The ‘Apple Needs a New Hit Product Now’ Argument

On the flip side of the coin from the preceding item by Dan Pallotta, we’ve got this one by (the coincidentally similarly surnamed) Therese Poletti. There’s nothing in it I haven’t seen before, repeatedly, and don’t agree with any of it, but it serves as a good rundown of the general consensus of the Apple pessimists.

What gets me is her main point, that Apple “needs” a new product of the disruptive scope of the iPhone or iPad. I don’t get it. Sure, it’d be great — for consumers and for Apple — if they were to soon unveil some major new initiative. New stuff is great. But why would you think they needed to? Why just Apple? Why does no one argue that Samsung “needs” to unveil a major new disruption? What harm would Apple suffer if they spent the next five years refining and growing the products already in their stable? They’re already the most profitable technology company in the world, and their three major platforms — iPhone, iPad, and Mac — are all growing. They don’t need to change a damn thing.

★ Thursday, 17 January 2013