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AirPods are now available

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Re: AirPods are now available

#61
post #43

Do they only work with Apple products? Could I use them with an Android phone?

There already is a plethora of wireless earbuds/headphones on the market... and has been that way for years. No need to buy these overpriced ones to get wireless.

Re: AirPods are now available

#62

There's like a next-level Apple marketing babble on that page: "AirPods introduce an effortless wireless listening experience packed with high-quality audio and long battery life. These magical wireless headphones use advanced technology to reinvent how we listen to music, make phone calls, enjoy TV shows and movies, play games and interact with Siri, providing a wireless audio experience not possible before." Magica…

You missed "interact with Siri"

I'm genuinely curious to see how often Siri is used, and in what contexts.

Not to be cynical, but to re-calibrate my barometer. The only person I know who uses it is my partner's nine year old daughter, and even then not often.

Re: AirPods are now available

#63

There's like a next-level Apple marketing babble on that page: "AirPods introduce an effortless wireless listening experience packed with high-quality audio and long battery life. These magical wireless headphones use advanced technology to reinvent how we listen to music, make phone calls, enjoy TV shows and movies, play games and interact with Siri, providing a wireless audio experience not possible before." Magica…

Maybe because... it IS a marketing page? As much as I've also become an apple hater recently because of what they've done to iOS10 and the new macbook pro, I think criticizing a marketing copy for being a marketing copy is not fair.

What are some of the things you hate about iOS 10? I've also disliked a few changes they've introduced, but after spending more time with the OS, I've discovered that some changes were not as bad as I'd initially considered. It was more a matter of getting used to.

I guess people don't like changes to the things they've grown accustomed to.

Re: AirPods are now available

#65
post #17
post #5

To me these seem pretty stupid. Major features (to me) of ear-buds with wires and 3.5" jack are: 1) being attached with wires means I don't easily lose them when they slip out of my ear/hand/pocket. 2) the 3.5" jack actually keeps them pretty solidly attached to my phone (again, less risk of losing them). Walking around with two loose tiny objects seems less than ideal - at least to me; I'd lose them within days.

I used to think this way until I bought a pair of JLabs bluetooth ear buds. Now, I hate using wired headphones because the wire is literally always in the way. I hate being forced to keep my phone right next to me, and snake a wire around. Now, in the gym, I can throw my phone in my gym bag and not worry about it while working out. I'll never go back to wired.

I still use my HD558s on a very regular basis, including with my phone, but for mobile use that's actually mobile, I'm right there with you - Bluetooth devices do occasionally misbehave in ways that annoy me, but the enormous convenience of not being festooned with wires more than makes up for the occasional transient signal drop. Especially when I'm bundled up in three layers with my phone in my pocket, gloves on my hands, and a beanie or a balaclava on my head. Routing wires is a complex topological problem in these circumstances, and it's nontrivially convenient to just pop an earbud in my ear, start a podcast playing, and go.

Re: AirPods are now available

#66
post #47

> "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame." -- Slashdot creator CmdrTaco/Rob Malda about the iPod in 2001. I'm not saying these will have the impact of an iPod, but I am entertained by the amount of naysaying here. For one thing, how often have you fiddled with the knots in your headphone cord? It's frustrating enough to prevent me from using them in situations where I otherwise would.

I find it interesting that you use that quote as an example of naysaying. Within a few months of the iPod's introduction, they introduced higher storage options. Though the Classic line never got wireless, the HUGELY popular iPod touch had wireless. Both of his complaints were eventually rectified by Apple in the iPod line.

Yes, they introduced higher storage options, but not until component prices dropped low enough for Apple to maintain their margins at the same MSRP. The iPod had already became a gigantic hit in its own right during the 6 years between the introduction of the iPod 1st Gen and when the iPod Touch brought wireless to the iPod family.

So other than some non-sequitur facts, what's so interesting? CmdrTaco's take is the classic example of tech spec-naysaying by pundits completely misreading demand in the market. Meanwhile, AceJohnny says that it may very well apply here, which remains to be seen.

Re: AirPods are now available

#67
post #5

To me these seem pretty stupid. Major features (to me) of ear-buds with wires and 3.5" jack are: 1) being attached with wires means I don't easily lose them when they slip out of my ear/hand/pocket. 2) the 3.5" jack actually keeps them pretty solidly attached to my phone (again, less risk of losing them). Walking around with two loose tiny objects seems less than ideal - at least to me; I'd lose them within days.

Headphones have actually saved my phone from falling on the ground many times :)

Using aux cables as a kind of safety harness seems like pretty periphery use-case. Relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1172/

Re: AirPods are now available

#68

> "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame." -- Slashdot creator CmdrTaco/Rob Malda about the iPod in 2001. I'm not saying these will have the impact of an iPod, but I am entertained by the amount of naysaying here. For one thing, how often have you fiddled with the knots in your headphone cord? It's frustrating enough to prevent me from using them in situations where I otherwise would.

Wires are definitely frustrating, but what's worse is losing them entirely. If you're running and they fall out, you're screwed.

> If you're running and they fall out, you're screwed.

On the other hand, this is a silent failure mode in a good sense: if you lose them, then you'll know instantly (because of no music), so at least have a chance of looking for them nearby.

Re: AirPods are now available

#70
post #47

> "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame." -- Slashdot creator CmdrTaco/Rob Malda about the iPod in 2001. I'm not saying these will have the impact of an iPod, but I am entertained by the amount of naysaying here. For one thing, how often have you fiddled with the knots in your headphone cord? It's frustrating enough to prevent me from using them in situations where I otherwise would.

I find it interesting that you use that quote as an example of naysaying. Within a few months of the iPod's introduction, they introduced higher storage options. Though the Classic line never got wireless, the HUGELY popular iPod touch had wireless. Both of his complaints were eventually rectified by Apple in the iPod line.

But the iPod was already a huge success despite those shortcomings.

Apple seems to be good at figuring out which drawbacks are deal breakers and which ones are not.

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