Comments on: What Would Apple Do? Don’t Ask http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html Redfin Corporate Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:35:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: The Age of Revenues | Redfin Corporate Blog http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-11485 The Age of Revenues | Redfin Corporate Blog Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:07:16 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-11485 [...] we’ve argued many, many times before, as early as 2008, a whole new generation of entrepreneurs has learned from Steve Jobs [...] [...] we’ve argued many, many times before, as early as 2008, a whole new generation of entrepreneurs has learned from Steve Jobs [...]

]]> By: online stock trading guru http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-7424 online stock trading guru Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:39:39 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-7424 There is obviously a lot to know about this. There are some good points here. I'm Out! :) There is obviously a lot to know about this. There are some good points here.

I’m Out! :)

]]> By: Glenn Kelman http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6289 Glenn Kelman Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:59:17 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6289 Martin, this is just a brilliant insight, one I was groping toward myself before I decided the post was long enough! You said it more clearly than I could have. Thanks for adding to the conversation. Martin, this is just a brilliant insight, one I was groping toward myself before I decided the post was long enough! You said it more clearly than I could have. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

]]> By: Martin Pilkington http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6288 Martin Pilkington Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:56:45 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6288 I wouldn't say Jobs hates "free", but more he realises that you can't build a business on "free". Every business has costs so every business needs income. If you give away your product for free you have no income. Some people try to say "well we'll make it up in scale" but last time I checked 100 * $0 = 1,000,000 * $0. I'd also say that Apple has invested a LOT in online services. The difference is, they aren't what you traditionally think of as online services. The iTunes Store and App Store are both online services, but they are not run through a browser. Apple is doing the smart thing and focusing less on web SITES and more on web TECHNOLOGY. Web sites are a nice idea but they can't replace desktop apps. However, there is nothing about web technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript etc that means they can't be desktop class development environments. Apple has shown this with Dashboard widgets, Palm is showing this with WebOS. This is why Apple is investing lots of money in Webkit, HTML5, CSS3 etc rather than "cloud" computing. Everyone is jumping on the web bandwagon, without realising that web apps aren't what people want. People simply want to be able to access their data anywhere, it's just the web is the easiest way to do that at the moment. I wouldn’t say Jobs hates “free”, but more he realises that you can’t build a business on “free”. Every business has costs so every business needs income. If you give away your product for free you have no income. Some people try to say “well we’ll make it up in scale” but last time I checked 100 * $0 = 1,000,000 * $0.

I’d also say that Apple has invested a LOT in online services. The difference is, they aren’t what you traditionally think of as online services. The iTunes Store and App Store are both online services, but they are not run through a browser. Apple is doing the smart thing and focusing less on web SITES and more on web TECHNOLOGY. Web sites are a nice idea but they can’t replace desktop apps.

However, there is nothing about web technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript etc that means they can’t be desktop class development environments. Apple has shown this with Dashboard widgets, Palm is showing this with WebOS. This is why Apple is investing lots of money in Webkit, HTML5, CSS3 etc rather than “cloud” computing. Everyone is jumping on the web bandwagon, without realising that web apps aren’t what people want. People simply want to be able to access their data anywhere, it’s just the web is the easiest way to do that at the moment.

]]> By: Glenn Kelman http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6286 Glenn Kelman Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:47:36 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6286 @Craig Bromberg: excellent point, and I had not realized you had expressed some of the same ideas first. Bravo! @JanelleS: I think the person to ask about the last re-design is Matt Goyer, but I'm happy to share a cup of ranch dressing with you anytime! @Craig Bromberg: excellent point, and I had not realized you had expressed some of the same ideas first. Bravo!

@JanelleS: I think the person to ask about the last re-design is Matt Goyer, but I’m happy to share a cup of ranch dressing with you anytime!

]]> By: Glenn Kelman http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6285 Glenn Kelman Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:37:48 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6285 Thanks for the kind words Spencer. I would add that Apple is willing to make opinionated products: music players that require a computer connection, smart phones without keyboards, laptops without ethernet ports... if you made those decisions by committee or got feedback via focus groups, they'd never fly. Thanks for the kind words Spencer. I would add that Apple is willing to make opinionated products: music players that require a computer connection, smart phones without keyboards, laptops without ethernet ports… if you made those decisions by committee or got feedback via focus groups, they’d never fly.

]]> By: Vishal http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6283 Vishal Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:17:54 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6283 Glen, a great post. There is this [old] Guy Kawasaki interview with Michael Raynor where Michael says - Apple's clock hasn't changed; it still reads twelve o'clock. It's just that it happens to be noon again. There is some truth to that. Worth reading the rest - http://bit.ly/TxqqF Glen, a great post.

There is this [old] Guy Kawasaki interview with Michael Raynor where Michael says – Apple’s clock hasn’t changed; it still reads twelve o’clock. It’s just that it happens to be noon again.

There is some truth to that. Worth reading the rest – http://bit.ly/TxqqF

]]> By: Craig Bromberg http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6282 Craig Bromberg Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:02:43 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6282 Funny, I wrote on this same subject using this same question—What Would Apple Do?—last week, except my question goes to the heart of Apple's content strategy, especially as it is perfected in the App Store and in iTunes via metatags. Apple shows the way to monetize community (not to mention content) and Jobsian perfectionism—safeguarding the moat around Apple's ecosystem—is precisely what has made that strategy (and the dollars that have flowed from it) so amazing. Funny, I wrote on this same subject using this same question—What Would Apple Do?—last week, except my question goes to the heart of Apple’s content strategy, especially as it is perfected in the App Store and in iTunes via metatags. Apple shows the way to monetize community (not to mention content) and Jobsian perfectionism—safeguarding the moat around Apple’s ecosystem—is precisely what has made that strategy (and the dollars that have flowed from it) so amazing.

]]> By: JanelleS http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6281 JanelleS Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:01:49 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6281 I knew that last major redesign of our site was a huge hurdle and challenge, but I don't recall the scarification rituals and blubbering. However, being the default extrovert after Savan's departure, perhaps I simply am not in tune to a developer's quiet moments. I'd love to hear the real story in the kitchen sometime over a gallon of ranch dressing. I knew that last major redesign of our site was a huge hurdle and challenge, but I don’t recall the scarification rituals and blubbering. However, being the default extrovert after Savan’s departure, perhaps I simply am not in tune to a developer’s quiet moments. I’d love to hear the real story in the kitchen sometime over a gallon of ranch dressing.

]]> By: dave http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/07/what_would_apple_do_dont_ask.html/comment-page-1#comment-6280 dave Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:40:37 +0000 http://blog.redfin.com/?p=1452#comment-6280 The seamless way apple products work together is not a technological superiority, but a marketing one. There computers and operating systems are lousy. Their marketing great. Luckily a large majority of users have very low computing needs, and even lower knowledge of computers, and so the fact that they made a lousy choice, won't penalize them. The seamless way apple products work together is not a technological superiority, but a marketing one. There computers and operating systems are lousy. Their marketing great. Luckily a large majority of users have very low computing needs, and even lower knowledge of computers, and so the fact that they made a lousy choice, won’t penalize them.

]]>