Samsung’s loss might as well be Apple’s gain. I am reminded of a Yoruba adage that roughly translates to mean that one person has to lose her fortune so that another (person) can amass hers. That is, as if fortune ownership is a zero-sum situation! We can certainly argue to the contrary, but in the […]
Samsung’s loss might as well be Apple’s gain. I am reminded of a Yoruba adage that roughly translates to mean that one person has to lose her fortune so that another (person) can amass hers. That is, as if fortune ownership is a zero-sum situation! We can certainly argue to the contrary, but in the competitive relationship between Apple and Samsung, the adage might as well hold. Too bad for Samsung; as we approach the holiday season, the company might not have much to offer as a result of the failed Galaxy Note 7, whose production has been terminated.
Thus, as if to flex its muscle in the face of a faltering competitor, Apple released three models of the latest MacBook Pro laptops last week Thursday. (I have almost forgotten about laptops, as if smartphones have killed them.) This is the second Apple launch event in less than two months – iPhone 7 and iOS 10 were released in September.
The three MacBook Pro models unveiled last week were: the 13-inch without the Touch Bar on the keyboard, the 13-inch with the Touch Bar, and the 15-inch with the Touch Bar. The US prices are $1,499; $1,800; and $2,400; respectively. The model without the Touch Bar is the replacement for MacBook Air; this didn’t get much of a face lift though, just a larger screen and a bigger RAM. The old 11-inch MacBook Air is now available only for education customers. The desktop Macs didn’t get a boost in this latest announcement, though they were updated barely a year and a half ago. Of the three unveiled models, the lowest in the class is available right away. The other two will be available in two to three weeks.
Apple has a strong motivation to take advantage of its current vantage point as Samsung slumps: a report that came out last week – at the end of Apple’s fourth quarter – reported iPhone, iPad and Mac sales down, as were profits; and iPhone sales from China dipped 30% in the face of local competitors. This is the first time since 2001 that Apple’s sales and profits haven’t gone up! Though the company has predicted this, it does have work to do to get back on track.
It’s been four years since the last MacBook Pro was introduced; hopefully the improved features will compensate for the long wait. The latest models are touted as the thinnest, lightest, and most powerful versions of the Pro to date. There is the improved graphics performance, brighter display, and better speakers. The trackpad is double in size. The Touch ID of iPhone is now available on the keyboards of the new laptops. You can press the power button for this feature to unlock your device or buy something online with Apple Pay – just with the touch of a finger. There is also the Touch Bar, which is a touch screen strip at the top of the keyboard that changes to display the functions that are specific to the particular application (photo, email, etc.) you are using – also adapted from iPhone. You will note that Touch Bar replaces the function keys at the top of the former laptop keyboard. Siri, iPhone’s digital assistant, as well as Force Touch, are supported on the new laptops.
Remember Force Touch? It came with iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus that were launched 14 September 2015. On the iPhone, it measures the force you apply with your finger on your phone screen and pops up different things depending on the magnitude of this force. For instance, by pressing down hard on the camera icon on the phone, you get a shortcut to take a selfie, or you can glance quickly at the body of an email by pressing lightly on the screen.
It’s interesting to note the differences between Apple’s “Touch” features and Microsoft’s. Newer Microsoft Windows-based laptops seem to be putting more Touch features on the display, whereas Apple is putting them on the keyboard – so that “you can keep your hands where they are,” in the words of an Apple spokesperson. Not everything is perfect on the new Apple machines: current Apple notebook users are reportedly miffed by the need to use an adapter to work with the older accessories. However, the traditional head phone jack is intact on the new laptops, unlike on the iPhone 7 device launched in September, from which the head phone jacks had been yanked out.
There was some hype on the Apple TV app during last week’s event, and new capabilities for the app – also accessible on the new notebooks – were unveiled as well. However, some tech experts believe Apple TV isn’t quite there yet. They say that Apple hasn’t signed on key streaming services such as Amazon’s Prime Video, and live TV Shows are still difficult to access on Apple TV. So, Apple TV is work in progress, the hypes notwithstanding.
