Apple is no longer cool

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

They all say the same thing because they are all just repeating the same story.
There is one story here, from the Japanese newspaper.
There is possibly separate information from the WSJ, or possibly they are just repeating the same info.
Everything else is just following on from that.

There appears to actually be two stories with key information: Early on, the WSJ using primarily the Nikkei source ... and later, the NYT's which picked up on the WSJ, citing it as a source, but then adding additional independent information as follows:

Paul Semenza, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, a research firm that follows the display market, said that for January, Apple had expected to order 19 million displays for the iPhone 5 but cut the order to 11 million to 14 million. Mr. Semenza said these numbers came from sources in the supply chain, the companies that make components for Apple products.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/te...nes.html?_r=1&

So we don't even know what the number (that we don't know is correct) applies to?
But these are hard numbers

I was referring to the NYT's article at the time when I said "hard" numbers. It does have hard numbers. (Not that they are necessarily correct, but it has them.)

Again, I couldn't care less how many units Apple have or haven't ordered, I just dislike the sloppy reporting that is then treated as gospel.

That's the internet and twitter age for you. The "sloppy reporting" extends to all areas of modern reporting, be it technology, sports, or entertainment.

Oddly, if you take the first dubious number (65 million orders), then apply the second dubious number (orders reduced by 50%), you end up with around 30-35 million units, which sound like a very believable number, perhaps even on the high side for a non-release, non-holiday quarter. That is why I find the 65 million number so unbelievable.

If you go back and look at the 65 million reference, it's unclear what exactly they are referring to there. It could be, as I suggested, they are referring to screen orders for ALL Apple products (including the nano) in one quarter. But I can see how one might read that article and think they mean just the iP5. At any rate, I believe that is the only article that refers to "65 million."

--Pat

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

We've no idea, do we, as none of the sources have been identified?

Original story, emphasis mine:

Apple Inc. has cut its orders for components for the iPhone 5 due to weaker-than-expected demand, people familiar with the situation said Monday.

Apple's orders for iPhone 5 screens for the January-March quarter, for example, have dropped to roughly half of what the company had previously planned to order, two of the people said.

Clearly they are talking about at least 3 people. I imagine that they were wearing trench-coats and hats, smoking in a dark alley, and telling a reporter that Apple changed its mind about how many million iPhone5s it was going to sell this quarter.

[Noetic_Hatter]

I don't know about "cool", but I just came from an Apple store here in Denver -- went to buy an Apple TV -- and it was packed.

[Daniel Jones]

Older user still prefer Apple products, it is possible when these kids grow up they may switch to Apple. There is no doubt that performance of Apple products is really good and that is what people wants from a gadget.
There is no single reason for kids not having that much interest in Apple products, there are many. Google and Windows are offering attractive smartphones, tablets, hybrids, fablets, and more in different ranges and models. Kids are just trying the new offerings.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by Yves Gorat

Similar issue with Porsche: They price their cars not by manufacturing cost, but by branding objectives (and profit) - and even they are expanding too quickly for my taste. Even my neighbour could now be driving a Porsche (and yes, he would have an iPhone).
All the best,

Yves

Yes, it is so sad what the world is coming to. When my neighbour drove up in his new Rolls yesterday, I was heartbroken for I knew I'd have to dump mine. Well, seems it's back to the old sedan chair for me.

[PatNY]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Yes, it is so sad what the world is coming to. When my neighbour drove up in his new Rolls yesterday, I was heartbroken for I knew I'd have to dump mine. Well, seems it's back to the old sedan chair for me.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Noetic_Hatter

I don't know about "cool", but I just came from an Apple store here in Denver -- went to buy an Apple TV -- and it was packed.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Noetic_Hatter

I don't know about "cool", but I just came from an Apple store here in Denver -- went to buy an Apple TV -- and it was packed.

Must be the mountain air. Or perhaps people were trying to escape the cold?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Must be the mountain air. Or perhaps people were trying to escape the cold?

Hasn't had that effect on me.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Hasn't had that effect on me.

That is strange -- you are in the prime-Apple-customer age bracket. Actually I should say we both are.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

That is strange -- you are in the prime-Apple-customer age bracket. Actually I should say we both are.

[Noetic_Hatter]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Must be the mountain air. Or perhaps people were trying to escape the cold?

Hehe, maybe. It was nice last night, but it can get wicked cold. It was easily the busiest store I passed as I walked through about 1/2 the mall to get to it.

Random:

My niece turns 2 this month. She can already grab my parents' iPhones, open the games she likes (she's a fan of "Angwy Birds"), and navigate the photos section. She will swipe through the pics, playing videos as she comes across them until they bore her -- after which she'll swipe again. She even understands how to swipe backwards if she passed up something. (Granted, her parents have Droid phones, and she can work those pretty well, too.)

I think it's testament to the simplicity of design we have gotten in smartphones that such a young child understands the basic mechanism. (Though I cannot begin to imagine her figuring out a windows phone. )

[Ti-Ron]

Originally Posted by Noetic_Hatter

(Though I cannot begin to imagine her figuring out a windows phone. )

She could suprise you if you give her some time with a Windows phone!
Kids are really smart kind of monsters! :P

[injapan]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Yea, the ol' BS meter went off the scale when it said that teens are going with Microsoft surface. Everything I read say that surface sales have been very disappointing. I work with teenagers, most of whom are from well off families. I don't think I've seen anyone with a surface yet.

yes, excellent point

[Noetic_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Ti-Ron

She could suprise you if you give her some time with a Windows phone!
Kids are really smart kind of monsters! :P

You're right - they're crazy good with puzzles.

I like windows phones a lot. I just don't think they're quite as intuitive. To me it goes:

1. iOS
2 Android
3. WP8

For simplicity.