deminsd

Eric_WVGG said:

When's the last time Apple released a proprietary connector though, ADC? If they did some stacky thing like the Slice (which p.s. looks cool as hell) I'm sure they'd just use Thunderbolt 3.

You're forgetting about the Apple Proprietary NVMe SSD connector they use in Macbooks and the 2013 Mac Pro.  One of the latest examples of over-engineering a connector that serves no purpose instead of using an industry standard.

lkrupp said:

I personally predict that whatever the new Mac Pro turns out to be it will be trashed viciously by the self-agrandized techie crowd. These types want to be able to saunter into a Fry’s or Micro Center, pick out some weird peripheral, stick it into their “Mac Pro” and have it work. That doesn’t even happen with self-assembled PCs but it will be a requirement for any new Mac Pro. You just watch and see.

"Some weird peripheral" like an industry standard NVMe m.2 SSD or an off-the-shelf GPU or, memory modules?  Who in their right mind would WANT to saunter into a local parts store and upgrade their storage or graphics without having to take out a 2nd mortgage?  That's just crazy thinking!  /s

But, no doubt, Apple will rely on "proprietary connectors" and glued shut modules to ensure that whatever you want to do with your new "modular Mac", you'll have to get it at the Apple Store at 3-4X the cost of a standard part.

chasm said:

Talk about unscientific but ... I do think the deals Spotify has made with various cell-phone providers to offer the service for “free” (hahaha) as part of your smartphone agreement has hurt Apple Music in the eyes of the youth market. I’m not sure if more exclusives will fix that, so I think Apple needs to make more deals with carriers as a way of offering users a choice.

Isn't Apple Music a "free" perk from the #1 provider in the US (Verizon)?  

Everyone blaming Intel, yet it's Apple that insists on paper thin, fan-less laptop designs that defy physics on keeping them cool.  The rest of us (Windows users) enjoy the latest and greatest chips and hardware and increasing performance with 8th and 9th gen chips.  I'm fine with fans.  They come on when needed, and are silent otherwise.  I also like having the ability to remove a few screws and change / add more larger SSD's or memory. 

10nm will be nice when it arrives, but I don't see it being Intel's fault that Apple cannot move forward in performance.

flydog said:

Fatman said:

Anecdotal rumblings ...The UX on Spotify is preferred by most, Spotify's play lists are more on the mark. Spotify's free tier helps people get used to the service, create playlists and then sign-up for paid version when ready. The AirPlay2 push plus Verizon promo will help Apple's market share, but Apple needs to be on par or better.Once people are on a service they tend to stick with it.

Apple could care less about winning the subscriber count battle.  It's about making money, and Spotify has done nothing but lose money since day 1.  

Not sure where you get your insider information that you can speak for Apple, but I believe BOTH are true.  It is all about making money, but IMO, Apple is also all about numbers and being on top.