I still don't see the reason for this to exist. Even if it did exist,
Why do the MBA's come in two sizes and likewise the MBP's? Think about it a bit, not everyone has the same exact needs here.
Apple would do something way more elegant than a hacky "split screen mode".
I would hope so! The problem with this discussion is that people have zero imagination here. All they can see is the crappy interface MicroSoft came up with.
Either you'd have an immersive full-screen app experience, or a windowed interface like in OS X. They wouldn't do some half-ass hybrid fullscreen resize and app switching thing like Windows 8, and certainly wouldn't have OS X with a touchscreen or iOS with a mouse/trackpad cursor.
What do you mean here, iPads already do app switching. The app is off screen and often frozen but you still switch between apps as needed.
As far as a windowing interface I can see multiple alternatives here some of them totally unlike the Mac OS interface. I'm not sure where people get the idea that Mac OS and Windows are the only alternatives to extending Mac OS.
People have already tried hybrid Windows/Android laptop/tablet hybrids and the results were horrible.
Sure but what does that imply about new capabilities in iOS? Let me tell you, nothing really. Apple can give iOS more professional capabilities without sacrificing the current UI's usability.
Half the hardware becomes completely useless when you switch modes.
Explain that one? Think about it, if you can bounce between split screen and full screen essentially instantly, it actually makes working with multiple apps far easier than what we have now.
An dual OS X/iOS device would be the same.
Dual is not the right term here. First OS/X and IOS are the same thing with a different UI tacked on. As such the underlying software does not change a lot. Second you assume modality which isn't what we would see, rather you would see more flexibility in iOS that enables a larger array of pro quality apps and more user control/access.
If Apple was to actually make this 12" "iPad Air Pro Whatever" there would have to be some really killer features you couldn't ever possibly put in the 10" model.
A 12" screen would do it for many!????????????. Seriously that is a big feature for many right there.
There's been lots of people that believe every dumb rumor that pops up, like the teardrop shape iPhone schematics, fake Apple reversible USB cables videos, "leaked" videos of the "iWatch", etc.
Well by definition rumors aren't always true. However the info related to the larger iPad is very broad so there is some credibility. Honestly though do you expect that the iPad line up will remain stagnet forever? I don't and frankly I wouldn't expect this big iPad to sell as well as the Air. However that doesn't mean that Apple should give up on new iPad devices, every device has a niche to fill.
This is something that IS waaay overdue, and not an unreasonable expectation.
It is a very unreasonable expectation. These are very personal devices and as such there is no need to share with others.
Every parent I meet laments the lack of multi-user capabilities for their children who are too young to have their own tablets (or phones) and play with their personal ones, inevitably screwing stuff up.
Maybe the parents shouldn't be letting children play with critical devices in their lives. Think about how life was 20 years ago when everybody had a phone hanging on the wall, did you let the kids play with it? Of course not. Most parents would have taught the child how to use it in an emergency and to properly answer the phone but they would not allow it to become a toy.
Even Netflix has multi-user, now. I don't particularly care for my visiting friends and relatives browsing my personal photos, and social media apps,
Then why do you let them do it?
influencing my web browsing preferences, and my music profiles.
Not to sound like a prick but you need to grow up and learn to protect your personal space. There is no good reason to give an iPhone or iPad to someone you don't trust or has a tendency to screw things up for you.
Why would you say this if the operation of the iPAd isn't materially different than it is today. Side by side apps may not be for everyone, I know I seldom have a need, but that shouldn't be a usability negative for most. Of course we would have to see what sort of interface Apple comes up with to deliver side by side apps
As for Mac OS, iOS is for the most part Mac OS. As such I wouldn't mind seeing a few concepts brought over that would allow more control of the system. This doesn't mean giving up on the usability of iOS but rather extending it feature wise.
Well Apple will never go to Intel in these devices. I've gone over this before but in a nut shell it isn't about the CPU instruction set but rather being able to engineer the silicon. This is the way of all future hardware, that is the SoC largely replacing all PCB engineering.
In any event what I think people are really trying to say there is that Intel will be able to offer tablet chips that perform better and run just as cool. This remains to be seen actually, Intel just has too much legacy crap in its chips in my mind. Further with several 14 nm fans coming on line in the near future Intel is loosing its process advantages. It will be rather interesting to see how Broadwell performs in a tablet if it ever gets designed in. In the end I suspect that Apple will be competing with NVIdia and Qualcomm more than anyone else in the future, maybe even AMD. All of these manufactures seem to be more amendable to working with buyers on custom chips.
Hard to tell on the net! Besides I fully expect that somebody will eventually build a quality tablet that competes well with what Apple can deliver. There are two real problems right now with quality alternative tablets. One is hardware where it is very very hard to compete against Apples custom chips. The other is software, Android has potential but unfortunately nobody has really spent the time to develop it fully and deliver it safely configured. I actually see some good in the Jolla concept where Android effectively is a legacy support for apps. The problem with Jolla is the lack of a large corporation to bring the device to market properly supported.
One can end up looking like a fool if they don't see the potential here for somebody to come up with a competitive tablet. Apple is aware of this and that is why they have specifically said that they will be aggressive in keeping the IOS product line at the front of the market. They are making sure they don't repeat the mistakes made with their PC hardware lines. The extremely rapid development of the A series processors is one example of their determination to stay on the bleeding edge. In any event I can see Apple continuing to plow money into the product line to fully realize what they expect and to simply stay ahead of the competition. Apple isn't about to dismiss the competition and get screwed over in the marketplace like they did with the Mac.
Hey Wizard, you do know that the new Broadwell M series uses 14nm. New devices using these chips, which are tablets, have shown a bump of over 2 hours in battery life, examples; Dell's new Venue 11 Pro and Lenovo's new Helix 2.
Oh, okay Mr. Know-it-all. Why don't you take a look at iPad sales numbers and declining marketshare before insulting my post. 37,101 posts... Get a damn life.
If you look at the numbers iPadis doing very well in the market place. As for share you can't expect it to maintann 100% share forever, which it basically had for awhile.
It will be interesting to see what this quarters results are, I see massive amounts of money going into iPhones so maybe iPad sales will be low this year. It is actually hard to say, but realistically most demand is for iPads and not android devices. I don't see a massive shift in share this quarter, if anything iPad might actually gain share for the quarter even if sales are down.
How is sog going to explain a new iPad mini in the spring with A8X chip? I thought margins were horrible on the mini so Apple would never do it.
A8 / A8X would not have a significant imoact on margins. There isn't a significant difference in costs to Apple for the chips.
The bigger problem for Apple is the lack of sales lackluster updates like the last Mini update induce. At times Apple is just plain stupid with the management of hardware evolution. To keep iPads higher prices they need to make sure that the hardware is as compelling as the software. Otherwise sales will end up like the Touch's - pretty bad.
That would be really nice, but I highly doubt it, if Apple hasn't gone this route yet there is no indication that they ever will, not sure why either.
The thing that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that these are mass market devices. Apple has no intention of servicing niche markets which is why we don't see a 17" laptop anymore.
I would expect Apple to continue to improve every aspect of iPad including the Touch capability, however I don't ever see them competing with the niche Wacom serves.
It's not missed though, there are still good products on the market with this capability if it's needed.
Yep. Those products are better handled by the smaller companies that can better serve their customers. This isn't much different than customers wanting an Apple designed and manufactured disk array. The market is just too small for Apple and there are too many differing needs for Apple to solve all user problems. It is far better for Apple to leave disk arrays to the specialist builders that can support their customers best.
The point is some here argued the mini 3 didn't get the same specs as the Air 2 because of margins. IF we get a new mini next spring it makes me question even more the reason for producing the mini 3. Just drop the price on the mini 2 and don't do a mini 3 until it can get the latest specs.
The only reason the Mini 3 exists is to support Touch ID. That was critical due to the need to get Apple Pay well supported at launch. This should be pretty obvious to many out there, Mini 3 wasn't so much an upgrade as it was a modification directly aimed at the Apple Pay launch.
As for why the Mini didn't get a decent upgrade that is anybody's guess. I suspect constrained supply but I can't prove that obviously. My understanding is that Samsung is retooling at least one of their plants to go to 14 nm and TSMC 20 nm process is rather new. Basically Mini 3 is a CYA moment for Apple.
That would be really nice, but I highly doubt it, if Apple hasn't gone this route yet there is no indication that they ever will, not sure why either.
The thing that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that these are mass market devices. Apple has no intention of servicing niche markets which is why we don't see a 17" laptop anymore.
I give you the Mac Pro, the Apple TV and the Apple Watch. All niche devices.
As to the 17" MacBook Pro, I bet it would get a very healthy marketshare nowadays, as Apple would be able to make it much smaller, thinner and lighter than their last one.
I was going to skip over this post but then decided to come back to it. I'm doing so because you highlight an important point here, objectivity is often lost with the fanboy crowd.
He said nothing about trash tablets, unbeknownst to people around here but their are actually good Android alternative on the market. Anyone would be very well served with a Sony Z2, Sony Z3 Compact, Nokia N1, Nvidia Shield, Asus Transformr TF710T, LG Gpad, Kindle HDX, Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2, Nexus 9, etc. Why does it always have to us against them,
Young guys that have never actually been in a fight trying to pick a fight? I wouldn't go so far as to say "anyone" would be well served by those tablets but they certainly each have a niche to fill. An objective mind would evaluate what is best for his or hers needs. In doing so for me, iPad is a pretty damn good bargain.
Speaking of niche, I've used that word a lot today. The word does seem to fit the discussions well though.
the iPad is a great product but there is also nothing wrong with using these other tablets and no, these alternatves aren't automaticaly considered garbage simply because they don't have an Apple logo on it. Most of the of top apps for iOS exist on Android and the new 5.0 release is an actual treat to use. If the device does what you want I don't see a problem, why was it important to comment on someones choice anyway and why did you think he was going to buy a garbage tablet.
The problem with Android is that so many of the tablets out there are indeed garbage, in effect they give the better hardware a black eye.
On a slightly different note, from time to time I spend time on Linux forums as I've used it extensively in the past and still do today. However I use a Mac as my primary workstation PC. This causes all sorts of grandstanding by people that just can't understand the value that a Mac brings to a user. Even after acknowledging that I have more than one computer at home and that only one runs Mac OS, they can't fathom that somebody would fit the machine to the task at hand.
...and no Soli, I'm not going after this person because he is using an Apple product, who cares what he's using, see, that is my shtick, if it makes you happy, why should people here get upset if it's not an Apple. Saying something isn't good is just an oppinion and has no factual basis,
No not really! There are factual parameters that can be evaluated for any machine, be it a computer or a disk sander. There are some serious negatives when it comes to iOS devices and likewise Android devices.
The problem with Android hardware is that how bad a device is varies widely with whom manufactured it and configured it. Sometimes quality sucks and sometimes security does not exist. The fact is you have to do a lot of research to get a decent Android product.
there are just oppinions out there that back up your own, it's all in they eye of the beholder. My son has flipped over backwards with his Nvidia Shield and why shouldn't he, it's a fantastic product at $300.
Well we could argue about what is fact and what is opinion. In the end I will try to avoid an on going argument and just say that so far iPads have been well worth the money for me.
In any event I have to ask, have you purchased a Jolla tablet yet? It seems like a device that would be right up your alley.
Educate yourself. By doing so, you’ll see why buying that $29 tablet for your kid will lead to him being spied on.
Not sure why everyone assumed I'm looking for a junk tablet if I'm considering something other than an iPad. We bought my 7 year old daughter a Kindle Fire last Christmas and it was a great product for someone her age. Unfortunately, it got stolen when we went camping and we would like to replace it this Christmas. Since we have Amazon Prime, getting her a Kindle gives her access to 200,000 movies, thousands for free books and unlimited streaming music. No, the hardware is not up to Apple specs, but it's also only 1/3 of the cost.
Your snide comment about me being a big Apple fan rubbed me the wrong way too. Not sure where you get off with the assumption that I'm not. Is it because I'm considering an alternative to an iPad? FYI: I've been using Apple computers since the '80's in the Graphic Arts industry. I've converted at least a dozen people from PC hell to the Mac platform. I'm also the person they call for tech support. I've purchased nothing but Apple computers since the mid '90's - Back when a 100Mhz PowerPC 8100 cost me $4,100. Our house currently has 2 Apple computers, an Apple TV, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones and an iPod touch.
Now as for your comments above... You clearly showed your ignorance on the subject. Allow me to pull your head out of the sand for just a moment: iPad sales are down 12.7% in 2014 from the previous year. The first decline ever for the iPad. The Android worldwide tablet marketshare rose to 68% this year. Apple's tablet marketshare is down to 27.5%
So as I said in my post: Marketshare is declining and so are sales. I've included 3 sources for my factual statements.
I give you the Mac Pro, the Apple TV and the Apple Watch. All niche devices.
Actually Apple TV moved beyond niche markets sometime ago, it really isn't a hobby anymore. Apple watch is no more a niche product than anyother expensive watch.
You may have a point with the Mac Pro, but I look at it this way it brings credibility to the Mac lineup.
As to the 17" MacBook Pro, I bet it would get a very healthy marketshare nowadays, as Apple would be able to make it much smaller, thinner and lighter than their last one.
Not so much. I've seen the same thing happen in the Windows world at work, people just don't like lugging around massive laptops. In one case I asked why somebody gave up a laptop with a 17" screen and he said it was just too big. Even a 15" machine can be cramped if you are spending a lot of time on planes. Making the laptop thiner doesn't solve the issue of the other dimensions, this is what has driven down demand world wide for 17" machines.
This is one of the reasons why I would like to see a 12, 14 & 16" line up from Apple. With a little bit of work I can see them putting a 16" screen into a machine not much bigger than today's 15" machine. It would require shrinking the bezel to almost zero and a slight increase in overall dimensions but it might be the best compromise for those that need large screens.
Right... Have you actually used to trash tablets? Apple tablets can last 5 year even in a child"s hand. Many of the cheaper trash tablet won't last 6 months (if your lucky). BTW, Google seemingly is no longer subsidizing the Nexus line and premium is basically the same price as Apple. You get what you pay for, and if your ready to accept that... Well, go for the trash tablets.
We had a Kindle for my 7 year old daughter before it got stolen. So yes, I've used a non iPad tablet. I wasn't as good as an iPad, I will agree, but it did the job for a $100. With Prime, she could watch several movies and TV shows, read thousands of books, or listen to unlimited streaming music. I just can't justify spending 3x the price for an iPad Mini when it's essentially being used as an entertainment consumption device. Calling it "trash" is bit over the top.
A8 / A8X would not have a significant imoact on margins. There isn't a significant difference in costs to Apple for the chips.
The bigger problem for Apple is the lack of sales lackluster updates like the last Mini update induce. At times Apple is just plain stupid with the management of hardware evolution. To keep iPads higher prices they need to make sure that the hardware is as compelling as the software. Otherwise sales will end up like the Touch's - pretty bad.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. But some here seem to think iPad mini needs to be a generation behind iPad air in order to keep margins high. But even if that is true, what good are high margins if no one is buying the device?
IMO in 2015 Apple needs to:
Eliminate all A5 devices from their iOS lineups
Make all iOS devices retina with laminated displays
Make all iOS devices 64-bit with Touch ID
Make 32GB the base storage for all iOS devices
Fix bugs and improve UX in iOS before adding new features.
And for anyone complaining about margins and profits, I say, Apple has the cash to do it and increased sales would offset any hit they would take from $199/$499 taking a larger share of the iPhone/iPad mix.
you're in denial if you believe either of those points.
I guess truth is denial now, huh.
Originally Posted by Lawrance
Your snide comment about me being a big Apple fan rubbed me the wrong way too. Not sure where you get off with the assumption that I'm not.
I said no such thing.
I’ve been using Apple computers since... I’ve converted... I’ve purchased... Our house currently has...
And you just keep doing it...
iPad sales are down 12.7% in 2014 from the previous year. The first decline ever for the iPad. The Android worldwide tablet marketshare rose to 68% this year. Apple's tablet marketshare is down to 27.5%
Okay, again, enjoy your delusions. Sales are down? So what? You’re inventing that the price is the problem. Marketshare remains the same. Look at the tablets actually in use. Call us back when the iPad isn’t 90% of that number.
I hope that's only a quick and dirty mockup because I'm not buying it with those huge bezels.
Yes, because when purchasing tools for their practical value the deciding factor is....bezels. wtf. How's your MacBook with its big ole bezels working out? Still doing its job to be dome? Yup.
The only reason the Mini 3 exists is to support Touch ID. That was critical due to the need to get Apple Pay well supported at launch. This should be pretty obvious to many out there, Mini 3 wasn't so much an upgrade as it was a modification directly aimed at the Apple Pay launch.
As for why the Mini didn't get a decent upgrade that is anybody's guess. I suspect constrained supply but I can't prove that obviously. My understanding is that Samsung is retooling at least one of their plants to go to 14 nm and TSMC 20 nm process is rather new. Basically Mini 3 is a CYA moment for Apple.
Then don't call it the mini 3, just add touch ID to the current mini and be done with it. Maybe this year would have been the perfect time to do away with the numbering system on iOS devices.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. But some here seem to think iPad mini needs to be a generation behind iPad air in order to keep margins high. But even if that is true, what good are high margins if no one is buying the device?
IMO in 2015 Apple needs to:
Eliminate all A5 devices from their iOS lineups
Make all iOS devices retina with laminated displays
Make all iOS devices 64-bit with Touch ID
Make 32GB the base storage for all iOS devices
Fix bugs and improve UX in iOS before adding new features.
And for anyone complaining about margins and profits, I say, Apple has the cash to do it and increased sales would offset any hit they would take from $199/$499 taking a larger share of the iPhone/iPad mix.
Comments
Why do the MBA's come in two sizes and likewise the MBP's? Think about it a bit, not everyone has the same exact needs here. I would hope so! The problem with this discussion is that people have zero imagination here. All they can see is the crappy interface MicroSoft came up with. What do you mean here, iPads already do app switching. The app is off screen and often frozen but you still switch between apps as needed.
As far as a windowing interface I can see multiple alternatives here some of them totally unlike the Mac OS interface. I'm not sure where people get the idea that Mac OS and Windows are the only alternatives to extending Mac OS. Sure but what does that imply about new capabilities in iOS? Let me tell you, nothing really. Apple can give iOS more professional capabilities without sacrificing the current UI's usability. Explain that one? Think about it, if you can bounce between split screen and full screen essentially instantly, it actually makes working with multiple apps far easier than what we have now. Dual is not the right term here. First OS/X and IOS are the same thing with a different UI tacked on. As such the underlying software does not change a lot. Second you assume modality which isn't what we would see, rather you would see more flexibility in iOS that enables a larger array of pro quality apps and more user control/access. A 12" screen would do it for many!????????????. Seriously that is a big feature for many right there.
Well by definition rumors aren't always true. However the info related to the larger iPad is very broad so there is some credibility. Honestly though do you expect that the iPad line up will remain stagnet forever? I don't and frankly I wouldn't expect this big iPad to sell as well as the Air. However that doesn't mean that Apple should give up on new iPad devices, every device has a niche to fill.
Apple Pay will be huge for Apple.
1. No declining marketshare.
2. Sales numbers are fine.
Educate yourself. By doing so, you’ll see why buying that $29 tablet for your kid will lead to him being spied on.
you're in denial if you believe either of those points.
It is a very unreasonable expectation. These are very personal devices and as such there is no need to share with others. Maybe the parents shouldn't be letting children play with critical devices in their lives. Think about how life was 20 years ago when everybody had a phone hanging on the wall, did you let the kids play with it? Of course not. Most parents would have taught the child how to use it in an emergency and to properly answer the phone but they would not allow it to become a toy. Then why do you let them do it?
Not to sound like a prick but you need to grow up and learn to protect your personal space. There is no good reason to give an iPhone or iPad to someone you don't trust or has a tendency to screw things up for you.
Why would you say this if the operation of the iPAd isn't materially different than it is today. Side by side apps may not be for everyone, I know I seldom have a need, but that shouldn't be a usability negative for most. Of course we would have to see what sort of interface Apple comes up with to deliver side by side apps
As for Mac OS, iOS is for the most part Mac OS. As such I wouldn't mind seeing a few concepts brought over that would allow more control of the system. This doesn't mean giving up on the usability of iOS but rather extending it feature wise.
Well Apple will never go to Intel in these devices. I've gone over this before but in a nut shell it isn't about the CPU instruction set but rather being able to engineer the silicon. This is the way of all future hardware, that is the SoC largely replacing all PCB engineering.
In any event what I think people are really trying to say there is that Intel will be able to offer tablet chips that perform better and run just as cool. This remains to be seen actually, Intel just has too much legacy crap in its chips in my mind. Further with several 14 nm fans coming on line in the near future Intel is loosing its process advantages. It will be rather interesting to see how Broadwell performs in a tablet if it ever gets designed in. In the end I suspect that Apple will be competing with NVIdia and Qualcomm more than anyone else in the future, maybe even AMD. All of these manufactures seem to be more amendable to working with buyers on custom chips.
Hard to tell on the net! Besides I fully expect that somebody will eventually build a quality tablet that competes well with what Apple can deliver. There are two real problems right now with quality alternative tablets. One is hardware where it is very very hard to compete against Apples custom chips. The other is software, Android has potential but unfortunately nobody has really spent the time to develop it fully and deliver it safely configured. I actually see some good in the Jolla concept where Android effectively is a legacy support for apps. The problem with Jolla is the lack of a large corporation to bring the device to market properly supported.
One can end up looking like a fool if they don't see the potential here for somebody to come up with a competitive tablet. Apple is aware of this and that is why they have specifically said that they will be aggressive in keeping the IOS product line at the front of the market. They are making sure they don't repeat the mistakes made with their PC hardware lines. The extremely rapid development of the A series processors is one example of their determination to stay on the bleeding edge. In any event I can see Apple continuing to plow money into the product line to fully realize what they expect and to simply stay ahead of the competition. Apple isn't about to dismiss the competition and get screwed over in the marketplace like they did with the Mac.
Hey Wizard, you do know that the new Broadwell M series uses 14nm. New devices using these chips, which are tablets, have shown a bump of over 2 hours in battery life, examples; Dell's new Venue 11 Pro and Lenovo's new Helix 2.
If you look at the numbers iPadis doing very well in the market place. As for share you can't expect it to maintann 100% share forever, which it basically had for awhile.
It will be interesting to see what this quarters results are, I see massive amounts of money going into iPhones so maybe iPad sales will be low this year. It is actually hard to say, but realistically most demand is for iPads and not android devices. I don't see a massive shift in share this quarter, if anything iPad might actually gain share for the quarter even if sales are down.
The bigger problem for Apple is the lack of sales lackluster updates like the last Mini update induce. At times Apple is just plain stupid with the management of hardware evolution. To keep iPads higher prices they need to make sure that the hardware is as compelling as the software. Otherwise sales will end up like the Touch's - pretty bad.
I would expect Apple to continue to improve every aspect of iPad including the Touch capability, however I don't ever see them competing with the niche Wacom serves.
Yep. Those products are better handled by the smaller companies that can better serve their customers. This isn't much different than customers wanting an Apple designed and manufactured disk array. The market is just too small for Apple and there are too many differing needs for Apple to solve all user problems. It is far better for Apple to leave disk arrays to the specialist builders that can support their customers best.
The only reason the Mini 3 exists is to support Touch ID. That was critical due to the need to get Apple Pay well supported at launch. This should be pretty obvious to many out there, Mini 3 wasn't so much an upgrade as it was a modification directly aimed at the Apple Pay launch.
As for why the Mini didn't get a decent upgrade that is anybody's guess. I suspect constrained supply but I can't prove that obviously. My understanding is that Samsung is retooling at least one of their plants to go to 14 nm and TSMC 20 nm process is rather new. Basically Mini 3 is a CYA moment for Apple.
iPad Air has 2GB of RAM, iPad Pro would have 4 GB.
If it gets more RAM I'd thinknit would go to 3GiB.
Not to nitpick, but I think you might be right.
That would be really nice, but I highly doubt it, if Apple hasn't gone this route yet there is no indication that they ever will, not sure why either.
The thing that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that these are mass market devices. Apple has no intention of servicing niche markets which is why we don't see a 17" laptop anymore.
I give you the Mac Pro, the Apple TV and the Apple Watch. All niche devices.
As to the 17" MacBook Pro, I bet it would get a very healthy marketshare nowadays, as Apple would be able to make it much smaller, thinner and lighter than their last one.
I was going to skip over this post but then decided to come back to it. I'm doing so because you highlight an important point here, objectivity is often lost with the fanboy crowd.
Young guys that have never actually been in a fight trying to pick a fight? I wouldn't go so far as to say "anyone" would be well served by those tablets but they certainly each have a niche to fill. An objective mind would evaluate what is best for his or hers needs. In doing so for me, iPad is a pretty damn good bargain.
Speaking of niche, I've used that word a lot today. The word does seem to fit the discussions well though. The problem with Android is that so many of the tablets out there are indeed garbage, in effect they give the better hardware a black eye.
On a slightly different note, from time to time I spend time on Linux forums as I've used it extensively in the past and still do today. However I use a Mac as my primary workstation PC. This causes all sorts of grandstanding by people that just can't understand the value that a Mac brings to a user. Even after acknowledging that I have more than one computer at home and that only one runs Mac OS, they can't fathom that somebody would fit the machine to the task at hand. No not really! There are factual parameters that can be evaluated for any machine, be it a computer or a disk sander. There are some serious negatives when it comes to iOS devices and likewise Android devices.
The problem with Android hardware is that how bad a device is varies widely with whom manufactured it and configured it. Sometimes quality sucks and sometimes security does not exist. The fact is you have to do a lot of research to get a decent Android product.
Well we could argue about what is fact and what is opinion. In the end I will try to avoid an on going argument and just say that so far iPads have been well worth the money for me.
In any event I have to ask, have you purchased a Jolla tablet yet? It seems like a device that would be right up your alley.
1. No declining marketshare.
2. Sales numbers are fine.
Educate yourself. By doing so, you’ll see why buying that $29 tablet for your kid will lead to him being spied on.
Not sure why everyone assumed I'm looking for a junk tablet if I'm considering something other than an iPad. We bought my 7 year old daughter a Kindle Fire last Christmas and it was a great product for someone her age. Unfortunately, it got stolen when we went camping and we would like to replace it this Christmas. Since we have Amazon Prime, getting her a Kindle gives her access to 200,000 movies, thousands for free books and unlimited streaming music. No, the hardware is not up to Apple specs, but it's also only 1/3 of the cost.
Your snide comment about me being a big Apple fan rubbed me the wrong way too. Not sure where you get off with the assumption that I'm not. Is it because I'm considering an alternative to an iPad? FYI: I've been using Apple computers since the '80's in the Graphic Arts industry. I've converted at least a dozen people from PC hell to the Mac platform. I'm also the person they call for tech support. I've purchased nothing but Apple computers since the mid '90's - Back when a 100Mhz PowerPC 8100 cost me $4,100. Our house currently has 2 Apple computers, an Apple TV, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones and an iPod touch.
Now as for your comments above... You clearly showed your ignorance on the subject. Allow me to pull your head out of the sand for just a moment: iPad sales are down 12.7% in 2014 from the previous year. The first decline ever for the iPad. The Android worldwide tablet marketshare rose to 68% this year. Apple's tablet marketshare is down to 27.5%
So as I said in my post: Marketshare is declining and so are sales. I've included 3 sources for my factual statements.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/25/idc-ipad-sees-first-ever-decline-as-overall-tablet-shipment-growth-drops-7-2-in-2014-to-235-7m-units/
http://www.zdnet.com/despite-modest-pc-market-gains-tablet-market-expected-to-slow-on-ipad-decline-7000036153/
http://************/2014/11/25/idc-tablet-forecast-2014/
You may have a point with the Mac Pro, but I look at it this way it brings credibility to the Mac lineup.
Not so much. I've seen the same thing happen in the Windows world at work, people just don't like lugging around massive laptops. In one case I asked why somebody gave up a laptop with a 17" screen and he said it was just too big. Even a 15" machine can be cramped if you are spending a lot of time on planes. Making the laptop thiner doesn't solve the issue of the other dimensions, this is what has driven down demand world wide for 17" machines.
This is one of the reasons why I would like to see a 12, 14 & 16" line up from Apple. With a little bit of work I can see them putting a 16" screen into a machine not much bigger than today's 15" machine. It would require shrinking the bezel to almost zero and a slight increase in overall dimensions but it might be the best compromise for those that need large screens.
Right... Have you actually used to trash tablets? Apple tablets can last 5 year even in a child"s hand. Many of the cheaper trash tablet won't last 6 months (if your lucky). BTW, Google seemingly is no longer subsidizing the Nexus line and premium is basically the same price as Apple. You get what you pay for, and if your ready to accept that... Well, go for the trash tablets.
We had a Kindle for my 7 year old daughter before it got stolen. So yes, I've used a non iPad tablet. I wasn't as good as an iPad, I will agree, but it did the job for a $100. With Prime, she could watch several movies and TV shows, read thousands of books, or listen to unlimited streaming music. I just can't justify spending 3x the price for an iPad Mini when it's essentially being used as an entertainment consumption device. Calling it "trash" is bit over the top.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. But some here seem to think iPad mini needs to be a generation behind iPad air in order to keep margins high. But even if that is true, what good are high margins if no one is buying the device?
IMO in 2015 Apple needs to:
And for anyone complaining about margins and profits, I say, Apple has the cash to do it and increased sales would offset any hit they would take from $199/$499 taking a larger share of the iPhone/iPad mix.
I guess truth is denial now, huh.
Your snide comment about me being a big Apple fan rubbed me the wrong way too. Not sure where you get off with the assumption that I'm not.
I said no such thing.
I’ve been using Apple computers since... I’ve converted... I’ve purchased... Our house currently has...
And you just keep doing it...
Okay, again, enjoy your delusions. Sales are down? So what? You’re inventing that the price is the problem. Marketshare remains the same. Look at the tablets actually in use. Call us back when the iPad isn’t 90% of that number.
Yes, because when purchasing tools for their practical value the deciding factor is....bezels. wtf. How's your MacBook with its big ole bezels working out? Still doing its job to be dome? Yup.
Then don't call it the mini 3, just add touch ID to the current mini and be done with it. Maybe this year would have been the perfect time to do away with the numbering system on iOS devices.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. But some here seem to think iPad mini needs to be a generation behind iPad air in order to keep margins high. But even if that is true, what good are high margins if no one is buying the device?
IMO in 2015 Apple needs to:
And for anyone complaining about margins and profits, I say, Apple has the cash to do it and increased sales would offset any hit they would take from $199/$499 taking a larger share of the iPhone/iPad mix.
Agreed on all points.