Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#131

Post by OkGoDoIt » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 6:59 PM UTC

dangero wrote: post #75

icelancer wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bluetooth in general is so shitty about this. How iOS/Apple gets it right and no one else does is beyond me.

Tight OS integration is their advantage. Airpods can do things in ways other manufacturers cannot. The OS has special case Airpod code. How would another manufacturer replicate this? I don't think they could without Apple's ecosystem. Try Airpods on Windows. They aren't as simple to setup.

While the pairing process with non-Apple devices is the slightly more cumbersome standard Bluetooth pairing process, they still switch between multiple devices much more easily than other wireless headphones I own. I just tell windows to connect to my AirPods and they connect. I tell my android phone to connect my AirPods and it connects to those instead. Often with other wireless headphones I have to fiddle with the pairing mode on the headphones to get it to allow me to connect it to a different device, even if it’s already been paired in the past. My $350 Bose wireless headphones (2018 model) can only remember pairing with two devices before it needs to be re-paired. So using it with my phone, iPad, and computer is a bit of a pain. There must be other headphone manufacturers that get this right, but the AirPods are my first experience with not being frustrated by Bluetooth headphones, and the first time I’ve found wireless headphones to be less hassle than wired headphones.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#132

Post by timcederman » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 6:59 PM UTC

jshevek wrote: post #54

rhacker wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think something like the iphone specifically existed before its debut, but I could be wrong.

Which characteristics do you consider distinctive? I think of capacitive touch with no keyboard, but such phones did exist. Costs for those kinds of screens had been coming down before the iphone launched. It was obvious we'd see more capacitive screen phones before the iphone launch, though Apple certainly accelerated it.

Gesture UI (the audience literally gasped when Steve scrolled through a long list by flinging it, and applauded pinch-to-zoom), and actually using best of class components (except the camera).

All the other smartphones then were laggy/poor screen/plastic shells/etc. Their UIs stunk. It was a huge step up with a bunch of key incremental innovations in a single package.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#133

Post by paulcole » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:00 PM UTC

baxtr wrote: post #110

What's the point here? - There were mp3 files and player long before the first iPod - Before the iPhone there were other smartphones - Before the iPad there were other tablets - Don't get me started on the Watch... Apple was never an Inventor. Everything they've ever created was built around a technology or even products that existed before. Apple "just" gets the user experience right and and builds products that mos…

I'll give you the watch but the iPod isn't an mp3 player, the iPhone isn't a smartphone, and the iPad isn't a tablet.

The iPod is THE mp3 player, the iPhone is THE smartphone, and to a lesser extent the iPad is THE tablet.

No, Apple didn't invent the concepts but they created the definitive product using those concepts.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#134

Post by wlesieutre » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:00 PM UTC

chadash wrote: post #68

reacharavindh wrote: post #33

May be people are disappointed with innovation in iPhones compared to previous years' or for the last few years, but every time I use my AirPods, I can't but feel good about the innovation it took to make it as easy to use and comfortable. * If I open the case near my phone, it automatically pairs and shoes battery levels. * They sound decent for earbuds (not in-ear plugs which I hate) * Lasts reasonable amount of ti…

I think their biggest innovation is making devices where everything just works. Look no further than any two year old who has been exposed to an iPad to see that their interfaces are super-intuitive. Plus, unlike most manufactures, they control all the hardware plus the software, so they can make sure that the entire experience is seamless.

100% agreed. People are complaining online about how the new Mac Mini is priced, but they're not just selling a computer. It's a whole ecosystem of things of mostly reliable stuff that works well with each other. They can put a price premium for the quality of their software ecosystem, which keeps getting better.

Being able to use your phone as a camera to take a photo directly into a document in Pages on your computer is a pretty cool trick.

Having your airpods pairing sync between your devices and easily jump to the device you're using is really well done (from what I hear, I don't have them myself).

A phone getting more than two years of software updates may not be flashy, but I'm more interested in that than anything else that phone manufacturers are doing.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#135

Post by carlosrg » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:01 PM UTC

ForrestN wrote: post #111

It's embarrassing that this doesn't include a massive, bold-faced disclaimer above the headline. Bloomberg is in the midst of a credibility-destroying fight with Apple over a sensational story that no other journalists can corroborate. Bloomberg has dug in, staking their reputation on Apple being wrong. Seemingly in response Bloomberg... publishes a hand-wavy piece of cultural criticism about the meaning of Apple doi…

What is embarrassing is believing there's now a conspiracy against Apple because Bloomberg got a scoop and decided to follow through.

Don't worry, Apple can survive some criticism.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#136

Post by philwelch » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:01 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #117

Why don't we all steer towards the IBM PC clone model, but for smartphones? Why do we have free/open Linux on PCs and not on phones? By the way, ironically, with its single user OS, an iPhone is more a "Personal Computer" than most PCs.

> Why don't we all steer towards the IBM PC clone model, but for smartphones?

Isn't that Android?

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#137

Post by pat2man » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:01 PM UTC

Twirrim wrote: post #128

bloorp wrote: post #35

Two months ago, Apple announced an ECG sensor for your wrist. A year before that, they announced face detection for the purposes of identity with enough accuracy that it can be used for financial transactions. Also, AirPods are incredible. I'm not saying Apple has a monopoly on invention, but to say they 'used to be an inventor'? That's weird.

Just a reminder, that under US law, the 5th amendment only applies to passwords (what you know), and not biometrics (what you are). If you choose to use FaceID, thumbprints etc, the government can force you to unlock your device.

Another reminder, you can temporarily disable Face/Touch ID by holding the volume up and power buttons for two seconds, something you could probably do while your phone is in your pocket without anyone noticing.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#138

Post by geerlingguy » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:02 PM UTC

sithadmin wrote: post #83

iscrewyou wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the fact that I can keep them in my ear and just go on my Macbook and select the output from the volume icon. I’m always amazed by that.

Moving AirPod pairing from iOS -> Mac works well, but going the other way is always a struggle for me. I nearly always have to go into my iOS device's Bluetooth settings to reconnect. It's tolerable, but an annoyance.

Not that in control center, you can tap and hold or force touch the music widget, then tap the “output” button at top right, then tap on your AirPods to quickly switch them to iOS device if they’re not currently paired.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#139

Post by matwood » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:03 PM UTC

izzydata wrote: post #93

lotsofpulp wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People aren't buying terrible things, they're buying the best thing available to them. Edit: Samsung/Microsoft/Google are free to come up with their own ecosystem and quality hardware devices that don't have the drawbacks that Apple's do. But for some reason they don't.

The idea that people think there is no better / equivalent alternative is an issue. Why people are willing to begrudgingly spend thousands on something without doing research doesn't make a lot of sense.

I do research and my couple forays into Android, while less expensive, were not good experiences. Admittedly my last Android phone was a Nexus 5, so maybe I should look again?

The problem is after other poor experiences I will only get a Google phone. The Pixel 3 XL with 128gb is $999. A new iPhone Xs is 1249 for the 256gb. Is taking yet another chance on Android worth $250? How well will that Pixel 3 XL even be supported?

It just isn't as simple as no one does any research.

Re: Apple Used to Be an Inventor. Now It’s Mainly a Landlord

#140

Post by JustSomeNobody » Fri, Nov 02, 2018, 7:03 PM UTC

Confusion wrote: post #32

Meanwhile geeks are marvelling at the speed improvements of their latest SoC's over the previous generation and over their competitors.

In benchmarks, sure. But day to day, the new phones only really show their speed in things like games. The Everyman is good with a 6S. That's about when peak phone happened. That's when phones got "fast enough". That's why the 6S is still one of the most used iPhones (14% last number I read.)