Where are the creative professionals loudly declaring that they're leaving Apple over the new MacBook Pro? The graphic designers I know are optimistic about the Touch Bar.
You know what all my graphic designer friends are losing their shit over? The new Microsoft Surface Studio.
The excitement my visual artist and graphic artist friends have for the Studio and Dial should terrify Apple. But Apple seems to have forgotten who their influencers are.
A good friend is a videographer who uses everything apple. He's seriously concerned by the lack of ports.
I run an online business, write and make videos. I'm also concerned by the lack of ports and by the lack of a consistent set of keys on the touchbar.
Neither of us are thinking of switching, but we're in "wait and see". I bought a macbook pro for a project last year, and was planning to upgrade when the new model came out. Haven't - the new one doesn't seem compelling.
And people have bought macs and iphones due to my influence. Apple is foolish to ignore the professional demographic.
On the other hand, Ballmer was perhaps cartoonish but not idiotic when he trampled around the stage yelling "Developers!". Software developers are hugely important, and should be to Apple. It's trite but worth repeating: no one wants to use an operating system. People want to use the software that runs on the operating system.