Anyone care about the new iphone or apple watch?

[vchizzle]

I have the X and am happy with it. Not a big enough upgrade for me to really consider it now even though I’m on a yearly upgrade plan.

 

[dcm_guitar]

I think I'm a typical Apple user experience in that I've been pretty product loyal over the last decade and a half, but am now seriously considering a move away from all things Apple.

I had an original iphone.
I've had nothing but Apple computers since 2004. At home I have four Macbook Pros and a Mac Pro (the center of my music studio). Over the last 14 years I've bought 10+ Macs.

I think I'm done with Apple. The continuous changes to the OS that makes things harder for the user is irritating. Their treatment of music on their platform is simply draconian. Treating the entire user base like a criminal is absurd (with regards to music rights). The continuous iTunes bloat and continuous loss of features is maddening. Holy crap their icloud is difficult to deal with, and the number of times I've been forced to update my password for no reason makes my blood boil.

With their recent decision to go with their own chip I fear things are only going to get much, much worse.

 

[László]

I started with Apple in the 80s when other machines were MS-DOS.

I bought Mac Pluses for everyone in my old law office (ten or so lawyers plus support staff), networked them myself without needing a server or outside computer consultant, and got the Apple laser printers for the office as well. Our network worked as well for our purposes as the big firms’ systems, cost less, and didn’t need an IT department. It just worked.

The product was brilliant in 1980-something, and still is. When I put my studio together in the late 80s, and left my law practice, I sync’d my analog tape machines to my sequencer using a Mac, controlled all of my hardware effects via MIDI using Opcode’s editor-librarian software, and never needed a tech to set anything up, like some of my friends who were struggling with MS-DOS and early Windows machines did, and whose systems constantly hung up. Mine ran flawlessly, all day, every day.

My current partner still uses, and likes, Windows. He has innumerable compatibility and crashing problems, even though he’s a very sophisticated and highly trained audio engineer. But that’s what he knows, and is comfortable using. I get it, and more power to him.

My stuff just works, all day, every day, and has since the 80s. That’s why I use Apple, and became kind of a fan.

The idea that folks who like Apple gear are somehow misguided fanbois is foolish. Apple earned our respect and admiration, pioneering easy to use, elegant solutions in hardware and software. Is it a perfect world? No. Nothing is.

Anyone who thinks otherwise, that Apple users are mere lemmings, is truly angry at nothing.

 

[InTooDeep]

Me, I'm not a fan. I have had an iPod and iPads, that were somehow handed down or freely given to me (although I have bought some of their stuff for my wife.) I can't stand the forced upgrade cycles. For instance, my mom had a macbook that was running great (as many here mentioned their hardware runs forever) then she got an iPad. Her computer would not communicate with the iPad because the OS was too old! Meanwhile I grabbed an old windows xp computer and I was able to run iTunes on it and sync her iPad. The end result was upgrading the macbook so it would work together. (Good job Apple, you succeeded to force a customer to upgrade and spend more money) I can't stand behind a company that does that to its customers.

Also in the app store, apps are just not compatible with older iOS versions. You can have a simple app that doesn't need many resources but it still requires iOS8?!?! come on! I had an iPad retina that worked fine, but with every upgrade to iOS it got so bloated down that it could barely function. Software updates should improve products, not cripple them to the point that you are forced to replace them.

I never had this problem with Android stuff. Android is up to version 9, but most apps can still run on version 4.x. oh and my phone cost $250, and can hold up to a 2TB SD card. My wife's 256Gb iPhone 8 was nealy $1k. Sure it is a nicer display and a better camera, but I imagine it will be forced into obsolescence long before that hardware fails. Now the downside to Android is the microphones, a/d converters, and general ability to process audio is quite a bit behind Apple. I need to have an iPad around to run apps like Playback for multitracks, and another app that creates ambient pads. if those apps were on Android I would happily get rid of the iPad.

Rant over...

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Touch ID has never worked on my iphone.

itunes is the worst software I've used in 20 years. I have it on 4 PCs now and it only works "OK" on one of them. One of them it's horrible, 2 it's junk.

Constant bugs after ios updates on all devices....

So accross the board issues on what is supposed to be super premium products. Oh, and the hipsters standing in line every time a new model comes out... Dude, it's a freakin phone, not Led Zeppelin!

 

[dkilpatrick]

My experience with Apple has been pretty good.
Like Les stated, everything just works.
I have an Apple TV and I can control my entire home theater/entertainment system from my phone or iPad.
I have an iPhone 6s that works perfectly fine, so I have no reason to upgrade to the new one.
In my studio, I run everything with a 2012 Mac mini.
It has the latest OS on it, and it runs just as well as it did back in 2012 when it was new.

Maybe I’m just lucky?
Back when I used PC’s, I was upgrading every 18 months, spending big bucks on the latest components, and spending hours troubleshooting compatibility issues.

I haven’t purchased a new computer in 6 years, and I haven’t had to.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

The most annoying is Apple Pay, I refused to use it and had a permanent notification on my phone for 8 months. There was no way to decline the option besides trying to ignore it, and it would give you a reminder every time you powered up.

They finally got me today because my wife insisted we get a family Apple Music account just so I could make an EW&F playlist for our wedding/cocktail party/reception this Friday.

$15 a month to listen to EW&F and Gap Band.



It’s not too bad. I was uneasy feeling about the camera always being on, but then I gave up and realized I’m basically under surveillance 24-7 from my toaster and cable remote anyway.

Congrats for this Friday!

Bah....I want my flip phone back....and yes, git offa my lawn!

You just want to be Shatner or Stewart again! Yeah my Ericsson in the 90’s had me believing I was in an “away party”

-

Our household is littered with iphones and iPads, so Apple have infiltrated our lives.

Mrs Alnus has an Apple Watch that reminds her at unhelpful moments to move. She lay asleep one night and it buzzed to remind her. Her reaction being -

“Sh!t f€cking!!”

It was the best laugh I’ve had in a while and we often remember it fondly, well I do!

 

[Elliot]

The idea that folks who like Apple gear are somehow misguided fanbois is foolish. Apple earned our respect and admiration, pioneering easy to use, elegant solutions in hardware and software. Is it a perfect world? No. Nothing is.

Anyone who thinks otherwise, that Apple users are mere lemmings, is truly angry at nothing.

Yeah you’ve captured my emotions. To me, the argument against Apple fanboys rhymes with what a lot of people say about PRS.

If you don’t like Apple that’s ok, but you can’t deny the quality. They didn’t become the most valuable company in the world by scamming people. The products are unreal and they’re making a good attempt at social and environmental responsibility, lately.

I do strongly agree with @dcm_guitar about the way they handle media downloads. iTunes used to be the best thing out there. Now... I can’t stand it. That’s an Apple product that has been broken for years. I buy my music exclusively from Amazon now.

 

[alantig]

Touch ID has never worked on my iphone.

itunes is the worst software I've used in 20 years. I have it on 4 PCs now and it only works "OK" on one of them. One of them it's horrible, 2 it's junk.

Constant bugs after ios updates on all devices....

So accross the board issues on what is supposed to be super premium products. Oh, and the hipsters standing in line every time a new model comes out... Dude, it's a freakin phone, not Led Zeppelin!

iTunes on Windows is awful (and that's from a few versions back - it's never been good).

iTunes on Mac? Not a whole lot better. It really has gone downhill.

I've never really been happy with the iPod universe software. The iPod classic is probably my favorite in that universe, and for me, it really pales in comparison to my old Creative Zen. But the Zen didn't have anywhere near the storage I need. (Not that the Apple stuff does anymore, but it's at least better.) On the Zen, I could add stuff to its version of the On The Go playlist - and then reorder it. I can do some of that on the Touch, but it's not quite as easy. The biggest thing was I could move music on and off the Zen. If they'd come out with a bigger one, I could have copied everything over to a PC and back to the new Zen. Not w/an iPod. And that's not purchases - it's stuff I've ripped.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

iTunes on Windows is awful (and that's from a few versions back - it's never been good).

iTunes on Mac? Not a whole lot better. It really has gone downhill.

I've never really been happy with the iPod universe software. The iPod classic is probably my favorite in that universe, and for me, it really pales in comparison to my old Creative Zen. But the Zen didn't have anywhere near the storage I need. (Not that the Apple stuff does anymore, but it's at least better.) On the Zen, I could add stuff to its version of the On The Go playlist - and then reorder it. I can do some of that on the Touch, but it's not quite as easy. The biggest thing was I could move music on and off the Zen. If they'd come out with a bigger one, I could have copied everything over to a PC and back to the new Zen. Not w/an iPod. And that's not purchases - it's stuff I've ripped.

Exactly, my Zen (which died 5 years and was more than 5 years old at the time) was WAY WAY WAY easier to use (and higher fidelity) than my ipod/pad/phone when it comes to music. Drag and drop a new song, album or groups whole catalog into the Zen and away you go.

Easier to use, better, cheaper.

 

[bodia]

iTunes on Windows is awful (and that's from a few versions back - it's never been good).

iTunes on Mac? Not a whole lot better. It really has gone downhill.

I've never really been happy with the iPod universe software. The iPod classic is probably my favorite in that universe, and for me, it really pales in comparison to my old Creative Zen. But the Zen didn't have anywhere near the storage I need. (Not that the Apple stuff does anymore, but it's at least better.) On the Zen, I could add stuff to its version of the On The Go playlist - and then reorder it. I can do some of that on the Touch, but it's not quite as easy. The biggest thing was I could move music on and off the Zen. If they'd come out with a bigger one, I could have copied everything over to a PC and back to the new Zen. Not w/an iPod. And that's not purchases - it's stuff I've ripped.

Exactly, my Zen (which died 5 years and was more than 5 years old at the time) was WAY WAY WAY easier to use (and higher fidelity) than my ipod/pad/phone when it comes to music. Drag and drop a new song, album or groups whole catalog into the Zen and away you go.

Easier to use, better, cheaper.

Am I missing something? Isn't this exactly how I get tunes on my iPod? Plug it in to the PC, drag stuff to the "Jim's New iPod", and take off.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

You're one of the lucky ones if it works correctly even most of the time. When I had my first itunes problems years ago, googling it quickly let me know that it was the norm, not the exception. I was trying to get an answer the other day to a question in my ipad, and one major tech writer called itunes the worst software he's used in the last 10 years. I added a few to that because my problems with it started on my daughters first iphone before I even had one.

Example: No matter what I do, I can't add The Astonishing to my iphone or ipad, even though I ripped it from my own CDs just like all the rest of my MP3s. Every time I sync my iphone music, I lose some of it while adding the music I want. Add an album, and a couple weeks later go to find an album I listened too weeks ago and it's gone. I could go on and on with this as it is a VERY sore subject, but I'll leave you with my all time favorite. I have an ipad with few apps, lots of memory (my loving wife wanted to buy me the best so she got a 64 gig ipad 2 back with they were $699!!!) and one time while adding a new CD to itunes and then to the ipad, the software deleted every single "track 1" out of my whole collection. Over 600 CDs ripped. The first song of every single one was deleted from the ipad for no apparent reason. I tried all kinds of tech support, forums, everything and they were GONE, not unrecognized "data" as often happens with them. After PAINStakingly adding over 300 song #1s, one at a time(!) I went to listen to an album one day and it played the first song twice before moving on the the second song. You guessed it... after over 3 months of no track ones, they ALMOST all reappeared. So now, most of the ones I put in were duplicate tracks and I had to go back in and delete track one from over 300 albums. But.... some of them never came back! And no "sync" would ever re-add them! I had to do it manually.

I'll stop here before I get ticked off. But I could go on for days. And this covers at least 3 good running, clean windows PCs and laptops. And 7-8 years of hassles before I basically dumped some music on my iphone and quite trying with the ipad.

 

[Lee B.]

I’ve been an Apple fan since 1999, but I have noticed some definite straying from smart utility toward pointless gimmickry after Steve Jobs passed away. Taking away usable ports and replacing them with proprietary ones requiring a bunch of extra and expensive adapters just to get mixed results. The designed to fail power adapters. Refusal to adopt useful advances like wireless charging or touchscreen laptops. I’m not sure whether it’s worth the premium anymore.

 

[veinbuster]

Am I missing something? Isn't this exactly how I get tunes on my iPod? Plug it in to the PC, drag stuff to the "Jim's New iPod", and take off.

That’s what I do. 4 iPods for Mrs and 1 for myself - all different content. My entire music library on 3 iPads and a good chunk of it on my phone.

 

[László]

When it comes to computers, everyone’s got their schtick.

I’m running the latest/greatest music software and plugins on a late 2013 iMac with 32 GB of RAM and whatever processor was tops on that machine back then. The machine is nice to look at, the picture is gorgeous, it works fast as a banshee.

No issues, no hiccups.

5 years? I’ll take that happily. And it’s as fast today as when I got it.

iTunes works fine across my computer, iPhone, iPad and even my freakin’ CAR; again, no issues, though for serious full-range audio quality I use Amarra.

I have Apple Music, and can legally download anything on iTunes and listen anywhere. As can my wife (family plan). We love it.

My iPad Air is three years old, works great. My iPhone 7 works great. I got my son an iPhone X for his birthday, he loves it, got my 94 year old mom an 8, she loves it and uses it with her iPad. My grandkids started using iPads when they were three, they have no issues, and also use the school’s iPads.

We like the Apple TV (though I’m not much of a TV watcher). It hasn’t been problematic in the least. My Apple wi fi router was plug and play, no setup, everything was automatic.

For 32 years, this has been hassle free for me/my fam, and while someone’s always gotta b!tch about something, think about where computers, software, phones, and devices would be if not for Apple innovation. I doubt things would be where they are now.

In any case, I like what I like, feel free to like whatever you like, what’s the problem? Don’t like iTunes, use something else. Don’t like iPhones, get something else. But there’s no need to rag on Apple or the folks that use the Apple stuff. Even the folks who are crazy enough to stand in line for some Apple gadget they can get the next day without a line are having fun with that. Why diss ‘em? You have fun doing what you like, live and let live!

 

[Elliot]

I’ve been an Apple fan since 1999, but I have noticed some definite straying from smart utility toward pointless gimmickry after Steve Jobs passed away. Taking away usable ports and replacing them with proprietary ones requiring a bunch of extra and expensive adapters just to get mixed results. The designed to fail power adapters. Refusal to adopt useful advances like wireless charging or touchscreen laptops. I’m not sure whether it’s worth the premium anymore.

I’m with you on both of those. I dislike both of those choices. Touchscreen thing really bugged me a few years ago. I’m still waiting for the day when they make one. I do think the future of headphones is 98% wireless, especially in the high-end marketplace. Buuut I think a lot of people weren’t ready for that yet, including me. The only downside of my new purchase IMO.

We’ve seen google pixel switch over to completely wireless audio after they mocked Apple for it. Samsung is mocking them too it but it’s inevitable that they’ll do the same, eventually.

 

[alantig]

Am I missing something? Isn't this exactly how I get tunes on my iPod? Plug it in to the PC, drag stuff to the "Jim's New iPod", and take off.

Yes - getting music TO the iPod. But w/the Zen, it was more like an external drive - you could drag music to it, but also from it. And iTunes does work much better on the Mac than a PC, in my experience. But it’s nowhere as easy as the Zen was.

 

[Leif Robertson]

I get an new iphone every few years. I don't usually care about the announcements until the year that I feel like I "need" an upgrade. Then I usually geek-out and stalk rumors, forums and official announcements obsessively.

It's the same sort of compulsion that compels my guitar internet habits. My last iphone rumor binge was 2015 when the 6s was announced.

Anyway, I felt I deserved a new iphone Xs Max in their new shiny gold color. Never liked gold before, because it was accompanied by a white face. Not this year, black and gold.

I build mobile apps and I still dev. using an 8. The largest issue with apple is they do eventually force you to upgrade. Especially if your a dev. Ive got 4 iPads. lol. But thats because I use 3 of them for work. You don't need a ten. an 8 will serve you fine however a 6 will not work so well with iOS 11 and especially the upcoming 12 which is in beta. So my advice is if your going to upgrade the 8 is more than fine unless your really concerned with aesthetics or like the idea of having facial recognition. Don't you cover up you iPhone anyway with a case? If so your not going to see the colors as much anyway. If not ok cool! I develop for X with the simulator. I watch I have but I use it for the gym and I like not having to bring my phone. Of course now that Im in BJJ classes instead of Gym I can't wear the watch. DO love apple software technology. IOS is an excellent OS that works well with OS X.

What bothers me about apple is when you are forced to upgrade say OS X, your old software doesn't work., For instance I had to upgrade to Logic Pro which turned out to be great but I can't run Logic 9 in High Sierra and when I open up logic 9 in logic pro its messed up. I do like how its all connected. My laptop rings when my phone rings. I can text message back if my phone is not in the room. IOS is well engineered. I wish they were assembled in the US.

Things were better with Jobs..no doubt.

 

[bodia]

You're one of the lucky ones if it works correctly even most of the time. When I had my first itunes problems years ago, googling it quickly let me know that it was the norm, not the exception. I was trying to get an answer the other day to a question in my ipad, and one major tech writer called itunes the worst software he's used in the last 10 years. I added a few to that because my problems with it started on my daughters first iphone before I even had one.

Example: No matter what I do, I can't add The Astonishing to my iphone or ipad, even though I ripped it from my own CDs just like all the rest of my MP3s. Every time I sync my iphone music, I lose some of it while adding the music I want. Add an album, and a couple weeks later go to find an album I listened too weeks ago and it's gone. I could go on and on with this as it is a VERY sore subject, but I'll leave you with my all time favorite. I have an ipad with few apps, lots of memory (my loving wife wanted to buy me the best so she got a 64 gig ipad 2 back with they were $699!!!) and one time while adding a new CD to itunes and then to the ipad, the software deleted every single "track 1" out of my whole collection. Over 600 CDs ripped. The first song of every single one was deleted from the ipad for no apparent reason. I tried all kinds of tech support, forums, everything and they were GONE, not unrecognized "data" as often happens with them. After PAINStakingly adding over 300 song #1s, one at a time(!) I went to listen to an album one day and it played the first song twice before moving on the the second song. You guessed it... after over 3 months of no track ones, they ALMOST all reappeared. So now, most of the ones I put in were duplicate tracks and I had to go back in and delete track one from over 300 albums. But.... some of them never came back! And no "sync" would ever re-add them! I had to do it manually.

I'll stop here before I get ticked off. But I could go on for days. And this covers at least 3 good running, clean windows PCs and laptops. And 7-8 years of hassles before I basically dumped some music on my iphone and quite trying with the ipad.

So, I have had a couple of issues with iTunes, but nothing like what you describe. I do it all through my computer though. If I want music on my iPod, I hook it up to the PC and drag/drop. Don't use my iPad for music. When I put music on my phone (Samsung), I go to the folder level on the PC and drag/drop. I have all my tunes backed up on a backup hard dive on my PC and an external hard drive.

I much prefer the first music manger thingy I was using a decade ago. It's long gone, and I can't even remember what it was called.

 

[bodia]

Yes - getting music TO the iPod. But w/the Zen, it was more like an external drive - you could drag music to it, but also from it. And iTunes does work much better on the Mac than a PC, in my experience. But it’s nowhere as easy as the Zen was.

Yeah, see, I only move music TO my iPod. Any music purchase always gets done on the PC. Less room for error that way. At least IMO.