Disqus - Latest Comments for AbbiV

Re: Comment: Don’t expect the new M1X MacBook Pro to replace M1 models

AbbiV — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 03:52:10 -0000

Given Tim Cook’s penchant for having a product to sell in every price segment, I fully expect the M1s to stick around at the same prices.

I expect the 14-inch M1X to start @ $1999 & the same in 16-inch to start @ $2500. Then you’ve got a Mac starting at $999 (M1 Air) and for every $200 to $300 tier, there’s a model to satisfy everybody.

Given the massive pent up demand for the redesigned body, I expect them to sell out (for launch day delivery) within minutes...

Re: Here’s another chance to score Apple’s Magic Keyboard for 12.9-inch iPad Pro at $199

AbbiV — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 02:19:49 -0000

This Keyboard doesn’t work with the 4th or 5th Generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, unless you’re OK with covering up part of the camera...

Re: Apple Pencil 2 sees a rare discount for Cyber Monday at $104 (Reg. $129)

AbbiV — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 02:47:21 -0000

When you buy 5 of them, the price drops to $79 each :-o

Re: Apple One services bundle launches tomorrow

AbbiV — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:21:38 -0000

I think the main rub is that AppleTV+ is free... for now. When it's not free, and it's something you'd be willing to pay $5 per month for, then AppleOne bundles make more sense. For now, only the highest of tiers ($30 per mo.) makes sense, especially if you can share the cost with someone else and effectively pay $15/ mo for 6 services.

Re: Apple One services bundle launches tomorrow

AbbiV — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:15:01 -0000

If you assign a value of $5 to News+ (meaning that's what you would be willing to pay for it), plus $10 for Music+, $10 for Fitness+ (a gym membership is at least $30 per mo., tho that includes equipment fees) and $3 for 200GB of iCloud, then paying $30 for 2TB of storage plus all of the afore mentioned services seems fair, especially when you consider that you can share the services across 6 people. I'd love for Apple to offer an annual plan like they do for Fitness+, bringing the effective price of AppleOne down to $25 per month. BUT, unlike other companies, they are in no hurry to collect the money because they have plenty of it already :-D

Re: Apple One services bundle launches tomorrow

AbbiV — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:29:35 -0000

If you buy any Apple device, you get AppleTV+ free for 1 year. Now this benefit may be removed soon, but while it is still ongoing, the TV+ portion of AppleOne has $0 value. Assuming there is no discount on the Apple Music portion (I assume they are barely making any money on that), the initial Family Plan bundle of $19.95 ends up costing $3 less when compared to buying the services independently. IF you don't care for Apple Arcade, then it costs $2 more compared to buying the services independently.

The sweet spot hits at the $29.95 level, where you get 2TB of iCloud, Fitness+ and News+ for effectively $10 more, compared to $27 more if bought individually. But how many people are going to balk at paying $30 per month to Apple? It's one thing to have $4.99 here and $2.99 there and it adds up to $30 per month; paying $30 all at once will surely make people think twice :-(

IF you are already paying for 2TB of iCloud, and Apple Music+, then the $30 tier is a TERRIFIC value. Otherwise, not so much :-/

Re: Poll: iPhone 12 display size rumors — which one are you planning to buy?

AbbiV — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:04:24 -0000

One of your survey choices should be iPhone 11 Pro. I feel that 5G is not ready for prime time yet, and if that is the primary marquee feature, then the discontinued, and discounted, iPhone 11 Pro, will be a phenomenal value for money.

Re: How to manage the new universal Apple Gift Cards on iPhone, iPad, Mac

AbbiV — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 01:27:34 -0000

Yes. Just tried it in the new Apple Store App and it works! Hope this doesn't mean that App Store Gift Card discounts will go away. From time to time, Apple itself would offer 10% off if you added funds to your account; I never understood why they felt the need to do that :-/

Re: Apple temporarily closes US retail stores in wake of widespread looting and protests

AbbiV — Sun, 31 May 2020 22:54:43 -0000

Just checked and all US Stores (that were previously open post lockdown) are now closed til Tuesday. If the unrests continue, it would not surprise me if the stores stay open weekdays only. Anarchy thrives when you have a lot of people who are jobless and upset at the inequality in America :'(

Re: Broken macOS Mojave or High Sierra Installer? Expired certificate will require a fresh download

AbbiV — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 13:48:02 -0000

Good news! After I deleted the pseudo installer and clicked on the Download button again, this time it downloaded a 5GB+ file, aka the full installer. Thanks for your help :-)

Re: Broken macOS Mojave or High Sierra Installer? Expired certificate will require a fresh download

AbbiV — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 04:45:49 -0000

How do you install the full installer that is required to make the USB Drives you suggest? All I get is a 22.7MB download which then wants to install High Sierra or Mojave via the Internet :-/

Re: WSJ: How Jeff Williams became more involved in product development at Apple than Tim Cook

AbbiV — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 09:21:38 -0000

Luckily I didn't bet on when :-P

I think we are pretty close to peak iPhone, with further hardware advances coming due to better networks (5G), better interoperability (your phone *is* the CPU of your Laptop) or size changes (folding phones); of course, the software will continue to be refined.

Future hardware advancements will make the watch more compelling to non watch wearers, if not for time telling then perhaps as an eventual replacement for the phone. And maybe we will see an AirPods-esque offering in an over the ear style?

So I'm still liking my bet O:-)

Re: WSJ: How Jeff Williams became more involved in product development at Apple than Tim Cook

AbbiV — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 01:02:33 -0000

Giving Jeff Williams or Johnny Ive credit for bringing obvious features like Cellular connectivity to the Watch means that when the iPhone is finally 5G capable, we will need to give them credit for that as well. They are responsible for neither of those things. I think the real credit for the Watch should go to the software team & the hardware engineers that somehow crammed all these features (including an ECG :-o ) into such a tiny case!

I have no doubt a time will come when every Apple user will either wear AirPods or an Apple Watch or Apple Glasses or ALL 3 :-)

Re: Poll: Could an Apple Watch ever replace an iPhone for you?

AbbiV — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 11:41:41 -0000

I would have given a different answer if you had asked “Phone” instead of “iPhone.” Unless the Watch becomes a band with a larger screen, I don’t think it will ever replace iPhone.

I find it interesting that almost all Sci-Fi movies show voice & video interaction but none show a future with a handheld, and almost no one seems to be communicating via text. It’ll be fascinating to watch (no pun intended!) how we make the transition that almost every futurist has predicted.

Re: Hands-on: How the Brydge Keyboard for the 2018 iPad Pro compares to Apple’s Smart Keyboard Folio

AbbiV — Sat, 04 May 2019 14:04:25 -0000

Thanks for the write up. This is 1 review that deserves a video version. Hopefully coming soon...

Re: MacBook Pro Diary: A worsening keyboard issue, with no easy way to get it resolved

AbbiV — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 11:42:26 -0000

The big problem that many people are not acknowledging is what will happen the next time Apple changes the keyboard design (and change it they will, which is why I think all the forecasts for new Apple MacBook Pros suddenly got postponed to 2020 & 2021). Unless they go back to the design found in the pre- USB-C MacBooks, no one is going to trust that Apple solved their keyboard problem :-/ How do you convince a skeptical audience to give the new keyboards a try? Issue a big mea culpa? Offering an extended money back guarantee? Or maybe a trade in offer on your old USB-C MacBook Pro? Last time Apple made such an embarrassing mistake was with Apple Maps and Scott Forstall paid the price. Who is going to pay the price this time?

Re: iFixit selling $30 iPhone battery replacement kits through 2019 after Apple ends discount program for official repairs

AbbiV — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 11:15:36 -0000

It’s not even $69; it is $49 for iPhone 6 on up to iPhone 7 Plus. Making the Apple option a no brainer... still.

Re: iFixit selling $30 iPhone battery replacement kits through 2019 after Apple ends discount program for official repairs

AbbiV — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 11:03:50 -0000

This is clever marketing by iFixit. But why would you bother with a DIY kit & still have the hassle of installing it, which is a non trivial task? The author glosses over how hard it is to install, not to mention fraught with danger that something else could go wrong. Just to save $20 :-/

Re: The AirPlay 2 news from CES has changed my classroom AV plans

AbbiV — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 02:27:16 -0000

Do you really think Apple licenses AirPlay for free? I have some experience on this topic (having tried to build some AirPlay compatible speakers) and the licensing fee is huge!

It wouldn’t surprise me if the next gen TVs are all $100 more expensive just because they have this feature. Or that there was a fee to upgrade your older TV to support AirPlay 2.

While an all-in-one solution is nice, a modular solution with an older AppleTV will give you the flexibility of remote management and avoid having a single point of failure.

Also, why not just use a long Lightning to HDMI Adapter?

Re: Best Buy’s new 2-day sale takes $150 off the latest iPad Pro, deals on Beats, TVs, more

AbbiV — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 07:36:40 -0000

You should clarify that the latest iPad Pro is only $250 off when you trade in a 2017 iPad Pro; the 2018 iPad is otherwise sold at regular price if you don't have a trade in :-( Best Buy's iPhone deals also require trade in of your old iPhone *and* activation of a new line. So this 2-Day Sale is really a Nothing Burger :-/ Where are the reduced prices that our Chinese brethren are seeing?

Re: Package tracking app turns users’ devices into a bot farm, violates user privacy

AbbiV — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 14:10:10 -0000

Great work Guilherme! I am a regular user of Parcels, and TBH, I don't have a problem w/ how they are accomplishing/ getting around API limits, though it would be nice if they disclosed it up front. I'm surprised they didn't bury this information in the T&Cs that no one ever reads. I wouldn't be surprised if the #1 App in this category (Deliveries) did the same thing to get around API limits imposed by the courier companies. If Devs had to pay for this type of access, I doubt people would buy such Apps, so I see it more as a clever implementation than an abuse of privacy.

Re: DriveSavers claims to offer first consumer service to unlock passcode protected iPhones

AbbiV — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 02:55:03 -0000

I have known the folks @ DriveSavers for close to 30 years. I've sent them 100s of customers, if not 1000s. If anyone has developed trust for being careful with data, it is them. They are even referred by the Apple Store as data recovery experts of last resort. And no, they were not offering any special through StackSocial, you have them confused w/ Disk Drill, which is a Data Recovery software sold by a Atlanta based company.

Re: Target will sell you two Google Home minis with two Wemo Smart Plugs for $58 ($150+ value)

AbbiV — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 23:25:41 -0000

Great deal! Made even better when you find out that you can also get 2 Chromecasts for $15 each when you add them to the same shopping cart :-$

Re: Report details Apple’s struggles to tackle iPhone repair fraud in China, which cost Apple billions of dollars a year

AbbiV — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:38:30 -0000

What I'm trying to point out is that it takes 2 hands to clap- there must be complicity with the person @ Apple who receives the phone for service. Otherwise, we are to believe that someone has to steal a phone still under warranty, then remove the good parts and take it to Apple for service after stuffing it with fake parts. If somehow the thieves are manufacturing good looking fake boards, then stuffing the boards into iPhones and taking to Apple for service, this is not a common type of crime- it would take a tremendous amount of sophistication, plus some organization and logistics, to pull this off.

Re: Report details Apple’s struggles to tackle iPhone repair fraud in China, which cost Apple billions of dollars a year

AbbiV — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:30:25 -0000

Something doesn't smell right with this fraud. It requires complicity from the inside (meaning Apple) as well. If I have a small amount of liquid on the inside of my iPhone, even if it doesn't affect usage of the phone, Apple will refuse to fix the phone's display, citing liquid damage and will want to charge me $299 for a whole phone exchange. Yet somehow people were able to switch Displays & CPU's and still get the phone swapped out under warranty? You could never get away with this in the U.S.