Ever since the invention of the computer, Apple Inc. has been one of technology’s leading innovative companies. Apple needs to decide whether they want to become a business that is focused on making money or if they want to go back to their roots and be the company that sets the standards for others to follow.
I think that Apple has shifted from focusing on one particular product and making it the best of the best, to trying to be the industry leader in every aspect — computers, tablets and cell phones.
When Apple first began, they were focused on creating products that had never been thought of before. They were almost always the first to perfect a certain type of product — whether it was when they developed the first mass-storage MP3 player, with the iPod, or when they perfected the tablet, with the release of the first generation iPad.
A decade later, the innovative geniuses of Apple have seemed to take a step away from their roots and have moved towards being a company that is strictly focused on making money. The best example of the company’s shift is when they recently released the new iPad mini, the fourth generation iPad, and the iPhone 5 within one month of each other.
The first weekend, in which both the iPad mini and the fourth-generation iPad were released, they sold a combined three million units, which of course resulted in a large profit for the company. While Apple may be pleased with the sales figures, most customers are not satisfied with the results of the product.
Since they decided to develop two brand new products simultaneously, the features of each are subpar compared to the expectations surrounding them. Apparently being innovative does not matter to the company anymore.
For example, after a year of anticipation and rumors that the iPhone 5 was going to be the next great thing, with a big screen, it was released with a 4-inch screen — only half-an -inch larger than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. The main disappointment with the screen size resulted from rumors that the iPhone 5’s screen would compare to other industry leaders, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, which has a 4.8-inch screen, or the Samsung Galaxy Note II, which features a 5.5-inch screen.
Apple’s other brainchild, the iPad mini, is already behind their other products. Both the fourth generation iPad and the iPhone 5 feature the new A6 processor, while the iPad mini is equipped with the older and slower A5 processor. Why not wait to release the iPad mini when they were able to equip it with the latest and greatest? It’s not like the processor determines how fast the iPad runs.
These decisions may stem from the recent death of Steve Jobs, the founder and leading innovator of Apple. Losing a leader such as Jobs can be huge to a company. With the new gap in leadership, they quickly need to decide what their motivation is going to be: setting the industry standards or making as much money as possible.
