Egg Freckles

December 2016

• Gimmick Strip

  Last weekend I had the chance to visit my local Apple Store and check out the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. I was not impressed. The Touch Bar could have been the greatest user interface advancement to hit the Mac since the Multitouch Trackpad. Instead it is a Gimmick Strip used to quickly tap commonly used keyboard shortcuts and emoji. Complex tasks, like those used in Final Cut Pro X, are possible. But instead of keeping your hands on the keyboard and your eyes on the screen, the Touch Bar forces users to waste time hunting for hidden commands. Designing the Touch Bar took development time away from the Mac. Apple only released four new Mac models this year. One was a speed bump, and only two have the Touch Bar. How many more Macs could have been updated this year if Apple hadn’t wasted time on Touch Bar? If Apple thinks the Touch Bar is such a big deal, why not include it on every new Mac? Like the Multitouch Trackpad on Mac OS X and 3D Touch on iOS, adoption of the Touch…

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November 2016

• Good, Better, Best

  Take a moment to look over Apple’s product line. Pay special attention to the Macintosh. On the desktop side we have the Mac mini, iMac, and Mac Pro. On the notebook side we have the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, Several models come in more than one screen size. The larger models usually offer better performance. Some models don’t come with a screen. Most models are over a year old. Now imagine for a minute the word ‘Pro’ disappeared from the Macintosh product line. And let’s assume the Mac Pro and the MacBook Air aren’t long for this world. That leaves us with three desktop form factors the mac mini, the 21.5-inch iMac, and the 27-inch iMac, and three notebook form factors, the 12-inch MacBook, the 13-inch MacBook, and the 15 inch MacBook. Instead of the two by two product square Steve Jobs introduced in the late 90’s, we now have a two by three product rectangle Tim Cook could unveil as early as next year. The two by three rectangle…

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• The Last Mac Pro

  The 2013 Mac Pro has been a disaster. After 1,056 days since its last update, Apple has proven they are no longer interested in making a computer for the high-end professional. While the iMac has always been the computer for the rest of us, the Mac Pro has always been the computer for the professional. Free from self-imposed restrictions on size, weight, and power, the Mac Pro allowed the rest of Apple’s products to appeal to the masses while specializing in the needs of professionals who value performance first. Introduced under the battle-cry “can’t innovate anymore my ass,” the revolutionary 2013 Mac Pro upset the balance. Innovating in a new direction few professionals wanted to go. Marco Arment explains why: The 2013 Mac Pro was introduced with a substantial price increase, far less internal expansion, fewer and more expensive processor options, and a forced dual-workstation-GPU configuration even for buyers who would’ve been fine with a single GPU. Then…

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• Amazon Premium…

  If you can wear Apple Earpods, you can wear Amazon Premium Headphones. If you think Apple Earpods sound good, Amazon Premium Headphones sound the same. If you take calls or pause the music on your Apple EarPods, Amazon Premium Headphones won’t let you down. And if you replace your Apple Earpods every few months due to loss or damage, don’t expect Amazon Premium Headphones to hold up any better. They are made out of the same materials, but Amazon Premium Headphones are half the price. Amazon Premium Headphones are not a superior product; they are a more convenient product. And that’s the only reason why you will find Amazon Premium Headphones in my ears. The Good Amazon Premium Headphones are tangle free. Their flat spaghetti cord resists being tied in knots. On the end of each earbud is a magnet, and when the earbuds are not in use they attract. The back of the left earbud connects with the back of the right earbud. This bond prevents the two earbuds from being…

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October 2016

• Apple Watch Series 2

  I skipped the first Apple Watch. I missed the benefits of customizable watch faces, the importance of complications, and the appeal of swappable bands. I read how Apple Watch was slow, the screen was dim, but battery life was OK. I learned you could get Apple Watch wet even if you shouldn't take it for a swim. And I listened to nerds worry about meeting fitness goals for the first time. The first Apple Watch never made it onto my wrist because it couldn't replace the watches I was already wearing. My mechanical watch that lasts all day My diving watch that goes for a swim My GPS watch that tracks marathons In order to wear Apple Watch it needed to last into the night, survive a mile swim, and record a three hour marathon. Apple Watch Series 2 promises to do all three. Day Zero: Setup My first day with Apple Watch was September 19th, 2016. I bought the last Series 2 for sale in my State; Space Gray Aluminum Case with Black Woven Nylon Strap. Even if I had a choice, space gray with a…

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September 2016

• Ceramic

  Last April I was worried the $10,000+ Apple Watch Edition would alienate Apple’s core customers. Separating technology enthusiasts and everyday people from a company that once prided itself upon making “the computer for the rest of us.” I wasn’t alone. Estimates “Apple Watch revenue will be dominated by the gold Edition units” were overly optimistic. Just 10 months after its release, Apple began removing mention of the Apple Watch Edition from its retail stores and website. At a time when Apple has just launched its cheapest ever iPhone, and when Phil Schiller caused a few raised eyebrows over what some interpreted as an elitist remark, Apple seems to be aiming for a more egalitarian image where the Apple Watch is concerned. Apple has quietly revamped the Apple Watch section of its website, rendering the Edition almost invisible unless you specifically go looking for it. In addition, we’re hearing reports that Apple’s most expensive Watch is also…

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• Courage

  I have been waiting all Summer for the introduction of the iPhone 7. Not because I plan on buying an iPhone 7, but because I wanted to hear Apple’s reason for removing the headphone jack from their flagship phone. Here’s what Phil Schiller had to say about the subject during the September 7th Apple Special Event: Now some people have asked why we would remove the analog headphone jack from the iPhone. […] The reason to move on — I’m going to give you three of them, but it really comes down to one word: courage. The courage to move on, do something new, that betters all of us. And our team has tremendous courage. Many of the people I interact with on Twitter found Phil’s explanation of ‘courage’ to be a little obtuse and a tad bit arrogant. Heck even I used Phil’s explanation to poke fun at Apple’s expense. But if there is anything worth waiting for after an Apple event, besides the new products, it is John Gruber’s analysis of the show.…

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• Photive HF1…

  I do not own a wireless keyboard. I do not own a wireless mouse. Because when it comes to wireless, wired is always faster, cheaper, and without batteries to charge or replace. But starting this Summer I began to get tired of running my earbuds up under my shirt to avoid tangles. I watched horrified as three pairs of Amazon premium earbuds get yanked out of my ears and smashed to the ground. So after two decades of earbud use, first on my MiniDisc, then iPod, then smartphone, it was time for a change. I did a little research. Didn’t find anything I liked. And purchased a pair of Photive HF1 Bluetooth headphones on Amazon for $49.95. For podcasts, audiobooks, and light listening on the go they sound fine. Certainly not any worse than the Apple/Amazon earbuds I have become accustomed to. What I was worried about most is how they would feel on my ears, how they would look on my head, and how they would hold up to every day use. Feel Feel is important to me. I wear my headphones all…

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August 2016

• New Apple

  Ii his article ‘New Apple,’ Stephen Hackett tells us what makes the Apple of today different from the Apple he discovered in the early 2000’s. Apple of today is different. It’s not only one of the world’s largest companies, it’s been that way for some time. Employee head count has swelled and the company is pushing into services more than ever before, all while juggling more products than ever. As a fan of early 2000’s Apple, I often reminisce of a time when Apple was the underdog. When its low marketshare and outspoken CEO taught us to ‘Think Different.’ When choosing a computer meant picking between Home or Pro — laptop or desktop. iOS had not been invented yet. Today’s Apple doesn’t face the same challenges. It doesn’t need to shout in shades of brightly colored plastic to be heard. Today’s Apple is a market leader, with products reaching every price point. Whose actions speak louder than words, with or without a keynote…

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July 2016

• Why Lightning?

  The Apple en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_(connector text: Lightning connector) was introduced on September 12, 2012 to replace the 30-pin dock connector on the iPhone 5. It went on to replace the 30-pin dock connector on all new Apple products including popular accessories like the Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Siri Remote. More compact than the 30-pin dock connector, the Lightning connector can be inserted with either side facing up. But as far as Apple’s customers are concerned, that is where Lightning’s advantages end. The 30-pin dock connector introduced new capabilities by extending the existing 30-pin layout and utilizing dedicated hardware on the device. The Lightning connector emulates these capabilities across Lightning’s 8-pins by way of the device’s on board CPU. Often this emulation requires including expensive integrated circuits inside the Lightning adapter itself. This is one reason why Lightning adapters often cost more than their 30-pin…

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