Maccast 2016.12.18 - Show #596
Links
V Opening
V Opening Music
* Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
V Sponsor: Drobo
V Drobo
* We're nearing the end of the year and as Maccast listeners you know this is the time of year I talk about backing up and archiving your data and files for the year.
V Of course to do that you need a place to store that stuff and I think a Drobo is a perfect answer.
* I actually use ChronoSync scripts to automatically archive my important documents and files for my Drobos throughout the year
V Why a Drobo?
* For me it's the simplicity, expandability, and security
V Simplicity
* Set up is easy. Plug it in, add in drives, run the setup software, and start archiving.
* Plus you have just one device and one cable, so less clutter.
V Expandability
* If you start to run out of room just add or upgrade a drive in one of the bays
* You get lights and notifications to let you know when you will be needing more storage.
V Security
* Drobo’s uses a technology called BeyondRAID
* Your files are protected against a single or even two hard drive failures. Drobo even protects your data if there is a sudden power outage.
V A range of products to meet everyones needs
* The Drobo product family offers devices with 5, 8, or even 12 hard drive bays.
* Choose from both direct connected or NAS solutions.
* And no dongles here. They have models with USB 3, USB-C, Thunderbolt 1, Thunderbolt 2, or you can connect over a network using Gigabit Ethernet.
V Best of all for Maccast listeners Drobo is giving you their best deal of the year
* You can save 205 or more off of purchase of a Drobo 5N, a network attached system, or the Drobo 5D or 5DT (Thunderbolt and USB3), or any of the 8-bay or 12 bay unit network systems.
* That's saving between $100 to $800 dollars based on the model you choose.
* To take advantage of this incredible deal purchase your system at www.drobostore.com and enter code MC20 at checkout.
V News
V Air Pods have arrived… sort of
* As I feared Apple started selling the AirPods last week and within 20 minutes, in the US, they were back ordered to 4 weeks and now 6 weeks.
* The UK seemed to fair a bit better with orders later in the day still showing Dec 21st arrival dates.
* MacRumors says AirPods will be available at Apple Retail stores staring Monday December 19th
V If you loose an AirPod Apple says it will cost you USD $69.00 to get a replacement
* There is a one-year warranty and no AppleCare
* If you need a new battery in the future it'll cost $49.00 USD (for EACH unit) Also another $49 if you need one for the charging case.
* A replacement charging case will also cost you USD $69
V Microsoft boasts about Mac switchers
V In an odd turn of events Microsoft wrote on their blog that more people are switching from the Mac to the Microsoft Surface than ever before.
* Of course no actual numbers were shared so if they never had one Mac switch and one person did, technically that would be "more"
* Microsoft has been running a trade-in on MacBooks to juice Surface sales and they say it's working.
V They also took the opportunity to get their dig in on Apple's new MacBook Pro
*
"the innovation of Surface coupled with the disappointment of the new MacBook Pro —especially among professionals —is leading more and more people to make the switch to Surface"
* The idea that Mac Pro would be switching from a MacBook Pro to a Surface Book is laughable.
V Also recent sales numbers and comments from Apple executives tell a different story
* Slice Intelligence said in just 5 days the new MacBook Pro had outsold every high-profile laptop on the U.S. market.
* The also say that sales numbers reached 80% of combined 2015 and 2016 MacBook sales and that Apple sold almost four times as many units as Microsoft’s flagship laptop, the new Surface Book.
* Phil Schiller also said that the MacBook Pro had set an online sales record compared to any other MacBook Pro
V Apple cannibalization and magic
* Some good analysis from Neil Cybart and Gene Munster recently
V Cybart wrote about Apple's need to cannibalize the iPhone, [Milking the iPhone]( https://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2016/12/6/milking-the-iphone)
* Apple is doubling down on iPhone in the short term to build up the ecosystem for what's next.
V Apple has been gradually expanding the iPhone customer base
* Offering lower priced models in the line up
* Appealing to people who want larger devices.
* All while keeping their high profit margins.
V Cybart estimates Apple current installed base of iPhones at 700M and many of the current sales are to new customers
* Apple added 100M new iPhone customers in 2015 and in 2016 the number will be even higher.
V Cook is "milking" the iPhone to build a "formidable" ecosystem.
* Cook's successes in this area are being ignored according to Cybart
V Since he became CEO in 2011:
* The iPhone installed base has grown by 500M users.
* The iPad installed base has grown by 175M users.
* The Mac installed base has grown by 50M users.
* Apple introduced Apple Watch, the company's first wearable product. Approximately 18M Apple Watches, a device positioned as an iPhone accessory, have been sold to date.
* Apple is earning more than $6B per year of revenue through app sales via the App Store.
* Apple successfully made the difficult jump from a paid music download model to streaming and is approaching 20M paying Apple Music subscribers. 
* Apple continues to push forward with Apple TV. The company is approaching 10M units sold since the device was updated in 2015.
* Apple continues to develop key services including Apple Pay, Messages, and Maps. 
V Apple's continued focus on the iPhone looks odd in the face of the competition who are moving away from phones
* Amazon and Google are looking to their living room voice assistants
* Microsoft is Surface focused (touch screen notebooks and computers)
* They want consumers to move to the "next big thing", now but honestly the technology isn't ready and most consumers aren't ready for it.
* The phone is a comfortable familiar place to be.
V That doesn't make Mac fans happy and many are blaming Tim Cook. But for what?
* Apple isn't focused on updating the Mac or iPad as frequently simply because consumers aren't upgrading as frequently nor all that interested in the devices.
* For every 100 iPhone users Apple gains they gain 35 iPad users and 10 Mac users.
* Many iPhone users will never own an iPad or a Mac. There is some "halo" effect, but that's decreasing.
* In the 90s focus on profits led Apple to lose touch with the consumer, some Mac customers might be feeling this is the case now.
V Apple is no longer interested in building products targeted at small niches of the community. That angers some, but that's the reality.
* The MacBook Pro is designed to appeal to a broader "pro" consumer and based on the sales numbers it seems to be working.
* Apple always looks to what's next.
* The iPhone likely has another 2 to 5 years for Apple to milk it.
V The future is a different interface.
* VR, AR, voice assistants, voice first interfaces.
* Wearables and Transportation are the future
V Apple having a massive ecosystem will help them dominate in the new markets
* But Apple will have to break the iPhone chains at some point to realize this
* They must cannibalize the iPhone
* A cellular Apple Watch with AirPods, augmented reality glasses or contacts
V Munster, who is leaving Piper Jaffray to start a venture capital firm, gave his final tech note
* He thinks Apple building up it's services is the key to it's future
* Says it will be difficult. Apple needs services to account for 30 percent of the business before Wallstreet will consider Apple a significant services player and they are not a services brand until they reach 50 percent.
* He also thinks Apple will developer a wearable AR device that replaces the iPhone on the next 5 years or so.
* Thinks after that transportation is Apple's next target
* Munster note that creating "magic" with is products and services is the key to Apple success.
* He also believes that Apple can recreate that "magical" feeling with a future product.
* The idea of an autonomous car service tapped into Apple's larger ecosystem is something I think could be huge and game changing.

V MacBook Pro battery issues prevail
* There have been a few complaints from new Apple MacBook Pro owners that they are getting no where near Apple's advertised 10 hours of battery life with their new machines
* There were rumors that the upcoming macOS 10.12.2 update had some fixes for the problems.
* Now that 10.12.2 is out some say things seem better, but it may not be the update.
* Apple told ArsTechnica they have taken no specific steps to improve MacBook Pro battery life in the update.
* The update does have fixes and improvements for Apple Watch unlocking, the GPU issues, and support for TouchBar screenshots.
V So why are people reporting issues
* Indexing and syncing with new machines
* Apple also did load considerably less battery into the new machines. Reducing each by about 25 Whrs.
* The Skylake's are only more power efficient while idling or under light load.
* The new Polaris GPUs crave more power.
* Some have pointed at the TouchBar as a culprit, but that's unlikely.
V I asked new MacBook Pro owners in our community to chime in and while there were a few exceptions in general most were experiencing 5-6 hours of battery life under normal usage
* Still far below the advertised 10 hours.
* Honestly even with my 2011 model and the new 2015 I'm lucky to get 6 hours or so.
V What Apple did do to address battery issues was remove the time remaining estimates in the last macOS Sierra updates
* They say that many of the complaints were from erratic estimates
* Probably do to the GPU switching
* If you still need a "time remaining" estimate you can install a 3rd party app or find it in the Activity Monitor's Energy tab.
V Apple posted two new jobs last weeks seeming tailor made for trying to address their battery woes.
* Battery Algorithm Analysis Engineer and System Power and Control Architect
V Feedback, commentary, opinions
V Update on Accessibility with Shelly Brisbin
* Shelly is a friend, writer, editor, and log time podcaster.
* She wrote the book [iOS Access for All]( http://www.iosaccessbook.com)
* Apple is big on accessibility and in fact highlighted it at the beginning of their Macbook Pro event.
* I thought it'd be great to get Shelly on to discuss more about accessibility in iOS and macOS and get an update on what Apple has done this year and how they're doing overall from someone in the accessibility community.
* Play interview with Shelly.
V Closing
V Podcast Marketplace
V Thanks to my sponsors
* Smile
www.smilesoftware.com
V Gazelle
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* Gazelle. The fast and simple way to sell your used gadgets! Find out what your used iPhone, iPad and other Apple products are worth at Gazelle.com.
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