Features - QOTW: Has Apple finally lost some of its sheen?

[crossy]

[snipped] DSG group has expanded its displays of Apple product and the windows lines are becoming ever smaller. I'm not saying the product doesn't exist, but it seems that the bucket shops only seem to sell Apple in that price range - presumably because thats what sells.

Again on the tablets, I agree with you - and specifically mentioned the Microsoft product. Indeed perhaps Apple is under more threat here - but still the Apple display is often as big itself as the entire display of all the other tablets in the shop. I don't know when the Apple thing will hit its height, but its difficult to argue that every other product can be regarded as anything other than niche compared to the amount of shop space dedicated to Apple's hardware. For a company selling very expensive hardware they seem to have captured the public's imagination. Thats the reason why I don't think the sheen has gone. Despite the fact that many other products are equally as good, as you rightly mention, Joe public still wants an Apple.

Definitely agree on the Apple/DSG tie-up judging on the stores I've been in recently. Not only will the Apple area be "front of house" (in my local store you HAVE to go past it to get to the "lesser" stuff!) but it's also as big as the area assigned to the rest of the tablets (including the Microsoft ones, which is separate). But, as someone explained to me, the mark up on Apple stuff is such that the PC Worlders have a definite incentive to push you into the "orchard".

Maybe if Apple's position does get "corrected" then others will come to the fore - and in the tablet area Microsoft have got to the be the main challenger if you're going to discount Samsung. I've also noticed similar Apple-pushing in supermarkets, although Samsung easily matches them for promotion in that sales area.

[AlexKitch]

The funny thing is I don't see people over-hyping Android or WMP

Disagree. I know some *extremely* militant Android fanboys who wouldn't think twice to have a dig at me for going back to Apple. Even on Hexus, it can be difficult to find an Apple article that hasn't received a comment containing at least the word 'iSheep' in there somewhere.

Both sides are just bad as each other

[jjgreenwood]

Definitely agree on the Apple/DSG tie-up judging on the stores I've been in recently. Not only will the Apple area be "front of house" (in my local store you HAVE to go past it to get to the "lesser" stuff!) but it's also as big as the area assigned to the rest of the tablets (including the Microsoft ones, which is separate). But, as someone explained to me, the mark up on Apple stuff is such that the PC Worlders have a definite incentive to push you into the "orchard".

Maybe if Apple's position does get "corrected" then others will come to the fore - and in the tablet area Microsoft have got to the be the main challenger if you're going to discount Samsung. I've also noticed similar Apple-pushing in supermarkets, although Samsung easily matches them for promotion in that sales area.

My local DSG stores are interesting. The PC world has Apple as front of house and then right at the back has a big Samsung display equal to the apple one. The samsung is arguably better as it has all the watches and tablets displayed very well but you have to pass the entire store to see it. The Currys has Apple one side at front of house and everything else mobile wise next to it with laptops behind. If I'm honest though, this isn't anything different to John Lewis so it seems if you want to sell Apple products in a specialist retailer this is how they have to be displayed.

[Dareos]

Companies pay large premiums for their products to be displayed front of store. I remember back in my PCWorld days (i've apologised enough for that already) that the Microsoft Sidewinder Joystick (with force feedback) was displayed there over the christmas period in every store, cost them a fortune.

[Darth Sidious]

God Bless Apple God Bless Freedom

[Smudger]

Is it bullying to mention that in trying to fix the initial bugs, they've created more bugs?

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security...rce=newsletter

People used to (rightly) rag on MS for sending out buggy software. Yet again, software is being pushed out without full testing...

[peterb]

Companies pay large premiums for their products to be displayed front of store.

And remember the "xxx recommends Windows X" banners on adverts? Of they did - they were paid to display that!

[eugenius]

Smartphones have lost some of their "sheen" in general. Nowadays even a $150 phone with no contract is more than good enough for 90% of the people so Apple with their prices and jail system is less and less worth bothering with. Apple will be squeezed to their "premium" 5-10% market share eventually.

Microsoft is the only one to make a significant progress lately, with cheaper and better products. If the unification under Windows 10 works out, they also have a chance to parity with Android and iOS.

It's always better to have a three horse race instead of two so I'm rooting for them - and they always had some good ideas - they just didn't implement them right.

Unlike Apple, Microsoft also has a line of good cheap phones lately - certainly on par with Android, maybe even better in some aspects - for the casual phone user - which is most of them anyway.