Some Apple reliability perspective.........not all rosey toeszies

[TechGod2014]

Why don't you get office for Mac? I have it on all my macs. Can't live without outlook. I also have windows 8.1 on it via boot camp. I like the SP3 but that doesn't mean I'm done with Apple. They do it right. I'll buy any tech that fits my needs.

 

[vanhalo]

Why don't you get office for Mac? I have it on all my macs. Can't live without outlook. I also have windows 8.1 on it via boot camp. I like the SP3 but that doesn't mean I'm done with Apple. They do it right. I'll buy any tech that fits my needs.

I have access to Office Mac via MSDN and I already have a copy of Desktop Fusion from VMWare.......these are all things to consider. I love the SP3 so far.

I was not happy with the Desktop Fusion performance on the Mac Mini so.......

 

[vanhalo]

I think if I could find a low energy consumption Windows Server with redundant disks I would be set. Anyone dare to try and install Windows 2012 R2 Server on one of these bad boys? Now I am curious.

I guess they have.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2327288
http://blogs.technet.com/b/privatecloud/archive/2013/02/21/surface-pro-hijinks-video.aspx#pi145811=2

I am thinking....just use the 8.1 default image with Hyper-V in leui of installing Server on the root.

Now I am thinking of buying another SP3 to run my mail server along with a Raid appliance for storage. I am starting to get all warm and fuzzy about this option. Smaller electrical footprint. Right now my office produces about 600 watts an hour 24/7

That is aproximately......14,400 watt hours/day (equivalent to a 3 ton AC unit) or 14.4 KwH/day>5,256 KwH/Year @ $525 per year in electricity.

The SP3 would use a fraction of this. I have not found the claimed numbers yet but my energy monitoring tells me it uses around 13 watts when idle.

12 years running a 300w Dell Poweredge 2500 has cost me $. Interestingly enough...I never lost 1 email or had the RAID array crash. I replaced 1 drive in 10 years.

 

[EMINENT]

Here's an article of IOS problems that came out today.

iOS 7.1.1 Problems Continue to Annoy Users

By Josh Smith | 06/27/2014 0 Comments










Safari continues to reload tabs for many iPad Air users, and springboard crashes are still a problem for some. A reader shares details about these iOS 7.1.1 problems that continue to annoy users months after the release.

Other iOS 7.1.1 problems include battery life and WiFi complaints on the iPhone and iPad. Apple is working on an iOS 7.1.2 update to fix a number of iOS 7.1 and iOS 7.1.1 problems. Leaks don’t indicate what iOS 7.1.1 problems this update will fix, and users may need to wait until the iOS 8 release date this fall for a larger batch of fixes.

Read: iOS 7 Tips & Tricks

iOS 7.1.1 problems don’t impact every user, which is part of why it is tough for Apple to isolate and fix issues like Safari reloading tabs on the iPad Air.


The iPad Air is new, but it is the home for several iOS 7.1.1 problems.
The iPad Air is new, but it is the home for several iOS 7.1.1 problems.


While users may accept performance issues on older devices like the iPad 2, the iPad Air is Apple’s flagship device with a new 64-bit Apple A7 processor designed to work with iOS 7. If anything iPad Air users should see the least iOS 7.1.1 problems but for some users this continues to drag on, and will likely stick around until Apple identifies a fix.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJNS3ucSak4



Other iOS 7.1.1 problems include a lock screen bypass, problems sending mail, battery life, app crashes and Notification problems.

If the iOS 7.1.2 release does not fix this problem users will need to wait for iOS 8, which is a major update to the iPhone and iPad software. According to one user the problem is not fixed in the iOS 8 beta, but there is time for Apple to add to the beta. The iOS 8 release date arrives this fall, but the exact date is unknown.

The video below shows this iPad iOS 7.1.1 problem in action. The Safari app is unable to keep the tabs loaded while switching between two tabs. This is something that the iPad Air should be able to handle, especially with no other app open.




Gotta Be Mobile reader Edgardas shares his description of two iOS 7.1.1 problems that make using his iPad Air a frustrating and annoying experience.


“Like others I have been facing up with Safari crashes and springboard crashes on my iPad air. After springboard or Safari crash I get “Low memory” logs at settings – general - diagnostic and usage. Apple said that springboard crashes was fixed on 7.1. However after this update I’m getting at least one Safari/springboard crash a day”

In an attempt to fix these iOS 7.1.1 problems he restored the firmware on the iPad Air twice and cleared Safari cache, but it was no help. This does not impact the iPad mini or his iPhone 5s.



When the iPad Air crashes it creates a Low memory log, creating a trail of this iOS 7.1.1 problem.


When Safari crashes and Springboard crashes the iPad creates logs for a low memory problem, shown in the image above. There is a long thread on Apple Support forums about this issue. Updates fixed the issue on some devices, but there are still users that cannot reliably browse even two tabs in Safari. Another long thread shares discussion of the problem with users offering opinions on the amount of RAM in the iPad Air.

If you experience either of these iOS 7.1.1 problems the first thing to do is clear the Safari cache by going to Settings -> Safari-> Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data. This may help some users, but if the problem persists you should backup the iPad and perform a restore to reset it to factory settings. After plugging in and backing up to iTunes or using iCloud backup go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Erase all Content and Settings. It may be a good idea to not restore from backup, as this could bring any problems back over.

 

[ctitanic]

I just hope the SP3 lasts as long as my Apple products have. I went through more POS laptops than I can count before dropping the cash on the MacBook Pro. While it cost the same as 3 good laptops, it also lasted longer than 3 good laptops and sold for 60% of what I paid for it 2 years ago.

Well, so far I have owned 3 generations of them and I trade in them in working and excellent conditions!

 

[LadyRaider]

Apple users take to support forums to slate Macbook Pro issues- The Inquirer
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5481839?start=0&tstart=0

Im just saying......from someone who has been weighing their options between the Mac Book Pro (8gb) and the Surface Pro 3. The grass is not always greener.

Also while listening to my favorite podcast....The No Agenda Show. Adam Currey complained about his new Mac Book Pro going haywire with his track pad during the live stream.

Just a few notes that i have logged in my pea sized brain.

VonBulow Jun 17, 2014 8:47 PM
in response to kyawlin Just got a Macbook Pro 13 Retina this afternoon. After less than 5 minutes it froze up on the "Welcome" screen. Restarting it again and again results in the same thing; Frozen up and worthless. Very frustrating, but more than that it's just so terribly disappointing. "Welcome" indeed. We have four iPads and MacTV; never a hitch, ever. After reading some of this nearly 200 pages of cries for help with similar problems and no answers, my faith in Mac computers is well shaken. Apple, take back your Mac!


It's going back to Best Buy as soon as humanly possible.

I know what the trackpad problem is. It's dirt in the crevices. All he has to do is take his finger nail and scrap the crud out and it will work fine.

 

[vanhalo]

I know what the trackpad problem is. It's dirt in the crevices. All he has to do is take his finger nail and scrap the crud out and it will work fine.

Sounds about right. The problem went away for him after he cleaned it. You can hear him complain about it

on the latest stream. I believe it was in the very beginning of the show.

The Show - No Agenda - With Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak

 

[mcsenerd]

Well, Steve Jobs created a cult and inflated all prices of their product adding the "cool factor". So that's one of the reasons why Apple Products retain value. ...

Look... without getting into the insanely boring MS vs. Apple pissing contests... I guess in the jealousy driven minds of some, that "could" be a reason, but the real reason that Apple products tend to hold their value so well in resale is much the same reason that some vehicle makes retain their value. They DON'T discount much if ever on new product. It's that simple... There's no mass purchase discounts, flash sales, rebates, back room price cuts, or the like. Pretty much the price you see is the price you pay. Like I said, this is also what keeps Honda resale prices above their peers for the most part. Add that to the face that like Honda, the devices are generally still in good usable shape after a short period of time, maintain their usefulness, and still have demand...thus you get a decent return at resale.

So... You can call them overpriced all you want... or you can call them higher retained value devices. I prefer to think of most of Apple's products as the latter.

The reality is that the SP3 is a fine and wonderful device (but not perfect... not even close). If anything, like many MS products, it is suffering from another tragic mis-marketing campaign. They're making it out to be something that it can't be. They're writing checks that it's thermal capacity can't cash... Does that mean it's terrible? No, of course not. But if you're going to go out there hawking about replacing laptops... you better have the chops to back it up, and there is where I'm afraid they're falling flat. If they'd come out and just said, "the most powerful tablet ever, that can also do most of what you need from a laptop" then things would be different. Look... maybe they figure out a way to open the SP3 up without it melting to pieces. I'm personally hoping that they do. But while I'm not one of these crybabies running around screaming that the sky is falling... I'm not some rah rah brainless cheerleader either.

And yes, Apple's had plenty of clunkers over the years... How's that Apple HiFi doing? Anyone remember antennagate? How bout the cracking cubes? Remember the 3rd Gen iPad that got outperformed by the iPad 2? (By the way...I think that is the closest situation I can compare the SP3 to being) That being said however, even if it twists undergarments, Apple has established a brand that many believe (in my opinion, rightly so) generally produces mature, stable, and generally expectation meeting/exceeding consumer products. MS on the other hand has not done the same in anywhere close to the same vein with their physical product over the years.

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

I still haven't pushed the gaming part of the SP3 very hard, but everything else? The SP3 is as good as any Apple product I have owned, and I don't need to travel with a cast of thousands. Casual gaming, such as hearthstone or some steam games have worked fine. The type cover is superior (in my opinion) to the decent keyboard on the MBA 11".

So MS is definitely trying, and getting closer each go-round. I think mainly they are trying to get their OEM's to do better.

 

[ipaq_101]

MS on the other hand has not done the same in anywhere close to the same vein with their physical product over the years.

What about the Xbox? I would say that's quite an amazing product.

 

[liftbikerun]

Look... without getting into the insanely boring MS vs. Apple pissing contests... I guess in the jealousy driven minds of some, that "could" be a reason, but the real reason that Apple products tend to hold their value so well in resale is much the same reason that some vehicle makes retain their value. They DON'T discount much if ever on new product. It's that simple... There's no mass purchase discounts, flash sales, rebates, back room price cuts, or the like. Pretty much the price you see is the price you pay. Like I said, this is also what keeps Honda resale prices above their peers for the most part. Add that to the face that like Honda, the devices are generally still in good usable shape after a short period of time, maintain their usefulness, and still have demand...thus you get a decent return at resale.


So... You can call them overpriced all you want... or you can call them higher retained value devices. I prefer to think of most of Apple's products as the latter.

The reality is that the SP3 is a fine and wonderful device (but not perfect... not even close). If anything, like many MS products, it is suffering from another tragic mis-marketing campaign. They're making it out to be something that it can't be. They're writing checks that it's thermal capacity can't cash... Does that mean it's terrible? No, of course not. But if you're going to go out there hawking about replacing laptops... you better have the chops to back it up, and there is where I'm afraid they're falling flat. If they'd come out and just said, "the most powerful tablet ever, that can also do most of what you need from a laptop" then things would be different. Look... maybe they figure out a way to open the SP3 up without it melting to pieces. I'm personally hoping that they do. But while I'm not one of these crybabies running around screaming that the sky is falling... I'm not some rah rah brainless cheerleader either.

And yes, Apple's had plenty of clunkers over the years... How's that Apple HiFi doing? Anyone remember antennagate? How bout the cracking cubes? Remember the 3rd Gen iPad that got outperformed by the iPad 2? (By the way...I think that is the closest situation I can compare the SP3 to being) That being said however, even if it twists undergarments, Apple has established a brand that many believe (in my opinion, rightly so) generally produces mature, stable, and generally expectation meeting/exceeding consumer products. MS on the other hand has not done the same in anywhere close to the same vein with their physical product over the years.

I agree here with basically everything. I'm impressed with the SP3 overall as a design, and functionally it works well enough for most tasks. It really needs 2.0 revision to make it worthwhile and I do think the design requires some additional technology to sustain the size vs speed factor at play. I returned mine mainly because it was too expensive to warrant keeping when it couldn't do EVERYTHING I would need it to. Great product, just needs 6 months, some updates/quality assurance updates, and broadwell (hopefully) to improve upon the overall experience.

Apple has a product cache that allows it to continuously better its designs over time. They've made some significant changes over the years to allow for that, going from the old chip designs, heck I can't even remember what they were called... PowerPC chips? To Intels. They are also a hardware company now which gives their software away for free. Microsoft is and never will be focused primarily on hardware, they have hardware products, but they make their money on their software. Their focus will never be nearly as focused on hardware as Apples.

That said, they are getting better, and technology overall is allowing companies like Microsoft to create a better product the first go around.

I wasn't about to spend $1300 to deal with a gen 1 device, I just picked up a Dell Venue 11 Pro for $475 out the door with a 30% off coupon from slickdeals. I needed something to get me by for the next 6 months while I wait for MS to do their thing with the SP3, and for $475, I can deal with a cheaper feeling, less stable product. I can't do that with a premiumly priced product.

 

[mcsenerd]

What about the Xbox? I would say that's quite an amazing product.

Ummmm... RROD is an acronym with meaning for a REASON.