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iPad 9.7‑inch

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Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#301

There is a legendary story about how Steve Jobs, upon his return to Apple, drastically cut-down the number of models that they offer. How on earth have they forgotten that lesson? Trying to figure out the differences between the 9.7" iPad and iPad pro is not easy, and regardless, it makes it harder to buy.

Apple is not the same company and should not be expected to act like the company they were when Steve Jobs returned. Their market cap is over $700 Billion. They were never going to continue their growth by offering one phone, one tablet, and one laptop, regardless of what the purists think. Remember when Google was nothing but search?

> Remember when Google was nothing but search?

Google has nothing to do with Apple. Why even talk about Google as a relevant example of anything regarding consumer hardware production? they aren't.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that was the iDevice's strength. With Android, you have nothing actually made by Google but by OEMs, with different names and branding that don't give any real information. Which phone is "the android"? My mom doesn't think she has an android phone, she thinks she has an LG and that Android is a different thing. People buy a low end Android phone and hate the entire ecosystem because the phone perfor…

I believe the cheaper, albeit slow performing Android phones are revolutionizing the developing countries. People who could never afford a shiny Apple phone and its ecosystem are thriving due to Android.

That's not really against the commenter's point, though. I think the argument is that Apple had a clearly defined and differentiated product with the iPhone, and model creep can be considered a threat to that clarity. (As good as Android has been for a wide range of users, it's tough to stand out as a device maker.)

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#303

There is a legendary story about how Steve Jobs, upon his return to Apple, drastically cut-down the number of models that they offer. How on earth have they forgotten that lesson? Trying to figure out the differences between the 9.7" iPad and iPad pro is not easy, and regardless, it makes it harder to buy.

iPad Pro: Take the 9.7" iPad and add: * Apple Pencil * Faster CPU, more memory, more display * UHD color gamut display (and automatic white balance adjustment) * Better cameras I think there are other differences, but those are the big ticket ones.

I'd argue that the #1 or #2 key addition that "Pro" gets you (the Pencil being the other #1 or #2) is the "Smart Connector" for the integrated keyboard (http://www.apple.com/smart-keyboard/).

The ability to add the keyboard and the pencil illustrates the distinction Apple is trying to make between the Pro and the vanilla 9.7 -- creation vs. consumption.

After all these years, they are still persistently trying to position the iPad as a creation tool. Maybe it will work.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#304

There is a legendary story about how Steve Jobs, upon his return to Apple, drastically cut-down the number of models that they offer. How on earth have they forgotten that lesson? Trying to figure out the differences between the 9.7" iPad and iPad pro is not easy, and regardless, it makes it harder to buy.

One of the reasons why he did that was because Apple was dying. They didn't have money and resources to support many models, and they needed to focus and do one thing right. So it was the right decision. As much as I like simplicity, if you look around there are tons of cases like this around us, and that's not because these companies are idiots who don't understand simplicity but it's because their products have rea…

Under Jobs during the early days they never sold many products at once.

There was the old Apple II and new Apple II. Seeing as they went past 6 revisions of Apple II there was considerable churn.

There was never much of a 1st party peripheral market. Like we see with iWatch. That nearly exclusively 3rd party.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#305

There is a legendary story about how Steve Jobs, upon his return to Apple, drastically cut-down the number of models that they offer. How on earth have they forgotten that lesson? Trying to figure out the differences between the 9.7" iPad and iPad pro is not easy, and regardless, it makes it harder to buy.

I always thought that was the iDevice's strength. With Android, you have nothing actually made by Google but by OEMs, with different names and branding that don't give any real information. Which phone is "the android"? My mom doesn't think she has an android phone, she thinks she has an LG and that Android is a different thing. People buy a low end Android phone and hate the entire ecosystem because the phone perfor…

My nephew bought an iPhone 6s Plus the other day at a Walmart, and the signage clearly showed the range of phones from 7 to SE, along with prices, so picking out the newer, high-end phone was a simple matter.

I see, when looking at http://www.apple.com/iphone/ on my phone that the product line is arrayed at the top, with the 7 labeled as "New".

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that was the iDevice's strength. With Android, you have nothing actually made by Google but by OEMs, with different names and branding that don't give any real information. Which phone is "the android"? My mom doesn't think she has an android phone, she thinks she has an LG and that Android is a different thing. People buy a low end Android phone and hate the entire ecosystem because the phone perfor…

This. Back when there was only one iPhone to buy, it made the decision for the customers really easy: either you buy it, or you don't. But now, you gotta consider different specs and models Apple is providing, and choose from a plethora of devices... When you have multiple options, choosing one gets much difficult. Now, don't Apple Executives know this already? I guess they do, but what Tim Cook has done so far has b…

Each year they bring out three different sized models. Big, medium and small. Or you can buy an old one.

Yes there are feature differences, if you are a techie or a gamer or into photography, but bigger always means better. It really isn't rocket science.

The iPad and Mac laptop lineups are a bit of a mess at the moment though. I think that's mainly because they're in various stages of technology transitions such as retina displays, wide colour gamut, touch bar and Apple Pencil support. They're pushing aggressively into new technologies and manufacturing processes and I think that's creating problems for them.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#307
post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also there was reason why Steve Jobs was against all tablet sizes except one. At the time Apple was going after revolutionizing the education market and the 9.7" iPad1/2 fit the bill for that purpose exactly. Then came the iPad mini whose sole purpose was to increase business bottom-line… and then a few more models based on other focuses or potential uses. Meh. Moral of story: Do not destroy the initial momentum and…

Don't iPads suck for education or anything other than consuming media?

As stupid as it looks, using the big iPads for photography makes sense to a lot of people. It's a decent camera and having what is essentially a giant view finder is a nice way to work, especially for shooting video.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#308

There is a legendary story about how Steve Jobs, upon his return to Apple, drastically cut-down the number of models that they offer. How on earth have they forgotten that lesson? Trying to figure out the differences between the 9.7" iPad and iPad pro is not easy, and regardless, it makes it harder to buy.

Agreed. I thought the best way would be differentiate on features.

Pro should be: - wifi+LTE - more storage - pen and/or cover keyboard included - faster CPU - multiscreen capability (connect to mouse and monitor with "desktop" interface) for truly replacing my desktop

Regular iPad should be wifi only, and not come with a pen.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always thought that was the iDevice's strength. With Android, you have nothing actually made by Google but by OEMs, with different names and branding that don't give any real information. Which phone is "the android"? My mom doesn't think she has an android phone, she thinks she has an LG and that Android is a different thing. People buy a low end Android phone and hate the entire ecosystem because the phone perfor…

This. Back when there was only one iPhone to buy, it made the decision for the customers really easy: either you buy it, or you don't. But now, you gotta consider different specs and models Apple is providing, and choose from a plethora of devices... When you have multiple options, choosing one gets much difficult. Now, don't Apple Executives know this already? I guess they do, but what Tim Cook has done so far has b…

You don't have to consider different specs. Whether you buy an A8 powered iPhone SE, an A9 powered iPhone 6s, or an A10 powered iPhone 7, you get a very well performing phone that is probably going to run the latest OS for the next 3 - 5 years.

The only thing you have to consider is what size you prefer, the color, and the amount of memory.

Re: iPad 9.7‑inch

#310
post #235
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plus the iPad Mini 7.9". As a 9.7 Pro owner, the differences between the 9.7 Pro and the regular iPad are quite important. I just wish they made the comparison easier, though.

For a luxury good, isn't it in their best interest to make the differences as opaque as possible? The lower tier, same-sized items are basically "you couldn't afford an X" models that allow them to monetize a different market. But the idea is to keep the mystique of the higher tier items as a status symbol. And exposing the specs and highlighting precise differences only leads to people deciding that maybe that featu…

The differences between the Pro and non-Pro 9.7" iPads are _way_ too inconspicuous for that argument to hold water.

In fact, the only product apple sells that seems to follow that line of reasoning is the Apple Watch.

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