Apple That

Apple CEO Tim Cook caused many a MacBook user to scream out in anguish recently when he insisted that he couldn’t see a single reason for anyone to buy a PC anymore, especially since Apple just released the iPad Pro, the latest iPad model that comes complete with pencil and yoga-mat keyboard. With Cook pushing the iPad Pro and saying that things like iMacs and MacBook Pros were obsolete, many people started to question their very existence of their Apple products. Everyone except Steve Wozniak that is.

Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs back in the day, was speaking at a conference organized by New Relic recently where he was quoted saying that he continues to be “more of a laptop-based guy.” For the Woz, the flexibility of a laptop contrasts that of a tablet which he believes “has been limited for me”. Wozniak isn’t alone here either. Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services for Apple Eddy Cue recently told CNN that he likes the iPad Pro because “I consumer a lot more than I create,” rather than Cook’s insistence that this was now a productivity tool.

Now let’s be real for a second. I highly doubt that Cook believes that the PC market is officially dead. I mean, if he really did believe that then why would he launch new and tantalizing MacBooks? Reports for Apple’s latest MacBook line have been hailed as a “groundbreaking design” by many reviewers. No the real reason behind Cook’s comments is that he is trying to sell what he wants to sell right now, a giant iPad that has the potential to reverse the 20% year-on-year decline in Apple’s tablet sales. Naturally, neither Cook nor Apple has responded to requests for comment.

Wozniak doesn’t really seem to be on the flashy new tech bandwagon. When Apple released the Apple Watch Wozniak wasn’t 100% behind it. He stated that he sometimes forgets to put on his own Apple Watch and realizes that he doesn’t really miss it all that much. However, he did agree that the device was improving though it is still unclear exactly how he thinks it is getting better. All-in-all, the Woz has been pretty critical of Apple lately. Wozniak was also quoted saying, “I don’t like being in the Apple ecosystem. I don’t like being trapped. I like being independent.”

Wozniak has been known to really enjoy some Android products alongside with Apple ones. Just last year he suggested that Apple should release an Android smartphone. In terms of his commitment to laptops, it is very easy to believe that tech developers release new product forms that have the sole purpose of making money. One of the bigger problems with the iPad is the fact that many people believe they already know precisely what the iPad is good for, and what it isn’t good for, and feel that older models do just as fine as the newer ones.

I really admire the fact that Wozniak isn’t going along with the iPad Pro craze from Apple just for the sake of Apple loyalty. Steve Wozniak has been a lot of things in his life, nonetheless of which is an independent man of his own fruition, which is something this world needs more of.

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Apple officially announced its newest iPad model, the iPad Pro, along with the new iPhone 6S at the company’s event. Even though the focus of Apple’s event was on Apple TV and the iPhone 6S, the iPad Pro wasn’t left in the corner. iPad sales have been on a bit of a downward slope as of late, but that hasn’t dampened Apple’s commitment to the tablet. The event saw the release of not only the iPad Pro but also the iPad Mini 4, giving users two new iPad devices to choose from in the coming months.

The iPad Pro is a massive tablet that comes with a 12.9″ display and comes with a lot of new features. The base model iPad Pro will come with 64GB of storage and will also feature LTE support options and come in three different colors: gold, silver and space gray. However, getting your hands on one of these devices won’t be cheap. In fact, a fully decked out iPad Pro could cost you as much as a MacBook, so roughly $1,200.

What was a really interesting move for Apple was the fact that the company will not be bundling a touch stylus or keyboard with this device. Apple has apparently decided not to give users the new Force Touch-integrated iPad stylus or keyboard with the new iPad Pro. These accessories will, however, be sold separately. Apple has supposedly developed two versions of an iPad Pro keyboard attachment. One version doubles as a case and the other is more similar to the Apple Wireless Keyboard that is has sold for previous Macs and iPads.

One of the coolest new features is the fact that the screen is so massive that it will be able to run two full-screen apps simultaneously and that these apps will be able to run in portrait mode side-by-side. This is a pretty awesome feature as it allows the multitaskers in all of us to push our skills to the max. You could have the news up on one app while watching your favorite sports team on the other, or Facetime your mom while looking at pictures of her vacation on Facebook.

Apple is hoping for a November release date for the iPad Pro, but that might be a bit optimistic. Apple has reportedly encountered some minor production issues (as is typical with Apple) which have caused them to push back the release of the device. Many users won’t be surprised about this as Apple has made a reputation for not releasing things on time. Like I said, Apple is hoping to get the iPad Pro out by November, though I imagine it will be hard for the company to get the device ready for a pre-holiday shopping season launch.

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After being a little more quiet than they have been in the past, Apple has come back stronger than ever. They spent a whole year without even having a new product category, which isn’t like them at all. Launch events were feeling bland and forced, but in 2014 all of that changed.

The rollout event for the iPhone 6 was a huge deal. It was exciting, entertaining, and even sparked up some controversy that was actually really good for the company as a whole. After a year of nothing, Apple sprang right back to the top and owned the entire tech market once again.

Like anything though, the excitement of the iPhone 6 has finally worn off. But that’s ok because Apple is excited about what they have in store for the rest of this year.

Apple announced their partnership with IBM. This is a big deal. Apple really isn’t any stranger to the enterprise world, but a lot of the devices end up there just because employees prefer to use them and bring them in. It has been a slow process because they need to develop all of the necessary apps, but the Apple/IBM partnership is going to be seriously huge for both companies. Especially with the release of the infamous 12 inch iPad Pro coming out.

They were supposed to release the iPad Pro last year, but put it on hold to keep up with iPhone 6 demand and production. It’s almost guaranteed to come out this year, but rumor has it that it won’t really be available to the regular customer. It will probably be exclusively sent to companies to use and replace a lot of computers.

That’s not the only thing Apple has going for them this year. We all know that the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus are going to come out by the end of this year. They will probably look exactly like the current models but come with a way faster processor, a better camera, and some new software. This is cool because when Apple put out the current processor in their phones, it was the best and fastest on the market by a lot. Are they going to crush the competition again this year with a crazy new chip? Probably. Hopefully. Almost certainly.

Let us also not forget that Apple bought Beats By Dre. No one really knows exactly what they are going to do with the company, but everything will be revealed later this year. With the Beats music streaming, it would seem like it would be a conflict with iTunes and iTunes radio and all. It will be very interesting to see what Apple does with this and how they integrate the two music services.

All of the Apple Home and Health stuff that we have been hearing so much about will finally come into existence this year as well. Right now we only have a Health app, which isn’t really enough to give us any huge clues as to what to expect.

Either way, one thing is for sure: it is going to be a huge year for Apple, and there is a ton to be excited about.