Same, same, but different, Mac-PC, iOS-Android… here we go again…

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A long time ago, in the 90’s, we produced and sold teaching materials covering the subjects of typography and layout, together with how to use PageMaker. We taught methods and theory at a basic, but very functional level. We had customers all over Sweden and unfortunately we had to sell to PC-users even though we barely could stand it, since we were proud Mac-users.

When the customers called us for help, the PC-users most often had questions about their hardware which was not our responsibility. Mac-users asked questions about the subjects we taught. It was so frustrating to get those phone calls from the PC-users because we really wanted everyone of our customers to get a good experience from our teaching material, but if their hardware didn’t work – what could we do about it?

Yesterday I noticed that a woman complained about an app that she has on her Android smartphone. I have the iOS version of the same app and it works fine. She claimed that the app has totally crashed twice and she was mad at the company who has made it.

There are more than 3000 different hardwares that runs Android. Compared to what, hm, maybe 10 different hardwares that run iOS. That’s why it’s a lot easier to get control over the apps for iPad or iPhone, than the Android apps. That’s why iOS apps works better. Simple as that.

If you ask me, to buy an Android smartphone is to buy more problems. It’s impossible for me to look at in another way. Yes, they do get a lot more options – but at what price? If I had the time to play around and chase faults all the day long, okay, then it wouldn’t matter, but I don’t have that time, I want my apps to work. Simple as that. Call me crazy, that’s the way I am and that’s why I keep on buying Apple products and iOS devices.

Apple is doing just fine!

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Yesterday it was time for Apple’s FQ3 Earnings report. I think it was just like what to be expected, if you are a sane person and not like a small and scared sardine in a big shoal of fish swimming around in the ocean watching out for sharks and changing direction every time one of them sees a shadow that could be a shark… I think that there has been a lot of Apple sardines trading on the market during the year. I haven’t got so much experience from trading with shares so I guess that’s not unusual, but even so, it seems to be a bit too nervous in my opinion. Escpecially considering the amount of money those sardines are handling. Sometimes it’s other people’s money as well.

I am optimistic about Apple’s future. What really counts is if people like Apple’s products and continues to buy them. A crucial part of the puzzle is education, because if you learn to use something in school, then it wears off on your future and also on your family. That’s why news like this is one of the most important parts of yesterday’s report:

The state of Maine’s Learning Technology Initiative, which provides the state’s little school and high school students and teachers with personal computing solutions allowed individual school districts to choose which products to purchase rather than standardized on a single statewide solution. We are very proud that an estimated 94% of the 69,000 total units selected this year were Apple products.

Another crucial part is all the workplaces around the globe. Ten years ago Microsoft was the most important player on that market and as an Apple enthusiast I had to argue a lot with those Windows-using persons that somehow was provoked by my decision to use Apple (which I have been doing since April 1989). Things have changed and since ”everyone” started to buy iPhones they also learned what it’s like to use Apple products and so they got curious about Macs and iPads. Today we have a trend called BYOD = Bring Your Own Device and it seems that we almost could say BYAD = Bring Your Apple Device, because that’s the actual result in my opinion. When people can make their own choice about what kind of devices to use when they work, I believe that the majority choose Apple.

So, if Apple is the preferred choice of both schools and working places, then the future looks bright.

Yet another interesting sign is Tim Cook’s remark about the web traffic:

iPad accounts for 84% of the web traffic from tablets which is absolutely incredible and so if there are lots of other tablets selling I don’t know what they are being used because that’s a pretty, the basic function is web browser.

This has been a puzzling fact for a long time, what on earth do people do with their Android tablets? Why don’t they surf the web? Don’t they understand how to do it? Aren’t the tech good enough? Is Android users not interested in what happens on the internet??? I think it would be very interesting if someone investigated this.

So, what’s in the future for Apple? We know about iOS 7, the new Mac Pro and OS Maverick that will be available during this autumn. We expect some other interesting news about products to come as well. Apple is for sure preparing something new and big if you ask me. They have lots of creative brains working to reach new goals.

We have developing markets like China and India, and the mature markets still enjoy Apple’s devices and implement them more and more in schools and working places. On top of that we also have the movie Jobs which will be launched in August 15th. Do I worry about my Apple shares? Not particularly. I’m not a scared sardine, I’m more like a happy seal resting on a sunny stone in a beautiful ocean.

This is getting sillier for every day…

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When I bought my Apple shares in January 2012 I didn’t expect the price to rise as much as it did. I was really amazed but also happy of course. But then things started to change by the autumn and we all know that the price is back to January 2012 once more.

This year has really been a learning year for me and as usual, the best advice I now would like to give to myself is ”Always listen to myself”. I didn’t buy my Apple shares to earn a fortune in short time. I bought them because I like Apple and admire the work they do. I believe in Apple’s way of creating smart devices. Thinking like that, nothing much has changed since one year ago.

The only thing that has changed for me is that I now have a bigger understanding for what the rally of expectations can do with the stock price and frankly, I find it so silly. Grown up men (well, a few women as well I guess, but the ones I read about are usually men) that tries to impress on each other with numbers, tables, statistics and graphs predicting the future for Apple. At some point most of them tried to be the best at praising Apple and then they got confused until they started to be best at dooming Apple. What did Apple do to feed all those predictions? Nothing strange really, they kept on doing a good job.

What do I expect from Apple during 2013?

  • Some new models of MacBooks, iPhones and iPads.
  • Fresh new version of iWork! It’s about time we get a good and well thought-out version of that incredible, enjoyable software.
  • Making it easier to use Apple ID and iCloud, build in better solutions for sharing documents with others. No more confusing messages during updates or installations…
  • New design for the iOS User Interface. Jony Ive – I hope you will come up with something delicate!
  • New, cool devices! Yes of course, we are getting curious: what are you Apple guys working on? Is it the iWatch, the Apple TV solution or what? Surprise me!
  • Continue to sell all over the world. I expect them to grow fast on markets in China and India, but also to grow on other markets of course.
  • Expand their market shares in working places like schools, healthcare, factories, aircraft – well every kind of working place I can think of.
  • To pay their dividends and maybe increase them a little?
  • I finish with my special, personal wish: Please Mr Tim Cook, give me a BIG iPad, an iPad Pro! I would love to work with a bigger touchscreen when I create ideas!

I think it’s okay if the price of the Apple shares don’t rise too fast if it means that the price will continue to increase during a long period, like five years. Because I don’t like the hysteria we had during 2012… I hope that Apple will keep on making a difference to the world. I love Apple.

PS. I found the video on iDownloadBlog.

Who’s been buying Apple devices since 1989?

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As I often mention, we bought our first Apple device, a MacPlus, in April 1989. Since then we have always bought Apple when it comes to computers and since 2008 also iPhones and then iPads. That is because we are happy and content users.

However, during the first years we always had to defend our choice, actually, it’s not until recently that this attitude had shifted into admiration and it started when Apple launched the first iPhone in 2008.

From the beginning people said that the reason to why we used Macs was that we were ”design people”, meaning that ”since we worked with graphic design we were part of a small and peculiar group of persons who just wanted to have computers that looked nice”. That was a bit humiliating. Like if our knowledge in behavioral science, psychology and pedagogic didn’t matter. Like if our technical understanding of the features and how to use a Mac didn’t really count, because Macs were supposed to be so easy, like handling a toy. It was like some kind of macho-tech culture suggesting that ”real men use PC”. One problem was that people without any knowledge about computers, persons that got scared, needed good advice when they had to buy a computer and somehow, a lot of them turned to these ”macho PC users” to get their advice. Did they suggest a Mac for them? Noooooooooo…

I could never understand that. Even with the PC logic and the conclusion that Macs were toys, they should advice computer novices to buy Mac because they were easy to use, but they didn’t. Sometimes I have suspected that the true reason for advising people to buy PC was to gain some more power and status when this persons needed help with their computer. Because, if they bought a Mac, they wouldn’t need that much help, right?

So, a lot of persons never got close to realizing how much better Macs are. Then they discovered the amazing iPhone. Everyone wanted an iPhone (and they still do, I have seen a couple of examples of working places who by some reason chose to buy HTC smartphones for their employees and they are ashamed to use them and they also get angry, because the phones are obviously not as smart as iPhones). People wanted to talk to me about Apple. They wanted to explain how much they loved their iPhones, it was like they had a revelation: ”So THIS is what you have been talking about all those years? NOW I finally understand why you are so dedicated to Apple!”

Now more people wanted to be in ”club of Apple users”. The phenomena with BYOD = Bring Your Own Device got a real boost with the iPhone – did someone even mention BYOD before the iPhone? Accumulated anger over all the spoilt years they tried to understand how to use their PC:s, frustration over all the viruses and everything that simply didn’t work was released in the wish to throw out those stupid machines and buy Apple.

I coach a handful of Apple users and one of them has always considered himself to be a person that just couldn’t understand computers. They made him sigh and sweat and swear. He started with getting himself an iPad, then he wanted me to help him to get also an iPhone and an iMac. For the first time in his life he said: ”This time I want to learn, I want to know how to use my devices!”. And that’s how it works. I teach him basic stuff, but I also notice that he finds out a lot by himself and that he really uses his devices. He’s happy. He’s curious and interested.

Then he ”gave me as a present” for his mother when she turned 85, together with an iPad. A son gives an iPad together with an iPad coach to his mother. That’s like showing that you care with giving an Apple device. It’s been fun to coach his mother and she’s also using her iPad frequently. She’s amazed.

I think we have only seen the beginning of this development. Kids use iPads in pre-school. So many people are getting used to Apple’s high standard, the combination of high tech and function melted together in beautiful and clean design with a pedagogic user interface. I think there’s no going back from getting used to these high standards. I have a friend that loves Apple, but still has to use a PC at his work. ”It’s a pain every day I have to use my PC”.

Very few persons that buy Apple devices stop buying Apple. I don’t think it’s going to be like this for ever, but the competitors can’t still offer the whole package like Apple do. I have my opinions about things that Apple could do better and I always send suggestions to them, but even so, I am loyal to Apple and will be for more years to come.

At the same time, I welcome good competitors that understands the full concept and especially the importance of bringing designers to the creative process from start. Which for example, Google still hasn’t understood.

Some people argue that Apple isn’t hot any longer, meaning that trendsetters prefer to buy something different to stand out. I partly agree to that, we have got so used to Apple that some persons might find it boring. I’m not sure how much that will affect Apple’s forward development though. It seems they still have plenty of markets to grow on, like China. There are still so many persons wanting to buy their first Apple item in the world. On the other hand, there are also a lot of persons that get a smartphone as their first device that they can use with internet. Their first computer experience is a handhold device and in the developing countries the price is more important than, for example, in Sweden. So, there will naturally come up a lot of competing low-price smartphones that have a big value to persons that above all needs the internet connection. That’s why Verone Mankou has created the first African smartphone, or Congolese to be more exact.

Apple has shifted the world’s expectations of what computers and handhold devices can be like. Now, lets see how that affects the world…

Tim Cook: Where is my iPad Maxi?

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July 9th I wrote my first blogpost about a big iPad. Then I called it an iPad Pro, but as we all know there was an iPad Mini that got introduced during this autumn, so maybe iPad Maxi will be a more logic name?

I need an iPad Maxi more for every day. One of the cool features with an iPad is that we can carry it with us in a ”normal” bag or like we carry a book. Mobility is one of the key factors to iPad’s success. Another factor is touch control. We touch the screen to make it do stuff. We work closer to an iPad than to our computers.

I understand the need for a smaller iPad. Kids have smaller hands and will find iPad Mini nicer to handle than an iPad. Some people find that the iPad is a little bit too heavy when they read books – personally I can’t figure that out, because I never hold the book/iPad in my hands while I read, I lean it on my bent legs. But of course, you need a bed or a couch to do that.

But the ability to use my fingers or a pen on the screen has made me change the way I do my creative work. I sketch on my iPad, I draw mind maps on my iPad, I create models on my iPad and I do a lot of research on my iPad. I do this as professional and I need my tools to be professional too. So, where is the iPad Maxi that I need? I need it because a lot of time I need a bigger picture to be able to overview all the details in a model, sketch or a mind map.

I have also learned a lot from using NoteShelf – an app that I can’t stop to admire because of it’s functionality. In NoteShelf I can spread out all the pages and get an overview and from there I can sort them, change the order. I can do that in KeyNote on my computer too. It’s a great feature. I wish it was possible to do it in iBooks, because when I read a book I often want to go through the text again and remind myself about what I have read. Even if iBooks got this feature, the pages would get very small in such an overview. But it would work out fine on an iPad Maxi…

So dear mr Tim Cook: Where is my iPad Maxi. I need it! I long for it!

(Byt the way, I’m not alone with my wish, I found this article on Arabian Money