我并不打算买iPhone 5，但持续关注这场新操作系统地图应用程序状况百出的戏码上演。苹果公司(Apple Inc.)除了展现出令人意想不到的谦卑态度外，库克(Tim Cook)亲上火线致歉有帮助吗？
就公共关系方面来说，这一点相当重要。苹果公司近来的声誉大受打击。除了不断受到其主要制造伙伴──富士康(Foxconn Electronics Inc.)厂房中劳工受虐的新闻波及以外，还与其最大的供货商──三星电子(Samsung Corp.)就专利议题对薄公堂。而今，该公司又未能为最新的iPhone 5开发出更好的地图应用程序。
而在业务方面，道不道歉比不上
iPhone的发布来得重要。苹果的地图应用程序是为了将苹果竞争对手赶出iPhone地图应用程序软件市场。苹果的策略及其成功的基础在于提升用户的使用体验。但iOS6的地图应用程序反而败在这两方面。
网络上用哥伦布在使用iOS地图后（脖子上挂着iPhone），“成功到达”印度的图来吐槽苹果地图的不准确
Source：weiphonedJAesmc
库克坦承iPhone 5可能不尽完美，他的低姿态致歉值得赞许。相形之下，在iPhone首次发布后，用户使用iPhone常发生信号不佳的问题，而苹果传奇的CEO乔布斯(Steve Jobs)仅直接了当地表示“Well, don't hold it that way.”换言之，问题并不会出在手机，而是用户。
在iPhone发布降价200美元的两个月后，苹果再度引发批评。
让我们来看看苹果公司至今的一些争议与影响：
本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载
第二页：富士康和三星是苹果心中的痛
第三页：苹果在策略上完全错打了算盘
相关阅读：
• 苹果10月23日将举行发布会，会是iPad mini吗？
• 批评iPhone 5时，你可曾注意到苹果供应链的强大？
• 调查：用户吐槽对iPhone 5失望的N种理由dJAesmc
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富士康工厂虐 待劳工：苹果自行展开调查行动，并邀请第三方组织稽查该工厂。虽然美国公平劳动协会(FLA)的报告显示该厂房已有所进展，但富士康仍持续发生动荡。这与苹果其实并没有直接的关系──富士康的劳工显然已经发现在其厂房宿舍外还有一个可支付给劳工更佳酬劳的世界。我认为这事件看来无关胜负。
Source：MacXdJAesmc
苹果对三星提起诉讼：美国加州一个陪审团裁定三星侵犯苹果的专利。但一些外国法院，包括英国、韩国的判决则有利于三星。根据 iPhone 5 在美国的销售量来看，苹果公司暂时赢得了这一轮。
苹果Maps应用程序存在瑕疪：如果用户依赖手机作为GPS系统，那么可能会出大问题。就算是iPhone 5这么好的手机，也不可能让用户在水上行走(行驶)啊！苹果公司在这一局算是输了。
苹果降价出售iPhone：苹果公司“佛心来着”？──其实也只有一点点。用户可在Apple Store得到100美元的折价券。此局一样不分胜负。
那么，苹果地图应用程序出现瑕疪，可能对苹果公司造成重大影响吗？
本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载
第三页：苹果在策略上完全错打了算盘
相关阅读：
• 苹果10月23日将举行发布会，会是iPad mini吗？
• 批评iPhone 5时，你可曾注意到苹果供应链的强大？
• 调查：用户吐槽对iPhone 5失望的N种理由dJAesmc
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就公共关系方面来说，并不至于。库克不仅道歉，还建议用户在问题修前，暂时先使用Bing或MapQuest等服务。这一招已经超出一般CEO致歉的态度 了，而且库克的低姿态还赢得了赞许。到目前为止，因Maps应用程序导致的错误并未影响到 iPhone 5的销售。尽管苹果公司的股 票在上周五下降了一点点，投资人仍十分乐观：
“库克的道歉举动赢得了一些分析师的赞誉，因为就一般的协议而言，他并不必要这么做，而且还可能对于公司的动能带来一些影响。”
不过，就策略上来看，苹果完全错打了算盘。首先，苹果对于竞争对手展开先发制人的打击行动并未奏效。其次，消费者一直期望苹果商品为其带来完美体验，而这一 次，苹果让他们失望了。然而，这件事会影响到 iPhone 的销售量吗？一点也不会。从消费者甘愿睡在街道上等待最先体验这个新产品来看，他们并不会这么轻易地动摇。
那么，Maps事件可能损害苹果的声誉吗？我想答案是肯定的。对于苹果公司而言，无论是劳工议题、软件瑕疪或CEO致歉，都不至于影响一家公司；而至于产品则不然。在苹果 迟来的防御下不断出现的许多漏洞正开始累积，而包括 Google与三星等竞争对手将持续努力不懈。在某些时候，有些事情将会出现转机。
或者，你不同意这样的看法？你认为苹果将永远保持其优势地位吗？请让我们知道你的看法。
本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译：Susan Hong
参考英文原文：Will Maps SNAFU Hurt Apple?，by Barbara Jorgensen, EBN Community Editor
相关阅读：
• 苹果10月23日将举行发布会，会是iPad mini吗？
• 批评iPhone 5时，你可曾注意到苹果供应链的强大？
• 调查：用户吐槽对iPhone 5失望的N种理由dJAesmc
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Will Maps SNAFU Hurt Apple?
Barbara Jorgensen
I have no intention of buying the iPhone 5, but I have been watching the map-app drama unfold. Aside from some unexpected humility from Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), does Tim Cook's apology matter?
On the PR side, it matters a lot. Apple's reputation has taken a beating lately. Apple continues to be linked to worker-abuse reports at its leading manufacturing partner, Foxconn Electronics Inc. It is suing one of its biggest suppliers, Samsung Corp. And now, it has failed to invent a better map-app for the iPhone 5.
On the business side, the apology matters less than the iPhone release itself. Apple Maps was designed to shut Apple competitors out of the iPhone-mapping-software market. Apple's strategy and its success have been based on improving the user's technology experience. Apple Maps fails on both counts.
Cook deserves credit for acknowledging that the iPhone 5 may be less than perfect. When the iPhone was first released, cellular service was dropped when users held the iPhone like -- well -- a phone. Apple's now-legendary CEO Steve Jobs said something along the lines of "Well, don't hold it that way." In other words, the problem wasn't the phone, it was the user.
Apple drew criticism again two months after the iPhone's release when it cut prices by $200.
Let's take a look at how Apple has fared so far:
Labor-abuse at Foxconn: Apple conducted its own audits and invited a third party to audit the plants. Although the report from the Fair Labor Association cites progress, unrest continues at Foxconn. This is not directly tied to Apple -- Foxconn workers have apparently discovered there is a world outside their dormitories that pays workers better. I'd call this one a draw.
Apple sues Samsung: A US jury found that Samsung infringed on Apple patents. Several foreign courts, including the UK and Korea, found in favor of Samsung. Based on sales of the iPhone 5 in the US, Apple won this round. And so far, no suppliers to Apple have defected as a result of the Samsung suit.
Apple Maps has some problems: If you rely on your phone as a GPS system, this is a biggie. As good as the iPhone is, it doesn't enable users to walk (or drive) on water. Apple loses this one.
Apple discounts iPhone: The company relented -- a little. Customers got a $100 credit at the Apple Store. Another draw.
Is the map-app SNAFU a deal breaker for Apple?
On the PR side, no. Cook not only apologized, but recommended users go to Bing or MapQuest until the bug is fixed. That goes above and beyond a typical CEO apology and Cook deserves credit for that. So far, the error hasn't hurt sales. Apple's stock dropped a bit on Friday, but even then, investors remain bullish:
[Cook's] mea culpa won praise from some analysts, who were in general agreement that it wasn't necessary and would probably have little impact on the company's momentum.
Strategically, though, Apple miscalculated. A pre-emptive strike at its competitors didn't work. Consumers have come to expect perfection from Apple and this time, they didn't get it. Will it hurt iPhone sales? No. Any consumer willing to sleep in the street for first crack at a new product won't be dissuaded easily.
Does it tarnish Apple's reputation? I think it does. On their own, labor issues, software glitches, and CEO apologies don't make or break a corporation. Products do. But there have been a lot of chinks in Apple's armor of late that are beginning to add up, and competitors -- like Google and Samsung -- will just keep hammering away. At some point, something will give.
Or do you disagree? Will Apple be able to maintain its dominance indefinitely? Let us know.
责编：Quentin
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