Apple Invites Media to October 30th Event in New York City

[DNichter]

I think the car vs pickup truck analogy fits perfectly here, because the iPad users (cars) keep telling the Mac users (pickup trucks) that iPads can replace Macs and Mac users keep saying that iPads cannot replace Macs.

When you think about it the same way as "white collar" jobs (iPad) vs "blue collar" jobs (Macs), it's easier to understand the divide between the two groups of users. An office worker doesn’t need a pickup truck to go to work and a construction worker cannot transport 4x8’ plywood sheets in a car.

Both devices have their place and each group needs to stop trying to convince the other group that their choice of device can replace the other group's choice.

One last thing: a Mac that runs on an ARM CPU doesn't mean it has to run iOS, just like the current Macs using intel x86 CPUs aren't limited to running Windows even though they can. CPUs and operating systems are not tied to each other, Apple had Mac OS X running on intel in their labs way before anyone outside Apple knew about their future transition to x86. And I would bet they currently have ARM Macs running macOS right now in a secret room somewhere on their new campus.

I think the first Macs to transition to ARM will probably be the rumoured low-cost MacBook Air replacement and the Mac mini because those are the two lowest-priced Macs and Intel's CPUs are the most expensive component of those Macs. It would make sense to start the ARM transition with these two Macs. It would also explain the long delay to update these two computers. It would also explain why the Mac mini "is still an important part of Apple's lineup", according to Tim Cook.

Maybe we'll get the MacBook mini and Mac mini running on ARM and a new Mac mini Pro with an intel CPU, because a clean and simple Mac line-up of the future would look like this:

• MacBook mini, Mac mini, iMac mini 21" = ARM (data entry, web programmers, small databases, people who prefer a computer, etc)
• MacBook Pro, iMac Pro 27", Mac Pro = intel (big databases, programmers, massive data crunching, CAD, people who need to run VMs, etc)

Good points and I agree, but I haven’t gotten the sense on these forums that iPad users think iPad’s are going to replace Mac’s anytime soon. They can for some people of course, but Mac’s aren’t going anywhere. We more so feel that they are a solid alternative to Mac’s, have a bright future, and are mostly defending ourselves against Mac users who call them toys or act like the work we do is insignificant because it’s not operational in nature. It’s a very old way of thinking, but I expect it at this point. I agree with all of your points though.

 

[Detnator]

Nice attempt at a "save"; but no.

It was the EXPANDABILITY that provides for the possibility of being Compatible with Future needs.

So, if that's the case; how else besides a "serialized slot" interface such as TB, do you propose to do that with a LAPTOP, an All-In-One (iMac), or a Compact Desktop like a Mac mini? And that's what some people just don't get: TB IS a "Slot"; just one where the signals march in and out in a line, rather than over multiple dedicated connector-pins.

But what you are saying that is, in your not-so-humble opinion, the ONLY way to provide "Future Compatibility" is to have an old-skool tower design, right? Nothing else will do.

While this was CERTAINLY true in 1988, 1998, and maybe even 2008, (earlier "slot that isn't a slot" technologies, such as CardBus, notwithstanding), it is getting less and less true since then, and here in late 2018, with USB-C/TB3 proven (and nicely backwards-compatible!) technologies, and TB4 on the horizon, the need for a box o' slots is, for all but the most demanding corner-cases, basically simply a dinosaur.

For example, a MacBook Pro with 4 USB-C/TB3 Ports can be "expanded" to up to FIFTY-TWO SIMULTANEOUS "Legacy" Ports. HOW many Card-Slots would THAT take? And, like a traditional Peripheral Card topology, as new Technologies are created, there is a good chance that those can also be served over the same "Serialized Bus" interface. But, unlike a box o' slots, not only can each user decide exactly what THEIR I/O needs require, but that user can even have MULTIPLE I/O configurations, depending on what their I/O needs are AT THE MOMENT!

NOW do you see the problem with refusing to think of other form-factors and use-cases?

What a fantastic explanation.

Everyone complaining about tower-like expandability is blind. It’s all there with the same performance (better in fact) as it’s always had. It’s just a new method of doing it - via a cable instead of a card - a new method that allows orders of magnitude more CHOICE.

Well said.

 

[Yvan256]

But what you are saying that is, in your not-so-humble opinion, the ONLY way to provide "Future Compatibility" is to have an old-skool tower design, right? Nothing else will do.

While this was CERTAINLY true in 1988, 1998, and maybe even 2008, (earlier "slot that isn't a slot" technologies, such as CardBus, notwithstanding), it is getting less and less true since then, and here in late 2018, with USB-C/TB3 proven (and nicely backwards-compatible!) technologies, and TB4 on the horizon, the need for a box o' slots is, for all but the most demanding corner-cases, basically simply a dinosaur.

[...]

NOW do you see the problem with refusing to think of other form-factors and use-cases?

While serial did surpass parallel connections (I personally would have never thought it possible when I was in college) due to interference problems at higher speeds for parallel lines, I think the point of having a tower-style case for the Mac Pro is also about having a more compact and cleaner setup and to avoid this type of setup on your desk:

Maybe that's Apple's plan when they are talking about a "modular Mac Pro", maybe they are busy trying to launch a new form-factor industry standard for TB3/TB4/etc units that can stand on their own as external devices on a desk for Mac mini, iMac and MacBook/Air/Pro users. Maybe also stackable, like the external drives seen on the 2013 Mac Pro setup above.

But the big new thing would be something that can be inserted inside the future Mac Pro but still connected via TB3/TB4/etc internally inside the Mac Pro, using the same TB3/TB4/etc connector at the back of the modules.

The new Mac Pro would have module slots in the front, like hard drive caddies. Think narrower 1U rackmount units or NAS hard drive trays. This would allow modules to have controls and inputs in the front just like if they were sitting on your desk next to a Mac mini.

Out of room inside your new Mac Pro? Then continue adding more modules externally with cables. If they're stackable then you still end up with a much cleaner setup with your new Mac Pro tower on one side and a smaller tower made up by a stack of modules on the other side.

It's the best of both worlds. A clean and integrated setup if you have less than X modules, but also a cleaner setup than the mix of modules shapes we currently have if you have more than the number of modules that can fit internally.

 

[BayouTiger]

While serial did surpass parallel connections (I personally would have never thought it possible when I was in college) due to interference problems at higher speeds for parallel lines, I think the point of having a tower-style case for the Mac Pro is also about having a more compact and cleaner setup and to avoid this type of setup on your desk:

Maybe that's Apple's plan when they are talking about a "modular Mac Pro", maybe they are busy trying to launch a new form-factor industry standard for TB3/TB4/etc units that can stand on their own as external devices on a desk for Mac mini, iMac and MacBook/Air/Pro users (like the external drives seen on the 2013 Mac Pro setup above, maybe also stack-able), but also something that can be inserted inside the future Mac Pro as modules but still connected via TB3/TB4/etc inside the Mac Pro.

The new Mac Pro could have module slots in the front, like hard drive caddies. Think narrower 1U rackmount units or NAS hard drive trays but with TB3/TB4/etc connectors at their back. This would allow modules to have controls and inputs in the front just like if they were sitting on your desk next to a Mac mini.

Of course that pic is a silly exaggeration. My Trash Can had the capability of every one of the components you see there in a simple little riser under the Mac. it also was connected to an OWC dock across thew room where that dock connected to another DSD recorder, Monitor, and other devices, as well as a 10GBe adapter to connect to my NAS. All via a slender fiber TB2 cable. All of that also still connects to my iMP with a simple TB3->TB2 adapter.

I've lived on both sides of that fence and the modular approach is much better for many of us.

 

[Mac 128]

I think the car vs pickup truck analogy fits perfectly here, because the iPad users (cars) keep telling the Mac users (pickup trucks) that iPads can replace Macs and Mac users keep saying that iPads cannot replace Macs.

When you think about it the same way as "white collar" jobs (iPad) vs "blue collar" jobs (Macs), it's easier to understand the divide between the two groups of users. An office worker doesn’t need a pickup truck to go to work and a construction worker cannot transport 4x8’ plywood sheets in a car.

Both devices have their place and each group needs to stop trying to convince the other group that their choice of device can replace the other group's choice.

Yes, but if the car owner does have a truck, then they can pick up a 4x8 plywood sheet on the weekend, when they are doing a little home improvement project. So it boils down to the flexibility one may need. The Mac is far more capable in that regard, even though it’s unecessary in daily use. The office worker who drives a car, therefore has to pay somebody with a truck to pick up that plywood on the weekend. Or, in order to prove their point, the office worker maybe ties the plywood on top of their car — yes it can be done, but there is nothing pleasant about doing it that way, especially if it means traveling in the slow lane of the freeway, windows rolled down in the dead of winter, knots coming undone, requiring stops to secure it, and plywood potentially flying off the car into traffic. Conversely, while the truck can easily do such tasks, it gets worse gas mileage, and is therefore more expensive to own.

 

[imageWIS]

Of course that pic is a silly exaggeration. My Trash Can had the capability of every one of the components you see there in a simple little riser under the Mac. it also was connected to an OWC dock across thew room where that dock connected to another DSD recorder, Monitor, and other devices, as well as a 10GBe adapter to connect to my NAS. All via a slender fiber TB2 cable. All of that also still connects to my iMP with a simple TB3->TB2 adapter.

I've lived on both sides of that fence and the modular approach is much better for many of us.

AND yet a myriad of pro people (people using their computers for actual money-making work, not ***** around) still love and use the Mac Pro tower. AND every other computer maker (read: not Apple) offers towers with extra slots. Also, there were very few TB1 devices made, only a few more TB2 devices, and all of those were stupidly expensive, and TB3 shares the same connectivity issues TB1 and TB2 have: they aren't as reliable as using a direct connection to the motherboard. Case in point: go visit your nearest COLO to see how enterprise level systems are set up.

TB (all versions) shares the same inherent flaws as USB (gee, I {Intel} wonder why), especially when you're connecting many devices through a hub into a single port. And, no that pic was a fully and demonstrable accurate representation of what happened when they went from tower to trash can, and especially considering it hasn't been updated since 2013, that's what it is: a very expensive trash can.

 

[smulji]

I think the car vs pickup truck analogy fits perfectly here, because the iPad users (cars) keep telling the Mac users (pickup trucks) that iPads can replace Macs and Mac users keep saying that iPads cannot replace Macs.

When you think about it the same way as "white collar" jobs (iPad) vs "blue collar" jobs (Macs), it's easier to understand the divide between the two groups of users. An office worker doesn’t need a pickup truck to go to work and a construction worker cannot transport 4x8’ plywood sheets in a car.

Both devices have their place and each group needs to stop trying to convince the other group that their choice of device can replace the other group's choice.

One last thing: a Mac that runs on an ARM CPU doesn't mean it has to run iOS, just like the current Macs using intel x86 CPUs aren't limited to running Windows even though they can. CPUs and operating systems are not tied to each other, Apple had Mac OS X running on intel in their labs way before anyone outside Apple knew about their future transition to x86. And I would bet they currently have ARM Macs running macOS right now in a secret room somewhere on their new campus.

I think the first Macs to transition to ARM will probably be the rumoured low-cost MacBook Air replacement and the Mac mini because those are the two lowest-priced Macs and Intel's CPUs are the most expensive component of those Macs. It would make sense to start the ARM transition with these two Macs. It would also explain the long delay to update these two computers. It would also explain why the Mac mini "is still an important part of Apple's lineup", according to Tim Cook.

Maybe we'll get the MacBook mini and Mac mini running on ARM and a new Mac mini Pro with an intel CPU, because a clean and simple Mac line-up of the future would look like this:

• MacBook mini, Mac mini, iMac mini 21" = ARM (data entry, web programmers, small databases, people who prefer a computer, etc)
• MacBook Pro, iMac Pro 27", Mac Pro = intel (big databases, programmers, massive data crunching, CAD, people who need to run VMs, etc)

I think the whole car / truck analogy is a bit out-dated. I look at like this:

iPhone => Car
iPad / iPad Pro => SUV
Macs => Trucks

 

[Naaaaak]

They have a $1T valuation, not market share.

My mistake. You know what I was getting at though.

A few of Tim's contributions to Apple:

• Leading in mobile silicon
  
• Large screen iPhones - Something Jobs resisted, wrongly.
  
• Selling 3X as many iPhones as ever under Jobs
  
• AirPods
• Services becoming a $50B business growing at 30%
• $800B in shareholder value
• Apple Watch

Tim Cook took over a company trending to become the world's richest with most of those things you credit him for already trending up (leader in silicon, huge cashpile and cashflow, etc.).

Tim Cook inherited product lines that were selling gangbusters with a dedicated community.

Tim Cook has not introduced a single product that's rivaled anything Jobs introduced in terms of marketshare or popularity. AirPods? The Watch? Not even close to "the next iPhone" in terms of bottom-line contribution or popularity. Those accessories wouldn't have nearly the reach if not for the iPhone.

He didn't take over a company in the dumpster, bleeding $250 million a quarter and about to die and turn it into a powerhouse. He can't even bother to update the Mac line with regularity -- or even use it, because 'muh iPad is the vision for the future'.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

While serial did surpass parallel connections (I personally would have never thought it possible when I was in college) due to interference problems at higher speeds for parallel lines, I think the point of having a tower-style case for the Mac Pro is also about having a more compact and cleaner setup and to avoid this type of setup on your desk:

Maybe that's Apple's plan when they are talking about a "modular Mac Pro", maybe they are busy trying to launch a new form-factor industry standard for TB3/TB4/etc units that can stand on their own as external devices on a desk for Mac mini, iMac and MacBook/Air/Pro users (like the external drives seen on the 2013 Mac Pro setup above, maybe also stack-able), but also something that can be inserted inside the future Mac Pro as modules but still connected via TB3/TB4/etc inside the Mac Pro.

The new Mac Pro could have module slots in the front, like hard drive caddies. Think narrower 1U rackmount units or NAS hard drive trays but with TB3/TB4/etc connectors at their back. This would allow modules to have controls and inputs in the front just like if they were sitting on your desk next to a Mac mini.

Interesting that most of the b.s. pile of peripherals you show in the fake pic. wouldn't even be available in "card" form, and what do you do when you RUN OUT of the THREE card slots in that tower configuration? Yes, there are 4 internal drive bays (which I admit is really nice); but ONE outboard RAID negates that b.s. pile of individual drives in your faked-up pic. You also seem to show a MODEM (which NO "Pro" has used since around 1999). In fact, the ONLY point to be made is the external BD drive.

BTW, even the internal drive bays in the Mac Pro Tower are somewhat of a joke; because REAL "Pro" applications ALWAYS use EXTERNAL Storage, because the storage requirements of typical "Pro" Project Files will quickly exceed ANY Internal Storage Configuration, plus, who wants their Data and Applications vying for the same disk access times?

The cool thing with TB is that you can have multiple external drives that connect-up with a single cable, just like USB, but which have transfer speeds that rival internal drives. How can that NOT be better???

As I have said before, other than the thought that Apple should have built some extra thermal/power capacity into the MP 2013 (a fact with which Apple themselves would no doubt agree), the ONLY issue with their original concept was the fact that Intel RUINED the adoption of TB, by attempting to control both the applications and by making it LICENSED. This GUARANTEED that adoption of the Interface would proceed at a snail's pace, and that peripherals so equipped would be unnecessarily expensive. Fortunately, Intel has been forced to see their error of their ways; but USB-3.1 has unfortunately gotten fast-enough that TB, while VASTLY superior, is only now beginning to become a LITTLE more commonplace.

But sorry, as I said, a box o' slots just can't compete with the sheer expandability and flexibility that ThunderBolt offers. It. Just. Can't.

Look inside of a Mac Pro. You could put a loaf of bread inside the case! Who wants/needs THAT behemoth on/under their desk, when the actual electronics generally take up a tiny fraction of the volume of a case that size? It's like those "Family Size" boxes of cereal you see at the grocery, that have a plastic bag inside with the ACTUAL cereal. That plastic bag is NEVER more than 1/2 the volume of the box! Only in the case of a computer, the phrase "Contents not full due to settling" obviously doesn't apply...

 

[Baymowe335]

My mistake. You know what I was getting at though.



Tim Cook took over a company trending to become the world's richest with most of those things you credit him for already trending up (leader in silicon, huge cashpile and cashflow, etc.).

Tim Cook inherited product lines that were selling gangbusters with a dedicated community.

Tim Cook has not introduced a single product that's rivaled anything Jobs introduced in terms of marketshare or popularity. AirPods? The Watch? Not even close to "the next iPhone" in terms of bottom-line contribution or popularity. Those accessories wouldn't have nearly the reach if not for the iPhone.

He didn't take over a company in the dumpster, bleeding $250 million a quarter and about to die and turn it into a powerhouse. He can't even bother to update the Mac line with regularity -- or even use it, because 'muh iPad is the vision for the future'.

You don’t have to have the next iPhone to do great. The iPhone is the best consumer product of all time. What do you expect? The iPhone is a generational product, but that doesn’t mean Cook isn’t managing the company to perfection.

The stuff I mentioned from Cook is nothing to sneeze at. Jobs didn’t want big screen iPhones. He was wrong.

 

[jeremiah256]

Don't forget a floppy disk drive - that will catapult the iPad's capabilities well into the 1980s !



Just a minor issue with that - iOS and OSX are not compatible, neither is the hardware, they are just barely able to communicate on a basic level .
And Apple has been incredibly slow in providing input and connectivity solutions for iOS products , to say the least .

Hence, iPads don't integrate well into a Mac workflow .

Sorry, maybe I'm not expressing myself clearly.

If you don't need any heavy lifting done, but want portability, an iPad may be the best solution for you. If you don't need any heavy lifting done, like portability, but need a keyboard, mouse, and monitor when working at home, the iPad Pro I'm imagining (with USB-C replacing Lightning) may be the best solution.

Anyone selecting to go the iOS route will either not need any specialized software, or will know that the software already exists, is already compatible with macOS, or is accessible via a browser (Microsoft Office, for an example of a compatible app, Canvas/Blackboard as an example of a specialized college service). I'm not assuming the more technical aspects of home or college life are within reach of an iPad Pro (yet). Most college students will still need or want to go with a traditional computer. But, this may be an opportunity for Apple to start to counter the Surface Pro and it's multiple clones at an affordable price point.

 

[SamuraiArtGuy]

"It's possible that at this iPad and Mac-focused event, we'll also hear more about the modular Mac Pro that Apple is working on for a 2019 debut."

Well, it's possible. I wouldn't hold my breath - or bet the rent money on that one... Aside from a couple of press releases long on PR and short on substance, the New NEW Mac Pro has had tighter security than Area 51, not a peep, not a murmur, not a leak, nuthin. I have dead ZERO expectations of this. Also likewise the Mac Mini, or Apple TV – two stagnant, walking dead products.

 

[PickUrPoison]

"It's possible that at this iPad and Mac-focused event, we'll also hear more about the modular Mac Pro that Apple is working on for a 2019 debut."

Well, it's possible. I wouldn't hold my breath - or bet the rent money on that one... Aside from a couple of press releases long on PR and short on substance, the New NEW Mac Pro has had tighter security than Area 51, not a peep, not a murmur, not a leak, nuthin. I have dead ZERO expectations of this. Also likewise the Mac Mini, or Apple TV – two stagnant, walking dead products.

Actually, regarding the Mac Pro, it’s the exact opposite. They actually brought a reporter inside, showing some of the development process for the updated Mac Pro, something we’ve never seen before.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/05/apples-2019-imac-pro-will-be-shaped-by-workflows/

No, you’re not going to get specs or a peek at the design, but you’ll learn how Apple is approaching the redesign of the Mac Pro. There’s no doubt they want to make a machine that’s powerful and has the features needed by its potential customer base; we’ll find out within the next year whether they've succeeded.

 

[navaira]

Look inside of a Mac Pro. You could put a loaf of bread inside the case! Who wants/needs THAT behemoth on/under their desk, when the actual electronics generally take up a tiny fraction of the volume of a case that size?

So... it needs to be thinner?

 

[nihil0]

Are you from the future?

It has been explained here and on other Mac sites bazillion times why Apple will not go back to nVidia. And yet, everytime when new Mac article appears, someone like you wants to have GTX 2080 Ti in Mac Mini or some variation of it.

 

[TheRealAir]

If Apple releases a new type of Mac Pro tower that is easy to add things to similar to the HDD in the 2012 model then that would be great I think. Todays PC-cases are stupid, having to open it up to change everything, this design is so old.

 

[BayouTiger]

If Apple releases a new type of Mac Pro tower that is easy to add things to similar to the HDD in the 2012 model then that would be great I think. Todays PC-cases are stupid, having to open it up to change everything, this design is so old.

I don’t think you will see a tower. That would go against the modular theme. They’ve said that TB3 is deeply involved and that indicates a collection of external devices.

 

[Naimfan]

I don’t think you will see a tower. That would go against the modular theme. They’ve said that TB3 is deeply involved and that indicates a collection of external devices.

And that would be the height of stupidity - it (Apple) shouldn't bother if that is what it plans to do.

 

[PeterJP]

It's a shame how much configuration Linux STILL needs to be functional,

Absolutely. I worked with Linux a lot in the last 25+ years and it's shocking to see how unusable it still is for daily use. In the last year, I had two very different systems become completely unusable by trying to upgrade the software using the packaging systems of the distro. I'm way past the point were tinkering is my pastime.

That also holds for hardware. While it's true in a sense that there's more people who have extreme computing and storage needs in these days of big data and mass video communication, that fact also means that there's less people who want to understand all the internals. TB gives a great compromise. So for me, I'd rather have a decent (but not cutting edge) MBP or (i)Mac Pro that just works and that I can extend with cables, over bleeding edge systems that force me to work for hours every so often to just keep them working.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

"It's possible that at this iPad and Mac-focused event, we'll also hear more about the modular Mac Pro that Apple is working on for a 2019 debut."

Well, it's possible. I wouldn't hold my breath - or bet the rent money on that one... Aside from a couple of press releases long on PR and short on substance, the New NEW Mac Pro has had tighter security than Area 51, not a peep, not a murmur, not a leak, nuthin. I have dead ZERO expectations of this. Also likewise the Mac Mini, or Apple TV – two stagnant, walking dead products.

I can see why you'd characterize the mini (and perhaps the MP) as "Walking Dead" (although that IS about to change); but I would hardly characterize the Apple TV in that manner. It's development has ALWAYS been a couple of years (3 or 4) between Updates; but, it just received an Update to the hardware last year, and the OS is in constant Development.
[doublepost=1540225630][/doublepost]

So... it needs to be thinner?

No, Apple's G5/MP Tower design is a triumph of Industrial Engineering. For its time...

But in a post-card-slot world, there is simply no reason to have a computer that can double as a cat sanctuary (ignoring the static electricity!).

Now one thing that I predicted (and I think Apple did, too) that never really happened was external TB-connected Card Cages. I know there were a couple; but the idea never really caught on. The only vestige of that concept that remains seems to be with eGPUs. But when the 2013 MP came out, I thought there would be the Sonnets and LaCies of the world that would soon come out with 4-slot external Peripheral-card enclosures, for use with TB-equipped Macs. But it just didn't ever really happen.

 

[BayouTiger]

I can see why you'd characterize the mini (and perhaps the MP) as "Walking Dead" (although that IS about to change); but I would hardly characterize the Apple TV in that manner. It's development has ALWAYS been a couple of years (3 or 4) between Updates; but, it just received an Update to the hardware last year, and the OS is in constant Development.
[doublepost=1540225630][/doublepost]
No, Apple's G5/MP Tower design is a triumph of Industrial Engineering. For its time...

But in a post-card-slot world, there is simply no reason to have a computer that can double as a cat sanctuary (ignoring the static electricity!).

Now one thing that I predicted (and I think Apple did, too) that never really happened was external TB-connected Card Cages. I know there were a couple; but the idea never really caught on. The only vestige of that concept that remains seems to be with eGPUs. But when the 2013 MP came out, I thought there would be the Sonnets and LaCies of the world that would soon come out with 4-slot external Peripheral-card enclosures, for use with TB-equipped Macs. But it just didn't ever really happen.

The card cage never caught on because the concept that the ones that will come up with silly arguments is dated and not realistic. I would like for them to outline a single application that is better handled by a slot than an external device.

 

[antonis]

I wouldn’t be expecting reasonable prices, whatever they are.

Same here. I'm just hoping for reasonable specs.

 

[hybra]

hoping for a modular Mac Mini that's upgradeable to a Pro

 

[Snahbah]

NYC? What the hell

The Big Apple? WDYT? Mac Pro is the biggest of all

 

[Zdigital2015]

I’m doing drawing work and a tablet is far more comfortable. I’m doing gaffer work and taking a laptop up to the top of a ladder rather than a tablet I can refer to and then tuck into the pocket of my cargos is a stupid move.

Clearly you don’t see the point to a tablet in your work flow so don’t use one. But don’t assume your work is everyone’s work.

I dearly hope Apple does not lose sight of your use case and others when making decisions about whether to continue selling (and upgrading) the iPad mini, as it seems like that would be your preferred tablet.