Is Apple kicking Mac fans to the curb?

If you know me, you know I’m a bit of an Apple fanatic. Okay, fine, you can call me a fanboy since if I didn’t say it now someone would just call me out in the comment section so I’ll save you the time. I use a Macbook Pro as my main computer, I have a Mac Mini at home, my watch – yup, an Apple Watch, and of course I use an iPhone (and get a new one every year).

And no, it doesn’t stop there. As I write this I’m watching Netflix on my Apple TV, and when I’m traveling I watch Netflix on my iPad, and tomorrow morning I’ll get up and get into my Apple car. Okay, that last one’s not true but I’m sure it will be some day. Suffice it to say, Apple still has my attention.

But I’m becoming less of the norm as Apple seems to be inadvertently distancing themselves from their most loyal customers. Bloomberg said it best today:

To die-hard fans, Apple Inc.’s Macintosh sometimes seems like an afterthought these days.

(Source – Bloomberg.com)

The fact is that in my list of all the awesome Apple stuff that I know and love, the Macintosh, Apple’s computer is just one of many, and for Apple it only generates around 10% of their total sales. This number could shrink as it sounds like the internal team behind the Mac has seen better days:

Interviews with people familiar with Apple’s inner workings reveal that the Mac is getting far less attention than it once did. They say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company’s software team. They also describe a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware and technical challenges that have delayed the roll-out of new computers. (Source – Bloomberg.com)

I’ve heard more and more friends talk about moving away from the Mac and most people I knew were pretty darn disappointed with the latest Macbook release. While it would take a lot for me to switch, it has been interesting to watch the waning interest amongst people who were once more fanatical than me.

Still, like the die-hard Apple fan that I am I think this is just a momentary blip in the radar, an inflection point that any company has to go through to find themselves. Here’s to hoping I’m right.

What do you think?

Photo Credit: jimabeles Flickr via Compfight cc