New Macs - can Apple win?

Mac
#43

See that’s the only use I would have for an iPad, maybe it would be easier to read eBooks but then, I prefer reading actual books at all costs, maybe I could surf the web in the lounge, or watch movies on the go, but I do that anyways with my MacBook. Which leaves basic productivity consumption, staying in the loop with my work emails and such which I can do on my iPhone and hand over to my MacBook Pro when I actually need to get around to replying to that sort of stuff and social media consumption, which I can stay in the loop on my iPhone anyway.

I just don’t get which roll an iPad is supposed to fullfill in my life… I can’t really edit photos very well, which I use Photoshop CC for the most part, I can’t get a proper version of Office for it, so I can’t be writing my thesis on it, I might get a kindle device one day, but until which point I can’t read an actual book that is pretty much a dead end also.

I just don’t have a point in my life for a device that does half a thing poorly… I’ve been there and done that with cooperative multitasking with OS9 and Windows 3.11 I don’t need to go back to doing things that way.

#44

It suits a need for reading e-mails, reading books/comics, viewing videos from the couch when you don’t need or want a laptop, but these days I just use my phone for all that stuff. So sometimes I don’t get the overlap in products. But they still sell a lot of them, so what would I know?

Phones and tablets will never have the CPU and GPU grunt of a desktop/portable (well if you compare them to older computers, they obviously will) but as it is I can see why they run a different OS. It gives them the chance to optimize it for different things given the power in each device. Sure they could work towards running MacOS on iPad or iPhone, but they probably don’t see the point. Why sell an iPad as a computer when you can sell a MacBook as a computer and make more $$ I guess.

I don’t think it will change anytime soon. When you look at it, they are starting to integrate more iOS features in MacOS, siri etc, which again I don’t really get the point of, buy I type fast and find it easier to use a full keyboard and mouse.

#45

In a few words you’ve explained why you’re not the target audience. If you email, browse the web, read a couple of newspapers, and facetime your family then the iPad is perfect.

#46

You can’t tell me that at the user level that there is preemptive multi-tasking going on on an iPad. There just isn’t, you do one thing at a time and that’s that which is exactly the same as it was in OS9 unless you wanted your Mac to come to a screaming halt. Or at best you do two things, poorly in split screen on an iPad. You open up a few apps in the background and they’re quickly shuffled out of the memory space and there’s no real such thing as fast application switching period.

I can do everything you suggested out of of the above on my MacBook Pro, the only annoyance really is reading ebooks, but there are much more affordable solutions for doing that. I don’t see why I need to fork out for an iPad to do any of that at all.

#47

You misunderstand me. My point is that by talking about multitasking and how the things actually work you’re signalling that you’re not in the target user group.

1 Like
#48

That is also correct.

#49

I’m not sure you can assume that, I’m an iPad owner (well iPad mini 4) owner and I avoid using email and browsing the web as much as possible on my iPad, I don’t use facetime either. My SOs iPad Air 2 is used in a similar way.

If either of us want to email or browse the web then we use either the iMac or sometimes my MacBook Pro or her MacBook Air.

iPads are wonderful app devices but web browsing is slow due to the soft keyboard. At best I can manage about 40wpm on the iPad but I can do 120wpm on a real keyboard.

#50

Yet Apple is touting the iPad Pro as a PC replacement. I love my iPad but the software has lagged a bit.

#51

I’m not convinced.

Now if they brought out an iPad Pro which ran OS X (or OS X and iOS) then I’d be really interested.

As things stand there are still too many desktop programs that lack adequate iOS replacements.

#52

So, to answer the thread title, it seems that no, Apple can’t win!

4 Likes
#53

I still think that OSX on a tablet would be a bad move. Apple just really need to push the software side and focus on the iPad with iOS development - I think they can do it.

#54

I was picturing a device that had a detachable keyboard that would run OS X with the keyboard attached (like a laptop) and iOS with the keyboard detached (like an iPad).

But I get that a lot of people wouldn’t want that, it’s just that the apps that I need to use aren’t available on iOS.

#55

I think the key is working out how to handle two interfaces in one device and not end up with lazy programming (Eg, iOS apps designed around keyboard/mouse and OSX applications designed around touch). Microsoft semi got their in Windows 10, but that only works (ish) because the surface is intel, where as the iPad is not.

1 Like
#56

I think the answer was that yeah they could win, but decided not to. Though some people do class it as a win anyway. I guess it depends on your perspective.

#57

Apple is still doing quite well financially, but just like nations, there is a lot of ruin in a corporation. The signs are there that executive politicking, silos and arse covering/licking have taken hold.
A simple example is the removal of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, and all the media messaging surrounding that decision, only to have the MBPs come out with the port a month later, and no way to use the Lightning EarPods on the MBP.

Lack of focus, overattention to marketing and siloing allow inconsistencies like that to happen. Apple’ piquant balance between design and engineering is out of whack.

I can imagine Jobs removing the headphone port on the iPhone, but if he had done that there would be a lightning port proudly and loudly promoted on the MBP instead of a headphone port.

1 Like
#58

The difference is that the headphone port on MacBook Pros is also an optical audio output.

1 Like
#59

That wouldn’t have stopped Jobs from removing it from the Macboork Pro, he’d have made available an adaptor or just done it anyway.

#60

Now we’re playing What Would Steve Jobs Do? :slight_smile:

I thought the primary reason for removing the headphone port from the iPhone was to improve water resistance.

I don’t see anyone expecting water resistant macbook pros, apart from the morons that keep open drinks nearby.

2 Likes
#61

I’ve seen people claim that but given that most other IP rated phone retain the headphone port the statement sounds disingenuous to me (that doesn’t mean there aren’t other engineering reasons).

#62

Space I think was the other reason. It was in the way of the haptic engine which needed to be bigger to allow for the new home button.

From the Anandtech review:

The removal of the headphone jack also means additional internal volume for battery, an improved haptic feedback linear actuator, OIS/second camera, and effective water resistance without the use of nanocoatings on the board.

1 Like