Don't get me wrong and I think maybe its a good thing. But, with each product launch over the past 3 to 4 years, I have been underwhelmed. And it shows in my current lineup:
The features that differentiate it like Stage Manager are turned off on the demo units. But even when you turn that on, it feels disconnected. The lack of fit and finish for instance is so obvious. The Settings app shows a weird blocky mode and does not support the floating interface like apps themselves. The lack of free form of your apps makes the interface feels disjointed and tacked on. The OS does try its best to make working apps in sets of two look and work usable and you really have to make the accommodation for this. Apple probably should have just enabled showing the dock on screen always; it would have been a better option in my opinion.
So far, Stage Manager seems to make more sense on a MacBook with a large enough screen such as the 16 in MacBook Pro. I tried it on one of the Store iMacs and it felt awkward to use with a mouse. But I find it quite enjoyable on the 16 inch MacBook Pro. Grouping apps like Music/Photos, Safari/News, Word/Notes/Excel, Finder window/Settings made it fun to easily multi-task.
But going back to my original issue, which is the visit to see new hardware, I compare what I have like the iPhone X with the iPhone 14 Pro/Max and just don't get the drive or desire to upgrade. Yeah, I know it will take nicer photos and videos, but to be honest, what I'm getting out of the photos and videos now on the iPhone X don't seem to be a disappointment.
The Apple Watch is another perfect example of how Apple's very own hardware can paint itself into a corner. My Series 3 even though it no longer gets updates tells the time, I can measure my heart pulse, glance at notifications, respond to text or quickly check the weather; or even make and receive phone calls if I so choose. Its not slow either and feels just as responsive as the day I bought it. The Watch just might be the first device I do upgrade if and when I do. But the fact that the Series 5, 6, 7, 8 or Ultra has not motivated me to part with cash again speaks to how quickly an Apple presentation wares off.
One device I always use every time I visit is the AirPods Max, they are just amazing and immersive! But, are they worth the $499 for what feels like an occasional moment of bliss? My Beats Solo I found in the garbage two years ago seem to be satisfactory enough for me to keep using it too. AirPods Pro as much as they are everywhere have not pulled me in yet not to mention the batteries dying a couple years later does sound like good value for money.
The conclusion here is there is nothing in any of Apple's current lineup that really pulls you in. Sure, they look great, they work great for the most part, but that must have feeling seems to have died or faded somewhere for me. The 2020 M1 MBP is my most recent Apple purchase and I love it and use it everyday. The battery life and performance is what pulled me in even though my Early 2015 MacBook Pro was still fully supported and doing most of what I wanted for it; especially at the height of the pandemic where it was mostly stationary.
Maybe I need to start mountain climbing, go to more cafe's, find more eclectic friends to vogue with for ultra wide photos, start making independent films, study graphic design and go to the park where I find inspiration to lay in the grass and create sketches using my Apple Pencil and FaceTime more with family, friends and co-workers.
But are the quality of life improvements offered in these new generation of products worth it to upgrade? I just don't think so. Then again, this might just be a first world problem.
- 2020 M1 MacBook Pro
- iPhone X
- Apple Watch Series 3
- 2017 iPad Pro 12.9
- Beats Solo
The features that differentiate it like Stage Manager are turned off on the demo units. But even when you turn that on, it feels disconnected. The lack of fit and finish for instance is so obvious. The Settings app shows a weird blocky mode and does not support the floating interface like apps themselves. The lack of free form of your apps makes the interface feels disjointed and tacked on. The OS does try its best to make working apps in sets of two look and work usable and you really have to make the accommodation for this. Apple probably should have just enabled showing the dock on screen always; it would have been a better option in my opinion.
So far, Stage Manager seems to make more sense on a MacBook with a large enough screen such as the 16 in MacBook Pro. I tried it on one of the Store iMacs and it felt awkward to use with a mouse. But I find it quite enjoyable on the 16 inch MacBook Pro. Grouping apps like Music/Photos, Safari/News, Word/Notes/Excel, Finder window/Settings made it fun to easily multi-task.
But going back to my original issue, which is the visit to see new hardware, I compare what I have like the iPhone X with the iPhone 14 Pro/Max and just don't get the drive or desire to upgrade. Yeah, I know it will take nicer photos and videos, but to be honest, what I'm getting out of the photos and videos now on the iPhone X don't seem to be a disappointment.
The Apple Watch is another perfect example of how Apple's very own hardware can paint itself into a corner. My Series 3 even though it no longer gets updates tells the time, I can measure my heart pulse, glance at notifications, respond to text or quickly check the weather; or even make and receive phone calls if I so choose. Its not slow either and feels just as responsive as the day I bought it. The Watch just might be the first device I do upgrade if and when I do. But the fact that the Series 5, 6, 7, 8 or Ultra has not motivated me to part with cash again speaks to how quickly an Apple presentation wares off.
One device I always use every time I visit is the AirPods Max, they are just amazing and immersive! But, are they worth the $499 for what feels like an occasional moment of bliss? My Beats Solo I found in the garbage two years ago seem to be satisfactory enough for me to keep using it too. AirPods Pro as much as they are everywhere have not pulled me in yet not to mention the batteries dying a couple years later does sound like good value for money.
The conclusion here is there is nothing in any of Apple's current lineup that really pulls you in. Sure, they look great, they work great for the most part, but that must have feeling seems to have died or faded somewhere for me. The 2020 M1 MBP is my most recent Apple purchase and I love it and use it everyday. The battery life and performance is what pulled me in even though my Early 2015 MacBook Pro was still fully supported and doing most of what I wanted for it; especially at the height of the pandemic where it was mostly stationary.
Maybe I need to start mountain climbing, go to more cafe's, find more eclectic friends to vogue with for ultra wide photos, start making independent films, study graphic design and go to the park where I find inspiration to lay in the grass and create sketches using my Apple Pencil and FaceTime more with family, friends and co-workers.
But are the quality of life improvements offered in these new generation of products worth it to upgrade? I just don't think so. Then again, this might just be a first world problem.