Apple

Scheiber traces the deterioration to the transition from Steve Jobs to Tim Cook. Jobs built Apple retail around a permanently employed, generously compensated workforce, on the theory that any worker who felt second-class would make customers feel the same way. Under Cook, that model was progressively unwound: contractor numbers grew, training shifted from multi-week instructor-led programs to brief self-guided modules, and leadership rotated toward cost control.

You don’t say.

It’s also a ridiculously complex demo. I don’t think Jobs would have released it. Even the watch didn’t need a 25 min script; if it’s not obvious after an elevator pitch, I don’t think there’s a mass market retail product fit.

I "get" the hype around the Vision Pro from the Apple Store. They act like people don't understand it. I tell the guy, "yeah I get it, it's a whole new computer, and just like the Macintosh in 1984, people didn't really understand it, so it didn't sell well at first." The guy acted like I was the smartest person who came in all week. But then I said, "but I don't need it, the two Macs I have do everything I need. I'm not going to drop $3500 on something nobody knows what it's good for hoping what it is good for is something I want." I have a Mac mini and I have a MacBook Air (both M2, the Mini is a Pro though, both 16GB RAM). And they do what I need.

That being said, my favourite film did come out in theatres, but it only played 8 hours from where I live. Very limited engagement, and it has not returned to theatres (or if it has, I didn't know and either way I did not have the opportunity to go). So, I could use a Vision Pro to watch it in a virtual theater and almost have the same experience. Is that worth $3500? On its own, maybe not, but when you talk about being able to watch any movie in a virtual theater — assuming the experience is good — it kind of makes sense. I mean, you'll spend way more than $3500 to build your own home theatre. First of all, you need a place with a big enough room. Second, you'll want to soundproof it. Third, you'll want a big TV and a good sound system. The right seats. Raised seats (as in, the ones behind are higher up than the ones in front). And floor to ceiling black carpeting. Assuming you even have the space for it (most don't), you're probably looking at closer to $5-8K for the whole setup, but honestly, I'm really not sure. At that point, the Vision Pro is kind of a steal, except it's strapped to your head and only one person can use it at a time. Now imagine you're in Utah, big house, seven or eight adults in a polygamous relationship, who knows how many kids, and like five or six of the adults love movies, and the kids all wanna watch Kpop Demon Hunters all day... the theater makes more sense. But to single people or even married couples living in apartments or smaller homes, the Vision Pro might come out ahead for that "rich people" experience.

It's still a lot of coin, though.