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Anyone want to talk about the Apple Car?


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Anyone want to talk about the Apple Car?
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-20, 02:02

I've been pretty skeptical but after catching up on all the reports and also reconsidering the market against Tesla and Google and the future of cars in general and I'm starting to come around to the idea that Apple might actually go ahead and make a consumer-facing, honest-to-god automobile that you sit in and drive and it has an Apple logo on the back. Initially I figured this was mostly an RnD exercise of sorts maybe for their mapping initiatives or some other use, but Apple doesn't tend to do the 'moonshot' fiddling around that Google does and when they go deep into anything of interest it's because they think a consumer facing product is at the end of it.

So what would the Apple car be? Either 'fast luxury' in the contemporary sense(think like high-end Kias and the likes which are trying to usurp the old guard) or maybe it'll be 'the people's car' a la Volkswagen and be, out the gate an 'affordable' (south of $50k) and pragmatic sort of vehicle.

2020 is what some people have proposed as the year it'd be ready, dunno where they pulled that number but I could see it taking 5 years I suppose from this point. Seems a bit fast though.

I think a lot of biases will need to be rewritten for an Apple car to actually work. Cars, historically have a huge amount of baggage with regards to what you drive, how it looks, what the badges are(like if it is an identical chassis to some other maker but the one is 'uncool' and the other is 'cool'). In recent years that has shifted somewhat with increased focus on outright pragmatism, fuel economy, emissions standards and the likes, but that's a lot of momentum to change the conversation on. It's similar to watches in a way, actually. This 'thing' that we attach ourselves to in an identifying/status-symbol way that has been going on forever but feels really alien to tech dorks for the most part.

But by 2020, maybe us old fogey tech dorks will just be anachronistic entirely and our stubborn opinions about what computers are supposed to do will just be irrelevant as 'tech' and 'computer tech' will have so thoroughly encompassed all aspects of life that of course it'd start growing into less outright functional or traditional applications.

The other big thing is the selling model. No way Apple partners with dealerships, so it'd have to be like Tesla on that front, and this is where the two companies won't necessarily be rivals as they'll be politically motivated to make their direct sales model work wherever they can. Also, would the Apple brand even sell a car? It just seems sooooo hard to imagine driving "an Apple", possible perhaps they brand the car strongly with a different name. If it's iCar I'm moving to the moon.

as for what it will actually do? Kind of a who cares at this point. It'll have a small but efficient engine that includes at least three bulletpoint 'innovative features', it will look rad and striking from all angles in a sleek and futuristic way, it will have all the bells and whistles of a computer on board and everything that entails and it'll satisfy the complement of safety and oversight regulations it needs to satisfy. But I feel like by the time it exists, no one will really care about any of that stuff anymore and it will succeed or fail entirely on how it is branded, marketed and sold as cool (or not).

Seriously though, please don't wind up being the iCar
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2015-02-20, 02:23

I still don't buy it. Half of me thinks Apple is leaking false information to screw with their competitors.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-20, 02:43

Just looking at the financials I think it is kind of a no-brainer. It's a multi-billion dollar industry that has been operating the same way for the better part of a century and is only just now embracing 'tech' in recent years. It might be left field for a computer company to make a car but the car market would appear ripe for the picking in terms of 'iPhone caliber disruption'. Tesla is already demonstrating this in a small and growing scale they could be the bellwether and by the time Apple (and Google and maybe some others) have revved up for real it'll be the tipping point.

Plus car financing is massively profitable in a way that has got to appeal to Apple's business strategy.
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curiousuburb
Antimatter Man
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
 
2015-02-20, 03:50

You won't be able to open the bonnet/hood of course.
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Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2015-02-20, 05:04

Aw dammit... wait until the car analogies start.
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addison
Formerly “AWM”
 
Join Date: May 2009
 
2015-02-20, 08:46

2020? That seems beyond optimistic. It's really not that far away and there are a lot of things you need to sell cars. It's an expensive and highly regulated business that requires a lot of investment. It's not like Tesla is making any money from selling cars. Since Apple is hooked on high margins I assume it would have to be a luxury vehicle. The article says they are shooting for a 200 mile range which doesn't seem that hard to do. A real breakthrough would be a rapid charge system that drastically shortens "refueling" time.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2015-02-20, 11:22

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post
Aw dammit... wait until the car analogies start.
Actually, I think it will be computer analogies.

I can see the sales[person] explaining how the Macincar is like your Macintosh: Cool and exciting to sit in, especially with all those "PC" cars and their ugly, boxy shapes. And, oh, does our software work! This car syncs to the cloud just like your iPhone. Push this little button, and just like on your iPad, all your contacts, their addresses and such all show up right there. A voice command and their address is plotted right in with directions and Starbucks shops along the way.

The whole thing will be compared to the traditional car world using familiar Mac vs. PC/Android analogies.

I'm right. You wait and see!

And Wrao, you save room on that moonship for me, K? "iCar" is vomit-inducing material. Fortunately, we have Apple Watch to show us that Apple is not so desperate to use "i" in everything anymore. And if they call it Apple Car, the haters will lambaste it with Apple Core. No, it will have a name that speaks of efficiency, style, and desire. It will simply be called "AutoMac". And, no, you will not be able to change the tires without a tri-lobe!

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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2015-02-20, 12:28

In my mind there are two possibilities with an "Apple Car":

A) Apple makes a great car, but only rich people (aka people who make over $100k a year) will be able to afford it. Super niche market, only out there to strengthen the brand image.

B) Total flop that only shows that Apple has jumped the shark in the post Steve Jobs era.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-20, 14:46

B is not possible, imo. The idea that Apple is teetering for 'the flop' is romantic and detached from the cold hard reality of just how much money they make and how exceedingly well their business operates *as a business*. It's true enough that Apple is prodigious at making products that occupy a sweet spot between sensible and emotional purchasing, their products aren't always 'the best' in the cold, hard facts analysis but you *want* them and they are extremely good at conveying that. But it's wrong to conflate that with their overall business endeavors or how their company is run. Because that reality is about as far from the flight-of-fancy wish fulfillment of their products as is possible. Where they are typically very conservative and cautious to a fault, know what it means to *ship*, keep their promises down and their delivery up, and all together slowly iterate and revise ideas over time while being underscored by a staggeringly well oiled operation that'd make Henry Ford blush.

But, all that said, the luxury model *is* probably more likely for the sake of profit margins and allowing them to be more uncompromising in the end result. Especially if they are mad enough to try and have this out the door by 2020(or at least 'entering production' by then).

Cars are such a weird market though overall. So reputation and personality driven as compared to most tech stuff. People just sort of get it in their heads a run down of what each car maker 'stands for' or represents and they guide their decisions by that. Of course they mostly just buy whatever they can afford, but at every price point there tends to be 3-4 options and the 'feeling' of buying a car can't be overstated really.

This is where Apple really shines, at getting you to want something that *is* good but isn't necessarily perfect/best/whatever.

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As for the fun stuff. I'd think Apple's best bet on naming would be to just come up with some strong iconic name. I'd say out the gate something like "The A1" but that's already taken, as is "A5" through "A8" (thanks Audi...) but something kind of along those lines that gives the car a forward facing identity not separate from Apple but conversationally unique. Tesla really nailed it both with the company name and the "Model S" moniker. Perfect balance of homage and iconic. So Apple would have to be careful from slipping into that same pattern I'd think lest it comes off as corny. Funny thing about cars too is that you *can* get away with calling them kind of ridiculous things if you sell it right. Not about to say they should call it "The Steve" because steve is just not a very cool name for that sort of thing, but that sort of naming isn't unheard of either. Apple does have a good history of using bold names from all the big cat names to thunderbolt and lightning and firewire and metal, so I'd trust them to come up with *something*, it's just racking my brain I really can't think of what that something would be. The Cupertino, The Infinity(yeah thanks Infiniti...) The Spaceship....

But yeah, 2020 is unreasonably ambitious and if Apple seriously thinks they can get it done by then I applaud their audacity, I'd have to think just the regulatory issues alone would take many years to clear before you can even get into testing and whatever.

But I think the other reason I've gotten so on board with this idea in the past 24 hours or so is that you look at the car market and there are 2 and 3-way rivalries at *every* segment. We can talk about the Apple haters who would never be caught dead in an Apple Car and remember the intense rivalry between Ford and Chevy, or we can talk about more pragmatic customers who don't get wound up too much by brands and look at the rivalry between Toyota and Honda, or the price-conscious buyers and find the rivalry between Hyundai and Kia. Tesla is trying to disrupt the electric car market and their size and flexibility has made a lot of inroads against other makers who still have to cater to other clientele and products. Tesla is trailblazing but it's only a matter of time before they meet their vs. option. The Samsung to their Apple etc.

It feels wrong to say Apple could be that just on the basis that Apple is usually the trailblazer, but the market shouldn't penalize them too much for coming a bit late on this sort of thing, is the point.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-20, 14:55

Quote:
Originally Posted by curiousuburb View Post
You won't be able to open the bonnet/hood of course.
Won't be able to open the hood, it will only drive you to Apple-approved destinations, the CD player will only play CDs burned from iTunes, it will cost $500k but have the same power as a $100k car you could build at newegg, every year they'll release a new one that has a bigger windshield, steering wheel replaced by click wheel, only one pedal ...etc...etc.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-20, 14:58

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post
Aw dammit... wait until the car analogies start.
Right? we're entering a brave new world Kick
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addison
Formerly “AWM”
 
Join Date: May 2009
 
2015-02-20, 15:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao View Post
Won't be able to open the hood, it will only drive you to Apple-approved destinations, the CD player will only play CDs burned from iTunes, it will cost $500k but have the same power as a $100k car you could build at newegg, every year they'll release a new one that has a bigger windshield, steering wheel replaced by click wheel, only one pedal ...etc...etc.
Will the charging cable quickly fray and split?
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zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2015-02-20, 15:52

I think too many of the hires that were highlighted by 9to5mac are just too specific for actual vehicle development to think that they aren't working on a full blooded automobile of some sort. I know people keep saying they are just working on a more advanced CarPlay system, or 'Take-over-the-dashboard' kind of project, but I disagree. Think back to the ROKR. When that didn't work out so great, Apple didn't decide to build a cell-phone OS to sell to phone manufacturers. They decided they needed to build the whole widget. Building a car-OS, as some have speculated, would seem more like a Microsoft or Google approach.

I don't think Apple's notoriously high profit margins would need to exist in the car space. With small electronic consumables, their high margins net them $10s to $100s per item. But with cars, a smaller margin could still net them $1000s per item. I would expect their margins to be higher than some of the old guard manufacturers, but nowhere near what it is on their existing product lineup.

As for the time to market... It wouldn't surprise me if even a few key individuals at Apple have already been working on this for years. Not necessarily in actual product development, but in doing the due diligence of analyzing the sector and gathering knowledge on what the overall task will take, and some general conceptualizing. In fact, haven't there been Apple car rumors dating back 5 years or more? Never with any substance, mind you, but murmurs and 'wishful thinkings.' Maybe those were rooted in some actual reality?? I think the team they are putting together now will come in with some of the groundwork already in place. Add the fact that they are hiring a slew of people with tons of experience and I don't think its far-fetched to think they could pull this off quicker than people might expect.

On the other hand, it could depend on just how radical of a plan they have. In other words, are they just planning to make an electric car, like Tesla, where the main departure from traditional autos lies in the engine/power train? Or are they going beyond that and trying to re-create personal transportation from the ground up? I'm not really sure what that would end up being, but the point is, there are still a lot of ways the Tesla is just like traditional automobiles: overall shape, number of wheels, general interior layout, seating, suspension, braking, steering, etc.. I'm not saying Apple should necessarily change any of those things, but they certainly could try. And if so, it will take longer.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2015-02-20, 19:47

I think the Apple Watch should be an indicator of Apple's possible thinking regarding cars. A low-end, mid-range, and high-end product all containing the same innards but built from different materials. In other words, the materials differentiate the product, not the features.

I could see them attacking the car industry from all angles right off the bat. A low, mid and high-end car differentiated by materials and "power" rather than features (as the current auto industry does). You buy the MacinCar, and you get a Mac, regardless of what trim level you choose. I don't see a lot of accessories. Lots of color choices, lots of interior material choices, perhaps lots of battery/motor choices (no way Apple is going internal combustion in any capacity). But as far as the controls are concerned (wheel, dash, pedals, etc.) they will all be identical. You can order your car up in white plastic/aluminum or gold-plated carbon fiber, but they will all have the same computer/software.

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-21, 02:25

Hm. I dunno about that. They're able to do it with a watch because a watch is very small and only contains so many parts, bands don't really contain any parts(save for clasps) so it's a helluva lot easier and cost effective to offer differentiation based on style, and prices based on 'value' perception.

I can't imagine a scenario where that same approach would work for a car, there's just way too many materials at play.

The area that I think Apple might have an ace up their sleeve is their legendary supply chain dominance. Thinking specifically of batteries here.

As for the power and performance, the range, the efficiency...etc. all of that has got to be great but it doesn't necessarily have to be class leading in every respect. They'll need at least something to stand out and be a clear ">" to Tesla(or whoever) of course but it might not need to be as dramatic as analysts have been figuring.

I was thinking the same thing though about 'buy the Apple Car and get a mac with it" not just in terms of the processor/computer that powers the interior but what if it was *literally* you get a Macbook with the purchase or an iPad or something like that. Maybe not Apple's bag.

But really I just keep coming back to a few essential facts. The US Automobile industry is worth over $500B. Financing cars is hugely lucrative for financiers not just in revenue generated but also pivotally(and right into Apple's typical behavior) recurring and annual. Cars are already upgraded every year just about from major manufacturers, following a typical 3-5 year life cycle between major redesigns.

Throw in the kind of 'dead man walking' reality of dealerships today(which sucks to say because it's been a reliable job for such a long time, but it's hard to see how it has a real future when buyers will inevitably become more informed and discerning, gutting the salespersons role almost entirely) as well as the vaguely dysfunctional collection of attempts that various companies have made to reinvent this or that or create 'the car of the future', and I think you really get left with a scenario that is exactly the type of scenario Apple whets its appetite for, did I say that the US automobile industry is a $500B industry?
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Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2015-02-21, 08:03

I'm not sure what to make of these rumours. Going into the car business seems like quite a jump, but on the other hand the major conditions seems to be present for it to be plausible: The car manufacturing business is largely archaic and ripe for upheaval, Apple has a McDuck sized mountain of money that they can't possibly just invest in their current business and Apple can probably use a lot of their technical know-how too. Tesla has shown that it's possible, but that's just one new company in a brave new car market where most of the incumbents might end up like Nokia. And last, but not least, maybe Ive just want's to design a car really badly.

But hey, now we have someting fresh and far out to speculate over.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao View Post
Won't be able to open the hood, it will only drive you to Apple-approved destinations, the CD player will only play CDs burned from iTunes, it will cost $500k but have the same power as a $100k car you could build at newegg, every year they'll release a new one that has a bigger windshield, steering wheel replaced by click wheel, only one pedal ...etc...etc.
Oh, I know some people who hates Apple because of this and one of these guys is also very gifted at repairing cars. He has an old Audi that must have driven the equivalent of three roundtrips to the moon and showing no signs of failure, thanks to his mad car fixing skills. He's would absolutely loose his shit if ever came rolling into his driveway in an Apple Car. Especially once he realises that the only things you can open are the doors ant the trunk - no wait - the car decides when it is in your best interest to open those, not you!
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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Send a message via Skype™ to PB PM 
2015-02-21, 11:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao View Post
B is not possible, imo. The idea that Apple is teetering for 'the flop' is romantic and detached from the cold hard reality of just how much money they make and how exceedingly well their business operates *as a business*.
B) Is possible, Apple has made flops before, and likely will again. Even among the best there are flops from time to time and Apple has had it's far share of them over the years. It's just another wait and see situation. Yes Apple is currently a good business, but to say that it is an infallible business, that never releases bad products, is a little over the top (considering how much you complain about Mac OS and iOS ).

Anyway, for Apple high end cars makes the most sense, at least from a profit margin standpoint. I can seem them wanting to make something that will go head to head with the likes of Tesla. The question is, how many people in that market segment are really going to want an "Apple Car." ?
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addison
Formerly “AWM”
 
Join Date: May 2009
 
2015-02-21, 12:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
Anyway, for Apple high end cars makes the most sense, at least from a profit margin standpoint. I can seem them wanting to make something that will go head to head with the likes of Tesla. The question is, how many people in that market segment are really going to want an "Apple Car." ?
But Tesla hasn't made a dime so far. Who's to say Apple won't face the same fate? I just don't know if they are willing to take losses for an extended period of time.

I'm starting to think all this talk of an Apple car could be a signal the tech bubble is about to burst. When it does I doubt Tesla will survive. They will eventually be bought by someone or go out of business.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-21, 15:54

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
B) Is possible, Apple has made flops before, and likely will again. Even among the best there are flops from time to time and Apple has had it's far share of them over the years. It's just another wait and see situation. Yes Apple is currently a good business, but to say that it is an infallible business, that never releases bad products, is a little over the top (considering how much you complain about Mac OS and iOS ).

Anyway, for Apple high end cars makes the most sense, at least from a profit margin standpoint. I can seem them wanting to make something that will go head to head with the likes of Tesla. The question is, how many people in that market segment are really going to want an "Apple Car." ?
The point of B not being possible isn't to say Apple can't have a flop, it is to say that they can weather a flop. They're in a position right now where they could theoretically completely miss the next 'iPhone moment' and *be fine*. It would be a hit, and they'd look bad to the press and whatever but they as a company would be utterly fine. Shake themselves off a bit, enter the market 'late' and get back to work. Perhaps I misread your intent a bit but so often people have the perception with Apple that they are teetering for '*the* flop' being that is they miss out on the next big thing they're in big trouble or it would set along a cascading collapse that would hurt them for a long time to come. But I can't see how that is possible when looking at the bedrock solid financials that support their business.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-21, 16:04

I'm not convinced about the 'tech bubble' bursting either, to be honest. Which is not to say it can't happen. There are material production challenges that no one is really talking about, contentious issues of labor and sourcing and supply chain to manage trillions of dollars of 'tech' yearly and some things might be weaker or have the potential to hurt the whole system. But if we're to compare the record-breaking growth and profits and financials of the past few years to the famous ~2000 'dot-com bubble' I think the comparison isn't as strong overall.

Pivotally, back then a lot of companies *really* didn't know what they were doing with the internet *at all*. Big, well resourced companies were completely clueless about how to handle the internet, but more critically even the smaller upstarts (the dot-com bubble companies) didn't really know much better they were just faster to get on board.

The same cannot be said of today where the internet is more cleanly and clearly defined, shaped and utilized than ever and companies have figured out, to an almost alarming degree, how to utilize it for their businesses.

The current bubble I'm feeling is app start-ups. That seems like more of a bubble to me because so much of it is based on loose money, wild promises, "the idea first, the business distant second" thinking, coupled with a vague sort of 'rock star' attitude among workers who all think they're going to get that big multimillion dollar buy out or whatever. (as well as want to present this "lol, don't go to college just learn to make apps!" mentality) Which isn't even to start talking about the weird ways in which start-up tech culture in the bay has some strangely archaic and old-world views on society...

That seems to me like something that could very well 'correct' in the foreseeable future. Just on the basis that it would only take venture capital firms tightening their purses a little to send huge shockwaves through the entire start-up/app industry.

Of course then you see stats about how Android owns 80% of the smartphone market but only ~9% of the profits(of which *all* of them go to Samsung) and that also raises some 'bubble' flags I think, since a similar story occurred in the late 90's with dozens of computer vendors selling at a loss to try and establish a foothold. But that strategy was *always* flawed and it remains flawed, as it directly mortgages the future to pay for the present.

So there are certainly some bubble-y things going on right now, but the overall picture of tech(read consumer-facing computer tech) is not, I think, at immediate risk of anything at all resembling the 'off the side of a cliff' crash that happened in the early 2000s

But to talk of all of these hypothetical bubbles and bursts as they relate to *Apple*? I think you're talking about a sinking ship where startups and the likes are the people, lifeboats are the medium sized companies and then there's that $754B dollar yacht on the deck with a helicopter too that is perfectly seaworthy.


--
Of course depending on your political feelings of the economy overall, it can be argued the entire damn thing is teetering towards 'collapse' but that'd be a lot more than just a tech bubble, is the point, and if that happens then it's not so much an "I told you so" as a "welp, hope you're good with a shovel"
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2015-02-21, 23:18

I believe in "all in" companies.

Companies that commit to a product and remain committed to it.

Adobe is committed to the graphics industry in a big, big way.

Microsoft has been committed to supporting Windows for ages.

Apple?

We could compile a long list of Apple products that did not receive support in the long run.

I do not trust Apple to remain committed to an auto product, nor to the temperaments of the industry.

For that matter, I do not believe in the iWatch. It's a product looking for a need.

That does not mean that they will not succeed.

Were I in charge of a large portfolio of Apple stock I'd buy on this rumor, sell on the news.

Having said all of that, a ubiquitous Apple in-car system is something I could believe in.



...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2015-02-22, 12:55

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewprops View Post
Having said all of that, a ubiquitous Apple in-car system is something I could believe in.
I'm not sure they'd be satisfied with that — they like making the "whole widget" — and I don't think automakers would want to outsource their in-car stuff to them, anyway. It's a huge part of the experience of using a car, and a huge amount of opportunity for differentiation is lost if everyone is using iCar OS.

I'm not seeing the cause for concern here. I think Apple could make gobs of money on cars. Why not? It's clear that some company could make lots of money on cars, and why couldn't that company be Apple? They wouldn't have to make a perfect car, they'd just have to do better than everyone else, and that seems doable enough.

It's a little weird, since we're used to thinking about Apple as a gadget company, but I think they view themselves differently. I think they view themselves as a company that makes well-designed products that make people's lives better. Viewed in this light, Apple's opportunities for expansion become obvious: look for markets where all the existing options aren't good enough. I think cars — where all the mediocre companies are protected from disruption by the high barriers to entry, and the vast majority of offerings are actively destroying the planet — certainly qualify.

There really aren't any car interiors that I love. Some are better than others, but in general it feels like an area that hasn't been illuminated by the torch of truly considered design. I think lots of people don't know what many of the buttons on their center console do. And even on high-end cars, if you get a model that lacks a particular feature, they'll still put a blank do-nothing button where the button for that feature would be, since they're too cheap to make a different panel surround. Can you even imagine Apple standing for that?

I don't think it's a coincidence that automotive analogies have become an Apple cliché, and I don't think it's a coincidence that auto marques inspire some of the most fiercely loyal consumers this side of the Macintosh. Both computers and cars are really complicated, and that means it's extra important to find one that fits. A chair has to fit your body, but a computer or car has to fit the way you think. It has to seem natural and obvious, like it couldn't be any other way. A good computer or car has to match the user's values. I don't think there's any car that matches Jony Ive's values.

Is design important in cars? If the answer is yes (and it is), then it's a market that plays to Apple's strengths.

If there's a lesson of the gold Apple Watch, it's that Apple doesn't define itself as narrowly as most Apple watchers do. I think the question to ask isn't "is Apple making a car?" but "could Apple make a car that is way better than existing cars?" Because if they can, they'll want to. They'd be stupid not to. They've got the money. They're making all the money in their existing markets. What they need are more markets.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-22, 14:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mugge View Post
Oh, I know some people who hates Apple because of this and one of these guys is also very gifted at repairing cars. He has an old Audi that must have driven the equivalent of three roundtrips to the moon and showing no signs of failure, thanks to his mad car fixing skills. He's would absolutely loose his shit if ever came rolling into his driveway in an Apple Car. Especially once he realises that the only things you can open are the doors ant the trunk - no wait - the car decides when it is in your best interest to open those, not you!
You know, it sounds like a joke but I honestly wouldn't be too surprised if cars in the future, not just Apple's, *do* restrict user access to the engine compartment. What is a user even going to do with a sophisticated computer controlled electric motor other than muck it up?

As an aside, in a sort of 'canary in the coal mine' sense, I'm a big fan of the UK motoring show Top Gear and even they, even Jeremy is starting to come around to the inevitability of hybrids and electrics and while Jeremy doesn't think they're quite 'there' yet, he seems convinced they will be, and will be in such a way that will ultimately satisfy 'the petrolhead' in the end. As recently as 3 or 4 years ago such a sentiment from someone whose entire public persona revolves around being a brutish anachronism would be inconceivable. And Top Gear, for all its silliness, is a decent source for trends and future developments. If you watch their show enough you see they usually do basically 'get it right' with regards to where cars are headed.

Also, I think Robo brings up a good point about the un-used button phenomenon and how that little detail kind of summarizes how car design is a bit in the moors today. The other component of why interiors are so often a little bit 'wrong' is because they tend to recycle a lot of components between models. The door handles on your truck probably came from that SUV the company also sells, the seatbelt buckle came from the Sedan, the window control came from the truck...etc. It's done to make manufacturing more efficient and all and that's fine, but it also holds back design in some ways too. Apple has an advantage (and disadvantage in some ways) out the gate in that they'd get to truly design from the ground up and not just check some boxes to cut corners about including pre-existing parts from other models. If nothing else, it allows them to theoretically design a car that *is* fundamentally unmatched in a direct sense and a way that is vaguely reminiscent of how their strategy in desktop computers works. (e.g. Don't build a generic tower that anyone can build, make the design something that is hard to copy and sell on that value)
  quote
kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2015-02-22, 16:04

If there's one thing about Apple that holds absolutely true, it's this: They don't like buttons. My guess is the Apple Car will be voice controlled (Siri) and have exactly one button. It'll be right at your finger tip and serve two tasks.

1) With Touch ID, the button will start your car only after verifying you as the owner, and

2) When you press it, the car will take you straight home from wherever you are!

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tomoe
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
 
2015-02-22, 18:51

Really hope it's not Siri controlled, because in my experience she's inept at even the most basic of queries.
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2015-02-22, 21:40

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao View Post
.... I'm a big fan of the UK motoring show Top Gear and ....

Our funnier, more clever, really good looking members are all fans of Top Gear...




...
  quote
Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2015-02-22, 21:58

Quote:
Originally Posted by tomoe View Post
Really hope it's not Siri controlled, because in my experience she's inept at even the most basic of queries.
Really? I've had pretty great usage from Siri overall. I don't use it for everything but I do use it pretty regularly. But driving relate stuff it's been really strong for me overall, location-aware, context-aware, automatically adjusts route very well and for the most part it hasn't struggled to find locations so I can just say "Take me to (whatever the place I'm trying to get to)" and it makes it happen. I do notice with Siri though if you treat it like old school voice commands and talk stilted and unnaturally it works a lot worse. Dunno, guess not everyone's voice works as well with it or something but I really can't complain of my Siri usage, it's not good enough to completely take over controls but it's certainly not useless.
  quote
drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2015-02-22, 22:08

Don't get me started on Siri.

I use it a lot and know its weaknesses all too well.

Would love to be part of a study group on the technology.


...

Steve Jobs ate my cat's watermelon.
Captain Drew on Twitter
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2015-02-22, 23:46

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewprops View Post
Our funnier, more clever, really good looking members are all fans of Top Gear...




...
Yes. Yes they are!
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2015-02-23, 10:28

I happen to love Top Gear UK (via Netflix). Kinda like Top Gear USA, but don't get to see it since I don't pay for TV.
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