Bigger Is Better – Massive 16-inch Apple iPad Pro May Be in the Works
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The line between the iPad and the MacBook could get even more blurred over the next few years, with a new report that Apple is working on building iPad Pro models in screen sizes that will rival its current MacBook lineup.
When Apple released the 12.9-inch iPad Pro six years ago, it was already one of the largest tablet screens available. It’s continued to be a popular enough model over the years that not only has it remained firmly entrenched in the iPad Pro family, but it also became the first Apple device to gain Mini-LED screen technology — even ahead of the MacBook Pro.
While the 12.9-inch iPad Pro screen comes in just shy of the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, the fact that it’s a touchscreen, combined with the nature of iPadOS, can sometimes make working on even the largest iPad Pro a bit cramped.
It seems Apple understands this, since according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company’s engineers and designers are already exploring the idea of making even larger iPad models.
Although Gurman’s sources haven’t offered any specifics, he expects these could be in the 14-inch to 16-inch range, rivalling current MacBook Pro displays.
Blurring the Lines
While many Apple fans have been hoping to see the company produce a touchscreen MacBook, this latest report should put that idea to rest once and for all.
Apple’s executives have already gone on the record to say that they still think there’s a big difference between a MacBook and an iPad, downplaying rumours that the redesign in Big Sur was paving the way for a touchscreen.
Still, while it appears that Apple wants the two product families to stay firmly on opposite sides of the line, that doesn’t mean that it’s not ready to blur that line somewhat.
After all, the recent addition of Apple’s M1 chip to the 2021 iPad Pro wasn’t just about putting a more powerful SoC into its high-end tablets — it could have just as easily done that with an “A14X” chip. Instead, it was Apple making it apparent that it now considers the iPad Pro to be in the same class as the Mac.
It seems the next logical step to doing that is to produce even larger iPad Pro models, which is something that many, including Gurman, would welcome.
It’s time for a giant screen, one in the 14-inch to 16-inch range. I love the speed, touchscreen, versatility and Magic Keyboard, but the 12.9-inch display is far too small for someone accustomed to a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Of course, as much as Apple is trying to position the iPad Pro as a MacBook replacement, there’s still a lot that will need to be done on the software side before it can reach its full potential.
For one thing, the iPad still lacks true “pro” apps. We’ve been hearing rumours since last spring that Apple is working on iPad versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. With the recent debut of the M1 iPad Pro, WWDC would have been a perfect time to announce this, but sadly, we heard nothing about it at all.
Then there’s iPadOS 15, which appears to be an evolutionary upgrade, rather than the revolutionary one that many were hoping for. To be clear, progress is being made, and there are some nice changes in iPadOS 15. For instance, Gurman notes that he likes the multitasking improvements in the beta so far, and we’d agree, but it still pales in comparison to the level of power offered by macOS.
It’s time for Apple to rip off the Band-Aid and go all in on the iPad.
Further, while it’s easier to manage split-screen apps in iPadOS 15, you’re still limited to only two at a time, with limited resizing options. That’s a far cry from the Mac, where you can have a half-dozen or more fully resizable and movable windows. While one could argue that perhaps that’s not as practical on a 12.9-inch screen, it’s something that the company will pretty much have to address if it plans to move into the 16-inch realm.
At this point, however, Apple’s plans for a larger iPad Pro aren’t even definite, much less around the corner. Gurman notes that it’s “unlikely for next” as Apple is focusing on redesigns in the current sizes, but says they could “hit stores a couple of years down the road.”
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
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Top 10 Myths About Apple
Like many other successful tech companies, Apple, Inc. is a myth magnet. There’s a simple reason for this: The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is shrouded in secrecy. Press and social networking Web sites are always rife with rumors about Apple’s next big product release — a secret guarded more closely than «The Hobbit» film production.
The mystique surrounding the company is both justified and hard-earned. Apple was founded in 1976 and found success quickly with the invention of the Apple I Personal computer (PC). However, it was the advent of the Macintosh in 1984 (and the classic television commercial that launched it) that would make Apple famous. It wouldn’t last, though, as tensions between co-founder Steve Jobs and president and CEO John Sculley would lead to Jobs’ departure the following year. Jobs wouldn’t return to Apple until 1997, when the company was in the midst of a steep decline [source: The Apple Museum].
That decline may have been fortuitous, as no one saw the iMac coming. No one predicted the revolutionary impact of the iPod, iPhone or iPad, either. As a result of these insanely successful products, Apple faithful await the annual MacWorld conference with great anticipation, speculating about what new product announcements will be made.
For all Apple’s rock-star status in the tech world, there’s still a lot that we don’t know about the company. Here, we’ll debunk 10 myths about Apple, in no particular order. Mystery solved — or is it?
10: Apple is Going Out of Business
The biggest running joke in tech circles is that Apple has been going out of business for 33 years. For decades, it was the remote outlier of the personal computing world, grabbing a miniscule share of the Microsoft-dominated market whenever it could.
Many of Apple’s product releases have been met with derision from the tech journalism establishment. A lot of that ire was directed toward the Newton, the first commercially produced, writable tablet PC that turned out to be a critical and commercial bomb. Innovation can be costly, and in the minds of some journalists, Apple is always one (false) step away from bankruptcy.
One example of this rumor in action happened in 2007 when Apple introduced the iPhone. Today, the iPhone is the most recognized name in smartphones. In 2007, though, critics dismissed Apples’ new iPhone (and its price tag) as «nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks» [source: Lynn]. In the fourth quarter of 2008, several months into an economic recession in the U.S., Apple sold 4 million iPhones, representing an 88 percent increase over the same quarter a year before [source: Apple].
Critics have also long predicted that Apple will be pushed out of the computer hardware business, forced to focus instead on software or electronics. In 2006, forecasts said Apple would stop making Macintosh computers by 2010 [source: Siebold]. Those speculations, of course, proved false.
Meanwhile, Apple shipped 25 percent more Macintosh computers in May 2009 than it did one year before. By comparison, the personal computer market in general only increased shipments by one 1 percent over the same period [source: Gonsalves]. In 2009, Macs account for a solid 9 percent of the American PC market, compared to 6 percent only two years prior [source: Cheng].
Even Apple’s toughest critics would have a hard time finding anything to criticize about those figures. The next item in our list, though, has some people keeping an eye on Apple no matter what the numbers look like.
9: Without Steve Jobs, Apple is Finished
Steve Jobs is synonymous with Apple’s success. When he returned to the floundering company in 1997 as interim CEO after being ousted in a boardroom coup in 1985, he led a mythic Apple resurgence that still continues today [source: Cheng].
Jobs was the black-turtleneck-and-jeans-clad tech guru who, year after year, took the stage at MacWorld to introduce the world to some of the most innovative computing and electronics gadgets of the past two decades, including the original iMac, iPod and iPhone.
When Jobs stepped down in January 2009 for a six-month leave of absence due to serious — and undisclosed — health issues, the man and his company made headlines around the world. Could Apple possibly survive without its charismatic genius of a CEO? The question lingered after Jobs returned to work, especially when he eventually resigned from his chief executive role in August 2011. He passed away on Oct. 5, 2011, at the age of 56.
In spite of the natural grief and uncertainty tied to his death, most experts believe Apple will have no trouble carrying on without Jobs. For one thing, it’s easy to overlook the fact that, in spite of his charisma and influence, Jobs didn’t conceive of or design many of Apple’s greatest hits. Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design, gets credit for the original iMacs, the click-wheel iPod and the iPhone 3G [source: Arthur]. What about all those memorable Apple commercials and marketing campaigns? Remember the «Switch» and «Mac versus PC» ads? Those were the brainchild of Phil Schiller, senior vice president of globel marketing [source: Dannen].
More importantly, the Apple that Jobs left behind in 2011 was very different than the Apple that Steve Jobs saved in 1997 [source: Harris]. Thanks to Jobs, Apple has a clear vision, strong branding and an unflaggingly loyal following. Even as it moves on following Jobs’ death, the company will be on sure footing — or as sure as things get in the tech industry — for a long time to come.
Our next myth has caused potential Apple customers to hesitate, but let’s see why it’s all just a misunderstanding.
8: Macs and Windows Computers are Incompatible
One of Apple’s biggest marks on pop culture was its «Get a Mac» ad campaign featuring actors John Hodgman as PC and Justin Long as Mac. The «Mac versus PC» TV commercials prompted both serious debates and numerous parodies. With all that hype, it’s easy to assume that Macs and Windows PCs are so different as to be utterly incompatible.
It’s true that Macs and Windows PCs run on different operating systems. Macs use the UNIX-based OS X while Windows machines use, well, Windows. But that doesn’t mean that the two operating systems speak completely different languages.
For starters, just about every common software application runs on both Macs and Windows PCs. That includes Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook), most major Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari), Adobe Photoshop and even iTunes. This means that Mac and PC users can share almost every type of document or file. What’s more, Macs and PCs can easily run on the same home or corporate network.
For users, the major difference between Mac and Windows comes down to cosmetics and semantics. A long-time Windows users might look at a Mac and ask, «Where’s the Start menu? Why don’t applications close when I click the X? What the heck is a Finder?» One other notable difference is games, with some PC games appearing for Mac after the title’s initial release, or not at all.
Part of the confusion comes from the different ways that the two systems approach menus. On a Mac, the main application menu is always on the top of the screen, separate from the active application windows themselves. So, even when you close your browser windows on a Mac, the application you were using is still running. You have to select «Quit» to close the application completely.
The great thing is you don’t have to choose between Macs and PCs anymore: Apple offers an application called Boot Camp that lets you run Windows on your Mac. When you use Boot Camp, you can select whether to switch between OS X and Windows when you reboot the computer. Apple ensures that Windows has all the hardware drivers it needs for the Mac you’re using, though it does limit you to the 32-bit version of Windows even if you have 64-bit Mac hardware.
Now, let’s look at a myth that could hit you right in the wallet.
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Five big things that have made Apple
By Sarah Porter
BBC News, Singapore
It’s been called the most successful company in history.
And it’s just become the world’s first public company to be worth $1 trillion (ВЈ767bn).
So how’s it done it?
Here’s a quick look at five of the biggest things that have helped make Apple the gigantic success story it is today.
1. Steve Jobs — a brand unto himself
As the co-founder of one of the world’s most successful companies, his is one of the most recognised names in the world of tech.
He put Apple at the forefront of the personal computing revolution, and was behind a suite of revolutionary, highly desirable products — from the iPod to the iPad.
But he was also recognised as one of the modern world’s first auteur chief executives — and became a brand unto himself.
From the time he founded the company with Steve Wozniak in 1976 in Silicon Valley, California, Apple was seen as a firm that was set to achieve great things.
Apple shares were in such high demand that by the time it opted for a flotation in 1980, it became the biggest stock market launch since Ford in 1956.
In 1985, Mr Jobs was famously ousted from the firm he founded after a falling out with chief executive John Scully.
But by 1997, after Apple had been operating at a loss for 12 years, Mr Jobs was asked to return.
He quickly set about scrapping various projects and introduced Think Different — a campaign designed to promote Apple and its products, and revive employee morale. The firm quickly returned to profitability.
Apple just wouldn’t be Apple without his name behind it.
2. The iPhone — a revolution
Launched in 2007, the impact the iPhone has had on modern mobile communication is unmatched, and unquestionable.
Almost 1.4 million iPhones were sold in the first year they were on the market. Competitors such as Nokia and Blackberry, which had dominated the mobile phone market, were quickly knocked out.
While Apple recently dropped to third place in the battle of the world’s biggest smartphone makers, behind South Korea’s Samsung and China’s Huawei, its iPhones are still clocking strong demand worldwide.
Apple sold 41.3 million of them in the three months to June this year — and about 216 million worldwide last year.
Moreover, Apple’s bottom line is still largely determined by their sales. In the most recent quarter, 56% of Apple’s revenue came from iPhone sales.
But perhaps more importantly for Apple’s future — the iPhone is a gateway to the company’s booming services offerings.
3. Apple services — and brand loyalty
Think iTunes or Apple Music, the App Store, iCloud and Apple Pay.
These are just some of the things that make up Apple’s services business — and they’re regarded as the firm’s most important and fastest-growing drivers of revenue.
In the three months to June this year, Apple’s services saw revenue growth of 31%.
And while the iPhone might be a gateway to Apple’s offerings, things like Apple Music and the App Store, in turn, help drive brand loyalty.
If a consumer truly loves using their iPhone to buy music and movies, Apple’s hope is that they’ll move on to purchase an iPad, a Macbook, an Apple TV or watch.
«That’s the financial genius that sits inside that brand — getting consumers to keep buying the hardware,» says Paul Nelson, managing director of BrandMatters.
«Strong brands have clients who are simply disinterested in alternatives — and that’s where Apple’s strength lies. The fact that you just become a loyalist.»
4. China — and growth
Without China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, Apple’s success would look quite different.
Mainland China generates about a quarter of Apple’s profits.
In addition, most of Apple’s iPhones are manufactured in Shenzhen in southern China
And while the company suffered a rough patch between March 2016 and July last year — when its Greater China revenues saw double-digit falls — the tech giant has now reversed those fortunes.
Since September 2017, Apple has seen double-digit year-on-year revenue growth across the Greater China region.
How? Well, the iPhone has remained a symbol of wealth and prestige among China’s growing middle-income, big city dwellers.
So despite the stiff competition from cheaper home-made brands, Apple’s more lucrative iPhones, iPads and Macs have helped repair its regional revenue numbers.
5. The Apple brand today
The Forbes list, which measures the value of a company’s brand by looking at its financial numbers, has ranked Apple as the most valuable brand for the last eight years in a row. This year, it was valued at $182.8bn.
Now Forbes may only analyse companies with a presence in the US, but compare Apple’s brand value to that of Coca-Cola’s — a one-time world leader in terms of brand recognition — this year valued at just $57.3bn.
For those of us born before the turn of the millennium, it’s probably difficult to imagine a world without Coca-Cola signs somewhere along our local shopping streets.
But for the generations that follow, the instantly recognisable eaten apple seems set (so far) to be one of the brands of the 21st Century.
«The thing that Apple has been able to do, that Coca-Cola hasn’t been able to, is to remain relevant and contemporary,» says BrandMatters’ Paul Nelson.
«They have kept the human at the centre of their ecosystem, and at the centre of everything they do. Their whole brand is about humanising technology.
«The reason you get to a trillion dollars is that you create in your business model built-in barriers for customers to move elsewhere. And Apple is just that — it’s a complete ecosystem.»
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