Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The profit margins aren't high enough. Apple want consumers to buy the more expensive iPads, which have higher profit margin.

That's what every company wants. I'm not sure what you are saying here, that Apple will strong-arm people into buying more expensive iPads?
 
Seriously, whats with everything being labelled as "Pro"? The only item Pro about most Apple hardware these days is the Price Tag!

Does having pencil support and a connector that gives extended functionality really make an iPad a "Pro" device??
Depends on your definition of "pro".

Styluses were pretty crap prior to the Apple Pencil. There's a girl who illustrated her own book using the 12.9" iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil. I use mine in the classroom and it's great for annotating on pdf documents.

I can't speak for the keyboard as I have never used one, but the Apple Pencil has been an excellent piece of tech for me and well every cent I paid for it (and the cost of upgrading to the 9.7" iPad Pro).
 
Talk about cluttering up an already cluttered product lineup.

Keep.
It.
Simple.

Have Apple learnt anything from Steve circa 1997?
You mean 1997 when Apple served only a fraction of the customers it does today in a totally different market? It's easy to keep it simple when you're small. But Apple is so much bigger than it was in 1997.
 
Ok that's enough shenanigans there... What he attempted to say (in a very poor manner) is what a lot of us have been thinking all along: If the iPad is to replace the laptop for the masses, it needs to have the same functionality as one. Not "slap MacOS onto an iPad" all Surface style, rather a far more robust version of iOS is needed. Touch interface combined with the feature set you'd find in MacOS. Simple.

As for the product lineup, this "low-priced" model stuff needs to stop. There's nothing low priced about it, it's just a clever way for Apple to raise product prices on its newest models while claiming the cost to enter the product line is the same. We've seen it now on the iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro product lines. Stop it Apple, you're not fooling anyone here.

The ability to download apps from anywhere would be a good start.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dilbert99
If it's a bezel-less iPad@10.5", that would translate exactly from a 9.7" 3:4 aspect ratio to a 10.5" 2:3 one, with the exact same width. 10.49" to be exact. Basically, what Apple did when moving from the 2:3 iPhone 4s to the 9:16 iPhone 5.
 
I am guessing the following lineup:

9.7" iPad Pro replaces the iPad Air 2 as the entry level iPad. Specs should remain unchanged. 2gb ram, A9x processor. Perhaps a modest price drop.

10.5" iPad Pro - this will be what the iPad Pro was to the iPad Air 2 last year. Maybe 3gb ram and A10x processor? Biggest highlight will be the 2732x2048 resolution allowing for 2 full-sized apps running side-by-side. Perhaps with the shrunken bezels, the 10.5" iPad Pro might be able to use the same smart keyboard as the 9.7" iPad Pro, allowing Apple to avoid fragmenting their supply chain too much. Possibly an additional 1-2 extra hardware features, such as the iPhone 7's improved display or front-facing speakers? I doubt we will see force touch though.

I don't think we will see USB-C, but hopefully the iPad Pro will support USB-C fast-charging and sport USB 3.0 speeds.

12.9" iPad Pro - this will be an upgraded version of the current 12.9" iPad Pro. It will have the best specs (in terms of ram and CPU at least) and be marketed as a laptop-replacement. Likely still 4gb ram with A10x processor.

Apple may well be looking at dropping the 7.9" iPad as well. My guess is that Apple wants to standardise the support of the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard across their iPad line, and a 7.9" iPad mini is simply too small to accommodate a smart keyboard design that doesn't compromise the typing experience (already, the smart keyboard for the 9.7" iPad Pro feels too cramped for me).

For accessories, I am hoping for an Apple Case with an integrated Apple Pencil holder, maybe more smart connector peripherals. We may see a few lighting adaptors as well (lightning to VGA+audio jack for people who want to hook up their iPhones to projectors?).
 
You mean 1997 when Apple served only a fraction of the customers it does today in a totally different market? It's easy to keep it simple when you're small. But Apple is so much bigger than it was in 1997.
I've no idea what iPad to buy these days and I've needed a replacement for a while now. Adding different sizes is not helping this to become clearer.
 
That's what every company wants. I'm not sure what you are saying here, that Apple will strong-arm people into buying more expensive iPads?

If your opinion is true, then that is exactly what they are doing. Businesses are in business for EVERYONE, not just those with deep wallets. Imagine a world where businesses opted for only high-end product with higher margins and completely rid themselves of the cheaper options. Would that seem fair?

I, for one, have been waiting to update my iPad Mini 2 (retina) but I just don't want a larger tablet. Throw a A10X in it with 256G storage and an OLED display. How would that model not be a high margin product?
 
What a hell of a way to run a company. Wonder just how long that business model is sustainable?

You are probably not aware that all large and successful publicly traded companies are driven by profit margins. The mini at such a low price has little

Look at the MacBook Air Steve Jobs introduced. 1 USB port, an anemic underpowered CPU (that astonishingly still caused the laptop to overheat), 2 GB of RAM, an inexpensive TN display, and an 80 GB spinning hard disk. All for $1,799, and laden with loads of profit margin.

Look at the iPhones and iPads Steve Jobs introduced,. All chocked full of... 40% margin.


"Wonder just how long that business model is sustainable"

It's certainly been working for Apple going on four decades selling much higher-priced computers/devices loaded with high margins, as well as other successful companies.
 
Last edited:
IMHO until the iPad can also emulate macOS on it with the use of peripherals such as a mouse or track pad keyboard it will remain just a consumption item.
That is true for you, and for many. For the rest of us, we've managed to adjust our workflows to get work done. Not as broadly as a macOS device certainly, but enough to be a fine complement. And THAT is in spite of Apple focusing on emojis for iOS rather than iPad-centric changes that would move the ball further down the field.

Just because we "think different" doesn't let Apple off the hook for not making substantive advances in iOS for the iPad. There are improvements to be made to iOS that DOESN'T turn it into macOS... Apple needs to do those things.

Using Jump Desktop and the Citrix X1 mouse on my 12.9 iPad Pro (to connect to my iMac), when I need to do macOS-type tasks, I remote in and work as if mouse and macOS support were native to the iPad.

I don't want my iPad to replace my macOS devices.
 
Why on earth do you need a track pad or mouse with a touch screen device? I use my iPad as a second monitor with my MBP (using Duet Display) and it's odd to see the mouse cursor on the iPad. It works in the context of secondary monitor but not as a primary input method IMO.
Pretty silly thing to say actually, depend on what you want to do with. Heard about the MFI program? I’ll tell you a little about it. It’s the reason people can have controllers and game on their touch screen device.
I also think it’s kind of stupid to say you can't mix the devices. It’s just down to software and sooner or later someone will write the software that makes an OS feel natural on both devices, at which point Apple will back track and say it’s the natural way to do things.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dilbert99
If your opinion is true, then that is exactly what they are doing. Businesses are in business for EVERYONE, not just those with deep wallets. Imagine a world where businesses opted for only high-end product with higher margins and completely rid themselves of the cheaper options. Would that seem fair?

That's not how supply and demand works.
 
A few thoughts:

So. Many. SKUs! - I miss the simple days of Steve Jobs when a new model of something immediately replaced the old one and didn't confusingly sit beside it forcing customers to decipher what is new and old. I hate this.

The iPad was originally marketed as a device that fit between an iPhone and a Mac, not a replacement for either. As iOS has added features over the years, it's become a Mac replacement for some, but I think Apple still views the iPad as a nice-to-have device between an iPhone and a Mac as they always have. Seems like it's mostly consumers who get angry that it's not yet able to replace their Mac - and in many ways I don't think the form factor ever will. Business users and developers need precise input and multiple displays to do their jobs. The iPad will never be sufficient for this.
 
everything apple has these days is declining in sales. And they have to be blind in cupertino to not understand why.
Clusterf... of products, completely confuzing, lack of innovation and updates that just reflects laziness (iphone 7, mac book pro, etc...)
If I were apple I would actually be kind of worried, yes they make boatloads of money, but when apparently they lost focus and the ecosystem is breaking, it will have a major impact on their whole product line.
http://www.computerworld.com/articl...-five-year-low.html?google_editors_picks=true
 
Are you sure about that? Unless you've only had a Macbook Pro since 2012 you'd be aware you could upgrade RAM, HDD and change the battery prior to that. As I recall they even provided help documentation detailing how to do precisely that.

My first MacBook Pro was 2011, I also have a 2012 MacBook Pro. Someone did mention it before so I stand corrected, I always thought that Apple didn't want users to open up the devices.
 
If your opinion is true, then that is exactly what they are doing. Businesses are in business for EVERYONE, not just those with deep wallets. Imagine a world where businesses opted for only high-end product with higher margins and completely rid themselves of the cheaper options. Would that seem fair?

I, for one, have been waiting to update my iPad Mini 2 (retina) but I just don't want a larger tablet. Throw a A10X in it with 256G storage and an OLED display. How would that model not be a high margin product?

I simply cannot imagine a world where businesses only opted for high-end and/or higher margin even though those two things do not always correlate.

That is totally, 100% unfair. They should make high-end products and sell them at the lowest possible price so that everyone can enjoy them. Or they should just give away what they make.
 
Battery life would be terrible. The only way that would work, with reasonable battery life is for an ARM Processor. You'd get, maybe, 3 - 4 Hours of battery life, not to mention the weight and design of this would be completely impractical.
If you have a keyboard, you also have a charger.
 
You are probably not aware that all large and successful publicly traded companies are driven by profit margins.


More than aware ... but I know of NO others that continue to short their products of the latest tech in order to maintain their corporation-leading profit margins like Apple does.
 
C. Espinosa, please push Frederigi aside and bolster iOS to a much stronger single OS citizen for more macOS power and capabilities to earn the iPad Pro moniker please!!

This screen size bezel switch is just stupid after making the 9.7" Pro. Apple will tick off a lot of its user base. I don't the 10.5" will occur.

Just give the iOS more powerful features in v11 overhaul "Mail" and all other iOS Apple apps then bring the A10 fusion chip a better Smart Keyboard with full system controls.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.