davgreg

Still think Apple getting into streaming TV was a mistake and this may be pointing to a future "I told you so" moment.

If Apple wants to get serious they could buy the company that owns Paramount and get a huge library of Viacom, CBS and Paramount content. The CBS television network which includes a news division and a sports division. A laundry list of channels. The Pluto ad supported streaming service.

The collection of satellite/cable channels cover children, music, sports, comedy and much more.
By ownership of CBS they get a significant package of College & NFL Football, College Basketball to include March Madness and other sports properties.  

Paramount is controlled by a private company called National Amusements that could likely be bought for pocket change. The public shares are currently less than $10 Billion, so it would be an easy pickup if Apple wants to go there.  

Paramount would do much better without the meddlesome Redstone family.

There is just no good reason to buy the thing. It seems an answer to a question nobody is asking.

I have an M1 Pro MacBook Pro 14 that almost always operates as a desktop in clamshell mode and the iPad Pro (M2) 12.9 is my primary mobile device. Essentially the iPad Pro is my laptop and with Face ID is very much preferred over the fingerprint reader used on the Macs.

I am sitting out the M2 cycle and will be updating the laptop with either a Mac mini or MBP when the M3 generation becomes available. Unless there is a profound difference the iPad Pro will hang around until the generation beyond that.

The technology for laptops and tablets is in its mature phase and evolution rather than revolution will be the norm.

Also, Apple needs to look very hard at the base model specs for RAM and storage as has been mentioned by others. 16 GB and 512 GB should be the new minimum - not 8 and 256.

Another example of why you should lock your Apple ID and iCloud (not always the same) accounts with a physical security key. Also a good reason to not use a single account for everything.
This is a prime reason I do not use Apple's Keychain to store passwords for everything. 

And keep a physical backup of your files and keep it air gapped.

Competition is good for everyone.
I own an Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone Pro 14 and use a Zoleo when out in the boonies.

Unlike Apple's system, with a Zoleo I can send messages from pretty much any location on Earth. It leverages the Iridium satellite network. You cannot text from the Watch with Zoleo, but you can with the phone. I would not be surprised to see that function coming eventually.

Apple's products are not selling as well for many reasons but part of it is they are often not class leading.

Just bought a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 2 earbuds and the sound quality is so far beyond anything Apple offers and it is not in that hideous white plastic. Still have a pair of Beats Pro Fits that I use out on the bike and such, but the noise cancellation and sound quality of the Bose is far beyond anything Apple offers.

The new Apple Watch Ultra is less than impressive. While the battery life was impressive, recent SW updates have made the watch very quick to deplete the battery. The watch also has the occasional nasty habit of giving me the spinning wheel at random and the Apple Store was less than helpful.

Apple Music is a train wreck and the promised Classical Music app has failed to appear by the promised EOY 2022. iTunes was a far better app and experience. I have the full bundle of apps (just to get the good News app) but have to pay for stuff I do not want like the fitness, gaming and TV+. Looking at dropping the services bundle for better from 3rd parties.

Apple 14 Pro so far is meh. Not significantly better than the 13 Pro in any way. Apple needs better 5G antennas and radios - especially at the prices they charge.

Messages is at this late date, still far less than it should be. It still does not play well with non Apple devices and is also inconsistent in how it handles messages. Some messages that come through on the Phone do not on iOS or Watch OS devices. We cannot control what phones the people we need to message have and Apple needs to make a better and more consistent experience.

Sync of messages, mail and such across devices did not used to be a problem but has become one over the last year or so. Read messages on one device do not properly show that way on other devices. Same with CarPlay - messages seen or heard on CarPlay still show up as new or unread on other devices.

Some of this relates to services, but that is what ties this ecosystem together and Apple is falling behind and many do not have the high quality of year gone by. The SW and services are what differentiate Apple and they are dropping the ball and raising prices.