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252 points nivethan | 16 comments | | HN request time: 0.68s | source | bottom
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bigyabai ◴[] No.44393404[source]
> We were fascinated with the Apple store in the mall because it was essentially an interactive luxury goods store where they'd let you actually grasp all the luxury goods with your teenager hands.

The secret being, of course, that they're not actually luxury goods. Like many things at the mall, it's a high-margin doodad sold to people in the proverbial impulse aisle of life. Dippin' Dots, knock-off watches, Build-A-Bear workshop - all in same vein of "looks expensive but is cheap to make" no different from the iPod.

I think the American shopping mall is one of the things that helped me contextualize Apple's brand identity. Apple does good marking in isolation or on a screen, SF Pro looks very stunning and the Apple logo is chic and simple. But so is the Cartier logo. And the Rolex storefront. Or any of the other genuinely valuable things sold at malls. It's the marketing that people respond to, not the value of a good.

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ericmay ◴[] No.44419066[source]
I largely agree with you, but I think one of Apple’s secret sauces (and they aren’t the only one) is that while their products are to some marketed as luxury items, they are in fact coupled with extremely high utility which is a somewhat new concept, in my view.

The iPhone or your equivalent Android device truly is one of the most useful inventions humanity has ever created, especially for the era that we currently exist in.

replies(3): >>44419097 #>>44419113 #>>44419177 #
1. msgodel ◴[] No.44419097[source]
Smartphone hardware is almost completely useless because of the software. At this point it's pretty obvious that the potential (but unrealizable) utility is just more of the luxury illusion they're selling.
replies(2): >>44419111 #>>44419141 #
2. zxexz ◴[] No.44419111[source]
I’m genuinely curious what your view on the unrealized potential is! I would love something new to hack on.
replies(1): >>44419236 #
3. rekenaut ◴[] No.44419141[source]
In my pocket, I have a wallet, timer, alarm clock, calculator, telephone, atlas, directory, camera, stock broker, flashlight, tape measure, television, music collection, encyclopedia, transit time table, library, notepad, and translator. How are these utilities an illusion?
replies(1): >>44419257 #
4. msgodel ◴[] No.44419236[source]
It's a social problem not a technical one.
replies(2): >>44419394 #>>44419417 #
5. msgodel ◴[] No.44419257[source]
The few among those things that even reliably function are covered in ads and defects to the degree that you're better off without them.

The illusion is that you're getting a computer and not a collection of knickknacks and appliances.

replies(2): >>44419289 #>>44419467 #
6. Gigachad ◴[] No.44419289{3}[source]
Almost none of those things have ads on the iPhone. All of them function reliably.
replies(2): >>44419479 #>>44419554 #
7. leakycap ◴[] No.44419394{3}[source]
I think it is the lack of a non-touch keyboard, not a social problem.

I have an Android phone with a physical keyboard and it is a totally different mindset when you can "check in" and communicate with the device/through the device without constantly checking/fixing the touchscreen/dictation errors.

8. HaZeust ◴[] No.44419417{3}[source]
Great! The fun thing about social problems is that you, yourself, can make routines and picky-preferences in life to avoid most of them for yourself! You could start today by taking away HackerNews from your routine - as well as other platforms and sites that perpetuate behaviors that meet your criticisms.

If you do, you'll find that you'll stop feeling the need to project your scorn for the things you voluntarily surround yourself with!

replies(1): >>44419470 #
9. tgsovlerkhgsel ◴[] No.44419467{3}[source]
> covered in ads and defects to the degree that you're better off without them

Someone is deluded, and it's either all of the people using these apps despite being worse off due to doing so... or it's you. (And we're talking about actual utility apps, not something that you could dismiss as a dopamine trap.)

replies(1): >>44419504 #
10. msgodel ◴[] No.44419470{4}[source]
Yeah I actually don't own a smartphone at all. I don't know why you think I shouldn't talk about them after making that decision though.
replies(1): >>44419623 #
11. worthless-trash ◴[] No.44419479{4}[source]
I mean, you're getting advertisements in your iWallet.. so...
replies(1): >>44419940 #
12. msgodel ◴[] No.44419504{4}[source]
Firstly it's all very intentionally coupled together. There are strict rules around how the UI and notifications are used specifically so that they can sell your attention.

Secondly I think the only thing I really miss that's particular to smartphones is the map. Everything else is either a dumb gimmick or actually bad and all of it is to just get you're attention so they can sell it.

replies(1): >>44419656 #
13. bacon_waffle ◴[] No.44419554{4}[source]
I regularly notice bugs when using iOS Mail; one that springs to mind would display one email's body with the header info from another email, it seems to have recently been fixed but was easily reproducible for weeks if not months.
14. HaZeust ◴[] No.44419623{5}[source]
Well, with that in mind, have you noticed the problems you speak about going down in life? Was I right about the core of what a social problem is - and how it can be fixed?

You're 100% correct to talk about your criticisms still, but you read as if it was still a problem in your everyday life, so I gave a suggestion more apt to that scenario. It didn't translate well, I apologize!

15. astrange ◴[] No.44419656{5}[source]
If you don't want notifications you can just turn them off.
16. Gigachad ◴[] No.44419940{5}[source]
I'm not as that was US only but yes that was outrageous and hopefully never happens again.