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Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

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Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#571
post #552
post #47

Predicted by a 3 year old comic: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COenroJWEAAjLoi.jpg:large

The weird part for me is that everyone I know who tried an iPad for getting work done (ie: PROfessionals) gave up on it. iOS is simply not geared towards productivity nor content creation, it is a consumption device. The surface pro is the exact opposite, it is a machine that works for getting shit done on the go (for some people, not all obviously).

Yeah, I'm with the other commenter.

I would still be using my iPad for development, except for the fact that I found the 9.5" screen to be just too limiting. The other reason was that all the bluetooth keyboards require a separate cable for charging, which I hate.

The larger screen and the fact that they keyboard cover is powered by the tablet itself makes this super compelling.

Not for my "every day development" machine, but for use on road trips or so I can go spend some time in the middle of the woods without a full-sized laptop in tow.

Also, the updated screen tech for the pencil hopefully means I don't need to buy a separate Wacom tablet.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#572

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the copying that worries people, it's the lack of not-coping, i.e. innovations. iPod is not the first mp3 player, iPhone is not the first smart phone, but they were packed with innovative ideas that stood them out. We see less and less such ideas from Apple. Their execution/quality control is still top notch though, but other companies are catching up.

I dunno - Apple kind of killed NFC adoption by waiting so long to finally include it. They should have had it back in 2012.

They wouldn't have had fingerprint readers and the deals with credit card companies to make it then. In my view they didn't kill it they saved it by waiting until they could do it well.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#573
post #524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they are not a OEM that throws hardware together trying to differentiate, no matter what the software using it will be like. Apple added NFC the day they had the software and the service ready, with all the intricacies in making a secure and private payment system, that works offline, is as fast or faster than swiping a card with no passwords to type, and that makes them make money but without charging…

>Apple added NFC the day they had the software and the service ready, with all the intricacies in making a secure and private payment system, that works offline, is as fast or faster than swiping a card with no passwords to type... What specific changes have made it possible for NFC to work in this way? All those things you listed seem possible in 2012.

TrustZone/"Secure Enclave" as apple is calling it.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#574

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The really galling part is the total refusal to admit they're not doing anything innovative. "There has never been another product like the iPad Pro before" was a real quote from today's presentation, and is a complete falsehood.

It's not a complete falsehood but it's a totally empty statement. Virtually any device you put out that's not exactly, spec-by-spec the same, you can say 'never been a product like this before'. It's true and empty. They do a lot of those, they're true, hyperbolic, and totally devoid of any significance. For example they'll say 'the iPhone 6 was the most popular iPhone ... EVER'. As if it's significant. But that's co…

Their ability to churn out better and better devices, year after year, is what's remarkable. That we come to expect it, and don't consider it news, is a testament to their achievement. This is not normal; the industry -- both hardware & software -- is plagued with regressions, with many older models or releases that are preferred by the users to newer ones. Apple are truly unique in their ability to deliver improvements, introduce new technologies, and implement existing technologies in ways that are actually usable, while keeping regressions and serious problems low, much lower than the competition.

What's the best Microsoft desktop OS? Which is the best Dell screen? Which is the best keyboard? Motorola phone? The current year's Apple lineup has always been better than the last year's, and that's what the "best ever" statements mean to me, and I believe that's what they mean to the target audience: "This is new, and it works at least as well as the old stuff."

Which other company, which other product line of comparable complexity, introduces features without compromising usability?

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#575
post #524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they are not a OEM that throws hardware together trying to differentiate, no matter what the software using it will be like. Apple added NFC the day they had the software and the service ready, with all the intricacies in making a secure and private payment system, that works offline, is as fast or faster than swiping a card with no passwords to type, and that makes them make money but without charging…

>Apple added NFC the day they had the software and the service ready, with all the intricacies in making a secure and private payment system, that works offline, is as fast or faster than swiping a card with no passwords to type... What specific changes have made it possible for NFC to work in this way? All those things you listed seem possible in 2012.

They were _possible_ in 2012 but getting everyone on board is difficult. Google included NFC on the Nexus S in 2010. The Nexus S was an atrocious piece of junk compared to its contemporary, the iPhone 4. NFC did nothing to make using the Nexus S more pleasurable. Android beam? Nobody used that. Google did not release the NFC-capable Wallet app until 2011, and at that time the integration between the app, the phone (still the Nexus S) and the payment terminals was ghastly. Nobody used it because it was much slower than paying by any other way and half the time it didn't work. The 2011 Galaxy Nexus didn't make things any better. The NFC antenna was attached to the flexible battery cover and the spring-loaded contacts didn't really work. Google was still pushing Wallet but the merchants didn't care because they weren't getting a better price on transaction clearance and close to nobody had the hardware.

NFC was a complete basket case, and still remains that way except for Apple.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#576

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For example they'll say 'the iPhone 6 was the most popular iPhone ... EVER'. As if it's significant. But that's completely unexpected and it's not news, either. I'll happily take a 10 trillion dollar bet that the iPhone 7 will sell even better. And that the new Galaxy S 6 sells better than the 5, and the 7 will sell better than the 6, too. You understand that sales growth can't last forever right?

It's limited by global macroeconomics, which is still raising its ceilings.

Well, at some point it's limited by population...

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#577
post #552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The weird part for me is that everyone I know who tried an iPad for getting work done (ie: PROfessionals) gave up on it. iOS is simply not geared towards productivity nor content creation, it is a consumption device. The surface pro is the exact opposite, it is a machine that works for getting shit done on the go (for some people, not all obviously).

Yeah, I'm with the other commenter. I would still be using my iPad for development, except for the fact that I found the 9.5" screen to be just too limiting. The other reason was that all the bluetooth keyboards require a separate cable for charging, which I hate. The larger screen and the fact that they keyboard cover is powered by the tablet itself makes this super compelling. Not for my "every day development" mac…

Interesting to hear a user not interested in the angle of the screen. This is something that is a big concern for productivity focused sessions on any device. Mainly comfort and posture come to mind, but I also think viewability is worth mentioning. It is one of the reasons why monitors tilt. It looks like the the iPad Pro is limited to one angle when the keyboard is in use. I am curious to see how consumers deal with the first-gen and how apple will solve this going forward.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#578

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's marketing. And when it comes to marketing its far more true than that Lynx will get you laid (lol), or that some new detergent will revolutionaze how clean your clothes are, or that some GAP clothes will make you part of the "in" crowd. It's also depends on the level we're talking. If we just take "product like the iPad pro" to mean "a large tablet" then yes it's a "complete falsehood". But it obviously means "a…

> It's marketing. And when it comes to marketing its far more true than that Lynx will get you laid (lol), or that some new detergent will revolutionaze how clean your clothes are, or that some GAP clothes will make you part of the "in" crowd. Yes. It's marketing - the magic context in which we suspend our disbelief and let people lie to our faces, and we then applaud and pay them.

You confuse advertising and marketing.

Marketing is the process of figuring out who a product is for and how to get them to want to buy it (through channels like engineering, design, and yes, advertising). Apple being an excellent marketing company isn't a slur — it's an incredible complement. They absolutely excel at understanding who their target audience is, building devices that appeal to that audience, and advertising to ensure that audience is aware of how those devices address needs they may not have even known they had.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#579
post #552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The weird part for me is that everyone I know who tried an iPad for getting work done (ie: PROfessionals) gave up on it. iOS is simply not geared towards productivity nor content creation, it is a consumption device. The surface pro is the exact opposite, it is a machine that works for getting shit done on the go (for some people, not all obviously).

The starbucks full of students typing out reports on iPads with bluetooth keyboards begs to differ. I mean, obviousy, you can't do all work on an iPad, but for a certain class of "work" it works fine.

Of course. And don't get me wrong, the iPad is far from worthless and Apple is far from Trivial in the space. The point is that Apple is no longer the leader/innovator in the space. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that a lot of iOS devices get sold on intangibles rather than concrete benefits or capabilities. Apple has created tremendous value in these intangibles by being so awesome/innovative/ahead for the last 8 years, that has created a tremendous amount of loyalty in iOS users and sells a LOT of iOS devices every single generation despite the substantial (to most people) costs. People who depend on tech to make their living (often) require more than intangible benefits, and the competition has now caught/surpassed them as far as tech goes, and usually for a lower price.

Re: Apple Unveils the iPad Pro

#580

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And so it begins... the once innovative company is now playing catch up, losing a little bit of its sex appeal as it copies the bland competition.

Well, it did take them about a decade to catch up with Microsoft when they introduced the iPad. Bill Gates announced tablets 15 years ago: http://youtu.be/T5Va8XfuN9s What really is happening is the usual trolling that happens after every Apple event. Apple has different priorities. They'll make tablets more functional as CPU and battery improve. There will be a conversion with the desktop, or at least low-end laptop…

Apple didn't invent tablets, it made tablets usable.
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