178: ‘Now Banned in China’ With Jim Dalrymple

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode opens with New Year reflections before turning into a deep discussion of Apple’s ecosystem: the state of Siri versus Alexa and Google Assistant, Apple’s commitment to Macs and pro hardware, airport/base station stagnation, and the growing importance of watchOS and the Apple Watch. The hosts argue that Apple still cares about pro users, but some product lines are clearly lagging and need urgent updates.

Main Topics: New Year reflections and NYE complaints (Priority: 2/5): The hosts joke about quiet New Year’s plans, share past New Year’s Eve disasters, and agree that going out on NYE is overcrowded, overpriced, and usually not worth it. Voice assistants: Siri vs. Alexa vs. Google Assistant (Priority: 5/5): A long debate about whether Siri is actually worse than competitors. The conclusion is that all assistants are still frustrating, but each has strengths depending on use case: Siri for mobile/personal tasks, Alexa for home automation, and Google Assistant for navigation-style detail. Alexa’s expansion and CES hardware strategy (Priority: 5/5): They discuss Amazon’s push to embed Alexa across devices and environments, including hotels and cars. The hosts see this as a smart platform strategy that may secure long-term dominance even if the assistant itself is still imperfect. Apple’s Mac, Mac Pro, and pro-user anxiety (Priority: 5/5): The hosts argue over whether Apple is neglecting pro users, especially the Mac Pro. They believe Apple remains committed to the Mac overall, but the Mac Pro’s long update gap creates legitimate concern and fuels speculation that the line is in trouble. Airport base stations and Apple hardware stagnation (Priority: 4/5): Apple’s Airport networking gear is criticized as outdated and overpriced relative to newer mesh-network competitors like Eero. The hosts argue Apple should either update the product line or exit the category and recommend better third-party alternatives. Apple Watch, Siri integration, and fitness usefulness (Priority: 4/5): The discussion shifts to Apple Watch features, especially the usefulness of Siri, fitness tracking, and the importance of speed, reliability, and better app/data syncing. Battery life, GPS, and always-on display are raised as possible future improvements. Apple’s global business realities and China content removal (Priority: 4/5): They debate Apple’s removal of New York Times apps in China, arguing that Apple had no real choice because of Chinese government pressure, even though the outcome is bad for press freedom and users in China.

Key Arguments: All current voice assistants are still flawed, and none feel truly “smart” in a human-assistant sense; their best use depends on context and ecosystem. Siri is better for mobile, personal, and Apple-integrated tasks, while Alexa is becoming the default for home automation due to aggressive platform expansion. Amazon’s strategy of putting Alexa everywhere may create a durable lead, even more important than the assistant’s current quality. Apple is likely still committed to the Mac overall, but the Mac Pro specifically is the source of concern because of its extreme age and lack of updates. The long silence around Mac Pro updates suggests product-development problems, not necessarily a deliberate abandonment of the Mac platform. Airport base stations are too dated to justify their premium price; Apple should update them or stop selling them. The Apple Watch already delivers meaningful value through fitness and convenience, but its speed, battery life, and app integration could still improve. Apple’s compliance in China is portrayed as unavoidable because the company cannot realistically fight the Chinese government the way it can fight U.S. agencies. Tim Cook’s statement that Apple has “great desktops in the pipeline” should be taken seriously because he would damage his credibility if it were false. The Mac remains essential for pro workflows, and claims that the iPad can never be a real work machine are rejected as too simplistic.

Data Points: Siri command comparison: 50 commands - Referenced in a study comparing Siri and Google Assistant performance on identical prompts. Apple Watch update gap discussed: 1,100 days - Mentioned as the age of the Mac Pro without an update. Airport software update gap: about 3 years - Apple Airport base stations were described as going years without meaningful hardware refreshes. NYE cab fare: $30 - A story about being charged to ride four blocks home in a cab on New Year’s Eve. Hotel room rollout: 4,800 rooms - Wynn Las Vegas was cited as putting Alexa devices into its hotel rooms. MailChimp free plan: 12,000 emails/month - Sponsor segment describing MailChimp’s free tier. MailChimp subscriber cap: 2,000 subscribers - Sponsor segment describing the forever-free MailChimp plan. Harry’s blade price: $2 per blade - Sponsor segment comparing Harry’s blade pricing to larger competitors. Competitor blade price: $4 or more per blade - Sponsor segment noting big-brand razor blade prices. Apple Watch battery life: 2+ days - One speaker says the Series 2 watch can last at least two days, sometimes more.

Pivotal Quotes: "Siri is the assistant that you carry with you. It’s your mobile assistant. But Apple doesn’t seem to be taking those steps for the home." — John Gruber: Explaining why Siri and Alexa serve different use cases rather than being direct equivalents. "Just tell me the goddamn temperature." — John Gruber: Complaining about Siri’s tendency to add a “brr” response instead of simply giving the temperature. "If there’s any doubt about that with our teams, let me be very clear. We have great desktops in our roadmap." — Tim Cook (quoted in transcript): Referenced to reassure listeners that Apple is still committed to desktop Macs.

Implications: Listeners should expect Apple to keep investing in Macs and Watch features, but product gaps like Mac Pro and Airport remain real concerns. Alexa’s broad rollout may reshape smart-home standards, while China shows the limits of Apple’s control in authoritarian markets.