I'm just the person Apple should be reaching. I've got older models of virtually every member in Apple's family of products. Only one, my Mac mini, is a current model. My MacBook is seven years old and two versions of OS X back. Why don't I upgrade?
Better to ask, "Why I should upgrade?" Much of what Apple sells isn't that different from what it was selling two years ago, with the MacBook Air being a prime example. That leaves me with the feeling that, if I buy now, in a few months there will be that big change, and I'll regret it. I don't like to buy the last of a design.
Apple needs to bring out genuinely new products rather that tweaks, so users sitting on the fence like me have a reason to commit. The MBA, for instance, needs a Retina screen, a much smaller power brick, and 8 gig of RAM standard.
It's odd isn't it. We have an industry (any industry, pretty much) which, since it discovered psychology in a big way, has been doing its best to convince us that today's product is out of date and that we must replace it with this shiny new product. And then do the same next year. We are burning our way through consumer products at an extraordinary rate and yet you are telling Apple that they need to work harder to convince you to replace what you are obviously content with - if you weren't, then you would have already replaced it.
Why not enjoy what you have instead of asking Apple to make you unhappy with it?
Time will tell. My iPad Air gets very little facetime, pardon the pun. I certainly won't be replacing it anytime soon. If I represent a trend it suggest iPad sales will continue to wane. OTOH, I may be an anomaly.
No that's me too. I bought the original iPhone and the original iPad. I have bought 2 new iPhones and 0 iPads. The iPad neither replaces my laptop at home nor the iPhone on commute. I don't use it for work, not even emails. Too slow to type. No quick way of showing different app windows at the same time. I can't imagine it ever replacing a laptop. Without significant changes. Even doing 80% of what you need - which I think is a high estimate - means you still need the laptop. Since the MBA is light and can be used in trains there isn't really a travel reason. It can't be a post PC world if it does 80%.
A bigger iPad would certainly be useful. For reading, they are not ideal for either paperback sized books, nor textbooks. And for writing, they miss the mark for those taking notes on A4, and standard yellow notebooks or legal sized pads. We really are talking about screen resolution. Technology still has a ways to go to the paper notepads.
Exactly. Hell, I'm still making decent use out of my 2010 iPad. Sure some of the apps are slowing down a little they still work enough for me to wait a bit.
I know a bunch of people who are using the original iPad or, at least, iPad 2 who say they work great and will only upgrade when they can't run any of the apps they use. Same goes for the number of people I know that are using older iPhones with little to no issues.
Give it to Apple for making devices that last.
Wonder how much of this iPad decline can be attributed to the Kindle Fire HDX which does what most people use iPads for but for 1/2 the price?
Car models don't get upgraded every year, tho'. Like, 5th generation Subaru Legacy was in production between 2009 and 2014. Sure, there were different options - engine, equipment - but I'd consider them as different iPad Air variants - storage, 4G etc.
The way I see it, tablets are - not unlike laptops and desktops - getting more than enough powerful for people not to justify frequent upgrade; at least until they conquer new market segments, which is what deal with IBM might provide. But for usual media consumption scenario, iPad Air is hard to justify over iPad 4, and I will be surprised if next iPad (Air 2?) will give enough reasons to replace iPad 4.
My mum is still using original iPad I gave her back in 2011. Sure she would not complain about better screen and other advantages of Air, but for her needs - some browsing, Skype, email... even original iPad is still as good as it ever was. I gave her Mini back in 2013 to carry with her when she travels, but she still prefers original one. I will get her new full size end of this or early next year, but only because I don't want to wait for her old one to die before replacing it - she has grown very attached to it. Still, there will be good 4 years of use from original iPad - and we all know how modest it was compared to current offerings. iPad Air, I don't think she'd ever need better performing tablet than that.
There is nothing even remotely hard to justify about iPad Air over iPad 4. Hold one in your hand for 2 seconds, and you have all the reason you need.
Wonder how much of this iPad decline can be attributed to the Kindle Fire HDX which does what most people use iPads for but for 1/2 the price?
Zero. That's how much. People that buy half price Android tablets get what they pay for....what they do not get is anything remotely resembling iPad.
I have every device under the sun around me for product testing (work) and I am very familiar with them. Kindle's are dressed up Android tablets that still fail at being anything remotely resembling an iPad. It is still an alien device that does not feel personal, does not feel like it really does anything. There is absolutely no real world comparison between an iPad and any other tablet on the market. Not even close. If there were, I would say so....but the truth is.....there is not.
Ditto. We are still using the first gen iPad as a media hub for the living room. 1st gen!
And my kids iPad 2 is still rocking. I think they should move to an every other year cycle. The tech is good enough to skip a year.
No it really is not. You getting buy with iPad 1 and 2 is no indication of the quality or capability of those devices vs. current.
I mean for crying out loud, your iPad is incompatible with the overwhelming majority of Apps on the store, and is stuck at iOS 5.1.1. If you watch the same 2 movies over and over again and call that using an iPad then yeah I'm sure you have no reason to upgrade....
Time will tell. My iPad Air gets very little facetime, pardon the pun. I certainly won't be replacing it anytime soon. If I represent a trend it suggest iPad sales will continue to wane. OTOH, I may be an anomaly.
Time will tell. My iPad Air gets very little facetime, pardon the pun. I certainly won't be replacing it anytime soon. If I represent a trend it suggest iPad sales will continue to wane. OTOH, I may be an anomaly.
Of iPad purchasers… maybe, but of people that are still very heavy traditional PC users (aka: physical keyboard and pointing device) we're* still very much in the majority.
* I've rarely ever used my iPads and I've owned all models except the iPad 4 and original non-Retina iPad mini. I'm ever very mobile so I use my iPhone or sitting so I want my MBP. On a flight the iPad comes in handy because seat-back trays aren't suitable for a 15" MBP. Even in First/Business Class a 15" can be overwhelming. I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
iPads have been around for a few years now, and they're no longer a brand new category of product.
Also, I believe that people are keeping and using their iPads for much longer than they keep their phones for example, so the product lifespan for iPads is longer. People aren't going out and buying a brand new iPad every year, well at least most people aren't. iPads that are a few years old still work great today. Part of what makes iPads so great is that they're like an appliance that practically anybody is able to use. Do people go out and buy new refrigerators every year? Hell no.
Unlike netbooks and other cheap, crappy fads, iPads are here to stay. They're not going away anytime soon. There have been a hell of a lot pathetically named "iPad killers" that are all six feet under now, rotting away in the cemetery for technological flops and other man made disasters, but has anything ever even come close to unseating the iPad from its throne? Nope.
Chromebooks, you could say, are netbooks and they are here to stay. Some people get far more value out of a Chromebook than an iPad and at a lower cost. And in many cases, they don't compete, but can be complementary.
Also, your post seems to imply that the "iPad category" is monolithic. It's not. A lot of people use tablets for reading and watching movies. I know of many people who love their Kindles.
It's a complex and varied world out there. Sure, iPads seem to pretty much own the corporate market, but the consumer market is diverse and people use tablets for different purposes.
Chromebooks/netbooks/cheap Windows machines and non-iPad tablets are here to stay.
Unseating the iPad throne? There are many thrones (market segments/uses) and it would not be unsurprising that Android owns the throne to some of those markets.
:-) not me. I upgraded to the retina mini. Kid got my iPad 2 and iPad 1 went to living room. Point though is the iPad's hardware/software is so good, yearly refresh is overkill. Apple could easily skip a year and keep up w innovation and lead competition.
I haven't felt the need to buy any of the latest iPads because my iPad 3, iPad 2 & iPad mini are all working great for me right now. I might go for the next iPad Air, as long as it's a strong evolutionary design.
I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
You're apparently not alone. I actually thought inexpensive readers like the Kindle, combined with the popularity of the iPad, would mean the end of books made of paper, but I was wrong. Or at least it hasn't happened yet. In my little corner of the universe I see lots of people still reading printed books, and only very occasionally see a dedicated reader like the Kindle or Sony. I don't think I've ever seen anyone using an actual tablet (like a Galaxy or iPad) on the train. It's hard to know what the people holding phones are doing with them so I suppose some of them might be reading e-books, but unless a lot of them are, the traditional paper book seems to still be the more popular choice.
What is it about traditional books that makes you prefer them over reading on an electronic device?
What is it about traditional books that makes you prefer them over reading on an electronic device?
I haven't been able to pinpoint a reason. Perhaps ironically, I have two family members whom I would consider to be "techtarded" that took to eBooks with no problem years ago. One with a Kindle and now iPad and the other straight to the iPad. This isn't just an acceptable alternative to them but how they prefer reading.
Easily. Pack two years of hardware innovation vs annual increments. If folks are holding on to their iPads longer, why push out hardware enhancements annually? For the few(millions)that are upgrading on an S cycle for example.
The tech is not again fast enough or innovating slow enough to need users to upgrade annually.
Folks that are on the non "S" models would likely be ok waiting for the "S" model. While others that are on S cycle sees no difference in purchasing cycles
You obviously don't know how the consumer tech world works.
It all looks good on paper until you hit the really big speed bump of reality.
"Apple's IPad?" "No... because Apple is so arrogant as to believe that they can make me buy a two year old product and that I'll think it's brand new."
It's not how you think it is... it's how the buying public perceives it to be.
Sorry bit I ain't buying a new freaking iPad every six months.
Who said you have to? Just don’t update. Problem solved.
I have a first-gen iPhone. This year is maybe the first year I’ll be updating. I have a first-gen iPad. I’m not getting another until the larger one comes out. I have a first-gen iPod touch. It sits in my stereo and gives me great music. I don’t see an update needed there, either.
Originally Posted by pazuzu
Wonder how much of this iPad decline can be attributed to the Kindle Fire HDX which does what most people use iPads for but for 1/2 the price?
Its because the older devices are still working well :P The iPad 2 has aged extremely gracefully. Not much that an iPad Air can do that my iPad 2 can't tbh.
This isn't just an acceptable alternative to them but how they prefer reading.
Me, too. There are disadvantages for the consumer, though.
1. You can't lend eBooks to others. I'm sure publishers are very pleased about that.
2. You can't donate them to your public library, which I would if I could.
3. You don't have to remember to recharge a book.
4. People around you don't know that you're better than them because you're reading Hawking or Hadfield, not a romance novel.
5. You don't have a trophy to display that tells visitors that you've read it and now know that shit. No more earning respect with a wall full of high-brow literature.
For me the advantage is that I'm already carrying electronic devices and a physical book is just one more thing to carry, retrieve from my pack when I want it, and re-stow when I'm done. That's both an added hassle and, the way I carry stuff, would probably ruin the book.
Of iPad purchasers… maybe, but of people that are still very heavy traditional PC users (aka: physical keyboard and pointing device) we're* still very much in the majority.
* I've rarely ever used my iPads and I've owned all models except the iPad 4 and original non-Retina iPad mini. I'm ever very mobile so I use my iPhone or sitting so I want my MBP. On a flight the iPad comes in handy because seat-back trays aren't suitable for a 15" MBP. Even in First/Business Class a 15" can be overwhelming. I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
A lot of us seem to fall in this camp. I prefer surfing the Web on my MB Air and do a majority of work on my iMac. My iPad Air shines as a presentation tool, however. As a demo tool and media hub it's second to none. That's why the IBM deal seems logical.
Comments
I'm just the person Apple should be reaching. I've got older models of virtually every member in Apple's family of products. Only one, my Mac mini, is a current model. My MacBook is seven years old and two versions of OS X back. Why don't I upgrade?
Better to ask, "Why I should upgrade?" Much of what Apple sells isn't that different from what it was selling two years ago, with the MacBook Air being a prime example. That leaves me with the feeling that, if I buy now, in a few months there will be that big change, and I'll regret it. I don't like to buy the last of a design.
Apple needs to bring out genuinely new products rather that tweaks, so users sitting on the fence like me have a reason to commit. The MBA, for instance, needs a Retina screen, a much smaller power brick, and 8 gig of RAM standard.
It's odd isn't it. We have an industry (any industry, pretty much) which, since it discovered psychology in a big way, has been doing its best to convince us that today's product is out of date and that we must replace it with this shiny new product. And then do the same next year. We are burning our way through consumer products at an extraordinary rate and yet you are telling Apple that they need to work harder to convince you to replace what you are obviously content with - if you weren't, then you would have already replaced it.
Why not enjoy what you have instead of asking Apple to make you unhappy with it?
No that's me too. I bought the original iPhone and the original iPad. I have bought 2 new iPhones and 0 iPads. The iPad neither replaces my laptop at home nor the iPhone on commute. I don't use it for work, not even emails. Too slow to type. No quick way of showing different app windows at the same time. I can't imagine it ever replacing a laptop. Without significant changes. Even doing 80% of what you need - which I think is a high estimate - means you still need the laptop. Since the MBA is light and can be used in trains there isn't really a travel reason. It can't be a post PC world if it does 80%.
My mom likes hers though.
Wonder how much of this iPad decline can be attributed to the Kindle Fire HDX which does what most people use iPads for but for 1/2 the price?
Car models don't get upgraded every year, tho'. Like, 5th generation Subaru Legacy was in production between 2009 and 2014. Sure, there were different options - engine, equipment - but I'd consider them as different iPad Air variants - storage, 4G etc.
The way I see it, tablets are - not unlike laptops and desktops - getting more than enough powerful for people not to justify frequent upgrade; at least until they conquer new market segments, which is what deal with IBM might provide. But for usual media consumption scenario, iPad Air is hard to justify over iPad 4, and I will be surprised if next iPad (Air 2?) will give enough reasons to replace iPad 4.
My mum is still using original iPad I gave her back in 2011. Sure she would not complain about better screen and other advantages of Air, but for her needs - some browsing, Skype, email... even original iPad is still as good as it ever was. I gave her Mini back in 2013 to carry with her when she travels, but she still prefers original one. I will get her new full size end of this or early next year, but only because I don't want to wait for her old one to die before replacing it - she has grown very attached to it. Still, there will be good 4 years of use from original iPad - and we all know how modest it was compared to current offerings. iPad Air, I don't think she'd ever need better performing tablet than that.
There is nothing even remotely hard to justify about iPad Air over iPad 4. Hold one in your hand for 2 seconds, and you have all the reason you need.
Wonder how much of this iPad decline can be attributed to the Kindle Fire HDX which does what most people use iPads for but for 1/2 the price?
Zero. That's how much. People that buy half price Android tablets get what they pay for....what they do not get is anything remotely resembling iPad.
I have every device under the sun around me for product testing (work) and I am very familiar with them. Kindle's are dressed up Android tablets that still fail at being anything remotely resembling an iPad. It is still an alien device that does not feel personal, does not feel like it really does anything. There is absolutely no real world comparison between an iPad and any other tablet on the market. Not even close. If there were, I would say so....but the truth is.....there is not.
Ditto. We are still using the first gen iPad as a media hub for the living room. 1st gen!
And my kids iPad 2 is still rocking. I think they should move to an every other year cycle. The tech is good enough to skip a year.
No it really is not. You getting buy with iPad 1 and 2 is no indication of the quality or capability of those devices vs. current.
I mean for crying out loud, your iPad is incompatible with the overwhelming majority of Apps on the store, and is stuck at iOS 5.1.1. If you watch the same 2 movies over and over again and call that using an iPad then yeah I'm sure you have no reason to upgrade....
You're an anomaly.
Of iPad purchasers… maybe, but of people that are still very heavy traditional PC users (aka: physical keyboard and pointing device) we're* still very much in the majority.
* I've rarely ever used my iPads and I've owned all models except the iPad 4 and original non-Retina iPad mini. I'm ever very mobile so I use my iPhone or sitting so I want my MBP. On a flight the iPad comes in handy because seat-back trays aren't suitable for a 15" MBP. Even in First/Business Class a 15" can be overwhelming. I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
Yeah, I wouldn't worry about that at all.
iPads have been around for a few years now, and they're no longer a brand new category of product.
Also, I believe that people are keeping and using their iPads for much longer than they keep their phones for example, so the product lifespan for iPads is longer. People aren't going out and buying a brand new iPad every year, well at least most people aren't. iPads that are a few years old still work great today. Part of what makes iPads so great is that they're like an appliance that practically anybody is able to use. Do people go out and buy new refrigerators every year? Hell no.
Unlike netbooks and other cheap, crappy fads, iPads are here to stay. They're not going away anytime soon. There have been a hell of a lot pathetically named "iPad killers" that are all six feet under now, rotting away in the cemetery for technological flops and other man made disasters, but has anything ever even come close to unseating the iPad from its throne? Nope.
Chromebooks, you could say, are netbooks and they are here to stay. Some people get far more value out of a Chromebook than an iPad and at a lower cost. And in many cases, they don't compete, but can be complementary.
Also, your post seems to imply that the "iPad category" is monolithic. It's not. A lot of people use tablets for reading and watching movies. I know of many people who love their Kindles.
It's a complex and varied world out there. Sure, iPads seem to pretty much own the corporate market, but the consumer market is diverse and people use tablets for different purposes.
Chromebooks/netbooks/cheap Windows machines and non-iPad tablets are here to stay.
Unseating the iPad throne? There are many thrones (market segments/uses) and it would not be unsurprising that Android owns the throne to some of those markets.
:-) not me. I upgraded to the retina mini. Kid got my iPad 2 and iPad 1 went to living room. Point though is the iPad's hardware/software is so good, yearly refresh is overkill. Apple could easily skip a year and keep up w innovation and lead competition.
Easily?
Phone Tim with your idea.
I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
You're apparently not alone. I actually thought inexpensive readers like the Kindle, combined with the popularity of the iPad, would mean the end of books made of paper, but I was wrong. Or at least it hasn't happened yet. In my little corner of the universe I see lots of people still reading printed books, and only very occasionally see a dedicated reader like the Kindle or Sony. I don't think I've ever seen anyone using an actual tablet (like a Galaxy or iPad) on the train. It's hard to know what the people holding phones are doing with them so I suppose some of them might be reading e-books, but unless a lot of them are, the traditional paper book seems to still be the more popular choice.
What is it about traditional books that makes you prefer them over reading on an electronic device?
I haven't been able to pinpoint a reason. Perhaps ironically, I have two family members whom I would consider to be "techtarded" that took to eBooks with no problem years ago. One with a Kindle and now iPad and the other straight to the iPad. This isn't just an acceptable alternative to them but how they prefer reading.
Easily. Pack two years of hardware innovation vs annual increments. If folks are holding on to their iPads longer, why push out hardware enhancements annually? For the few(millions)that are upgrading on an S cycle for example.
The tech is not again fast enough or innovating slow enough to need users to upgrade annually.
Folks that are on the non "S" models would likely be ok waiting for the "S" model. While others that are on S cycle sees no difference in purchasing cycles
You obviously don't know how the consumer tech world works.
It all looks good on paper until you hit the really big speed bump of reality.
"Apple's IPad?" "No... because Apple is so arrogant as to believe that they can make me buy a two year old product and that I'll think it's brand new."
It's not how you think it is... it's how the buying public perceives it to be.
Who said you have to? Just don’t update. Problem solved.
I have a first-gen iPhone. This year is maybe the first year I’ll be updating. I have a first-gen iPad. I’m not getting another until the larger one comes out. I have a first-gen iPod touch. It sits in my stereo and gives me great music. I don’t see an update needed there, either.
Zero. People aren’t buying those.
Its because the older devices are still working well :P The iPad 2 has aged extremely gracefully. Not much that an iPad Air can do that my iPad 2 can't tbh.
This isn't just an acceptable alternative to them but how they prefer reading.
Me, too. There are disadvantages for the consumer, though.
1. You can't lend eBooks to others. I'm sure publishers are very pleased about that.
2. You can't donate them to your public library, which I would if I could.
3. You don't have to remember to recharge a book.
4. People around you don't know that you're better than them because you're reading Hawking or Hadfield, not a romance novel.
5. You don't have a trophy to display that tells visitors that you've read it and now know that shit. No more earning respect with a wall full of high-brow literature.
For me the advantage is that I'm already carrying electronic devices and a physical book is just one more thing to carry, retrieve from my pack when I want it, and re-stow when I'm done. That's both an added hassle and, the way I carry stuff, would probably ruin the book.
(Edited to change order of points.)
Of iPad purchasers… maybe, but of people that are still very heavy traditional PC users (aka: physical keyboard and pointing device) we're* still very much in the majority.
* I've rarely ever used my iPads and I've owned all models except the iPad 4 and original non-Retina iPad mini. I'm ever very mobile so I use my iPhone or sitting so I want my MBP. On a flight the iPad comes in handy because seat-back trays aren't suitable for a 15" MBP. Even in First/Business Class a 15" can be overwhelming. I also still prefer physical books so reading on the iPad isn't something I've yet adopted.
A lot of us seem to fall in this camp. I prefer surfing the Web on my MB Air and do a majority of work on my iMac. My iPad Air shines as a presentation tool, however. As a demo tool and media hub it's second to none. That's why the IBM deal seems logical.