Much of the conversation about Apple is driven by knowledgeable analysists, fans, and the developer community. Horace Dediu weighs in @asymco# with a most likely scenario of what is going to be unveiled on Sept 9.
The Critical Path Show #119, before the predictions of the iPhone Portfolio, big screen phones and what they are good for, and a tentative review of Ed Catmull's "Creativity, Inc" the co-hosts mention Iconic: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation#.
The book includes more than 150,000 photos of nearly every product Apple has made, including rare prototypes and even packaging and took 4 years to make.
The show itself is about the causality of success and failure in the evolving story of mobile computing and related industries. Co-hosts Dediu and Chiullan use Apple as a lens to look at existing and emerging tech markets trying to understand what it means to be great.
That is from the technology angle.
On the business side, all you need to do is search for "Apple business model" and you uncover countless articles, many by respected analysts and business people. Take for example this one comparing Amazon and Apple's business models#:
The company’s personal computers — smartphones, tablets, and laptops/desktops — are the movie stars. Everything else exists to make these lead products more useful and pleasant. Operating systems, applications, stores, Apple TV, the putative iWatch… they’re all part of the supporting cast.
[...] The iPod marked the beginning of the Post-PC era.
The company is mentioned most frequently in the context of innovation -- although recently the conversation is more about a wish for a return to it.
From recent headlines, it looks like Apple is saying much more than it used to, addressing questions from work practices and employee diversity.
As more people buy Apple products, will they lose their magic? As they connect more, will they start fading into the background?
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Valeria is an experienced listener. She designs service and product experiences to help businesses rediscover the value of promises and its effect on relationships and culture. She is also frequent speaker at conferences and companies on a variety of topics. Book her to speak here.