[citation][nom]ericburnby[/nom]As usual the idiots are out in full force.I'm going to the conference this year. I got my ticket as soon as I got my e-mail. Since I'm getting into developing for iOS, this conference makes total sense. What they are offering for that $1,500 is well worth it. I consider it money well spent.[/citation]
You're proof of your first assertion.
What are they offering for $1500? It's actually much closer to $1600, but then, you do love Apple, so you probably can't count money anyway, without an iPad.
You get indoctrination? You are told the right path through life? You get to talk to the angels of Jobs? You get to talk to fellow dolts, so you don't feel so stupid, by comparison?
Apple gets a cut off of the software they sell from their store. Why do they have to charge so much money off these people, errr sheep, for the privilege of them getting information how to develop software for a platform. I mean, really, $1600? It's excessive, and it's disgusting.
Can they get away with it? Yes, for now, but this type of arrogance always brings down a company sooner or later. Apple really has nothing special. They don't design chips. They don't develop technology in a meaningful technical way. Their OS is crap, and not extraordinary in any way. They sell a lot of sizzle, and they have huge value in their brand name, and do create usable products that work in a way some people find very endearing. But, it's not enough to be arrogant, because it's all easily copied.
Better companies, like IBM, fell from greater preeminence, with massive technological assets, and a much greater reputation and customer reach. Apple has to keep creating something that works in a way no one has figured out before, or to create a chic style that appeals to people. They don't have the technological momentum, or even product momentum, of an Intel or Microsoft. It's a very precarious situation, and assumes constantly creating markets, or subsets of markets. If Apple fails, their company will fail. To me, that's really dangerous. And it's really bad to be arrogant.
We'll see what happens. But we already see that the iPhone is rapidly losing market share, and the iPad is now too. Mature markets inevitably see Apple fade, because they are overpriced, and creating new markets to stay in business, sooner or later, will fail.
Then, cattle like you will not have to pay $1600 and be self-righteous about it.