PCMag: Apple Is Ready to Ditch the Mac

I use the new iPad to show multimedia projects to clients. Everyone comes with their laptops to the meeting and I have an iPad with a keyboard.
I don't like to take laptops with me in the field because clients think I can just do work in their office.
Work only happens back at the office on my Mac Pro.

So the iPad is just for showing (media consumption) and you still need a Mac for any real work.
 
This commercial just show how kids today are Entitled.
I want the 200$ sneakers, I want a iwatch....I want a 1000$ ipad pro with keyboard.

Hells to the NO!

The way kids treat stuff best I can see is a HP stream maybe.
If you can do school work on it and can be replaced 5 times over done.
 
This commercial just show how kids today are Entitled.
I want the 200$ sneakers, I want a iwatch....I want a 1000$ ipad pro with keyboard.

Hells to the NO!

The way kids treat stuff best I can see is a HP stream maybe.
If you can do school work on it and can be replaced 5 times over done.
Really? I guess you could gather that.

I saw a little girl allowed to traverse the urban area with no supervision and the ipad represents as the “gift to keep the kid away”
 
Except for the fact that you cannot write Apps for iOS without a Mac somewhere in your development workflow.
Yeah, I wondered about that too, and came to the comments thread to see if anyone had anything to say about it. I can easily believe that Apple will drop the Mac line, except for this. Maybe Apple will release official iOS dev tools for Windows? Or Linux, perhaps more likely?
 
Seems short sighted to me. Mac lovers are die hard loyal users. They're probably already pissed off that the Mac takes a backseat to new ipad's and iphones, while PC hardware just gets better and better. Apple should probably just license the MacOS off to a standalone product at this point... I mean the hardware is basically wintel anyway.

I bet if Apple sold a standalone version of MacOS for $299 that would run on Intel hardware it would fly off the (digital) shelves. If they truly don't care about Mac hardware any more, I don't see a reason for them not to do it.

ipad's and tablets are cool for media consumption, but no one should confuse them for an actual productive computer.

edit - knowing Apple, they would charge $499 for it. Why just fleece your customers when you can just bend them over and really have at it? And they will keep coming back for more.
 
I actually thought the ad was more effective than some bullshit about Paint 3D....
 
Am I the only one irrationally irritated when that kid says "What's a computer?" and without hesitation moves back to working without contemplating for a second what the woman is asking?

Yeah, that commercial irritates me too. Its more of a sign of times really. Kids these days hear but they don't listen.
 
I thought that commercial was kind of mean. Making fun of how stupid Millennial's are is fun but you shouldn't make a commercial about it.
 
Sounds like bullshit as the mac is still a source of revenue and status generating solution.
 
John Dvorak of PCMag believes that the Mac will be phased out and the whole line will be replaced by iPads. Part of his thinking is based on the latest Apple commercial for the iPad Pro, which highlights Apple's attitude towards computers: a little girl rejects the notion of a computer itself and thus separates an iOS device from everything you think of as a PC.

What does this say about the Macintosh? I'm seeing the parallel with the Apple II and "Apple II Forever" extravaganza. It's the end of the line. Apple mentions the Mac less and less at its big events. The company knows that the machine is a drain on resources that detracts from its new core business, iOS and its mobile devices.
Total BS. I want an upgraded MacBook.
 
Are they really trying to shift the market or just throwing the white flag to the PC?

Hipsters need only apply!
 
LoL @ Dvorak. He sees a commercial and thinks it's the end of the Mac. Apple isn't stupid, and they certainly aren't going to kill off the Mac line. In marketing, they don't want people to think of "computer" but instead think of "Apple." They've always done this, but Dvorak's opinion pieces haven't been worth much lately, and his most of his predictions of late turn out hilariously wrong.
 
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Just look at PC laptops on the market. Are we seeing less and less of laptops? Get a hint, Apple, before you shoot your own foot.
 
The iPad is great for consuming and interacting with content. Until it gains way more ports it will not replace a laptop. Now if you add 4 usb c ports then it really could work. My iPad pros are so fast, smooth (120hz), and reliable.
 
This doesn't make much sense. Looks at Apple's quarterly reports showing revenue. While Mac's are not commanding the lion's share of revenue (and profits - iPhone is the winner), Mac's are nothing to sneeze at. If this number falls and becomes unprofitable, sure, then the Mac would be at risk.
Apple also requires a compiler to have software written for iOS. Could Xcode be ported to an iPad? Eventually - but imagine a software developer trying to work on it it. It would suck. They could also port Xcode to Linux or Windows - although it would probably be quite a bit of work.
I could see a future in which Apple starts making more of their chips used by Macs. Right now, Intel supplies the CPU and they usually use Radeon's for GPU (or use the GPU in Intel processors for lower end Macs). The problem with this vendor strategy is you become reliant on a vendors roadmap.
 
I reject the notion that an iPad can do everything. Trying to actually be productive and generating a final product is impossible on one. Getting an idea down or other basic tasks are nice but can be done equally on a phone.
I agree. I only use tablets when I'm traveling on a plane - I watch movies or play games on them. I don't like them for much else. (I've used them all). Nothing replaces a real computer for getting work done (at least my line of work).
 
In a way the mac desktop is just a giant throwaway tablet nowadays anyhow. But, certainly higher margins for Apple. So, would think they'd keep it as long as people are dumb enough to keep buying it. IMHO, will probably outlast it's disposable tablet brethren, but I see little difference. Let Apple be Apple.
 
I use the new iPad to show multimedia projects to clients. Everyone comes with their laptops to the meeting and I have an iPad with a keyboard.
It immediately becomes a topic of conversation and some consider to do the same. To interact with media via touch really increases the value of my work, because that's how most people interact with rich media these days.

iPads are instant on, with LTE and virtually not slowdown.

I don't like to take laptops with me in the field because clients think I can just do work in their office.
Work only happens back at the office on my Mac Pro.

This is an interesting use case. When my customers see me they expect me to have the tools needed to do my job. Can I assume you are performing some sort of sales task when meeting with customers?

When I did IT seems like about a half day each week was sorting out some salesperson's laptop so they could do demos at a customers location. Had iPads been up to the task at the time they could have been ideal as something salespeople couldn't fuck up.

PC users aren't knowledgeable because the majority buy pre-built systems and seek GeekSquad like help to fix simple issues.

That same comment could truthfully be said about the Genius bar right?
Ignorant users seem to be the same regardless of the product IMO. Things get broken in idiotic ways Mac, Windows, or Chromebook.

Elitism based off of product choice doesn't really make sense to me. There are dumbasses in every price bracket.

But back to the commercial, marketing is all about the lowest common denominator. Seems like the ad captures the ignorant-but-entitled demographic perfectly. I hope they sell great, doesn't affect my purchasing practices. Same as all those commercials for upcoming football games. They're getting a message to the people that need or want it, didn't mean I've got to watch sportsball.
 
I've been saying this for a while.

Computers represent 3-4% of their gross revenue based on the shareholder report my brother and I read over on Thanksgiving break.

I would expect that the basic college student 13" MacBook is a Lion's share of that.

The hardware and ongoing macos development is probably similarly expensive to mobile hardware and iOS development, with far less revenue/profit potential.

I think they will drop the Mac pro and the Mac mini. Then they will scale back to limited iMac options and combine the MacBook, MacBook air, and 13" pro into a single laptop, and drop the 15" as they did the 17".

Then a few years in go to app development on the iPad and drop the computers.

Apple seems to be chasing it's tail and not sure what to do these days with it's Mac line up. They wanted to kill off the Mac mini and Mac Pro 2+ years ago but never did but It wouldn't surprise me if the did kill off the Mac lines and stick with just their phone and IPad due to ROI on these devices compared to the MAC line ups.
They have almost complete control of the owner ship on the hardware for their ARM devices unlike the MACs . They could be starting to jump the gun and hoping for their ARM setup to will catch up to the x86 architecture sooner than later. Errr
Apple Is good at killing off stuff even if it's making them some $... they did Kill off their Xserver , G5's G line up of Pro workstations and their Monitors ... forcing their core fans / users to switch to IMacs and MacBooks.

Anyway If they do kill the off the MAC I feel for a lot of Startup companies in The SF Bay area, I also laugh at them over this too, because there are a lot of start up firms that are running exclusively Mac only shops thinking that they cam build a large work force with Mac only hardware.
 
because there are a lot of start up firms that are running exclusively Mac only shops thinking that they cam build a large work force with Mac only hardware.

Are you implying that you need Windows hardware to build a large 'work force'?
 
"Why aren't there any women it tech?"

...

"What's a computer?"

Yes people, it's magic. That's how these things just werk... The ghost of Steve Jobs fats and out comes new products.
 
Are you implying that you need Windows hardware to build a large 'work force'?
Yes and no... yes = What I'm saying is You can't go full on Enterprise running your company exclusively or 80% or higher on Mac and Apple alone.
No = I never mentioned Windows in my post. You automatically assumed Windows.
If you are running Enterprise you are best off Running it as a mix environment. Windows as your main base for users , System backend Linux Unix and Windows and if needed some groups Mac.
 
It is the time of tablets flat lining and Apple's pushing Ipads welcome back to 2011. Dvorak needs to retire posting such garbage....
 
Writing has been on the wall since they changed the name of the company to just "Apple Inc."

I don't expect the Mac to go away overnight, I do expect iPad and Mac lines to continue to blur. The desktop lines will be the first to go (you could make the case they are already gone, looking at the update cycles for the Mac Pro and Mini), the laptop line has been much more successful - it will continue to stick around for a good while longer. I do not expect that it will just go over to iPad form factor, as that hasn't really been steady growth like they would have liked, but I expect Macbook and iPad lines to start to converge into some new hybrid form factor that eventually replaces both.

Once you see integration of iOS/OSX (able to cross-run apps from either ecosystem), that's when the switchover will be imminent.
 
Wow, what an obvious lack of understanding a market. As long as people will continue to overpay for a product, that product will continue to be made, and sold. If Apple doesn't make it, someone else will.
 
Yes and no... yes = What I'm saying is You can't go full on Enterprise running your company exclusively or 80% or higher on Mac and Apple alone.
No = I never mentioned Windows in my post. You automatically assumed Windows.
If you are running Enterprise you are best off Running it as a mix environment. Windows as your main base for users , System backend Linux Unix and Windows and if needed some groups Mac.

I know plenty of businesses that run Linux servers with Mac frontends. The biggest issue is that sysadmin's aren't really sysadmin's anymore and can't handle anything but Windows frontends.
 
Wow, what an obvious lack of understanding a market. As long as people will continue to overpay for a product, that product will continue to be made, and sold. If Apple doesn't make it, someone else will.


Palm and Blackberry both had the smart phone/PDA business wrapped up tight and the market essentially all to themselves, until Apple disrupted it.

Creative and iRiver pretty much had the MP3 player market all to themselves, until Apple disrupted it.

Microsoft pretty much had the tablet market all to themselves, until Apple disrupted it.

Apple doesn't create a lot of these products, they just refine the entire consumer experience of owning one. And they charge a very premium price to do it, but lots of people consider it worth while.

And if you look, many of those product lines were never capable of demanding a premium price, until Apple came around and redefined the market for it.

If Apple pulls out of a market, it isn't because the products are selling well and they just want to change direction - obviously Apple will continue to make whatever it is as long as there is demand. It's because something has shifted - if Apple pulls out of the PC market, that does mean there's more room for other players, I suppose, but it also is a strong indicator that the PC market just isn't all that big any more. Just like the iPod - Apple killed that because phones have by and large replaced the need for a dedicated music player. And the floppy drive, which was killed by USB and online storage. And as much as you and I may disagree - Apple may well kill their PC because their phone/tablet division is by and large capable of replacing their need as well -- but not until they get to that point.

Come to think of it I can only think of one other company that is nearly as successful at making consumers overpay for what other companies can offer. That would be Dyson.
 
Come to think of it I can only think of one other company that is nearly as successful at making consumers overpay for what other companies can offer. That would be Dyson.
Oh, you forgot; every jeweler who sells diamonds! I don't know which chains you have near you, but we have a few who the ladies like to steer their boyfriends towards so they can pay more for the rock from Jared or whatever company. And how about Tiffany? The sight of the box alone can make panties drop.
 
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