Apple's recent strife around iOS 6 and now its latest senior management kerfuffle has got me thinking that I might leave the 'walled garden' when the opportunity next presents itself. It seems to me that Apple hardware, especially its phones, has peaked at the 4. I have a 4S, and Siri is clearly a bolt-on new feature designed to boost sales in the wake of a new chassis or genuinely innovative additions to the phone.
Now that Jobs is no longer barracking everyone involved and driving them to excel, it seems that the company have lost a little internal momentum. Jobs said there was no need to do 7in tablets, and I have a feeling that if he were still around, Apple wouldn't be joining the fray in that space. They have built a reputation on thought leadership: the reason the iPad is bigger than 7in is because of the superior user experience at that size (although why it's not widescreen is beyond me). Following every Tom, Dick and Harry into an already saturated and 'low-rent' market is a backward step, and one that Apple devotees, used to 'their' company leading the way, will be concerned by.
I love Apple, have owned every iPod since their launch and have worked in Apple-centric media in my time. I would never buy a PC, and all my music and movies are on Apple's platforms. I still feel that their current range of laptops is an order of magnitude greater than everything else avaialble, in terms of usability, UX, build quality and reliability. I held off from buying an iPad, though, because for the first time in ten years I couldn't see the piont of an Apple product. When my contract is up next year, I will be going to an Android phone and tablet, and hope to be woo'd back. Apple creates so many brilliant things, I'm sure it won't be long.
EDIT!
Like I said, yo. "The decision to dump Google's maps for its own, and the changes at the top of the company to eject Scott Forstall and John Browett point to a subtle downward trajectory"
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