I thought I heard during the presentation something about multiple students being able to sign onto a single iPad. Was that for school only (where they're accessing a school app) -- or does it mean a multi-user iPad where each member of the family could use it?
The education Shared iPad feature introduced in iOS 9.3 doesn't work like multiple users on a Mac.
It loads server side profiles from a school's local network infrastructure. If you're wondering why an iPad doesn't support swapping between various family members' accounts on the device itself, look how much content each user would have (GB of email, photos, apps, games) and divide the internal storage by the number of users you think it should support.
Family support should be a given at this point or sometime this year. The need for this cuts across tvOS, iOS for iPad, and HomePod with multi voice user support, and iCloud.
the head of household should be able to decide how available memory is partitioned.
I think this iPad will be a big seller with the general public and will take sales from the iPP but it's still pretty expensive for public schools.
A valid question is at what price can a company make a good product, and still make a profit? It can’t infinitely regress to the zero point. There has to be some point below which it can’t be done. I suppose that Apple could go to plastic for the case. But I imagine that Apple has that to the point where cost is a very minor issue. So you get to screen quality, SoC and the rest. The amount of R&D comes into play, as does the cost of the software. Chrome is far simpler than iOS, and does far less. Even Google has realized that a tablet is useful with Chrome, after resisting the idea since the beginning.
while Chrome has taken the lion’s ahare in education because of cost here, in Europe, there is hardly any Chrome anywhere, particularly in education, where the Mac and the iPad are doing very well, particularly the iPad.
You can see that even cheaper android tablets are found almost nowhere in education, despite that you can find them for $125, from well known manufacturers. So at a certain point, price no longer matters.
Maybe I am just old, but for me, the magic of Apple died with Steve.
Yep must be. Nostalgia is a helluva drug.
No it did, as much as hate to admit it. Today more than ever his combative style with the media and others in Silicon valley is severely missed.
Nope. Being combative wasn’t Apple’s magic. Great new product is the magic, and Apple is delivering. The X, iPad Pro, Watch Series 3, AirPods, rMBP, all the finest computing devices I’ve ever owned. iMP looks amazing too. My friend’s HomePod sounds great and I can’t wait to get one when budget permits.
True... It has always been about the product -- not the sales pitch (or lack of). Actually, Steve is widely misunderstood and mischaracterized: He stood firmly and resolutely behind his products and refused to accept second best. If an employee didn't share his commitment he didn't stay an employee for very long. Likewise, he pushed back against those unfairly denigrating his product. But that doesn't make him combative. If you watch virtually any interview of him you find him calm and reasonable. In fact, he was acutely aware of his (and Apple's) limitations and failings. But, he didn't tolerate BS. He was a straight shooter. .... Some people call that "combative".
Here's the so called "combative" Steve Jobs
One of my favorite Jobs vids, demonstrating his tact and ability to think on his feet. The impulse to fight back with the audience member would be high but he shut it off and made terrific points, eloquently.
Side note — is anyone else no longer able to put embedded youtube clips into iOS full screen mode?
There are two things that came to my mind when I heard the news about this budget iPad:
1. I know Sammy’s Galaxy tablets are already dead, but I just want to recognize them: RIP Galxy tabs. 2. At this point, when the budget iPad packs all these features and performance while maintaining the price tag of $329, iPP pricing seems unreasonable and even a little ridiculous.
At $649, it’s roughly 2x the price of the iPad 6th gen, and I just can’t justify that price gap. I hope this year’s iPP would bring enough enhancements to make me feel I was actually wrong.
To be fair on the iPad Pro pricing, those devices are now a bit older. Chances are they will be updated fairly soon, putting them quite a step above this budget iPad. The more egregious issue, in my opinion, is the ridiculous price of the iPad Mini. The mini 4 is only $29 less than the same storage 9.7"iPad. So for that $29 you get a bigger/better screen, faster processor, upgraded motion coprocessor, more ram, etc. The iPad Mini isn't even capable of shooting Live Photos.
Yes, it makes no sense to not kill the iPad mini or drop its price, or update it.
I hope the mini4 is updated, some prefer the form factor and it’s important to certain verticals. I think Apple is aware of this, and I expect it will be updated in the image of this latest 9.7” iPad, i.e. A10, Apple Pencil support and non-laminated screen. It’ll then be good for another 3-4 years of shelf life untouched.
It won’t be much cheaper though, since costs aren’t much cheaper, if at all, considering the lower volume it will sell at. $249 would be a real reach and would probably be less gross margin than the 9.7”. I’d expect something more like $279 or even $299 (compared to the larger iPad’s $329 retail), which is at least a $100 price cut from its current $399 price. Maybe $20-30 discount for education, if Apple wants to go there.
My granddaughter teaches young children, while attending college. She currently is in Northern Italy working as an au pair for a family with 2 young children (and still taking online college courses)...
I asked her to review the keynote and give me her thoughts -- good, bad, ugly:
Thoughts- As you know I’m pretty against technology in the classroom such as tv’s and computers, but I also work with younger age groups where technology is more hurtful rather than helpful. Its distracting and overuse can lead to focusing issues. That being said, I like the idea for older children. The price seems reasonable $329 isn’t too crazy, I think it should be something that the school provides for the children rather it being an expense each family has to pay. (But then you have a whole other issue on whether schools are allocating their money to the right things like paying teachers higher wages LOL) I have used an app for role call and it needed a lot of work when I had it, but I like how easy it was, so they could be very useful for teachers.
I didn’t watch all of the keynote because its over an hour and its almost 10 here lol
There are two things that came to my mind when I heard the news about this budget iPad:
1. I know Sammy’s Galaxy tablets are already dead, but I just want to recognize them: RIP Galxy tabs. 2. At this point, when the budget iPad packs all these features and performance while maintaining the price tag of $329, iPP pricing seems unreasonable and even a little ridiculous.
At $649, it’s roughly 2x the price of the iPad 6th gen, and I just can’t justify that price gap. I hope this year’s iPP would bring enough enhancements to make me feel I was actually wrong.
To be fair on the iPad Pro pricing, those devices are now a bit older. Chances are they will be updated fairly soon, putting them quite a step above this budget iPad. The more egregious issue, in my opinion, is the ridiculous price of the iPad Mini. The mini 4 is only $29 less than the same storage 9.7"iPad. So for that $29 you get a bigger/better screen, faster processor, upgraded motion coprocessor, more ram, etc. The iPad Mini isn't even capable of shooting Live Photos.
Yes, it makes no sense to not kill the iPad mini or drop its price, or update it.
I hope the mini4 is updated, some prefer the form factor and it’s important to certain verticals. I think Apple is aware of this, and I expect it will be updated in the image of this latest 9.7” iPad, i.e. A10, Apple Pencil support and non-laminated screen. It’ll then be good for another 3-4 years of shelf life untouched.
It won’t be much cheaper though, since costs aren’t much cheaper, if at all, considering the lower volume it will sell at. $249 would be a real reach and would probably be less gross margin than the 9.7”. I’d expect something more like $279 or even $299 (compared to the larger iPad’s $329 retail), which is at least a $100 price cut from its current $399 price. Maybe $20-30 discount for education, if Apple wants to go there.
it fits into a physician's coat pocket.
for us, that is tens of thousands of patient records + hundreds of TBs of patient imaging + full dictation capabilities for correspondence from a device about 1/2 the size of one patient's old paper chart.
we're one group hoping to see more movement on the iPad mini.
I thought that this was Tim Cook's best presentation performance. Seemed sincerely passionate (in a Tim Cook way).
They really should hire the "Nailing it" kid.
Yes! Tim was comfortable and having fun!
The Nailing it kid nailed it!
Watching the keynote, I realized that I had met Jaws (Greg Joswiak) a few times in the late 1980s at some Apple events... He did a great preso, IMO, with just the right amount of stressing the advantages of Apple's solution over a browser-based solution.
Honestly, this was an ultra boring event. I couldn't watch that video entirely without skipping all the time. That iPad update could have been announced through their website and a press note to the best news sites, papers and magazines.
At $300 that iPad is far from budget for education. You still have to buy the pencil that doesn't come with it, also have to buy a keyboard because it is a must have accessory, a really good case and maybe pay for the Apple Care. So, we are talking about $700 or more here. If that's affordable...
Doesn't Apple know that kids drop things all the time? That kids lose things all the time? That shiny iPad with its edge-to-edge glass display is too delicate for the kind of abuse they'll get from kids. And that Apple Pencil is TOO EXPENSIVE! for a thing your kid can lose too easy or break its lighting connector. Apple is clearly not in touch with reality here.
That affordable and realistic iPad for education should be really good plastic casing with rubber bumper edges and a little gap front and back for the best drop protection out-of-the-box. Kids don't need shiny hardware, they need tough ones. It should come with the pencil, a tough and cheaper version of it ($30) that works exactly the same, and with a smart keyboard, because give me a break! This iPad doesn't even support the smart keyboard. This is a bad joke.
An affordable iPad for education should be that bundle for $300 if they want to be competitive. But what I get from this announcement is that Apple doesn't want everybody to get their hands on their devices, but just the privileged ones. Clearly that's their vision. Also it isn't a worldwide plan. Normal schools around the world can't even think about the iPad as an education device, only the more expensive schools can ask their parents for it and can't get the iPad education discount. This is a shame. Apple is really an gigantic company that can do way better for almost everybody to get it touch with this technology. But it seems they can't accept making less money for the cause.
You're absolutely right, this didn't need an event... perhaps some communications to schools directly or additionally to a launch on the website and a couple of ads. And yes at $300 why is everyone acting as if it's cheap?? But then again, the iPod Touch sells for $200 !
Sure they needed an event. Educators and school districts need to be made aware that there's an alternative to the Google/Chromebook hegemony that has grown in Apple's absence. I think private schools and better off public schools will gravitate to Apple because they still have no answer to the cheap, flimsy offerings of their competition and Apple should never completely compete on price alone.
Honestly, this was an ultra boring event. I couldn't watch that video entirely without skipping all the time. That iPad update could have been announced through their website and a press note to the best news sites, papers and magazines.
At $300 that iPad is far from budget for education. You still have to buy the pencil that doesn't come with it, also have to buy a keyboard because it is a must have accessory, a really good case and maybe pay for the Apple Care. So, we are talking about $700 or more here. If that's affordable...
Doesn't Apple know that kids drop things all the time? That kids lose things all the time? That shiny iPad with its edge-to-edge glass display is too delicate for the kind of abuse they'll get from kids. And that Apple Pencil is TOO EXPENSIVE! for a thing your kid can lose too easy or break its lighting connector. Apple is clearly not in touch with reality here.
That affordable and realistic iPad for education should be really good plastic casing with rubber bumper edges and a little gap front and back for the best drop protection out-of-the-box. Kids don't need shiny hardware, they need tough ones. It should come with the pencil, a tough and cheaper version of it ($30) that works exactly the same, and with a smart keyboard, because give me a break! This iPad doesn't even support the smart keyboard. This is a bad joke.
An affordable iPad for education should be that bundle for $300 if they want to be competitive. But what I get from this announcement is that Apple doesn't want everybody to get their hands on their devices, but just the privileged ones. Clearly that's their vision. Also it isn't a worldwide plan. Normal schools around the world can't even think about the iPad as an education device, only the more expensive schools can ask their parents for it and can't get the iPad education discount. This is a shame. Apple is really an gigantic company that can do way better for almost everybody to get it touch with this technology. But it seems they can't accept making less money for the cause.
You're absolutely right, this didn't need an event... perhaps some communications to schools directly or additionally to a launch on the website and a couple of ads. And yes at $300 why is everyone acting as if it's cheap?? But then again, the iPod Touch sells for $200 !
Sure they needed an event. Educators and school districts need to be made aware that there's an alternative to the Google/Chromebook hegemony that has grown in Apple's absence. I think private schools and better off public schools will gravitate to Apple because they still have no answer to the cheap, flimsy offerings of their competition and Apple should never completely compete on price alone.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse. Hopefully Apple does this as a first step to using a mouse or track pad with an iPad. This may be how Apple will create a macOS version of the Classroom App that they announced at this event.
I think most people who buy a MacBook (with its core M/i3 chip) would be perfectly happy with an iOS based laptop (iBook as Renee Richie suggested). I think an iBook might actually be a better and slightly less expensive machine. Unfortunately I also think that Apple is happy getting double profits from people who buy both an iPadPro and MacBook/MacBookAir/MacBookPro.
Of course it may take another year for a hybrid type machine that could go from laptop to tablet mode.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
With respect to #1, MS included a feature in Windows 10 called Continuum, where it essentially adapts the UI to the the device it's on. When a KB is attached, the user is presented with cursor-based UI. When the keyboard is detached, the user is presented with a touch / stylus based UI. This is possibly a feature Apple could adopt for the iPad Pro where the UI will adapt based on whether a smart keyboard is attached or not.
MS came out with Continuum in their Windows Mobile product and then one year later killed Windows Mobile. To do something like this definitely takes time to do it right. I have a new i5 Surface Pro and it doesn't seem any faster than my iPadAir2 or IpadPro.
I do think that cursor support is something that Apple needs to do. I don't think the TouchPad on the MBP was a success otherwise Apple would have come out with an iMac /iMacPro desktop version of it. Right now Apple is counting on neither MS or Google to bumble their way into an OS that works great both in tablet and PC mode.
My understanding is that the pencil requires a screen that is capable of doubling its refresh rate to ensure smooth tracking, and the cost of that screen is one of the reasons why the pencil was restricted to the Pro line. When you do a more formal review of this new iPad, it would be interesting to learn if it is also capable of this fast refresh, or if it’s simply working at “sub-Pro” speeds and has inferior tracking.
This feature is called Promotion, and according to iMore this new iPad does in fact lack it.
I would also be interested to know if this iPad will support quick charging (14.5V @ 2A) like the iPads Pro. I don't think so, but it would be nice to get a definitive answer. If not, that would be one more differentiating factor for the Pro line.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the accuracy or any lack thereof, more that your article may have been the source for his understanding of what it is.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the accuracy or any lack thereof, more that your article may have been the source for his understanding of what it is.
Who knows for sure, really? It's a rumor post, with 100 possible interpretations.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the accuracy or any lack thereof, more that your article may have been the source for his understanding of what it is.
Who knows for sure, really? It's a rumor post, with 100 possible interpretations.
I think a LOT of folks miss that AI is a rumor site and expect 100% accuracy all the time.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the accuracy or any lack thereof, more that your article may have been the source for his understanding of what it is.
Who knows for sure, really? It's a rumor post, with 100 possible interpretations.
I think a LOT of folks miss that AI is a rumor site and expect 100% accuracy all the time.
AI isn’t primarily a rumors site. Like most sites, it does recognize rumors, and sometimes presents an article about it. But mostly, it’s news, of some sort, or the other.
Not impressed. A more recent CPU, but not the latest. Still has bluetooth 4.2. How much RAM?
Apple Pencil and keyboard from Apple still very expensive. And no pointer support.
So the only main difference is Apple Pencil support (CPU upgrade is a given).
And how about a redesign to make it more rugged for schools?
I expect more from this highly profitable company.
The previous generation CPU is appropriate to keep down bill of materials costs. So, makes sense.
I’ll bet the RAM is matched to the CPU. 3GB for the A10 Fusion. Apple likely knows best. So, makes sense.
On the subject of no pointer support, well, it’s a touch screen interface. Tablets are designed for a different user interaction paradigm. So, makes sense.
No need to ruggedize the device as there are perfectly suitable cases to protect it. Why have that capability built into the device, necessitating a whole new engineering effort and separate SKUs. So, as is makes sense.
Making sense in their design, engineering, and marketing is what I expect from any company. Apple is one of few that deliver.
The arguments against "pointer support" on the iPad are primarily ideological rather than technical. The fact is: iOS was created by stripping that support from MacOS. And, that was done because it was simply not needed on a tiny 3.5" iPhone screen that valued CPU/battery efficiency above all else.
Today, (iPad) screens are now the size of laptop screens and the processors that drive them are as powerful (or more!) than many laptop processors So, the technical reasons for keeping iPads cursorless are fast fading away. And, more importantly, it is painting Apple into an "also ran" corner -- which is becoming acutely obvious in the education market where they are being overrun with Chromebooks. An article in CNBC said it well:
"Venture capitalist Gene Munster said iPad is strongest in grades
kindergarten through fifth grade while Chromebooks are more popular
among older students in middle and high school, when activities like
essays and spreadsheets come into play."
Very simply, a cursorless iPad with only a touchscreen interface is mostly restricted to play and creative / artistic pursuits. While it can do some limited serious work like word processing and spreadsheets, it is not well suited to those tasks. To perform those tasks well you need a high quality external keyboard with a mouse or a touchpad. The iPad has the keyboard -- now it needs to the touchpad/mouse as well.
If Apple is to remain competitive in markets such as education they have three choices: 1) Give the iPad a cursor 2) Produce a sub $500 MacBook 3) Produce a "SafariBook"
Of the three, the first is the easiest and will produce the best overall product. (And frankly is probably the only viable solution) Despite the screams of anguish from the ideological elite that it's a dreaded "H Y B R I D", adding a cursor to the iPad takes NOTHING away from the iPad. Like split screen, an external keyboard and a file system, it just adds to its power and functionality...
Frankly, I think if Steve were still with us the iPad would have had a cursor long ago -- because Steve was not constrained by ideology, biases and convention. And frankly, he wouldn't accept "also ran". Instead he made every product the best he could make it without unnecessary compromise.
I doubt that cursor support in iOS is primarily idealogical, though I would agree this it is in Mac OS, and for good reason.
I suspect that Apple has cursor driven apps running in their labs, but not yet meeting their standards for UX, at least not enough to drive an integration of the entire ecosystem of apps and developers.
More to the point, there needs to be a keyboard with a track pad to deliver that cursor, not a mouse, and it needs to be superior to the last keyboard cover; not a trivial engineering challenge. On top of that, it needs to be inexpensive for education, and even the current keyboard cover is a factor of three too expensive.
Apple is never going to be able to compete on price with Chromebook, that's just a fact, yet I see plenty of posters, and various analysts stating that is exactly what Apple must do for the education market. I'm not seeing that as a viable business model for Apple to have razor thin margins and still not be able to compete with Chromebooks.
1) It's not support for a cursor that is ideological -- it's the opposition to the addition of a cursor. 2) Once a cursor is added to the iPad it can be driven by either a mouse or a trackpad -- just like a Mac. 3) While there may be (or not) logistical issues in adding a touchpad to a keyboard cover, that does not eliminate the need or possibility of one. The newest iPad can be driven by any external keyboard that supports bluetooth. There is no reason to think the same would not apply to touchpads and mice. In fact, I see no reason why the same keyboard/touchpad/mouse combinations that drive the iMac could not be used to to drive the iPad.
4) Correct: While Apple can compete on price -- but they have chosen to compete on quality. But that doesn't mean that they have to price themselves out of a market. If they choose to sell only Rolls Royces to the education market, they won't sell too many. In fact, they won't sell any.
Not to long ago there was a rumor about a project called "Marzipan" which if I remember correctly was supposed to enable iOS apps to run on macOS.
Maybe this would be by allowing developers create on program that could target running under both iOS and macOS with a mouse.
No, that isn’t what Marzipan is about. It’s about some unified framework kits for building cross-platform apps easier. It’s not about running iOS apps on a Mac.
He was relying on Gurman's interpretation of it, and we did too -- which I don't think is complete. I think Marzipan is the raw framework for a "Fat Binary" in an A-series transition to the Mac line -- but we'll see.
Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the accuracy or any lack thereof, more that your article may have been the source for his understanding of what it is.
Who knows for sure, really? It's a rumor post, with 100 possible interpretations.
I think a LOT of folks miss that AI is a rumor site and expect 100% accuracy all the time.
AI isn’t primarily a rumors site. Like most sites, it does recognize rumors, and sometimes presents an article about it. But mostly, it’s news, of some sort, or the other.
Comments
while Chrome has taken the lion’s ahare in education because of cost here, in Europe, there is hardly any Chrome anywhere, particularly in education, where the Mac and the iPad are doing very well, particularly the iPad.
You can see that even cheaper android tablets are found almost nowhere in education, despite that you can find them for $125, from well known manufacturers. So at a certain point, price no longer matters.
Side note — is anyone else no longer able to put embedded youtube clips into iOS full screen mode?
It won’t be much cheaper though, since costs aren’t much cheaper, if at all, considering the lower volume it will sell at. $249 would be a real reach and would probably be less gross margin than the 9.7”. I’d expect something more like $279 or even $299 (compared to the larger iPad’s $329 retail), which is at least a $100 price cut from its current $399 price. Maybe $20-30 discount for education, if Apple wants to go there.
I asked her to review the keynote and give me her thoughts -- good, bad, ugly:
it fits into a physician's coat pocket.
for us, that is tens of thousands of patient records + hundreds of TBs of patient imaging + full dictation capabilities for correspondence from a device about 1/2 the size of one patient's old paper chart.
we're one group hoping to see more movement on the iPad mini.
The Nailing it kid nailed it!
Watching the keynote, I realized that I had met Jaws (Greg Joswiak) a few times in the late 1980s at some Apple events... He did a great preso, IMO, with just the right amount of stressing the advantages of Apple's solution over a browser-based solution.
I think most people who buy a MacBook (with its core M/i3 chip) would be perfectly happy with an iOS based laptop (iBook as Renee Richie suggested). I think an iBook might actually be a better and slightly less expensive machine. Unfortunately I also think that Apple is happy getting double profits from people who buy both an iPadPro and MacBook/MacBookAir/MacBookPro.
Of course it may take another year for a hybrid type machine that could go from laptop to tablet mode.
MS came out with Continuum in their Windows Mobile product and then one year later killed Windows Mobile. To do something like this definitely takes time to do it right.
I have a new i5 Surface Pro and it doesn't seem any faster than my iPadAir2 or IpadPro.
I do think that cursor support is something that Apple needs to do. I don't think the TouchPad on the MBP was a success otherwise Apple would have come out with an iMac /iMacPro desktop version of it. Right now Apple is counting on neither MS or Google to bumble their way into an OS that works great both in tablet and PC mode.
https://daringfireball.net/2017/12/marzipan
https://appleinsider.com/articles/17/12/20/apples-project-marzipan-will-let-ios-apps-run-on-the-mac-in-2018---report