<p>I saw the introduction of the iPad mini. It makes clear to me that Apple remains committed to two things: building really good devices and grabbing all the profits. </p>
<p>As to the first, we’ve seen since the first iPad and a little before, a growing capability for high-end engineering coupled with highly advanced manufacturing processes. They today introduced a new iPad4, a new Mac mini, a new MacBook Pro 13 Retina Display, and a new iMac. Each one pushes the limits of design and manufacturing capability. The iMac tapers to a ridiculously small edge. Tolerances are tiny. They are cutting portions of millimeters. </p>
<p>We’re seeing in this connection of design and manufacturing a flowering of Steve Jobs’ vision. They control so much of their supply chain, they can push suppliers to make consumer devices - and these are consumer devices - that substantially exceed what we imagined could be made only a few years ago. Note that Apple took the time to show the innards of each device to make the point that each little piece was specifically designed and then process-engineered so the thing can be made in bulk to a very high tolerance. The new iMacs will be individually calibrated before they leave the line. </p>
<p>As to the second, look at the pricing. It starts at $329 for the iPad mini. People might imagine they’d sell more at $299 or maybe even less but Apple is constrained by the ability to make enough not by demand. I’d love a cheaper mini, btw. They announced they’ve sold 100 million iPads in 2 years. They sell more iPads a quarter than other PC companies sell of their entire line of devices. </p>
<p>But the point is profit. They don’t care if you - or I - wants a $199 great freaking iPad. They can’t make money at $199. (And Amazon isn’t either; they count on selling stuff to subsidize the hardware. Google can’t be making money at $199 without other revenue either.) Apple makes in profit in a day what Amazon reports as profit for a quarter. And you can’t say Apple is skimping on investment.</p>
<p>Apple is letting other companies sell the $199 tablets. There isn’t enough profit at that level for them. Maybe in the long run the method of selling content to pay for hardware is better. But as of now, the profit is all Apple’s.</p>
<p>We have an iPad 1, iPad 2 and Nexus 7. That’s more than enough for this household. If the iPad Mini were available this past summer, I would have picked one up instead of the Nexus 7.</p>
<p>iOS has over 200K tablet apps. Android has something between 1,000 and 2,000. I guess they feel that their library of apps provides significant value that they can monetize.</p>
<p>Google makes money on advertising and the ability to track what you do via their apps that you use provides them with more value so they can sell at cost. If you want to pay for your device by giving them more information, that’s your option. Amazon pays by advertising and selling you their products. That’s another way of paying for your hardware and software.</p>
<p>The mini-tablets are nice for reading or watching video or reading email in bed as they’re half the weight of the 10 inch tablets. They are also easier to put in a jacket pocket or purse (so I’m told).</p>
<p>I’m waiting for the Surface pro. I realized today that the thing will have one huge advantage over my laptop - I will not have to take it out of the bag when I go through the airport security. :)</p>
<p>Otherwise, that might be more theory than practice. On a recent trip to several airports, I was not able to convince the “checkers” about the fine print in that definition. In Madrid, the girl in charge was only to happy to show me a chart where the words “computer” had been scratched and replaced with “all electronic or electric device” and said … especially iPads from obnoxious people from the USA. I answered I was happy not to carry an electric shaver and she was not too amused. Ten minutes later I was still inline!</p>
<p>The vast majority of those are mobile apps - as in designed for a phone. A tablet app can take advantage of the larger surface area of a tablet and present far more information. When you use a mobile app on a tablet, the app just scales up.</p>
<p>Do a google images search on “iphone fidelity screenshot” and “ipad fidelity screenshot” and you’ll see what I mean.</p>
<p>The iPad 1 wasn’t all that great. Apple did have a ton of apps but they were mobile apps. It took some time for the tablet apps to come out. Before that, you either used mobile apps in scaled mode or you used the browser. On my Nexus 7, I use the browser a lot more than I do on the iPad because the scaled Apps don’t look all that good. This is one reason Google is selling these so cheap - they are trying to convince Apps developers to build tablet version of their mobile apps for Android.</p>
<p>I do know a little about the Nexus 7 as I bought one a while ago.</p>
<p>Whether they are mobile apps or just tablet apps, they are still apps that work on the Nexus 7 and there are over 600,000 of them. I only use about 20 apps and they are more than what I need.</p>
<p>I also just purchased my iPad 3; I have had it all of 5 weeks. I can not believe Apple is just dropping the iPad 3 from the line, but keeping the iPad 2. While I don’t have to have the newest and greatest, I am a bit ticked off that an item that is only 7 months old is considered outdated and will no longer be carried.</p>
<p>That all said, I think my husband will get the mini as he doesn’t own a Kindle; the mini will fit the bill for him.</p>
<p>Given the issues that surfaced, it is not surprising Apple dumped it. The only question is if the last version will correct those issues or confirm the slide in quality and innovation of 2011 and 2012. </p>
<p>I think that Haswell is mid-Spring and I don’t think that Microsoft can wait that long. It’s possible that Intel does some kind of exclusive deal with Microsoft like they have done with Apple in the past but I think that it’s more because they couldn’t necessarily execute on all of the product launches at the same time. The products are Windows 8, Windows 8 RT, Surface RT, Windows Phone 8, and Surface Pro. This is somewhat of a new area for Microsoft in doing tablets and it would be reasonable to space out launches.</p>