A while back, I was so smitten with the newly released iPad Mini 6 that I traded in my newly purchased iPad Air 8 to snatch up one of these new lovelies.

It had a new design (actually a small iPad Pro design) but it had USB-C. Faster file transfer (at least from anything that doesn’t require a Lightning cable). And it had the processor of the latest iPhone 13, which I had also purchased the Mini version of.

It was all because I wanted to prove that with this minimalist hardware, some good glass, and a great camera app you could produce video of equal quality as if you had used the high-end gear.

Of course, you still have to have a solid script, proper lighting, sound, scoring, and editing. But I honestly believe there is no reason as to why it can’t be done in minimal fashion. I did mucho gerry-rigging in film school, so I know a few tricks.

As I watched WWDC2022, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of improvements they had made to iPadOS 16.

But after a few days had passed, after watching several YouTube videos, and reading some reviews, I came to learn that Apple had screwed its loyal fanbase once again. (Please, oh please, won’t someone create a proper OS run by people who aren’t out to rule the world.)

Then the hammer struck me. To access all this wonderfulness, I have to own one of the three recently produced M1 iPad models. Sucked in by a basic magician’s slight-of-hand, diversion stunt. While I’m busy crossing every limb on my body for them to announce that FCP was at long last was iPad bound, I forgot to think about what should have been obvious to every nerd.

Damn.

So now the money-suckers have screwed over millions of their fanbase. Many, many iPad owners (particularly those of us who made our purchases recently) will get the Weather app and a few other crumbs tossed in our direction. That’s it.

The thoughts that brought ear-to-ear grins to our faces are now torn off.

Where can one turn? Android is no good, even if they did have a fair amount of these features first! Their smartphones are made of plastic. They’ll have no resale value to speak of within three years. And there are so many iterations of the OS itself, which one do you think best?

Now Apple makes a quality product. And they make sure to issue security patches ASAP. Their products are supported for a long, long time. And their resale holds up. But morally and ethically, they’re bankrupt. Ironic when you consider the pile of our cash they’re sitting on.

Apple should be forced to bring USB-C to all of their products. Let them take the screwing for once.

No. Make that twice.

 

©2022 Frank Petrie