Where is Apple headed?

[Barbaraok]

You never went and looked at the settings? First thing I did, to see what I wanted to synch and what I didn't. You didn't know about the iCloud or that you got space and how things are handled in the iCloud?

 

Why do you have an iPad since you seem to hate all things Apple? You will be tilting against the windmill with every iOS update as the inter-connectivity is increasing, which means more & more things operating in the background for linking devices through the iCloud.

 

Barb

[Ron]

With todays announcement Cook continues to beef-up what is already the most impressive team of high level design talent that has ever existed within a single company. Expect more great products from Apple in the near future.

http://www.marc-newson.com/AboutBiography.aspx?GroupSelected=2&Category=Biography

[Zulu]

Other providers quickly catch and exceed the Apple stuff. A perfect example is tablets.

 

Though I'm an Apple fan, this is spot on . . . and I'm thinking of Samsung (the company formerly known as Samsuck a few decades ago) which has certainly turned itself around.

 

Originally founded as a fruit and fish company in 1938, Samsung entered electronics manufacturing in 1969 and bet on digital technology over analog. It paid off. In 2002 Samsung's market capitalization surpassed Sony's. In 2005 Samsung's market cap was $75 billion -- twice that of Sony's.

 

The Samsung story and more is part of The Birth of Korean Cool by Euny Hong, a good read, especially for Kpop fans.

[Ron]

Jack Mayer, on 01 Jun 2014 - 10:36 AM, said:

Other providers quickly catch and exceed the Apple stuff. A perfect example is tablets.

Though I'm an Apple fan, this is spot on . . .

 

The point of this tread was to note where Apple is HEADED, leading the industry, and where we can expect all those "followers" to be led. So I partially agree with those who assert that they will soon be able to buy equivalent, or by some subjective measures even better, stuff at lower prices. But it's also my opinion that there is a large and growing market segment that's willing to pay for premium quality products and Apple will be able to serve that market with continued superior profitability. From a business standpoint I think they've proven that their business model is superior to that of their followers by becoming the most valuable (market cap.) company on the planet. This recent article does a pretty good job of explaining the concept.

[Jack Mayer]

Apple is a great company. They have, in the past, been very innovative, and market makers in some segments. I don't expect that to change radically. Other companies are also innovative and produce new products that can or could make new markets. Mostly these are small companies and they tend to be consumed by the Google, Microsoft and Apple's of the world.

 

I think Apple produces decent products. I even own some (iPod, iPad Mini Retina). But I'm pretty particular about which Apple products I'd buy....

 

Their business model is very good. No argument there.

 

In general, their software is average, IMO. Their iOS software is below average. Again IMO, based on use and 30 years in the computer software business. But there is no arguing with their profitability.

 

I don't think their recent problems or issues are anything unusual. All computer companies have similar issues. How they address it will be the interesting thing.

[wa_desert_rat]

I pretty much agree with Jack's points. Apple's business model is certainly successful. But, in my opinion, their major success in "innovation" has been to put together prior art and then patent the result. (Not that they're alone in this, btw.) But Steve Jobs was certainly able to produce products that became part of the culture.

 

That aside, my biggest problem with Apple is that their products are even more "crippled" than the products from others. But I do admit that trying to make these products safe for the "average" user is impossible and Apple is clearly after the average users.

 

But since I'm not an average user, I prefer to have devices that let me do my work without hindrance so I moved to Linux for my computers long ago and Android for tablets and smartphones in 2011.. But even Android makes me go through a lot of extra hassle to gain full control. Even so, I find that my Samsung Note 3 does 99% of what I want with only a judicious selection of "apps" so I've never bothered to "root" this device.

 

As far as the recent issues with iCloud, it simply underscores how little the "average" user knows about the devices he/she is using. I found that even with Samsung there are things that you have to specifically "opt out" of if you don't want them. And, in many cases, they make opting out as difficult as possible. Most people have other things to do than fiddle endlessly with their cell phone (other than texting, obviously) the opt-in model works best for the developers.

 

All these outfits seem intent upon fooling us in order to get our money. It doesn't make you stupid if you overlook one of them.

 

WDR

[Barbaraok]

Got a note in my email this morning from Bank of America touting the Apple Pay system that they will be implementing - - of course you have to have a iPhone 6, so it will be at least a year before I upgrade, but it definitely will be something that will nudge me to upgrade sooner than I usually would.

 

Barb

[Ron]

Is Microsoft headed where RIM/Blackberry has gone? Personally I think so and I agree with the thesis in this article. Read the article and the subsequent back and forth comments to see if you agree. I think it IS where Apple is Headed and it will sustain their growth for many years.

[Ron]

There has been a lot of speculation in recent months about what Apple it up to in the vehicle business. At first it seemed like idle speculation but there has been too much news lately to assume they are just interested in the electronics/entertainment part of that business. For example yesterday I read they are continuing to hire more automobile engineers/executives - some of them from Tesla:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/08/21/apple-hires-senior-tesla-engineer-as-project-titan-evidence-mounts

 

Today there is speculation about hydrogen powered iPhones and how that same basic technology might be applied to a future vehicle. Hints about where Apple is headed?

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/11818169/British-hydrogen-fuel-cell-pioneer-develops-cars-and-iPhones-of-the-future.html

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/11818151/Revealed-the-first-hydrogen-powered-battery-that-will-charge-your-Apple-iPhone-for-a-week.html

 

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3464786-has-apple-found-the-holy-grail-of-electric-vehicles?auth_param=apfd:1atp1qn:f8b5c4ab70c09ef2434803b054e18c99&uprof=46

 

Apple is currently trading at a TTM PE of 11.9, PEG of 0.85, and P/CF of 10.7. Could be a pretty attractive value if you believe these new ventures will lead to successful products.

 

---ron

[RV_]

I loved the forward thinking about the hydrogen fuel cell tech. ~Five one gallon containers to equal one charge of the Tesla battery would be terrific as long as each did not need to be changed out every 40 miles or so. Too early for straight answers or info but I'll be looking for your posts on it as it develops.

 

To me, it makes no difference as long as we break the oil economy back to making some lubricants for the sealed bearings of the electric cars plug ins or hydrogen or both is fine by me. I was hydrogen enthusiastic back in 2000-2003 when I switched to Tesla and electric as Honda was not following through on their initial offerings and the hydrogen production system for home or community group use the size of a minivan proposed by Ballard I think it was suddenly just disappeared.

 

It would be nice if it were gas and home production encouraged. Oh well. Apple surely has the money if it is doable.