I had to laugh

[Mystic]

Apple probably needs to think a little bit when and if they update iWork, Aperture, iLife, etc. Aperture is good software for working on photos but it needs to be updated. But there are lots of other choices-Lightroom, Corel software, ACDsee, etc. Whoever makes the winning software wins. It would be nice if they would let me know if they are not interested anymore so that I can sell my Mac.

Microsoft seems a little confused today and somebody at Microsoft seems to think that everybody uses a Windows Surface computer and the all of the hundreds of millions of computers running Windows and Microsoft Office software were trashed by businesses and individuals. The reality is that few use Windows Surface computers and Windows 8 is selling kind of slow. Now Windows 8 is really not a bad operating system but the user interface is a little goofy.

I am sure there are other software developers in the world who would be happy to take over for Apple and Microsoft and start making billions of dollars.

Everybody says these computer people are so brilliant.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I make no bones about the fact that I like Apple hardware far more than I like Apple software. Don't get me wrong, I do like Mac OS, but I'd be just as happy running Windows on our iMac. I know I can dual-boot it...just haven't really had the initiative or the catalyst to do so. That said, when we do use our iMac for that 20% of stuff we don't use our iPad for, we're using Microsoft Office. I think Microsoft makes the best office suite there is...and we use the 2013 version on our Windows 7 laptop and we use the 2011 version on our iMac.

I don't consider much of what Apple offers in terms of add-on software to be all that compelling. iWork products look okay, but they don't appear to be class-leading. I think iPhoto sucks, though iMovie works very well for us. I've not used Aperture, but have used various flavors of Photoshop (though not on our iMac). The latest version of Photoshop I have is Elements 2.0 on our Windows laptop...so that shows you how current I am on that kind of stuff.

I see Apple and Microsoft approaching mobile differently.

Apple says that mobile is mobile and desktop is desktop, and the two (at least so far) are very separate. Unless you jailbreak an iDevice, you can't hook a mouse to it; you have to interact with it via touch. For most, that works. That totally submarines anything like CAD or more detailed point-and-click work, though. You can still use a Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad, and it works well, but that's about it. Apple wants to optimize each tool for its very specific and intended purpose.

Microsoft is more into blending the two; you can hook a mouse to a Windows tablet. The Surface Pro tablet comes with full Windows 8 Pro and an Intel i5 processor, so you can literally install any Intel-based Windows software (like MS Office or Adobe Photoshop). Microsoft wants to blend the lines between desktop and mobile, giving the consumer something that is a little bit of both; not quite as powerful as a "good" desktop system, not quite as "simple" as a good mobile platform (like Windows Phone), but somewhere in between.

There are pros and cons to both avenues. Apple's philosophy limits mobile devices to touch-only and obviously compromises potential functionality in favor of a consistent touch-only interface. Micosoft's philosophy adds mobility to a full desktop-type environment, but in the process, they lose the simplicity and consistency of a really good mobile platform.

I don't think either way is "right" or "wrong"; consumers are finding value in both types of products (both Apple and Microsoft tablets are selling). Like you say, if Apple does plan on abandoning the desktop market, it would be nice to know that. I don't see that disclosure coming anytime soon, though. They're (in)famous for coming out with a decision and sticking to it for better or for worse. That may have been a part of Jobs' personality coming through, though; maybe current and future leadership will work more toward blending old and new services so consumers don't feel so "cut off" if/when Apple decides to mothball a product.

 

[Mystic]

Apple is extremely secretive and there is no telling what they are going to do. Right now in my opinion Apple is more interested in making a lot of money than anything else. Of course profits has to be the bottom line for any corporation. But if you don't make quality products the profits are likely going to drop. Apple has said there are new products coming out this fall and next year. We shall see. I consider iWork to be a very good office software program for most people unless they need very good compatibility with Microsoft Office and I consider Pages to be a good enough work processor for most people. I have Lightroom 5 on both my Windows Computer and my iMac and I have Photoshop CS5 on my Windows computer. I have Photoshop Elements 11 on my iMac. I also have Aperture 3.4.5 on my iMac. The last time iWork was updated was 2009 I think and iLife 2011. Aperture has not been updated for about 3.5 years, except for free updates to Aperture 3.

If somebody would have been thinking clearly at Microsoft they could have made Windows 8 useable on any device, from a tablet computer to a desktop computer. They would have been able to leap past Apple.

I like Mac OS X a lot more than Apple hardware. I don't think there is anything special about Apple hardware. People have run Mac OS X on Windows computers using various hacks. Apple hardware tends to be high quality but I had a monitor die on an eMac and I have had a few other problems with Apple hardware. Overall I would have to say my Windows computers have been more reliable than the Apple Computers but I have been running custom built Windows computers also, not Dell stuff. And I consider the keyboard that comes with new iMacs to be silly. I don't have unusually large hands and I could not even put my fingers on the keyboard. I had to use the keyboard from my old iMac. But the mouse was great. So much for the excellence in design.

I have a different opinion about the iPad than you. I looked at both the iPad and the Windows Surface tablet computer and frankly, if a person can be fair in their opinions, I consider the Windows Surface to be a better machine. For me, used to using Windows 7, Windows 8, and Mac OS X, iOS7 is a joke. But I have no use for either the iPad or the Windows Surface tablet computers. I am not going to try to work on photographs as I walk down the street.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
If somebody would have been thinking clearly at Microsoft they could have made Windows 8 useable on any device, from a tablet computer to a desktop computer.


This statement assumes that people want the power of a desktop in the palm of their hands. And some probably do. As a counterpoint from an engineering and ergonomic standpoint, when you add power and capability, you almost always also add complexity, both in the hardware and in the software. As you add power, you also have additional requirements for cooling...maybe you even need a fan. This adds complexity and weight. You can push it far enough to where some people would say, "why not just get a laptop?"

Originally Posted By: Mystic
I have a different opinion about the iPad than you.


That's cool. Neither one of us are right or wrong; we just value different things in a device. And we're lucky that choice in the market does exist.

If the iPad wasn't available, I'd buy an Android tablet before I bought a Surface. Probably a Samsung tablet. We do own an Acer tablet, with Android 4.0.3 on it (the latest software Acer has for it). The Surface simply doesn't appeal to me...but it should appeal to me: I own Microsoft stock!