Apple new product rumours and general news

[skyscraper101]

I seem to remember some people using that argument against the first iPhone. I can't be arsed to search that far back so wouldn't want to say who it was.

Major difference though. The iphone is a sturdy thing that you can vigorously wipe to your hearts content with whatever is to hand. A macbook air screen is delicate and thin and therefore I want mine coming into contact with fingers and wiping cloths as little as possible.

Also I still don't see how the trackpad which sits conveniently at your fingertips is any less preferable than a screen which you have to reach up at.

 

[elbows]

It would however be pointless on an air because OS X isn't at all touch based and apple seem to have no interest in making it so - a design decision that I agree with personally.

And this seems even more pronounced when using Yosemite, because they've made the footprint of various toolbars smaller and even less appropriate for touch than they were previously.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

You could use it as a very expensive windows 8 machine.

Obviously not going to happen.

 

[editor]

Also I still don't see how the trackpad which sits conveniently at your fingertips is any less preferable than a screen which you have to reach up at.

I have used the trackpad on my Asus about three times. Really.

 

[skyscraper101]

I have used the trackpad on my Asus about three times. Really.

I've just ordered a transformer book so I'll see for myself how responsive the trackpad is and how I feel about the Windows 8.1 touchscreen experience in a few days. But with tablet/laptop hybrids the screens are naturally tougher and more conducive to rigorous touching and screen cleaning. It's not something I'd ever feel comfortable with on a thin screen like a macbook air.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I was using one recently, awful device. Smudged to high heaven and just feels so weird while trying to do work to have to keep touching the screen...

 

[editor]

I was using one recently, awful device. Smudged to high heaven and just feels so weird while trying to do work to have to keep touching the screen...

You don't *have* to touch the screen to do anything. It's an option. An extra that some people (like me) find they end up using almost all the time rather than the trackpad, which is also there, just like on a normal laptop.

 

[editor]

I've just ordered a transformer book so I'll see for myself how responsive the trackpad is and how I feel about the Windows 8.1 touchscreen experience in a few days. .

It's definitely not as good as Android.

 

[gabi]

fucking hell - theres an OS *worse* than android? Not possible.

Thank god i dont have to use my phone very often as its a samsung, i was broke at the time so had to go cheaper. its a fucking awful user experience. ive got an iPad on the side and the difference is massive.

maybe its a case of different folks/different strokes though.

 

[editor]

fucking hell - theres an OS *worse* than android? Not possible.

Thank god i dont have to use my phone very often as its a samsung, i was broke at the time so had to go cheaper. its a fucking awful user experience. ive got an iPad on the side and the difference is massive.

maybe its a case of different folks/different strokes though.

Cheap phone isn't as good as expensive iPad shocker!

The Android OS is excellent and easily the equal of Apple's OS, but I doubt if either are going to shine on cheap hardware.

 

[editor]

I suppose it's no real surprise but it is funny given that the Apple CEO posted up the evidence!





From MacWorld:

It wasn't totally clear whether the PC in question was running Windows XP or Windows 7, although most commenters were leaning toward Windows XP. It also wasn't clear what application it was running. It's certainly possible that Windows was being used to run electronic design automation (EDA) software, or some other embedded analysis program that Apple's developer base has passed over.

What is clear, however, is that Apple's airtight PR machine sprung a leak, and right from the very top. Ironically, Cook himself took some potshots at Microsoft during the Apple's WWDC speech, mocking Microsoft for poor customer adoption of Windows 8 relative to OS X Mavericks.

"This is the fastest adoption ever of any PC operating system in history," Cook said of Mavericks.

Maybe so, but Apple's assembly line could certainly use a copy.

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/mac/...-mac-production-line-running-windows-3523833/

 

[elbows]

Cheap phone isn't as good as expensive iPad shocker!

The Android OS is excellent and easily the equal of Apple's OS, but I doubt if either are going to shine on cheap hardware.

Crap hardware isn't the only reason why some will have a strong preference for one or the other OS though. They can be equal or better than each other at certain things but we go round in circles when we try to argue on that front, stumbling as we intertwine our personal preference with the question of which is better. Probably because its actually more about user experience, in the form of 'what experience does this particular user want?' Certainly bad hardware can leave someone with a unfairly tainted impression of an OS, but that may not be the only reason the particular OS rubs them the wrong way.

 

[elbows]

From the smaller details of iOS/OS X front, I am very pleased that they are building Bluetooth LE/Smart MIDI into their new operating systems. Especially if in the years to become this turns into a broader standard that music hardware manufacturers willingly adopt.

 

[skyscraper101]

Well the transformer book arrived today. I can sort of see why you might prefer to use the touch screen as the thing is too small to be scrunching up your hand on the tiny (and pretty unresponsive) trackpad.

All in, it just reaffirms why I think Apple have got it absolutely right on the 11" macbook air. Its neither too small nor too big. The trackpad is super responsive, and you don't have to be smudging up your screen with fingerprints.

 

[gabi]

Cheap phone isn't as good as expensive iPad shocker!

The Android OS is excellent and easily the equal of Apple's OS, but I doubt if either are going to shine on cheap hardware.

When did I say my phone was cheap? It was cheaper than an iPhone. But that's not hard. Still set me back a pretty penny.

The problem is the OS. It's awful. I'd rather it ran DOS.

 

[editor]

When did I say my phone was cheap? It was cheaper than an iPhone. But that's not hard. Still set me back a pretty penny.

The problem is the OS. It's awful. I'd rather it ran DOS.

Millions of people would seem to disagree with you on that ludicrous point.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

In more interesting news than all this boring Android stuff on Apple thread it's looking that iOS 8 is very well relieved by developers. I've read countless pieces now about how excited they are.

But all that's background what's more interesting will be what they do with the new access to things like Touch ID etc...

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Something else I've been a little curious about is what impact Apples new app hosting deal will have. Will it mean more app makes make for iOS primarily or as priority? Will Amazon drop their prices? And will Apple allow them the same service for apps that download to non Apple hardware..?

 

[elbows]

And will Apple allow them the same service for apps that download to non Apple hardware..?

No, CloudKit is very much part of their usual agenda, and it's hard to imagine them opening it up to other operating systems at any point.

 

[RedDragon]

OMG They "outed" Tim

 

[purenarcotic]

I have been using the iphone for a couple of months now and while I love it as a phone, there is some really daft crap going on. You can't airdrop from phone to mac or vice verca for example which is a ludicrously stupid decision by Apple. I can't bluetooth between the two devices either which is royally pissing me off.

Apple: beautiful products, common sense immensely lacking.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I have been using the iphone for a couple of months now and while I love it as a phone, there is some really daft crap going on. You can't airdrop from phone to mac or vice verca for example which is a ludicrously stupid decision by Apple. I can't bluetooth between the two devices either which is royally pissing me off.

Apple: beautiful products, common sense immensely lacking.

The Airdrop thing is coming in the next versions of OSX/iOS. Along with Los of other cool stuff like making calls from your mac etc.

 

[purenarcotic]

The Airdrop thing is coming in the next versions of OSX/iOS. Along with Los of other cool stuff like making calls from your mac etc.

I saw the making calls from your mac / being able to read and reply to texts from your mac thing, that looks brilliant.

I'm glad the airdrop thing is coming, I would have preferred it to already exist though.

 

[elbows]

Watch out though, quite a number of such forthcoming OS features require devices with Bluetooth 4.0 / LE.

http://www.imore.com/how-tell-if-your-mac-has-bluetooth-40

 

[Kid_Eternity]

OMG They "outed" Tim

Yeah weird slow news story of the day...I mean, so?

 

[editor]

This guy is not even slightly pleased with the new small MacBook
http://www.marco.org/2015/05/19/mistake-one

 

[Lazy Llama]

Rule of Apple Products: Don't buy version 1

 

[Throbbing Angel]

That's a typical Marco Arment post - very detailed - and boy, he really doesn't like it does he?

Interesting read.

 

[sim667]

Rule of Apple Products: Don't buy version 1

Thats the same with any manufacturer tbh.

Although I'm still lusting after a watch a bit.

 

[editor]

Thats the same with any manufacturer tbh.

Although I'm still lusting after a watch a bit.

Sales are apparently proving a little disappointing (my Apple standards). I'm never going to spend that kind of money on what is effectively a tech trinket.