General Apple Megathread

[edslunch]

I'm looking for a decent graphics package for the Mac to edit posters, flyers, etc. Illustrator is great and some of my source files are ai but the pricing is stupid for my occasional use. I also don't need nearly that much functionality. Any suggestions?

[Meelapo]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Don't know if this should go here but does anyone know how to make my Macbook Pro stay connected to wifi even halfway consistently?

It's been a long standing problem but it hasn't really bothered me till now. If I'm using it for an hour I'll have to turn the Wifi off then on again to get the connection back. Beyond frustrating at this point.

I have this same problem with my Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. What wifi router do you use? I've got an Airport Extreme and from what it looks like that router has a problem with Windows 8 clients on wifi. Maybe that problem extends to Macbook Pros? The fix is to update the firmware however if you have the previous version of the Airport Extreme, like I do, the firmware that fixes the dropped connections is not meant to be applied to it. The firmware only works with the new Airport Extreme versions.

[freakinsaprikin]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I'm looking for a decent graphics package for the Mac to edit posters, flyers, etc. Illustrator is great and some of my source files are ai but the pricing is stupid for my occasional use. I also don't need nearly that much functionality. Any suggestions?

Don't know if this is exactly what your looking for, but I use Art Text 2 - Seems to work pretty good for the limited use I need and really cheap to buy the paid version.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/art-...04180306?mt=12

[Tyler]

Anyone else super bored of Apple lately?

Have they released anything of note since the announcement of the Mac Pro (which is really not targeted at regular consumers).

I miss the glory days of 2001-2007 when new stuff was coming out left right and centre

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Anyone else super bored of Apple lately?

Have they released anything of note since the announcement of the Mac Pro (which is really not targeted at regular consumers).

I miss the glory days of 2001-2007 when new stuff was coming out left right and centre

I'm looking forward to what they do in the wearable space. Be it watch or fuel band in nature, I'm pretty excited to see what they come up with.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Russic

I'm looking forward to what they do in the wearable space. Be it watch or fuel band in nature, I'm pretty excited to see what they come up with.

Yeah, we've been saying this for years though. Same with 'TV'.

Stop sitting on your mountain of cash and release something already Cook

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Anyone else super bored of Apple lately?

Have they released anything of note since the announcement of the Mac Pro (which is really not targeted at regular consumers).

I miss the glory days of 2001-2007 when new stuff was coming out left right and centre

It's definitely been a been pretty lack luster the past few years. They'll need a new flagship product to raise the bar again.

They came in with the iPod, destroyed and owned the MP3 player market.
Came out with the iPhone, became one of the market leaders in the mobile world.
Came out with the iPad, became the market leader in tablets.

They need to find their next market, in which wearables have the talk the past couple years. Hopefully that's what will be announced at their next event.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by MrCallahan

It's definitely been a been pretty lack luster the past few years. They'll need a new flagship product to raise the bar again.

They came in with the iPod, destroyed and owned the MP3 player market.
Came out with the iPhone, became one of the market leaders in the mobile world.
Came out with the iPad, became the market leader in tablets.

They need to find their next market, in which wearables have the talk the past couple years. Hopefully that's what will be announced at their next event.

Don't forget though in each of those instances they were quite late to the dance. They tend to hang back and observe what the rest of the industry is doing and then improve upon it. Aside from an actual tv, what product is currently out there that they'll improve upon? I'd say the Pebble is the most likely target, but it's practically a beta device. I wonder if Apple waits to see what companies like Samsung release for wearables first?

[Sliver]

Apple needs to get on making tiny phones with a big screen. I'd pay anything for that. I'm talking like press a button like a switch blade and some weird holo-screen shoots out and is scaleable. We need big screens still, but the phones are too big. Or maybe the screen rolls up and the phone is like tube-shaped or something.

I can't believe so many years after the launch of the original iPhone they're still hawking basically the exact same thing. If people stopped buying iPhones for a cycle or two we'd see Apple come out with some pretty awesome stuff, I bet.

Right now, I don't blame Apple for not doing anything interesting. Their flock keeps loyally buying their stuff in spite of better products on the market at better prices.

[Cheese]

^^^The Apple "flock" keep buying their stuff because Apple has their entire eco-system locked up on iTunes.

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by Cheese

^^^The Apple "flock" keep buying their stuff because Apple has their entire eco-system locked up on iTunes.

I'm not an Apple fanboy at all, my first Apple product was the iPhone4. But when I upgraded to the 5, that was one of the biggest factors in me sticking with Apple. I've spent quite a bit in the iTunes store over the years, and it would almost seem like a waste to switch, at least that was my thought process at the time. Lately, I've been more interested in switching to an Android phone.

[Jimmy Stang]

Although I don't have a lot invested in iTunes besides apps (music can migrate to whatever platform since the fall of DRM, and I don't buy movies), the "hassle" of starting on a new system was why I simply went with Apple on my last upgrade in the fall of 2011. A younger version of myself would have loved the thought of starting over with Android, learning a new OS, etc. But the early-thirties version of me, with a baby born right around the same time, simply couldn't be bothered. Plug it in, everything is there, etc.

My next phone will probably be a Google Nexus, primarily because I want to buy it outright and unlocked, and I can't justify what Apple sells their unlocked phones for. Plus I'm a little more willing and able to learn Android than I was a few years back. I do love how my Apple TV and iPad play together, but my phone has always been a bit more of an independent device.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Russic

Don't forget though in each of those instances they were quite late to the dance. They tend to hang back and observe what the rest of the industry is doing and then improve upon it. Aside from an actual tv, what product is currently out there that they'll improve upon? I'd say the Pebble is the most likely target, but it's practically a beta device. I wonder if Apple waits to see what companies like Samsung release for wearables first?

These are either out or have been announced and will be out soon.
Samsung Gear
http://developer.samsung.com/samsung-gear

LG G Watch http://www.lg.com/global/gwatch

Moto 360
https://moto360.motorola.com/

The Moto 360 is the first one I might actually buy. It's Google Now integration is a big plus, it will be the first wearable device to have Android wear. A version of Android specifically made for wearable devices.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Apple needs to get on making tiny phones with a big screen. I'd pay anything for that. I'm talking like press a button like a switch blade and some weird holo-screen shoots out and is scaleable. We need big screens still, but the phones are too big. Or maybe the screen rolls up and the phone is like tube-shaped or something.

I can't believe so many years after the launch of the original iPhone they're still hawking basically the exact same thing. If people stopped buying iPhones for a cycle or two we'd see Apple come out with some pretty awesome stuff, I bet.

Right now, I don't blame Apple for not doing anything interesting. Their flock keeps loyally buying their stuff in spite of better products on the market at better prices.

Something tells me if you used an original iPhone for an hour you wouldn't hold onto that opinion. Things have come an incredibly long way in a relatively short time.

Is this even an exclusive Apple problem? Are we seeing anything different out of the Galaxy line? Great phones, but it's not like they're spewing out draw-dropping features with every iteration.

There used to be very visible gaps in what the technology could do (HD video, cut/paste, LTE, etc), but now all phones can do those basic necessities. I don't think there's a glaring need in the mobile space right now. Plenty of fringe things that impact small numbers of people absolutely, but nothing that everybody sits around and begs for.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Russic

Something tells me if you used an original iPhone for an hour you wouldn't hold onto that opinion. Things have come an incredibly long way in a relatively short time.

Is this even an exclusive Apple problem? Are we seeing anything different out of the Galaxy line? Great phones, but it's not like they're spewing out draw-dropping features with every iteration.

There used to be very visible gaps in what the technology could do (HD video, cut/paste, LTE, etc), but now all phones can do those basic necessities. I don't think there's a glaring need in the mobile space right now. Plenty of fringe things that impact small numbers of people absolutely, but nothing that everybody sits around and begs for.

You're absolutely right on this point. No, the Galaxy S5 is basically the same as the S4, which is basically the same as S3. I directed my comment at Apple because of their history of innovation and their resources.

I think you're wrong that there isn't a glaring need in the mobile space right now. A big thing in the future will be some way to give us a huge screen that can fold/roll/hide so the physical device is small when you put it in your pocket. Also battery life...if somebody can give us a seven-day charge, it'll be groundbreaking. I think that will come not from battery innovation, but from a new type of screen.

[Inglewood Jack]

Tony Stark's phone from a movie 4 years ago is still way better than anything we have now. and yet there's nothing unbelievably magical about what he had. until our consciousness is loaded into the cloud and we become immortal, there is always room for innovation.

If Apple creates an OS for me like the one in Her, I will switch for that. Siri and Cortana have a long way to go.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You're absolutely right on this point. No, the Galaxy S5 is basically the same as the S4, which is basically the same as S3. I directed my comment at Apple because of their history of innovation and their resources.

I think you're wrong that there isn't a glaring need in the mobile space right now. A big thing in the future will be some way to give us a huge screen that can fold/roll/hide so the physical device is small when you put it in your pocket. Also battery life...if somebody can give us a seven-day charge, it'll be groundbreaking. I think that will come not from battery innovation, but from a new type of screen.

I'm actually one of those weird Apple fans that doesn't believe they're overly innovative. I think they take devices that are already in the wild and improve the user experience. To their credit, the iPhone was pretty unique, but beyond that I don't think their products are very bleeding edge.

I don't really want Apple to come out with a new product. I'd rather they direct their focus towards the products they've released but haven't improved upon. Maps, Radio, iBooks Author and Apple TV jump to mind as things that were released and then either largely ignored or give very subtle attention. Granted some of those aren't old enough to say that definitively, but something like iBooks Author could have been amazing with a little love.

There were reports that Apple people were meeting with Tesla people. One interesting theory I heard wasn't that Apple was getting into the car game, but rather they're very interested in what Tesla is doing in the battery space. I wonder if that's where we might see some advances.

[Drury18]

So my barely 3 month old lightning cable that was in my iPhone box crapped out tonight. Yesterday it was giving me an "Accessory not Supported" message, then earlier tonight cycled between charging and not charging while plugged into my laptop to charge. Went to plug it into my wall charger overnight and it cycled once and stopped working. Unplugged it and plugged it back in and nothing. Plugged it back into my computer, nothing.

I've got an appointment with the "genius" bar tomorrow to have it swapped out under warranty as it seems it's covered. I saw online that the lifespan of these can be short, but just curious if 3 months is status quo for others using the cable? I'm surprised as I had an older iPod with the 30 pin cable and my kid ran over it with a table and cracked the plastic around the plug and looks pretty beat up and it still works. The lightning cable has been babied and doesn't even show any signs of wear and it's dead.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Drury18

So my barely 3 month old lightning cable that was in my iPhone box crapped out tonight. Yesterday it was giving me an "Accessory not Supported" message, then earlier tonight cycled between charging and not charging while plugged into my laptop to charge. Went to plug it into my wall charger overnight and it cycled once and stopped working. Unplugged it and plugged it back in and nothing. Plugged it back into my computer, nothing.

I've got an appointment with the "genius" bar tomorrow to have it swapped out under warranty as it seems it's covered. I saw online that the lifespan of these can be short, but just curious if 3 months is status quo for others using the cable? I'm surprised as I had an older iPod with the 30 pin cable and my kid ran over it with a table and cracked the plastic around the plug and looks pretty beat up and it still works. The lightning cable has been babied and doesn't even show any signs of wear and it's dead.

I haven't had a lightning cable die on me. Been using them since they came out without issue.

[Mazrim]

It's always sounded pretty hit and miss with Lightning Cables. I have some friends who are on their 3rd or 4th cable already, and some who have never had a problem. Maybe some bad batches?