Apple (APPL) is mind-bendingly frustrating these days. I used to LOVE the company's wares and vibe, but now I am indifferent, at best. What the hell is going on? Here are the missteps, as I see them:- iTunes remains a mess. No drag and drop to add songs? An interface circa 1998? Why? What could possibly be standing in APPL's way of cleaning up iTunes? I. Do. Not. Get. It.
- iCloud storage prices are laughably high and for what? Seriously, it's WORSE than Google Photos and Photos is free. Sure, this is minor for APPL's revenue/profits on the surface. But deep down it pisses people off, makes them feel taken advantage of, kisses of death for loyalty.
- Nuking the Mag-Safe. What was that meeting like? Someone says, "Hey, I know, let's take the one thing we truly OWN in laptops, the one thing no one else has, and KILL IT."
- The Mac Pro, the FLAGSHIP Mac has not been refreshed since 2013, despite a design that does no one any good, especially professionals. Now, I have one and I love it, but I got mine for a great price and can live with its total lack of upgradability/expandability, as I'm only a hobbyist. If I were a pro and got saddled with this thing, I'd be pissed (which is why the cheese grater Mac Pro lives on in countless agencies and recording studios).
- A dog's breakfast of a product line/nomenclature. Quick, how many iPhone models are there? What are the differences? iPad Air vs iPad? Why is the iMac Pro so expensive? Etc.
There's more, but you get the point, APPL, in my opinion has lost its way. So, the trillion dollar question is, if Steve came back, what would he do?
- Kill 50% of the current product and name what remains in a way that makes sense. My product ideas are iPhone + # + Pro if super killer, create iPhone for the masses/developing world; Mac Pro, iMac + # + Pro if truly killer, iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Pro; services should be iCloud (if it works), Tunes (kill Music, keep paid tier, rewrite code), change TV to Video, add Netflix and Amazon, revenue be damned); Health (for all health related services. This little list is not the end all be all but I think it's better than what exists, a lot better.
- Add Mag-Safe to all laptops, but as a combo USB-C/Mag connector
- Dump Intel for own ARM-based chips, leave Intel be an option for Pro machines, if needed in near term, or better offer AMD's 7nm chips.
- Stay true to data privacy.
- Go all in on health and make the Mac integral to the strategy.
- Be willing to take a short term hit on the stock for long term growth. APPL could double from here and be the first $2 trillion corporation, but it's got to take some chances. Real chances, which means a miss hurts but a hit feels better than anything else.
That's my list. What do you think Steve would do?
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