In another post I lamented the lack of repairability of the current Mac lineup. Upon reflection, I came to the conclusion that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Both @MacSparky and @katiefloyd recently remarked on the price increases in this year’s products. I noticed this when the TouchBar MBP’s were introduced. And now we have an iMac that starts at 4500 USD and tops out at over 10000 USD! Admittedly most consumers won’t go for one of these beasts, but even the non-Pro iMac can get close to 4000 USD.
On top of that, I feel that we are seeing more software bugs and hardware issues than we have since the bad old days (anyone remember the Performa line?). The computer that used to “just work” frequently does not. Quality control at Apple seems to have taken a back seat.
When you add in the aforementioned lack of self-repairability, I think it is not too much of a stretch to say that the consumer seems to have also taken a back seat, and the almighty dollar is driving the bus now.
Of course Apple has to make a profit, and I’m not trying to deny them that. But I certainly feel that I’m paying more and getting less.
You might say “You’re getting more because macOS gets more features every year!” But I don’t use a lot of those new features, and I’m losing something I hold dear: reliability.
I used to believe that Apple wanted to sell me a quality product. I’m retreating from that belief rather rapidly.
I’m a fan of the high prices. They are forcing us to ask interesting questions about what we do with our machines and what we value. They also will create a market for a better alternative to Apple than the high-end offerings from Dell, Microsoft and Lenovo provide — something truly different and “Apple-y.” I think the next great computer company wouldn’t have room to breathe if Apple kept itself behind invisible price lines.
That’s certainly an interesting viewpoint. I’m not aware of anyone that is trying to become the next great computer company, though. I think it’s just as likely that Apple will price itself out of business and we’ll be left with Windows. Ugh.
I’ve been working with computers since DOS 3.0. We may like one type/brand over the other, that is until something better comes along. I’ve preferred Macs since ‘93, but now I actually use an iPad for almost everything.
Microsoft is developing a new streaming game system called xCloud. They say you’ll be able to play processor intensive games on computers, or phones, or tablets - pretty much whatever screen is handy. If they actually can pull that off, can professional programs like CAD, Video Editing, etc. running on inexpensive hardware be far behind?
Apple’s not stupid, a bit greedy to be sure, but I suspect they will adapt to market pressures if it starts affecting their bottom line.
If not, we may all end up chatting on the talk.handterminal.expanse forum.