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Wait, Steve Jobs is signing up for an EV at the rollout of the new iPhone? Is the zen master of Silicon Valley a Volt guy or a Leaf lover?
Surprised? Clearly Jobs doesn’t give a shit about GM’s forthcoming IPO, even though millions of his tax dollars are (presumably) hanging in the balance. The sad truth is that GM probably could have been embraced by the healing power of the Apple brand… if only it hadn’t gone to Google for phone integration on its next-gen OnStar system. D’oh!
On the other hand, the sooner car people get over their self-defeating obsession with the iPhone, the better.
30 Comments on “Leaf Jolting Volt In EV Popularity Contest Part Deux: The iPhone Boogaloo...”
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Steve Jobs is a Mercedes man IIRC.
I bet he’d buy a Leaf if Nissan buys enough iAds.
Well, they’re one of the companies putting in the $50MM King Jobs talked about having lined up for iOS4 ads, so I expect a few more tie ins to come.
An SL man. Though he seemed to have “softened up” since his health fiasco. According to an interview he rides a bicycle these days.
last I checked google products work with Mac computers and Microsoft have apps for the iPhone…so everything should still be hunky dory
Apple and Nissan: both products with brilliant marketing to give the impression to the uninformed masses that they’re greater than they actually are. “Reserve a place in history with the world’s first electric car”. Yeah, first. Right. Maybe if you don’t know anything about cars. Encourage customers to sign up for a feel-good product because of a marketing catchphrase that’s a lie.
And some of Apple’s key marketing phrases: “magic”, “retina” display, “engineered” glass, their “own alloy”.
Brilliant they are. People lapping up the iPhone will be also lapping up the Leaf like kittens to milk. All because of brilliant marketing. All because some people have to have the have the latest and greatest no matter how much in debt they are.
Please note that kitten brains aren’t fully developed and aren’t always capable of making smart decisions.
Buzzwords or not, they did manage to put a lighted HD camcorder, movie editor, and HD display in a cell phone.
@segfault, I have a lighted camera/camcorder and an HD screen, it’s a 6-mo old model. Some dumb and semi-dumb phones, like KIN, can record 720p now, too.
Apple and Nissan: both products with brilliant marketing to give the impression to the uninformed masses that they’re greater than they actually are
I’m not sure about Nissan, but I hear this line from Apple detractors all the time, and it really comes down to one thing: a demonstration of the insecurity of the enthusiast when he/she is proven wrong about what the market wants.
Yes, Apple is good at Marketing. The interesting thing about Marketing is that it’s a far broader discipline than it’s detractors think it is: it’s everything from product planning and needs analysis to advertising to feedback and post-launch tweaking. It’s also much more difficult than they suspect, tooo. In Apple’s case, they’ve succeeded where just about everyone else failed: to come up with a product that works really well and that people want to buy.
I think you’ll have to forgive the buying public if they’re “too stupid” and keep buying things that work well. Perhaps they should be steered towards the train-wreck that is Symbian S60** or Windows Mobile instead?
Again, enthusiasts are really bad at judging this sort of thing. Recall Slashdot’s “No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.” comment about the original iPod: it’s very, very similar to the kind of dismissal and derision pointed at, oh, the VW Beetle, Toyota and Honda when they first landed in North America, or hybrids, or Hyundai, etc, etc. Part of it is ego getting the better of punditry, but a lot of it is base reactionary Ludditism; a kind of reverse-elitism.
Perhaps it isn’t that “the masses are uneducated sheep” as much as it’s that some people grossly misunderstand what people actually want, much like most of the domestic auto industry grossly misunderstood what it’s buyers want and called it a “perception gap” to cover their failure to market.
** I’m a long-time Symbian user and casual programmer and have a lot of experience with Windows Mobile. Quite frankly, from the perspective of most users, they’re spec-sheet monsters whose usability fails miserably next to Apple’s offerings.
psarhjinian –
Hear, hear. I’ve been using PDA phones or smarthphones for the past ten years, and I’ve had PalmOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and now an iPhone 3GS, the iPhone just destroys everything else in the market when it comes to usability and ‘just working’.
I’m not a huge fan of Apple computers, after all, I’ve been a windows user since the DOS days, I know my way around a command line, and I’m familiar enough with Windows’ quirks and structure that I can pretty much make it do what I want, and save a lot of money on the hardware to make it run.
To bring it back around to cars, I see a Windows PC as a lot like a Mustang or Camaro – you can get a lot of performance for cheap, and you have a ton of aftermarket companies making all sorts of upgrades, some work well, some not so much, but the potential for customization is huge.
When it comes to a phone though, something I rely on every day and use for everything from keeping in touch with my family and customers, to checking KBB values or EPA fuel economy stats and showing them to customers, to keeping track of e-mail, to doing basic calculations when running numbers, I’ll take reliability and intuitive usability over raw power any day. With Ford’s sync system I get to play with a new cell phone every time a customer buys a car and I have to pair it up with Sync. From that I’ve had plenty of hands on time with Blackberries of various sorts and the new Android phones. While RIM and Google both have some nice things going with their respective OSs, they still aren’t quite as polished as the Apple experience.
This all leads me to wonder, why hasn’t anyone partnered with Apple for a in-car technology platform? Granted, Microsoft and Ford’s Sync is incredibly Apple friendly, and I’m sure GMs Android/Google based set up will work wonders too, but if any place is the perfect environment for pitching usability and little to no learning curve it’s the car telematics/navigation/infotainment setup.
@rada,
I looked at the specs on the Kin 2. It’s a nice phone, right down to its copy of the touchscreen that Apple pioneered. Also, it’s Verizon, so it’s probably going to have a bunch of Verizon non-removable crapware installed on it. It’s larger than the iPhone, mostly due to its keyboard. It doesn’t have a high-def display. It will record in HD but has only 8 GB of internal memory. On the upside, it only costs $50, so it’s more affordable than the Apple hardware. On the other hand, sometimes you get what you pay for–it’s pretty obvious that most of the new cars with heavy incentives on them generally have those incentives because they’re not as appealing as their competition.
“Buzzwords or not, they did manage to put a lighted HD camcorder, movie editor, and HD display in a cell phone.”
That would be an operatively true statement, weren’t for the provider our jeans and turtleneck wearing friend went with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFaOKJfAviI
They did manage to get a lighted HD camcorder, movie editor, and HD display on a device marginally more phone-like than a flip-phone or Kodak Zi6.
Google was the right choice. I think the ultimate goal is to deliver advertising content into vehicles. Free advertising supported ONStar could be a big revenue generator. We’ve seen oil company ads on engine covers and fuel doors – why not advertising displayed on the navigation screen? Ads could be shown based on location of the vehicle and even the time of day. It’s potentially a huge revenue source for the auto companies and google could pull it off. Probably through AdMob which is their new mobile advertising subsidiary.
A cell phone that costs around $500 to replace if you break it by mistake. It’s also a cell phone that costs $20 monthly for voicemail (at least in Canada).
As I said, some people can’t make sound financial decisions no matter how much in debt they are. I remember reading about someone who is $200,000 in student loan debt and was thinking of selling his used Integra, and then buying a Leaf to save money.
Want to save money? Keep your fuel-efficient used car and put the other $20,000 to $30,000 towards your loan to cut down on the interest burning a hole in your bank account.
A cell phone that costs around $500 to replace if you break it by mistake. It’s also a cell phone that costs $20 monthly for voicemail (at least in Canada).
As I said, some people can’t make sound financial decisions no matter how much in debt they are. I remember reading about someone who is $200,000 in student loan debt and was thinking of selling his used Integra, and then buying a Leaf to save money.
Want to save money? Keep your fuel-efficient used car and put the other $20,000 to $30,000 towards your loan to cut down on the interest burning a hole in your bank account. Ugh.
let’s not forget that Jerry York was on the board of Apple when he passed away. (along with Al Gore no less). hopefully his insight and influence will carry forward.
I’m getting an anti-Apple vibe, not sure why. And the link “self-defeating obsession with the iPhone, the better” leads to an article in which the writer mentions the iPod. Apple has nothing to do with that article, so I wonder why it was linked.
As someone else mentioned, Jobs is neither “a Volt guy or a Leaf lover.” He drives a Mercedes sedan.
No doubt some anti-Apple vibe. Probably a Windows user that is pissed that they didn’t buy Apple stock years ago like I did. ;)
And some of Apple’s key marketing phrases: “magic”, “retina” display, “engineered” glass, their “own alloy”.
Gee – are you sure you aren’t a retired GM executive? It’s thinking exactly like yours that lead to the bankruptcy of GM.
Foolish Americans for insisting on marketing gimmicks like “disc” brakes, “overhead” cams, “independent” rear suspensions, “quality”, “durability”…
I think the Google tie-in is more related to what platform will be used for the computer that will sit at the center of the dash. With a touch pad computer sitting at the center of the dash, you could run any of the applications available for that platform.
For example for radio you could use the Pandora application or a Sirius XM application to play music. There are also navigation apps readily available as well. The Android platform can even function as a WiFi hot spot as of version 2.2.
Another advantage of putting an Android tablet in the dash is the ability to take advantage of commodity pricing. A Taiwanese company says that they will be selling an Android tablet for under $100 to consumers. How do you beat prices like that? There are also multiple sources for the parts so you’re not dependent on a single supplier for the part.
So I think this is all about dash electronics and less about actual phones. With the Android platforms availability I don’t see manufacturers being motivated to build proprietary systems due to engineering costs and component pricing. Just add a climate control app (and interface to the car) and you’re almost there. Much easier than building and maintaining you’re own in-house platform.
Need more evidence? Check out GM job posting “Internet Application Engineer – 7-Senior Project Engineer-ENG0008547”:
Develop requirements for automotive modules to accept downloadable applications from an application website. Define website requirements, in-vehicle requirements and data transfer protocols needed to accomplish this feature. Technologies may include WebKit, HTML, XML, JavaScript, Android, as well as others. Functional areas of expertise include web development, networking technologies including Bluetooth and WiFi, embedded software knowledge, data transfer security, Internet protocols, in-vehicle entertainment and telematics.
My main problem with the iphone is digital rights management. apple at their own discretion can permanently shutdown your iphone/pad and remove apps and other files it doesn’t want on there, also all iphone/pad apps must be approved to be available to users, and quite frankly it doesn’t let you pirate music/movies, and it doesn’t support Flash. This wouldn’t be such a problem if you were renting or leasing it, but you bought it and it is your own property. I vote with my wallet and don’t buy Apple products or Microsoft products, and I don’t pirate them either.
Bingo! I just old and Neanderthalic enough to have the attitude that when I’ve bought a product it’s mine, and I’ll do damned well whatever I want to with it. If my actions are against the designer’s wishes, tough. If my actions are against the law, it’s my risk and my responsibility if I get caught.
After sale control of a piece of digital electronics is my first consideration when considering a product. Personal usability is second, performance is third.
As a consumer, I was totally wowed by the new iPhone. I currently have an iPhone, and my contract is up this month, and dammit, I just want it. 960 pixels wide on that tiny screen? That’s an amazing achievement for the price, and I want one.
As a software developer, though, I’m going to have to suffer without one. Steve’s announcement that apple has “paid” $1B dollars to developers gives a good hint about his attitude – he owns the content that other people provide. I cannot abide or support that attitude. The fact that he thinks he can just reshuffle the app store and remove apps on a whim is scary stuff to a developer who might be counting on the income an app brings.
I don’t want tomorrow’s software market controlled by a single man with an iron fist, though. It needs to be controlled by the market, so I’m switching to a platform that will allow that to happen.
You’re all losers. Stone table crushes PalmOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, etc EVERY time. You think there’s gonna be a big-assed pyramid built for Steve Jobs like the Egyptians built for even a lame-o pharoah? Heck no.
Programming schmogramming! Why resort to such elitist behavior. Chisel & hammer…even a neanderthal can do it!
This all leads me to wonder, why hasn’t anyone partnered with Apple for a in-car technology platform
There’s two reasons for this: Apple, unlike Google, Microsoft and other technology companies, sells a complete experience rather than a technology infrastructure, and, by extension, Apple wouldn’t get the control over the interface that thy want. This isn’t a bad thing: Apple’s level of control has assured a level of consistency well above that of it’s nearest competitor (Android).
Were Apple to enter ICE, whomever they partner with would have to cede quite a bit to them, which would be a problem of part ego duelling ego, part incompatible industry requirements that Apple wouldn’t follow.
SYNC and GM’s forthcoming Android-based system are as close as I think we’ll get, and both are going to be strong-armed into working seamlessly with Apple’s devices anyways.
As an enthusiast… I have to say that I hate Apple with a passion. Their products don’t have what I want… my favorite programs don’t run on them… my favorite games don’t run on them… the iPod, iPhone and iPad are, to me, overpriced toys.
But fascinating toys. Every time I pick up an iPhone or iPad, I marvel at the user-friendliness, the cleverness of design and the speed of the devices. Other, supposedly more powerful devices, are bogged down due to excessive (and useless) multitasking, poor user interfaces and glitches.
Apple does ergonomics and user-interface better than anybody else, period. And whether or not you like their products, you can’t deny that making those products more accessible to more people means that more people will buy them.
In this case, they’re not quite like Nissan… I’d say Honda or Mazda gets the user interface portion of driving more nearly right. Make the parts of your vehicle that the user will interact with 99% of the time the best parts of your vehicle.
I don’t get the Apple hating. They make well-designed stuff and market it well. Isn’t that what we’ve been whining about Detroit failing to do for the last 40 years?
You’ve clearly never owned one of Apple’s plastic-fantastic previous-generation MacBooks…
My wife’s previous gen Macbook has been a great little computer. Nothing has fallen off in the near 3 years we’ve had it, which I couldn’t say for the first year of owning my last Dell laptop. The wristpad is weak and has a slight crack, but they seem to have remedied that in the most recent macbook. We still have a month or so of applecare left. I have a feeling they’d kick us out the door w/ a new macbook if we ever took it back to have the piece replaced, haha.
My 06 iMac has been fantastic as well. I think you definitely pay more up front for macs, but my household hasn’t even considered purchasing a new computer in the past 3 years and I don’t see myself needing/wanting an upgrade for several years yet.
There is certainly something to be said for the philosophy of controlling both the hardware and software. Obviously, this doesn’t 100% mean that macs are perfect, but you really increase the odds of having a well integrated system when you have a very clear set of hardware variables.
I’ve owned and worked on several Apple computers going back to the Apple IIc. They haven’t been any worse than the Dell, HP, Sony and IBM machines I’ve owned and worked on over the same period. My iPod is way better then the first gen Sony Walkman I owned (the one with the separate D-cell battery pack!) and the iPhone I currently have beats the Samsung, RIM and Palm devices I’ve had hands down. Maybe you just got a lemon, Ed…