Apple iPhone 5 Line
Mr. Enderle is at it again. Driving traffic to his post with click baits articles like this one
Let us have a quick look at what he has to say this time:
Clever marketing from competitors left Apple’s effortlessly clueless.
[quote] I’m at an IBM event this week, and at dinner I had what has been an increasingly frequent experience.
It used to be that attendees at these events gushed about the new Apple gadget they were carrying, and anyone who expressed reservations seemed out of touch with the group. Much like talking about religion or politics from the minority position at the dinner table, bashing Apple was one sure way to ensure everyone thought you were an idiot.[/quote]
Hmmm.. PC people ‘gushing’ about Apple products?
Samsung’s anti-Apple marketing
[quote]
The first is questioning Apple’s leadership. Samsung’s ads paint Apple’s “upgrades” as features the company accidentally or intentionally left out of prior products (larger screens, 4G radios), or obvious improvements (headphone jacks on the bottom). In some cases, they also point out where Apple still lags behind the curve after launching a new device, like the lack of NFC in the iPhone 5. Samsung wants to depict itself as the innovator Apple is struggling to match.
Second, the campaign raises the idea that Apple fans aren’t smart consumers. They’re depicted slogging through long lines waiting for their technology, and getting unreasonably excited about aspects of the product that aren’t exciting. In fact, the not-so-subtle message is that Apple buyers are kind of dense.[/quote]
The reality is, Samsung would love to be in Apple’s position where they can offer minor upgrades to their products and sell millions. In addition, the iPhone 5 lines were pretty long. Guess Samsung is wasting a lot of money on useless ads.
Apple iPhone 5 line
Microsoft Surface
[quote] Samsung isn’t the only company slinging mud on Apple’s image. The Microsoft Surface tablet is doing relatively well, and Apple’s efforts to disparage it have largely been ineffective (at least so far). It appears to have been designed specifically to make the iPad look wanting in comparison.
As I write this, the Surface is still generating lines.[/quote]
Ok, the Surface having lines is a good thing and Apple devices having lines is terrible because Samsung said so. Conveniently, Enderle neglect to link to proof that the Surface makes the iPad looks wanting. In fact, lots of reviews painted a different picture.
Apple’s brand is going Down
[quote] Apple’s strongest asset is the power of its brand, and the historically valid belief that Apple products are purchased by smart people who are well regarded. This asset is being systematically destroyed, overtly by Samsung, covertly by Microsoft, and stupidly by Apple. Apple is not effectively defending this incredibly valuable asset, and the end result will likely resemble the company that existed before Steve Jobs’ return. That also means a market less dominated by Apple. Since I’m writing this on my Surface Tablet, I’m thinking this may turn out to be a good thing.[/quote]
For those who knows Enderle’s background we can easily write this article off as utter rubbish. However, there are lots of people getting to know Apple through their success in the Post-PC era.
It’s important that these new folks get the correct information about Apple, to balance these silly rantings from Apple haters like Enderle. Especially, when these articles are published on decent sites like DigitalTrends.
This brings me to this article by John Gruber of Daring Fireball:
[quote]
Marco Arment:
The industry of writing inflammatory bullshit about Apple is booming. It’s booming partially because writing inflammatory Apple headlines gets a lot of clicks. Apple is popular and the dominant player in many industries, so anything that attacks it will attract attention. […]
If you truly dislike bullshit writing and don’t want to support it, hit the publishers where it hurts: don’t read it, and don’t link to it.
I’ve given much thought to this over the years, for obvious reasons. I certainly link to bullshit less often than I used to. “Jackass of the Week” used to be an actual weekly feature, but as DF has grown in popularity, I’ve adjusted my standards for what I’m willing to give attention to.
My rule of thumb is to ignore anything that is stupid and languishing in obscurity. But if it’s stupid and published on a high-traffic site, or it’s an expression of a widely-held misconception, it’s often worth addressing, bullshit or not. Or take a guy like Rob Enderle. He’s a troll and an idiot, but he’s often worth linking to because he’s so frequently quoted as a knowledgeable expert by mainstream media reporters. If none of us ever linked to him, there’d be no record showing just how spectacularly wrong he’s been over the years.
The other thing is, I worry mostly about your attention, dear reader. If some jackass writes something willfully ignorant about Apple (or any other topic for that matter) and is privately pleased as punch after I link to it, because of the influx of page views, so be it. I don’t worry about page views. What I worry about is whether it’s worth your precious attention for me to link to something and comment on it.[/quote]
I totally agree with Gruber on this.
