Peter Kazanjy, a prominent founder and sales expert, recently sparked discussion on social media by reinterpreting a long-held Apple philosophy regarding hardware and software integration. On August 1, 2025, Kazanjy tweeted, "> The saying at Apple used to be 'People who are serious about software make their own hardware.' I think the more accurate version is 'People make their own hardware so they can make low quality software and people just have to eat it.'" This statement challenges the traditional view of Apple's integrated ecosystem.
The original adage, often attributed to computer scientist Alan Kay and famously embraced by Steve Jobs, posits that controlling both hardware and software allows for a seamless and optimized user experience. This philosophy has been a cornerstone of Apple's product development, aiming to deliver superior performance and reliability by meticulously designing components to work in unison. For decades, this approach underpinned Apple's reputation for products that "just work."
However, in recent years, a growing chorus of users and tech commentators have voiced concerns about a perceived decline in Apple's software quality. Reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues across iOS, macOS, and other Apple operating systems have become more frequent. This has led to frustration among loyal customers who once lauded the company's meticulous attention to detail and stability.
Industry observers suggest that Apple's accelerated annual release cycle for operating system updates might contribute to these quality control challenges. The pressure to introduce new features yearly, often driven by marketing objectives, can potentially strain engineering resources and reduce the time available for thorough testing and bug fixing. This contrasts with earlier periods, such as the widely praised "Snow Leopard" release, which focused primarily on stability and performance enhancements.
Kazanjy's tweet reflects a sentiment that the very integration once seen as Apple's strength—its ability to dictate the entire user experience from chip to interface—could now be enabling a lower standard of software. If users are locked into an ecosystem where hardware and software are inseparable, they may have limited recourse when software quality falls short, effectively "having to eat it." This raises questions about how Apple balances innovation with its historical commitment to software excellence.