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Comment by simonh | Hacker News Reader

> While the creative/user facing side has been lack luster

I just don't see it. 5K and retina wide colour gamut displays, the aggressively lightweight MacBook design, new Mac Pros with an entirely new touch interface system, new keyboard mechanism and new hinge mechanism, continuity, a new graphics API subsystem (Metal), a brand new programming language. Then you have the Apple Watch. Which area exactly do you think they are lacking in?

What other computer manufacturer or OS vendor is out-innovating Apple? Microsoft Surface? Bought-in commodity touch tech and 5400 RPM hard drives.

If you compare the last 6 years with the period between the introduction of the iPod and the introduction of the iPhone, the last 6 years easily wins in terms of new innovative product releases and updates.

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This is my problem with Apple at the moment.

They are doing hard things. However, I suspect they are completely out of touch with the actual goals of their customers.

MBP is an engineering marvel. Fitting that technology, with that battery life, into those size and weight specs is incredible. However, are the sacrifices made to achieve that last 0.2 pounds of weight loss, or fraction of cms size reduction worth it? I don't think Apple is in agreement with their customer base here.

Swift. It's a really nice language, but was there any reason for Apple to invent a completely new language? The problem for Apple was Obj-C, but there are many other languages that could have worked as well. Even if they did need to invent a wholly new language, the marginal benefits just don't seem appealing.

The new keyboard mechanism has only led to a keyboard that at best is considered an improvement by as many people as those who consider it a downgrade.

Metal. Nice, but once again, did Apple really need to invent their own graphics subsystem which cannot be used on non-Apple platforms? How does that help anyone outside of lock in for Apple?

Apple Watch. Nice product, but WatchOS3 was basically what OS 1 should have been.

I think Apple has been doing a lot of things. I get the feeling the percentage of those things which are actually aligned with what customers want, or make life easier for customers, either due to NIH or due to wanting to create lock in, is extremely limited.

I think the main requirement was interoperability with Obj-C. They really needed something reasonably similar (OO and reference counting). No existing mainstream language would have fit in neatly without extensive customization.

> Swift. It's a really nice language, but was there any reason for Apple to invent a completely new language? The problem for Apple was Obj-C, but there are many other languages that could have worked as well.

What language(s) do you have in mind?

>>(depending on if you ask the average consumer or a techie)

There are definitely people who feel left out by Apple. As evident by the numerous blog post and talks on the internet.

If the internet were to be believed, the iPhone was a marketing-lead fad with no chance of success and every month since 2007 a new reason gets trotted out for their impending doom. Meanwhile actual sales, customer satisfaction ratings and margins climb ever higher.

All of which drives the haters ever more cranky, hence all the blog posts.

None of what you said matters.

I said in my previous comment (and was implied in the OP) that people feel left out by Apple. The only proof I need for that is one person write a blog post saying that they feel left out by Apple, which we've definitely seen.

It matters because people writing angry blog posts because apple leaves someone out has happened at every iteration of every apple product ever.

Apple removing the firewire port was the end of the world.

http://appleinsider.com/articles/08/10/16/jobs_responds_to_o...

Apple removing the matte screen option was a the end of the world

http://www.macworld.com/article/1136061/matte_laptops.html

Using USB instead of ADB, SCSI and GeoPort and ditching floppy drives was the end of the world

http://www.technologizer.com/2008/10/17/firewire-isnt-alone-...

I don't think I even need to link posts about powerpc, flash player, or the 30 pin connector

But it doesn't. I was simply stating that some people feel left out. That is it. Regardless of whether people have BM'd on the internet before. Regardless of the implications of someone feeling left out.

I get it, so me people feel left out. I agreed with you, hence my comment about cranky blog posts. I'm just saymg that's business as usual and it doesn't mater. They'll buy a Windows or Linux machine and get on with their lives.

Ok, I get that.

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