[torstenvl]

Agreed. I switched whole-heartedly in 2006, when the combination of Unix, mainstream UI, professional apps, and "It Just Works" showed a lot of promise. The fact that my 2006 MacBook Pro lasted for six years earned a lot of loyalty.

But there doesn't appear to be any strategy or overarching vision anymore. Changes are introduced haphazardly, almost schizophrenically. There is zero focus on software or hardware quality. "Design" at Apple is no longer about the marriage of tech and artistry, but about tech being trumped by artistry.

- Make the keyboard work better? Maybe marginally with Gen 2 butterfly switches, but it's still mostly about the "wow" factor of the Touch Bar.

- Make iTunes work correctly? Nah. Just change the UI.

- Extensive pre-release regression testing for High Sierra? Nah. Ship with root access bugs and a new wallpaper.

- Keep making best-in-class wireless routers? Nah. Not sexy enough.

Apple has abandoned the values that led it to become so rich. It is still profitable, and probably will be for some time, but eventually its wellspring of good will from past successes will run dry. Features don't matter if they don't work.