wisey

Please, comparison of the iPad 2018 with the iPad Pro 2017 is not fair.  Not only is the iPad 2018 half the price of the iPad Pro 2017, it is a significant upgrade of the iPad 2017 for a lower price.  That is the comparison that should have been made.  From a business perspective, Apple does not want the iPad 2018 to siphon off sales that would otherwise go to the iPad Pro.  The fact that it is not as good is consistent with the lower price and the absence of the Pro designation.    

Thank you for this article.  I use Duet so that my iPad Pro 12.9” can be a second screen for my MacBook Pro 15”.  I will hold off upgrading my MacOS.  I don’t see anything on this upgrade of the OS that is more important that support for the Duet.    

Some commenters here suggest that it is the software maker’s fault that Apple changed their operating system.  It is a two-way street, in my opinion.  Both sides have to work with each other.  The fact that no other display program is able to work suggests that the problem lies with Apple.  Apple should have know that this was happening and the fact that they provide no warning to users and did not work with the software makers to fix this problem is not a good sign.  Why did they change the interface?  Are they replacing it with anything that is good for the users?  

In my opinion, Apple needs to look carefully at its Mac OS team and change some attitude(s).  If Apple is willing to harm four companies that write software for Mac with one OS change of questionable value, they need to stop and rethink what they are doing?  What did they change in their OS software that warrants establishing a destructive relationship with their software developers?  Worse, why are they issuing this release without warning users,  I saw few commentaries on this subject before this article.  Perhaps they could have held off issuing the change until Duet and other companies have a chance to fix their Apps.    

For me, the choice is clear and that is to use both iCloud and Dropbox.  I pay $10/month for the 2Tb iCloud.  It has all my documents from the Mac, iPad, iPhone, including pictures, music, videos, etc.  I pay $10/month for Dropbox for files that I share with colleagues for work purposes. At the present, iCloud is just not well suited for sharing files and I don’t want my personal files to be on Dropbox.  So, the best solution is to separate the two.  I can work on local files without having to be in internet.  

If you need to write, seriously write, you must have a Mac.  On a Mac, you can run multiple programs on multiple windows, deploy multiple screens, print to wired or wireless printers, use a variety of bibliographic programs, and use any font to your heart’s content.  More and more college students are using the Mac.  It is stable, runs fast, and does everything that a student does.  Apple did not refresh or lower the MacBook prices.  So, one should expect a jump in MacBook sales in 2018. How much of a jump, I don’t know.  It depends on the price and features.  However, the increased sales should be substantial.  An increase of 16% YOY would not be surprising since MacBook sales were languishing in 2017.  

A new industry will arise: HomePod mats, HomePod stands, HomePod shelving for bathrooms, HomePod hangers (from the ceiling), HomePod platforms with wireless chargers for your Apple Watch and iPhone 8/8+/X, HomePod tripods for public speaking using your iPhone as microphone, HomePod housing (to protect it from weather and rain), HomePod mounts with power converters for your car and private airplane, HomePod covers with specifiable Pantone colors to match decor, HomePod waterproof covers for the swimming pool, HomePods TV stands, HomePod coffee tables with hole for the power wire, cat proof HomePod cage, etc., etc.