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What I don't understand is, with Apple and Microsoft moving to "services" business-models, who do they see as providing the hardware for this future they envisi

What I don't understand is, with Apple and Microsoft moving to "services" business-models, who do they see as providing the hardware for this future they envision? I don't think we are near the point where either laptops or phones are a commodity. If nobody want to make hardware their first priority, how is anyone going to ensure the best experience for the customers using their serviceS?

jen20 9y ago
Is there any evidence that Apple are moving to a services model? More than anyone else, they have succeeded at making services add-ons for their own hardware. (edited to fix a typo)
- mediocrejoker 9y ago
  Not sure how true it is. It's been a popular narrative recently, including discussion on Stratechery[0]. Some say that Apple has been pushing the idea as a way to distract from slowing hardware sales for the last 2 years or so. [0] https://stratechery.com/2018/apples-middle-age/ https://stratechery.com/2018/apples-middle-age/
jpalomaki 9y ago
Apple is not moving to services, they are very much a hardware company. Services are for them more like a thing to make the hardware more attractive. Microsoft has not really been in hardware space before (except consoles, otherwise it was mostly accessories). I believe they jumped to laptops, tablets and desktops to have full control of the user experience.
- WorldMaker 9y ago
  Right, given the *soft in the name, Microsoft has never seen itself as a hardware company and every move it has made into hardware (except Nokia) was reluctant and to fill a need for software they couldn't convince hardware friends to make at scale for them. Microsoft started building mice because they wanted to add a wheel to them to make working in Office applications better. Microsoft started building 2-in-1 tablet laptops (Surface) because they'd been calling it the future for a decade and no one was paying attention. For the most part Microsoft's hardware strategy is at its best in "if you build it, they will come (and copy it as soon as they understand why you built it)" mode.
urda 9y ago
What's your citation or evidence to Apple moving to a "services" business-model? They are hardware focused, so that's not a correct statement.
- mediocrejoker 9y ago
  I'm not claiming to have insider knowledge of Apple's strategy, but there have been many reports over the last year or two that speculate about the extent to which services will provide revenue instead of hardware. https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/08/apple-will-show-off-its-moves-to-become-a-services-company-next-week.html https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/08/apple-will-show-off-its-move... https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree/ https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/22/apple-services-revenue-growth-apple/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/22/apple-services-revenue-...

jen20 9y ago

Is there any evidence that Apple are moving to a services model? More than anyone else, they have succeeded at making services add-ons for their own hardware. (edited to fix a typo)

mediocrejoker 9y ago
Not sure how true it is. It's been a popular narrative recently, including discussion on Stratechery[0]. Some say that Apple has been pushing the idea as a way to distract from slowing hardware sales for the last 2 years or so. [0] https://stratechery.com/2018/apples-middle-age/ https://stratechery.com/2018/apples-middle-age/

jpalomaki 9y ago

Apple is not moving to services, they are very much a hardware company. Services are for them more like a thing to make the hardware more attractive. Microsoft has not really been in hardware space before (except consoles, otherwise it was mostly accessories). I believe they jumped to laptops, tablets and desktops to have full control of the user experience.

WorldMaker 9y ago
Right, given the *soft in the name, Microsoft has never seen itself as a hardware company and every move it has made into hardware (except Nokia) was reluctant and to fill a need for software they couldn't convince hardware friends to make at scale for them. Microsoft started building mice because they wanted to add a wheel to them to make working in Office applications better. Microsoft started building 2-in-1 tablet laptops (Surface) because they'd been calling it the future for a decade and no one was paying attention. For the most part Microsoft's hardware strategy is at its best in "if you build it, they will come (and copy it as soon as they understand why you built it)" mode.

urda 9y ago

What's your citation or evidence to Apple moving to a "services" business-model? They are hardware focused, so that's not a correct statement.

mediocrejoker 9y ago
I'm not claiming to have insider knowledge of Apple's strategy, but there have been many reports over the last year or two that speculate about the extent to which services will provide revenue instead of hardware. https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/08/apple-will-show-off-its-moves-to-become-a-services-company-next-week.html https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/08/apple-will-show-off-its-move... https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree/ https://stratechery.com/2017/apple-and-the-oak-tree/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/22/apple-services-revenue-growth-apple/ https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/22/apple-services-revenue-...