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iPad Air
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Thorzdad
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Sep 15, 2020, 06:14 PM
 
Man, that new iPad Air Apple revealed today sure looks tempting. I’ve been limping along with a first-gen Air with battery-won’t-hold-a-charge issues for awhile now. This new Air might be its replacement, checkbook and spouse willing.
     
OAW
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Sep 15, 2020, 06:53 PM
 
That it does. I just don't have much use for a tablet. At least not enough to spend the money.

OAW
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 15, 2020, 09:02 PM
 
they had me at sky blue. I guess I'll get over no home button? and no headphone jack?

Too bad I can't convince work to buy it.

apple would give me $80 trade in on my original air... er, work's original air...
     
P
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Sep 16, 2020, 03:22 AM
 
My first-gen Pro is still working great, which is a bit sad right now that I am sorely tempted by this. Since I'm travelling much less now, I think that I will wait a bit, as I don't need an iPad as badly when I'm stuck in my apartment (traveled last week for work, so I'm self-isolating this week).
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Thorzdad  (op)
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Sep 16, 2020, 05:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
they had me at sky blue. I guess I'll get over no home button? and no headphone jack?
Too bad I can't convince work to buy it.
apple would give me $80 trade in on my original air... er, work's original air...
Ah, I forgot about the lack of a legitimate headphone jack. That definitely takes it down a notch or two for me.
Apple won't give me anything for my current Air, because it doesn't hold a charge.
     
ort
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Sep 16, 2020, 11:17 AM
 
I like the hardware and the colors and pretty much everything about it... but I also have a hard time seeing how the $329 iPad isn't the best choice for like 99.9% of their customers.
     
ort888
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Sep 16, 2020, 11:20 AM
 
IMPOSTER!

(I somehow ended up logged in as some sort of second account I set up 10 years ago, whatevs)

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
P
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Sep 16, 2020, 07:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by ort View Post
I like the hardware and the colors and pretty much everything about it... but I also have a hard time seeing how the $329 iPad isn't the best choice for like 99.9% of their customers.
If you want to argue that, consider the watch. Moving up from Series 3 to SE gets you a slightly different size, fall detection and noise monitoring - for $80. Moving all the way to Series 6 at least gets you always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen saturation on top of what the SE has, but really, why leave the Series 3 at all?

For the iPads, the Air has a bigger display, faster connectivity, more storage in all options, better colors, that laminated display, better camera (with 4K video recording) and lots of little goodies like that. None of them are super important, but they’re all things that make a good product nicer. I would go for that upgrade.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
OreoCookie
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Sep 16, 2020, 09:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by Thorzdad View Post
Man, that new iPad Air Apple revealed today sure looks tempting. I’ve been limping along with a first-gen Air with battery-won’t-hold-a-charge issues for awhile now. This new Air might be its replacement, checkbook and spouse willing.
The new Air looks awesome. I have a current-gen 13" Pro and I love that thing to bits. Fortunately, I didn't have to pay for it myself. If it were my money, I'd get a green Air. I'd miss FaceID, though.
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ort888
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Sep 16, 2020, 09:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
If you want to argue that, consider the watch. Moving up from Series 3 to SE gets you a slightly different size, fall detection and noise monitoring - for $80. Moving all the way to Series 6 at least gets you always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen saturation on top of what the SE has, but really, why leave the Series 3 at all?

For the iPads, the Air has a bigger display, faster connectivity, more storage in all options, better colors, that laminated display, better camera (with 4K video recording) and lots of little goodies like that. None of them are super important, but they’re all things that make a good product nicer. I would go for that upgrade.
I mean, I get all that, I really do... but it basically costs twice as much. You could get at the base iPad and the SE Watch for the same price as just the iPad Air.

If the nice newness of the Air appeals to you and is worth the money, then I'm not here to talk anyone out of that, but I still think if you observed how most people use iPads day-to-day, you would find very few people who will get an extra $270ish bucks worth of value from buying an Air over the base model.

My sig is 1 pixel too big.
     
OreoCookie
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Sep 16, 2020, 09:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
If you want to argue that, consider the watch. Moving up from Series 3 to SE gets you a slightly different size, fall detection and noise monitoring - for $80. Moving all the way to Series 6 at least gets you always-on display, ECG, blood oxygen saturation on top of what the SE has, but really, why leave the Series 3 at all?
The CPU is twice as fast, which makes the SE more future-proof, me thinks.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 16, 2020, 09:46 PM
 
I only use my phone when I leave wifi range. Other than that I carry the ipad everywhere. Even when working on a desktop I need the ipad to validate $%^&* microsoft SSO.
     
P
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Sep 17, 2020, 08:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by ort888 View Post
I mean, I get all that, I really do... but it basically costs twice as much. You could get at the base iPad and the SE Watch for the same price as just the iPad Air.

If the nice newness of the Air appeals to you and is worth the money, then I'm not here to talk anyone out of that, but I still think if you observed how most people use iPads day-to-day, you would find very few people who will get an extra $270ish bucks worth of value from buying an Air over the base model.
This is exactly what computer pricing has always been, though. If you want a nicer one, it costs more money. How much you use it determines how much that is worth to you. The thing that really gets me is the storage. If 32GB isn’t enough for you and you upgrade it, you’re at $429. The distance to a $599 Air is much less now, and that comes with 64GB storage which is more likely to be enough.

Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
The CPU is twice as fast, which makes the SE more future-proof, me thinks.
Not how I use it. Yes it lags a bit when opening an app, but that isn’t what takes time in that process - what takes time is navigating the UI to open it. Since Apple is still selling the Series 3, it should be supported for 7+ more years in some form (California regulations). Doesn’t mean that it will get OS updates for that long, but it’s not as if they add something fantastic to older devices anyway.

No, the SE is there to do one thing: convince buyers who want an Apple Watch for less than the Series 6 but don’t want an old model because their self worth is determined by their appearance. Which I get, watches are jewelry, but it doesn’t make any rational sense to buy it.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Thorzdad  (op)
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Sep 17, 2020, 08:31 AM
 
When I got the original Air, the selling point to me (over a standard iPad) was the less bulk and weight of the Air. Dunno how that compares between the new machines, though.
     
mindwaves
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Sep 18, 2020, 04:31 PM
 
Won't be buying. Still using the current generation of iPad mini with LTE. Love the small form factor.
     
turtle777
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Sep 18, 2020, 07:41 PM
 
I’m not sure how practical the TouchID in the power switch is. I’m so used to TouchID, it might feel strange to constantly use the power switch (which I rarely use on my current iPad).
FaceID on iPad is just much more practical.

-t
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 19, 2020, 05:59 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
I’m not sure how practical the TouchID in the power switch is. I’m so used to TouchID, it might feel strange to constantly use the power switch (which I rarely use on my current iPad).
FaceID on iPad is just much more practical.
Before 2020, I would have agreed with you on that.
     
OAW
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Sep 19, 2020, 10:38 AM
 
What I would like to see on an iPhone is FaceID and TouchID in the power button. Where you have the option to set it up to use either authentication method or both to have even more security.

OAW
     
turtle777
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Sep 19, 2020, 10:44 AM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
Before 2020, I would have agreed with you on that.
Actually, I think I’d prefer FaceID for iPads, despite Covid.
I almost never use my iPad when wearing a mask.

I’d like to have TouchID on my iPhone, which I often use with a mask.

-t
     
turtle777
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Sep 19, 2020, 10:45 AM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
What I would like to see on an iPhone is FaceID and TouchID in the power button. Where you have the option to set it up to use either authentication method or both to have even more security.

OAW
Absolutely.

I expect this to happen in 2021.
The TouchID in power button is probably a Pre-Covid development, which was not meant to go across lines. But now it will.

-t
     
OreoCookie
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Sep 19, 2020, 09:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
Not how I use it. Yes it lags a bit when opening an app, but that isn’t what takes time in that process - what takes time is navigating the UI to open it. Since Apple is still selling the Series 3, it should be supported for 7+ more years in some form (California regulations). Doesn’t mean that it will get OS updates for that long, but it’s not as if they add something fantastic to older devices anyway.
Sure, but will you want to use it after 7 years. A CPU that’s twice as fast will give me a longer runway for a better user experience. I don’t want to end up with a device that’s like the iPad 2 running iOS 9, i. e. really slowly.
Originally Posted by P View Post
No, the SE is there to do one thing: convince buyers who want an Apple Watch for less than the Series 6 but don’t want an old model because their self worth is determined by their appearance. Which I get, watches are jewelry, but it doesn’t make any rational sense to buy it.
I disagree. IMHO the SE has two jobs: (1) bridge the price point gap between the Series 3 and the Series 6. Even if that makes the SE very unpopular now, it may be the rung on the price ladder that people step over for now to talk themselves into getting a Series 6 rather than a Series 3. And (2) take the spot of the Series 3 next year. So it won’t matter if the SE isn’t successful for now.
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OreoCookie
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Sep 19, 2020, 09:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
What I would like to see on an iPhone is FaceID and TouchID in the power button. Where you have the option to set it up to use either authentication method or both to have even more security.
This.
IMHO Apple may ideally want to wait until it can put the finger print scanner behind the display, though.
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P
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Sep 20, 2020, 07:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by OreoCookie View Post
Sure, but will you want to use it after 7 years. A CPU that’s twice as fast will give me a longer runway for a better user experience. I don’t want to end up with a device that’s like the iPad 2 running iOS 9, i. e. really slowly.
For me, the watch isn’t so much an interactive device as one I glance at to get information I need. If the meeting notifications come in 5 seconds late, I wouldn’t even notice. There are features in the newer watches that would be good - such as always-on display - but I couldn’t care less about speed.

I disagree. IMHO the SE has two jobs: (1) bridge the price point gap between the Series 3 and the Series 6. Even if that makes the SE very unpopular now, it may be the rung on the price ladder that people step over for now to talk themselves into getting a Series 6 rather than a Series 3. And (2) take the spot of the Series 3 next year. So it won’t matter if the SE isn’t successful for now.
I agree that it will make sense when it replaces Series 3 at the low price point next year, but it still doesn’t make sense now. And I get its place in the marketing scheme, it is always great to have that Good-Better-Best setup, but it doesn’t make any rational sense for anyone to buy it.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
ghporter
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Sep 20, 2020, 08:58 AM
 
The problem with “get information I need” (for me, anyway) is that I need information from a lot of different sources/apps. I time things fairly frequently at work, but it takes my Series 2 watch a LONG time to bring up the timers app. It takes the various weather apps I have a LONG time to load and update. Etcetera...

Right now, I’m mostly wondering about whether the above is worth over $400 to me. And right now, it’s not. I’ve been using this one since April 2017, and aside from the bother of waiting for apps to load, it’s been rock solid.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
mindwaves
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Sep 22, 2020, 01:38 AM
 
I came close to buying an Apple Watch Series 5 last year, but didn't. Kind of want the Series 6, but probably still won't buy. I want a simple watch with a round face (so it looks like a typical watch) but with essentially no smart watch functions. I don't want oxygen tracking or sleep tracking or apps on the watch. I just want a watch with a pedometer and nice changeable watch faces with maybe a weather app, nothing else.

I will buy the first Mac with an ARM processor though. I immediately bought the iBook dual core intel systems when they were first announced. Loved it.
     
OreoCookie
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Sep 22, 2020, 05:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Right now, I’m mostly wondering about whether the above is worth over $400 to me. And right now, it’s not. I’ve been using this one since April 2017, and aside from the bother of waiting for apps to load, it’s been rock solid.
I’m really tempted, not by a single function, but by the whole package as well as cellular connectivity. On longer bike rides I could leave my phone at home and just put my Apple Watch on. Plus, I could use its heart rate sensor and feed it to my cycling computer (I believe there is an app for that). My wife has really gotten to love her Series 3, the more sports she does, the more she loves it. She became addicted to closing circles and the like.
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OreoCookie
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Sep 22, 2020, 05:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Right now, I’m mostly wondering about whether the above is worth over $400 to me. And right now, it’s not. I’ve been using this one since April 2017, and aside from the bother of waiting for apps to load, it’s been rock solid.
I’m really tempted, not by a single function, but by the whole package as well as cellular connectivity. Even on longer bike rides I could leave my phone at home and just put my Apple Watch on. Plus, I could use its heart rate sensor and feed it to my cycling computer (I believe there is an app for that); I currently have a chest strap sensor, and while I have gotten used to it, I think I prefer an optical heart rate sensor on a watch. My wife has really gotten to love her Series 3, the more sports she does, the more she loves it. She became addicted to closing circles.
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turtle777
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Sep 22, 2020, 10:51 AM
 
Problem is, the cellular Watch Series 5 has shitty battery life. With decent usage, you will run out of juice during the day. That's just unacceptable.

I have not bought any Apple Watch yet, solely due to battery runtime.
I want a stated 2 day life, so I get a guaranteed 1 day battery life. Having to recharge during the day is a deal breaker.

-t
     
P
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Sep 24, 2020, 08:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Problem is, the cellular Watch Series 5 has shitty battery life. With decent usage, you will run out of juice during the day. That's just unacceptable.

I have not bought any Apple Watch yet, solely due to battery runtime.
I want a stated 2 day life, so I get a guaranteed 1 day battery life. Having to recharge during the day is a deal breaker.
My Series 3 gets me almost 3 days if I don't charge it, and I got a small power bank/charger that can top it up. That gets me to more than a week. That is the one without cellular, though. I believe the cellular variants draw a lot more. There is a difference in how close it is to the phone - if the phone is close by, it draws next to nothing, but if it has to go to Wifi, power draw goes up.

Note also that the Series 3 42 mm has a battery that is about 10% larger than the Series 6 44mm (341 mAh vs. 304 mAh). All other variants (Series 4 and 5 and the 40mm size) are even smaller battery. Add in that the bigger display draws more power and the always-on display for the 5 and 6, and I can well believe that the Series 5 in particular is borderline.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
reader50
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Sep 24, 2020, 12:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
I believe the cellular variants draw a lot more.
Distance from the cellular tower also matters a lot. Phones transmit at higher power levels when farther from the tower. My basic cell phone (not a smartphone) lasts ~1.5 days on a charge at home. Visit relatives in a city, and it goes at least a week. They must live near a tower.
     
Thorzdad  (op)
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Sep 24, 2020, 02:46 PM
 
Per the iFixit teardown, the battery in the new Watch is just a bit larger.
     
turtle777
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Sep 24, 2020, 09:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
My Series 3 gets me almost 3 days if I don't charge it, and I got a small power bank/charger that can top it up. That gets me to more than a week. That is the one without cellular, though. I believe the cellular variants draw a lot more. There is a difference in how close it is to the phone - if the phone is close by, it draws next to nothing, but if it has to go to Wifi, power draw goes up.

Note also that the Series 3 42 mm has a battery that is about 10% larger than the Series 6 44mm (341 mAh vs. 304 mAh). All other variants (Series 4 and 5 and the 40mm size) are even smaller battery. Add in that the bigger display draws more power and the always-on display for the 5 and 6, and I can well believe that the Series 5 in particular is borderline.
Yeah, and "always on" feature draws a lot of battery, too.
But I don't want a digital watch w/o always on. Just feels weird.

Waiting for Series 7 with better battery life.

-t
     
P
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Sep 25, 2020, 10:37 AM
 
Originally Posted by Thorzdad View Post
Per the iFixit teardown, the battery in the new Watch is just a bit larger.
Series 6 is a little larger than Series 5, yes, but it is still far below Series 3.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Sep 26, 2020, 09:57 AM
 
Per GSMarena:
Series 6: 265.9 mAh / 303.8 mAh
Series 5: 245 mAh / 296 mAh
Series 4: 225 mAh / 292 mAh
Series 3: 279 mAh / 341 mAh
Series 2: 273 mAh / 334 mAh
Series 1/0: 205 mAh / 250 mAh

Series 4, 5, and 6 all have smaller batteries than either Series 2 or 3.

No data on the Apple Watch SE yet.
     
   
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