lorin schultz

AppleInsider said:

[...] if you're not in a hurry, it may be worth waiting four months until March. That's when Apple usually refreshes the budget 9.7-inch iPad, and there's a chance it will be redesigned it to match the look of the new iPad Pro. There's no guarantee it'll get Face ID or support for the new Apple Pencil, but it's definitely going to receive some improvements.

To the prognosticators in the crowd:

I've never paid any attention to iPad development cycles because I haven't needed or wanted one. Now I do, and have a couple questions.

Is a March refresh of the "standard" (i.e. non-Pro) model likely? Is it like iPhones in September, something that happens with virtual certainty every year, or are iPad refreshes more random, like Macs?

If you had to guess, what do you think are the chances of certain aspects of the new Pros making their way into the standard model:

- narrower bezels
- squared edges
- Face ID
- USB-C instead of Lightning
- support for new Pencil

The existing model is fine for what I need, I'd just prefer not to buy into functions that are on their way out, like the older Pencil and the Home button, if they're likely to be replaced in the next iteration. I also really like the look of the new Pro models and would be tickled if I could get the squared edges and smaller bezels in a more modestly equipped and priced model.

Anyone have any thoughts, predictions, educated guesses, or wild speculation?

auxio said:

So what if, instead of managing all of the files you need for a project, you could create something called a project which hides all of the files/chunks of data within it?  And the project itself would store the changes so that you could go back to older versions.  A higher level conceptualization which more closely matches reality and eliminates the need for low-level data management and versioning.  The apps which work with that project would handle all of the low-level data manipulation for you, freeing you up to do more work on the actual project instead of data management.  This is exactly what computers were designed to do -- handle the tedious, inane tasks so that we're freed up to do the creative ones.

I hear you, I'm just not convinced the computer can manage my files as well as I can for my intended purposes. How many times a day do you hear someone scream at their computer, "DON'T HELP!" That's a person whose needs are not being satisfied by what the computer thinks is the best approach. Computers are really good at organizing and sorting. They're bloody AWFUL at guessing what a human is trying to do.

My work consists primarily of collecting various source elements, modifying them, and consolidating the modified elements to create various versions of the finished product. Apps that use the traditional files approach make that easy, like Pro Tools and Photoshop. Software that tries to make my life "easier" by hiding things it doesn't think I need to know about, like Final Cut*, actually make it harder.

* I'm aware that FCPX has now evolved methods to overcome most of those limitations. I'm just using it as an example of how "simplifying" file operations by making them invisible can actually be a hindrance to productivity.

auxio said:

Oh man... relying on a portable drive?  I've had at least a dozen hard drives fail on me in the past 20 years.

Yes, equipment can fail. I don't think the chances of being screwed by a portable SSD failure are any higher than it being a broken WiFi antenna lead or broadband chip though. In fact, in my experience, the MOST likely failure point in the chain is internet access, something over which we usually have no control.

Besides, cloud access is expensive (at least it is for me -- cellular data rates around here are brutal) and slow. I can't amuse a client with small talk for half an hour while their 10GB project downloads.

auxio said:

So you're saying that finding new ways to organize data which eliminates the need for file management doesn't help people?

I understand what you're saying and what Apple is trying to do, but it strikes me as one of those things that makes it less suited for "pro" use. I don't want a file associated with a specific app, as I may use two or three different apps to work on it. I also need to be able to save multiple versions of a project, which is more hassle with Apple's approach. Hand-holding and idiot-proofing are good for consumer-facing applications, but for many professional users, especially creators, a more traditional file system may be easier and more flexible. r maybe not, depending on the task. I'm just not quite so willing to dismiss effective workflows just because something new comes along, which may or may not be better, or only better for a certain subset of users.

auxio said:

Or wireless headphones

Latency, data compression, @#$%&!!! pairing. None of those things is insurmountable, none is a deal-breaker, but all are things that complicate the life of a content creator. Handy and logical for consumers, harder to understand in a pro product. I've got cables for mics, speakers, processors, et al, but we draw the line at a headphone cable? I don't care all that much, it just seems weird to me.

auxio said:
cloud data storage

Yet again, that's something with clear, obvious benefits for consumers, but is something most professionals would never even consider using, except in exceptional circumstances (I've been known to reach into a computer at home from a client's site to retrieve a file I didn't know I'd need, but I sure wouldn't want to make that my primary working method). Maybe if one is on the road for weeks at a time and doesn't want to fill the internal storage with all the CAD drawings for twenty sites, but even then a portable drive is MUCH faster and doesn't incur cellular data costs.

Again, it's not a deal-breaker since storage optimization can be turned off (can't it?) to prevent the system from invisibly offloading something you really don't want it to, and higher storage capacities can be had. It's even kinda handy for some situations. I just don't see it as something I would list in the "features" section if I was selling to pro users.

AppleExposed said:

lorin schultz said:

AppleExposed said:

lorin schultz said:

AppleExposed said:

lorin schultz said:

AppleExposed said:

A 1-poster told a veteran.

I don't understand what you mean. Told me what?

I've got no problem with being put in my place when appropriate, but I don't see how that applies in this case.

AppleExposed said:

Some people believe everything is Apples fault.

Uh, if not Apple, who *IS* responsible for the decisions about how tvOS works? One can argue that integration with the TV app is up to the service providers, but even that is subject to debate. Every single other point is 100% on Apple.

Well I must apologize as you've made yourself more clear the 2nd time around. But still, your post came off as the typical Apple-must-save-the-world crap.

As far as who is responsible for adopting the TV app? Well, that would still be the app developers. Maybe Apple should require TV App integration soon like they did with 64-bit support.

Also Apple please remove movies you have to purchase from the TV App. It's confusing looking through your content and then have a cool movie pop up that sends you to iTunes. Really killed the experience for our family.

No apology necessary, I just don't understand how you came to the conclusion you did. I listed examples of ways the Apple TV either fails to live up to the claims Apple itself made about what it's supposed to be, or outright malfunctions. What part of that warranted correction? Did I write something that's not true?

Yes, for one blaming Apple for developer decisions was something that's not true as Apple never said they would enforce it day one without developer participation. 

No, I didn't. I described six ways the Apple TV experience is weird, of which one was:

"3. Some services appear in the TV app, others don't."

I didn't even ADDRESS the issue of who's "responsible" for that because I don't CARE who's at fault. As the end user, all that matters to me is how the product works. The way it is now, some of the features only work some of the time. The user experience *IS* inconsistent. That's all I said and it's true.

Besides, even if you feel that pointing out inconsistencies in software is unfair to Apple, it was only one issue out of six. Dismissing the entirety of the text over 1/6 of the premise obfuscates other legitimate concerns.

That sentence is exactly why people corrected you. You came off as the type to blame Apple for what 3rd parties do.

lorin schultz said:

The other issue has come up just in the last couple days or so. The Netflix app is crashing. I'll be navigating my list and suddenly boom, I'm back at the main Apple TV menu. Not every time I use it, but maybe about a quarter of the time. Is it just me, or is anyone else having a similar experience?

See?

Oh FFS, you're reading things I haven't written. First, there was no need for anyone to "correct" me because I never laid blame in the first place! Second, there's no HINT in what I wrote of blaming Apple for the new issue with Netflix crashing! I just asked if anyone else is having the same problem! Is it not possible to discuss a problem with apps on the Apple TV without being labelled an Apple basher? How SHOULD I ask that question?

The idea that I'm coming off as the type to unfairly blame Apple is coming from inside your head, NOT what I wrote. Stop putting words in my mouth.

alexonline said:

lorin schultz said:

To see what this post said before i changed my mind and deleted it, please consult your local psychic.

- This message brought to you by The North American Psychic Association -- We know what you're thinking!

Aren’t you from the group that recently cancelled your annual fair due to unforeseen circumstances?

Yeah, we kinda blew the mystique with that one. We have, however, absolutely NAILED sales of publications. When people complain that they didn't order something, we respond with "You were going to."