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Mr 'Lope,
You haven't mentioned all the rumors swirling around the iPhone 5 for while. From the Unobtainium case to the dodecahedric flux capacitors and Canals of Schlemm display, this thing is going to be big – four inches or so, they say.

The criticism of Tim Cook for not being Steve Jobs is just a way of saying "that isn't how Mommy does it" in vaguely professional terms. No human being ever ought to be accused of not being another human being, so this whining should stop.

I don't think Apple should ever or will ever create a stylus centered device, but the ability to use a stylus on an iPad would be fantastic for certain applications (mainly for graphical programs). You can buy styluses now, but the are contained by the limitations of the multitouch sensors. Something more akin to the Wacom tablets in terms of precision and the addition of pressure sensitivity would be fantastic (think an iPad version of the Cintiq).

Hi Mr Macalope, thanks again for a great article.

I love to read your articles, to bad I won't pay for the daily Macalope, but love you anyway.

How come that not even copiyng they can make a good product?

I mean they can buy macs, and use them, and enjoy them, and then copy everything, but no.

they kinda like copy and try to translate mac universe into so to say pc littleverse and at the end you can see how they try to copy some mac experience stuff but... hey you can't copy what you don't understand, and I guess thats the bornplace of all that bad press, because they can even copy mac signature user experience easiness and joy!

thanks see you next week.

Do you know why in other stores different that mac stores, all the macs, are just sitting there and you can't get in past the black screen protector, keyboard off, mouse off, they didnt even have the flurry screen saver, in short they have $20,000 + dollars in mac stuff just sitting there idling, but the funny is the pc crappy stuff IS working and running, pointless however but annoys me because I think that many people would have a VERY nice time learning the mac user experience, but they just can't because there are no batteries in the macs!

So I guess that if you can't beat them, you can pay a myriad of biaspress and ask all non mac vendors to not recharge the keyboards and not even set one of those nice mac screensavers and of course they have a 3-4 week delay on your orders in iPads!!!

Thanks and keep up your nice fun writing.

Hi Mr. Macalope,

This is only my second comment to your excellent posts, the first was to discuss about the screen size of the iPhone 5 ... that it was possible to have a bigger screen because it can be used with both hands.

Anyway, the notion that the iPad mini can not be used unless we sharpen our fingers is highly debatable.

Even you yourself come to realize the following:

"OK, not necessarily (unless Apple decides to sell iFinger Sharpeners, in which case, yes, necessarily). There are UI elements on the iPhone that are physically smaller than their counterparts on the iPad and people seem to manage. It’s possible that Apple’s tested this out and thought “meh, it’s good enough.”

There are still a lot of people in the world that only have 1 and only ONE device (iPhone) to do all the things other people do in three or even four devices (iPhone, iPad and MacBook Air/iMac): and they manage to do it because it is actually possible to do it in the iPhone, with all its limitations in size!

An iPad mini - which I consider the perfect replacement for the iPod (actually two devices in the range from 5 to 7 inches would be even better) - would be able to be used for different needs depending on size.

Please do not keep using SJ's quote about the sharpening of our fingers. He usually used last minute arguments to validate a point and win a discussion to move forward. Instead, use his other quote to his managers: DO NOT ASK YOURSELVES WHAT WOULD SJ DO IN A SITUATION, BUT FOLLOW YOUR OWN GUT - not verbatim.

Thanks for another wonderful reading,

R Solis
GelosSol
GeloSolis

I apologize for hijacking the Macalope's column, but I thought this was the most appropriate place to relate this story.

Went to visit my Dad the other week. I live in California, he lives in SE Florida; I'm not sure why I think that's relevant. My Dad's wife (not sure if she's technically my Stepmother) frequently complains about her home Windows machine. Now, my iMac (this here very one) is starting to show its age. It's only four years old, but I think Lion might be just a little too much overhead for it, and this is about when I'd be looking for a new one anyway; I plan to get one of this summer's models. So, at dinner one night, I offered her my iMac when I replace it. To my surprise, she turned me down.

Turns out she's come to depend for her computer advice on her son's father-in-law; that's (follow me here) my Dad's wife's son's wife's father. I met him at that dinner; he seems knowledgable, and he's managed to become a reasonably successful independent consultant, which is more than I've been able to do. But in the ensuing discussion he opined that, essentially, "you don't see Macs in business, except back with the graphic artists who refuse to give them up". I had to check my watch to see if I was in 1999 all of a sudden, but since my "watch" is in fact my new iPad, I knew it was 2012.

I didn't follow up, 'cause I didn't want to be contentious, I just met the guy, he's a quasi-relative, I didn't want to be a jerk, y'know…

But, really...

jeffm23, on 12 May 2012 - 08:11 AM, said:

It just goes to show ya, it's always sometin!

Stewsburntmonkey, on 12 May 2012 - 07:07 AM, said:

There are several pressure sensitive styluses for the iPad that have been announced. For example, Ten-One is making the Blue Tiger, which is a Bluetooth 4.0 device with a color LED on the side that shows your current color choice, and with software that allows all touches except the tip of the stylus to be ignored.

Standard iPad apps would certainly be too small to operate reliably on a 7" iPad. The problem is not insurmountable, but does present a downside that would discourage Apple from producing such a device: In order to provide a reasonable user experience, developers would have to create apps specifically for it. iOS would then become fragmented into three distinct form factors. Not all apps would be available for all form factors. Shopping for apps would become more confusing. Managing the larger iOS product line will be more difficult. Taking into account variations in memory, bezel color, and wireless data configuration, there are something like 12 different SKUs for the new iPad alone. Add in the iPad 2, iPod Touch, and various iPhone models, and Apple has a lot on its plate. I'm just not convinced that Apple would deem that the payoff for addressing the 7" tablet niche will be worth the effort.

Apple has done well for itself selling a limited number of premium products. Apple resisted the demands that they produce a cheap crippled netbook. I think this may be similar situation.

The only reason I can come up with for an "iPad Mini" would be as the iPad for children. Maybe there's a big preschool market or something. Maybe I'll upgrade to Windows Phone 8. Maybe the world will end on December 21. Maybe.

The link to the Old Spice commercial was worth the admission.

I've managed to use my iPhone without have to file my fingers into little points, so I find the argument that it's not possible to have a screen size between that of an iPhone and an iPad to be specious. I'm not really interested in one, since we have a full sized iPad as well as iPhones, but I can see there's people who would buy one. Would it expand the market? I can't say. Would people buy it, oh, yes. Heck, people are buying Apple TVs, a solution that's still in search of a problem.

Mainly, I want an MMMM, but that's another one of those over my dead body things. Then again, as Messr. Jobs has passed on (RIP), that could become literally true.

Note to JeffM: I've had a similar situation. Just think of the upside. If your iMac offer had been taken, you'd be on the hook for tech support. Now you can say, sorry, I only do Macs. It has worked for me.

BB

palane, on 12 May 2012 - 10:50 AM, said:

The problem is not the screen size, but the assertion that an iPad-mini could simply use the same resolution as the normal iPad, only increase the resolution so as to fit the same pixels in the smaller form factor. The problem with that idea is that it would shrink the size of all the buttons and UI elements. That's where the problem arises. The buttons would have a substantially smaller area to click, this making it hard to use reliably with your finger (which is going to remain its normal size). iPhone apps are designed for the smaller screen, so their buttons are correctly sized for the resolution and size of the screen. The problem is not screen-size, but the idea of simply shrinking the iPad UI to fit a smaller screen.

It's a good point, Stewie (sorry, Family Guy fan). A third form factor would require customization. Scaling up an iPhone app would give you big buttons; scaling down an iPad app requires tiny fingers.

BB

Stewsburntmonkey, on 12 May 2012 - 11:24 AM, said: