Apple misses Steve Jobs, and so do I
It's been eighteen months since Steve Jobs passed away and the company he founded misses him dearly. Have they said so? Not really, but its obvious. In fact, its so obvious it hurts.
Remember the days when we couldn't wait to see what Apple had up their sleeves? We would read the latest rumors and get excited for every Apple event. Steve would take the stage and tell us how incredible the latest Apple device was and we all rushed out to get it. They weren't always perfect, but they had an intangible quality to them. They were elegant and easier to use than similar products, and using one made you feel like you were part of an exclusive club. Apple's devices were cool. After all, they were always unveiled by the billionaire who wore the same black mock turtleneck shirt and rimless glasses like John Lennon. When Steve told us it was the best one ever, we believed him. Whether it was the best didn’t matter because Steve made us think it was. There was a certain mystique about Steve which seeped into Apple. That was the intangible quality of Apple devices. Steve made us believe we were different (better) because we used Apple products.
Since Steve left things don’t feel the same. Apple seems listless and unsure about the future. Think about it. In the last two years Apple's product line has remained largely the same and the iterations have seemed slow. Products have been refined and improved, but there have been no major surprises. The iPhone 5 seems like it is just a slightly larger iPhone 4. The iMac got thinner but its otherwise basically the same. Apple TV is still a hobby and not really worth $100. Mac laptops are fast but basically the same as they were in 2010.
Even more worrisome are Apple’s services which are embarrassingly pathetic. iTunes Match, iCloud, Siri, and Maps all need major help. Google’s Voice Search and Maps are so much better than Apple’s offerings a lot of iOS users don’t even use Siri or Apple Maps anymore. Why can’t the biggest company in the world make services that “just work?”
Steve's keynotes used to be one of Apple’s strongest marketing devices, but now Apple keynotes seem boring. Steve was always excited about whatever he was presenting, but now we listen to Tim Cook try to convey excitement but it doesn't feel genuine. His fake whispers to create emphasis lacks authenticity. The pace at which he speaks feels forced. He is probably a fantastic manager, but he simply does not have the charisma for keynote addresses.
What can Apple do to fix this? Not much. Apple without Steve is like the Chicago Bulls without Jordan. It will never be the same. Steve isn't coming back so the fairy tale is over. Apple has never succeeded without Steve and I don’t think they will start now. Apple can still be a good company that makes products we love, but the days of “magical” products are behind us.
Tim Cook should slide into the background and let Phil Schiller and Jony Ive handle all keynotes from now on. If they don’t want to do it, get someone else, but Tim Cook should not be up there. He simply doesn’t have the chops for giving keynotes. Some people say the keynote doesn’t really matter, but I say it matters!
Someone, maybe Ives, should provide the singular focus needed for Apple to remain on top. One of Apple’s strengths was being able to resist the urge to chase every fad, and focus on a few things. Someone has to have the guts to continue that trend. They must resist the temptation to fragment iOS. We already have too many different MagSafe connectors and iPhone cables. Lets get back to the simplicity of focus that Steve provided. Someone needs to lead.
Apple needs to iterate faster. Releasing one new phone per year is not enough. Other companies are iterating much faster and Apple is falling behind.
Apple also needs to place more resources into its services. iCloud, Maps, Siri, and iTunes Match are seriously disappointing and Apple needs to fix them quick. I can't believe they haven't fixed maps yet. It still sucks.
When Steve passed my prediction was that Apple would dominate for at least two more years. They had momentum and lots of loyal customers. They also had several products already in the pipeline so I figured they had a runway of a couple of years. I knew however, that the magic sauce at Apple was Steve, and once he was gone the company would change forever. Sadly, the company is slowly changing and the cracks in the armor are starting to show. The cracks aren't huge yet, but it is easy to see how Apple's dominance will start to fade unless something dramatic happens.
I hope Apple is simply in a transitional period and they will regain its mojo. I hope someone at Apple will bring the focus needed to keep the company on top. I hope Apple can keep surprising us with products we never knew we needed. I hope they continue to think different, and carry Steve’s legacy far into the future. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like the magic has drifted away, and the Apple we knew is over. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. Apple misses Steve, and as a customer, so do I.
It's been eighteen months since Steve Jobs passed away and the company he founded misses him dearly. Have they said so? Not really, but its obvious. In fact, its so obvious it hurts.
Remember the days when we couldn't wait to see what Apple had up their sleeves? We would read the latest rumors and get excited for every Apple event. Steve would take the stage and tell us how incredible the latest Apple device was and we all rushed out to get it. They weren't always perfect, but they had an intangible quality to them. They were elegant and easier to use than similar products, and using one made you feel like you were part of an exclusive club. Apple's devices were cool. After all, they were always unveiled by the billionaire who wore the same black mock turtleneck shirt and rimless glasses like John Lennon. When Steve told us it was the best one ever, we believed him. Whether it was the best didn’t matter because Steve made us think it was. There was a certain mystique about Steve which seeped into Apple. That was the intangible quality of Apple devices. Steve made us believe we were different (better) because we used Apple products.
Since Steve left things don’t feel the same. Apple seems listless and unsure about the future. Think about it. In the last two years Apple's product line has remained largely the same and the iterations have seemed slow. Products have been refined and improved, but there have been no major surprises. The iPhone 5 seems like it is just a slightly larger iPhone 4. The iMac got thinner but its otherwise basically the same. Apple TV is still a hobby and not really worth $100. Mac laptops are fast but basically the same as they were in 2010.
Even more worrisome are Apple’s services which are embarrassingly pathetic. iTunes Match, iCloud, Siri, and Maps all need major help. Google’s Voice Search and Maps are so much better than Apple’s offerings a lot of iOS users don’t even use Siri or Apple Maps anymore. Why can’t the biggest company in the world make services that “just work?”
Steve's keynotes used to be one of Apple’s strongest marketing devices, but now Apple keynotes seem boring. Steve was always excited about whatever he was presenting, but now we listen to Tim Cook try to convey excitement but it doesn't feel genuine. His fake whispers to create emphasis lacks authenticity. The pace at which he speaks feels forced. He is probably a fantastic manager, but he simply does not have the charisma for keynote addresses.
What can Apple do to fix this? Not much. Apple without Steve is like the Chicago Bulls without Jordan. It will never be the same. Steve isn't coming back so the fairy tale is over. Apple has never succeeded without Steve and I don’t think they will start now. Apple can still be a good company that makes products we love, but the days of “magical” products are behind us.
Tim Cook should slide into the background and let Phil Schiller and Jony Ive handle all keynotes from now on. If they don’t want to do it, get someone else, but Tim Cook should not be up there. He simply doesn’t have the chops for giving keynotes. Some people say the keynote doesn’t really matter, but I say it matters!
Someone, maybe Ives, should provide the singular focus needed for Apple to remain on top. One of Apple’s strengths was being able to resist the urge to chase every fad, and focus on a few things. Someone has to have the guts to continue that trend. They must resist the temptation to fragment iOS. We already have too many different MagSafe connectors and iPhone cables. Lets get back to the simplicity of focus that Steve provided. Someone needs to lead.
Apple needs to iterate faster. Releasing one new phone per year is not enough. Other companies are iterating much faster and Apple is falling behind.
Apple also needs to place more resources into its services. iCloud, Maps, Siri, and iTunes Match are seriously disappointing and Apple needs to fix them quick. I can't believe they haven't fixed maps yet. It still sucks.
When Steve passed my prediction was that Apple would dominate for at least two more years. They had momentum and lots of loyal customers. They also had several products already in the pipeline so I figured they had a runway of a couple of years. I knew however, that the magic sauce at Apple was Steve, and once he was gone the company would change forever. Sadly, the company is slowly changing and the cracks in the armor are starting to show. The cracks aren't huge yet, but it is easy to see how Apple's dominance will start to fade unless something dramatic happens.
I hope Apple is simply in a transitional period and they will regain its mojo. I hope someone at Apple will bring the focus needed to keep the company on top. I hope Apple can keep surprising us with products we never knew we needed. I hope they continue to think different, and carry Steve’s legacy far into the future. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like the magic has drifted away, and the Apple we knew is over. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. Apple misses Steve, and as a customer, so do I.