Apple Steve Jobs displays a rather fascinating balance between design and utility. While it is often moved more towards the side of the design, resulting in problems such as Antennagate, but that tends to happen when Jobs was not there. He made the products worked well and looked good - he understood the need to do both.
After Jobs left Apple in the 1980s, there were clear changes to Apple products. However, it was not until Windows 95 launched that people actually seemed to look at Apple in very different ways, and not particularly favorable.
By any financial measure, Tim Cook did a great job - but traditional CEOs tend to work tactically, sacrificing the future to hit more and more present heights until the house becomes a more and more fragile house of cards collapses.
Here's an overview of what the beautiful and sexy Watch Apple MacBook can tell us whether Cook is strategic move - as Jobs did - or more in line with other CEOs of Apple, which ultimately failed.
I will close with my product of the week - which is suddenly a much better deal in smartwatches: Surge Fitbit.
The Apple Watch
Apple has managed largely by bringing new standalone products that work in a diverse ecosystem. The iPod did not take off until its interoperability with Windows PCs and iPhone and iPad not only interoperability with Windows PCs, but also with a massive number of non-Apple Web servers, including Amazon Prime and Netflix.
The Apple Watch brings us back to the iPod in that it initially only works with iPhones. (The first iPod worked only with Macs and does not sell very well). What this means is that, unlike other products, it is not an ideal way to bring new customers into the Apple family. They would have to buy both the iPhone and Apple shows to get there. This is a significant barrier to entry costs.
Part of the attraction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad was that they give status to the user. As those who drive luxury cars, people who bring out an Apple product is seen more favorably because the Apple brand is connected with quality products and experiences that it is supposed intelligent people want to buy.
However, the watch Apple has risks. We are not used to seeing people talk to their wrists, and we are even less used to seeing people alternate between talking to their wrist and shows them taking to their ears because they might have to in an environment with a excessive noise (like a bar, airport or business conference).
In addition, we have seen people struggling to get their phones to work with boarding passes and airport scanners, shrinkage or expansion of the image while the TSA and airline employees mess with the phone. Now imagine what it will look like on a wrist, with all the people behind them in line and get more annoyed voice.
Finally, consider the US $ 10K Apple Watch. Unlike a Rolex or other show in this price range, it's even a mini iPod strapped to your wrist. It will be largely obsolete in 12 to 24 months. I think the people who pay that kind of money going to look foolish in this time future, although I doubt they see it coming this year in their rush to buy a new exclusive product from Apple. The funny rich people is that most get there by not making stupid choices - and this one really looks stupid.
Strangely, the cheapest Apple Watch seems to be one that gives you the best value. Its price is more in line with other smartwatches, making it the most intelligent version. The least expensive option is also the most highly concentrated like the iPod, which featured the first success of Apple found around the time of the last decade. When the smartest best product / luxury line is also the cheapest, it's good for you - but usually not very good for the vendor or brand.
The new MacBook
New Apple MacBook, using an Intel Core M processor, is incredibly thin and light - but to get there, the designers had to compromise. The keyboard is a short range - better than a screen keyboard or the membrane keyboard, but without the feel of most keyboards laptop users prefer this time.
The biggest problem is that to get to this extreme thinness, the designers had to make sacrifices performance to prevent overheating - as they did with the original MacBook Air - suggesting they will have to strangle the aggressive processor . First, the Core M is not a part of Intel's performance by any stretch of the imagination, at least not compared to Core i5 or Core i7. It was something users have complained in the original air - it was slow - and it should be a problem in the new MacBook as well.
Thinness also increases the risk of bending / breaking of the product. HP, Toshiba and Sony have all tried to market products in this extra-thin class, and the market rejected them as too compromised. In fact, the first was HP, with HP Sojourn, which drew crowds because he was so thin, but it sold poorly because it makes too many compromises.
Now Apple can do what these others do not have and get people more successful in a new ultra-thin product, but if users do not like to work on the product or it breaks too, they can give Apple altogether . Others, seeing these first users struggle will be more likely to avoid the brand.
You really do not want to be one of the first buyers of this new laptop without first using the keyboard.
Summary
Apple loses track of the balance between design and utility. The Apple Watch feels like a product of three Version - like the iPod and the iPhone were - that requires three versions before really hit the market sweet spot.
In both cases, this is due in part to the market not knowing first what he wanted. The MacBook feels like a repeat of past mistakes as Apple Apple TAM (designed by Jony Ive and hated by Steve Jobs). Design ahead of price, and it does not sell. Hopefully this is not the way Apple is now.
In the meantime, before buying the new MacBook, make sure you touch the keyboard and can live with the compromise - it's better than an on-screen keyboard on a tablet. As for the watch Apple, the smartest version is probably the cheapest, because it represents the least financial risk and is also the most targeted and therefore more like Apple. The third version of the watch must be the best balance between capacity and price.
What does this tell us about the new Apple? It is increasingly looking like the Apple when Jobs was not there - but obviously still massively powerful and effective on the market. However, if people begin to see Apple differently, many things - most not good - will start to happen very quickly.
Product of the week: Surge Fitbit
The application connects chip scale Fitbit and Surge will automatically measure and report the quality of your sleep. I got about five days of battery life of this product, even if it will not run applications, I have my phone for this.
At $ 249, it's a lot cheaper than the cheapest Apple Watch, and it's actually quite mature. In short, the Surge Fitbit gets you most of the things you might want in a smartwatch today for a fraction of the cost of a watch Apple, and it will work with both iOS and Android.
Strangely, the Fitbit Surge remember the original iPod design, then any Apple product high profile on the market. It does some things well and not trying to be everything to everyone.
Interestingly, I bought it for my wife - and even if it is smaller than the watch Apple, it was too big for her, so she uses the Fitbit load much smaller. For the money, I think the Surge Fitbit is just a better deal - and since it's what I use is my product of the week.