Apple: Mac users don’t believe Tim Cook’s hype about pro products

Tim Cook is at it again. At the recent Apple shareholders meeting he promised that Apple will do more for pro users, according to a report by MacRumors. Unfortunately for Cook and Apple, many Mac users aren’t buying what he had to say.

Juli Clover reports on Cook’s comments for MacRumors:

During a Q&A session at today’s shareholder meeting held at Apple’s Cupertino campus, Apple CEO Tim Cook reassured investors that Apple is still very much focused on its professional customers and has plans to “do more” in the pro area.

”You will see us do more in the pro area,” Cook said. “The pro area is very important to us. The creative area is very important to us in particular.”

Cook’s comments were directed towards the Mac, Apple Watch, services, and iPad, but may reassure those who are worried that Apple is abandoning its desktop Mac lineup, especially the mac pro. The Mac Pro has not been updated since December of 2013, going more than 1,100 days without a refresh.

Other desktop Macs have also gone more than a year without an update. The iMac last saw a refresh in October of 2015, more than 500 days ago, while the Mac mini was last updated in October of 2014, over 860 days ago. “Don’t think something we’ve done or something that we’re doing that isn’t visible yet is a signal that our priorities are elsewhere,” Cook also told investors.

More at MacRumors

Huh? Could you be any more vague with your comments, Tim? And what exactly does the last line I quoted above even mean? I had to read it a couple of times to make some semblance of sense of it. As usual Apple’s CEO left folks utterly clueless as to what the company’s plans are for its desktop Macs, particularly the Mac Pro.

Doubts and disgust aimed at Apple in the Mac Rumors forum

Unfortunately for Tim Cook and Apple, some Mac users have written off the possibility of updated desktop and pro Macs. Check out this selection of comments from the MacRumors forum to see what I mean:

Appleaker: “He probably quietly muttered “iPad” before he said “Pro area.””

Thatsallfolks: “I’m uncomfortable with how comfortable he is with seemingly lying.”

Tcho100: “’Do more’ as opposed to do nothing.”

TxExCxH: “Ok Tim, sure. In his defense, he has only been saying it for 4 years.”

Sudo1996: “It’s not speculation. Apple failed the creative pros long ago by simply not releasing products. People switched to Linux and Windows.”

Stella: “Apple will again aim iPads at the ‘Pro’ markets. Tim wasn’t referring to Mac Pro machines.

Maybe Tim thinks he can release Xcode for the iPad and expect that it will fulfil people’s needs, which it won’t – except maybe hobby coders.”

Viktore: “Blablablablabla…

I didn’t even bother reading the article. So sick of this crap. We had to make such major changes for my business because of Apple disgusting neglecting. Switched to Windows, don’t like it, but at least it works and the computers are powerful.

I miss mac, but will never come back because of the garbage we have to put up with.”

Upthetoffees: “They have to do something, the last few years have been appalling. I have money to spend on some Apple stuff but there is nothing I want. I loathe the current generation of mbp laptops and there is no G5 equivalent desktop. Not interested in imacs. WTF apple? The so called pro not updated in 4 years? There is just nothing pro about Apple any more. Those G5 days were awesome, night and day compared to today.”

DTphonehome: “Put up or shut up. This long-time Mac fan is tired of constant talk and no great innovation.”

Milo: “Empty words until we see action. The company makes a comment like this every so often but then doesn’t act.

I’m especially looking at the Mac Pro, over three years with no update. Which is insane, the product looks like it’s abandoned. And dropping quad core from the Mini didn’t help either.”

PMiller: “We shall see. Apple has squandered a tremendous amount of goodwill in recent years with professionals, prosumers, power users, enthusiasts and ilk.

A tipping point came with the introduction of the trashcan Mac Pro when Phill Schiller stated, “Can’t innovate anymore, my ass!” While it was an impressive feat of engineering, it did not serve the needs of professionals; thus all Apple did was innovate itself out of that market. Dumb.

Fast forward over 3 years later and Apple is still selling the same high end consumer device at the same price point. Moronic, arrogant, and downright disrespectful.

Not to mention that Apple continues to dumb down macOS, making it more like a consumer play toy to match iOS instead of making it yet more elegant, flexible, and powerful. And the security changes it makes, IMHO, actually make macOS less secure while interfering with workflow.

I don’t think Apple has the chops any longer. The new developers apparently don’t understand the history of the Mac UI and the utility of what Apple created. And its obsession with thinness does not lend itself to expanded functionality.

Yet I all but pray that Cook truly understands the gravity of the situation and will build the best personal computing experience possible, for those will be professional machines that many will pay a premium to purchase. Only one laptop and one desktop is needed. We can customize our boxes to our heart’s content. At worst, Apple would break even on a professional line of Macs. But it would generate goodwill of incalculable value. Apple should get that. It’s not rocket science.”

Theatremusician: “Finally. Pro-level emoticons in the pipeline.”

More at the MacRumors forum

And that’s just a tiny fraction of the comments posted in the thread in the MacRumors forum. As I write this post the thread is already 17 pages long! I suggest that you prepare a cup of your favorite beverage to sip before venturing into the MacRumurs forum to read the rest of it.

More anger about Macs in the Apple subreddit

Don’t think that the cynical attitude toward Cook’s comments only showed up in the MacRumors forum. There was quite a bit of discussion over in the Apple subreddit, and the folks there certainly didn’t pull any punches. The situation got so bad that the moderators had to do a big housecleaning of the thread to restore order.

Here’s a selection of comments:

Jollyllama: “I’m with Gruber on this one: something went very wrong with the Mac Pro after release that they didn’t expect. I’ll be interested to know what it was when we find out in ten years, assuming they’ll never say publicly and we’ll have to wait for leaks.”

Shenaniganz08: “It failed because people didn’t want to spend several thousand dollars on a machine that could barely be upgraded.

The Mac Pro G5 was stupidly expensive but it had excellent cooling and could be easily upgraded.”

Applishish: “It costs him nothing to say this, and he hasn’t promised anything.

It’s not even clear what he’s talking about. “Pro” is such a vague term as to be meaningless here. Does he mean hardware product lines, like the MacBook, Mac, and iPad “Pro”s? Does it mean Apple’s pro video software, like Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro? Does it mean a particular occupation, like “video editing”, “scientific computing”, or “software development”? Does it mean other pro hardware, like 5K displays? These are some very different concepts, and while Apple is probably working on all of them, it’s doubtful we’ll see releases across the board in the near future.

This is like those phone lines you see advertised on late night TV, where the pretty girl says “I’m waiting for you to call!” Did you hear that? She says she wants to meet someone new. She must be talking to me!”

Hurtmemore: “Goddamn we need some some of those ‘controlled leaks’ they throw out to Mossberg or Gurman. Nobody has any idea what Cook is talking about here. Redesigned iMacs? MacPro refresh? Totally new MacPro design? New i5/i7/xeon mid-tower? OSX license? Next month? 9 months? Another year?

Meanwhile I could tell you about both new models of iPhone coming out this Fall, specs, screen, storage, features, prices, designs. If he has to keep saying ‘we haven’t abandon pros’ ‘we value creatives’ – it’s kinda already too late, time to lighten up on this ‘secrecy’ about what should be fairly stable product lines. Nobody is buying their MacPros anymore because they’re so old and expensive, people are waiting on iMacs because they usually update every year and it’s been a year and a half.

Glad they’re not abandoning pros, I didn’t think they would, but how long do people keep waiting? What are we waiting for?”

Sense77: “When Apple decided to exit the Display Business, I got the message that they don’t care about their desktop users. Then Apple didn’t refresh Mac Pro, Mac Mini and other Macs

I’ve never been more confused and disappointed by Apple as of lately… I hope they get their act together.”

Kherrera: “We’re all taught that we should judge people by their actions, not their words.

Given that the design and manufacturing process greatly complicates that saying, I’m still not reassured by Mr. Cook’s words.

He’s doing the opposite of what he is saying.”

-Steve-Jobs-: “I really hope they’re working on something great.

• they disbanded the department for applescript and automation disbanded the department for AirPort services

• cut corners on products they used to make premium removed ports and capabilities on Macbook Pros in favor of design

• stripped their professional software of functionalities year after year

I really hope there’s a change of direction, because so far all these actions are starting to make the investment in their ecosystem less than worth it. I still have hope though.”

Tea_monger: “Back in the day, Apple under-promised and over-delivered.”

Deliciouscorn: “Now they under-promise and under-deliver. 1/2 ain’t bad!”

More at Reddit

Whew! As you can tell from the Reddit discussion, Pipeline Tim’s comments aren’t exactly reassuring desktop Mac users that great new pro products are on the way.

I can’t blame folks for being angry and frustrated, some of them have been waiting years for a new Mac Pro and there is still nothing on the horizon for them. It doesn’t surprise me that some Mac users are dumping their Macs in favor of Windows or Linux computers.

Apple should shut up and start shipping new desktop Macs

At this point I think Apple and Tim Cook have developed a severe credibility problem when it comes to professional users and desktop Macs in general. The tired old “great stuff is in the pipeline” type comments only reinforce the fact that Apple apparently has nothing new and great to sell to its desktop customers.

Frankly, the company should just shut up about what’s “in the pipleline” and start shipping some great desktop Macs. That is the only thing that might repair some of the terrible damage that has been done to Apple’s desktop credibility.

But you know what? I don’t see it happening anytime soon. Apple has become a phone company, and everything else is a second or third level priority for them. That will continue to work great in terms of profits until enough people dump their Macs and then realize that perhaps they can live without an iPhone too.

Apple might be the only company in history that is arrogant enough to take their desktop computer customers for granted for so long that they create an actual reverse-halo effect!

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