No need to be on the defensive for one of the richest companies on the planet. Get some rest Dan.
We are not defending anyone, certainly not the richest one. But in all unfairness, Investors shunning Apple and Tech ignoring Apple the more successful Apple becomes, does tug a little bit of heartstrings.
but it seems like you are a very computer savy guy.
The Mac with iOS would be for people who are not computer savy, the average person.
I don't think you give the average person enough credit. Computers in the home have been widespread and nearly ubiquitous for a couple of generations now. The kids of today have absolutely no problem navigating a file system. My 80 year old father uses his computer just fine, and he was never "computer savvy".
Exactly. I also wouldn't consider iOS a simple operating system. It simplifies touch operations compared to a desktop OS, but changing applications, adjusting settings, it requires a similar level of ability. For the most part, a lot of people would end up using it for web browsing, media or maybe word/excel work, which is pretty much the same experience on any OS.
Blasts a hole in the argument some people have been making about it being a big mistake and no-one was using it....
When it first came out I mentioned in comments here I thought within a year it could very well become Apples best selling laptop...
Only one frustrating thing has held me back from buying a lovely MacBook 12". That's the single external port, which I occasionally need for more than one function. Of course that's IMPOSSIBLE, UGH!!!
So, a 2-3 ounce adaptor for occasional use is too much of a burden? Good grief. If it's occasional, you probably know most time when you'll use it which makes the "inconvenience" even smaller.
I am in full agreement that Apple should introduce an iOS Mac mini. There's a huge number of applications on iOS that dwarfs Windows, never mind OSX. Whenever I use my MacBook Air, I get frustrated over the lack of applications that are available on iOS. Even more frustrated that there is no way that I can run iOS apps on OSX.
A Mac mini that has all the connectivity options of the present mini and the ability to use a larger screen running on an A10X CPU would be ideal. I would purchase 2 of them immediately at the $500 price point.
It's obvious that Intel's run is over. They just announced that they are laying off 12,000 workers and ending the Sofia Atom line of CPUs. It's taken Intel so incredibly long to release more powerful CPUs that Apple has nearly caught them with the A9X. With the upcoming release of the A10X in 6 months and the A11X to built on TSMC's 10 nm node in 12 months after that, it is very clear that Intel is failing. Even the Skylake version of the MacBook gives marginally better performance than the old MacBook though admittedly GPU performance is much better. But once Nvidia and AMD release their new discrete GPUs on TSMC and Samsung's newest nodes, Intel is going to get schooled again.
I myself do not need, nor want an Intel powered machine running either OS X or any flavor of Windows. The Intel platform doesn't allow me to login natively using my thumbprint, doesn't allow the use of the pencil, doesn't allow Apple Pay, doesn't function as a GPS device with turn by turn instructions, serves as an awkward and poor quality camera, doesn't serve as compass, doesn't light my way in the dark, and doesn't have the secure enclave of an iOS device.
The only thing an Intel machine has is better support for peripherals and support for legacy software at a much higher cost.
While it's nice to see Apple gain marketshare, it's very clear that Intel represents a legacy and therefore backward solution.
If I have any criticism of Cook, it's his handling of the Mac line. Jobs was well known in the industry for his willingness to render legacy products obsolete. Whether it was the ADB port for USB, Cyberdog for Netscape, SCSI for Firewire and FireWire itself for Thunderbolt, OS 9 for OS X and dropping the classic environment all together for the move to Intel.
It is Intel and Microsoft that stubbornly refuse to move off of legacy hardware and software. Watching Apple stick with Intel for the MacBook when the A series is superior is tough to stomach. Especially knowing that Jobs would have been more than willing to render Intel obsolete.
Were it not for Jobs' willingness to do so, we would not be on iPhones, iPad and Apple watches these days. We'd still all be toting laptops that run everything from the original DOS to Windows 10. OS X would still be a marginalized product and Wintel would still remain dominant. Granted the laptops would be thinner, lighter, more powerful but with poor battery life. We certainly wouldn't be using hand held devices for the vast majority of our computing.
Intel has no place going forward in portable, much less mobile computing. It's time to move to the future. If Apple wants to continue releasing high end laptops and desktops with Intel CPUs so be it. But it's time they start releasing laptops and small form factor desktops running on their own ARM CPUs. I would even purchase a Mac Mini with a snapdragon or Exynos running iOS than any Intel chip at present. It is very clear to me that Intel chips are now at a dead end. The chances of an Intel machine becoming obsolete in a few years is far greater than any iOS machine machine powered on any version of ARM.
1. Stop selling $1800 iMacs with horrible spinning harddrives. All 27 inch iMacs should have fusion drive and decent RAM at a minimum. 2. Please make a decent MacMini that sells for $499. That's the budget for most people. 3. Make a Macbook at 15 inches. Many need larger screens sizes. 4. Please make a top tier MacPro and Macbook Pro.
I love my MacMini but it was pretty expensive to get the fusion version. I think many others would make the switch if the prices/features were a bit better.
Bleh, you're too optimistic.
1. People want spinning drives if their use case supports it. having the SSD soldered to the motherboard means that iMac becomes a paperweight in 2-3 years instead of 7-9 of a spinning drive that can be replaced. 2. The Macmini has feature-creeped from where it's supposed to be. The high-end iMac and the High-end MacMini should be exactly the same save for the monitor/speakers/camera. The fact that memory is no longer replacable makes having a low-end tier unmarketable, because what people were doing previously was buying the low-end model and maxing out the ram and hard drive beyond the high end model. I've done this twice, once with a 2006 MacMini and once with a 2012 Mini. Next Mini is due in 2018, but if I can't upgrade the RAM, I may reconsider. What I really want is a return of the 2012 Mac Pro chassis design, because that was on my list until Apple updated the 2010 in 2012 with no new features. Without the upgradability, the MacMini was the last option. What Apple is missing from their line up is a "Mac Pro with dedicated upgradable CPU, RAM and GPU" 3. Nah, the appropriate sizes are 10" or 12" for a (1080p) laptop. Anything larger than that isn't a laptop it's a desktop-replacement, and the existing iGPU options can't drive 4K at all, so you get a very poor experience. So Apple releasing 15" and 17" 1080p laptops is just changing the screen size, not improving the performance. Hence the highest end MacPro still has a Haswell (4th gen) part instead of a 5th or 6th gen part. 4. See previous.
A 4K/5K CPU+GPU combo that supports HEVC software decoding does not exist. The highest end desktop can barely get 30fps at UHD. http://i63.tinypic.com/2zg58af.png , that is the second highest-end i7 desktop part (the highest is the 4790k which is 15% faster, not the necessary 90% faster)
So for this reason a lot of what Apple, or anyone else puts out for the next 2 years is still not "futureproof" enough. You can make an argument that nobody will use 4Kp60 or 8kp30 or 8kp30 for the next decade, but why would you want to buy a $3000 computer that you have to throw away in 3 years?
Apple may insist on making computers that you can't upgrade or fix, but this is just creates more electronic waste.
I held on to my last laptop for 10 years, even though for the last 3 years of it's life it just stayed in a box.
Many people say iOS on iPad Pro is not enough for 'real work'.
I think think it's enough for real work. But in many fields there simply aren't any apps for serious work. The only real shortcoming in iOS is local file handling, I think. It'd be great if I could hook up an external disk when I'm working with video. Copying files onto the local device just sucks as a workflow.
Many people say iOS on iPad Pro is not enough for 'real work'.
I think think it's enough for real work. But in many fields there simply aren't any apps for serious work. The only real shortcoming in iOS is local file handling, I think. It'd be great if I could hook up an external disk when I'm working with video. Copying files onto the local device just sucks as a workflow.
Some people have a very narrow definition of work. Only those working in white collar jobs in offices full of people doing data entry of some sort are for some reason considered "real work".
You know what? I'm thinking Apple has a messaging problem when they are COMPLETELY LEFT OUT OF THE DISCUSSION in tech. I mean, WTF?? The press, nearly all of it that I read-- and that's a lot of different kinds--they just ignore Apple like it was already dead and gone.
You know what? I'm thinking Apple has a messaging problem when they are COMPLETELY LEFT OUT OF THE DISCUSSION in tech. I mean, WTF?? The press, nearly all of it that I read-- and that's a lot of different kinds--they just ignore Apple like it was already dead and gone.
Additionally, if you have not noticed..... Apple does not like to be involved in the public discussion on what may or may not happen in the future. Apple prefers a very controlled message machine which ONLY focuses on today's products.... not future vaporware.... This is not new... this is how it was under Steve Jobs .... but even more extreme. Most of these other companies that constantly discussed how great their future vision was .... are gone...
It's sad how stale Apple has become since Steve Jobs passing.
Lets see, during the Steve Jobs era (post return)... what did Apple introduce.... (post 97 - or around 15 years).
- an new Mac (a do or die situation). - an iPod - an iPhone (iPod with cellular capability) - an iPad (a larger iPod)
And Tim Cook... (a few years) - a larger iPad - a pencil - a Watch
Sorry, I just don't see the volume that would have guaranteed that Steve Jobs would have done anything differently.
The other problem is folk tend to dismiss software and services. Didn't we have Apple Music and Maps under Cook's tenure? (Though Maps did get off to an allegedly rocky start).
Am I doing this right? I think I am doing this right.
Windows laptop? Lol. I'm still fucking mad at my 1-day old Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 hybrid laptop. The pos is lagging like hell at 8-GB of RAM even with SSD. My 2-year old was frustrated with it because she kept hitting play button on youtube and thought the crap didn't play. So I had to tell her to hit the play icon ONCE and WAIT. This is exactly what Tim Cook said: Float and Fly devices can't do well at both. User experience is a fking hell on Windows hybrid laptop. Beside, the damn network card was dead after 2 hours and the device froze 3 times giving black screen or unresponsive display except the cursor. Sure, it's convenient but shit, I never had to hard restart a brand new Mac within 2 hours. Coming from MacBook to this Dell Windows 10 laptop, it's like downgrading my drive from a BMW car to Toyota Corolla!
New data from Net Applications shows that Apple's installed base of Mac
users now account for 9.2 percent of the conventional PCs used online,
as Microsoft's Windows platform falls to a new low among online users.
That's a very low percentage for Macs on the Internet, compared to what I see in coffee shops. I those shops I see well over 50% Macs; like about 80% Macs. Among my Windows friends most now have at least an iPad and their Windows PC sits doing nothing in the corner.
That 90% non Mac percentage must be high on business PCs of all types including Linux, sitting on web sites all day.
I was thinking the same thing. There is something odd about these PCs numbers, are they all in basements (or more likely offices I guess). On my many trips through airports I have the same experience as you have in coffee shops, a sea of glowing Apples everywhere. Of course it could be PC users don't drink coffee or fly.
That's a very low percentage for Macs on the Internet, compared to what I see in coffee shops. I those shops I see well over 50% Macs; like about 80% Macs. Among my Windows friends most now have at least an iPad and their Windows PC sits doing nothing in the corner.
That 90% non Mac percentage must be high on business PCs of all types including Linux, sitting on web sites all day.
I was thinking the same thing. There is something odd about these PCs numbers, are they all in basements (or more likely offices I guess). On my many trips through airports I have the same experience as you have in coffee shops, a sea of glowing Apples everywhere. Of course it could be PC users don't drink coffee or fly.
That is because Windows users are embarrassed at their machines
There are rows upon rows of legacy computers in offices, there are windows ATMs, windows computers responsible for manufacturing etc. It is slowly losing more and more people who buy computers for home (Macs, iPads, iPhones, Samsung tablets, Samsung phones, etc.) or for personal use. They are lost many campuses, and some of the "cooler" tech oriented have given their people a choice (which tends to be mostly Macs) -- but many of the other businesses are still Windows (with very long replacement cycles), many of the IT leads allegiances are to Microsoft because that is what they have certs for and know and will scream and kick at any invasion because they see it as against their self interest.
Remember, Windows losing just %1 is a HUGE hit to their entire market. So many manufacturers sharing scraps.
A 1% hit equates to 5%+ in annual sales... so yes, it is a huge hit. You have to remember there are Windows computers out there from a decade ago that are still counted as part of the overall current market share.
Comments
A Mac mini that has all the connectivity options of the present mini and the ability to use a larger screen running on an A10X CPU would be ideal. I would purchase 2 of them immediately at the $500 price point.
It's obvious that Intel's run is over. They just announced that they are laying off 12,000 workers and ending the Sofia Atom line of CPUs. It's taken Intel so incredibly long to release more powerful CPUs that Apple has nearly caught them with the A9X. With the upcoming release of the A10X in 6 months and the A11X to built on TSMC's 10 nm node in 12 months after that, it is very clear that Intel is failing. Even the Skylake version of the MacBook gives marginally better performance than the old MacBook though admittedly GPU performance is much better. But once Nvidia and AMD release their new discrete GPUs on TSMC and Samsung's newest nodes, Intel is going to get schooled again.
I myself do not need, nor want an Intel powered machine running either OS X or any flavor of Windows. The Intel platform doesn't allow me to login natively using my thumbprint, doesn't allow the use of the pencil, doesn't allow Apple Pay, doesn't function as a GPS device with turn by turn instructions, serves as an awkward and poor quality camera, doesn't serve as compass, doesn't light my way in the dark, and doesn't have the secure enclave of an iOS device.
The only thing an Intel machine has is better support for peripherals and support for legacy software at a much higher cost.
While it's nice to see Apple gain marketshare, it's very clear that Intel represents a legacy and therefore backward solution.
If I have any criticism of Cook, it's his handling of the Mac line. Jobs was well known in the industry for his willingness to render legacy products obsolete. Whether it was the ADB port for USB, Cyberdog for Netscape, SCSI for Firewire and FireWire itself for Thunderbolt, OS 9 for OS X and dropping the classic environment all together for the move to Intel.
It is Intel and Microsoft that stubbornly refuse to move off of legacy hardware and software. Watching Apple stick with Intel for the MacBook when the A series is superior is tough to stomach. Especially knowing that Jobs would have been more than willing to render Intel obsolete.
Were it not for Jobs' willingness to do so, we would not be on iPhones, iPad and Apple watches these days. We'd still all be toting laptops that run everything from the original DOS to Windows 10. OS X would still be a marginalized product and Wintel would still remain dominant. Granted the laptops would be thinner, lighter, more powerful but with poor battery life. We certainly wouldn't be using hand held devices for the vast majority of our computing.
Intel has no place going forward in portable, much less mobile computing. It's time to move to the future. If Apple wants to continue releasing high end laptops and desktops with Intel CPUs so be it. But it's time they start releasing laptops and small form factor desktops running on their own ARM CPUs. I would even purchase a Mac Mini with a snapdragon or Exynos running iOS than any Intel chip at present. It is very clear to me that Intel chips are now at a dead end. The chances of an Intel machine becoming obsolete in a few years is far greater than any iOS machine machine powered on any version of ARM.
1. People want spinning drives if their use case supports it. having the SSD soldered to the motherboard means that iMac becomes a paperweight in 2-3 years instead of 7-9 of a spinning drive that can be replaced.
2. The Macmini has feature-creeped from where it's supposed to be. The high-end iMac and the High-end MacMini should be exactly the same save for the monitor/speakers/camera. The fact that memory is no longer replacable makes having a low-end tier unmarketable, because what people were doing previously was buying the low-end model and maxing out the ram and hard drive beyond the high end model. I've done this twice, once with a 2006 MacMini and once with a 2012 Mini. Next Mini is due in 2018, but if I can't upgrade the RAM, I may reconsider. What I really want is a return of the 2012 Mac Pro chassis design, because that was on my list until Apple updated the 2010 in 2012 with no new features. Without the upgradability, the MacMini was the last option. What Apple is missing from their line up is a "Mac Pro with dedicated upgradable CPU, RAM and GPU"
3. Nah, the appropriate sizes are 10" or 12" for a (1080p) laptop. Anything larger than that isn't a laptop it's a desktop-replacement, and the existing iGPU options can't drive 4K at all, so you get a very poor experience. So Apple releasing 15" and 17" 1080p laptops is just changing the screen size, not improving the performance. Hence the highest end MacPro still has a Haswell (4th gen) part instead of a 5th or 6th gen part.
4. See previous.
A 4K/5K CPU+GPU combo that supports HEVC software decoding does not exist. The highest end desktop can barely get 30fps at UHD.
http://i63.tinypic.com/2zg58af.png , that is the second highest-end i7 desktop part (the highest is the 4790k which is 15% faster, not the necessary 90% faster)
So for this reason a lot of what Apple, or anyone else puts out for the next 2 years is still not "futureproof" enough. You can make an argument that nobody will use 4Kp60 or 8kp30 or 8kp30 for the next decade, but why would you want to buy a $3000 computer that you have to throw away in 3 years?
Apple may insist on making computers that you can't upgrade or fix, but this is just creates more electronic waste.
I held on to my last laptop for 10 years, even though for the last 3 years of it's life it just stayed in a box.
- an new Mac (a do or die situation).
- an iPod
- an iPhone (iPod with cellular capability)
- an iPad (a larger iPod)
And Tim Cook... (a few years)
- a larger iPad
- a pencil
- a Watch
Sorry, I just don't see the volume that would have guaranteed that Steve Jobs would have done anything differently.
It brings the Android fans and Windows cheerleaders out of the woodwork and generates page hits.
Apple doesn't care about the IT press because the vast majority of Apple's customers don't read the IT Press.
The other problem is folk tend to dismiss software and services. Didn't we have Apple Music and Maps under Cook's tenure? (Though Maps did get off to an allegedly rocky start).
Yes, I'm sarcastic.
Rose colored glasses.
There are rows upon rows of legacy computers in offices, there are windows ATMs, windows computers responsible for manufacturing etc. It is slowly losing more and more people who buy computers for home (Macs, iPads, iPhones, Samsung tablets, Samsung phones, etc.) or for personal use. They are lost many campuses, and some of the "cooler" tech oriented have given their people a choice (which tends to be mostly Macs) -- but many of the other businesses are still Windows (with very long replacement cycles), many of the IT leads allegiances are to Microsoft because that is what they have certs for and know and will scream and kick at any invasion because they see it as against their self interest.