I should point out that this ratio between platforms is not just an exercise in arithmetic. It’s a measure of leverage. The advantage of dominance is realized in an ecosystem which creates lock-in and additional economies in marketing. Ecosystems become self-perpetuating and there is a tendency toward monopoly. The stronger you are, the stronger you get… More here.
The image from Horace above tells you most of what you need to know. A huge change.
Tim Cook started by announcing weekly baseball Apple TV+ content. Baseball, a game that is a child’s version of cricket. Cricket, a game that is not a sport. It’s just standing around waiting for something to happen. So, as a Brit the first scoop kind of bypassed me;)
Next up, iPhone 13/Pro in 2 new colours. Nice I suppose, but 99% of iPhones are cased 99% of the time so…. moving on.
A new iPhone SE with a better chip, the A15 bionic. Better photography, battery etc. It’s good to see this smaller phone getting an update in so many different areas.
A new iPad Air which I was not excited for because my Air (2 years old) is working well for everything I need it for. There are changes to connectivity (5G), an M1 processor, the cameras and certain apps which are useful plus the expected ‘green’ marketing stuff. And that was it… I am far from an iPad power user so I am not the target market for this, but all of the powerful hardware in the world will not push the form forward without some major changes to iPadOS.
The M1 Ultra chip was up next. Very very impressive and some will want/need this- it just seems to push Apple even further ahead which must unnerve the competition massively.
Mac Studio (a Mac mini Pro?) is an interesting product and one which I am still considering in my mind. Very powerful, great design and it appears to be a winner at first glance. And while I am again not the target market, this level of power puts even more professional tasks in the hands of individuals in any location. This level of ‘freedom’ should not be overlooked.
The Studio Display is also brilliant and so typically Apple. It does complete the Mac Studio solution as it should, but the price is, well, typically Apple. $1599…
This event was as expected thanks to all of the leaks that came before. It was somewhat muted which makes sense in a time when people are being slaughtered in Ukraine and when we are still in the Covid-19 era (we are not post-Covid yet), but what was shown highlighted that Apple can progress at a speed that many will feel is not innovative and still win. The fact is that it is all impressive and it does not need to wow us. In 2022 we just need to get on with our lives and these products seem to fit the moment.
Ian Zelbo wasn’t around when Apple launched the first-ever Macintosh in 1984, but he was well aware of how that product sent ripples that would be felt even decades later. Likewise, what started out as an almost tongue-in-cheek joke and homage to the landmark product ended up sparking interest and discussion over the Internet. After all, nothing fuels the imagination more than something Apple would never do yet still remained within the realm of what is possible if it ever decided to do so… More here.
This is one of the few concepts that marries retro and modern almost perfectly. If Apple released something like this today it would fly off the shelves.
When it comes to getting a new laptop, many of us have a favourite operating system. But, which platform is actually the safest – Mac or Windows?
We spoke to several security experts to get an idea of how vulnerable each platform is, what attacks you need to watch out for and how to keep your device safe – no matter which one you use. Here’s what we found out… More here.
A Mac is…
And most of the PCs with Qualcomm chips released to date have been significantly slower than similarly-priced models with Intel or AMD chips. But Qualcomm says that could change with its next-gen chips, which the company says are expected to arrive in consumer devices in 2023… More here.
2023 seems hopeful and by that point how much further ahead will Apple be? Also, and perhaps more importantly, these chips will be for Windows PCs. The problem word here is ‘Windows’ which is not exactly efficient.
But some days it’s nearly impossible to get anything done. More than any Mac I’ve owned, this MacBook regularly experiences freezes, crashes, and restarts that often seem to be related to memory issues. It’s been nearly impossible to pinpoint a pattern, but I assumed it was something installed on my machine by my company. After reading numerous reports this week about similar issues, I’m not so sure… More here.
So far so good with my M1 MacBook Air, but if there is one problem that I have seen on occasion with my Macs over the years it is memory leaks. Seems to be a problem that Apple has never managed to sort for good.
Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to the shape of your ear. Inward-facing microphones detect what you’re hearing, then adjust low- and mid-range frequencies to deliver the rich details in every song, customised for you in real time… More here.
An impressive update and one which cements the current AirPods Pro design as the way forward. It also suggests that the next AirPods Pro will be even more impressive.
The most powerful MacBook Pro ever is here. With the blazing-fast M1 Pro or M1 Max chip — the first Apple silicon designed for pros — you get groundbreaking performance and amazing battery life. Add to that a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, the best camera and audio ever in a Mac notebook, and all the ports you need. The first notebook of its kind, this MacBook Pro is a beast… More here.
A big leap forward and one which ticks many of the boxes serious users wanted tick. The first Apple product in a long time which made me sit open mouthed.
MacOS 12 Monterey is not out yet — and, I hope, won’t ship until after a few more weeks of much-needed bug fixes — but Safari 15 for MacOS 11 Big Sur shipped last week. I strongly recommend not upgrading, unless you’ve already tried the new tab design and like it, or at least feel ambivalent about it. Updates like this are why I always turn off “Automatically keep my Mac up to date” in System Preferences → Software Update… More here.
Good advice from John here. This is a Marmite change that you will either accept or hate, I can’t see ‘love’ being a likelihood.
Thanks to Sami for alerting me to something I should have already been aware of. Personally all I am waiting for is the Apple Watch series 7. I don’t believe the iPhone 13 will offer enough to make me want to jump and my 11 Pro battery health is still on 92%.
Joanne will go for the Apple Watch and switch back from Garmin if battery life is much improved, but she is happy with her iPhone X currently. Seems the iPhone for us is more than capable of doing 3-4 years at a minimum.
And here are some selected comments from the McGST WhatsApp group on the matter-
Oh goodie. More toys I can’t afford. Seriously though, I’m waiting to see a new iPad Mini. Ours are getting very long in the tooth.
after the premature drowning of my 11 and replacement w/ a 12 I wasn’t planning on I am sort of looking forward to the vibe of like a 3 year phone. It’s always almost always just the camera that sells me, but 12 pro max camera is hard to argue with
I’m waiting for the periscopic lens. Not ready for the watch.
My 1G iPad Pro is getting long in the tooth, at least battery wise… my iPad Mini… eh, it still does everything I ask it to, so unless I’m looking for an excuse to give it to someone so upgrade.
That’s always been the thing w/ iPads. though just don’t experience the wear and tear of phones or laptops.
Expand your new iMac 24” connectivity with easy clamp-on USB-C hub that has a seamless, color-matching design faceplates designed for all iMac color options. Including 4K HDMI and MicroSD/SD ports.
Similar to the StayGo mini in concept, but this seems more considered and I like the colour matching. It is a pre-order, however, and I don’t know much about the brand so up to you I guess.
