[marknow]

How odd, I feel the opposite, re: vision... Google is leading the way with progressive developments in many varied fields.

Expecting more today from Tim Cook, the Apple announcement left me flat. Understand, that while I'm a long time Apple user, my Android phone(s) have offered features to which Apple is still playing catch-up. Apple is the reactionary these days; they may have introduced the iPhone as a ground-breaking product back-in-the-day, but Android is outpacing the iPhone with each new release.

<opinion>Aside from the MBP I use for work, I won't be purchasing another Apple product anytime soon, FWIW.</opinion>

[r00fus]

Here's the rub.

Google's vision is definitely out there, but it's intangible. Glass is a $1500 product that is geared towards geeks. Folks who don't even know how to properly use a BT headset would be overwhelmed by Glass.

I guess it's about target market. Apple makes it available, like, everywhere, and accessible to folks like my parents. Google puts it way out there (cool), but it requires a nerd to use or grok.

[rodedwards]

To echo r00fus, Apple's visions are more tangible to the everyday consumer - or at least better elucidated. Apple is the master of "segmentation" - i.e.: identifying a pain point or desired experience, and building it. TouchID, for instance, solves a problem - passwords suck. "Here's a simple, frictionless way around it, that incidentally will be powering all of your apple-conduit payments inside of a year." That's a vision that relatable, easy to understand, etc., compared to something like glass which is much more "out there."

To put it another way, each apple feature is clearly tied to a consumer-relatable use case. Collections of features form pieces of apples vision, rolling up use cases into the "experiences" that they mentioned today.

[jkscm]

If TouchID is adopted by 95% of all user I wonder if iPhones will still be a worthy target for average thiefs?

I think you can't reset or jailbreak a locked even today.

[marknow]

Well said, and I agree that the TouchID will be something that resonates with many consumers.

[gfodor]

I think 2014 is going to be Apple's big year. If we don't see the watch or the TV next year then I'll be worried.