Apple Event 4/20

[Clix Pix]

Well, I called that shot on the iMacs and the M1 processor and the fact that the new machines are basically just an update/upgrade of the previous Intel 21.5" baseline iMacs. Bingo! I'm sorry that some people who were expecting to see the next-generation Apple Silicon processor in these, and/or that there would also be a 30" or 32" iMac announced and showed off today as well are disappointed, but those things will come eventually....

I do like all the colors of the new iMacs, as they're not the yucky pastels that are on some of the iPads but instead are more vivid, vibrant colors. Too bad that the color will only be seen when looking at a machine from the back, though..... The fronts of the machines do look rather bland, don't they? No matter -- these machines are a HUGE step up from the 21.5" iMacs in a lot of ways and that's what is important. Another prediction now from me: these new iMac M1 machines will be very, very popular and I'll bet that they go flying off store shelves. They will meet a lot of people's needs and they're pretty!

As for the other stuff: not interested in the Air Tag thingies, as I am not prone to losing/misplacing things and I spend a lot of time at home these days and don't really anticipate going out-and-about or traveling that much even when things do open up more, as of course they will as more and more of us get vaccinated.

Much as I'd like a new iPad Pro 12.9" I have other plans for a major fun expenditure later this spring -- the Sony Alpha 1 camera body -- and so I'll continue to hang in there with my current 2018 12.9" iPad Pro for another year or so...... Many of the features and functions shown on the new iPad 12.9" are things I'd never use anyway, so a good reason to skip it for the time being.

Some years ago I tried an Apple TV and since I really don't watch much television anyway, soon found that it was sort of a waste of my money so while today's new offering looks nice and I'm sure a lot of people will love it, this isn't an item for which I have a burning need or desire.

It was fun watching the Spring Loaded event, but I knew going into it that I probably wouldn't be getting all excited and making plans to preorder or buy something now anyway.....

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I don’t know what the interface is like on your Smart TV but I find the Apple TV interface to be the best by far… that is my personal opinion though. And if you want to have that integration with other Apple devices, and the ability to play apple Arcade games on it…

Also the Apple TV app (which I'm sure gets ignored a lot) is great if you have a lot of streaming services (that Apple partnered with) for doing a search unsure of what service it may be available on and it will show you what it's available on and you can just play it/jump to the app from there. No going app by app looking for something. Also it keeps track of shows and movies you started but haven't finished and compiles them in a single "continue watching" list regardless of subscription service. Again, not having to go app by app to see what you didn't finish.

I see they've also partnered with some cable providers to offer live streaming. I feel like this was one of the "I cracked it" technologies Jobs was hinting it. Unfortunately as more and more people become cable cutters and more networks offer apps it's a little too late. A lot of people lost the need for a cable box a longtime ago and I don't see this type of technology driving people to reconnect the cable.

 

[SuperMatt]

Also the Apple TV app (which I'm sure gets ignored a lot) is great if you have a lot of streaming services (that Apple partnered with) for doing a search unsure of what service it may be available on and it will show you what it's available on and you can just play it/jump to the app from there. No going app by app looking for something. Also it keeps track of shows and movies you started but haven't finished and compiles them in a single "continue watching" list regardless of subscription service. Again, not having to go app by app to see what you didn't finish.

I see they've also partnered with some cable providers to offer live streaming. I feel like this was one of the "I cracked it" technologies Jobs was hinting it. Unfortunately as more and more people become cable cutters and more networks offer apps it's a little too late. A lot of people lost the need for a cable box a longtime ago and I don't see this type of technology driving people to reconnect the cable.

One really cool thing I like about Apple TV is that if I’m watching a streaming show, but there is a sporting event that has an exciting finish coming, or history in the making, it puts up a small alert that I can select if I want to see, for example, whether a pitcher entering the 9th inning of a perfect game (baseball for those not familiar) can close it out.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I do like all the colors of the new iMacs, as they're not the yucky pastels that are on some of the iPads but instead are more vivid, vibrant colors. Too bad that the color will only be seen when looking at a machine from the back, though..... The fronts of the machines do look rather bland, don't they? No matter -- these machines are a HUGE step up from the 21.5" iMacs in a lot of ways and that's what is important. Another prediction now from me: these new iMac M1 machines will be very, very popular and I'll bet that they go flying off store shelves. They will meet a lot of people's needs and they're pretty!

Including Apple's premium pricing, I honestly don't see what the appeal of a 21" desktop computer is. It's not substantially bigger than a laptop and you can't replace the monitor in a sea of affordable quality monitors in all kinds of sizes. You might as well buy a Mini with the option to get whatever size monitor you want whenever you want. To me the 21" iMac is for people who have simple needs but want to spend a lot of money for those needs.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

One really cool thing I like about Apple TV is that if I’m watching a streaming show, but there is a sporting event that has an exciting finish coming, or history in the making, it puts up a small alert that I can select if I want to see, for example, whether a pitcher entering the 9th inning of a perfect game (baseball for those not familiar) can close it out.

I don't follow sports, but that does sound pretty cool. Is that some subscription based option?

 

[SuperMatt]

I don't follow sports, but that does sound pretty cool. Is that some subscription based option?

I think I have the ESPN app and I definitely have the MLB app installed. But I think sometimes TBS or other stations that have games will put up those alerts too. It’s one of those things I didn’t setup… it just happened and I was very pleasantly surprised.

 

[Runs For Fun]

I don’t know what the interface is like on your Smart TV but I find the Apple TV interface to be the best by far… that is my personal opinion though. And if you want to have that integration with other Apple devices, and the ability to play apple Arcade games on it…

I've never had an Apple TV before but I do know most smart TV's software is absolute crap. They also gobble up tons of data about you and send it who knows where.

 

[Clix Pix]

Chew Toy McCoy: What you said is pretty much exactly the conclusion at which I arrived back in 2015 when I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first 21.5" iMac with retina screen. (I was limited to considering the 21.5" iMac because I just cannot haul around a 27" iMac, and also that screen is just a bit too large for me.). The day came when the new retina iMac arrived on the scene, I looked at the specs and said "uh......same lousy specs that would mean I'd need to do a major BTO to get what I want!" In the meantime, I'd already realized that a lot of times I was using my 2015 13" MBP for a lot of things, as it ran circles around my 2012 iMac, the latter having that dog-slow HDD. I mulled it over a day or two and looked at the specs for a 2015 15" MBP. I then conducted an experiment for about a week, where I set up the 13" MBP on a stand and rummaged up an old mouse and an old keyboard to see how feasible this setup would be as a desktop replacement. It worked just fine. A day or two later I went to the Apple store and came home with a shiny new 2015 15" MBP with exactly the power and the specs I wanted, right off the shelf, and a nice new mouse and keyboard. Bingo! The 2012 iMac eventually went to a friend.....

In late 2018 I didn't even bother thinking about iMacs at all, I went right for the 15" 2018 MBP with the Vega 20 discrete graphics and am still very happy with it. She will eventually be replaced by the next-generation Apple Silicon chip-based 16" machine, whenever that does hit the streets, as the configuration on that will be similar to what I've got now (4 TB ports, 32 or more GB RAM, 1 or maybe 2 TB SSD, etc.) and will be a dandy successor to this wonderful machine that is now serving as my workhorse.

I love the flexibility and portability of having the MBP on a stand and using a keyboard and mouse just as I would a desktop machine, and having an external display of whatever size I choose. If something goes wrong with one component of this setup, I don't need to replace everything. When I need and want to take the MBP somewhere, all I need to do is unplug her from the external display, tuck her into a bag and away we go..... Unlike the headless Mini she can be used on her own because she does have her own display built right in, and ditto for the keyboard. Years ago I had a Mini and liked it a lot but for me the MBP is more versatile. I like using a computer at a desk, though, too, especially when doing something like editing photo images. The combo of the MBP and my LG 4k 24" display gives me the best of both worlds.

The 21.5" Intel iMac is fine for those who want a desktop and who never take the machine anywhere, and who most of the time don't really pay much attention to the tech specs and are perfectly satisfied with the baseline or mid-baseline level. That's why so many people bought new Intel 21.5 iMacs over the past several years, got the thing home and then wondered why it was so slow.....because, duh, they didn't pay attention to the fact that it still had the stupid old s-l-o-w HDD rather than a speedy SSD in it. Or some people were sort of aware and went with the fusion drive version, which I guess did speed up their machine somewhat but which really added in complications of its own. For someone who doesn't do anything more than read and write emails, surf the web and play games on FaceBook, probably the baseline machine was sufficient. However, the new 24" M1 iMac is going to be a game-changer for those folks. They'll see what they've been missing all this time when they sit down to use their speedy new machine!

 

[SuperMatt]

Chew Toy McCoy: What you said is pretty much exactly the conclusion at which I arrived back in 2015 when I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first 21.5" iMac with retina screen. (I was limited to considering the 21.5" iMac because I just cannot haul around a 27" iMac, and also that screen is just a bit too large for me.). The day came when the new retina iMac arrived on the scene, I looked at the specs and said "uh......same lousy specs that would mean I'd need to do a major BTO to get what I want!" In the meantime, I'd already realized that a lot of times I was using my 2015 13" MBP for a lot of things, as it ran circles around my 2012 iMac, the latter having that dog-slow HDD. I mulled it over a day or two and looked at the specs for a 2015 15" MBP. I then conducted an experiment for about a week, where I set up the 13" MBP on a stand and rummaged up an old mouse and an old keyboard to see how feasible this setup would be as a desktop replacement. It worked just fine. A day or two later I went to the Apple store and came home with a shiny new 2015 15" MBP with exactly the power and the specs I wanted, right off the shelf, and a nice new mouse and keyboard. Bingo! The 2012 iMac eventually went to a friend.....

In late 2018 I didn't even bother thinking about iMacs at all, I went right for the 15" 2018 MBP with the Vega 20 discrete graphics and am still very happy with it. She will eventually be replaced by the next-generation Apple Silicon chip-based 16" machine, whenever that does hit the streets, as the configuration on that will be similar to what I've got now (4 TB ports, 32 or more GB RAM, 1 or maybe 2 TB SSD, etc.) and will be a dandy successor to this wonderful machine that is now serving as my workhorse.

I love the flexibility and portability of having the MBP on a stand and using a keyboard and mouse just as I would a desktop machine, and having an external display of whatever size I choose. If something goes wrong with one component of this setup, I don't need to replace everything. When I need and want to take the MBP somewhere, all I need to do is unplug her from the external display, tuck her into a bag and away we go..... Unlike the headless Mini she can be used on her own because she does have her own display built right in, and ditto for the keyboard. Years ago I had a Mini and liked it a lot but for me the MBP is more versatile. I like using a computer at a desk, though, too, especially when doing something like editing photo images. The combo of the MBP and my LG 4k 24" display gives me the best of both worlds.

The 21.5" Intel iMac is fine for those who want a desktop and who never take the machine anywhere, and who most of the time don't really pay much attention to the tech specs and are perfectly satisfied with the baseline or mid-baseline level. That's why so many people bought new Intel 21.5 iMacs over the past several years, got the thing home and then wondered why it was so slow.....because, duh, they didn't pay attention to the fact that it still had the stupid old s-l-o-w HDD rather than a speedy SSD in it. Or some people were sort of aware and went with the fusion drive version, which I guess did speed up their machine somewhat but which really added in complications of its own. For someone who doesn't do anything more than read and write emails, surf the web and play games on FaceBook, probably the baseline machine was sufficient. However, the new 24" M1 iMac is going to be a game-changer for those folks. They'll see what they've been missing all this time when they sit down to use their speedy new machine!

Yes! I watched the Apple marketing event, and they made it quite clear that this was the replacement for the 21.5-inch iMac. This is a huge improvement over the old 21.5-inch. Some seem to be panicking as if this will replace the 27-inch… clearly that‘s not the case. Since this is only slightly larger, I bet they could make the new big iMac with a 30-inch screen.

 

[DT]

Yes! I watched the Apple marketing event, and they made it quite clear that this was the replacement for the 21.5-inch iMac. This is a huge improvement over the old 21.5-inch. Some seem to be panicking as if this will replace the 27-inch… clearly that‘s not the case. Since this is only slightly larger, I bet they could make the new big iMac with a 30-inch screen.

Oh yeah, I'm sure Apple is going to scale up the 27" like they did the 21.5, or even simply just keep the same difference between the "small" and "big", in other case, that puts the 27" right around 30" (and probably 6K, if not something like they did with the 24, i.e., 6.5K )

 

[Pumbaa]

Anyone else really liking these pre-recorded events?

I say: Keep’em coming even after restrictions!

 

[Alli]

After watching the event yesterday I figured I was going to be buying a new AppleTV and a new TV. But after reading through everything this morning I realize all I really need is the new Siri remote. And that's a whole lot cheaper!

I don't need a new iPad and the M1 processor would be a waste for how I use my iPad. I'm still planning on an M1 MB or MBA, but that will be my gift after I (successfully) defend my dissertation proposal next month.

Airtags? Nah. I don't lose anything (knock wood). They're pretty cool though.

 

[SuperMatt]

Anyone else really liking these pre-recorded events?

I say: Keep’em coming even after restrictions!

It is nice that it lasts exactly an hour. The usual events can drag on a bit. I was a bit disappointed that Craig Federighi didn’t make an appearance. Maybe he was getting his hair done?

 

[User.45]

Why is the price difference of doubling the drive size on the Apple TV only $20? and are you able to download TV show and movie content on to it (again, finally)? I was one of the original Apple TV owners that was pissed off when you could no longer store shows or movies on the drive. I have a cabin where I don't have high speed internet access and it was great to just throw the thing in my bag and have access to my entire video library without needing the internet at all. I imagine people who travel a lot, access to internet or not, would also like to have that option.

And a side bitch, I'm a little tired of Apple products demanding you are connected to a wifi router to stream when you should just have the ability to stream directly to the device. AFAIK all Apple TVs and third party manufactures that now have Airplay included require you to be connected to the internet. Why? Throw Home Pods in there as well, no internet - no connecting to them.

You can stream to them via bluetooth only but it can be tricky.

 

[Eric]

MR gave a great summary of the event in just a few minutes.

 

[Clix Pix]

Anyone else really liking these pre-recorded events?

I say: Keep’em coming even after restrictions!

As yesterday's event was wrapping up and the credits scrolling on the screen, I was thinking the same thing! These pre-recorded videos are much more interesting because they can show us various scenes in-and-around the Apple campus, that fascinating Spaceship, and we aren't just watching someone standing on stage with a large screen behind him or her. The only missing element, of course, is the excitement in the air felt by participants in the presentations and even viewers at home when an audience filled with developers, the media, and others happily hoots and claps for some new product or app, announcing their distinct approval. Also, of course missing is the hands-on component when after the presentation everyone goes to another area to fondle the new products and give quick assessments for their viewers at home.

 

[DT]

Anyone else really liking these pre-recorded events?

I say: Keep’em coming even after restrictions!

I do for sure. They're way tighter, no flubs, they're kind of fun with some of the FX stuff they do, and I love seeing some of the Apple campus, folk's homes.

I mean, a little part of me appreciates doing stuff live (probably a better indicator of actual performance, etc.), and the extra positive vibe from a live audience, but I still prefer the current model.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I will NEVER miss the over enthusiastic employee applause over anything at all in the 'live events'.

"We added directions to Apple maps to all the bathrooms on campus here, that 99.9% of the population will NEVER use."

5 minutes later & still counting...

Stay with the pre recorded bits. I enjoy Apple embracing the corn. I felt the whole 'Mission Impossible' bit with Cook, was him trolling the easily triggered.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Chew Toy McCoy: What you said is pretty much exactly the conclusion at which I arrived back in 2015 when I had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first 21.5" iMac with retina screen. (I was limited to considering the 21.5" iMac because I just cannot haul around a 27" iMac, and also that screen is just a bit too large for me.). The day came when the new retina iMac arrived on the scene, I looked at the specs and said "uh......same lousy specs that would mean I'd need to do a major BTO to get what I want!" In the meantime, I'd already realized that a lot of times I was using my 2015 13" MBP for a lot of things, as it ran circles around my 2012 iMac, the latter having that dog-slow HDD. I mulled it over a day or two and looked at the specs for a 2015 15" MBP. I then conducted an experiment for about a week, where I set up the 13" MBP on a stand and rummaged up an old mouse and an old keyboard to see how feasible this setup would be as a desktop replacement. It worked just fine. A day or two later I went to the Apple store and came home with a shiny new 2015 15" MBP with exactly the power and the specs I wanted, right off the shelf, and a nice new mouse and keyboard. Bingo! The 2012 iMac eventually went to a friend.....

In late 2018 I didn't even bother thinking about iMacs at all, I went right for the 15" 2018 MBP with the Vega 20 discrete graphics and am still very happy with it. She will eventually be replaced by the next-generation Apple Silicon chip-based 16" machine, whenever that does hit the streets, as the configuration on that will be similar to what I've got now (4 TB ports, 32 or more GB RAM, 1 or maybe 2 TB SSD, etc.) and will be a dandy successor to this wonderful machine that is now serving as my workhorse.

I love the flexibility and portability of having the MBP on a stand and using a keyboard and mouse just as I would a desktop machine, and having an external display of whatever size I choose. If something goes wrong with one component of this setup, I don't need to replace everything. When I need and want to take the MBP somewhere, all I need to do is unplug her from the external display, tuck her into a bag and away we go..... Unlike the headless Mini she can be used on her own because she does have her own display built right in, and ditto for the keyboard. Years ago I had a Mini and liked it a lot but for me the MBP is more versatile. I like using a computer at a desk, though, too, especially when doing something like editing photo images. The combo of the MBP and my LG 4k 24" display gives me the best of both worlds.

The 21.5" Intel iMac is fine for those who want a desktop and who never take the machine anywhere, and who most of the time don't really pay much attention to the tech specs and are perfectly satisfied with the baseline or mid-baseline level. That's why so many people bought new Intel 21.5 iMacs over the past several years, got the thing home and then wondered why it was so slow.....because, duh, they didn't pay attention to the fact that it still had the stupid old s-l-o-w HDD rather than a speedy SSD in it. Or some people were sort of aware and went with the fusion drive version, which I guess did speed up their machine somewhat but which really added in complications of its own. For someone who doesn't do anything more than read and write emails, surf the web and play games on FaceBook, probably the baseline machine was sufficient. However, the new 24" M1 iMac is going to be a game-changer for those folks. They'll see what they've been missing all this time when they sit down to use their speedy new machine!

I was rocking MBPs for years until I realized there were very few times I was actually taking advantage of the portability, mostly just sitting in the same spot on the same desk year around. For a while it was handy as a media player when traveling but that usage got completely replaced by iPads for me. I also dabble a lot in music and video production and now for those tasks I couldn’t imagine going with a smaller screen than the 27” iMac for that usage, not to mention you can increase the RAM on your own with affordable third party chips. Yes, it would be nice to churn out a tune or movie without limitations while sitting on the beach, but going from “would be nice” to actually doing it wasn’t really the case in my experience.

I also considered using a MBP with a large external monitor but then it just started getting too expensive specing out an MBP with what I need and then getting a monitor, and depending on what year you were looking at buying MBPs you were just stuck with the RAM amount you chose at purchase, period, which also means you are also stuck paying Apples at least double the market price for RAM. I’m sure at some point in a configuration you double the cost of the computer just buy increasing the RAM. That’s ridiculous.

 

[Yoused]

I do find it odd that Apple would deliberately choose to do their event on 4/20. Dude.



(I mean, Hitler's birthday? What the hell?)