ramanpfaff

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ramanpfaff
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  • Apple charms investors with record $110B stock buyback, dividend hike

    Rather pathetic dividend increase. I really am surprised it wasn't $0.02/share. Let's just say my retirement isn't going as planned. 
    williamlondongrandact73danox
  • What's the value of Apple's Vision Pro spatial computing?

    charlesn said:

    I’m excited Apple has put the effort in, but I do wish they didn’t launch until they got the tech distilled into something much more livable. 

    Worth remembering: 

    The Macbook Air, despite the wow factor of Steve's envelope demo, was initially slammed as a rich person's "toy" -- too expensive, too slow, too limited in storage and battery life to be taken seriously as a "real" laptop. The tech caught up to the promise in later years and by then, Apple owned the market for ultralight laptops. 

    The Apple Watch, when originally introduced, couldn't do much of anything beyond telling time on its own--for any real functionality, it had to be tethered to your iPhone, which had to be with you. Which begged the question: if I have my iPhone in my pocket, why do I need this watch? The "killer use case," lol, was that you wouldn't need to take your phone out of your pocket to check emails, messages, etc, if you were in a meeting. But the tech caught up to the promise, Apple Watch is now a completely independent device and it's killer use case--health tracking--wasn't even a thing at the time it was released. 

    The lesson learned: the tech always catches up to initial deficiencies. What's important is to get it out there so you can define and own the market for that device. I have no doubt that Vision Pro will one day--and probably A LOT sooner than we think--be a pair of fairly ordinary looking glasses.  I mean, c'mon--did you think we were close to seeing a pair of wireless headphones as tiny as Airpods until they burst on the scene? 

    ALSO; with regard to Daniel's typically superb column, I had to pull out this quote:

    They really feel like it should cost half as much, be half as big, and do a lot of things Apple never said it would. This is evergreen Apple criticism.

    Truer words have never been written!
    I'm not sure I agree with your thoughts on the original MacBook Air and Watch. I thought they were both great right from the start and I ordered version 1 of both. Still using my 2012 Air as media server (was that the first... I can't actually remember... I've had several). The Watch was superb for running even in version 1 that didn't have a GPS. I used to wear it and a Garmin for a few months and the distances were very comparable. I also thought both were affordable (no way would I buy an expensive watch band - yeesh).

    However, version 1 of the AVP feels much more like a really expensive tool mostly for developers to find the best uses for and I didn't buy this one since it really is a high price (IMO). Unless a killer app comes out prior to version 2, I won't be buying this version. I'll certainly have the next. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • So far, Apple is struggling to market Apple Vision Pro

    They really need an app that makes this meaningful. I almost always buy the initial version of what Apple releases, but this is the first thing I've skipped in ages. I just don't see a single reason at this point. 
    williamlondondewme
  • Volvo to focus on value adds outside the infotainment system, will leave CarPlay alone

    Still hate my Tesla lack of CarPlay. As soon as an affordable (under 50k) can match the Tesla 3 range and has CarPlay I'm buying. Still looking for a good iPhone holder for my 3 since I can't stand the miserable Tesla navigation. Ugh. I truly hate it. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobraStrangeDays
  • Undercharged: iPhone 14 owners complain about lower battery endurance

    14 Pro already down to 89%. Bought right at launch a year ago. Never saw this drastic decline with any of my previous phones (I get a new one every year). 
    williamlondongrandact73phytonix