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[LCfiner]

if there's one thing Apple has proven on the desktop market is that you can have small market share and still be wildly profitable.

By the same token, there will still be a market for gamers who want maximum performance and big boxes because they are willing to pay prices high enough to allow nvidia, AMD, intel, etc to keep selling those niche products.

it's all the in-between, no-margin shit that will fade away into irrelevance. people who buy computers for 400 or 500 bucks because they don't give a shit about computers. a lot of those people will move away from the desktop or laptop for all but the most complex tasks they have. virtually all their online communication needs will be handled by smartphones and pads.

 

[ReBurn]

Even "real" computers, as we know them, are gonna disappear into the background. Expect devices like the Mac Mini to be the new desktop form factor real soon, as computing power reaches acceptable levels in tiny parts.

Out of 100 people that buy a "desktop" computer, probably only 5 open it up to replace a component. A full-size desktop is total overkill.

But gamers will rage against this 'til the day they die.

Mac Mini is sexy. As I am not a PC gamer I wouldn't mind if this Jobs-inspired form factor took over the world.

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

Yet, it doesn't have what made me an Apple nut for the longest time:

Apple IIe and the Oregon Trail!



MECC and MAC used to go hand in hand for me as a kid!

 

[Frustrated_me]

Truly one of the most inspirational human figures of my life, no other person has been as visionary as Steve Jobs in my opinion. I thank him for all that he has done to our industry and god bless. Lets not kid ourselves either, had it been not for him this industry would have been different.

 

[NinjaFridge]

Mac Mini is sexy. As I am not a PC gamer I wouldn't mind if this Jobs-inspired form factor took over the world.

I don't like the Aluminium unibody design. They need to move on.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Who's the bastard and why?

Jeyne Macintosh, the bastard surname of the Apple Lords.

 

[Azih]

if there's one thing Apple has proven on the desktop market is hat you can have small market share and still be wildly profitable.

By the same token, there will still be a market for gamers who want maximum performance and big boxes because they are willing to pay prices high enough to allow nvidia, AMD, intel, etc to keep selling those niche products.

it's all the in-between, no-margin shit that will fade away into irrelevance. people who buy computers for 400 or 500 bucks because they don't give a shit about computers. a lot of those people will move away from the desktop or laptop for all but the most complex tasks they have. virtually all their online communication needs will be handled by smartphones and pads.

Honestly it would make a lot of IT hassles go away too. People who don't want or need or care about the power a desktop/laptop provides end up having that power exploited for them by spyware/malware con artists.

 

[The Technomancer]

After reading statements like "bye Steve Jobs! An "apple" a day does NOT keep the doctor away..." on facebook I really thought he had died.

Dude, if my friends made comments like that I would respond with "he has cancer, asshole"

 

[borghe]

umm.. you guys apparently completely missed my whole thing about ultra-portable laptops for content creation

laptops will be used by the majority of content CONSUMERS, which in turn are the majority of computer users. the ultra-thing laptops will be the used by the majority of content CREATORS, i.e. the minority of computer users.

as for desktops, as I said, desktops, full blown laptops, and servers will still continue to exist primarily in the business world.. though as an IT worker I can already tell you that desktops are well on their way out. Pretty sure desktops comprise less than 10% of all new PC orders at this point (laptops comprising 90% of all orders), and management will replace the majority of those laptop orders with tablet orders as soon as tablets can easily do 100% of what the laptop can do for the majority of the users.

as for gamers... gamers are already a niche area of PC computing. it's a niche that won't go away (nor would I like it to), but conversely as ultr-thin laptops become more capable, you'll just see non-hardcore PC gamers switch to those. The macbook airs for example come with the same graphics chipsets as the low end MacBook Pros.. Once you can get a super low power AMD chipset available I have no question in my mind that apple would want to look at including it in the MBA. of course many gamers as a niche will still want the desktop or highend laptop... but that's what I was saying.. they will consist of a very small fraction of the overall PC market.. still, even if out of 150m PCs worldwide there are only 3-8M gamers, those gamers fueling PC game sales of 200-500K won't be viewed as a bad thing by a single publisher.

 

[scosher]

If I had to guess the future of computers, I think desktop towers will be fully replaced by just the monitor, in a tablet-esque sort of way. Imagine it as a tablet, but with all the ports you need from a desktop tower (PS/2 port for keyboard/mouse, HDMI, ethernet, DVD/Blu-ray drive), but that can attach to a monitor stand to also function as an LCD screen for your desk.

So if you need to do word-processing, programming, PC gaming -- just set your tablet on your desk and hook up a keyboard/mouse. Just browsing the internet or e-shopping? Detach it from the stand and browse on your bed/couch.

Obviously though, desktops will still be around for those who need stronger processors or video cards, or for those who are more cost-conscious.

But I think the foregoing is the future path for tablets and computers, which would also make laptops a design of the past.

 

[Rocket Punch]

Dude, if my friends made comments like that I would respond with "he has cancer, asshole"

I want an iPad but I don't want to get cancer.

 

[KtSlime]

I don't like the Aluminium unibody design. They need to move on.

What other redly available material that is easily recyclable do you know of that they should be making machines out of.

lunarworks: Indeed. Many of the people that refuse to admit that this is the direction technology is moving either are deeply invested in the idea of the current form of computing device (call that PC if you want), or have not been around long enough to have seen computing devices evolve.

The detractors have always existed. First people laughed an pointed at the micro computer, saying that those would never be able to overtake the full room sized mainframes. And then Unix was made on such a micro computer, and it started to fill a larger role, and mainframes while they still exist even to this day, started to move to more niche roles. Then there was the PC, and people laughed, why would a person want a computer in their home? It wouldn't be able to overtake the micro computer. But it did, and the micro computer became extinct. Then PCs with GUIs came around, and people said that it couldn't do spreadsheets, and that the CLI was the true interface. The GUI was just a toy. And people bought the GUI, the CLI got relegated to servers. Now we have the tablet computer, which is somewhere between a phone and a computer. Which way do you think this is going to go? I think we all know the answer.

 

[VanMardigan]

You know its big news when ESPN has a link on their front page, lol.

 

[SensualSeduction]

Im amazed at this cult like folowing apple is getting.People express love for the company and call it "innovative".

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

 

[KtSlime]

You know its big news when ESPN has a link on their front page, lol.

Well to be fair, Steve is the majority stock holder of Disney, parent company of ESPN. But yeah, this is big news.

SensualSeduction: The successful consumer targeted computing device. 5 times now.

 

[freenudemacusers]

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

GTFO

 

[lunarworks]

lunarworks: Indeed. Many of the people that refuse to admit that this is the direction technology is moving either are deeply invested in the idea of the current form of computing device (call that PC if you want), or have not been around long enough to have seen computing devices evolve.

There's plenty of precedent:

Those people invest tons of money into customizing those cars and fitting them with extremely powerful engines. That's the niche that gamers with gaming rigs will fit into in the future.

 

[YuriLowell]

Im amazed at this cult like folowing apple is getting.People express love for the company and call it "innovative".

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

Mobile OS that didnt suck dick.

 

[The Technomancer]

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

UI design primarily. A hefty does of actual product design as well.

 

[Davidion]

Love or hate the product, love or hate the fans, you can't deny the man.

Everyone who even remotely considers themselves a technophile should have nothing but respect for this man.

 

[SensualSeduction]

UI design primarily. A hefty does of actual product design as well.

So their selling an image then ? "We look better than the rest",is that the inovation ?

 

[WanderingWind]

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

Christ, dude. I'm sorry that you've been in a coma since 1996, I really am. But I imagine you have more important things to worry about right now that messing around on GAF. Finding out the ending to Friends and Seinfeld, for one. Oh, and you may want to research what happened in NYC since you've been out.

Let's just say, some shit went down.

 

[Stealth Editor]

Love or hate the product, love or hate the fans, you can't deny the man.

Everyone who even remotely considers themselves a technophile should have nothing but respect for this man.

People that hate Steve Jobs probably respect him more than his fans.

 

[Unlimited4s]

So their selling an image then ? "We look better than the rest",is that the inovation ?

UI is everything. No one cares about the specs or whatever if they can't use it properly.

 

[NekoFever]

I would love to know one thing they innovated.

So the iPhone wasn't innovative? And that's not even mentioning the numerous OS and interface conventions that was commonplace today but were pioneered by Apple.

And for a company that doesn't innovate, there certainly seem to be a lot of copycats whenever a new Apple product is a success - iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, etc.

 

[SensualSeduction]

Christ, dude. I'm sorry that you've been in a coma since 1996, I really am. But I imagine you have more important things to worry about right now that messing around on GAF. Finding out the ending to Friends and Seinfeld, for one. Oh, and you may want to research what happened in NYC since you've been out.

Let's just say, some shit went down.

Im just asking what apple product gave birth to new,better way of doing things,i understand they can take an ideea and improve...the design of it,but i would like to know what new tech this company has spawned that makes it so "Revolutionary".

Im really curious now,no trolling or anything

 

[LCfiner]

Christ, dude. I'm sorry that you've been in a coma since 1977, I really am. But I imagine you have more important things to worry about right now that messing around on GAF. Finding out the ending to Friends and Seinfeld, for one. Oh, and you may want to research what happened in NYC since you've been out.

Let's just say, some shit went down.

if you go back to very beginning, it makes it even scarier that someone could be so uninformed. I suppose it's OK if they don't care at all about tech but anyone with a passing interesting in the history of computing knows the dude has done a ton of cool stuff for longer than most of us have been alive.

 

[KtSlime]

So their selling an image then ? "We look better than the rest",is that the inovation ?

If Apple hasn't innovated, no computer manufacturer has.

Maybe you need to look up the meaning of innovate, it doesn't mean create novel ideas out of thin air - that's never been done. Innovation is the ability to recognize what is good about things that currently exist, see an aspect of it that can be improved, and successfully propagate this change. Apple innovates in spades dude.

 

[SensualSeduction]

UI is everything. No one cares about the specs or whatever if they can't use it properly.

You know before the whole Iphone thing,i loved the interface of Nokia smartphones,the symbian UI was pretty intuitive i think.

Now i know that touch screen was not something Apple invented,but i can't imagine previous devices being to cumbersome with it,were they ?

 

[shantyman]

Stories like this illustrate why he has been so important to Apple:

One Sunday morning, January 6th, 2008 I was attending religious services when my cell phone vibrated. As discreetly as possible, I checked the phone and noticed that my phone said "Caller ID unknown". I choose to ignore.

After services, as I was walking to my car with my family, I checked my cell phone messages. The message left was from Steve Jobs. "Vic, can you call me at home? I have something urgent to discuss" it said.

Before I even reached my car, I called Steve Jobs back. I was responsible for all mobile applications at Google, and in that role, had regular dealings with Steve. It was one of the perks of the job.

"Hey Steve - this is Vic", I said. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your call earlier. I was in religious services, and the caller ID said unknown, so I didn't pick up".

Steve laughed. He said, "Vic, unless the Caller ID said 'GOD', you should never pick up during services".

I laughed nervously. After all, while it was customary for Steve to call during the week upset about something, it was unusual for him to call me on Sunday and ask me to call his home. I wondered what was so important?

"So Vic, we have an urgent issue, one that I need addressed right away. I've already assigned someone from my team to help you, and I hope you can fix this tomorrow" said Steve.

"I've been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone and I'm not happy with the icon. The second O in Google doesn't have the right yellow gradient. It's just wrong and I'm going to have Greg fix it tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

Of course this was okay with me. A few minutes later on that Sunday I received an email from Steve with the subject "Icon Ambulance". The email directed me to work with Greg Christie to fix the icon.

Since I was 11 years old and fell in love with an Apple II, I have dozens of stories to tell about Apple products. They have been a part of my life for decades. Even when I worked for 15 years for Bill Gates at Microsoft, I had a huge admiration for Steve and what Apple had produced.

But in the end, when I think about leadership, passion and attention to detail, I think back to the call I received from Steve Jobs on a Sunday morning in January. It was a lesson I'll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday.

To one of the greatest leaders I've ever met, my prayers and hopes are with you Steve.

-Vic

https://plus.google.com/107117483540235115863/posts/gcSStkKxXTw

I tink Apple will be just fine, but there is something irreplaceable there.

EDIT: Oops, already posted. Sorry.

 

[The Technomancer]

So their selling an image then ? "We look better than the rest",is that the inovation ?

UI design matters. I know their computers don't have blazing fast cores and maxed out graphics cards and stuff, and maybe thats what matters to you, but Apple's success has shown that other people value interface and build quality.

 

[KtSlime]

You know before the whole Iphone thing,i loved the interface of Nokia smartphones,the symbian UI was pretty intuitive i think.

Now i know that touch screen was not something Apple invented,but i can't imagine previous devices being to cumbersome with it,were they ?

Reeses neither invented peanut butter, nor chocolate, but their peanut butter cups are pretty bomb.

 

[SensualSeduction]

If Apple hasn't innovated, no computer manufacturer has.

Maybe you need to look up the meaning of innovate, it doesn't mean create novel ideas out of thin air - that's never been done. Innovation is the ability to recognize what is good about things that currently exist, see an aspect of it that can be improved, and successfully propagate this change. Apple innovates in spades dude.

And besides design "improvements" what areas have they improved,i asked about this and nobody wants to give me a clear response.

Are apple computers more productive than lets say, windows computers ? Do you do things faster,easier ?

Do you multitask better and easier on a Imac or something ?

whats the improvement in terms of productivity ?

Can a Mac server be more productive than a Linux server ?

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

There's plenty of precedent:

Those people invest tons of money into customizing those cars and fitting them with extremely powerful engines. That's the niche that gamers with gaming rigs will fit into in the future.

yeah but newer cars can do all these can, newer "pcs" in a thimble sized form factor will never be able to pc game, so essentially your throwing out pc gaming aside from flash stuff.


or just running stuff like doom or diablo 2

 

[WanderingWind]

Im just asking what apple product gave birth to new,better way of doing things,i understand they can take an ideea and improve...the design of it,but i would like to know what new tech this company has spawned that makes it so "Revolutionary".

Im really curious now,no trolling or anything

So, you're completely comfortable ignoring the way the entire music industry changed due to iTunes? What about iPod and the MP3 device market? Or recognizing how the entire phone market changed because of the iPhone? How about tablets?

I mean, there is being a mindless "Jobs is Jesus" type and there is being purposely obtuse. You're way on the other side.

 

[The Technomancer]

And besides design "improvements" what areas have they improved,i asked about this and nobody wants to give me a clear response.

Are apple computers more productive than lets windows computers ? Do you do things faster,easier ?

Do you multitask better and easier on a Imac or something ?

whats the improvement in terms of productivity ?

Can a Mac server be more productive than a Linux server ?

Arguably yes, thats what so many customer testimonials are about: "it just works" and all that. Now I won't say thats universal or anything, but even if it was thats not the only metric to measure the success of a product on.

 

[KtSlime]

yeah but newer cars can do all these can, newer "pcs" in a thimble sized form factor will never be able to pc game, so essentially your throwing out pc gaming aside from flash stuff.


or just running stuff like doom or diablo 2

This is not true. Yes, the newer 'pcs' are a bit slower, but are you really saying that they are less advanced then the Apple II? Or the 486 I played Doom on before class?

Or are you going to rewrite history and say that those weren't PCs?

 

[lunarworks]

UI design matters. I know their computers don't have blazing fast cores and maxed out graphics cards and stuff, and maybe thats what matters to you, but Apple's success has shown that other people value interface and build quality.

There's certain segments that would be smugly satisfied if these things had never changed:

Spoiler

trololol

 

[SensualSeduction]

So, you're completely comfortable ignoring the way the entire music industry changed due to iTunes? What about iPod and the MP3 device market? Or recognizing how the entire phone market changed because of the iPhone? How about tablets?

I mean, there is being a mindless "Jobs is Jesus" type and there is being purposely obtuse. You're way on the other side.

Itunes ? You mean like what limewire or napster did before apple ?

The thing you are talking about in the music industry wasnt because of apple you know,it was because of piracy.

That was the actual inovator,you could download in a sec,apple just made you pay for it.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

This is not true. Yes, the newer 'pcs' are a bit slower, but are you really saying that they are less advanced then the Apple II? Or the 486 I played Doom on before class?

Or are you going to rewrite history and say that those weren't PCs?

im saying you can play pc games on your coffee cup sized pc in 2020 as long as its ut2004 at 1024x768, and yes im sure a mac mini can run doom and oregon trail, which is kind of my original point.

 

[WanderingWind]

Itunes ? You mean like what limewire or napster did before apple ?

The thing you are talking about in the music industry wasnt because of apple you know,it was because of piracy.

That was the actual inovator,you could download in a sec,apple just made you pay for it.

...did you just compare LimeWire and Napster to iTunes? Christ. You simply have no idea what you're talking about. I can't make it any nicer than that, but if you're going to use things in an argument, you may want to first know what they actually are.

 

[Tobor]

yeah but newer cars can do all these can, newer "pcs" in a thimble sized form factor will never be able to pc game, so essentially your throwing out pc gaming aside from flash stuff.


or just running stuff like doom or diablo 2

I think you missed the point. The "Hot Rods" will still be there for the niche who game. Honestly, hardcore gaming is a niche already. Nothing will change in that regard. Like LC said, it's the low margin consumer PCs that are threatened. Machines that would never be used for more than a Facebook game anyway.

 

[KtSlime]

Itunes ? You mean like what limewire or napster did before apple ?

The thing you are talking about in the music industry wasnt because of apple you know,it was because of piracy.

That was the actual inovator,you could download in a sec,apple just made you pay for it.

Limewire and napster monetized digital music distribution and gave money to content holders? Awesome. I learn something new every day.

 

[The Technomancer]

im saying you can play pc games on your coffee cup sized pc in 2020 as long as its ut2004 at 1024x768, and yes im sure a mac mini can run doom and oregon trail, which is kind of my original point.

Mac Mini is actually not a terrible gaming machine, with BootCamp at least. My brother uses it pretty well and sure, its not going to run Crysis at max settings but he plays TF2 regularly, along with games like Mirror's Edge and Arkham Asylum.

 

[Appleman]

Im just asking what apple product gave birth to new,better way of doing things,i understand they can take an ideea and improve...the design of it,but i would like to know what new tech this company has spawned that makes it so "Revolutionary".

Im really curious now,no trolling or anything

You're one of the "there were tablets before the iPad, so Apple isn't innovative" people?

Apple absolutely revolutionized AT LEAST the tablet, smartphone, and PMP market. The sheer number of iPhone/iPad/iPod clones is nothing short of astounding.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

I think you missed the point. The "Hot Rods" will still be there for the niche who game. Honestly, hardcore gaming is a niche already. Nothing will change in that regard. Like LC said, it's the low margin consumer PCs that are threatened. Machines that would never be used for more than a Facebook game anyway.

oh, well fuck those plebs lol.

*continues to benchmark some more*

 

[YuriLowell]

If you cant see where apple has changed the technology industry radically in the past 10 years then you obviously live under a motherfucking rock.

 

[The Technomancer]

Im just asking what apple product gave birth to new,better way of doing things,i understand they can take an ideea and improve...the design of it,but i would like to know what new tech this company has spawned that makes it so "Revolutionary".

Im really curious now,no trolling or anything

Design is part of tech. If you can't get past that, then this won't go anywhere.

 

[KtSlime]

im saying you can play pc games on your coffee cup sized pc in 2020 as long as its ut2004 at 1024x768, and yes im sure a mac mini can run doom and oregon trail, which is kind of my original point.

Wait, I must not understand English. I thought you said that they will never do PC games, then I asked if a 486 is a PC. I assume we both agree that Doom is a PC game. So now I am hella confused.

You are now saying that 'pcs' of the future will be 'pc's of now? Cause I think that's what we've been saying all along.

 

[SensualSeduction]

If you cant see where apple has changed the technology industry radically in the past 10 years then you obviously live under a motherfucking rock.

The motherfucking tell me so i can get out from under that rock