Ed: Welcome to this week's-ever-so-slightly-delayed-due-to-the-artist-being-on-a-train-for-his-birthday's edition of The Pixel Project: a weekly comic from Diesel Sweeties' Rich Stevens on Apple, technology, and everything in-between. This week: Apple is sure slipping lately... or is it?
Read more comics from the Pixel Project on iMore.com.
Reader comments
Comic: Apple is slipping lately
I'll take "Apple is really slipping lately" over "Macs just work" and "Macs don't get viruses".
Love the comic style by the way!
Agreed.
Apple *is* really slipping lately. I opened a case Nov. 18 about iCloud silently discarding outgoing some email. The problem is described precisely on their "Troubleshooting Email" page and it says "Contact Apple Support." Yet Apple Support still hasn't figured it out.
I haven't had to contact customer support, fortunately. But I've had niggles and problems with Apple devices (like on any other platform) since I first got a Mac in 2009.
A lot of people have this mentality that Tim Cook can't lead Apple like Steve Jobs did. I think this partly influences the "Apple is really slipping lately" disposition. But none the less the statement may still be valid. I'd be interested to see some survey statistics on this issue.
Ha, Geek Comics!
Sent from the iMore App
Love it!
It blows my mind how literate and positive everyone is on this site.
Rich, people have very short memories. EVERY time Apple has released a new operating system, whether OS X or iOS, there have ALWAYS been people complaining that the new operating system ate their dog (or some other calamity).
Frankly, from my own experience (and of the people I personally know) with Yosemite and iOS 8, these have been the most rock-solid updates I have installed. In the case of Yosemite, this could be because Apple gave the public a wide release of the beta for the first time.
I have had none of the 1001 problems that some people have complained about. In fact some people complain about some problems, while others have entirely different things that they mention, but not the other ones. It is very inconsistent.
Not every "problem" is automatically caused by the operating system. There are usually other causes, for example a corrupt directory file or incompatible third-party software. But some people will myopically blame the operating system for other problems that they could have easily fixed themselves.
One positive thing about all of this complaining is that it is an indication that more and more people are moving to OS X.
(͡° ͜ʖ°)
Because you've had no problems, the people who have are just complaining for no reason? Every update has its share of problems, to be sure, but I can't remember them being this widespread and diverse before. Yosemite has been mostly okay for me personally (although I don't agree with a lot of the esthetic changes), but iOS 8 has been very problematic in a number of ways. I could do with fewer new features and more of a focus on rock-solid operation.
"but I can't remember them being this widespread and diverse before"
I certainly CAN remember. I've been using Macs for about 25 years, and each major upgrade has brought complaints. It was recently reported that there are more Mac users now than ever before, so of course the number of complainers would also be increased.
You mention the diversity of the types of complaints, and that is also something I brought up in my comment. Some complaints only affect some of the complainers, while others don't. This inconsistency points to other factors as the cause of the complaints.
"I could do with fewer new features"
If Apple was stagnant in its feature-set in OS X and iOS, we wouldn't have the great new features (for example, Continuity) that we enjoy today. I would bet that people would then be complaining how Apple's operating systems weren't advancing.
Compare Yosemite to earlier versions of OS X, and iOS 8 to earlier versions of iOS, and you will see how innovative the current operating systems are in comparison.
I am not discounting that you have had some problems with iOS 8, I am only saying that not everyone has had your problems.
Realistically, no software is ever "perfect". But compared to other current operating systems, Apple has gotten far closer to that unachievable goal than any other company.
Yes!!!!!
Sent from the iMore App
I have finally given up on the iPhone with iOS 8 and now use another product. That is how problem-free and rock solid the release was.
When Apple asks me a thousand bucks for a phone, I expect at least the basics, like Maps and Weather and Siri, to work. When they do not, out of Apple's sheer F**k You little customers! mentality, the phone flies out the window and a less arrogantly-developed alternative comes in its place.
Maybe Cook is not slipping. But I do know that if Jobs was in charge, Maps would work and the weather app, too, just like they do on other platforms.
How can you even make that conclusion about Jobs and Maps? 1) Jobs released his own duds, including iDisk/MobileMe/iCloud, Ping, iPod Hi-Fi, and G4 Cube. 2) Maps debuted in WWDC 2012, only 8 months after his passing. 3) Maps was largely blamed on Scott Forstall, Jobs' golden child.
I think you bring it out of people, Rich. You and your glorious pixel art.
What did you say Willis??
Sent from the iMore App
I personally have never experienced major problems with any of the versions of OS/X I have ever used and I've been around since 10.4. Yes, some minor ones but nothing I haven't been able to either work around or fix myself.
Tim Cook has a different style than Steve Jobs. Steve was a great visionary. He demanded perfection before putting out something to market. Tim wants to get those things out to market faster and fix the problems as they arise.
I wonder if it's a matter of balancing. Between 10.3-10.6 (2003-2009), OS X releases were fairly ambitious and very stable. Then iOS came along and the next few releases (10.7-10.9, 2010-2013) were of middling ambition and quality - mostly bringing iOS features to the Mac. Around this time was also when they started the annual cadence of OS X releases and switched to digital download.
Then in the past 2 years, we've seen 3 ambitious releases in close proximity: iOS 7 in 2013, and iOS 8/Yosemite in 2014. Not to mention branching out into the Watch, Apple Pay, HomeKit, CarPlay, and HealthKit. They seem to be pushing themselves too hard.
Haha
Sent from the iMore App
I still hear / read complaints that Apple "sucks now bc they haven't [reinvented an entire market] lately, like they use to". They are referring to the iPhone... From 2007. And I assume a slight recollection of the original Mac in 1984. So, just because they have changed the tide, doesn't mean we should expect them to each and every year / product update. Tech is usually a slow progression. For example, the automotive industry certainly takes their time to implement desired features and functionality. We were supposed to have flying cars by 2015!!! Are these same people going to hold Tesla to the same standard? Do they expect the tesla to be as fascinatingly new each year / update? If Apple's history is any indication, You can only expect the tide to change once every few decades.
Sent from the iMore App
This. And I'm OK with not having flying cars nowadays (as cool as that would be, if they could be built and driven/flown safely and reliably). People drive badly enough on the ground as it is.
Love it!
Ok, blah blah ... But let's talk about what's really important: I want a shirt exactly like that rainbow polo.