First of all they haven’t stopped looking for the next next big thing. At least I hope they haven’t.

More importantly, services, or really software, can be very exciting too, no less than hardware. Apple isn’t a hardware company, they’re a company that integrate hardware and software into packages that users desire. Services are just the extension of device’s software.

Yes, but are any of Apple's services really that exciting?

There all just 'me too' products levelling the ego system.

Apple TV+ is an odd one for example, it's not needed, there are plenty of streaming services around and they all work fine on apple devices.

They have not tried to do anything interesting or exciting with there services, they've just attached them in the most basic way and watched the cash flow in.

> all just 'me too' products levelling the ego system

Apple created what was pretty much the first real platform for selling music online with iTunes. You could call Apple Music a “me too” move, but they really pivoted an existing business that had been threatened with disruption.

People have enough gadgets already. The services income is largely going to be people switching from other brands services so it’s not much of a change for the user but they now get a more integrated experience.

I haven't owned apple hardware for about a decade, and I was seriously considering buying a MacBook Air to try the ecosystem out again, thinking that I'd give it to my gf if I didn't like it, or if I really liked it I'd upgrade to a MBP and still give her the air.

These comments about services have me reconsidering this plan.

So far the services are value add and not required at all. I have a paid iCloud account because I like syncing photos between devices and seamlessly sharing with family, and I need the cloud backup option. The other stuff I don’t have and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on.

That said, this could change on a whim…

Apple doesn't really push or require their services. The Google and other ones work just as fine as they do on Windows. Apple wins people over by just making their stuff work better and you naturally end up using their stuff simply because its better rather than because you had to.

* Some of their services actually don't work better. Apple Music sucks so people still use Spotify. Which is one of the areas of growth for Apple since they have the ability to make Apple Music the best, they just haven't yet.

The music experience on Apple has sucked for like 15 years, since I last used iTunes.

Apple has had plenty of time to get their shit together with music. The fact that they haven't after 15 years tells me that they don't want to.

AR glasses aren’t ready until the 30s.

Something which I will never, ever wear. Apple is about supporting healthy lifestyles, not escaping from them. I see value in an Apple version of the HoloLens, but not as a consumer device.

The next iPad or Watch only come every decade or so.

The next iPhone is likely what they are really shooting for.

The next 'watch' would be a relatively minor product. The watch is a fairly pointless niche device. It helps apple and it's another product in the eco system, but it doesn't move the needle that much.

Is moving the needle bigger that a Fortune 120 company? (~$25B). https://www.macobserver.com/news/product-news/apple-wearable...

This includes airpods, aren't airpods a lot more popular than the watch?

About two per decade by my count. And we’re overdue for the next one.