One of the things Apple executives have been pretty consistent about, even as macOS and iOS blur some lines with each new iteration, is the idea that the company is not trying to merge the two platforms. Meaning, a Mac is going to remain a Mac, and the iPad will continue to be whatever iPadOS defines it as. Of course, that could very well change down the road, but, for now, it appears Apple doesn't have any plans to change that.
The iPad is a great device. So is the iPad Air and the iPad mini and the iPad Pro. Which, when you look at it like that, shows us that Apple might have too many iPad models. Does Apple really need four different models, which even includes two variants with different screen sizes for the Pros? It does if it really, really wants to keep avoiding multiuser support!
The iPad mini is a tablet that I've always wanted, ever since it was first unveiled. It was so cool looking, seemed super useful for certain situations, and that portability was top notch. And yet, over the years, I've picked one up here and there but I've never kept it. The same can be said for the newest variant of the long running small tablet lineup, too.
It wasn't too long ago that, every other year, we'd get an "S" variant for Apple's iPhone. It was a very, very obvious way to tell the world that this was an "iterative" update. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. Not by any means. But, now, at a glance, it would appear that Apple's moved away from that plan of attack.
Some people believe it's a negative that Apple controls so much of the iPhone experience. Some of those people would point to the Mac and say, "See? They don't have to have such a heavy-handed approach" and maybe they're onto something. But a lot of folks out there don't see it the same way, calling Apple's "guiding hand" just one less thing they need to think about on a day-to-day basis.
Not too long ago, I asked how your desk has changed since the start of all this work-from-home fervor started. With so many day-to-day routines changing, it only made sense that some folks' workstations --whether temporary or permanent-- had changed over the last year or so.
It feels like forever ago now, but I once had a desktop. Something I'd use every single day by saddling up to a desk and typing away on a wired, less-than-great keyboard. A mouse and not a trackpad. Part of those years was as a kid, either with an early day Mac or early day PC, and most of that time was spent playing old computer games.
Every once in a while, Apple manages to do something that is Very Controversial. It doesn't happen all the time, and usually it's hardware related. Like the butterfly keyboard. Or the Touch Bar. Or how you charge a Magic Mouse 2. Things like that.
Over the last year and some change, what going to work looks like has changed quite a bit for a lot of people. What used to be a daily grind with traffic and public transport, or parking, or whatever else it might've been, now relies more on stable WiFi and kids not barging in on us during a Zoom call. But, what about our desks?
For some customers, different accessories are going to be far more important than others. Not talking about headphones or anything like that. But something like a case or screen protector. For some folks, buying a new phone just automatically means buying a specific type of accessory to go along with it, too.
Sometimes, it can be easy to forget that in 2021, there is an iPod touch still available to buy. Apple actually launched the thing in early 2019, so it's not even that old! But with so many newer devices out there in the wild, especially the iPhone, no one could blame anyone for forgetting about the iPod.
More often than not, Apple does a good job when it comes to hardware and software. After all, it's Apple. One of the few true juggernauts in the tech industry. And they accomplished that feat by doing right by the customer, and what the customer wants, over the years.