Apple Expected To Announce iPad Pro With USB-C Next Week (bloomberg.com) 130
Bloomberg highlights all the big announcements expected to be made next week at Apple's October hardware event, such as an iPad Pro with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, a MacBook Air successor, and a new Mac Mini. From the report: The update to the iPad Pro will be the most significant in the product's history. The device was originally launched in 2015 in part as a counter-measure to Microsoft's Surface Pro, which gained a following with business users seeking large tablets with support for attachable keyboards and styluses. The iPad Pro models, which have larger screens, better cameras, and faster processors, are more expensive, which has sustained revenue growth. [Some of the new features, according to people familiar with the plans, include a nearly edge-to-edge display with slimmer bezels, a USB-C connector, Face ID, Animojis, a faster processor (variant of the A12 Bionic chip), a custom Apple graphics chip, and an updated Apple Pencil.]
For the Mac, Apple is planning its first wide-ranging upgrades since June 2017. The MacBook Air and Mac mini, a small desktop machine without a screen, have gone several years without notable changes. This, combined with interest in larger smartphones and competing PCs, led Apple to report the fewest Mac sales since 2010 in its fiscal third quarter. [Apple is reportedly planning a new entry-level laptop to replace the aging MacBook Air. It's expected to have a higher-resolution 13-inch screen, as well as slimmer bezels around the display. The Mac mini will have new processors and features for professional users. Apple's also working on refreshed iMacs, iMac Pros, and 12-inch MacBooks with faster processors, and at least some of these updates could be ready for the October launch.] The event's theme is "making," and it will take place in New York City on Tuesday at 10:00am EST.
For the Mac, Apple is planning its first wide-ranging upgrades since June 2017. The MacBook Air and Mac mini, a small desktop machine without a screen, have gone several years without notable changes. This, combined with interest in larger smartphones and competing PCs, led Apple to report the fewest Mac sales since 2010 in its fiscal third quarter. [Apple is reportedly planning a new entry-level laptop to replace the aging MacBook Air. It's expected to have a higher-resolution 13-inch screen, as well as slimmer bezels around the display. The Mac mini will have new processors and features for professional users. Apple's also working on refreshed iMacs, iMac Pros, and 12-inch MacBooks with faster processors, and at least some of these updates could be ready for the October launch.] The event's theme is "making," and it will take place in New York City on Tuesday at 10:00am EST.
USB-C? My GOD! Let's Call 'Er Done! (Score:1)
This is WHY Apple leads! and the rest follow!
not USB-C (Score:3, Funny)
Re:not USB-C (Score:4, Funny)
One Dongle to rule them all!
And in the darkness, trip on it and stub your toe.
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I thought the MB pro came wit 2 USB ports?
Both the 13 and 15 inch MacBook Pros have FOUR USB-C/TB3 Ports. Those can be expanded to up to FIFTY-TWO "Legacy" Ports.
Do that with ANY other laptop.
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Why would you need to? Most of those other laptops have fifty-two legacy ports built-in. :-D
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Why would you need to? Most of those other laptops have fifty-two legacy ports built-in. :-D
Really? Name ONE.
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HDMI. :-D
Always be precise about what you're asking me to name.
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HDMI. :-D
Always be precise about what you're asking me to name.
Just one of the FIFTY TWO (Simultaneous) Ports you can have with a USB-C/TB3 equipped MacBook Pro.
"History"? (Score:5, Insightful)
The product has been around less than three years. Does that really qualify as "history"? And isn't every Apple products new update the "most significant in the product's history"? How many times can Apple go to the well with that horseshit?
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Maybe a significant moment in Apple's history, if they are finally switching to USB-C instead of their proprietary Lightning bullshit.
I wouldn't celebrate just yet though. You can bet that they will do something to make it crappy and expensive and only work properly with Apple certified stuff.
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Yeah, I expect USB host mode won't be supported. At least not to any useful degree.
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Imagine the Apple enthusiasts who connects a $400+ Thunderbolt hard drive or RAID, or an external monitor. This is going to get ugly. USB-C is terrible for this, Apple skirted around this on macbookpro by sort of supporting everything on every port.
Apple "skirted around" NOTHING.
They simply embraced the raw expandability and flexibility afforded by the USB-C/TB3 Controllers from Intel. Works great! The only thing missing is DP1.4 support (it does support DP1.2, though). That's Intel's "fault", not Apple's. However, IIRC, Intel has made DP1.4 happen; unfortunately, it requires a new Controller chip.
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Yeah, I expect USB host mode won't be supported. At least not to any useful degree.
That is actually rumored to be one of the things that is coming along with USB-C.
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Lightning actually already provides USB host mode. If you take a Lightning-to-USB adapter (the camera adapter), you can plug in keyboards, audio interfaces, etc., and they will all work. You can even plug in certain types of Ethernet adapters.
So I think it is safe to say that they won't prevent host mode from working over USB-C.
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Lightning actually already provides USB host mode. If you take a Lightning-to-USB adapter (the camera adapter), you can plug in keyboards, audio interfaces, etc., and they will all work. You can even plug in certain types of Ethernet adapters.
So I think it is safe to say that they won't prevent host mode from working over USB-C.
I guess you are right, of course.
Thanks for the correction!
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Lightning is awesome. there is no way to plug it in wrong and the data works on my car's USB port
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Maybe a significant moment in Apple's history, if they are finally switching to USB-C instead of their proprietary Lightning bullshit.
I wouldn't celebrate just yet though. You can bet that they will do something to make it crappy and expensive and only work properly with Apple certified stuff.
Hey Moron/Hater:
Apple developed and introduced Lightning BEFORE there WAS a USB-C. They produced it as an IMPROVEMENT over the horrible mini/micro-USB epic Failures-as-connector-designs.
Having said all that, I am very hopeful they are moving to USB-C on their mobile devices. There are a zillion good reasons for that. We'll know next Tuesday...
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I also blame Apple's love for the needlessly dramatic for supplanting "contact" with "reach out". Ugh.
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I am heartened on this cold, dark morn by the knowledge that I am not the only one who has noticed this travesty. :-)
(Now if we could just do something about moronic seasonal time changes...)
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The irony is that Microsoft now offers a better tablet than either Apple or any of the Android tablet manufacturers.
Android tablets are locked down and loaded up with bloatware that you can't remove, with courtesy applications being loaded up for your convenience all the time and Apple's app store is now loaded with applications that are majority in-app purchases that want yearly subscriptions now for the dumbest things ever.
Re:"History"? (Score:4, Insightful)
on the other hand, to use MS's tablet means I have to use Winders....no, nothing is worth that.
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no, nothing is worth that
Big talk for an internet toughguy. I bet you wouldn't quit your job because your employer provides Windows workstations.
Re: "History"? (Score:1)
You are right, instead I burned the place down because they kept taking my fucking stapler.
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There's nothing on an Android device that can't be at least disabled with ADB commands and replaced with something else if necessary. There's no root process involved in that, aside from knowing how to use ADB (Debloater for Android and ADBFire are both good front-ends for it). Non-removable apps also reside on the system partition of your device, which means they're not taking up space in the space available to the end user anyway.
I can't speak to what Apple does, other than the general culture over there
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How many times can Apple go to the well with that horseshit?
As many times as its fans will have a splooge moment hearing about it.
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But... they have animojis [apple.com] now!! Such a breakthrough takes true courage
Ah, Apple "Innovating" again (Score:1)
The device was originally launched in 2015 in part as a counter-measure to Microsoft's Surface Pro
A fine example of how Apple's idea of "innovating" is copying from others and removing features.
ZenPad 3S 10 (Score:4, Insightful)
ZenPad 3S 10 with USB-C. [asus.com] Already out for a year. Obviously, all mobile tablets and phones are going to USB-C, Apple only follows the herd.
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Apple only follows the herd? How quickly people forget their history.
The Lightning port came out in 2012 and USB-C was published in 2014 but products didn't appear until at least a year later. Lightning supported more than 5 watts charging, audio, video, and USB data when everyone else was still stuck with the micro USB-B port. Some devices supported MHL output with the micro-B port but this was far from universal.
USB-C didn't offer video at first, that was added later as an alternate mode. Audio access
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Don’t forget that John Gruber has some interesting dirt on the USB-C standard
In addition, recall that other phone m
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I found the article you (very likely) referred to:
https://daringfireball.net/lin... [daringfireball.net]
This is an interesting theory/rumor. There's no way to verify this without someone in Apple speaking out, and that's not likely to happen until USB-C is well adopted. As well adopted it is on cell phones that doesn't mean it can't be abandoned on a whim, it's still fighting for space on desktop computers and even on laptops where adoption is gaining some traction.
I like USB-C very much, it's a large improvement over other p
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Some good points but going overboard with your Apple-centric view of the universe. Android USB-C tablets are already out there, Apple is the follower in this case.
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I didn't say Apple was first with USB-C on a tablet. I said Apple produced a port with as many features as USB-C has today in 2012. Apple was first to have a port that supported audio, video, 12 watt charging, on a "flippable" connector. USB-C surpassed Lightning in features when it extended the spec to include an audio accessory mode last year. The ability for USB-C to allow for greater power transfer than Lightning was largely irrelevant until now since devices capable of taking advantage of this are
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Anyway, USB-C is certainly a welcome trend, including host-side USB-C. But now we are back to crossover cables, try to explain to a user why you can't just cable two computers together like you can with Ethernet. The isolated complaints will soon turn into a chorus.
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Anyway, USB-C is certainly a welcome trend, including host-side USB-C. But now we are back to crossover cables, try to explain to a user why you can't just cable two computers together like you can with Ethernet. The isolated complaints will soon turn into a chorus.
How do you mean "back to crossover cables"? As far as I know there is no such thing for USB-C. I mean I can connect two Apple computers by a standard USB-C cable and they will talk to each other but other manufacturers don't implement this feature of USB-C. For people to demand this feature they must first believe it to be useful. Apple might create this expectation among the public but there's enough wireless options now that people don't even think of trying to use a wired connection.
I would be please
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Maybe my worry is overblown, the marketplace isn't exactly overflowing with active cables to accommodate those devices that shipped with host-only USB-C. A quick survey of motherboards now shipping with type-C shows that most do not mention dual mode so I presume they don't have it. That's going to cause confusion and annoyance.
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I have this tablet, and it has been out for well over a year.
Asus ZenPad 3S 10 (Z500M) tablet was launched in July 2016
But strongly agree, USB-C is where everything is moving towards, about time aple got rid of hteir "usb on one end, stupid on the other" nonsense (USB to 30 pin dock, USB to "lightning"... and the endless dongles)
If it has a standard USB on one end, it doesnt need a special apple-only connector on the other end.
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If it has a standard USB on one end, it doesnt need a special apple-only connector on the other end.
Yes it does, if the USB connectors are feature and power limited pieces of shit. I believe that too many people forget what problems Lightning was built to solve.
First came FireWire. Well, maybe I'm digging too far back in time but it seems too few even know what life was like before USB owned everything.
Then came the 30 pin connector. This allowed for not just charging and data like USB but also video and audio. This was not something USB could do, at least not until we had MHL on USB, and other extens
Oh I see the big deal (Score:4, Insightful)
This is about Apple finally backing down from its proprietary connector and going with the same connector as everybody else. But I bet they will find a way to still be incompatible, this is Apple we're talking about.
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Apple actually pushes open standards all the time. Apple was one of the first companies to push USB in the first place. I think they created the mini-displayport connector standard and released it patent-free. A lot of times, when people complain about "proprietary" Apple stuff (e.g. Thunderbolt, AAC audio files), they simply don't know what they're talking about.
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I think they created the mini-displayport connector standard and released it patent-free.*
* Apple offers a free license for the Mini DisplayPort but they reserve the right to cancel the license should the licensee "commence an action for patent infringement against Apple." -Wikipedia
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This is about Apple finally backing down from its proprietary connector and going with the same connector as everybody else.
With the exception of cell phones the adoption of USB-C has been very slow. Only when Apple started putting it on their laptops did it become anything "everybody else" bothered to offer.
But I bet they will find a way to still be incompatible, this is Apple we're talking about.
I'm sure a lot of people will complain about Apple being "incompatible" but it won't be Apple's fault.
There's plenty of articles and videos floating about on how the different USB-C audio accessories are incompatible with different devices. This is the fault of the USB group defining at least two different ways to get audi
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The Apple adapter is more of a mini-dock than just a video adapter, it allows for power pass-through on USB-C, a USB-A port, and HDMI. Also it's only $69, not $80.
https://www.apple.com/shop/pro... [apple.com]
If the higher priced and more capable mini-dock is too much for you then buy something cheaper. Such as this $16.99 HDMI adapter from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonB... [amazon.com]
Amazon also offers a mini-dock much like Apple's but for nearly half the price. If you think Apple is charging too much, or that it might n
What's "professional" mean? (Score:5, Insightful)
The Mac mini will have new processors and features for professional users.
If anything, this shows how out of touch Apple is. The Mac Mini by its very design goals is not meant to be a pro machine. It's small size it supposed to appeal to consumers who don't want a large tower, and that means considerations for thermal output at the expense of performance. It's not made to be easily user serviceable, does not offer discrete graphics, and it does not have any advanced expandability.
Judging by the current Macbook Pro, I don't think Apple understands what "a machine made for professional use" is. Apparently in a non-portable machine it's
"any computer that requires a separate monitor".
Software devs (Score:4, Interesting)
For the subcategory of software devs that run mainly on some other OS (Linux is also popular in the biomed research - mostly on workstations and servers/compute nodes. Windows is still king in some business settings and with gamedevs), but need to port and test code on Mac OS X (which is *also* popular in biomed research - mostly on on laptops, and some iMacs here and there).
The only legal way to run a licensed OS X (even virtual image) is to run it on Apple hardware (though the license doesn't require it to be the host OS).
Mac Minis are a cheap and simple way to have a legal way to test Mac OS X code, and use extra monitor inputs and/or console switch box and/or VNC to use the Mini alongside the regular workstation. (The expensive alternative way is to use an Apple workstation *as* your work horse)
So being more capable would certainly be appreciated (e.g.: could be easier to run multiple VirtualBoxes with the various versions of Mac OS X you target in tests).
But indeed, it's a very tiny subset of Apple's customers and that serie's intended user base.
Mac Mini were mostly targeted as a "gateway drug to the Apple world" for average PC users (keep all your USB- and HDMI/Displayport- peripherals and only plug a cheap Mini to quickly check if the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the (walled garden's) fence).
So being a cheap and light-weight machine is relevant for maybe 98% of its intended audience.
Most of which won't be interested by beefier specs.
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Neither Mac minis or any other Macs are in "Walled Gardens", you can install what ever you want.
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Judging by the current Macbook Pro, I don't think Apple understands what "a machine made for professional use" is. Apparently in a non-portable machine it's "any computer that requires a separate monitor".
I think Apple starts the other way and defines what consumers need. If you want a portable machine it's a MacBook, if it's a stationary machine it's an iMac. And not a million configurations, low/medium/high and small/medium/big is sufficient. If you have needs that aren't covered by those you're some kind of prosumer/professional who wants a niche functionality. Remember Jobs was the guy who wanted to use custom screws so the plebs couldn't even open the case, soldering everything in place and integrating
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The Mac Mini by its very design goals is not meant to be a pro machine.
That only shows how out of touch you are.
The Mac Mininks by all means a pro machine, e.g. for software development or as a build slave in an CI/CD environment.
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Note that this is some anonymous source, not an official Apple statement.
I doubt anyone inside Apple would position the Mac Mini for professional use. From a marketing perspective alone, that's ridiculous. ("Mini" and "Pro", which part you don't understand?)
The Mini is still a wonderful device and if they update it, I'll think about getting one again. My last one was the best media station I ever had. I know the Apple TV is meant to be that, but I don't need TV or radio, I just need something that stores an
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You also need ECC ram.
As I recently realized,
For you, though, not losing hours of work to an alpha particle is also quite important, as is ensuring you don’t base weeks of work on quietly corrupt files that work okay until you try to do a checksum after saving to some random piece of the file, only to have the whole thing turn into a potato.
MacBook Air (Score:4, Informative)
The MacBook Air ..., have gone several years without notable changes
Well, the notable change was that every Apple laptop is now effectively a MacBook Air. Soldered, nonupgradable RAM and SSD, crappy minimal-thickness keyboard, not enough ports.
So what would be a notable change now is a MacBook Pro that is actually aimed at pro users.
(typing this on a 2012 MBP that's festooned with upgrades, and may be my last Apple laptop if they keep going like this)
Re:MacBook Air (Score:4, Informative)
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That's so unbelievably great (Score:2)
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You should probably talk to a physician about that, not post it on a technology blog.
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With so many accessories using lightning port, it would seem more logical to add a USB C port then replace the lightning port.
Can you name a Lightning port accessory that does not already have a "made for mac" equivalent? USB-C has been the only port on Apple laptops for some time now and this has led to the creation of a large number of accessories for them, many made by Apple itself. The only thing I can think of that Apple does not make both a USB-C and Lightning version of a dongle is the audio adapter, and that's easily rectified with introducing such a dongle. This would likely be the last straw on having a 1/8" headphone
What about the Mac Pro keyboard ? (Score:1)
Not necessarily a port change (Score:5, Insightful)
The rumour is based off a software find, not a parts leak. Adding support for USB-C over lightning is far more likely than changing the port. If Apple were going to switch connectors I think the would lead with the iPhone to force peripheral manufacturers to switch first.
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There's a reason for Apple to adopt the USB Type C connector on the iPad Pro: the extra data bandwidth needed to transmit Ultra HD video from the iPad itself. I wonder will Apple increase the RAM on the iPad to 6 GB for the 11" model and 8 GB for the 12.9" model.
e-waste (Score:2)
Personally, I am glad the EU is looking at mandating connectors. USB-C is clearly the best for most applications.
Are there faster proprietary connections? Sure, but the amount of e-waste generated by all these stupid cables and chargers is just not OK anymore. It is just squandering resources. Especially since, while people love to pretend that they recycle these things, in reality, they don't. They toss it in the bin and then off to the landfill.
This is especially true now that China is no longer accepting
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Personally, I am glad the EU is looking at mandating connectors. USB-C is clearly the best for most applications.
Government mandates are fine when they choose wisely, the problem is that such wise choices are the exception rather than the rule.
I'd rather see the competing vendors in a given product space get together on certain standards without being coerced to do so by some government. Those of us in the USA might see the best of both worlds when China or EU mandate such standards since we see the products show up here with the low prices and such that comes with such mandates overseas but also the benefit of a ven
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Remember the micro-USB charging mandate?
Amusingly, both of Apple’s proprietary charging standards have lasted longer than said mandate.
USB-C is better for all applications? Go find me a locking USB-C port. I’ll wait. No? Hm. Perhaps DockPort may be better if you need it. (USB alternate mode lets you put DisplayPort signaling down a USB cable; DockPort lets you put USB signaling down a DisplayPort cable. Both let you send both data-streams simultaneously.)
I’m inclined to give you that in m
Bloomberg uninvited from Apple's event (Score:2)
I wonder if Bloomberg is publishing these long-swirrling rumors as a news article as a response to Apple uninviting them from the event next Tuesday?
Presumably Apple uninvited them over their shoddy reporting of the fictitious hardware implants in Supermicro's motherboards and the unsubstantiated claim Apple data centers had been compromised.
My Windows phone has USB-C (Score:2)
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Re: My Windows phone has USB-C (Score:2)
Too late (Score:2)
Too little, too late.
My last ipad started dying, so I've already switched to a Galaxy Tab A. Same or better specs, at half the cost. ($205 online)
2GB RAM, 32GB storage (the T580 international version)
10.1" 1900 x 1280 screen (a bit bigger than the ipad)
Bluetooth, NFC, etc etc
And it comes with a normal micro-USB port, a normal headphone jack, and a memory-expansion micro-SD card slot (filled with a 64GB chip).
All that for $200 (plus $15 for a 64GB sd card). A basic iPad Air with 32GB is going to be nearly do
I hope they compare Apples and Oranges... (Score:1)
Wouldn't it be a kick in the pants if they show how well the iPad/iPad Pro have sold since 2015 compared to the experiment at Microsoft called Surface. Let that sink in and the stock holders figure out where that 50billion in R&D went.... LOL
For being so good at making business decisions in the 80's and 90's it shure look like Microsoft can't make something without wrecking it.
Slashdot classics (Score:2)
Adapter for stylus (Score:2)
So now you will need an adapter to charge the goddamn "it's not a stylus we would never do such a thing" stylus