I know this is going to make me sound like a fanboy, but I find the article title amusing. The idea that Apple is "racing" to keep ahead of rivals and feeling the heat is a bit silly. Only recently, a full two years after the original iPhone, are we seeing devices that anyone could really consider competitive with it. Anyone familiar with Apple's culture knows that they have not all been sitting on the beach drinking their Corona's this whole time. If the past is any guide, they've been ruthlessly executing their R&D and product development strategies.
That was most clear when they introduced iPhone. Everyone was speculating about how they were going to add telephony to iPod or how they were going to integrate the clickwheel interface into a full-screen iPod, and instead they introduced an entirely new device based on OS X.
These are not the kind of people to endlessly churn out styling variations on tired old products.
I was also going to jump on that line. besides its lack of insight, what I dislike about such lines is that they cast doubt on the company without any basis whatsoever. I'm always reading these kinds of things: If Microsoft can find the right combination of features, price, design, distribution, marketing, and coolness, Zune may supplant iPod as the it-gift this Christmas and Apple will be in trouble. WTF!?
Same here. He also followed it up with this gem, "If they continue to have an aura where their products are seen as defining the marketplace, they are going to be fine..." From the sound of that I could be an analyst at Barclays Capital:
clears throat
As a fortune 500 CEO Steve Jobs is essential to the leadership structure at Apple. If he leaves they'll have to fill that spot or Apple is going to suffer a lack of direction at the top. Water is wet.
