tipoo

This is quintessentially Surface. Low base price, but once you skip the poop options (eMMC, 4GB) to the ones you actually want, the pricing is right up there with competition that offers better for the price. Even compared to Apple, once you get 8GB and 256GB, the Macbook Air is right there, sure the Surface Laptop Go has a quad core, but also a non high-DPI screen like the Air. 

Had the middle model been the base price, that would be appealing. But I'm hard pressed to get the upgrade models with their pricing, though Microsoft does do direct sales unlike Apple. 

Hmm. Since their comparisons were to the A12 in the previous iPad Air, if you work it backwards it doesn't look like as large a jump as usual from the A13. Looking at around 16% faster CPU and 8-9% faster GPU? I wonder if this is why they debuted in an iPad Air first, since its much more impressive in comparison to the last Air than the last iPhone, where they can kind of say they already talked about it at the iPhone event.

Couldn't expect those huge single core gains forever, but from the iPhone 11 to 12 this looks like a smaller jump. If the iPhone 12 Pro had ProMotion that would have been an easy overlook if the added efficiency offset the higher refresh rate, but it doesn't sound like we're getting that this year.

Hank2.0 said:

Seven new variations of iPad, and eight varieties of the "Apple Watch Series 6" 

Why, for heavens sake!?! This goes right back to the pre-Job's-return 90's when Apple was pushing a bevy of differently configured Macs, losing money on all of them. Too many choices is not good for sales and a logistical nightmare in terms of product distribution, parts supply, manufacturing, and support. That's why Steve Jobs, first thing on his return, massively trimmed Macs and MacBooks to a base model and a pro model each. If this trend keeps up, I see trouble down the line as the Apple brand gets "cheapened".

In general do they have more SKUs now, sure. But think about it, two sizes each, steel, aluminum, edition, that's six versions right there. If cellular or not are counted I'm not sure why it's not more if anything. If not I hope a budget SE SKU is coming. 

Hoping for a "SE" version of the Watch to replace the Series 3 they still sell. Maybe that cheaper polycarbonate housing rumored plus an S5 or S6 chip and older screen following the iPhone SE model. 

Yikes. I'm fearful for Unreal Engine 5 on Apple Silicon being cancelled in this war, that would suck for us.