[kraski]

I wasn't sure if this belonged here or in Off Topic. But I sometimes have a unique perspective on things. A recent set of iPhone commercials brought out the first post in 8 months on my "Other Stuff" blog. Here: Bill's Other Stuff: So, This Is My Future? When you think about it, do you get the same impression?

[herculesinwyoming]

I have watched that exact Ad. It certainly doesn't make me interested in an iphone, but than again i am not drunk on apple like so many others are.

[tchocky77]

You've never seen a movie starring John Malkovich? I think you're misunderstanding (severely) the ad.

That's fine though. You're not the first. This isn't the first thread about it either.

[madman0141]

I agree that I wouldn't buy an apple from that but many will as they don't see apple as a money making company but as a friend. Some people are very impressionable.

[itmccb]

...

Interesting. Though I'm sure that "winning" is the farthest thing from RIM's collective mind at this point. By the way, what was the "incomplete" joke in the commercial?

[o4liberty]

I believe the launch of BB10 will determine who the top 3 players are going to be. It seems that Verizon is going to back the new windows 8 devices and hopefully they will back RIM in their new platform..

Sent from my BlackBerry 9850 using Tapatalk

[Denise in Los Angeles]

I am somewhat lacking in TV-watching time. Does anyone have a YouTube link for one of the commercials?

[kraski]

You've never seen a movie starring John Malkovich? I think you're misunderstanding (severely) the ad.

That's fine though. You're not the first. This isn't the first thread about it either.

I don't watch a whole lot of movies. So, I recognized the face, but didn't have a name to go with it. He makes the character in the ads very real.

And my intent wasn't to down the iPhone. It's good at what it does. But I don't think marketing matched the phone's abilities. They needed to be more obvious that it was tongue in cheek. Or come up with a better campaign. Subtlety doesn't always work well in advertising.

If they hadn't hammered the crap out of Siri in previous ads, you probably wouldn't know it was an iPhone. And the fact that seems to be all they're pushing lately would leave the impression that's all the phone can do. Not great marketing.

And the fact that there have been other similar threads and comments speaks volumes. It's a good phone that deserves better marketing.

[kraski]

...

Interesting. Though I'm sure that "winning" is the farthest thing from RIM's collective mind at this point. By the way, what was the "incomplete" joke in the commercial?

"Two iPhones walk into a bar. I forget the rest." Exact quote, with the exception that I'm not certain if it was "walk" or "walked".

[kraski]

I am somewhat lacking in TV-watching time. Does anyone have a YouTube link for one of the commercials?

Here's the page I got from a search for them. It includes some video responses. https://www.youtube.com/results?sear....0.C_CXTn9QiF0

[jrohland]

Yes Apple will fall far and fast. But not to BB10. Android is their problem. I don't know anyone who has bought an iPhone in the past 3 months. In that same period I know 10 people who got Android and 12 business people who got new Blackberry.

[itmccb]

"Two iPhones walk into a bar. I forget the rest." Exact quote, with the exception that I'm not certain if it was "walk" or "walked".

Yes, that one...
To say anything more would ruin the joke. In case you weren't aware, a two iPhone prototypes (for the 4 and 4s, I believe) were lost in bars.

[jthep]

Apple as a whole I don't think will ever lose to RIM, even if BB10 against all odds becomes the market leader. Why? Apple has businesses in so many different products that even if the iPhone was as niche as Windows phones, Apple would still be a much larger and more successful company than RIM.

But RIM, the Blackberry smartphone is their bread and butter and must get the platform to succeed to be a successful company, plain and simple. The Playbook tablet business is a small niche, not something to get RIM to succeed.

As for those Siri commercials, I dunno, I don't think they are necessarily bad. I have seen everyone from Samuel L Jackson to John Malkovich use it and it makes them seem like they lead boring lonely lives, but the ads show it working well. Which in reality, there are a lot of problems with Siri in voice recognition, background noise, what it can understand,
and lets not even get into how its not practical to ask Siri about everything going on in your life where everyone can hear it.

I will say though, Siri and voice recognition apps I think can be very useful the way bluetooth is in cars. It will keep your privacy and help you control your device while you can't hold it (You know, while driving!).

[MartyMcfly]

Yes Apple will fall far and fast. But not to BB10. Android is their problem. I don't know anyone who has bought an iPhone in the past 3 months. In that same period I know 10 people who got Android and 12 business people who got new Blackberry.

There's a lot of talented people working at apple. They will be fine, as long as they continue to innovate and release great products.


Sent from my New iPad using Tapatalk

[torndownunit]

Yes Apple will fall far and fast. But not to BB10. Android is their problem. I don't know anyone who has bought an iPhone in the past 3 months. In that same period I know 10 people who got Android and 12 business people who got new Blackberry.

I can echo the Android statement, but I don't know a single person who has bought a Blackberry recently. Not saying it to knock RIM, only stating people in my social circle, work circle, and general acquaintances aren't buying them. They are buying Android devices like crazy though. I know 2 people who switched from Blackberries to iPhones. The rest have bought Android devices though. I am not some expert on trends, only posting what I see around me.

I can say I don't think Apple ads really have much of an effect on anything. I think people come to use Apple devices through word of mouth and seeing them in action. People here can call that being brainwashed or whatever they want. But if people try them and like them, that's their choice. Whether if they are just silly people blinded by glitz or not is beside the point. They like what they see, so they buy it.

[kevinnugent]

I am the only person I know who uses a Blackberry outside of work supplied. Does that make RIM a fail? Nope. Same goes for Android and Apple.

[kraski]

Yes, that one...
To say anything more would ruin the joke. In case you weren't aware, a two iPhone prototypes (for the 4 and 4s, I believe) were lost in bars.

I figured that was probably the reference. The problem is that you and I will recognize it, but most of the general public has already forgotten. Most aren't tech junkies like those of us on Mobile Nations. So, most of the public is going to wonder what he's laughing so much for. In jokes are another thing that doesn't do well in marketing. If one of the phone losses had been more recent or the joke referred to something everyone recalled well, it might have worked.

[kraski]

As for those Siri commercials, I dunno, I don't think they are necessarily bad. I have seen everyone from Samuel L Jackson to John Malkovich use it and it makes them seem like they lead boring lonely lives, but the ads show it working well. Which in reality, there are a lot of problems with Siri in voice recognition, background noise, what it can understand,
and lets not even get into how its not practical to ask Siri about everything going on in your life where everyone can hear it.

I will say though, Siri and voice recognition apps I think can be very useful the way bluetooth is in cars. It will keep your privacy and help you control your device while you can't hold it (You know, while driving!).

The Samuel L Jackson one was actually decent. But anyone who has to ask how many ounces in a cup needs a lot of help. I'm not exactly what anyone would rave about as a gourmet chef. But even I know how many ounces in a cup. And I may be older than he is, so the script writers better not blame it on senility.

[_StephenBB81]

There's a lot of talented people working at apple. They will be fine, as long as they continue to innovate and release great products.


Sent from my New iPad using Tapatalk

That is certainly the worst statement you've made in a long time.


Apple YES does have a lot of talented people, as did RIM,
Apple has VERY much been following the RIM model in the last 2 releases, how has Apple been "innovative" they have been evolutionary on their existing OS, but they have not brought any truly innovative and game changing technology/processes iCloud, is Apple branded cloud services that were already available,
USEFUL yes, innovative no
SIRI, was voice dictation, ummmm have had that on phones for a long time, they made it more annoying and marketed it well, is it a long term technological marvel? or a gimmick to sell devices, I'd venture a gimmick, a good one, and a neat one, but it didn't innovate nor change the way people do work or live their lives with their phones any more than fart apps and whoopy cushions did.

Apple VERY much needs to come out of the gate with something innovative, or revolutionary compared to everyone else, vs just evolutionary with their OS being like everyone else. iPhone5 hardware will be a testament to see if they are going to make a genuine jump while they have a strong market presence or if they are going to be like RIM and let legacy support strangle them until they need to almost kill themselves to get back.

I HATE my Apple products, yet don't wish Apple failure they best do something to keep everyone on their toes, but I haven't seen anything from Apple that makes me think they are even open to change

[Foreverup]

right now Android or BB10 or WP is not the problem to Apple. There own success is their problem. People are going to buy because they love apple but they are heading down the road that RIM did. Small updates to an existing product.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

[itmccb]

That is certainly the worst statement you've made in a long time.


Apple YES does have a lot of talented people, as did RIM,
Apple has VERY much been following the RIM model in the last 2 releases, how has Apple been "innovative" they have been evolutionary on their existing OS, but they have not brought any truly innovative and game changing technology/processes iCloud, is Apple branded cloud services that were already available,
USEFUL yes, innovative no
SIRI, was voice dictation, ummmm have had that on phones for a long time, they made it more annoying and marketed it well, is it a long term technological marvel? or a gimmick to sell devices, I'd venture a gimmick, a good one, and a neat one, but it didn't innovate nor change the way people do work or live their lives with their phones any more than fart apps and whoopy cushions did.

Apple VERY much needs to come out of the gate with something innovative, or revolutionary compared to everyone else, vs just evolutionary with their OS being like everyone else. iPhone5 hardware will be a testament to see if they are going to make a genuine jump while they have a strong market presence or if they are going to be like RIM and let legacy support strangle them until they need to almost kill themselves to get back.

I HATE my Apple products, yet don't wish Apple failure they best do something to keep everyone on their toes, but I haven't seen anything from Apple that makes me think they are even open to change

You're looking at it the wrong way. As empty as their words may seem, they're actually very telling about their overall strategy. Personally, I think the whole thing is pretty admirable.

[MartyMcfly]

That is certainly the worst statement you've made in a long time.





Apple YES does have a lot of talented people, as did RIM,

Apple has VERY much been following the RIM model in the last 2 releases, how has Apple been "innovative" they have been evolutionary on their existing OS, but they have not brought any truly innovative and game changing technology/processes iCloud, is Apple branded cloud services that were already available,

USEFUL yes, innovative no

SIRI, was voice dictation, ummmm have had that on phones for a long time, they made it more annoying and marketed it well, is it a long term technological marvel? or a gimmick to sell devices, I'd venture a gimmick, a good one, and a neat one, but it didn't innovate nor change the way people do work or live their lives with their phones any more than fart apps and whoopy cushions did.



Apple VERY much needs to come out of the gate with something innovative, or revolutionary compared to everyone else, vs just evolutionary with their OS being like everyone else. iPhone5 hardware will be a testament to see if they are going to make a genuine jump while they have a strong market presence or if they are going to be like RIM and let legacy support strangle them until they need to almost kill themselves to get back.



I HATE my Apple products, yet don't wish Apple failure they best do something to keep everyone on their toes, but I haven't seen anything from Apple that makes me think they are even open to change

Fair enough...I should have clarified my post...I wasn't saying that every iphone will change the market...I'm saying based off of Apple's history, they are known for introducing new products into the market, which in turn back their competitors into a corner forcing to release products that are not on par with what ever popular iproduct that is selling at the time...As far as siri I don't use it (unless you want to count reading txt messages while I drive)...I was speaking more so on Apple's ability to enter new markets and succeed vs just focusing on the smart phone market....

since i was a young tyke-u
tried to moon walk like michael
i understood the universal cycles
positive negative neutral

[tchocky77]

I figured that was probably the reference. The problem is that you and I will recognize it, but most of the general public has already forgotten. Most aren't tech junkies like those of us on Mobile Nations. So, most of the public is going to wonder what he's laughing so much for. In jokes are another thing that doesn't do well in marketing. If one of the phone losses had been more recent or the joke referred to something everyone recalled well, it might have worked.

I think not much anybody cares about the ads. The 4S is the best selling iPhone to date.

[stackberry369]

You mean 4 siri!!!

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

Apple YES does have a lot of talented people, as did RIM,
Apple has VERY much been following the RIM model in the last 2 releases, how has Apple been "innovative" they have been evolutionary on their existing OS, but they have not brought any truly innovative and game changing technology/processes iCloud, is Apple branded cloud services that were already available,
USEFUL yes, innovative no

Some good points, but Apple makes more than just iPhones, let's not forget. In that respect, they are nothing like RIM since there is a lot of different hardware to consider.

But taking iOS just by itself and the services that surround it, I would say that Apple does indeed blur the lines between innovation and simple improvement, but sometimes I have a hard time determining what exactly counts as innovation vs. a simple improvement (an improvement would be doing the same thing a little better, while innovation would be in packaging new ideas that are out there in order to make a better product -- and I guess invention could be the creation of these ideas themselves).

So your examples of the iCloud, for example, and maybe SIRI, are all ways that Apple packaged some existing but somewhat novel ideas in the market in order to make their product better. So the act of packaging those ideas, to me, was innovative since it hadn't quite been done before with a phone and tablet in such a seamless way (to my knowledge). It moved their phone forward as opposed to the last generation. But from this point forward, any improvements to the iCloud or SIRI is simply that: an improvement. It doesn't really move the iPhone forward. See what I mean?

In other words, going from a rotary phone to a wireless phone to a cell phone to a smartphone is innovative to me--each generation brought new USEFUL features to the user that the previous generation did not have. But others might say that these were simple improvements, since in the end they all make calls. Eye of the beholder...