It&#x27;s kinda weird to read commentators talking as if this was the end of a golden age of Apple.<p>From my perspective, their application software has <i>always</i> sucked.  It was there because you need apps to bootstrap a platform and attract enough users to attract developers.  But you can&#x27;t really expect a consumer electronics company to have the best application for a given niche once the niche has been identified and attracted companies that really want to make it their bread-and-butter.<p>XCode and occasionally FaceTime &amp; iMovie are the only bundled applications that I ever use on my Mac.  When I get a new computer, the first things I do are usually download Chrome, MacVim, Google Photos, and VLC.  I use Hangouts over iMessage, Google Calendar over the built-in calendar, and Google Docs over the office suite.  On my iPhone, getting Google Maps and Yelp is a top priority, lest I end up navigating off a mountain.  This is not a new habit; I&#x27;ve operated like this since getting a Mac in 2009 after a 10-year hiatus from Apple products.<p>Perhaps I was just less brainwashed than most Apple fans, and the end of the brainwashing may itself be news with big consequences for product adoption.  But IMHO anyone who used the whole integrated Apple software suite and never looked elsewhere has been missing out on some seriously nice features this whole time.