As it is, iPad is selling to lots of people, but to expand the appeal to even more people. Apple should do more by including apps such as file manager, scanner or dictionary app for example.
Straight out of the box, new users can be lost easily. And being unsure of new platform many new users are hesitant to spend money on apps.
The iPad might be Apple's most solid market category. It may have plateaued quickly, but that's only because it filled such a large and desolate void.
I agree. In addition there is also a moderate "netbook effect": people which purchased an iPad in eraly days with a need, but later they found the need better satisfied by a macbook or an iphone plus. I anecdotally know some of these people, one wanted to replace his notebook with an iPad 1, another used iPad to learn languages but later easily replace it with iphone 6. It's just the tablet market that is recovering from a bubble, not a failure.
Cannablization goes beyond 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 itself killed any serious need I had for an iPad. The iPad, for me personally, was a solution to the problem of tiny iPhone screens. Now that I finally have an iPhone with which I can type and see everything comfortably, I have no need for an iPad.
I do not like the current trend to turn the iPad into a Macbook with its floppy subpar keyboard. What's next? A smart keyboard with soft trackpad?
Key is to have a dedicated iPad OS. Something that fills the gap between iOS and OSX. The screen size with touch control and the pencil are great differentiators. The iPad OS should make full use of that.
watch OS
iOS for iPod and iPhone
iOS for iPad
OSX for macs
ADDENDUM: While I am not in favour of the smart keyboard. The iPad OS could be optimised for the magic keyboard. Apple just needs to design a smart cover with pocket to slide the keyboard in & out.
Yes, well, the only thing I care about is to know whether or not YouTube is still restricted to foolish 720p on the iPad Pro. Is the "Pro" still considered a silly "mobile" device, or is it "pro"?
Honestly, it makes no sense to use iPads as a Mac replacement if they cannot be a true replacement, even for simple, stupid things like watching YouTube videos in a decent resolution such as 1080p. YouTube has 4K videos now, for crying out loud. And where's the FCPX Mobile edition? Only 4K EDITING but no ability to record? Still includes lame, outdated camera tech? Where's the PRO? Oh, you mean the PENCIL, which isn't included???
Functionality of the iPad line means MUCH, MUCH more than silly talk about sales, either pro or con. FUNCTIONALITY is what matters. The only reason I am mulling a MacBook over an iPad Pro is that I remain unconvinced that the iPad (or iOS in general) has what it takes to do even simple "work" tasks. Focusing on "what we really can do in iOS vs MacOS" would be the makings of a truly meaningful editorial!
It's time you, the Mac/Apple reporting media, start putting Apple to the fire on this. They make so much money that they are getting lazy. It's pretty much 2016 for goodness sake. If Jobs was still alive, he'd surely be kicking their fanny hard, and not just to kick out the mythical Apple car either. Awesome computing tech is still very much the heart of Apple, and they need to get with the program on that. iOS today is still System 1.0 on a Macintosh 128k in comparison to OS X. Apple needs to fix that, and fast.
IPads last longer. Ours is 3 years old and not showing any signs of ageing. Our Dell XPS 600 is grinding to a halt and needs reinstalling.
The sales cycle is much longer. PCs are 3-4 years for businesses. IPads haven't yet penetrated business in the same way. Consumers hang on to them longer. I expect my iPad to last 6-7 years.
As iPad Pro penetrates business these cycles will shorten.
On the latest ATP podcast John Siracusa went on a huge rant slamming all the things he thinks is wrong with iOS on iPad saying multi-window isn't that intuitive; has a limit of only 2 apps, can't drag between them. Marco Arment said Apple solves things the way a young kid would solve them and it needs to grow up take on all the responsibilities of the desktop without the crap.
OK I understand some of the frustrations with iOS. But when Apple first launched the iPad was it really about replacing the desktop computer for "Professionals"? No. And I'm still not convinced that's where Apple should be going with iPad. I think there's always going to be a class of people where an iPad will never replace a Mac. And that's fine. If Apple starts making iOS on iPad too complex it's going scare off the the general consumer that is drawn to the device because of its simplicity and ease of use. Microsoft has tried to make the ultimate no compromise device and it didn't work. The SP 4 and SB are much more laptop than they are tablet. I'll bet most people that buy the SP4 rarely use it without they keyboard and kickstand. When I held the iPP in my hands in the Apple store it felt incredibly immersive, immersive in a way I wouldn't feel with a 13" MPB or a Microsoft Surface.
Several other podcasts I've listened to over the weekend have asked the question who is iPP for and they're not sure Apple has answered it. I do think the first TV ad for it was not very good and I don't think it was helpful for Tim Cook to get into this whole PC vs tablet debate (use what works for you and who cares what it's called). And as I've said before I think Cook's Apple is good at giving us the 'what' and 'how' but the 'why' is sometimes missing. But maybe with iPP we don't know exactly who it's for and that's OK. Maybe it's a good thing not to pigeon hole the device and say it's only for creative professionals or a certain class of people. Maybe it's just this big blank canvas thaf will be used in many different ways and ways we're not imagining right now. I've been to Apple stores two days in a row now and the iPP section was full of people checking out the device, using the pencil and keyboard. You could tell there was a lot of interest and no store that I went to had any 128GB in stock. No Best Buy store did either. I ordered one because you get until Jan 6 to return it and it's not scheduled to arrive until Dec 3. I'm sure this is mostly a function of supply at this point but I also think demand is higher than anyone expected. Certainly higher than the expectations of the tech pundits scratching their heads wondering who this is for.
IMO Apple should stop giving details for Wall street to manipulate.
Apple should report just 3 segments:
Hardware
Software and sevices
Accessories
Thats it.
The more detail you give Wall street the more they will nitpick at the single piece of weak data and ignore the 99 other strong data points. No other hardware builder reports unit sales so why should Apple?
I believe there are SEC rules around what you have to break out but yes I agree the less the better. Releasing sales figures really provides no benefit to Apple. It's either a number that doesn't meet analyst expectations or it's a big fat target that makes analysts fret over "tough comps". I'm glad we get no watch sales, no ?TV sales, most likely no iPP sales. I hope that's Apple's MO going forward. Maybe not with iPhone but it can be with everything else.
IMO Apple should stop giving details for Wall street to manipulate.
Apple should report just 3 segments:
Hardware
Software and sevices
Accessories
Thats it.
The more detail you give Wall street the more they will nitpick at the single piece of weak data and ignore the 99 other strong data points. No other hardware builder reports unit sales so why should Apple?
While I totally agree with you, It's a great enjoyment to me, as an Apple fan, to have the current level of sales data to ponder over—not from an investment POV but to have some insight into how well Apple is killing it with their products and marketing abilities.
Compact version. iPad took off amazing big. Introduced new vision. People bought it. iPhone caught up. Now you can do 90% on the now bigger, more powerful iPhones of what you can do on an iPad. iPad sales decline, iPhone sales reaching new records seemingly every year. iPad Pro came. Pro creative app community adopting it really fast already from day one. Pro power developers on board with vision. iPad Pro, in my eyes, defines new pro customer tablet, especially in creative, but possibly also others. Microsoft sticks to their one OS to rule them all as usual. Appeals to some, especially on paper, but not optional for either touch or tablet form factor, but not too shabby though. Microsoft self proclaims themselves as only real competitor to Apple. In iPad pro reviews Apple get criticism that iOS is not pro enough. iOS proven to work really well, and over time evolving, marching steadily into pro realms.
IMO Apple should stop giving details for Wall street to manipulate.
Apple should report just 3 segments:
Hardware
Software and sevices
Accessories
Thats it.
The more detail you give Wall street the more they will nitpick at the single piece of weak data and ignore the 99 other strong data points. No other hardware builder reports unit sales so why should Apple?
"But Microsoft is now facing competition from iPad Pro, which offers a lower entry price with higher performance, tied to modern mobile app ecosystem."
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
Interesting on how the fan pc websites (fudzilla,, Engadget etc) bash Apple. They mostly make their living on gaming pcs and custom builders. If Apple ever went after this market they would bury the retail PC completely. I would love to see it.
Interesting on how the fan pc websites (fudzilla,, Engadget etc) bash Apple. They mostly make their living on gaming pcs and custom builders. If Apple ever went after this market they would bury the retail PC completely. I would love to see it.
Apple cant go after the gaming/custom market because that market requires being able to totally customise the system and buy from any supplier of high end parts the antithesis of Apples philosophy.
"But Microsoft is now facing competition from iPad Pro, which offers a lower entry price with higher performance, tied to modern mobile app ecosystem."
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
When the 4-5 apps you have orgasm about will have been ported within 18 months to the pro,
you'll have to find another idiocy to ramble on.
Also., you don't have fracking clue what an actual pro's way of working is, what he does; that's obvious.
Anybody using 3DS Max or Maya on a small laptop doesn't merit the name pro in his name.
Theoretical use doesn't mean it's a actually good at it.
Also, the surface has more problem processing video than the Ipad pro. That's facts buddy.
So, how would it even deal with those fracking pro apps. It won't and it can't.
Considering the Surface is a piece of crap tablet with no software and an overpriced laptop;
why on frack's earth would you even use this badly built creaky POS.
When the 4-5 apps you have orgasm about will have been ported within 18 months to the pro,
you'll have to find another idiocy to ramble on.
Also., you don't have fracking clue what an actual pro's way of working is, what he does; that's obvious.
Anybody using 3DS Max or Maya on a small laptop doesn't merit the name pro in his name.
Theoretical use doesn't mean it's a actually good at it.
Also, the surface has more problem processing video than the Ipad pro. That's facts buddy.
So, how would it even deal with those fracking pro apps. It won't and it can't.
Considering the Surface is a piece of crap tablet with no software and an overpriced laptop;
why on frack's earth would you even use this badly built creaky POS.
Wow, get out of the wrong side of bed did you today? Feel better for having got your frothing at the mouth rant out?
I've been in th games industry for a very long time and I have several friends who use Surface Pros as Zbrush sketch pads. Of course they're not going to use them for serious work, but for 3D doodling on a train they're fine.
If you believe Zbrush and full photoshop will be ported to the iPad good for you. Enjoy living in your fantasy world.
"But Microsoft is now facing competition from iPad Pro, which offers a lower entry price with higher performance, tied to modern mobile app ecosystem."
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
How are pro's working out for MS? Looks to me like they are, at best, shifting their purchases from laptops to hybrids, but so far Surface revenues are less than the Apple Watch, which, you know, has been deemed an abject failure by the media and analysts. I'm sure it would confound the industry if iPad Pro sold more product for more revenue than Surface this quarter; reinforce the fact that mobile is driving the industry, not desktops in the guise of hybrids.
A fun and insightful perspective on what iPad Pro is.
IMO Apple should stop giving details for Wall street to manipulate.
Apple should report just 3 segments:
Hardware
Software and sevices
Accessories
Thats it.
The more detail you give Wall street the more they will nitpick at the single piece of weak data and ignore the 99 other strong data points. No other hardware builder reports unit sales so why should Apple?
Agreed. And Apple should stop it's silly quarterly guidance, joining a group of perfectly fine companies like GE, Berkshire Hathaway, Coca Cola, Google, and McDonald's.
Comments
Straight out of the box, new users can be lost easily. And being unsure of new platform many new users are hesitant to spend money on apps.
I agree. In addition there is also a moderate "netbook effect": people which purchased an iPad in eraly days with a need, but later they found the need better satisfied by a macbook or an iphone plus. I anecdotally know some of these people, one wanted to replace his notebook with an iPad 1, another used iPad to learn languages but later easily replace it with iphone 6. It's just the tablet market that is recovering from a bubble, not a failure.
I do not like the current trend to turn the iPad into a Macbook with its floppy subpar keyboard. What's next? A smart keyboard with soft trackpad?
Key is to have a dedicated iPad OS. Something that fills the gap between iOS and OSX. The screen size with touch control and the pencil are great differentiators. The iPad OS should make full use of that.
ADDENDUM: While I am not in favour of the smart keyboard. The iPad OS could be optimised for the magic keyboard. Apple just needs to design a smart cover with pocket to slide the keyboard in & out.
Yes, well, the only thing I care about is to know whether or not YouTube is still restricted to foolish 720p on the iPad Pro. Is the "Pro" still considered a silly "mobile" device, or is it "pro"?
Honestly, it makes no sense to use iPads as a Mac replacement if they cannot be a true replacement, even for simple, stupid things like watching YouTube videos in a decent resolution such as 1080p. YouTube has 4K videos now, for crying out loud. And where's the FCPX Mobile edition? Only 4K EDITING but no ability to record? Still includes lame, outdated camera tech? Where's the PRO? Oh, you mean the PENCIL, which isn't included???
Functionality of the iPad line means MUCH, MUCH more than silly talk about sales, either pro or con. FUNCTIONALITY is what matters. The only reason I am mulling a MacBook over an iPad Pro is that I remain unconvinced that the iPad (or iOS in general) has what it takes to do even simple "work" tasks. Focusing on "what we really can do in iOS vs MacOS" would be the makings of a truly meaningful editorial!
It's time you, the Mac/Apple reporting media, start putting Apple to the fire on this. They make so much money that they are getting lazy. It's pretty much 2016 for goodness sake. If Jobs was still alive, he'd surely be kicking their fanny hard, and not just to kick out the mythical Apple car either. Awesome computing tech is still very much the heart of Apple, and they need to get with the program on that. iOS today is still System 1.0 on a Macintosh 128k in comparison to OS X. Apple needs to fix that, and fast.
The sales cycle is much longer. PCs are 3-4 years for businesses. IPads haven't yet penetrated business in the same way. Consumers hang on to them longer. I expect my iPad to last 6-7 years.
As iPad Pro penetrates business these cycles will shorten.
OK I understand some of the frustrations with iOS. But when Apple first launched the iPad was it really about replacing the desktop computer for "Professionals"? No. And I'm still not convinced that's where Apple should be going with iPad. I think there's always going to be a class of people where an iPad will never replace a Mac. And that's fine. If Apple starts making iOS on iPad too complex it's going scare off the the general consumer that is drawn to the device because of its simplicity and ease of use. Microsoft has tried to make the ultimate no compromise device and it didn't work. The SP 4 and SB are much more laptop than they are tablet. I'll bet most people that buy the SP4 rarely use it without they keyboard and kickstand. When I held the iPP in my hands in the Apple store it felt incredibly immersive, immersive in a way I wouldn't feel with a 13" MPB or a Microsoft Surface.
Several other podcasts I've listened to over the weekend have asked the question who is iPP for and they're not sure Apple has answered it. I do think the first TV ad for it was not very good and I don't think it was helpful for Tim Cook to get into this whole PC vs tablet debate (use what works for you and who cares what it's called). And as I've said before I think Cook's Apple is good at giving us the 'what' and 'how' but the 'why' is sometimes missing. But maybe with iPP we don't know exactly who it's for and that's OK. Maybe it's a good thing not to pigeon hole the device and say it's only for creative professionals or a certain class of people. Maybe it's just this big blank canvas thaf will be used in many different ways and ways we're not imagining right now. I've been to Apple stores two days in a row now and the iPP section was full of people checking out the device, using the pencil and keyboard. You could tell there was a lot of interest and no store that I went to had any 128GB in stock. No Best Buy store did either. I ordered one because you get until Jan 6 to return it and it's not scheduled to arrive until Dec 3. I'm sure this is mostly a function of supply at this point but I also think demand is higher than anyone expected. Certainly higher than the expectations of the tech pundits scratching their heads wondering who this is for.
I believe there are SEC rules around what you have to break out but yes I agree the less the better. Releasing sales figures really provides no benefit to Apple. It's either a number that doesn't meet analyst expectations or it's a big fat target that makes analysts fret over "tough comps". I'm glad we get no watch sales, no ?TV sales, most likely no iPP sales. I hope that's Apple's MO going forward. Maybe not with iPhone but it can be with everything else.
While I totally agree with you, It's a great enjoyment to me, as an Apple fan, to have the current level of sales data to ponder over—not from an investment POV but to have some insight into how well Apple is killing it with their products and marketing abilities.
Totally agree.
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
Apple cant go after the gaming/custom market because that market requires being able to totally customise the system and buy from any supplier of high end parts the antithesis of Apples philosophy.
"But Microsoft is now facing competition from iPad Pro, which offers a lower entry price with higher performance, tied to modern mobile app ecosystem."
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
When the 4-5 apps you have orgasm about will have been ported within 18 months to the pro,
you'll have to find another idiocy to ramble on.
Also., you don't have fracking clue what an actual pro's way of working is, what he does; that's obvious.
Anybody using 3DS Max or Maya on a small laptop doesn't merit the name pro in his name.
Theoretical use doesn't mean it's a actually good at it.
Also, the surface has more problem processing video than the Ipad pro. That's facts buddy.
So, how would it even deal with those fracking pro apps. It won't and it can't.
Considering the Surface is a piece of crap tablet with no software and an overpriced laptop;
why on frack's earth would you even use this badly built creaky POS.
Wow, get out of the wrong side of bed did you today? Feel better for having got your frothing at the mouth rant out?
I've been in th games industry for a very long time and I have several friends who use Surface Pros as Zbrush sketch pads. Of course they're not going to use them for serious work, but for 3D doodling on a train they're fine.
If you believe Zbrush and full photoshop will be ported to the iPad good for you. Enjoy living in your fantasy world.
"But Microsoft is now facing competition from iPad Pro, which offers a lower entry price with higher performance, tied to modern mobile app ecosystem."
Other reviews of the iPad Pro have criticised it precisely because it's stuck with dumbed down mobile apps. Why would a pro want mobile apps? The MS Surface can run full fat Photoshop, as well as other pro apps such as Zbrush, Maya, 3DS Max, and Substance Painter.
How are pro's working out for MS? Looks to me like they are, at best, shifting their purchases from laptops to hybrids, but so far Surface revenues are less than the Apple Watch, which, you know, has been deemed an abject failure by the media and analysts. I'm sure it would confound the industry if iPad Pro sold more product for more revenue than Surface this quarter; reinforce the fact that mobile is driving the industry, not desktops in the guise of hybrids.
A fun and insightful perspective on what iPad Pro is.
Agreed. And Apple should stop it's silly quarterly guidance, joining a group of perfectly fine companies like GE, Berkshire Hathaway, Coca Cola, Google, and McDonald's.