people who want them, but not enough of them who are willing to pay enough of a premium for it to be worth the costs of designing/manufacturing/distributing/marketing those devices (and it's an even smaller number who will simply never buy another phone without this, so the loss from ignoring them is even less). So it's not an aberration, and it's not the doing of any individual company or any conspiracy, this is simply the working of the market.
The Airs don't. The Pros do have fans, but it's very difficult to push them hard enough to make the fans turn on.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Yeah like I want one of their proprietary M1 machines that limit my choices of software even more than their eliminating 32-bit support. No thanks.
I insist my laptops all have DVD/CD drives. Why? because I still enjoy games that predate Steam and DRM and forced updates. You can still buy Half Life 2 and Portal for a couple of dollars on a DVD. With a 'modern' machine you're stuck with Steam, and their forced updates. Not to mention prices. Apple already had lost me with losing 32-bit backward compatibility when I couldn't play those games so I said nope and went back to the Dells I use today. I can't even name one benefit that would improve my life by only having 64-bit only or worse, their M1 garbage. In fact, I feel they gave up too early on PowerPC. That had potential. There's plenty over at MacRumors on their PowerPC forum that proves the systems from that time can still keep up today. There's still software being developed by independents for the platform. Apple shot themselves in the foot over that one.
I still see USB-C as a stupid idea and a solution in search of a problem. Just change for change's sake. More e-waste as more micro-usb cables get disposed of along with any older tech (that I can't rescue)
We already had more choices in 2012. We had the Galaxy Note for those who wanted phablets. We had the S line for those who preferred a bit more balance, then the Mini for those who wanted small. That's just Samsung. Back then you had more people catered to rather than less. I don't know if everything I was taught about economics was a lie, or if something changed but it seems everything is a corporation now and cares nothing for the customer or quality of product. Back in the day, a company's entire existence depended on quality and satisfaction. Not making junk. That's how names like Sears and Montgomery Ward became household names. Why limit and gamble on satisfying less people than more? That's a risk I'd never want to take if I ran a company. Of course, if I ran a company I'd care what the customers wanted. Not what some random shareholder group wants. What's the point in satisfying shareholders when you have no customers in the long run? As for antitrust issues, why isn't Apple in the middle of one now? They're doing the exact same thing Microsoft did when they got into a massive anti-trust lawsuit back in the 90s.
Imagine the dream tech we'd have if the rapid growth never stopped...It's like something happened when Windows 8 (and later iOS 7) released that made everyone tolerate boring to the point we are stuck in this rut of boring bland tech (which also spread to decor, architecture, and even logos) for who knows how long. Forever? Will we ever get the progress back? I just can't imagine anyone actually being happy using the boring tech of today.
I insist my laptops all have DVD/CD drives. Why? because I still enjoy games that predate Steam and DRM and forced updates. You can still buy Half Life 2 and Portal for a couple of dollars on a DVD. With a 'modern' machine you're stuck with Steam, and their forced updates. Not to mention prices. Apple already had lost me with losing 32-bit backward compatibility when I couldn't play those games so I said nope and went back to the Dells I use today. I can't even name one benefit that would improve my life by only having 64-bit only or worse, their M1 garbage. In fact, I feel they gave up too early on PowerPC. That had potential. There's plenty over at MacRumors on their PowerPC forum that proves the systems from that time can still keep up today. There's still software being developed by independents for the platform. Apple shot themselves in the foot over that one.
I still see USB-C as a stupid idea and a solution in search of a problem. Just change for change's sake. More e-waste as more micro-usb cables get disposed of along with any older tech (that I can't rescue)
We already had more choices in 2012. We had the Galaxy Note for those who wanted phablets. We had the S line for those who preferred a bit more balance, then the Mini for those who wanted small. That's just Samsung. Back then you had more people catered to rather than less. I don't know if everything I was taught about economics was a lie, or if something changed but it seems everything is a corporation now and cares nothing for the customer or quality of product. Back in the day, a company's entire existence depended on quality and satisfaction. Not making junk. That's how names like Sears and Montgomery Ward became household names. Why limit and gamble on satisfying less people than more? That's a risk I'd never want to take if I ran a company. Of course, if I ran a company I'd care what the customers wanted. Not what some random shareholder group wants. What's the point in satisfying shareholders when you have no customers in the long run? As for antitrust issues, why isn't Apple in the middle of one now? They're doing the exact same thing Microsoft did when they got into a massive anti-trust lawsuit back in the 90s.
Imagine the dream tech we'd have if the rapid growth never stopped...It's like something happened when Windows 8 (and later iOS 7) released that made everyone tolerate boring to the point we are stuck in this rut of boring bland tech (which also spread to decor, architecture, and even logos) for who knows how long. Forever? Will we ever get the progress back? I just can't imagine anyone actually being happy using the boring tech of today.
Still OT:
Well I'm not into retro gaming, except for MAME occasionally to play 8-bit Galaxian or Donkey Kong ROMs or something, and I don't use any legacy software that's 32bit.
There's peeps still developing software and games for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, TRS-80, BBC Computer, PC-XT with MS-DOS, Motorola 68k processor Macs, and even for the Sinclair ZX81. LOL!
BTW didn't Apple switch to Intel x86 from PowerPC, because they ran too hot, and IBM couldn't make them run cooler? And also so users could run Windows on Apple computers if they wanted.
Well I'm not into retro gaming, except for MAME occasionally to play 8-bit Galaxian or Donkey Kong ROMs or something, and I don't use any legacy software that's 32bit.
There's peeps still developing software and games for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, TRS-80, BBC Computer, PC-XT with MS-DOS, Motorola 68k processor Macs, and even for the Sinclair ZX81. LOL!
BTW didn't Apple switch to Intel x86 from PowerPC, because they ran too hot, and IBM couldn't make them run cooler? And also so users could run Windows on Apple computers if they wanted.
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Let's face it, companies are not going to cater to everyone's wants, including older tech.
You can't keep living in the past because sooner or later you'll need a replacement.
I agree that tech has taken a different option.
It's all about the money in the long run.
You can't keep living in the past because sooner or later you'll need a replacement.
I agree that tech has taken a different option.
It's all about the money in the long run.
nickdalzell
Extreme Android User
Their A series is just a lag time for feature creep (or in this case, removal). For example, we got headphone jacks and expandable storage in A-series for now, but give it a few years they'll be where the S22+ are today. It just takes longer. Plus they're still too darned big. I don't want as 6.5" screen that barely fits my hands (or gesture controls that are horrid for those who've had early onset arthritis since their 20's like me...for the love of deer, please stop getting rid of buttons)
Believe me, if something worth upgrading to existed I'd be all for it. I'm not that closed minded. I just ain't seeing any real upgrades. As I said, in 2010 we had more companies, more mobile OSs and more people catered to. Today they seem to be chasing an even more narrow margin of users that they see as the 'future' and we older folks just accept it or stop using it. Just get the rapid progress and features back. We've been stuck in this stagnant rut since 2015 for crying out loud.
As for why Apple ditched PowerPC, there are plenty of theories/assumptions but none confirmed. Only Steve Jobs knew the answer and it died with him. If I had to guess, it was the last bit of the Sculley era and Steve wanted to get rid of everything he had a hand in (he took things really personal like)
Believe me, if something worth upgrading to existed I'd be all for it. I'm not that closed minded. I just ain't seeing any real upgrades. As I said, in 2010 we had more companies, more mobile OSs and more people catered to. Today they seem to be chasing an even more narrow margin of users that they see as the 'future' and we older folks just accept it or stop using it. Just get the rapid progress and features back. We've been stuck in this stagnant rut since 2015 for crying out loud.
As for why Apple ditched PowerPC, there are plenty of theories/assumptions but none confirmed. Only Steve Jobs knew the answer and it died with him. If I had to guess, it was the last bit of the Sculley era and Steve wanted to get rid of everything he had a hand in (he took things really personal like)