Apple is crossing a Steve Jobs red line

Ads in Maps, App Store, and System Apps

• Many see ads in Maps as a clear degradation of a core, safety‑critical tool, especially in cars where distraction is dangerous.
• Others argue that map/search ads can be “useful and contextual” (e.g., restaurant specials, new venues), but this is heavily disputed; most commenters say they never want search order distorted by payments.
• App Store ads—especially competitor apps as the first result for brand-name searches—are widely viewed as scam‑adjacent and a long‑crossed “red line.”
• System apps like Settings, Music, Books, Wallet, and Apple News are criticized for nagging users about subscriptions, services, and upsells instead of focusing on the user’s own content.

User Experience vs Revenue Maximization

• A recurring theme: Apple once differentiated itself by prioritizing experience over “crapification,” especially compared to Google and Microsoft; ads erode that advantage.
• Some argue Apple is so profitable that it doesn’t need to monetize attention, and should treat Maps and similar tools as included in the hardware premium.
• Others counter that, as a public company with slowing hardware growth, Apple is structurally pushed toward services and ads, regardless of long‑term brand damage.

Debating “What Would Steve Jobs Do?”

• Many are tired of speculative “Jobs would never…” takes; people and contexts change, and 1999 Apple is not 2025 Apple.
• Others say there is continuity: Jobs explicitly rejected OS-level ads for UX reasons, and ads in Maps/App Store directly violate that principle, not just his aesthetic taste.
• There’s also pushback on founder worship: Jobs made serious mistakes, was often abusive, and Apple already crossed multiple “red lines” under him.

AI Image and Use of Jobs’ Legacy

• The AI-generated header image of Jobs is widely called out as tasteless and trust‑eroding, especially in an article about “red lines.”
• Several commenters object to putting arguments “in a dead man’s mouth” and using his likeness to fight today’s battles.

Broader UX, Software Quality, and Enshittification

• Many report macOS/iOS/iPadOS feeling buggier, more visually noisy, and less consistent, with design seemingly optimized for screenshots and marketing rather than day‑to‑day use.
• Examples include notification nags in Settings, Music/Books acting like stores first and players/readers second, and Maps/News/TV surfaces dominated by promotional content.
• This is frequently framed as classic “enshittification”: a gradual shift from delighting users, to serving business partners, to extracting from a locked‑in user base.

Privacy, Lock‑In, and Considering Alternatives

• Some bought into Apple specifically for “no ads + privacy” and feel betrayed; the combination of ads and government-compelled data sharing weakens the privacy narrative.
• Lock‑in (iMessage, media libraries, hardware, accessories) is seen as the main reason many will still stay, though more people report experimenting with Linux laptops, Android, or self‑hosted media as escape hatches.