Apple is not technologically innovative

[Andaluciae]

I know this may be pretty much common knowledge, but I just had an IRL conversation with somebody who claimed that Apple was "so innovative, nobody has ever done what they are doing." And, well, I'm rant-ish right now, so I'm going to shoot off on that.

Apple doesn't innovate technologically and it never has. Sure, they are innovative marketers and repackagers, and they have a good design arm. But, tech-wise, they have never crossed a technological threshhold, and following the Apple model will lead us down a road to cultural stagnation, laziness and mediocrity. The things that they tout? The mouse and GUI both came out of Xerox-PARC and Stanford, IBM Simon was the first smartphone in 1992 (iPhone? A decade and a half later in 2007), iPod was foreshadowed by Kane Kramer in 1979,iPad (the least revolutionary of all because its a mimic of pre-existing technology, alongside the fact that it was, and still is, just a really big, extra clunky iPod Touch) was merely a well marketed repackaging of decade-old tablet technology...grouchy-grumble-mumble

[The Atlantean Menace]

They do it a lot better than other people, though. Sure, an iPod (Excluding the touch) is pretty much just an MP3 player. But it's got way more memory than just about any other MP3 player on the market.

Which pisses me off, because iPods need competition. They still do annoying shit they shouldn't do, not work for no reason, etc. from time to time, but there's not really any other product you can get unless you want to cut the memory available to you by almost 75% (Biggest Zune I saw from a quick google is 32 gigs, my iPod is 120.)

[Cosmopoles]

Not technologically innovative. But when it comes to design and marketing, probably the most innovative company in the world.

[Arkinesia]

Apple's not innovative, they just actually put out ideas instead of just letting them fester in someone's mind.

[Brandenburg-Altmark]

Their success comes from being absolute fucking geniuses with marketing. They make it seem as though they're a company geared toward "cool" "hip" people, and then make everyone else believe if they buy the latest apple product they'll be part of the demographic that is allegedly Apple's target. That's their only real advantage. Jobs is one hell of a perfectionist, which is part of why it takes so long to get shit out. He tends to make them wait years to fix all the bugs in a product before they release it, while his competitors at Microsoft just use their customers as beta testers.

[Arkinesia]

Their success comes from being absolute fucking geniuses with marketing. They make it seem as though they're a company geared toward "cool" "hip" people, and then make everyone else believe if they buy the latest apple product they'll be part of the demographic that is allegedly Apple's target. That's their only real advantage. Jobs is one hell of a perfectionist, which is part of why it takes so long to get shit out. He tends to make them wait years to fix all the bugs in a product before they release it, while his competitors at Microsoft just use their customers as beta testers.

To be fair, Jobs has some foresight too. You should see this, for instance.

[Risottia]

They do it a lot better than other people, though. Sure, an iPod (Excluding the touch) is pretty much just an MP3 player. But it's got way more memory than just about any other MP3 player on the market.

Which pisses me off, because iPods need competition. They still do annoying shit they shouldn't do, not work for no reason, etc. from time to time, but there's not really any other product you can get unless you want to cut the memory available to you by almost 75% (Biggest Zune I saw from a quick google is 32 gigs, my iPod is 120.)

...who the hell buys iPods anymore? They were a fad up to two years ago, but nowadays no one here wants them - because normal cell phones do the same things, for on fifth an iPod's price.

[Andaluciae]

They do it a lot better than other people, though. Sure, an iPod (Excluding the touch) is pretty much just an MP3 player. But it's got way more memory than just about any other MP3 player on the market.

Which pisses me off, because iPods need competition. They still do annoying shit they shouldn't do, not work for no reason, etc. from time to time, but there's not really any other product you can get unless you want to cut the memory available to you by almost 75% (Biggest Zune I saw from a quick google is 32 gigs, my iPod is 120.)

There's a 120 Gig Zune. In fact, Amazon provides a list of even larger storage capacity devices.

Above and beyond that, many producers of MP3 players rely on more robust flash memory, rather than a portable hard disc--which is comparatively rather fragile and has a decidedly limited lifespan. My roommate freshman year of college bought an iPod, and I bought a SanDisk flash based player--guess who still runs with his SanDisk product, and who trashed his iPod four years ago?

[Raxar]

Not technologically innovative. But when it comes to design and marketing, probably the most innovative company in the world.

Exactly. I hear so many people say this, "Hey look, I just bought this iPod for $100, but this new one has a camers and it costs $200."

[Andertion]

Their goal is to make money, not (directly) technological advances. If they can get money just repackaging other ideas, then thats what they do...

[Thurask]

Shame about the Megahertz Myth. ("We've always been at war with Eastasia...")

Apple 1994-2006: Blah blah blah X86 sucks PPC all the way
Apple 2006-: Blah blah blah PPC sucks X86 all the way

[Andaluciae]

Their success comes from being absolute fucking geniuses with marketing. They make it seem as though they're a company geared toward "cool" "hip" people, and then make everyone else believe if they buy the latest apple product they'll be part of the demographic that is allegedly Apple's target. That's their only real advantage. Jobs is one hell of a perfectionist, which is part of why it takes so long to get shit out. He tends to make them wait years to fix all the bugs in a product before they release it, while his competitors at Microsoft just use their customers as beta testers.

To be fair, Jobs has some foresight too. You should see this, for instance.

Networked Computers were, once again, an output of Xerox PARC. Meet: The Alto.

[Syvorji]

Feh. In North Korea, almost every student has a PC, while only a few have a Mac, plus a willingness to join the Worker's Party of Korea, so it is very innovative. Really, operating a Windows is about as good as bleaching your underpants.

[Andaluciae]

Feh. In North Korea, almost every student has a PC, while only a few have a Mac, plus a willingness to join the Worker's Party of Korea, so it is very innovative.

What? No...virtually nobody in North Korea has a computer of any sort.

Really, operating a Windows is about as good as bleaching your underpants.

If you have white underpants, then that's not exactly a bad proposition. I'm not sure what you're trying to say, here.

[Alexlantis]

They're not technologically innovative. They make better MP3 players, are better at marketing, and make computers better for creative things (or at least, that's what all my Apple-crazed friends tell me. I don't see how photo editing is any better on a Mac.) They haven't done anything new technologically, they just market better and make better music players.

[Andaluciae]

Shame about the Megahertz Myth.

1998 called. They want their video back.

[Kubrath]

Yeah, they're doing a lot of great stuff, but they have certainly not "reinvented the phone" or anything else for that matter.

[Lacadaemon]

I wouldn't say they have zero innovations. The user interface and the industrial design do count.

But on the whole yeah. They don't do earth shatteringly changes.

Good at marketing tho'.

[Danalius]

and make computers better for creative things (or at least, that's what all my Apple-crazed friends tell me. I don't see how photo editing is any better on a Mac.)

They really aren't. That's the image they love to portray (part of the "cool hip" thing). Macs may have slightly (to the point where it is negligible) sturdier hardware, making them sturdier computers as a whole, but a PC will run all your "artsy" (read: photoshop) programs just as well as a Mac will. For about a quarter of the cost.

The difference? If you're dumb enough to catch a virus on your PC.

[Arkinesia]

To be fair, Jobs has some foresight too. You should see this, for instance.

Networked Computers were, once again, an output of Xerox PARC. Meet: The Alto.

I didn't say he was innovating, I said he pointed out some things that would become popular in the future. No comments on my part as to whether or not he created them himself or something.

I'm starting to think you just have a hard on for making Steve Jobs look bad.

[Cashkaval]

And who invented the graphical user interface you are using right now, with windows, close buttons and such? Even if you are on Windows or Linux.

[Andaluciae]

and make computers better for creative things (or at least, that's what all my Apple-crazed friends tell me. I don't see how photo editing is any better on a Mac.)

They really aren't. That's the image they love to portray (part of the "cool hip" thing). Macs may have slightly (to the point where it is negligible) sturdier hardware, making them sturdier computers as a whole, but a PC will run all your "artsy" (read: photoshop) programs just as well as a Mac will. For about a quarter of the cost.

The difference? If you're dumb enough to catch a virus on your PC.

"I didn't know my Mac could catch a virus!"

Exact quote from a friend who got a virus on her MacBook.

[Andaluciae]

And who invented the graphical user interface you are using right now, with windows, close buttons and such? Even if you are on Windows or Linux.

Xerox PARC.

[Sibirsky]

Jobs could take a shit, slap and Apple logo on it, call it the iTurd, and Apple fanboys would line up for 2 days to to pay $600 for it.

[Andaluciae]

Networked Computers were, once again, an output of Xerox PARC. Meet: The Alto.

I didn't say he was innovating, I said he pointed out some things that would become popular in the future. No comments on my part as to whether or not he created them himself or something.

I'm starting to think you just have a hard on for making Steve Jobs look bad.

Is he good at seeing the writing on the wall? Sure. But, he's billed as an innovator, and in reality he's more of an imitator.