ABOUT a week away from another Apple event and I’m still asking myself if it’s still worth the trouble of getting a brand new Apple product this year. The rumor mills have been running on top speed over the last month or so. Lots of leaks and speculations as well that have been published about what kind of “updates” and “upgrades” we’re going to see.
But, whether the coming products are legitly a step-up and are more innovative than the previous iteration or not, the question remains still -- are Apple products still worth the price tag that they command these days?
I’m not going to dive deep into the argument and the question. I’d like it to be more of a introspective kind of question for everyone to ask themselves.
Look at it this way, are today’s Apple products really beyond the reach of alternatives? Are the laptop computers, smartphones and tablets and desktop computers really out of this world in terms of performance and value that there are no alternatives at all?
I guess for the die-hard Apple fans, it’s an all-or-nothing kind of thing. But if you’re really into tech, it’s going to be a harder question to answer. Even more so if you’re not strapped to the nines with cash.
I’ve written in the past that Apple’s recent product outings have lost its competitive edge over everybody else’s. Some of the other brands out there are outshining Apple in the performance department. Sure, the iPhone still sells well and is still regarded to be that “status symbol.” But can it do more things than the others?
How about Apple’s computers -- laptops and desktops? Are they really still worth all that hard-earned cash? One or two iterations of the Macbook Pro recently earned the ire of users when it throttled when it hit a certain temperature threshold. And we all know how that turned out for Apple. One thing, I think, that they did right recently is the Mac Pro. Yes, the infamous cheese grater. Yes, everybody complained about its exorbitant price tag. The pro monitor Apple sold alongside it. And let’s not start talking about the stand, sold separately that was eye-wateringly expensive. Why were they right with it? Well, it’s a computer for the professional. The working professional with a pro-grade studio for whatever it is that they work on. That’s why it’s called Mac PRO. PRO for professional.
Anyway, that line of thought there about the Mac Pro can be a subject for a future article. But not today.
So, going back.
Are Apple’s coming products still worth the money?
As of this writing, and based on past releases, I’d say no. But let’s wait and see what gets announced on September 10. I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with a decision after.