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The new Reality Distortion Field.
It’s been a curious month.
For the first three weeks, an incredible amount of what I read regarding Apple was about how the iPhone X was a poor selling “failure.” That message rang out across a huge array of tech tracking websites.
For the record, my 2 year phone replacement contract cycle happened to hit at the iPhone X launch, so I’ve used it for months – and knew to be an extremely solid and dependable performer.
Then, after Tim Cooks earnings report a week back – suddenly EVERYTHING seemed to change.
The device that had been discussed as a huge failure – became a huge success over-night.
It’s hard to fathom why EVERYBODY was so prepared to see failure – before they had ANY data on the reality of the situation.
Kinda reminds me of another product launch.
Just noting the phenomenon.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
26 Replies
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[Bill Davis] “The device that had been discussed as a huge failure – became a huge success over-night.”
I don’t see anyone saying it’s a huge overnight success. What I do see people saying is that percentage sales increased and with its high price tag, Apple was making a lot of profits. That’s not really saying the same thing. But yes, speculation by analysts – based on vendor supply orders – was prematurely pessimistic. There was data – just not enough accurate data.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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Shhhh! You’ll disturb Bill’s reality distortion field.
Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852 -
Hey, I just observed something.
A large spike in the “pundit class” singing out “it’s not selling, and Apple depends on THIS over all to be successful … so be WARNED!”
I didn’t opine on the veracity of that, so how exactly was my reality being “distorted?”
Then it turns out that when the SEC required earnings call happens — And iPhone X is ACTUALLY a big financial hit for the Company.
The “distorted” voices apparently belonged to all the pundits who wrote about “flaws” that didn’t actually really exist. They didn’t really understand the reality of the situation very well, did they?
And it seems to me that’s worth noting.
That’s all. .
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
I am an iPhone owner. You want flaws ? I make my living by being on the phone. I have a professional Plantronics headset that is plugged into the phone. Why is there no headphone jack on the iPhone X ? Perhaps I should order 2 or 3 sets of Apple Bluetooth wireless headsets, so I can be on the phone continuously for 8 – 10 hours.
I work with high speed networks for editing. Why don’t Apple laptops have an Ethernet port on them. Why do they need a thunderbolt 3 to Ethernet adaptor (which Belkin makes for them, and Foxconn recently purchased Belkin for $800 Million dollars). I am surely grateful that THIRD PARTY COMPANIES like Sonnet, Promise, Akitio and CalDigit are now making Thunderbolt 3 to 10G adaptors, and Thunderbolt 3 docks, because PROFESSIONALS have all kinds of STUFF that they have to plug in to their computers, to make a living.
Because professionals need to plug stuff INTO a computer to make a living. People having fun with a computer, or their phone, don’t need that stuff. Apple likes appealing to their mass audience, so they can make money. But PROFESSIONALS have to suffer way to often because of this.
When I go to purchase a car, I am looking for convenient features. I am not a race car driver, and I am not looking for race car features that a professional driver would be looking at. But EVERYONE on this forum is a race car driver when it comes to editing (and phones) and we need all the features, and we will continue to complain when we can’t get those features.
Bob Zelin
Bob Zelin
Rescue 1, Inc.
bobzelin@icloud.com -
Bob,
I’m sure there are multiple reasons for the choices you mention Apple having made to modify or eliminate traditional “ports” drilled or machined into the iPhone body as it has evolved.
Yes, one way to view these choices is to viewed them as capabilities that have been “removed”.
But there are other ways to view them.
One might perhaps be that with a device that accompanies people on their busy daily lives – and that we increasingly rely on for personal safety and security – not compromising the devices integrity by needlessly drilling headphone jacks and data ports into it, serves to increase its reliability.
It’s lightness and thinness might make it more likely to be something a person takes everywhere.
Avoiding drilling or milling holes in it might make it more reliable when they do.
As to “professional ports” it seems you are mistaking a mass market multipurpose product for a “video industry specific device.”
No company can sell millions of units EXCLUSIVELY to top tier video professionals.
They CAN provide options to allow those folks with niche needs to adapt the base units to their needs – and that’s pretty much exactly what you describe.
And I’m not sure how we’re “suffering” when MacBook Pros skemready tend to dominate our industry at the top tier.
Could they be better for our needs? Sure. But the marketplace already judges them as “very good.”
So, in this case, isn’t this just another case of Apple not designing things the way you think they should — to best accommodate your particular needs?
Which I totally understand- because I want exactly that too!
But I try not to get too grumpy because Apple aparently has more in mind than what “I” need.
Just my thoughts.
Have a great day.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
Can’t agree with you here Bill.
Every shoot I go on I need a laptop with me. For notes, scripts, prep, uploading files, confirming CGI plates or just basic DIT. The MacBook Pro is apples version of a portable pro computer. I, and everyone I know that shoots pro video typically needs usb 3, thunderbolt 2, headphone out/in, 10Ge and sd/flash card readers on a weekly basis.
Thunderbolt 3 might be a forwards step for speed but I don’t like buying a laptop for £3000 and needing to spend at least another £250 on peripherals that aren’t even made by Apple to enable this connectivity. It’s a great laptop, it’s just a forced eco system. Which piece of kit do you buy that is released every 2 years that needs 10% of its value spending on third party connectors just to keep working in the same way?
Red cameras always require additional investment to get more from the body you bought, but if they brought out a new camera that had only one port for connection to video out/sync/evf/hdmi/timecode/power, and the only adaptor was made by wooden camera and cost £3000, you’d think twice about the purchase, no?
Co-owner at Pollen Studio
http://www.pollenstudio.co.uk -
[Bill Davis] “One might perhaps be that with a device that accompanies people on their busy daily lives – and that we increasingly rely on for personal safety and security – not compromising the devices integrity by needlessly drilling headphone jacks and data ports into it, serves to increase its reliability.”
A recent thread here clearly showed that Apple products are definitely not more reliable due to their design.
[Bill Davis] “So, in this case, isn’t this just another case of Apple not designing things the way you think they should — to best accommodate your particular needs?”
So regularly removing features that have become ubiquitous within the industry and thereby forcing users to either purchase workaround solutions or abandon those peripheral products altogether is considered a positive in your eyes? And if that argument was to be valid you’d have to show how Apple products operate in a superior fashion to others but that’s certainly not the case when looking at benchmark tests.
In addition, the clean design element of Apple products which tends to be a big selling point seems to be consistently destroyed by the endless adapters and add-on units required just to use industry standard features that Apple has deemed no longer necessary. Yep, that’s quite a positive.
Windows 10 Pro | i7-5820k CPU | NvidiaGeForceGTX970 | Blackmagic Decklink 4k Mini Monitor |
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[greg janza] “In addition, the clean design element of Apple products which tends to be a big selling point seems to be consistently destroyed by the endless adapters and add-on units required just to use industry standard features that Apple has deemed no longer necessary. Yep, that’s quite a positive.”
Just look at all the gack we have hanging off the backs of 2013 Mac Pros or newer MacBook Pros to make them functional. Since Apple DOES make models designed for consumers, maybe, just maybe, a machine labelled “Pro” should properly address professional needs.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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[Bill Davis] “One might perhaps be that with a device that accompanies people on their busy daily lives – and that we increasingly rely on for personal safety and security – not compromising the devices integrity by needlessly drilling headphone jacks and data ports into it, serves to increase its reliability.”
Please oh please name ONE INCIDENT where an iPhone’s integrity was compromised by the headphone jack. Just one. One will do. I can point out hundreds of thousands of cases of CRACKED and SHATTERED iPhone screens. Google it and you’ll be outdone. But, Bill, come on. Name on case where the headphone jack caused any issues…compromised the integrity of the phone itself. SURE…headphone connectors have broken off and gotten stuck inside the jack…but that didn’t break the phone…that was a broken headphone.
[Bill Davis] “It’s lightness and thinness might make it more likely to be something a person takes everywhere. “
Funny how other phones are bulkier and heavier and people seem to take them everywhere. That has never been a factor in me taking my phone me.
[Bill Davis] “No company can sell millions of units EXCLUSIVELY to top tier video professionals. “
I guess not. Which is why Apple doesn’t make them for Professionals anymore. NOPE! You want professional connections? Get adapters. LOTS OF adapters. Third party adapters. JUST LIKE WHAT THEY DO WITH FCX! The way it is, out of the gate…plain Jane downloaded…it isn’t ready for professional use. Can you edit video? Yup. Can you post it to YouTube? Yup. OH, wait, sorry…I keep forgetting that there are many many levels of professional and I’m only talking about the ones that need to send their audio to professional audio mixers or Change lists or send the project to Adobe. Sorry, forgot, we are the 2%. The same 2% that need to capture from tape on occasion or output to tape, something Apple thinks doesn’t exist…unless it’s DV or HDV (ironically).
So they’ll just make this hardware that’s marketed to the average user, but put PRO on it so professionals can feel good about getting it, while they shell out hundreds of dollars more for the adapters they need.
[Bill Davis] “But I try not to get too grumpy because Apple aparently has more in mind than what “I” need.”
Apple USED to have several tiers of products. The laptops for consumers, then the ones for professionals. Now they have them ALL for consumers, but put PRO on some so they can charge more and consumers can go “look, I have a professonal laptop!” While they don’t really, as they don’t have ANY of the connectors they need for all the pro work. Well, besides Thunderbolt.
I love Avid…but I still complain about many things they don’t do right. I love Apple, but complain about the things they don’t do right. I’m…lukewarm about Adobe, but still find things that they don’t do right that I need done. No one is perfect, no company is perfect, so we will complain about them when they don’t fulfill our needs. And we will complain MORE about a company that we LOVE that doesn’t do that…one that DID but then is proving, over time, to be turning their backs on us and walking away…slowly…getting rid of the things we use and need…Shake here…FCP Legacy there…multiple ports of varying types so they can make a laptop with ONE port so you can’t charge your computer AND use a hard drive on it at the same time (MacBook).
The fact that no matter WHAT Apple does…you always think they are the greatest thing. I mean, nothing….they can do nothing that will make you complain. They could drop Thunderbolt tomorrow and you’d say it’s about time they did, as you never needed that. They could drop all external connections and you’d say “It’s because the future is wireless, even wireless RAID drives…Apple knows this so they are forcing everyones hand and it’s good…you’ll see.”
You are losing credibility with every post you make defending absolutely everything Apple does. Your opinion used to have weight, at least with me. Now…nope. None. I find myself waiting for you to post to see what insanely stupid thing you’ll say, and I can say, you never disappoint.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Exactly!
I haven’t upgraded my 2015 MB Pro Retina because, despite the speed increase, the latest MacBook Pro models are subpar ..from not enough connectors video pros need every day, to a stiff noisy keyboard to a gimmicky unnecessary touch bar ..
Apple’s losing money on me and may lose me all together to a PC that runs Adobe suite as well as if not better if they don’t start listening to the people who use their machines for a living…
Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852
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