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Here are my guesses: Cheap low-end laptops = not profitable Expensive low-end laptop = MacBook / iPad Desktops = not popular enough to update frequently (des

Here are my guesses: Cheap low-end laptops = not profitable Expensive low-end laptop = MacBook / iPad Desktops = not popular enough to update frequently (desktops have become a small sliver of the laptop market which is itself a small piece of the computer market) Based on profitability alone, I would not be surprised to see Apple exit the computer market entirely and sell only iOS devices. Macs may only be around anymore to run XCode, from the perspective of strict business necessity. Port that to another platform and Apple can narrow its focus to iOS. Can you imagine the internals of XCode for Windows? It would make the iTunes Windows compatibility layers look small.

iainmerrick 10y ago
I totally agree. I think it's short-sighted of them. I'm not even sure whether I want to be right or wrong! Their approach pisses me off, but it's fairly likely I'll just grumble and make the best of it like Mac users always have. They do have a history of massive success with "disappointing" products.
cpr 10y ago
There are tens of thousands of people at Apple who will only ever use Macs. That alone is enough for them keep making them forever.
- iainmerrick 10y ago
  No it's not. If they can unceremoniously dump CD drives, headphone jacks and the MagSafe connector, they can tell all their employees that if they want a desktop computer they can expense something from Dell. I don't get the impression that rank-and-file Apple employees are valued and empowered, quite the reverse.
  - cpr 10y ago
    I can't imagine there's a single Dell machine inside Apple being used by the rank-and-file (not for specific OS-related or server-related development).
tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago
Xcode is fundamental to the development for iOS, their cash cow. Apple would never ever make itself vulnerable by moving Xcode to a platform they do not control. Apple is so much about control that they even maintain their own programming language. By moving Xcode to Windows, Apple would give Microsoft the keys to Apple’s future. Not going to happen.

iainmerrick 10y ago

I totally agree. I think it's short-sighted of them. I'm not even sure whether I want to be right or wrong! Their approach pisses me off, but it's fairly likely I'll just grumble and make the best of it like Mac users always have. They do have a history of massive success with "disappointing" products.

cpr 10y ago

There are tens of thousands of people at Apple who will only ever use Macs. That alone is enough for them keep making them forever.

iainmerrick 10y ago
No it's not. If they can unceremoniously dump CD drives, headphone jacks and the MagSafe connector, they can tell all their employees that if they want a desktop computer they can expense something from Dell. I don't get the impression that rank-and-file Apple employees are valued and empowered, quite the reverse.
- cpr 10y ago
  I can't imagine there's a single Dell machine inside Apple being used by the rank-and-file (not for specific OS-related or server-related development).

tqkxzugoaupvwqr 10y ago

Xcode is fundamental to the development for iOS, their cash cow. Apple would never ever make itself vulnerable by moving Xcode to a platform they do not control. Apple is so much about control that they even maintain their own programming language. By moving Xcode to Windows, Apple would give Microsoft the keys to Apple’s future. Not going to happen.