Apple To Cut iPhone Production By 10%: Nikkei (nikkei.com)

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Apple To Cut iPhone Production By 10%: Nikkei (nikkei.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Friday December 30, 2016 @10:20AM from the slice-and-dice dept.

A new report from Nikkei Asian Review says that Apple will cut iPhone production by around 10% in the first quarter of 2017. From the report: This comes after the company slashed output in January-March 2016 due to accumulated inventory of the iPhone 6s line at the end of 2015. That experience led Apple to curb production of the iPhone 7, introduced in September, by around 20%. But the phones still have sold more sluggishly than expected. Information on production of the latest models and global sales suggests cuts in both the 7 and 7 Plus lines in the coming quarter. The larger iPhone 7 Plus, which features two cameras on its back face, remains popular. But a shortage of camera sensors has curbed Apple's ability to meet demand for the phones. U.S. research company IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments in 2016 on par with the 2015 level. Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device.

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Cell phones are reaching the saturation point by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:23 · Score: 0

No one needs a new phone every year or even ever two.
Everyone has one and few need a new one.
1. Re:Cell phones are reaching the saturation point by unixisc · 2016-12-30 13:34 · Score: 1
  
  More precisely, cellphones have reached the sweet spot in terms of features. I had a 5s, which had just 16GB of storage, and therefore limited. I gave that to my niece and upgraded to a 7 w/ 128GB. I won't need to upgrade again.
2. Re:Cell phones are reaching the saturation point by hambone142 · 2016-12-30 14:48 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  No one gives a shit about the next Apple phone that is bigger, smaller or thinner.
  It's still just a phone.
  Learn some new tricks. The old ones are getting worn out and Apple has lack of innovation.
  Similar to HP milking the ink business for decades.
  Disruptive technology is sorely-needed by Apple again.
3. Re: Cell phones are reaching the saturation point by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 19:57 · Score: 0
  
  Apple, Samsung, LG, etc. it doesn't matter. They are all boring and having done anything notable for at least a couple years.
  Oh, a bigger screen. Oh, higher dpi. Oh, a faster processor. Yawn...
Anonymous Courage by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:23 · Score: 0

Something something courage
Who could have guessed... by Stormwatch · 2016-12-30 10:27 · Score: 1, Troll

Who could have guessed: removing features from a product does not make it more appealing! Shocking, I know.

--
Circumcision is child abuse.
1. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:45 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  It's not just that, it's that they didn't add anything. Well, not nothing, they only added something to the iPhone 7 Plus with the dual-camera thingy. But that isn't very compelling since most people who take pictures with their cell phone take selfies with the front-facing camera, which means they upgraded the wrong camera.
  Ignoring things they removed, the iPhone 7 is just an iPhone 6s. Then when you realize that the differences are all in things they removed (the obvious removal of the headphone jack, the less-obvious needless redesign on the camera bump designed solely to ensure iPhone 6/6s cases doesn't fit on the 7 since the camera is otherwise identical, the less obvious change from a physical home button to a software one that doesn't work with gloves, or randomly just at all), yeah, it becomes obvious.
  The problem isn't (just) that they removed a useful feature, it's that there's nothing new to make up for that lost feature. The AirPods work with existing iPhones: they're just bluetooth earbuds. The dual camera is nothing special, and the camera on the Pixel and enough other Android phones is better that when Consumer Reports did their smart phone camera round-up, they didn't include the iPhone because it was too bad to be worth testing. In fact the iPhone takes some of the worst pictures of any "flagship" smart phone!
  And it's not just the iPhone, Apple has managed to enter a period where the Mac fan recommendation on every product is "wait." The Mac Pro and Mac Mini are obvious because they haven't been updated in years. iPhone 7 is obvious. The Apple TV is waiting for a 4K upgrade. The iMac needs an upgrade. The Apple Watch is a disaster that Apple should have abandoned immediately. They killed their home router line. There's literally no Apple product worth buying right now.
2. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 10:58 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Who could have guessed: removing features from a product does not make it more appealing! Shocking, I know.
  Apparently, neither does adding or improving features (7 Plus compared with the 6s Plus) :
  
  MUCH improved CPU (Quad Core, vs. Dual Core for 6s Plus), and MUCH faster, too (40% faster than the 6s Plus). Fastest CPU in the mobile industry
  MUCH improved GPU (50% faster than the 6s Plus). Fastest GPU in the mobile industry
  More RAM (3 GB, as opposed to the 2 GB on the 6s Plus)
  Faster Cellular MODEM (depending on model) (4G Speeds up to 450 Mbps vs. 300 Mbps for the 6s Plus)
  MUCH improved water-resistance. Now IP67 rated (and easily beats that spec in real-world tests).
  Home-button no longer mechanical. (Annoying breaking-point before)
  MUCH improved and DUAL cameras, with better low-light sensitivity, ability to do pseudo depth-mapping, and 2 x optical zoom and 10 digital zoom. 4k rear, 1080p front video recording, vs. 6s Plus 720p recording on front camera. Better flash, too.
  MUCH improved Bluetooth from the industry-leading Apple W1 chip (backwards-compatible w/std. BT also)
  Stereo Speakers
  Extended Battery Life (over 1 hour more vs. the 6s Plus).
  Twice the maximum storage (up to 256 GB vs. the 6s Plus 128 GB max). 25% Brighter Display (over the 6s Plus), with wide (P3) color gamut
  ...and that's just from one model-year to the next!
  
  And yet, all people want to do is bitch about a damn headphone jack...
  
  Yeah, nothing new to see here, move along.
3. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 11:03 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  And yet in any test that compares Android phones to the iPhone, Android phones still blow it completely out of the water.
  Want the fastest phone, with the best specs, and the best camera? You're looking for an Android.
  Want the best value for money? Guess what, you want an Android!
  Want a phone you can listen to music on without having to shell out $170 for new headphones? Also Android!
  There's an Android phone that meets everyone's needs. The iPhone, on the other hand, is stuck trying to appeal to some baseline of what Cupertino thinks people want in a cell phone, and therefore ends up basically meeting no one's needs.
4. Re:Who could have guessed... by gravewax · 2016-12-30 11:04 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Most of that the average consumer doesn't give a shit about, however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters. The average person would look at your list and say well their are no upgrades there for me at all. The 6s is more than fast enough for most people, graphics are fine and while water resistence is nice it is hardly a killer feature. Improved dual cameras is really the only step up for the selfie obsessed average user. It is not enough to simply incrementally improve a device when you want someone to spend the best part of a Grand year to year on upgrades.
5. Re:Who could have guessed... by willoughby · 2016-12-30 11:14 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Well, just goes to show how important to people that headphone jack was, doesn't it?
6. Re:Who could have guessed... by SuperKendall · 2016-12-30 11:18 · Score: 1
  
  , however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters.
  They can do that out of the box with the iPhone 7; it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.
  
  --
  "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
7. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 11:22 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.
  Do I have to spell it out for you?
  OK, see, here's this amazingly common use case. I go to work, and decide I want to listen to music I've got on my phone. But I work in a building with shitty cell reception due to the fact that it's a giant metal box and the closest tower is miles away. This means I want to plug in my phone, while having my headphones plugged in, AT THE SAME TIME.
  Get it?
  Charge AND listen to music.
  At the same time.
  Like literally every other phone except the iPhone 7 is capable of.
  It's a pretty common use case.
8. Re:Who could have guessed... by gravewax · 2016-12-30 11:30 · Score: 2
  
  sweet, I did not realise they included an adapter that allows both charging and headphones at the same time. This was the blocker that prevented my wife from upgrading as she had to be able to do both.
9. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 11:42 · Score: 0
  
  Hey, TheFakeTimCook, you are the prime example of the new cool thing of the day - The Fake News!
10. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2016-12-30 11:48 · Score: 1
  
  it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.
  Yeah it's great, now I need to carry an adapter with me when I go between work and home. Well at least I can still charge wirelessly. Or not.
11. Re:Who could have guessed... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  Meanwhile the iPhone continues its slide to irrelevancy as it approaches single-digit market share (apparently accelerating, given the cut in projected production).
  PS: if Apple wanted to provide "industry leading" Bluetooth, they'd support AptX (like they do on Macs and Apple TVs) in the iPhone. But they don't. So they don't provide "industry leading" Bluetooth functionality at all as they do not have a high quality, low latency, or lossless Bluetooth audio solution (all of which are available with AptX).
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
12. Re:Who could have guessed... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 11:51 · Score: 1
  
  Note that the Apple iPhone Accessory Spec specifically prohibits you from making a cable (or small dongle - there are minimum sizes listed) that could provide charging and audio at the same time. Yes, Apple BANS 3rd parties from providing you with a solution. But you can buy a large (1/3rd the size of the phone) hub from Apple and do it. Which I guess is convenient?
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
13. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 12:00 · Score: 0
  
  And yet in any test that compares Android phones to the iPhone, Android phones still blow
  Fixed that for you.
14. Re:Who could have guessed... by amiga3D · 2016-12-30 12:43 · Score: 1
  
  I'd love an iPhone with a removable battery, microSD slot, headphone jack and that wasn't so thin I have to worry about bending it. Instead I have a Samsung S5 Activ which I guess I'll hang onto for another year or two.
15. Re:Who could have guessed... by rtb61 · 2016-12-30 13:16 · Score: 1
  
  People are simply keeping phones longer. Apple has it share and Android of various flavours had their share and M$ has fuck all. The reason people are keeping phones longer are, they are simply good enough and do not need replacing and the advertisement that drive egoistic purchases lack the same bite and everyone who wanted to replace a losephone (calling a winphone would be a lie) has done so. Market saturation was inevitable. So time to jump to new markets, Big Screen Computers with tablet remotes (thanks to M$ no cameras or microphones that can not be specifically manual disconnected because no one trust corporations to mind their privacy any more, they are all sliding right into not to be trusted perve categories and you just do not know how they will use that information against for what ever reason they choose, to destroy credit ratings, eliminate job prospects, refuse loans, put you on government watch lists, not just companies but their individual employees and executives, lots of sick fuckers all over the place).
  
  --
  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
16. Re:Who could have guessed... by SuperKendall · 2016-12-30 13:39 · Score: 0
  
  AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.
  I have literally not done that ever. I plug in my phone at night, I use headphones during the day... or I have the phone attached to my car via USB cable, which routes audio.
  Do I have to spell this out for you?
  If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple solutions.
  Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?
  
  --
  "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
17. Re:Who could have guessed... by gravewax · 2016-12-30 14:07 · Score: 1
  
  well fuck that, my wife will simply wait for something else, she was already eyeing a Galaxy 7, but wanted to wait till next version now. However rumors are that Samsung may do away with the jack as well which would also make it a non starter
18. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 14:23 · Score: 1
  
  Most of that the average consumer doesn't give a shit about, however their music and ability to plug in their expensive headphones and charge the phone matters. The average person would look at your list and say well their are no upgrades there for me at all. The 6s is more than fast enough for most people, graphics are fine and while water resistence is nice it is hardly a killer feature. Improved dual cameras is really the only step up for the selfie obsessed average user. It is not enough to simply incrementally improve a device when you want someone to spend the best part of a Grand year to year on upgrades.
  No. What you really mean is stuff YOU don't care about.
  
  There's likely a difference.
19. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 14:28 · Score: 1
  
  Note that the Apple iPhone Accessory Spec specifically prohibits you from making a cable (or small dongle - there are minimum sizes listed) that could provide charging and audio at the same time. Yes, Apple BANS 3rd parties from providing you with a solution. But you can buy a large (1/3rd the size of the phone) hub from Apple and do it. Which I guess is convenient?
  Give it a rest.
  
  Amazon sells about a dozen listen and charge "Y" cables. MFi be damned.
20. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 14:37 · Score: 2
  
  well fuck that, my wife will simply wait for something else, she was already eyeing a Galaxy 7, but wanted to wait till next version now. However rumors are that Samsung may do away with the jack as well which would also make it a non starter
  Go onto Amazon. There are at least a dozen charge and listen "Y" cables. MFi rules be damned. LynwoodRoister has been crowing about this "restriction" in the MFi rules for about 3 months now. Meanwhile, thousands of Y cables have been openly sold on Amazon.
  
  So, if that's what's the holdup, check out Amazon, and pick yourself up a cable like this one.
21. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 14:58 · Score: 1
  
  Well, just goes to show how important to people that headphone jack was, doesn't it?
  Actually, I think it is the same thing that is plaguing the PC and tablet markets, too. That being, although the improvements are significant year-over-year, most people by this time have something that is meeting their needs "good enough". That is every OEM's dilemma; not just Apple's.
22. Re:Who could have guessed... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 15:01 · Score: 1
  
  MFi - yes, MFi be damned. Until Apple flips the "only legit MFi chips" bit in software and your cable no longer works. Apple doesn't want you to make easy-to-use cables. They still restrict 3rd parties from making USB-C to Lightning cables (Apple exclusive, you know!). But hey - you love it when Apple dictates what can be made as accessories for iPhones, and what you - the common consumer - is allowed to buy...
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
23. Re:Who could have guessed... by Pulzar · 2016-12-30 15:02 · Score: 1
  
  If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple solutions.
  Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?
  I don't know, considering that most reviews for those solutions are "it sucks", "it doesn't work", etc., the kickstarter campaign for one of them is suspended, and the $40 gigantic belkin adapter actually needs a second adapter on top of it to plug in headphones... "bald faced lie" seems a bit strong.
  Yeah, it's possible, but for more money, much more bulkiness to carry around, and, it seems, a lot of luck.
  BTW, I also keep my phone plugged in while listening to music pretty much all the time -- in car or at work. The only time I don't is when I'm going for a walk. I see a lot of people at work doing the same. I doubt that it's that much of a rarity.
  
  --
  Never underestimate the bandwidth of a 747 filled with CD-ROMs.
24. Re:Who could have guessed... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 15:03 · Score: 1
  
  Can you show one that is actually Apple approved? Are you recommending that people use non-Apple-certified components for their iPhones, and to explicitly ignore Apple warnings for their products? In essence - proudly proclaiming that Apple is wrong?
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
25. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 15:04 · Score: 1
  
  Meanwhile the iPhone continues its slide to irrelevancy as it approaches single-digit market share (apparently accelerating, given the cut in projected production).
  PS: if Apple wanted to provide "industry leading" Bluetooth, they'd support AptX (like they do on Macs and Apple TVs) in the iPhone. But they don't. So they don't provide "industry leading" Bluetooth functionality at all as they do not have a high quality, low latency, or lossless Bluetooth audio solution (all of which are available with AptX).
  Along with licensing fees, short range, connectivity issues, and high-latency. You've tried this sales-pitch already. Do you really want to be embarrassed again?
  
  Be sure not to read any of the glowing reviews of the AirPods; so you can keep up this fantasy you've created for yourself.
26. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 22:13 · Score: 1
  
  Can you show one that is actually Apple approved? Are you recommending that people use non-Apple-certified components for their iPhones, and to explicitly ignore Apple warnings for their products? In essence - proudly proclaiming that Apple is wrong?
  Get off your high horse.
  
  What are you? The MFi Police? Apple obviously doesn't care about minor violations of the Rules; so relax.
  
  Why so Butthurt over this?
27. Re:Who could have guessed... by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-31 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  So if Apple doesn't care about MFi, why even use it? All MFi does is add a layer of additional authentication over USB. You could eliminate MFi altogether and stuff would still work. It's just a way for Apple to earn $0.50 per product, and to ensure THEY have control over what accessories are offered into the market. I guess if you like handing over more money and having someone else dictate what you are allowed to buy it's a good move, but...
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
28. Re:Who could have guessed... by gravewax · 2016-12-31 12:53 · Score: 1
  
  Given the decrease in production and sales I would say it is stuff MOST people don't care about. My wife certainly doesn't the only thing on that list she cares about is the improved camera, but that is trumped by not being able to charge and use headphone jack at same time.
29. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-01 16:11 · Score: 1
  
  So if Apple doesn't care about MFi, why even use it? All MFi does is add a layer of additional authentication over USB. You could eliminate MFi altogether and stuff would still work. It's just a way for Apple to earn $0.50 per product, and to ensure THEY have control over what accessories are offered into the market. I guess if you like handing over more money and having someone else dictate what you are allowed to buy it's a good move, but...
  I think if USB-C had come out a year or two earlier, Lightning would have never existed. But it didn't and so it does.
  
  But I really think that Apple would just as soon transition to USB-C at this point, and Lightning will likely be eliminated on new products by the iPhone 8 at the latest. Therefore, I frankly think Apple has list interest in the MFi Program in general. They certainly don't need the licensing fees, and it make little sense to be draconian about a program you are about to kill.
30. Re:Who could have guessed... by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-01 16:13 · Score: 1
  
  Given the decrease in production and sales I would say it is stuff MOST people don't care about. My wife certainly doesn't the only thing on that list she cares about is the improved camera, but that is trumped by not being able to charge and use headphone jack at same time.
  Solved by a $6 cable.
31. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 06:18 · Score: 1
  
  And yet in any test that compares Android phones to the iPhone, Android phones still blow it completely out of the water.
  Coincidence that these test always come out a month before Apple releases their new phone? And "blow it completely out of the water" translates to "comes somewhat near".
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
32. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 06:24 · Score: 1
  
  AND CHARGE THEIR PHONE AT THE SAME TIME.
  Do I have to spell it out for you?
  It would be enough to be right. You fail.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
33. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 07:03 · Score: 1
  
  If you really, really need to charge at the same time there are already multiple solutions.
  Since the original post said it could not be done - well, the word "bald faced lie" is really not too strong, now is it?
  I don't know, considering that most reviews for those solutions are "it sucks", "it doesn't work", etc., the kickstarter campaign for one of them is suspended, and the $40 gigantic belkin adapter actually needs a second adapter on top of it to plug in headphones... "bald faced lie" seems a bit strong.
  Yeah, it's possible, but for more money, much more bulkiness to carry around, and, it seems, a lot of luck.
  BTW, I also keep my phone plugged in while listening to music pretty much all the time -- in car or at work. The only time I don't is when I'm going for a walk. I see a lot of people at work doing the same. I doubt that it's that much of a rarity.
  I call your bullshit, and raise you two reality checks. For one, using Bluetooth headphones work just fine while charging an iPhone 7 (Plus). And considering "Charging and listening on your expensive headphone" works just fine with any Lightning-Dock sold for 1.5 years before the iPhone 7 was introduced (and most third-party variations since the introduction of the Lightning conector), you don't even have to buy a device specially made for this first world "problem".
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
34. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  Well, it should be easy to find a citation for that claim.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
35. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 07:49 · Score: 1
  
  it includes a legacy headphone jack adaptor.
  Yeah it's great, now I need to carry an adapter with me when I go between work and home.
  Or you could use one of dozens of Lightning-headphones. Are one of hundreds of Bluetooth headphones.
  
  Well at least I can still charge wirelessly. Or not.
  You can charge your phone wirelessly while you go between work and home? Or do you just restrict the boundaries of your first world problems so you can smugly blame Apple for not fixing them?
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
36. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2017-01-03 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  So what you're saying is I need to throw out all my existing headphones of which include a set of $600 Senheisers that no lightning garbage can compare to, as well as tell my company to issue me a different set of headphones at work. As for wireless charging, I think you're missing the point. At least when Samsung in it's blatant copy everything Apple does remove their headphone jack and issue you a USB-C audio adaptor I'll be able to charge my phone rather than have it sit on my desk battery draining because the only port is being used.
  Hey since you're in Amsterdam we should meet up for a coffee. I assume you're in Amsterdam anyway because the amount of weed you must have smoked to come up with your post would only be legal here.
37. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-04 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  So what you're saying is I need to throw out all my existing headphones
  No, I'm saying you are making up a first world problem.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
38. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2017-01-04 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  A first world problem is a problem experienced in the first world. If you want 3rd world problems move to some shithole. I have first world problems to deal with here which include not throwing away perfectly good electronics to appease some company's strategy for selling more Beats garbage.
39. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-05 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  A first world problem is a problem experienced in the first world. If you want 3rd world problems move to some shithole. I have first world problems to deal with here which include not throwing away perfectly good electronics to appease some company's strategy for selling more Beats garbage.
  I didn't say "having to throw away perfectly good electronics" is a good is a first world problem, I said claiming "having to throw away perfectly good electronics" is making up a first world problem.
  Just stop making shit up. It's easier than making shit up.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
40. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2017-01-05 09:06 · Score: 1
  
  Never go full retard man.
41. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-05 18:50 · Score: 1
  
  Never go full retard man.
  Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
42. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2017-01-06 11:15 · Score: 1
  
  Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.
  Keep telling yourself that man.
43. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-07 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  Because I'd end up like you. Let's face it, you can't get more retarded than your argument.
  Keep telling yourself that man.
  I'm not telling myself, I'm telling you moron. And It's getting boring.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
44. Re:Who could have guessed... by thegarbz · 2017-01-07 06:00 · Score: 1
  
  No need to tell me. You're the one who needs to convince yourself that your bullshit doesn't stink. The rest of the internet can smell it from where we sit.
45. Re:Who could have guessed... by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-07 19:04 · Score: 1
  
  Says the moron who believes he has a "high-end" Sennheiser that needs no adapter to connect to his phone. Damn marketing believing Hipsters.
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
46. Re:Who could have guessed... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-12 13:24 · Score: 0
  
  solved by a warranty voiding, unsupported $6 cable. so if something goes wrong it is more like a $1000 cable.
androids, androids, androids are on fire by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:29 · Score: 0

we dont need no iphones, let the motherfuckers burn
1. Re:androids, androids, androids are on fire by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:44 · Score: 0
  
  By fire, you mean literal fire? Or the virus type?
2. Re: androids, androids, androids are on fire by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:49 · Score: 0
  
  I mean like how it burns when I pee after I fucked your mom
But Apple still makes the most profit! by Tough+Love · 2016-12-30 10:42 · Score: 1

I wonder what the Apple cultist fallback is after that one? Hmm, maybe something along the lines of "those grapes were sour anyway".

--
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
1. Re: But Apple still makes the most profit! by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:45 · Score: 0
  
  Oh look, another web service moron who equates volume and profit, how cute
2. Re: But Apple still makes the most profit! by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:52 · Score: 0
  
  oh look another apple apologist who thinks Apple will be successful even if they don't sell anything.
3. Re:But Apple still makes the most profit! by lucm · 2016-12-30 12:05 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe next they will brag that iPhone users spend the most time "engaging" with adapters? Or that they "laser focus" on a single task at a time (since they can't listen to music and charge their phone at once)?
  
  --
  lucm, indeed.
Re:Steve Jobs by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 10:44 · Score: 2, Interesting

Apple Pay, Watch, TV, several versions of Macs, several versions of iPhones and iPads, better displays, faster SSDs, free upgrades of iOS and OSX/macOS
OH - you were being a dick. Never mind.
Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by bogaboga · 2016-12-30 10:54 · Score: 3, Insightful

Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device
While I agree that Apple hasn't really been able to introduce new features, some folks around me have ditched the iPhone for its expense. I guess they are finally "coming to their senses."
I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.
1. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 11:01 · Score: 2
  
  Even Apple has had difficulty creating appealing new features, stifling demand from customers who otherwise would look to upgrade to the latest device
  While I agree that Apple hasn't really been able to introduce new features, some folks around me have ditched the iPhone for its expense. I guess they are finally "coming to their senses."
  I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.
  Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.
2. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by vlad30 · 2016-12-30 11:18 · Score: 2
  
  This is what happens when bean counters start running the company products get expensive which no additional perceived value and they fail to recognize the value of additional "Halo" products such as the Macpro or professional laptops beyond the "meagre" sales. Add to that that many people are still happy with their iPhone 5 and even 4 I've seen around and will upgrade when it dies all leads to a fall in sales. Bean counters often don't remember history (before Steve returned) and as a result can't see the future i.e. one without the RDF
  
  --
  Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
3. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by jon3k · 2016-12-30 11:30 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.
  Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.
4. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by thegarbz · 2016-12-30 11:51 · Score: 1
  
  Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.
  And it was more of a device too having not only features that Apple removed from the iPhone line, features Apple refused to add to their devices, and features that Apple arbitrarily limit on their devices, as well as features not normally found in a phone in the first place.
5. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 11:53 · Score: 1
  
  And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5), split screen apps (two at one time on the big screen), and AptX Bluetooth (for decent audio quality, wirelessly).
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
6. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by lucm · 2016-12-30 12:08 · Score: 0
  
  I always wondered why one would pay over US$900 for something that has functionality of other devices at half the cost; and would be "obsolete" in a year.
  Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.
  The obsolescence is peer-driven. Nobody wants to be seen in a Starbucks with an iPhone 5.
  
  --
  lucm, indeed.
7. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by amiga3D · 2016-12-30 12:46 · Score: 2
  
  I doubt everyone is that shallow.
8. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by Jaegs · 2016-12-30 13:15 · Score: 1
  
  I agree. Also, I *always* sell my two-year-old iPhone for at least as much as a new subsidized one costs--I know, I know, I'm still paying for it with contract--so my out-of-pocket cost is nothing every two years, for a brand new phone.
9. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 15:06 · Score: 1
  
  Um, the GN7 "Fireball" edition was actually MORE expensive than an iPhone 7 Plus.
  And it was more of a device too having not only features that Apple removed from the iPhone line, features Apple refused to add to their devices, and features that Apple arbitrarily limit on their devices, as well as features not normally found in a phone in the first place.
  How about a list. And don't bother with the headphone jack; it's a red herring.
10. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2016-12-30 15:19 · Score: 1
  
  And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5), split screen apps (two at one time on the big screen), and AptX Bluetooth (for decent audio quality, wirelessly).
  Let's talk about AptX first: Licensing fees for proprietary CODECS and Hardware. Shitty range. Connectivity Problems. MINIMUM of 40 ms. latency (even in the "low-latency" version). Sorry, the W1 chip solves ALL that, plus it supports the industry-standard AAC CODEC (which some other earphone/earbud/headset OEMs also support). So, let's scratch that one off the list.
  
  Stylus? Ok, there are plenty for the iPhone. Just none from Apple.
  
  Split screen? On a PHONE??? You know, sometimes just because you can do a thing...
11. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by LynnwoodRooster · 2016-12-30 15:57 · Score: 1
  
  LOL - OK. Go off the deep end! We'll see what the latency is for iPhones with the W1 chip - my guess is it will be no better than Bluetooth 5, which is 100 msec. AptX low latency is about the fastest you'll get. And those CSR/Qualcomm AptX chips support AAC, MP3, SBC - and AptX lossless and AptX low latency.
  Look, Apple must think there is SOME benefit to AptX, why else would it live in Macbooks and Apple TV? But schizophrenic Apple didn't put it into iOS devices. Maybe they couldn't figure out how to do it? Or they just wanted to make sure you couldn't use the same great CODECs in your iPhone as you can use in your Macbook.
  So explain, then: is Apple wrong to include AptX in the Macbook and Apple TV, or is Apple wrong to exclude AptX from iOS devices? Because those two positions are diametrically opposed.
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
12. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by thegarbz · 2016-12-30 20:03 · Score: 1
  
  Sure just an example of each off the top of my head:
  Features Removed: The Red Herring (and the fact that you asked me to exclude it speaks worlds)
  Features refused to add: Wireless Charging, ANT+ support.
  Features arbitrarily limited: NFC. They have it but fuck you you don't get to use it.
  Features not normally found in a phone in a first place: Stylus with dedicated digitise and palm detection.
  The feature list of the iPhone has more in common with some second tier Android phones except for the usual OMG it has the bestest and fastest processor ever specs.
13. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by AmiMoJo · 2016-12-30 23:17 · Score: 1
  
  Stability, ease of use, frequency of updates, much better overall security, etc, etc. iPhone is far from obsolete in 1-2 years, they receive updates for at least four.
  Why keep using a 4 year old phone though? It will get slow as they add more bloat to the OS updates and apps themselves start to target newer hardware, and of course it will get physical wear and tear in that time since it's a mobile device.
  Much better to pay $300 for a high end Android phone and replace it every two years. You get stability, ease of use, timely updates, excellent security, $300 in your pocket, a vast choice of models and a brand new device every couple of years.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
14. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by jon3k · 2016-12-31 03:05 · Score: 1
  
  Four year old iphone runs great, not sure what you're referring to? What wear and tear, you put it in a $10 case and it's as good as the day you bought it four years later.
  
  You get stability, ease of use, timely updates, excellent security,
  
  You can't be serious? What are these $300 android phones with "ease of use" (ie non brain dead skins), "timely updates" that don't take 6 months to make it through the carrier, if ever (at least in the US) and "excellent security" ? you have to be kidding me. FWIW I'm sitting here with an iPhone SE and an LG Nexus, so I'm far from a fanboy, but let's be honest with ourselves here. My LG is a cheap backup that lets me play with Android. I didn't buy it because it runs great after a couple years or has "excellent security".
15. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by AmiMoJo · 2016-12-31 06:37 · Score: 1
  
  My OnePlus One is more than two years old. Gets updated regularly, easy to use with 99% stock Android. Solid hardware, works world wide. Bought it direct, not through a carrier.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
16. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by jon3k · 2016-12-31 06:57 · Score: 1
  
  An anomaly to be sure. What percentage of Android phones in use do you think the OnePlus makes up? 0.1%? It also carried all the horrendous security flaws of Android over the last couple of years and runs CyanogenMod which is now essentially defunct. Oh and ridiculous invite system and long delays. And let's not forget that the iPhone 6 camera was light years ahead of the OnePlus One and it's a 5.5" phone -- thats bordering on phablet, coming in at 20% heavier than the iPhone 6 (it's competition at the time). That's not even mentioning things like TouchID. I haven't typed in a passcode since the iPhone 5 and I'll never go back.
  
  The new versions of the OnePlus (3) shipped with bugs and a significantly increased cost ($399). The reviews also panned it's poor display and absurd "20 app limit".. The 3T I believe solved some of the display issues, but wasn't exactly critically received.
  
  So even if the OnePlus One was probably the best Android phone ever made, it still had serious issues, and isn't a good alternative today.
17. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by ruir · 2016-12-31 21:28 · Score: 1
  
  A cover solves easily that.
18. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:54 · Score: 0
  
  And the Note is a far superior phone.
19. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-01 15:51 · Score: 1
  
  LOL - OK. Go off the deep end! We'll see what the latency is for iPhones with the W1 chip - my guess is it will be no better than Bluetooth 5, which is 100 msec. AptX low latency is about the fastest you'll get. And those CSR/Qualcomm AptX chips support AAC, MP3, SBC - and AptX lossless and AptX low latency.
  Look, Apple must think there is SOME benefit to AptX, why else would it live in Macbooks and Apple TV? But schizophrenic Apple didn't put it into iOS devices. Maybe they couldn't figure out how to do it? Or they just wanted to make sure you couldn't use the same great CODECs in your iPhone as you can use in your Macbook.
  So explain, then: is Apple wrong to include AptX in the Macbook and Apple TV, or is Apple wrong to exclude AptX from iOS devices? Because those two positions are diametrically opposed.
  I don't think Apple ever pitched having AptX support in OS X. Don't exactly know why, but I didn't even know AptX support existed in OS X (or didn't exist in iOS), until you started harping about it.
  
  Does anyone know what the min. Latency for BT 5 is, since the final standard hasn't been released? If not, then the validity of your statement about latency of the "W1 Protocol" is likely not known outside of Apple's R&D dept.
  
  I think the bigger question is "Why wasn't the W1 chip included in the 2016 MacBook Pro?"
20. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by LynnwoodRooster · 2017-01-03 02:31 · Score: 1
  
  Bluetooth 5 spec is out there. No change in latency. Meaning - you'll still have latency in the 100-600 msec range unless you do something custom (like AptX).
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
21. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-03 03:36 · Score: 1
  
  Bluetooth 5 spec is out there. No change in latency. Meaning - you'll still have latency in the 100-600 msec range unless you do something custom (like AptX).
  That must have just been ratified. I knew it was close; but last I checked (last month or so) it hadn't gotten final approval.
  
  So what, pray tell, could AptX do to improve on the raw latency figure-of-merit (with their alleged 40 ms. low-latency protocol), and still maintain base compatibility with the standard itself? And more importantly, if AptX can do it, why do you discount that Apple can do it, too?
  
  BTW, who in the hell ratifies an "improved" standard (BT 5) and doesn't address one of the biggest user complaints regarding audio transfer (latency)? That makes zero sense!!!
  
  But you appear to be right; I don't know much about the BT spec (and don't have time to become an "instant expert"); but it looks like most of it remains from 2012, with some stuff update a year ago. BT5 appears to be focused on the damn IoT crap.
  
  But you would think that "2 x the speed" would cut the latency in half, all things being equal.
  
  600 ms latency? Might as well not even bother...
22. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by LynnwoodRooster · 2017-01-03 05:03 · Score: 1
  
  I'm more interested in your take on why Apple includes AptX support in their OSX products - but not in their iOS products.
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
23. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-03 06:34 · Score: 1
  
  I'm more interested in your take on why Apple includes AptX support in their OSX products - but not in their iOS products.
  Well, I don't know; but I can guess that it doesn't have anything to do with the W1 chip. More likely the (Qualcomm?) BT MODEM they used in the Lappies already had AptX support; so it came along for the ride; but the ones they spec-ed for the iOS stuff (likely a different chip than the lappies use, chosen primarily for low current consumption), probably didn't.
  
  It might also be that the BT controller they used in the Macs was chosen because it supported AAC, and again, AptX came along for the ride. But I don't know if iOS BT supported AAC before the W1 chip; but if it did, maybe Apple just didn't care about AptX, and so just "stopped looking" when they found a chip they liked for mobile that supported AAC, but didn't happen to support AptX, which they really didn't care about (wasn't a design criteria). Afterall, the BOM is a bit more cost-consious in a mobile device than in a laptop, and an AptX-approved BT controller would likely be more expensive than one that doesn't have to include AptX Licensing Fees...
  
  As I said, until you started harping about AptX being supported in Macs, I wasn't even aware that was the case. They really have never made a big deal about it at ALL... In fact, I had to dig a bit to even confirm that was the case. So, I figure the BT chipmaker just offered Apple a reference Driver Library, and Apple said "Sure, might as well incorporate it if it passes QA testing", but then promptly ignored the fact that it was even there.
  
  Without being on the Mac or iOS Dev Teams, that's my best guess...
  
  But, since I attempted to answer your question, howabout attempting to answer mine?
24. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  And it also provides technology that Apple simply refuses to provide: a stylus (I love making sketches and taking notes on my Note 5),
  How many times did you have to replace a lost stylus?
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
25. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by LynnwoodRooster · 2017-01-03 09:39 · Score: 1
  
  AptX is its own proprietary CODEC and transport protocol that allows for low latency (40 msec typical). It is backwards compatible with standard Bluetooth, but you need AptX on both ends (sender and receiver) to be compliant and benefit from the low latency and higher audio quality.
  Apple pays an actual AptX license on every chip that is sold into the Macbooks - I'm sure they do that with full knowledge, it's not a "standard library" that you can use. You buy the licenses from CSR (now Qualcomm) - just like you do in the MFi program.
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
26. Re:Maybe folks have re-evaluated "value" by TheFakeTimCook · 2017-01-03 11:41 · Score: 1
  
  AptX is its own proprietary CODEC and transport protocol that allows for low latency (40 msec typical). It is backwards compatible with standard Bluetooth, but you need AptX on both ends (sender and receiver) to be compliant and benefit from the low latency and higher audio quality.
  Apple pays an actual AptX license on every chip that is sold into the Macbooks - I'm sure they do that with full knowledge, it's not a "standard library" that you can use. You buy the licenses from CSR (now Qualcomm) - just like you do in the MFi program.
  I didn't mean to imply that Apple didn't know they were paying to license AptX. Just that they really don't give a shit about it. In fact, the "Tech Specs" for the new MacBook Pros just say "Bluetooth 4.2 Technology". No "Click for Details" or anything. That's it. And searching for "Aptx" on Apple's Support site returns NO relevant results whatsoever.
  
  In fact, apparently, you have to use a third-party App to force AptX to be used. Or apparently, there is a Dev. Tool by Apple that allows AptX to be used and verified more easily. So, with all this in mind, I'd say AptX is an afterthought on macOS.
  
  So, if you know that AptX can have a backwards-compatible transport-protocol that offered superior latency to standard BT, then why did you state that Apple's W1 chip was bound by the 100-600 ms latency of BT 5, without knowing that to be a fact (and likely not a fact, BTW)?
At the risk of invoking Poe's Law... by dpidcoe · 2016-12-30 10:54 · Score: 2

Wow! What a courageous move by apple to cut their production like that!
Bad news for Foxconn robots by ickleberry · 2016-12-30 10:56 · Score: 1

They'll have less work to do. Some might even be made redundant. Who'd a thunk their day in the sun would be so short?
How is this news? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 11:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

So not sure why this is a big deal, the holiday season is over, the phone has been out a while, and demand is dropping, and really phones are also no longer special anymore.
The simple reality is both Apple and Android phones originally were able to make huge improvements each cycle, simply because phone technology hadn't moved for so long. The problem is now phones have somewhat caught up to as far as technology can go. You can get a slightly better processor, a bit more ram, a better camera, and better screen but for the most part, perhaps a slightly larger battery, but there is nothing new and nothing that people need in a phone. Phones are now to the point where, they do everything and more that most people want, so the demand for newer and better isn't really as high. While we will certainly see some improvements in the next few years, unless something unexpected comes along that can make manufactures have to swing for the fences again, phones, like PCs before them, have become more boring in their lifecycle, which is just the cyclical nature of products, and anyone thinking the Samsung 8, or the iPhone 8 will bring something new and exciting will probably be rather disappointed.
Accessories and software will probably see the biggest changes, things like the AirPods will become more available at a large number of prices ranges, as well as we should continue to see improvements in software, but those things don't require a new phone for the most part unless, something changes such as where there is a new chipset say going faster than LTE, and even that will have a harder time getting traction than the 3g to LTE shift since most people are quite happy with the LTE performance.
1. Re: How is this news? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 22:16 · Score: 0
  
  The most promising feature for disruption I see is Microsoft continuum.
I believe they do this every year based on by melted · 2016-12-30 11:18 · Score: 2

I believe they do this every year based on their revised estimates for q1 shipments. IOW this is not news.
Re:Steve Jobs by vux984 · 2016-12-30 11:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

Apple Pay
Yawn.

Watch
Double yawn. Niche gimmick, that even the apple faithful are trying to find uses for.
Don't get me wrong there are some uses -- cyclists and a few other places where a wrist device is especially convenient for notifications... and my sister in law loves hers -- her officeplace has a no smartphones while working policy to keep employees from texting etc while they are supposed to be working. The apple watch is one step of ahead of company policy... her phone is neatly put away out of sight, and she can still get messages from friends etc on the watch.

TV
Overpriced and not as good as the more open alternatives. Airplay is nice though, but requires you to be fully enmeshed into the apple ecosystem, which im not. We have a mix of devices and platforms in our home.

several versions of Mac
Sure. If you want a lightweight ultraportable they have lots to choose from. If you want anything else.. an inexpensive durable laptop for students... nope. A powerhouse laptop with lots of ram and connectivity for pros... nope. But a luxury ultraportable with great screen, great battery life (aside from the pro's issues), and no connectivity... they've got 3 lines to choose from.
On the desktop... unmitigated garbage. Overpriced laptops crammed into all-one-screens defeating every possible advantage of desktops... well pro units made to look like garbage cans.

better displays,

They stopped making desktop monitors. The laptop displays from dell etc are just as good... and you can get touchscreens if you want them.

faster SSDs
They aren't that much faster than *other* decent SSDs And they are expensive and soldered in so you can't upgrade them. I'll take a slightly slower one that I can easily replace with a 2TB model in 3 years any time thanks.

free upgrades of iOS and OSX/macOS
And no option to downgrade afterwards if you aren't happen. Even Microsoft, who has gotten so much wrong lately, at least got that right.
They are so fucking expensive. by Bender+Unit+22 · 2016-12-30 11:38 · Score: 3, Interesting

I have had many iPhones and have been happy with them so far, but I am not going to pay $1000 for a fucking smartphone(my local price for a 7 with 256GB, converted to USD). My iPhone 5 died, so I got a SE for $550, and that's a lot of money too. Like the new MacBook Pro, the latest price hike just became too much.
I am not using any apps now that does not exist on a android system, so I might as well switch. The MacBook Pro is too expensive, they lack a good upgradable workstation for video editing. Well, it has been a good 10 years since I switched from Windows, when the next computer replacement comes around, I am taking a look at switching back to Windows again.
1. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by lucm · 2016-12-30 12:11 · Score: 1
  
  Well, it has been a good 10 years since I switched from Windows, when the next computer replacement comes around, I am taking a look at switching back to Windows again.
  Fedora 25 is vastly superior to OSX and Windows. This is not 2003 anymore.
  
  --
  lucm, indeed.
2. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by cfalcon · 2016-12-30 13:13 · Score: 2
  
  For many values of "superior", but certainly not all of them. I'm running FC24 on my main box right now, and I have a big list of things I need to pull from third party repos before it is functional for stuff besides development and web browsing. Customization is always possible, but usually difficult, and some peripherals are just a gamble. Vastly more secure, you control your system instead of your system controlling you, better resource usage in almost every case... but still, more hassle than Windows, which every software is always sure to support.
3. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by lucm · 2016-12-30 15:01 · Score: 1
  
  I'm running FC24 on my main box right now, and I have a big list of things I need to pull from third party repos before it is functional for stuff besides development and web browsing.
  I guess you're talking about RPMFusion. What's the problem with third-party repos? Are you installing all your Windows software from the Microsoft App Store?
  
  Customization is always possible, but usually difficult
  And what level of customization do you have on Windows? Changing the wallpaper?
  
  --
  lucm, indeed.
4. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by antdude · 2016-12-30 15:47 · Score: 1
  
  Yep, that is what I do these days. Upgrade when they become unusable. 4S is fine for now. :P
  
  --
  Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
5. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 16:48 · Score: 0
  
  I have had many iPhones and have been happy with them so far, but I am not going to pay $1000 for a fucking smartphone(my local price for a 7 with 256GB, converted to USD). My iPhone 5 died, so I got a SE for $550, and that's a lot of money too. Like the new MacBook Pro, the latest price hike just became too much.
  I got an SE too. You save a little bit of money, don't lose much on features, get 6s gen CPU... and it has a headphone jack :)
  I'm not buying a trashcan so I went super micro there with a big box and nearly all the slots are full now. In that sense my desktop/client I think I may stick with OSX a while longer since most of the workloads are running on my server. If Apple still offered a plausible Mac Pro there is an unlikely chance I would have gone that route but it would at least have been a contender.
6. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by cfalcon · 2016-12-30 19:29 · Score: 1
  
  > What's the problem with third-party repos?
  They can be a bit of a hassle, and they are necessary for a lot of functionality that other OSes would have built in, or that would come along with a download of the relevant program. MP3 playback just became native, but most codecs you still have to pull down from a third party thing. In the case of video drivers, you pretty much need to do everything in the correct order. There's like five ways to do it, and each one you can screw up.
  Ex: if I type:
  dnf install nvidia-driver akmod-nvidia
  I'm screwed. I also need kernel-devel, and it needs to be FIRST on that line, I think. Otherwise the driver will grab some wrong version of a kernel header. This is trivial in Windows, where you uncheck all the malware and click next. It's totally possible in Linux, and the machine you get when you are done is very powerful, but it definitely requires more drama.
  > Are you installing all your Windows software from the Microsoft App Store?
  In win-world, I would save my installers in some directory. I could then use them on a fresh box, or I'd have a nice list of things to get a fresh version of. Out of the box, Windows (especially Windows 7) had a decent amount of entertainment and media support, whereas in Fedora you have to add rpm fusion at a minimum and then get stuff. I have this line in my rebuild notes:
  dnf install gstreamer{1,}-{ffmpeg,libav,plugins-{good,ugly,bad{,-free,-nonfree}}} --setopt=strict=0
  > And what level of customization do you have on Windows? Changing the wallpaper?
  You can change things like the wallpaper pretty easily in Windows, and if someone has something else, there will be an installer for it. Overall, you can't customize much, but what you can customize is just click a few things, done. In Fedora, I have to find a forum thread that tells me how to do stuff. The end result is much better, of course.
  Basically, recommending Fedora as a casual drop in for Windows and OS X seems a little irresponsible. I normally try to sell it as, hey, you'll need to dick around with the packages a little, but you'll end up owning your own box. But most folks I know who run Linux on their main box are on Ubuntu, and I suspect it makes you do that stuff a little later, and for fewer things.
7. Re:They are so fucking expensive. by cfalcon · 2016-12-30 19:35 · Score: 1
  
  Oh hey, you can actually help me with a customization problem! When I go to log in (xfce spin, which use lightdm), I have two wacky things I want to change.
  The first is, my leftmost monitor, which is vertical, displays as if it were horizontal. It should instead display as if it were vertical, which it is. It works fine once I'm in xfce proper, but not at the login screen.
  The second is, I don't know how to change the user icon that lightdm or whatever it is displays. It's just that little awful genericman. I want it to be the same cool F-Zero icon I use for all my logins (Captain Falcon, of course). The background on the login I can set by changing /etc/lightdm-lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf, and that works fine, but the other details still escape me.
Re:Steve Jobs by Dogtanian · 2016-12-30 11:40 · Score: 4, Informative

Apple has completely stagnated under Tim Cook. What have we got since Steve? Bluetooth headphones and touch bar.
Apple Pay, Watch, TV, several versions of Macs, several versions of iPhones and iPads, better displays, faster SSDs, free upgrades of iOS and OSX/macOS
Apple Pay - Well, let's give that a chance, but it hasn't revolutionised the world yet.

Apple Watch - Whatever its performance in absolute financial terms- or even relative to the pre-existing wearables market- by the standards and expectations Apple clearly had at its launch, this has been an obvious flop so far. I know it has a significant percentage of the smartwatch market, but a significant percentage of bugger all is still bugger all. No-one cares.

Apple TV - Seriously? That's been around in various forms for approaching a decade now (since before Jobs' death) and it's never set the world on fire.

"Several versions of Macs" - Er... so what?! That's what computer companies are *expected* to do! (Shades of Chris Rock's infamous routine here). It'd have been pretty damning if they *hadn't* released any new Macs since 2011! Says nothing about whether the changes are good, revolutionary, inspiring or not. And the latest MacBook Pro- released a considerable time after the last major revision- has had a lot of criticism for its "Air-ified", non-upgradeable, non-replaceable battery design. In fact, I get the impression there are a lot of professional Mac users for whom this is the last straw.

"Several versions of iPhones and iPads" - Utterly ditto. Apple's modus operandi is releasing new versions and deprecating old ones- the question is whether they've continued to be revolutionary when they do this.

"Better displays" - The retina displays are nice, I'll admit, and AFAIK were involved in developing those, so I'll credit them that far. Not revolutionary, though.

"Faster SSDs" - I'd expect that from *any* computer manufacturer using third-party SSD technology. So what? If there's a revolution there, it's not Apple's making.

"Free upgrades of iOS and OSX/macOS" - Nothing wrong with that, but it's hardly revolutionary in itself, is it?

Honestly, I think you've made the original poster's case for them. There's nothing there that's taken off in a truly revolutionary manner.

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There's a fix for this. Cut prices. by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 13:31 · Score: 0

Refusal to put phones on fire sale always amazes me. Especially the Apple products. You can't demand a premium price for last years technology.
10% of what? Expectations of whom? by radarskiy · 2016-12-30 13:44 · Score: 2

1st quarter is always slowest, and they are constrained on parts supply for the Plus.
Was there supposed to be some news in this article?
Re:Steve Jobs by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 14:03 · Score: 1

Apple Pay - Well, let's give that a chance, but it hasn't revolutionised the world yet.
I'm still more than a little squeamish about living in a world where it's increasingly difficult to live a normal life and conduct basic transactions without a bank being involved several times a day (toward an end goal of a cashless society with Wells Fargo skimming a percentage off the entire GDP), fuck if I'm going to participate in Apple's long-term plan to make its expensive-ass phones indispensable components of basic economic activity as well.
At least a debit card is free, easy to carry around, and doesn't make me look and feel like a complete douchebag just for owning it.
Didn't up production from Note 7 failure? by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 21:33 · Score: 0

They made some announcement about increasing production in the expectation that Note 7 users were going to mass switch to iPhones.
From a previous article, that didn't happen (I speculate it's because Android buyers may not be as trendy as iPhone users).
that split screen thing... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-30 22:43 · Score: 0

Split screen? On a PHONE??? You know, sometimes just because you can do a thing...
never tried it, cant have it, I hate it ?
split screen on phone is amazing. you can text/chat and browse reddit/write mail whatever at the same time. samsungs touchwiz (4.0.1) was best, currently stock android (cyanogenmod) 6.0.1 solution suck a bit.
Durability by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-31 02:52 · Score: 0

Durability is a feature that is seriously lacking in the iPhone.
Re:Steve Jobs by ruir · 2016-12-31 21:22 · Score: 1

Unfortunately, coming from someone that was a hardcore Apple fan, he is not being a dick.
I wonder if it would be interesting to do comparative history between Amelio and Tim Cook. The visual image in the events and their present is horrible...OS/X is far from stable, in fact their requirements of quality have been a disaster.
The events, I used to see them all.
Now what, they are little more than a minority freak show. Gays, blacks, women, old people,handicapped, (...) will the next one have refugees? It is needed more than political correctness to run a company...
The iWatch thingy that Tim Cook is investing is an expensive lump of coal until they give it the capabilities of a phone and a VR display and keyboard. A thing which will probably take between 2 and 4 decades..
It would be better to face it, Tim Cook is running the company to the ground and sending the wrong message to the target demographic that turned Apple into what it is today.
To make it worse, the crowd that was attracted to it by Jobs maniac attention to details, and the adoption of Unix in the Mac is being alienated and Apple probably does not even care.
Re:Steve Jobs by Dogtanian · 2017-01-01 03:53 · Score: 1

I want to be clear that I wasn't endorsing Apple Pay or desiring that it succeed in any way- only that I didn't think it could be written off yet as a "failure" (or not) at this point in time.

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Re:Steve Jobs by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 06:13 · Score: 1

Apple has completely stagnated under Tim Cook. What have we got since Steve?

Share price doubled? Number of iPhones sold per quarter quadrupled? Vastly improved camera in iPhone? Ax CPUs getting faster and more power efficient each generation? Want more?

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Re:Steve Jobs by Plumpaquatsch · 2017-01-03 06:14 · Score: 1

IOW jealousy among the Haterbois increased 75% since Jobs death.

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