Although most of them are true, ( apart from Retina, if they are talking about PPI, and not "Apple's Retina" ), Siri doesn't work well outside UK/US. iCloud is ... just not there yet.
Support from Real People? They forgot to put in US or UK only where most of their Apple Stored are Opened.
Seriously, Apple is still moving at the same pace as it was. The problem is this time around its competitor isn't Microsoft but Google and Samsung.
Ugh. Lazy, uninformed trolls coming out of the woodwork in droves, I see...... here's where Siri is available:
Language Support and Availability
Siri is available for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation). Siri understands and can speak the following languages:
United States (English, Spanish)
United Kingdom (English)
Australia (English)
France (French)
Germany (German)
Japan (Japanese)
Canada (English, Canadian French)
China (Mandarin)
Hong Kong (Cantonese)
Italy (Italian)
Korea (Korean)
Mexico (Spanish)
Spain (Spanish)
Switzerland (Italian, French, German)
Taiwan (Mandarin)
Can I use Siri in any of these languages in other countries?
Yes. Siri can be enabled in any country, and you can choose to speak to it in any of the languages that Siri supports. However, Siri is designed to recognize the specific accents and dialects of the supported countries listed above. Since every language has its own accents and dialects, the accuracy rate will be higher for native speakers.
I would disagree that a benefit can't be had once you get to Apple's definition of Retina. It's well within the normal range of where people hold a phone and most of the world does not have 20/20(6/6) vision but there are some that will not be completely served by Apple until they do another jump.
The distribution approaches a bell curve - although it's actually skewed toward the 'bad' side. 20:20 is defined as normal vision for someone without vision problems. Since something like 60-80% of the population has vision problems, 20:20 is only the midpoint for that 20-40% who don't. So the number of people who are significantly better than 20:20 is very small - and few of them are more than a modest amount better. If 320 is Retina by definition, the number who can resolve over 380 has got to be infinitesimal. And, keep in mind that going higher creates additional costs and problems.
If it were a matter of serving the audience, Apple would be offering a phone where all time UI elements could be blown up to larger size - since there are far more people who are worse than 20:20 than who are better.
I don't think it's a high requirement by Apple and I think most are trying to one-up each other for their spec sheet without concern for whether it's PenTile, the power usage, the frame rate, or other aspects that make a display good, but I don't think we are at a level where we can forget about increasing it over time. Aren't magazines about 600 DPI?
Magazines are 600 - because there's no downside to doing so. For phones, there is a downside. Greater resolution means you need a more powerful FPU. You need more RAM. You need stronger backlighting. All of those things mean shorter battery life (or other tradeoffs).
The distribution approaches a bell curve - although it's actually skewed toward the 'bad' side. 20:20 is defined as normal vision for someone without vision problems. Since something like 60-80% of the population has vision problems, 20:20 is only the midpoint for that 20-40% who don't. So the number of people who are significantly better than 20:20 is very small - and few of them are more than a modest amount better. If 320 is Retina by definition, the number who can resolve over 380 has got to be infinitesimal.
Did you take into consideration those with corrected vision?
And, keep in mind that going higher creates additional costs and problems.
If it were a matter of serving the audience, Apple would be offering a phone where all time UI elements could be blown up to larger size - since there are far more people who are worse than 20:20 than who are better.
Magazines are 600 - because there's no downside to doing so. For phones, there is a downside. Greater resolution means you need a more powerful FPU. You need more RAM. You need stronger backlighting. All of those things mean shorter battery life (or other tradeoffs).
No argument here on the need at this point for Apple to do another doubling, but I do think that eventually they will increase it because the HW allows it and it does add to experience for a certain segment of the population.
Although most of them are true, ( apart from Retina, if they are talking about PPI, and not "Apple's Retina" ), Siri doesn't work well outside UK/US.
On that page, they say:
"the App Store is home to over 800,000 apps — all reviewed by Apple to guard against malware. Other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options, resulting in availability issues"
The footnote says:
"Refers to the total number worldwide. Not all content is available in all countries."
In many cases international issues will be outside of their control. I don't see Apple's actions as desperate in any way. Their sales figures don't give them any reason to be.
Everybody needs marketing, you can't automatically assume that hundreds of millions of people know why your products are better. Some people who have used Apple products for years couldn't concisely tell you why they are better because they don't all experience the best and worst features of every product.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that it's a bit odd to write an article which ingests and regurgitates the marketing content of a vendor's web state?
Not here; AppleInsider has been regurgitating the marketing content of Samsung's website for years.
I can see what you're saying though. It looks like they've just copied large wodges of text and put a few phrases around them. I guess that's what separates journalism from hit-whoring.
the new web page IS interesting. nothing new of course, but rules 1 and 2 of marketing are repetition works and blow your own horn. it is clearly aimed at an average consumer thinking about what phone to buy, not techies. for many of them, the last item - "support from real people" - will be the clincher, and Apple is smart to start to emphasize that. i don't recall seeing it stated so explicitly before.
anyone can go down that list and for most of the items say "but ...", noting limitations compared to competing products that Apple has not addressed. i don't think Apple is "falling behind" - yet. but iOS 8 does need to add more genuine conveniences for everyday use.
This is a great and very useful addition to the iPhone website. Just like the "why a Mac" page, it highlights key advantages of iPhone/iOS, and is an easy page to send to people who are debating their next smartphone purchase to make their decision easier and clarify the differences.
This is a great and very useful addition to the iPhone website. Just like the "why a Mac" page, it highlights key advantages of iPhone/iOS, and is an easy page to send to people who are debating their next smartphone purchase to make their decision easier and clarify the differences.
In other words, it's nothing out of the ordinary, just a tweaking of Apple marketing a degree or two in this or that direction. But apparently this is supposed to be some "statement" speaking to their outlook.
The "outlook" is that Apple and Samsung are splitting the market between them, with everyone else stuck in the basement, with Apple outselling Samsung during certain quarters, and dominating in Consumer Satisfaction.
We can speculate six ways from Sunday, or we can actually look at facts.
In other words, it's nothing out of the ordinary, just a tweaking of Apple marketing a degree or two in this or that direction. But apparently this is supposed to be some "statement" speaking to their outlook.
The "outlook" is that Apple and Samsung are splitting the market between them, with everyone else stuck in the basement, with Apple outselling Samsung during certain quarters, and dominating in Consumer Satisfaction.
We can speculate six ways from Sunday, or we can actually look at facts.
Oh, I don't doubt for a second that the "Apple is doomed" contingent will find a way to use this benign addition as further "evidence" of that narrative.
I wonder if Apple will get challenged over the "Retina" section. They state:
"The Retina display on iPhone ushered in the era of super-high-resolution displays. Its pixel density is so high, your eye can’t distinguish individual pixels." (*) and "Yet it remains a feature found only on iPhone and other Apple products."
Apple uses the same calculation that was used to come up with the well known "print quality" number of 300 DPI at 12" distance.
-- The first print quality (retina) smartphone....
In 2007, at about the same time that the original iPhone came out with its 163 PPI screen, you could buy a Toshiba Portege Windows Mobile phone with a 800x480 touchscreen at 313 PPI.
Toshiba advertised it as the first "print quality" screen, because its PPI was greater than 300.
-- So Apple had to come up with a new name...
Years later, Apple was faced with a problem. They could not call their phone the first with "print quality" because of devices like the Toshiba. So they came up with the brilliant marketing move of creating their own name ("retina") for the same visual formula.
(*) The claim about not being able to see individual pixels is based on research saying that if the separation of two distinct points is less than 1 minute of arc at any particular viewing distance, a person will normal vision (**) cannot distinguish them. Some PPIs to be "retina" at certain distances are:
PPI Distance
=== =======
595 6"
510 7"
446 8"
397 9"
357 10"
325 11"
298 12"
Or just 1 PPI at 300 feet (football field length).
(**) A person with really good vision might require 1.5 times the distances above.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by ksec
Is this Apple getting desperate?
Although most of them are true, ( apart from Retina, if they are talking about PPI, and not "Apple's Retina" ), Siri doesn't work well outside UK/US. iCloud is ... just not there yet.
Support from Real People? They forgot to put in US or UK only where most of their Apple Stored are Opened.
Seriously, Apple is still moving at the same pace as it was. The problem is this time around its competitor isn't Microsoft but Google and Samsung.
Ugh. Lazy, uninformed trolls coming out of the woodwork in droves, I see...... here's where Siri is available:
Language Support and Availability
Siri is available for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation). Siri understands and can speak the following languages:
United States (English, Spanish)
United Kingdom (English)
Australia (English)
France (French)
Germany (German)
Japan (Japanese)
Canada (English, Canadian French)
China (Mandarin)
Hong Kong (Cantonese)
Italy (Italian)
Korea (Korean)
Mexico (Spanish)
Spain (Spanish)
Switzerland (Italian, French, German)
Taiwan (Mandarin)
Can I use Siri in any of these languages in other countries?
Yes. Siri can be enabled in any country, and you can choose to speak to it in any of the languages that Siri supports. However, Siri is designed to recognize the specific accents and dialects of the supported countries listed above. Since every language has its own accents and dialects, the accuracy rate will be higher for native speakers.
---------
Here's where Apple Stores are available: http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist/
---------
The distribution approaches a bell curve - although it's actually skewed toward the 'bad' side. 20:20 is defined as normal vision for someone without vision problems. Since something like 60-80% of the population has vision problems, 20:20 is only the midpoint for that 20-40% who don't. So the number of people who are significantly better than 20:20 is very small - and few of them are more than a modest amount better. If 320 is Retina by definition, the number who can resolve over 380 has got to be infinitesimal. And, keep in mind that going higher creates additional costs and problems.
If it were a matter of serving the audience, Apple would be offering a phone where all time UI elements could be blown up to larger size - since there are far more people who are worse than 20:20 than who are better.
Magazines are 600 - because there's no downside to doing so. For phones, there is a downside. Greater resolution means you need a more powerful FPU. You need more RAM. You need stronger backlighting. All of those things mean shorter battery life (or other tradeoffs).
Did you take into consideration those with corrected vision?
No argument here on the need at this point for Apple to do another doubling, but I do think that eventually they will increase it because the HW allows it and it does add to experience for a certain segment of the population.
On that page, they say:
"the App Store is home to over 800,000 apps — all reviewed by Apple to guard against malware. Other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options, resulting in availability issues"
The footnote says:
"Refers to the total number worldwide. Not all content is available in all countries."
In many cases international issues will be outside of their control. I don't see Apple's actions as desperate in any way. Their sales figures don't give them any reason to be.
Everybody needs marketing, you can't automatically assume that hundreds of millions of people know why your products are better. Some people who have used Apple products for years couldn't concisely tell you why they are better because they don't all experience the best and worst features of every product.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum
Another article by @Corrections...
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that it's a bit odd to write an article which ingests and regurgitates the marketing content of a vendor's web state?
Not here; AppleInsider has been regurgitating the marketing content of Samsung's website for years.
I can see what you're saying though. It looks like they've just copied large wodges of text and put a few phrases around them. I guess that's what separates journalism from hit-whoring.
the new web page IS interesting. nothing new of course, but rules 1 and 2 of marketing are repetition works and blow your own horn. it is clearly aimed at an average consumer thinking about what phone to buy, not techies. for many of them, the last item - "support from real people" - will be the clincher, and Apple is smart to start to emphasize that. i don't recall seeing it stated so explicitly before.
anyone can go down that list and for most of the items say "but ...", noting limitations compared to competing products that Apple has not addressed. i don't think Apple is "falling behind" - yet. but iOS 8 does need to add more genuine conveniences for everyday use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Did you take into consideration those with corrected vision?
I could be wrong, but I doubt that many vision corrections get people back to 20:20 (and let them stay there forever).
Their most loyal supporters now come across as far too keen and not always believable.
So every little helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aBeliefSystem
Their most loyal supporters now come across as far too keen and not always believable.
What a great point.
Speaking for myself, it really does become tiresome at times.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
What a great point.
Speaking for myself, it really does become tiresome at times.
Are you sure you understood what aBeliefSystem wrote? I think he was referring to Apple fans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gatorguy
Are you sure you understood what aBeliefSystem wrote? I think he was referring to Apple fans.
Umm... what makes you think I wasn't agreeing with him?
(Thanks for your help with getting me to understand. Even though English is not my first language, I am reasonably good at figuring it out).
It would never occur to me that English is not your first language.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Umm... what makes you think I wasn't agreeing with him?
(Thanks for your help with getting me to understand. Even though English is not my first language, I am reasonably good at figuring it out).
No problem. I just wanted to be sure that was your intent.
Are you sure it's "design chief" and not "lawyer"?
This is a great and very useful addition to the iPhone website. Just like the "why a Mac" page, it highlights key advantages of iPhone/iOS, and is an easy page to send to people who are debating their next smartphone purchase to make their decision easier and clarify the differences.
In other words, it's nothing out of the ordinary, just a tweaking of Apple marketing a degree or two in this or that direction. But apparently this is supposed to be some "statement" speaking to their outlook.
The "outlook" is that Apple and Samsung are splitting the market between them, with everyone else stuck in the basement, with Apple outselling Samsung during certain quarters, and dominating in Consumer Satisfaction.
We can speculate six ways from Sunday, or we can actually look at facts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aBeliefSystem
A smart move by Apple. Their most loyal supporters now come across as far too keen and not always believable. So every little helps.
Someone to explain me what does he means?
Originally Posted by Yazolight
Someone to explain me what does he means?
He thinks that we all lie about what Apple products do and that this new page directly from Apple will "set us straight" on the facts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Quadra 610
In other words, it's nothing out of the ordinary, just a tweaking of Apple marketing a degree or two in this or that direction. But apparently this is supposed to be some "statement" speaking to their outlook.
The "outlook" is that Apple and Samsung are splitting the market between them, with everyone else stuck in the basement, with Apple outselling Samsung during certain quarters, and dominating in Consumer Satisfaction.
We can speculate six ways from Sunday, or we can actually look at facts.
Oh, I don't doubt for a second that the "Apple is doomed" contingent will find a way to use this benign addition as further "evidence" of that narrative.
I wonder if Apple will get challenged over the "Retina" section. They state:
"The Retina display on iPhone ushered in the era of super-high-resolution displays. Its pixel density is so high, your eye can’t distinguish individual pixels." (*) and "Yet it remains a feature found only on iPhone and other Apple products."
Apple uses the same calculation that was used to come up with the well known "print quality" number of 300 DPI at 12" distance.
-- The first print quality (retina) smartphone....
In 2007, at about the same time that the original iPhone came out with its 163 PPI screen, you could buy a Toshiba Portege Windows Mobile phone with a 800x480 touchscreen at 313 PPI.
Toshiba advertised it as the first "print quality" screen, because its PPI was greater than 300.
-- So Apple had to come up with a new name...
Years later, Apple was faced with a problem. They could not call their phone the first with "print quality" because of devices like the Toshiba. So they came up with the brilliant marketing move of creating their own name ("retina") for the same visual formula.
(*) The claim about not being able to see individual pixels is based on research saying that if the separation of two distinct points is less than 1 minute of arc at any particular viewing distance, a person will normal vision (**) cannot distinguish them. Some PPIs to be "retina" at certain distances are:
PPI Distance
=== =======
595 6"
510 7"
446 8"
397 9"
357 10"
325 11"
298 12"
Or just 1 PPI at 300 feet (football field length).
(**) A person with really good vision might require 1.5 times the distances above.