If Apple invent a woman.... Haha.

I see your gripe, Trip. But that fact remains they are very, very succesful.

Llewelyn:

If Apple invent a woman.... Haha.

I see your gripe, Trip. But that fact remains they are very, very succesful.

... and is their CEO a technical expert or a marketing genius? 

Marketing isn't about advertising, it's about providing the market with the products it desires.

Tim

 

Let's put it this way: if Apple makes an entire TV it's game over for all of us. It will not be a high quality video display, it will be a high security content prison. Think of everything you can't do on an AppleTV and now apply those limitations to the entire TV experience.

Isn't this the kind of foolish uninformed closed mindedness that has landed B&O in the trouble it finds itself in.

Apple has devised a standard for transmitting, storing, controlling and recovering digital information. It is up to any manufacturer to accommodate for this system, just as in a/v they previously accommodated for musicassettes, CDs, DVDs, etc.

At one point, B&O did not hesitate to develop brilliant record players (Europe's first stereo stylus, and they defined the now standard tracking angle), they developed great tape players, excellent televisions - and were early adopters of most new innovations, because they wanted their customers to enjoy these.

Then, for some strange reason, B&O wanted to be in computers? Or were afraid of raising the Masterlink-fence? Or were too tight with Microsoft? Maybe a combination.

B&O bet on the wrong innards, but no one can match their skill at creating screens and speakers... There isn't a problem here, really. Just an unwillingness to accept the format.

(Well. No longer. Hvidt Nielsen had an iPad behind him, and the start page of the official site is an Apple parking lot now.)

 

Of course BNO are renowned for their open system. ( irony alert )

Speakers that have proprietary connections and won't interface with the rest of the indiustry for starters.

They even used DIN in the old days when everyone else used phono.

I don't find my appletv in any way limiting , I can stream anything from all the macs in my house to the 80" projector that's connected to it.

Recordings from my elgato satellite hd box for example.

 

You sound nervous , trip. If I was in your shoes I would be too.

I have said that a few times, but in every segment of the market, that Apple entered, B&O has had to pull out. Beosound 6 -  iPod, Serenata - iPhone.

Flappo:

They even used DIN in the old days when everyone else used phono.

 

They used DIN because it was a European standard and quite frankly was, and is still, better than RCA plugs! The fact they are now using RCA is disturbing - no Datalink and the quality of connection poorer.

 

Totally agree with the comment from Jon on page 2.

Plus, please stop knocking Apple, certain people. They've done more good than any of their rivals. I'm typing this on a white MacBook and this has the clearest screen i've ever come across. Pure quality and great design! I think that B&O and Apple compliment each other very very well and aim at similar kind of people.   Let's make love, not war please!

And yep, it is a terrible representation of a company when it loses good staff! It's highly unprofessional! Even in the cruel world of radio, I do everything I can to keep my fabulous valued staff!

Doctor:

Flappo:

They even used DIN in the old days when everyone else used phono.

 

They used DIN because it was a European standard and quite frankly was, and is still, better than RCA plugs! The fact they are now using RCA is disturbing - no Datalink and the quality of connection poorer.

 

Imagine a Beomaster 4500 with all RCA plugs for sound + connections for datalink + powerlink connections with seperate plugs -it would be twice as thick - or require a (big) separate connection box.

PhilLondon:

I have said that a few times, but in every segment of the market, that Apple entered, B&O has had to pull out. Beosound 6 -  iPod, Serenata - iPhone.

They had to pull out because the products were crap. Nothing to do with Apple

joeyboygolf:

They had to pull out because the products were crap. Nothing to do with Apple

These products wouldn't have looked that crappy should the iPod and iPhone had not existed.

Flappo:

I don't find my appletv in any way limiting , I can stream anything from all the macs in my house

It's not limiting because it goes with your other Apple products..? -what a surprise...

Steffen:

Flappo:

I don't find my appletv in any way limiting , I can stream anything from all the macs in my house

It's not limiting because it goes with your other Apple products..? -what a surprise...

Combine the draconian limitations on interactivity, the exasperating need to have a switched on computer, and desolate lack of video content on the iTunes store and Flappo's got a smile wide enough to sell to science. 

 

Sorry , but you're talking rubbish.

Interactivity ? I control mine with a logitech remote , linked up to my denon av amp and tannoy 7.1 system , apple tv and projector , one button and it just works , I can also cotrol the whole thing with my ipad , iphone and ipod touch.

And all for c £2k

What pray tell does bno offer as a remote for their systems that can compare ?

Since macs are so reliable and quiet I leave my mac pro on 24/7 , it feeds the entire house , the only way I can tell it's on is by looking at the status light !

As for desolate video content - ever heard of Handbrake ? I rip dvd's to the mac and stream them to my atv.  Plus the amount of films in hd to buy and rent is impressive also as I already said I integrate all my hd recordings into my apple tv at the touch of a button - easy !

No going to a dealer to stick some cd's onto a system like good old bno..wow that sure is user friendly.

As Soundproof said Apple have an entire well defined infrastructure in place , bno can't even get a management team in place.

Sorry you cannot even begin to compare Apple & Bno , Bno simply aren't in Apple's league in any way imaginable. 

This thread is (again) quickly derailing, with B&o-bashing all over the place.

Stop comparing Apple (a computer manufacturer) with B&o (a high end AV firm).

Does Apple make HIFI speakers? Does Apple make beautifull TV's? Does Apple make dedicated soundsystems?

The only things Apple did, was copying the circular navigation wheel from B&o, copying the use of aluminium from B&o, and use both with very inconvenient menu-systems. In this respect Windows takes much bashing as well and the only reason behind it is a commercial one, for Apple does one thing very well and that is being a succesfull business, by developing a closed format kind of church that is very agressive to other firms, and of limited use by it's nature. You can either join Apple and Apple only or you will get punished.

Is Apple in any way compared with for instance B&W, or Linn? Why expect B&o to resemble Apple then? The only thing one can learn from Apple is how to market a product very well, and invent your own niche market. It's just like Nespresso did, and a lot of people did forget how real coffee tasts. Perhaps B&o should be in to coffee cups as well?  

The one thing apple consistently make and has propelled them to the most valuable company in the world , above even exxon oil , that bno don't seem much good at at all  is the single most important thing in a business..

 

..a profit.

Oh and while I'm at it , can anyone explain why when I receive an email on my ipad from BNo regarding the new sound dock for the ipad the page doesn't show up ? In fact the entire website doesn't work on the ipad. It's FLASH based...

They REALLY need to get their act together and stop treating Apple as a flash in the pan. they're not , they're the future..

 

My final word on the whole debacle is that I think booting out the last ceo who really seemed to know what he was doing , was passionate about the company and was technically minded with some young guy who's into marketing looks like a miscalculation of Titanic proportions.. look out here comes an apple iCEBERG ! :)

This is not an Apple issue, and shouldn't be a discussion about them.

It's about a company that's had a hard time deciding what it should be doing, and which has tried to do them all, with stretched resources. As evidenced by the "experts disagreeing" link from business.dk

Nr. 1. B&O needs to go hyperluxury and focus on China. Prices can be tripled.

Nr. 2. B&O needs to rediscover its origins and increase its appeal among customers it has abandoned.

No wonder it is hard to make decisions.

Dude1:

I don't know about you. But lately, I have become really bored with B&O. Really bored. I have a feeling they are knackered.

Same here, but even *more* bored with my local store's extra enthusisam that everything is "great". Probably is, but they forget they are in Bath where there appears to be an endless stream of 45+ year olds with high disposable income who can be talked in to buying B&O.

I'd rather buy from MoreThan or LifeStyle. These B&O stores need to figure a way of attracting a younger calibre of customer. I often feel I'm the youngest person in the store....apart from the sales people.

soundproof:

Nr. 1. B&O needs to go hyperluxury and focus on China. Prices can be tripled.

I don't think even B&O can convince the Chinese, where most of the modern TVs are manufactured. Why on earth would a Chinese person want to purchase something from Denmark. Denmark, as a country and B&O as a brand, isn't something that enters their radar. ie. the marketing funds required will be significant and there's a big risk.

jc:

This thread is (again) quickly derailing, with B&o-bashing all over the place.

It's not possible to have a debate? Isn't that what a forum is about. Remember we ALL own B&O kit. We can have an opinion, you know :)

Apologies you feel we should be stating everything B&O does is AWESOME - just in case a potential customer reads this board, eh? - but we're being realistic about the brand, direction and the constantly changing CEO position. It's just a debate.

moxxey:

It's not possible to have a debate? Isn't that what a forum is about. Remember we ALL own B&O kit. We can have an opinion, you know :)

Apologies you feel we should be stating everything B&O does is AWESOME - just in case a potential customer reads this board, eh? - but we're being realistic about the brand, direction and the constantly changing CEO position. It's just a debate.

+1

moxxey:

soundproof:

Nr. 1. B&O needs to go hyperluxury and focus on China. Prices can be tripled.

I don't think even B&O can convince the Chinese, where most of the modern TVs are manufactured. Why on earth would a Chinese person want to purchase something from Denmark. Denmark, as a country and B&O as a brand, isn't something that enters their radar. ie. the marketing funds required will be significant and there's a big risk.

Next (now this) year, according to Bloomberg, China will become the biggest market for Rolls Royce cars.

Graham

The Chinese are willing to spend a fortune, and preferably two, for items seen to be luxurious success statements by others. The products must have cachet and be associated with individuals or organizations that have unquestionable Fu. RR is a cinch in that respect. And what is being charged for rare vintage wines at the exclusive Shanghai restaurants is beyond outrageous.

Goldmund has provided a/v to this market for years, building from some special product placement in the USA. I don't think Goldmund has a single product on their price list that is cheaper than the most expensive from B&O. They even took a cheap dvd-player, wrapped it in Goldmund and jacked the price up 48-fold so it wouldn't stand out as a cheapo among their other products.

B&O, being down to earth Jutlanders when it matters, have too much integrity to play this game. They are not comfortable with it, and it shows. If they didn't have integrity, we would be paying thousands of euros for a short stretch of cable between B&O components.

 

Flappo:

Oh and while I'm at it , can anyone explain why when I receive an email on my ipad from BNo regarding the new sound dock for the ipad the page doesn't show up ? In fact the entire website doesn't work on the ipad. It's FLASH based...

They REALLY need to get their act together and stop treating Apple as a flash in the pan. they're not , they're the future..

Ah, yes. The future is bright: Gadgets that can't show all websites because Apple can't get things to work properly on their platform.

Methinks you're directing your fury in the wrong direction.

Flappo:

My final word on the whole debacle is that I think booting out the last ceo who really seemed to know what he was doing , was passionate about the company and was technically minded with some young guy who's into marketing looks like a miscalculation of Titanic proportions.. look out here comes an apple iCEBERG ! :)

For once I sort of agree. It would be just as fatal for the consumer as an iceberg was to the Titanic if Apple had their draconic way.

 

With that said, I do agree that this is not about Apple.

It's about a company that seems to change direction "just because". A company which has lost its way and are making half-arsed attempts at whatever they feel like, and then drop it like it's hot, simply because they have the power to stop projects and products.

In other words, it seems like yet another internal power struggle.

 

At this point, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Encore comes out quite neutered if it comes out at all.