

  (Source: The Guardian)
But will it be enough to push sales?










Source: Bloomberg

Comments     Threshold


I don't understand MS
By BRB29 on 6/3/13, Rating: 0
RE: I don't understand MS
By Motoman on 6/3/2013 11:15:28 AM , Rating: 3
"High end" tablets wind up costing more than laptops because they try to squeeze in laptop-level power into a form factor with 1/2 the space...or less.

The problem with MS is they think they can compete with Apple on product. This is the mistake many vendors make...they think that consumers are buying Apple products at incredible margins because of the Apple product itself.

They're not. Apple consumers don't buy iThings based on the characteristics of those things. They buy them because they're Apple. Apple consumers have never been concerned about quality, specs, fitness-for-purpose, and certainly not price...they're concerned about tithing to their church, and that's all.

No one competes with Apple. Either you're an Apple consumer, or you're not. Other manufacturers need to stop worrying about Apple and just engage the market on their own terms. The only company that can do anything about Apple is Apple. Either the people will one day realize that emperor is wearing no clothes and move on, or they won't. Nothing that you can do about it.

RE: I don't understand MS
By BRB29 on 6/3/2013 12:26:47 PM , Rating: 2
The reason why Apple came back strong is because of their attention to quality and overall package. It started with the Ipod which brought people's attention to mp3 players. At that time, apple fanboys were almost nonexistent. You can't claim Apple's loyal customers are unreasonable and will buy anything when they barely had any.

Laptops used to look like crap too. It is extremely hard to attract people to drop Windows when their OSX did not have everything people need. It was their overall package that made it appealing especially for the price given.

I understand there's a lot of apple fanboys now, but the majority of apple consumers buy it because they trust the reputation of "high quality, great customer service and it just works". Some of that may not be true anymore, but their reputation is mostly still in tact.

So saying either you're an apple consumer or you're not is inaccurate. I have OSX, IOS, Windows 7/8, Android at my house. Most people I know don't go full Apple. Most iphone users I know switched to iphone for 2 main reasons: Less crashes and longer battery life. A few wanted a smaller phone that is not crap since 4" android alternatives are cheaply made and low quality.

RE: I don't understand MS
By Cheesew1z69 on 6/3/2013 12:40:18 PM , Rating: 4
At that time, apple fanboys were almost nonexistent.
Yet again, something you know nothing about. Go figure.

RE: I don't understand MS
By Motoman on 6/3/2013 12:42:29 PM , Rating: 3
The reason why Apple came back strong is because of their propaganda that created a new social construct around their products.


Sorry BRB...not going to agree with you at all on any assertions that Apple's resurgence that came with the iPod had anything to do with product quality or anything else. They marketed themselves into a religion, and that's what drove their success. Apple products are legendary for poor quality and design, let alone ridiculously high prices. At least, amongst normal people. Apple consumers are happy to ignore the long history of awful product designs and quality.

The Apple of old became the Apple of new due to genius propaganda and a gullible populace eager to purchase things that would make them cool.

RE: I don't understand MS
By BRB29 on 6/3/2013 2:15:14 PM , Rating: 2
Apple didn't have money back then. They couldn't market themselves like they can after the initial success. Ipod was the first product to create a whole package so that users dont have to figure out anything. No learning curve or instructions are needed. I had a Nomad that was technically superior in every way except "ease of use", continuing support and ecosystem was not there. Sure, it easy for me but I can see most people wouldn't want to deal with it.

Itunes was also the first ecosystem that a company is willing to fully support. The product itself is not impressive but the overall package is.

They used the same philosophy in every other product they launched.

That was a quick search. I am just basing my thesis on my own observations and knowledge of business.

I don't know how you can say that Apple does not have quality. The quality is there. They have a better track record than most companies. Their customer service is pretty good every time I had to deal with them.

Like I said before, they've fallen lately with quality and support. Given that competitors have caught up, they are using their reputation and marketing more than actual quality in products. Their high prices are harder to justify now.

RE: I don't understand MS
By Motoman on 6/3/2013 2:33:11 PM , Rating: 4
Apple's track record on quality and design is horrible. It's amazing how people love to forget the vast numbers of awful product defects and poor engineering that go into Apple products.

The general cycle at Apple is this:

1. Introduce product as "OMFG teh best evar + MAGIC"
2. People point out design and/or quality flaws
3. Apple ignores them.
4. Apple blames the user.
5. Apple issues a fix or workaround of some kind, never having admitted anything was wrong in the first place.

Rinse and repeat. iPads that don't work outside, iPhones that blow up, all manners of screen issues, yellowing cases, iPhones that can't make phone calls, so on and so forth. Not to mention the fact that iThings sell like people's lives depend on them even when missing blindingly-obvious functionality, like no copy & paste on an iPhone or the ability to swap a battery.

The internet is awash in information about how horribly bad Apple engineering, product design, and quality is. It's also awash in people who love to forget that information, or pretend it doesn't exist.

RE: I don't understand MS
By BRB29 on 6/3/2013 3:33:52 PM , Rating: 2
All the problems you listed are real and they were eventually fixed. Blaming the users does leave a sour taste in some people.

You're right on the marketing part. They HAD a very a good marketing team. But to be fair, they did not have that at first. Now I feel like Apple is half surviving on its reputation and marketing.

The simplicity of their products and missing features is their design choice. It's also the choice of consumers to not purchase it.

Nobody forgot about Apple's blunders, there's just so many others every week with other companies. Since there are as many haters as fanboys for apple, anything bad will be blown up also. Just like anything good will be disproportionally exaggerated.

RE: I don't understand MS
By EnzoFX on 6/3/2013 2:15:26 PM , Rating: 2
How ignorant. It's just as bad as being on the opposite side shouting Apple Rules! You are no better by spewing ignorance. To say Apple's products has no merits whatsoever...

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Only Mactards try to pretend any different.

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RE: I don't understand MS
By timothyd97402 on 6/3/2013 6:30:58 PM , Rating: 2
BULL! I work on a lot of computers, laptops, even tablets. I sell them too. Nearly 100% Windows & Android passing through my business.

I own an iPhone 4s. It is quite simply the highest quality piece of gear that I own. The Android devices (mostly) don't compare on build quality. Don't even get me started on the plastic pieces of crap that are the vast majority of Windows laptops.

RE: I don't understand MS


RE: I don't understand MS
By Argon18 on 6/3/2013 3:51:49 PM , Rating: 1
I don't think you understand the Apple market too well. Its nothing to do with "tithing to their church". Making such a claim takes all credibility out of your argument.

Apple invests a metric buttload of cash into user interface R&D. Plus they design both the software, and the hardware, from the ground up, so they're very tightly integrated. The end result is a super polished feeling product.

Buy a Microsoft PC, and the OS came from one vendor, and the hardware from another. Plus a bunch of 3rd parties have their hand in the pot, in the form of bloatware. The hardware is usually bottom dollar cheap stuff too. It's often times clunky to use, non-intuitive, and unreliable.

You've got to examine the whole package here, hardware + OS + value added software. You can't just look at the OS and proclaim "Windows > OSX" because that's only one piece of the puzzle - a piece that most non-techie consumers don't give two craps about.

RE: I don't understand MS
By BRB29 on 6/3/2013 3:59:52 PM , Rating: 2
Not so much the hardware anymore though. Although they designed their software specifically for the hardware instead of a wide range of compatibility.

so much attention on RT...
By xti on 6/3/2013 10:50:38 AM , Rating: 2
...when they could be pushing PRO tablets to be cheaper, most in the limelight, etc...

x86-compatible iPad killer is something i cant see failing...yet they are trying hard to prove me wrong...

RE: so much attention on RT...

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RE: so much attention on RT...
Here's why it would fail: it doesn't exist.




How about $100?

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RE: How about $100?



RE: How about $100?


