Let us loop you in: What to expect from Apple’s March 21 event

A smaller iPhone, a smaller iPad Pro, and a shotgun blast of smaller reveals.

Read the whole story

 

[maehara]

uhuznaa[/url]":25ej91wj]It's a nice phone, but somewhat of a mash design-wise. The 4 was great, the 6 is great (apart from the ugly lines on the back and bulging camera), but the 5 was not especially great on its own. In my humble opinion.

You'll pry my 5 from my cold, dead hands. Unless the SE resurrects the 5's design, in which case I'm sold.

 

[Kiru]

Keving G sez:

"I would beg to differ. The professional types that used to be Apple's core business are looking else where. We're nearing the anniversary of the introduction of the Westmere based Mac Pros in 2010. Since that introduction nearly six years ago, Apple has only updated the Mac Pro line up once. Before 2010, Apple was actually converting PC users to Mac via a combination good price and a killer app in Final Cut Pro. Seriously, Apple was several hundred dollars cheaper than HP or Dell when it came to dual Xeon 5300/5400 systems at the time. Apple's prices were competitive with DIY white box builds back then.

Since then Apple has focused on iOS devices with the Mac line up being de-emphasized. Final Cut Pro got a poorly received rewrite and several other professional level applications from Apple were just dropped. It also hasn't helped that several professional level software developers have gone stupid with licensing (looking at you Adobe).

The one highlight over the last couple of years has been Apple's stream of good laptops. The MacBook Pro remains an excellent machine and the iteration with the retina display has started a bit of a revolution. Still even here there was an outcry over the loss of the 17" model used by professionals for production on the go.

So those who have remained with Apple nowadays are doing so out of habit. The crowd that they won over from the PC camp years ago have gone back due to Apple's stagnation."

Agreed. My 2008 MPro 3,1 is getting long in the tooth; it still does what I need it to, but at some point it's going to be a case of forced obsolescence.

I have a god box PC rig that I presently use solely for gaming that I built for the very possibility of moving away from OSX when it comes to my design business.

 

[Volvo]

maehara[/url]":1vq5jow9]

uhuznaa[/url]":1vq5jow9]It's a nice phone, but somewhat of a mash design-wise. The 4 was great, the 6 is great (apart from the ugly lines on the back and bulging camera), but the 5 was not especially great on its own. In my humble opinion.

You'll pry my 5 from my cold, dead hands. Unless the SE resurrects the 5's design, in which case I'm sold.

My 5 is big enough, so the 6SE would be a welcome upgrade for those of us (presumably minority, but perhaps a significant one?) that don't want to carry around something huge in our pocket all the time.

 

[Eldorito]

solomonrex[/url]":3ptbvvdn]

fermino[/url]":3ptbvvdn]Here's hoping for new software announcements, since the only Apple product I own is an iPad Air. Coming from an Android/Linux environment, it feels good, but I really wish Macbooks and iPhones weren't so expensive.
A smaller iPhone wouldn't be so bad if it keeps the great build quality of the 6S. Maybe make it fatter so it holds a good battery, just like the Xperia Z Compact.

I'd rather it have the legendary build quality of the 5 series. Unless they pull some rabbit out of their sleeve, this won't be very exciting, but I'm happy because my wife needs to upgrade and this will probably push her into it.

Anyone else think the ipad pro is just a bit too big? The old, discontinued Samsung Galaxy tab Pro at 12" felt like a better size, but it was also a narrow layout, iirc. The ipad pro just feels enormous to me, like it shouldn't be separated from a stand/case at all. I thought the Samsung was a good size, but needed Apple's tech to make it lighter, but then Apple went even bigger.

I think it's mostly the design, it's only a centimeter bigger in each direction (except thickness, it lost a bit there) than the tab pro thanks to the screen taking up more of the front facing part of it. Compare that from the Tab Pro to the Tab S 10.5, where it's 5cm/3cm size difference.

The lack of bezels makes it less friendly to hold onto, so it does make more sense attached to something. I have that problem with my Tab S, complete lack of bezels means it lives in a case that can be held onto.

 

[IntergalacticWalrus]

passivesmoking[/url]":2sq9rwnt]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

I share your frustration (where is my xMac, damnit) but Apple releasing their OS to non-Macs is never going to happen, Apple makes their money selling hardware, the software is there only to make the hardware more appealing.

 

[Quiet Desperation]

solomonrex[/url]":1umlv829]

fermino[/url]":1umlv829]

solomonrex[/url]":1umlv829]

I'd rather it have the legendary build quality of the 5 series. Unless they pull some rabbit out of their sleeve, this won't be very exciting, but I'm happy because my wife needs to upgrade and this will probably push her into it.

I mean, yeah, but metal is probably better than glass at this point. Something like the new iPod, but thicker and taking some cues from the 5/5S.

The 5 was all chiseled metal. A gorgeous, flinty, deadeyed stud with sharp edges and brooding depths.

Sorry, got carried away.

You can have my 5 when you pry it from my hot, sweaty hands.

 

[stevebez]

How about Apple announcing a laptop that is actually affordable for students? You know, something in the $500 range? I know it's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?

Dear Apple,

All I want is a laptop for school that I can actually afford. I don't mind if it is made of plastic, and I don't care too much what it looks like. Since you insist on making all of your hardware so expensive, I have no choice but to go to the competition. All of this is disappointing to me, but oh well, I guess I will get comfortable with Windows 10.

 

[archtop]

I know! They'll introduce a 12-in. Macbook with one more port . . . right?

 

[issor]

I read somewhere that Intel is sampling their first 3d-xpoint m.2 SSDs. Along with that was a rumor that Apple would be the first to offer them in a product. That isn't to say that it will happen at this event, but if it's true I 'll be upgrading!

 

[Deleted member 174040]

stevebez[/url]":1t86bs33]How about Apple announcing a laptop that is actually affordable for students? You know, something in the $500 range? I know it's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?

Dear Apple,

All I want is a laptop for school that I can actually afford. I don't mind if it is made of plastic, and I don't care too much what it looks like. Since you insist on making all of your hardware so expensive, I have no choice but to go to the competition. All of this is disappointing to me, but oh well, I guess I will get comfortable with Windows 10.

Not being rude, but they made their choice to exclude certain customers by not competing for them.

In response, rather than begging, I think it's up to each customer to make his own choice too.

 

[oldmac]

With all these models and variants, I'm having 90s pre-Steve Jobs return flashbacks. Performa, Quadra or Centris anyone?

 

[deanrozz]

issor[/url]":2x3cr86m]I read somewhere that Intel is sampling their first 3d-xpoint m.2 SSDs. Along with that was a rumor that Apple would be the first to offer them in a product. That isn't to say that it will happen at this event, but if it's true I 'll be upgrading!

Yeah, they were wondering if the next MacBooks would incorporate 3d-xpoint, but completely forgot about the iPhone.

Apple purchased Anobit several years ago (they specialize in NAND flash and controllers) and Apple now uses a custom designed NVMe controller in the iPhone 6S. So 3d-xpoint showing up in an iPhone 7 isn't entirely out of the question. To see it next week or June in MacBooks seems a little too early

 

[Belisarius]

stevebez[/url]":2qvtebf8]How about Apple announcing a laptop that is actually affordable for students? You know, something in the $500 range? I know it's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?

Dear Apple,

All I want is a laptop for school that I can actually afford. I don't mind if it is made of plastic, and I don't care too much what it looks like. Since you insist on making all of your hardware so expensive, I have no choice but to go to the competition. All of this is disappointing to me, but oh well, I guess I will get comfortable with Windows 10.

And yet...

 

[DougHenningsMagicWand]

benwiggy[/url]":2ool6o6m]

passivesmoking[/url]":2ool6o6m]

benwiggy[/url]":2ool6o6m]

passivesmoking[/url]":2ool6o6m]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

I think if they re-released the "cheese grater" tower for the Mac Pro and all they did was update the CPU/motherboard every year, they would sell to that market every year. I know they won't because they have to do distinctive designs (over functionality in this case) and don't want you to be able to upgrade it (they want you to buy all the RAM from them upfront). Really ridiculous when the end result is hackintoshes to be able to get all the hardware you need.

 

[thenamenottaken]

A few months ago I somewhat reluctantly bought a new 5S. I would have liked to get something more modern, but didn't want huge, and 4" phones seemed to have been abandoned. So I'm glad Apple's finally seen the light, even if it's too late for me.

As it turns out, the 5S is plenty fast enough for my purposes. The only thing I dislike about it (seriously) is how big it is. It fits in a pocket, but you sure know it's there.

 

[ppayne]

My credit card is standing by. I want

iPad Pro 9.7 inch, better have a 128GB version w/Apple Sim
Maybe an updated Macbook, if they update it, since I've wanted one for a while.
If they ever give me a lighter 15 inch MBP I'll be interested, but likely buying a spare laptop for business trips will serve me better anyway.

 

[Maltz]

Mydrrin[/url]":1pttf6sh]New mac mini is out and shipping? I can't find it on their webpage.

The *processors* that Apple would use in Skylake-based MacBooks and Mac Minis are shipping. Apple just hasn't bothered to build a machine to put them in yet.

I remember a time when Apple released a Mac Pro with top-of-the-line Xeons 2 months before anyone else on the market could even get the chips. Or even released a machine within a month after the processor was available for retail purchase. I miss those days...

 

[unamike]

passivesmoking[/url]":3pw3ly3q]

benwiggy[/url]":3pw3ly3q]

passivesmoking[/url]":3pw3ly3q]

benwiggy[/url]":3pw3ly3q]

passivesmoking[/url]":3pw3ly3q]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

Well if it's not they can always make the OS available to people who want to run it on their own hardware, then they don't have to invest a penny.

The thing about a power user is they need a powerful machine. Not a machine that was powerful by the standard set 3 years ago.

Apple has conceded the server/workstation market to Linux. That's hard to hear for the Pro worker who doesn't happen to be an IT Pro as well, but it's the right business decision for Apple.

If you really need commodity Pro computing, either on-premises or in the cloud, and want to manage it from your Mac then let's talk. I'll give you a good rate and even throw in an Ars favored discount.

 

[eatrains]

DougHenningsMagicWand[/url]":1qh7vyq7]

benwiggy[/url]":1qh7vyq7]

passivesmoking[/url]":1qh7vyq7]

benwiggy[/url]":1qh7vyq7]

passivesmoking[/url]":1qh7vyq7]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

I think if they re-released the "cheese grater" tower for the Mac Pro and all they did was update the CPU/motherboard every year, they would sell to that market every year. I know they won't because they have to do distinctive designs (over functionality in this case) and don't want you to be able to upgrade it (they want you to buy all the RAM from them upfront). Really ridiculous when the end result is hackintoshes to be able to get all the hardware you need.

You can upgrade the RAM on the Mac Pro.

 

[lkpentil]

robert.walter[/url]":1wlqfi3g]15-30 minutes upfront on the FBI privacy issue would not be inappropriate nor spoil the subsequent new product feel goods.

30 minutes on FBI and then what? 15 minutes on new products? This sounds like a sure recipe for success.

 

[uhuznaa]

Maltz[/url]":18368koh]

Mydrrin[/url]":18368koh]New mac mini is out and shipping? I can't find it on their webpage.

The *processors* that Apple would use in Skylake-based MacBooks and Mac Minis are shipping. Apple just hasn't bothered to build a machine to put them in yet.

I remember a time when Apple released a Mac Pro with top-of-the-line Xeons 2 months before anyone else on the market could even get the chips. Or even released a machine within a month after the processor was available for retail purchase. I miss those days...

Intel had big problems to deliver Skylake processors in bigger numbers and AFAIK still isn't really up to it. Releasing a Mac Pro that sells in much smaller numbers is easier in such cases than to release Macbooks which may sell like hot cakes compared to that.

 

[gwold]

solomonrex[/url]":20j1nfm7]

benwiggy[/url]":20j1nfm7]

passivesmoking[/url]":20j1nfm7]

benwiggy[/url]":20j1nfm7]

passivesmoking[/url]":20j1nfm7]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

Tim Cook is very good with numbers, but he still has to interpret them and set goals. Why does he insist on such large profit margins everywhere? Mac Pro users are their most reliable, hardcore fans and businesses, this isn't some phone that is easily replaced by an Android with free apps. These aren't people you need to heavily harvest anymore. The Mac business doesn't have to be run the same way.

This is where vision and ambition comes in, in the humanistic sense. And I've seen very little from Apple lately in that way lately.

Like, they're running this very carefully like some swiss watchmaker who has to spend carefully and charge a premium just to keep the lights on and fund new products. Meanwhile, they're one of the largest device companies in the world and the richest one, period. If they don't keep moving, expanding, something else will happen. The stakes are too high. These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet, this isn't monopoly money, it's a fortune. Internal or external, eventually something will give - Trump on one side, Sanders on the other, law enforcement, China, etc.

They've been very clever to build such a hegemon without running into antitrust concerns, but this isn't a game you can just solve, they're part of a community and part of history. Whatever they do next, it's best to spread the wealth to win people over while they still can.

"Dear BuddhaTim, please bring me a pony, and a plastic rocket ..."

 

[mburch.ars]

I'm actually thinking about switching over to an iPhone. I've always used Android devices, but I prefer a smaller phone, and really at this point that means a budget phone with budget build quality.

My needs are relatively simple, email, text, calendar, phone, and navigation. I'm a bit fearful because I'm so used to the android design, but I suspect that I'd get the hang of it quick enough.

 

[passivesmoking]

unamike[/url]":1z308pvy]

passivesmoking[/url]":1z308pvy]

benwiggy[/url]":1z308pvy]

passivesmoking[/url]":1z308pvy]

benwiggy[/url]":1z308pvy]

passivesmoking[/url]":1z308pvy]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

Well if it's not they can always make the OS available to people who want to run it on their own hardware, then they don't have to invest a penny.

The thing about a power user is they need a powerful machine. Not a machine that was powerful by the standard set 3 years ago.

Apple has conceded the server/workstation market to Linux. That's hard to hear for the Pro worker who doesn't happen to be an IT Pro as well, but it's the right business decision for Apple.

If you really need commodity Pro computing, either on-premises or in the cloud, and want to manage it from your Mac then let's talk. I'll give you a good rate and even throw in an Ars favored discount.

The server market maybe, but the workstation market is something that Apple used to pretty much own. I want to see a new Mac that excels at workstation jobs (which is what the Mac Pro is supposed to be when you get down to it), 3D modelling/animation, non-linear editing, CAD, that kind of stuff. That's stuff I'd still rather do in OSX than Linux (and some of the tools that are widely regarded aren't available on Linux). I'd hate for Apple to write off the workstation as well as the server market (the latter probably is best left to Linux boxes, but the former is something Apple used to excel at with the much missed if unglamourous cheese grater Mac Pro)

 

[passivesmoking]

eatrains[/url]":1lq4stgw]

DougHenningsMagicWand[/url]":1lq4stgw]

benwiggy[/url]":1lq4stgw]

passivesmoking[/url]":1lq4stgw]

benwiggy[/url]":1lq4stgw]

passivesmoking[/url]":1lq4stgw]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design. The fact that they've not bothered to upgrade it in the years since its launch even though it's now pretty much obsolete given its current price point leaves me with the real impression that they're probably just going to drop it like the XServe.

I wish Apple would just release their OS to anybody who wants to put it on commodity hardware (maybe free to hobbyists, under a licensing scheme to OEMs or something) so we can build our own high spec Macs with hardware newer than 2013 without having to resort to the hackintosh route. It's ridiculous that their "pro" offering is so ancient and obviously unloved.

The market for "things that are exactly like I want them" is 1.

Yes, but the market for "Mac Pro that's actually a pro machine" is bigger than 1.

Yes, but is is big enough to sustain regular upgrades? I'm guessing that Apple has some data on that.

I think if they re-released the "cheese grater" tower for the Mac Pro and all they did was update the CPU/motherboard every year, they would sell to that market every year. I know they won't because they have to do distinctive designs (over functionality in this case) and don't want you to be able to upgrade it (they want you to buy all the RAM from them upfront). Really ridiculous when the end result is hackintoshes to be able to get all the hardware you need.

You can upgrade the RAM on the Mac Pro.

But not the graphics card(s), which are pretty much the majority of the horsepower in a workstation. Or the SSD (well you can, but your options or limited to say the least), or attach anything that uses PCI, etc etc etc.

 

[lkpentil]

Belisarius[/url]":snox4jog]

stevebez[/url]":snox4jog]How about Apple announcing a laptop that is actually affordable for students? You know, something in the $500 range? I know it's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?

Dear Apple,

All I want is a laptop for school that I can actually afford. I don't mind if it is made of plastic, and I don't care too much what it looks like. Since you insist on making all of your hardware so expensive, I have no choice but to go to the competition. All of this is disappointing to me, but oh well, I guess I will get comfortable with Windows 10.

And yet...

Actually, this picture does not represent what you think it does. If anything this picture represents an argument in favor of the point made by the OP. You can read more on the history of this picture here and here The students on this picture bought their Apple laptops not because they liked them (well, some obviously did) but because they had to. The picture was made in MU School of Journalism which forced the students to buy Apple laptops (and later - iPods and iPads) for no valid reason whatsoever.

 

[Deleted member 174040]

Those students had a choice.

 

[Hack-n-Slash]

Belisarius[/url]":6csj79qx]

stevebez[/url]":6csj79qx]How about Apple announcing a laptop that is actually affordable for students? You know, something in the $500 range? I know it's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?

Dear Apple,

All I want is a laptop for school that I can actually afford. I don't mind if it is made of plastic, and I don't care too much what it looks like. Since you insist on making all of your hardware so expensive, I have no choice but to go to the competition. All of this is disappointing to me, but oh well, I guess I will get comfortable with Windows 10.

And yet...

That image makes this kind of ironic.

 

[rwxatc]

deanrozz[/url]":ymw94zm4]

thomsirveaux[/url]":ymw94zm4]

robert.walter[/url]":ymw94zm4]15-30 minutes on the FBI privacy issue would not be inappropriate.

They usually spend the first 10-15 minutes on some kind of store/company update. Given that this is the day before the hearing (and was allegedly rescheduled from the 15th), I can easily see them using that time to push their side of it again. We'll see.

I don't think they'll say anything at all. On the same day of the hearing it just wouldn't come off right.

Besides, Tim Cook is on the cover of the next Time and he quite literally called out the FBI as being liars in that article, so what more is there to say?

The hearing is the following day.

The court battle is the 1st round. The court of public opinion leading to the legislative battle is round 2. Apple has to be proactive to keep the lying FBI strategy asshats from stealing the narrative during both rounds.

Apple controls the presentation clock an extra half hour on this won't kill anybody.

Who reads Time anymore? This issue grafted onto the front of the keynote will ensure it gets mentioned in the new product news reports. This is a visibility and education issue now.

 

[rwxatc]

mburch.ars[/url]":5nav29gk]I'm actually thinking about switching over to an iPhone. I've always used Android devices, but I prefer a smaller phone, and really at this point that means a budget phone with budget build quality.

My needs are relatively simple, email, text, calendar, phone, and navigation. I'm a bit fearful because I'm so used to the android design, but I suspect that I'd get the hang of it quick enough.

Jump in, the water is warm, and clear, the current gentle, the crowds friendly and helpful, the life guard competent and ever on watch. Even if you don't know how, by your mere presence in the water, you will magically learn how to swim and enjoy the process of doing so.

Add Pay to your needs, it's like a life vest for your credit and debit cards; no other payment method is as fun, safe or easy to use.

 

[AndreaFaulds]

The MacBook Air will survive another year, unless the MacBook's price is significantly reduced. It's Apple's cheapest MacBook and very popular. To kill the product now would be shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[Scorp1us]

Apple needs to move the Mac Mini to SSD.

 

[BadSuperblock]

passivesmoking[/url]":2xizsi69]I really get the impression that Apple doesn't care about Mac users any more, especially not power users who want to upgrade a machine over several years. Just look at the Mac Pro. The last update replaced a very upgradable machine with one that's got very limited upgradability, and most of that in the form of external boxes hanging off it in a way that is uncharacteristically ugly for an Apple design...blah blah blah....

I have an old Mac Pro, and I've continually upgraded it, even in ways that Apple does not support. It's been a great and educational journey, but only for a nerd like me. Fact is, it's taught me why Apple doesn't think keeping a big empty box around is important.

I have a pretty recent graphics card in my Mac Pro. Problem is, it can't operate at its full speed because the old PCI bus is too slow. I upgraded one of the internal drives bays to SSD, but again, the internal storage bus is outdated so that SSD runs at half the speed it does in my less old MacBook Pro. I put a USB 3 card in it, but it's flaky. What's the point of putting new components in it if the motherboard itself has been superseded by new technologies? And if you are a "pro," why would you compromise your competitiveness by not having recent hardware? The only good thing about my Mac Pro's upgradeability at this point is that its RAM is super cheap.

And I hear the same thing from my PC friends. They want to upgrade this or that, then they find out that, if you really want to get the most out of that new component you gotta throw up your hands and buy a new motherboard anyway. Oh boy, I can plug in an SSD into SATA where my hard drive used to be! But it's already totally outclassed by m.2 solid state which your motherboard was too early to support...but which the latest Macs use.

Go ahead and try to blame Apple, but then look at the bigger market. When Microsoft came out with their first PC, a flagship intended to make a statement, was it a big empty box with slots? No. It was a sealed slab with almost no possibility of hardware upgrades, the Surface Pro.

You can say the number of people who want an upgradeable box is higher than 1, but that's a red herring. The more relevant statistic is that everybody sells millions more phone/tablet cases and laptop bags than desktop expansion cards.

 

[mburch.ars]

robert.walter[/url]":1n665lyt]

mburch.ars[/url]":1n665lyt]I'm actually thinking about switching over to an iPhone. I've always used Android devices, but I prefer a smaller phone, and really at this point that means a budget phone with budget build quality.

My needs are relatively simple, email, text, calendar, phone, and navigation. I'm a bit fearful because I'm so used to the android design, but I suspect that I'd get the hang of it quick enough.

Jump in, the water is warm, and clear, the current gentle, the crowds friendly and helpful, the life guard competent and ever on watch. Even if you don't know how, by your mere presence in the water, you will magically learn how to swim and enjoy the process of doing so.

Add Pay to your needs, it's like a life vest for your credit and debit cards; no other payment method is as fun, safe or easy to use.

I don't know if your post is missing a /s tag or not =)

 

[Maltz]

uhuznaa[/url]":3729m4p8]

Maltz[/url]":3729m4p8]

Mydrrin[/url]":3729m4p8]New mac mini is out and shipping? I can't find it on their webpage.

The *processors* that Apple would use in Skylake-based MacBooks and Mac Minis are shipping. Apple just hasn't bothered to build a machine to put them in yet.

I remember a time when Apple released a Mac Pro with top-of-the-line Xeons 2 months before anyone else on the market could even get the chips. Or even released a machine within a month after the processor was available for retail purchase. I miss those days...

Intel had big problems to deliver Skylake processors in bigger numbers and AFAIK still isn't really up to it. Releasing a Mac Pro that sells in much smaller numbers is easier in such cases than to release Macbooks which may sell like hot cakes compared to that.

If this were a one-time thing, that would be plausible. (Though other companies have managed to release Skylake laptops...) But such delays by Apple have been the norm for at least 5 years, especially in the Mac Pro and Mac Mini line. I bailed on the Mac Pro when the new design was unveiled and went to a Windows workstation, so I can keep it more up-to-date and actually put a blu ray drive and a couple of HDs *inside* it. I still have a 2009 MacBook and 2009 Mini that I'm very anxious to replace. I'm seriously considering a home-built linux box for the Mini, too.

 

[issor]

uhuznaa[/url]":in82v9wf]

Maltz[/url]":in82v9wf]

Mydrrin[/url]":in82v9wf]New mac mini is out and shipping? I can't find it on their webpage.

The *processors* that Apple would use in Skylake-based MacBooks and Mac Minis are shipping. Apple just hasn't bothered to build a machine to put them in yet.

I remember a time when Apple released a Mac Pro with top-of-the-line Xeons 2 months before anyone else on the market could even get the chips. Or even released a machine within a month after the processor was available for retail purchase. I miss those days...

Intel had big problems to deliver Skylake processors in bigger numbers and AFAIK still isn't really up to it. Releasing a Mac Pro that sells in much smaller numbers is easier in such cases than to release Macbooks which may sell like hot cakes compared to that.

That makes some sense, but aren't there already higher volume OEMs shipping skylake?

 

[name99]

gmerrick[/url]":ftt3tv1e]IF the new smaller phone does have 16gb available storage, you have to thing WTF; especially since I believe the IPhones do not have uSD storage capabilities. I can perhaps understand starting at 32GB instead or even only offering a 64GB phone as a starting point. This is also one of the turnoffs for me with the Nexus lines of phones. Over priced internal storage and no external storage

Apple can't win, can they?
When every other company offers a huge range of devices, including down to the exceptionally weak, that's considered awesome on their part --- serving everyone. When Apple does the exact same thing, that's considered unacceptable?

I don't see anyone complaining that Intel shouldn't sell Pentiums and Celerons. That MS shouldn't see the Lumia 430. That Samsung shouldn't sell the Galaxy A3
...

 

[name99]

Scorp1us[/url]":17dol57q]Apple needs to move the Mac Mini to SSD.

Uhh, you can buy the Mac Mini today with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of SSD...

 

[yesteray]

thenamenottaken[/url]":25mf4ubb]
As it turns out, the 5S is plenty fast enough for my purposes. The only thing I dislike about it (seriously) is how big it is. It fits in a pocket, but you sure know it's there.

You might be surprised at how the 6S is less obtrusive than the 5S. Yes the 6 is taller and wider, but it is also thinner. Plus the curved edges make it fit more easily in the hand or pocket.

 

[yesteray]

Why is Apple calling this event, "Let us loop you in?" Typically these Apple events are some sort of pun on the product being introduced. Nothing mentioned in this article says "loop" to me other than the location.