Apple Confirms Studio Display Will Work With PCs, But With Some Caveats

[deeddawg]

As others have mentioned, the life expectancy of monitors is measured in decades. That would mean that Apple should be expected to support the monitor for 15 to 20 years. As customers, we should hold them accountable for supporting the device for it’s useable lifespan, and not the manufactures expected support window. ... Or, they could release the documentation necessary for others to manufacture chips and modify their code.

Define exactly what you mean by "support" in this context?

What support should I be expecting from Samsung for my 2008 Smart TV? Or how about my 2010 Viewsonic monitor. Both still work fine, so what particular support should I be expecting?

 

[deeddawg]

How do we decide what features are ok for consumers to lose because the manufacturer has decided it's no longer important to support? What if it eventually dropped to 1080p? What if the display stopped working and Apple said 'well customers can still use it as speakers?" Should there be an expectation that the device continues to function until the hardware fails? And at what point should Apple be allowed to no longer service it? Should third parties not be allowed to service it? Even after Apple has discontinued support?

You vote with your wallet. Easy as that.

There's no evidence to suggest the Hey Siri functionality would be deprecated. It might be it might not be, I'd say chances are it wouldn't be.

Rest of your speculation is a bit hyperbolic and not worth being concerned about IMHO.

If you do feel deeply concerned at the risk of features ceasing to work in the future, then don't buy the Studio Monitor. i.e. vote with your wallet.

BTW my 2012 vintage 7th gen nano that I recently found in a drawer still syncs with my M1 Mac running Big Sur.

 

[4jasontv]

Apple will support the monitor for a minimum of five years after it is removed from sale. After seven years has passed, they may no longer provide support if the parts are no longer available (so LG stops making the 5K panel and Apple eats through their repair stock; same with the A13 SoC).

Apple sold the LED Cinema Display for three years and the Apple Thunderbolt Display for five years. So one can reasonably expect to get at least a decade's worth of support for an Apple Studio Display purchased today.

And that is longer than someone who bought a Dell or HPE 5K display got.

I don’t question Apple supports their devices the longest any more than I admit they last the longest. That’s not really the question I am asking. Some people use their displays for 20 years. If features are placed on a custom chip and require regular updates the lifespan of the hardware can be depreciated by killing access prior to a hardware failure. We see this behavior where Netflix and YouTube are available on a device for x number of months and then suddenly it is no longer functional. In those cases, the manufacturers point at third parties claiming they are responsible for it no longer working. In this case, Apple is solely in control of how long Hey Siri functions. It’s speculation, sure, but it’s a real worry.

Define exactly what you mean by "support" in this context?

What support should I be expecting from Samsung for my 2008 Smart TV? Or how about my 2010 Viewsonic monitor. Both still work fine, so what particular support should I be expecting?

All features work and can be repaired either by a first or third party. With your TV and monitor, you should expect the ability to continue to watch the content of pre-installed apps and services and get replacement parts that either you or a trained person can use to fix hardware failures.

You vote with your wallet. Easy as that.

Yup, but first we need to research what we are buying.

There's no evidence to suggest the Hey Siri functionality would be deprecated. It might be it might not be, I'd say chances are it wouldn't be.

There is evidence from other products, however.

Rest of your speculation is a bit hyperbolic and not worth being concerned about IMHO.

So I should vote with my wallet but not be concerned about what I am buying?

If you do feel deeply concerned at the risk of features ceasing to work in the future, then don't buy the Studio Monitor. i.e. vote with your wallet.

The other side of that, which I feel you are missing, is a guarantee of what I am actually buying. That way terms can’t be changed.

BTW my 2012 vintage 7th gen nano that I recently found in a drawer still syncs with my M1 Mac running Big Sur.

That’s great because it should. That’s it working as expected. If your nano stops working you should also be able to repair it so it can continue to sync.

 

[CWallace]

If features are placed on a custom chip and require regular updates the lifespan of the hardware can be depreciated by killing access prior to a hardware failure.

The initial software load on the display ensures CenterStage, Spatial Audio and Hey Siri works. So from a basic functionality standpoint, the software never needs to be updated. And it might not be possible to update if the software is an embedded version that only has that functionality in it (since it would not need anything else iOS / iPadOS supports).

I could see Apple offering software updates for those three functions if future versions of iOS / iPadOS update them on iPhones and iPads. But if they do not or cannot, the pre-existing software is enough for it to continue to work like it always did.

 

[deeddawg]

So I should vote with my wallet but not be concerned about what I am buying?

Sounds like you should vote with your wallet and not buy the Studio Monitor.

The other side of that, which I feel you are missing, is a guarantee of what I am actually buying. That way terms can’t be changed.

Oh I'm not missing that you have that expectation.

I just don't think it's a realistic expectation.

Take that Samsung smart TV. I didn't buy it because of the smart features - largely because I expected the functional lifetime of those apps to be substantially less than the functional life of the TV as an HDMI display for some other box (Tivo for a good while, then ATV4K)

Similarly if I were to buy the Studio Display I wouldn't be buying it for Hey Siri capability. I already have too many d@mn devices wake up when I say hi to my colleague Sarah on a conference call.

As for the 7th gen nano - it is presently on the Vintage Products List and is slated to go to the Obsolete Products List later this year.

Apple is quite clear about how long they support products. If that does not meet your expectations for something, such as the Studio Display, then best for you to vote with your wallet and not buy one.

 

[4jasontv]

Sounds like you should vote with your wallet and not buy the Studio Monitor.



Oh I'm not missing that you have that expectation.

I just don't think it's a realistic expectation.

Take that Samsung smart TV. I didn't buy it because of the smart features - largely because I expected the functional lifetime of those apps to be substantially less than the functional life of the TV as an HDMI display for some other box (Tivo for a good while, then ATV4K)

Similarly if I were to buy the Studio Display I wouldn't be buying it for Hey Siri capability. I already have too many d@mn devices wake up when I say hi to my colleague Sarah on a conference call.

As for the 7th gen nano - it is presently on the Vintage Products List and is slated to go to the Obsolete Products List later this year.

Apple is quite clear about how long they support products. If that does not meet your expectations for something, such as the Studio Display, then best for you to vote with your wallet and not buy one.

The manufacturer only gets a partial say in product life. The idea that they are the authority is incorrect.

 

[deeddawg]

The manufacturer only gets a partial say in product life. The idea that they are the authority is incorrect.

Good luck with that windmill, Sr. Quixote.

While we might hope for a particular useful life, expecting anything beyond what's published and within applicable regulations is far more likely to result in disappointment than delight.

Which goes back to - if what's offered is not acceptable, express your displeasure by spending your money elsewhere.

 

[4jasontv]

Good luck with that windmill, Sr. Quixote.

While we might hope for a particular useful life, expecting anything beyond what's published and within applicable regulations is far more likely to result in disappointment than delight.

Which goes back to - if what's offered is not acceptable, express your displeasure by spending your money elsewhere.

How do you take your money elsewhere when it comes to things the other party doesn’t get a say in?

 

[haddy]

In the "making lemons out of lemonade" department, at least with the Apple Studio Display, the input is not hard-wired into the monitor like the Apple Thunderbolt Display and all the Apple Cinema Displays.

Well if the Apple Studio Display was 30" rather than 27" I would probably buy the latest Apple Studio set up.
However, my 2020 (20.2) iMac is such a great machine that I will just keep on using it.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Good luck with that windmill, Sr. Quixote.

While we might hope for a particular useful life, expecting anything beyond what's published and within applicable regulations is far more likely to result in disappointment than delight.

Which goes back to - if what's offered is not acceptable, express your displeasure by spending your money elsewhere.

Forget trying to explain this any further to folks tilting at that windmill. I spent two (moderator-removed) posts 'cause I went down that rabbit-hole.

Any whining about this monitor's compatibility with Windows, particularly for those dual-system folks, are moot.

Apple has clarified the monitor will work, and the camera will work. It just won't have macOS-specific features like CenterStage.

So buying this for a PC alone is asinine.

Buy it for your Mac, or for your dual Mac-and-work-PC setup where the Mac features don't matter much.

But if you want more PC compatibility than Mac compatibility, then buy something else.

I can't believe we're ten pages into this BS thread.

 

[deeddawg]

Forget trying to explain this any further to folks tilting at that windmill. I spent two (moderator-removed) posts 'cause I went down that rabbit-hole.

Any whining about this monitor's compatibility with Windows, particularly for those dual-system folks, are moot.

Apple has clarified the monitor will work, and the camera will work. It just won't have macOS-specific features like CenterStage.

So buying this for a PC alone is asinine.

Buy it for your Mac, or for your dual Mac-and-work-PC setup where the Mac features don't matter much.

But if you want more PC compatibility than Mac compatibility, then buy something else.

I can't believe we're ten pages into this BS thread.

You seem to be replying to someone else’s post.

Please double check your quoting.

 

[deeddawg]

How do you take your money elsewhere when it comes to things the other party doesn’t get a say in?

Huh? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

You seem to be replying to someone else’s post.

Please double check your quoting.

No, I was agreeing with you and trying to dissuade you from the futile task of trying to cure the Don Quixotes out there.

They will see giants no matter how hard you explain that they're windmills.

 

[Icy1007]

just wondering why Hey Siri is included in a monitor?

would have liked a simple plug and play monitor in this exact form factor without the extras.

Because the Mac Studio doesn’t have built in microphone(s).

 

[returnZero]

When I used 5k iMac 27' for the first time, the movement of objects from screen felt like bit slow and looked like the visual elements were getting shredded really bad. By the time, I was only thinking oh I guess my graphic card is not powerful enough to drive that or I must be seeing things : ) As time went by, I eventually have stopped noticing the same things from the screen, and the funny thing is I was not able to notice it with 2012 15' MacBook Pro screen. So I get it now as to why so many folks here prefer 120 Hz. I mean, and I know this is not a good comparison by any means, just in a casual and pretty much 'laid-back' argument sake, the old Cinema monitor had 20' screen size (I believe it was around 20' please correct me If I'm wrong) and was around $1000. Color me crazy if you want to, but I personally think 27' Apple Studio monitor is 7' bigger, capable of displaying 5k, equipped with iSight camera, embedded in built-in sound system, and the designated processor. I think the current price tag is just about right. Though this doesn't mean I'm saying this is inexpensive monitor I totally agree with you, this is quite expensive monitor. We can also look at this way as well. I can imagine that if I place one of those monitors at my desk at home, it wouldn't make it look like typical office space not unless you're goal to replicate exact same feeling that your traditional office space offers. As I see this, the electronic devices in these days serves more than a tool by themselves at home, it also extends to be an art piece that we could enjoy from time to time by looking at it.