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The Kill List: Apple just declared war on these 15 products

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 · 1:36 pm · 51 Comments

“Apple announced a bunch of new stuff at its Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday,” Marcus Moretti writes for The Business Insider.

“Whenever Apple releases new products, it signals what devices it wants to kill,” Moretti writes. “This time around, Apple is shaking up several industries with changes and additions to its hardware and software.”

Here are Apple’s next victims:

• Google Maps
• Optical Drives
• Ethernet
• Hard disk drives
• Dropbox
• Evernote
• Google Docs
• Dictation software
• Growl
• Car navigation systems
• Stay-on-task apps like Isolator
• Wunderlist
• Anti-Virus software for Mac
• Tango and other video chat apps
• Adium

Much more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Dan K." for the heads up.]

Categories: News

Tags: Adium, Car navigation systems.Isolator.Wunderlist.Anti-Virus Mac.Tango, Dictation software, Dropbox, Ethernet, Evernote, Google Docs, Google Maps, Growl, Hard disk drives, optical drives, video chat apps

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Comment Feed

51 Comments

Spark

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:38 pm · Reply

“Sherlocked”
- MacBeliever
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:45 pm · Reply
  
  Maybe Sherlock will return as thermonuclear.
  - MacBeliever
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:52 pm · Reply
    
    Sherlock the search engine would take the need of Google off the Apple ecosystem, if Sherlock could work well, that is.
    - silverhawk1
      
      Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:19 pm · Reply
      
      I liked Sherlock.
      - Derek Currie
        
        Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 3:54 pm · Reply
        
        I hate Spotlight.
- thethirdshoe
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:31 pm · Reply
  
  The Woman.
  
  Yes see was.
Macsilvio

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:42 pm · Reply

One more:
Mac Pro.
Yesterday Steve Jobs found a way to take Apple with him. Now THAT’S visionary genius.
- strangermode
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:54 pm · Reply
  
  Well, if the usually reliable David Pogue is to be believed, his conversations yesterday with Apple brass would indicate the Mac Pro is not dead.
  It was enough to make me step back off the ledge, at least.
Spark

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:42 pm · Reply

I don’t think Apple thinks in terms of killing a product, as it pertains to the software titles. I think they come to a realization that a good software idea could be made even more powerful if baked into the OS. Apple has a long history, as do most OS developers, of absorbing good ideas of 3rd party devs into the the core OS. Yeah, people get run over in the process. It sucks to be Sherlocked. (Good phrase for a tee shirt).
- MizuInOz
  
  Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:45 am · Reply
  
  @Sparky (just had to – it was just there)… What a great idea. I can see the Sherlock logo with the phrase. You really made me laugh! Cheers, Mate.
Quoted

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:42 pm · Reply

Evernote?
- HTML5 Gordon
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 1:50 pm · Reply
  
  Yep. Reminders with iCloud.
  - Ballmer's left nut
    
    Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:07 pm · Reply
    
    I don’t think reminders is even 20% of what Evernote offers.
    - HTML5 Gordon
      
      Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:29 pm · Reply
      
      Agreed, but the vast majority of people only use it as as a list and reminder service. I’m a huge Evernote user, so I use it for much more, but most people I know don’t really take advantage of much more.
      
      So, while there isn’t feature parity, many people who would have gotten into Evernote (and sharing with it) may not, as they won’t need to search for a reminder app.
      - G4Dualie
        
        Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:16 pm · Reply
        
        Evernote will stand or fall on its own merit.
        
        If its as good as you say, then stop tormenting yourself over those who may never get a chance to use it.
        
        Just keep selling!
Janice

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:17 pm · Reply

I would LOVE for Apple to offer a full substitute for Dropbox and Google Docs, but so far iCloud primarily addresses personal syncing (and does that wonderfully). But many of us also need the collaboration features in Google Docs and can’t completely avoid M$ Office files. Of course, M$ could implement Apple’s iCloud API in an update to Office, but why will they do it while they’re also pushing their own SkyDrive? Part of the answer might be an update to iWork when Mountain Lion comes out, with full collaboration features and a way to share iWork files with non-Mac users…
Bruce

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:19 pm · Reply

A syncing notepad does not replace Evernote unless you use Evernote in the most basic of ways. Until we can collaborate on common documents across competing platforms, Google Docs is safe as well.
mossman

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:19 pm · Reply

Ethernet might be pushed more to the background or limited to pro environments, but won’t be killed off for at least 10 years. There’s no cheap, viable wired replacement.

Wireless-N routers have a theoretical max of 300 Mbps, but real-world speeds are closer to 75 Mbps. That’s not even the 100 Mbps speeds we saw 10 years ago never mind gigabit ethernet.
- qka
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:44 pm · Reply
  
  If Apple is killing Ethernet, why did they add it to the AirPort Express where it was not available before?
Maddan

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 2:22 pm · Reply

Ethernet isn’t going away. The way we use it may change and fiber optic and wireless ethernet may replace much of the copper but considering how much of the internet is absolutely dependent on ethernet it’s not going away.
- Keith
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:37 pm · Reply
  
  thank you. Common sense. Ethernet isn’t going anywhere. The medium used for Ethernet may change. I literally laughed out loud when I saw that on the list.
JB Tipton

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:17 pm · Reply

Sorry Apple but the optical drive is still useful. Is it a mechanical nightmare? Is it a drag on your warranty repair costs? Yes. But, for now at least, it’s still how large numbers of consumers get their video content.

Regarding DropBox, Apple would be well advised to avoid going to war with something until they can offer a viable alternative. I will be forced to use DropBox starting 7/1/12 when Apple takes away my iDisk.
- Jack
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:36 pm · Reply
  
  JB is exactly right. Whatever iCloud is, in its current form it does not replace either iDisk or DropBox. I switched to DropBox last year and it’s great. I won’t be giving up my DropBox account unless iCloud is substantially improved.
- 3l3c7ro
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:15 pm · Reply
  
  I was wondering how long it would take the Luddites to come out.
  - Derek Currie
    
    Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 4:11 pm · Reply
    
    Oh puhleeze!
    
    iCloud is a cheap rendition of MobileMe. It’s free. It’s LESS capable and LESS useful than MobileMe. iCloud has also had plenty of buggy problems, just like MobileMe. The only reason you don’t see people ranting a blue streak about it is that iCloud is FREE.
    
    Me: I’m NOT looking to iCloud to solve all my off-site problems. It’s meagre at best. A ‘Luddite’ would be someone who would stick with iCloud and ignore the far better and more capable cloud services.
    
    Apple could make iCloud super-duper competitive with all the other cloud services. Apple has NOT. Nor is there any indication of this being Apple’s intention, despite MDN’s odd assertions to the contrary.
    
    Also note kids:
    iCloud and DropBox and EverNote do NOT use encryption. Our privacy is trivial to compromise. The RIAA/MPAA/Corporate Oligarchy goons are HELL BENT on surveilling every damned little thing we do.
    
    THEREFORE:
    We have to encrypt everything ourselves, (AES encrypted sparse disk & sparse bundle images are our friends!), or use a superior cloud service like ARQ that automatically encrypts everything on the user side before it ever hits the net. Personal privacy is a US constitutional right. Use it or lose it.
    - Derek Currie
      
      Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 4:20 pm · Reply
      
      Clarification:
      
      iCloud and DropBox and EverNote do NOT use *USER SIDE* encryption.
      
      IOW: Anyone at those cloud services can decrypt your data and hand it over to anti-constitutional government LOON-GOONS. Darn, the fascist state sickos just found out you hate their Fearless Leader. Off to Guantanamo for you! Etc.
    - 3l3c7ro
      
      Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 5:22 pm · Reply
      
      Encryption is very useful for those who have criminal leanings and who have stolen music.
      - Derek Currie
        
        Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 2:10 am · Reply
        
        There’s always a fascism enabler in the crowd who has no comprehension of the right to personal privacy. Here comes the Benjamin Franklin quotation, in your face:
        
        They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
        
        The right to personal privacy: Use it or lose it.
        
        Tell the RIAA, MPAA and the Chamber of Commerce to go frack themselves until they’re dead. The USA belongs to the CITIZENS, not the abusive, dumbass Corporate Oligarchy.
        
        3l3c7ro
        
        Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 9:42 am · Reply
        
        Liberty means that you may steal from a company? Liberty means that you can sneak into a paid performance and record it to give to your friends? Would Ben Franklin really have supported you in your endeavour to hide these behaviours?
        
        kayan
        
        Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 2:45 pm · Reply
        
        I wonder what Ben Franklin would say about digital copyright protection. Things that could endlessly duplicated with no fidelity loss at nearly no cost didn’t exist in Franklin’s time. Calling it “stealing” when digital copying doesn’t deprive anyone of the original is a rather abstract and philosophical assertion.
        
        3l3c7ro
        
        Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 4:13 pm ·
        
        If you peek over the fence at a baseball game, you are ‘not depriving’ anyone of any money yet you must know that if everyone did it, there would be no games played. Your variable morality is truly a thing to behold and a treasure for all of mankind. We can all benefit by taking any digital content we find until the content providers stop producing it. Where will we be then?
        
        Derek Currie
        
        Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 7:07 pm · Reply
        
        I’m sorry you don’t understand. I hope you do some day.
        
        3l3c7ro
        
        Friday, June 15, 2012 - 9:42 am ·
        
        Interesting response from someone who doesn’t comprehend morality.
        
        Derek Currie
        
        Friday, June 15, 2012 - 9:04 pm ·
        
        You are hereby labeled a TROLL. Funny how locally I’m in demand to provide education about encryption for computer users. Everyone I know is FED UP with the Corporate Oligarchy attempting to play the role of BIG BROTHER.
        
        Like I originally said: You’re a fascism enabler. And like I also already said, I hope you learn exactly what that means in your own life.
        
        It was YOU who brought in the subject of ripping off media, not me. MY subject is maintaining our US Constitutional right to personal privacy. Divert the subject all you like with RIAA/MPAA inspired garbage. The subject remains PERSONAL PRIVACY.
        
        I know so terrific places in the world where you have NO personal privacy. I’m sure you’d enjoy living there instead of the USA. So toddle along! We’ll be better off over here in the USA with out surveillance sickos desiring to spy on our every move. Bye-bye!
        
        3l3c7ro
        
        Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 2:11 pm ·
        
        Your world is one based in fear and thievery. You obviously are not a content producer but just a content user/thief. Even your chosen avatar picture shows a scared masked thief who must maintain a ‘strong’ image to keep the world away from you.
        
        Go ahead and spy on my every move if you want. I have nothing to hide and the only thing I fear about surveillance is INCOMPLETE surveillance; that is, surveillance that does not show the whole picture.
        
        Derek Currie
        
        Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 7:18 pm ·
        
        oh look i changed my avatar.
        
        Derek Currie
        
        Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 7:06 pm ·
        
        You don’t get it. You don’t deserve it. You don’t listen. You don’t logically respond. You don’t get my attention any long. Take your troll rage elsewhere. You have FAILed here.
BMWTwisty

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:25 pm · Reply

Neither Dropbox nor Evernote are going anywhere. Apple’s products don’t offer anything better than what Dropbox or Evernote do.

Apple will have to give iCloud lots more fliexibility and storage to even begin to compete. I lkie iCloud for what it does but it doesn’t come anywhere near what I need and use Dropbox for.

Evernote is just great in a lot of ways. The integration with multiple browsers makes it especially useful. Apple doesn’t have anything competitive, IMO.
Apple is Always Right

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:38 pm · Reply

Video game consoles?
Macbook (mobile) + 27″ Retina Display (not mobile) = the end of iMacs (totally not mobile).
bruce pondo

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:04 pm · Reply

Have any of you read the comments? There are some rabid Apple-haters on that site.
- BMWTwisty
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 4:47 pm · Reply
  
  It’s not dissimilar to the din on Seeking Alpha.
bbock

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 6:25 pm · Reply

Dropbox is not replaced. It’s a far better service than iClod. (Spelling intentional). iDisk also sucked. Dropbox lets you collaborate with other people easily. Apple also has this really weird thing with iCloud in that they seem to want you to keep your grubby hands off it. So it does strange things with things like PhotoStream where it uploads your pics. How long will they stay? Only iCloud knows for sure. And the whole thing with dumping all your docs into a particular App’s iCloud storage area is weird for those of us who work on projects and want all of our files for a particular project to be located together, no matter what app created them. iCloud is awesome for holding onto my music, maybe my photos if I knew that it wouldn’t throw them away, and backing up my iOS devices. But Apple’s bizarre attitude about file systems and letting people manage it themselves makes it unsuitable for many people.
- K.C
  
  Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:15 am · Reply
  
  Typical old world Windows thinking…..
The Other Stevee

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 8:24 pm · Reply

I’m shedding a tear for the Anti-Virus industry right now.
- silverhawk1
  
  Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:27 pm · Reply
  
  You forgot to write: “NOT.”
  - Derek Currie
    
    Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 4:25 pm · Reply
    
    Thank you @silverhawk1. I’ve had my head stuck in the anti-malware community for seven years. It’s a chaotic mess. The more Apple can keep us free from malware, the better. Swift kicks in Apple’s ass are occasionally required AND effective.
lawdcjay

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 9:21 pm · Reply

The writer is just wrong about Ethernet. The new MacBookPros still have Gigabyte Ethernet. The Retina display has Thunderbolt with a Thunderbolt to Gigabyte Ethernet adapter as an accessory. Ethernet is not dead. Instead, Apple is trying to use Thunderbolt for as much connectivity as possible – Ethernet, video, storage, etc.
- K.C
  
  Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:18 am · Reply
  
  Thank you! Finaly a post that is true to Apple’s vision!
  
  If you want the add on, get it.
- Derek Currie
  
  Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 4:27 pm · Reply
  
  Gigabit Ethernet still runs rings around all things Wi-Fi or Internet. If only everything else was a fast, safe and reliable.
MizuInOz

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 12:45 am · Reply

@Sparky (just had to – it was just there)… What a great idea. I can see the Sherlock logo with the phrase. You really made me laugh! Cheers, Mate.
MizuInOz

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 1:05 am · Reply

about the Kill List:

Google Maps will still be available – just not at the core of iOS. I like street view. Wish Apple would find a way to do that – with integrity.

Optical Drives have been eol’d for a while now – since the intro of the first MBA.

Ethernet direct connectivity will be around for a long time. That is why Apple introduced a T/B to Ethernet connector.

HDDs will be around for a long long time – internal flash in a laptop just makes sense. I have SSDs in my laptops and portable external HDDs for my data. I do not think tjat is unusual anymore.

Dropbox – I have been a Dropbox user since day (something) and I will continue to use it. Not too pleased with iClod (thanks bbock) – really not happy that iDisk is going away. or iWeb for that matter.

Evernote – see above

Google Docs – never had an urge to investigate, much less use.

Dictation software – yep

Growl – Noooooooo!!!!!!!!!! I really like Growl. But I think its days are numbered.

Car Nav systems – don’t think so. I have my favourite and I will continue to use it. I think others will feel the same. We shall see how Apple Maps works. I understand it is piggybacking off of TomTom. (see – http://macdailynews.com/2012/06/12/tomtom-shares-surge-on-apple-deal/ )

Stay-on-task apps – Hmmm. You need an app for that?

Wunderlust… maybe

Anti-Virus software for the Mac – this has been Apple’s intent for a long time.

Tango, et. al. – yep

Adium – yep

My two pfennigs…

I am not happy with some – OK with others. And I also see that is the natural course of things. Integration of good ideas into the primary OS has been a mainstay in the computer world for a long time. It is not new and will be around for as long as there are computers in the world.

Cheers.