Pricing on all of these new devices is insane. Sure, the base models are quite reasonably priced, but once you bring them to a level that’s in line with modern day specs, you pay almost double of not more. Almost 2k for a Mac Mini and 1k for an iPad Pro 11”… What are they thinking?
12.9" is the One True iPad Pro Size.
For me, the 256Gb 11" iPad Pro plus keyboard folio, plus Applecare, plus NY tax comes out to just under US $1400. Another $50 for the 30w USB power adapter would just tip me over that line.
And that doesn’t count the XS Max I’m getting soon (I have to look into the timing involved in selling back my 6S Plus to Apple for $150) - which will be just under $1700 with Applecare+tax, or the HomePod I’m hoping will drop under $300 come Black Friday.
Well played, Apple. 
They seem to be thinking that the iPad Pros are “real computers” and they’re speccing out the new machines accordingly (1tb of storage, 8 cores). Of course, this also means pricing them like laptops.
I have the 2017 12.9 iPad Pro with plenty of storage for me. Is there a good reason to upgrade or do I not get enough of a jump out of it. Looking for opinions. Thanks.
They’re leading people into the iOS ecosystem for basic everyday normies ($329 iPad) on up to creatives. And they’re pricing Macs higher, generally, as more pro machines. With FaceID and the Pencil and the raw power form the new processors, the case can be made - for some customers - to choose an iPad Pro over a similarly-priced Macbook. I think that’s only going to accelerate in the near-term.
Eventually, when Mac-centric workflows become more usable on iOS (eg simultaneous podcast stream recording + Skyping, professional photographic printing, coding) Apple will slowly find ways to further persuade consumers to look first at iOS for professional work.
I think Apple is working hard to disrupt the Mac, and get more people onto iOS, not to mention the recurrent revenue for all cloud-based connectivity. (Makes me wonder whether Apple will ever permit external storage via USB-C…)
What a day! But I was so excited about iPads and the MacBook Air that I forgot to be sad that my secret wished item was not included in the announcement. I was really hoping for noise-cancelling AirPods…
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Airpod sales have been so good for so long - with no significant competition in the two years since its announcement - perhaps Apple wants to harvest the higher margins for the units now that time has reduced manufacturing costs.
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I’m also rocking the very first 5K iMac, but I bought mine in 2014. I don’t think you’ve got your date right.
And even though this machine is four years old, it’s still never given me a reason to think of an upgrade. Totally solid machine, fast, I love it. I hope it goes another four years. The only that’s given me pause is some minor ghosting happening on the display, but not enough to warrant any worry. Certainly not aching for any more power than these four year old guts are still more than happy to output to me.
Honestly, the iPad takes up a lot of my computing time these days anyway. My iMac is for heavy-lifting work for the most part.
It’s funny. I will stay with the 11" one, and it’s primarily because I love the bag I use to carry it around, and the 12.9" won’t fit into it. 
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I was quite a bit disappointed (consider this as my entry for the understatement of the year competition) today. Just as I feared, Apple ruined the new MBA with the butterfly keyboard and while the new Mini’s specs are nice, I’m having a hard time justifying a purchase with the Finnish prices for a decent model. So it seems that as far as Mac use is concerned, I’ll be limping on with a 2011 mini that’s stuck on High Sierra.
I have to say that I like the keyboards - after using them for a while regular keyboards feel sloppy, mushy. If the defects of previous keyboards have been put to right I’d have no problem using them.
As for Finnish pricing, the tax situation is certainly different in countries with good, affordable healthcare and a significant, humane economic safety net. 
That isn’t to discount the comparative unaffordability of many products, but there’s a tradeoff that sometimes is discounted…
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At least according to a MacRumors forum thread the problem isn’t really fixed. So while I might eventually get used to the typing feel, I’m not going to gamble with these keyboards until there’s a major less error-prone redesign.
Firstly it was nice to watch an event live for the first time - 10am Eastern is 10pm Hong Kong time so can fit it in before bedtime.
Like a few above I find these things less interesting as time goes on, the apple keynote format is so old and these things can be so cringe-worthy “we’ve made a video and I’d love to show it to you now…” 
My heart sank when they moved on to ipads after announcing the mac mini. I am desperate for a 27" 5k iMac to replace my 6 year old flagging mac mini & dell monitor combo. No matter how bad my mini is I just CANNOT buy a 512 day old iMac. I was really expecting that the iMac would get some love last night. I want and need the tidyness of the all in one. The mini config that I want is only $1500 less than what I expect the iMac to be - which of course has the screen and is a much tidier option in my little flat.
I guess I have to come up with some ways to prop up the mac mini until the iMac refresh. 
We don’ know have all the technical specs on the new MBA.
Current non-Air machines use virtually the same construction as last year’s, with an added silicone sheet for protection. Possibly some very minor keycap/action changes as well. But it’s essentially the same keyboard, better protected. And from what I hear from someone I know who works at Apple Retail the repair instances today are about the same now as any of their mobile keyboards have been.
On the fora it’s more common for people with complaints to come specifically to state them (and restate them, and commiserate about them), so ‘reports’ are usually outsize to any real issues.
Overall I wish the butterfly keyboard had a bit more travel. I was able to write my dissertation on my 2016 MBP and it was fine, but I lived in a sort of persistent state of concern that it would give out the entire time lol.
I’ve yet to try the 3rd-gen boards, but since my Mac is on the fritz, I may look into the new MBA
Follow-up: From what I read this morning, this is a 3rd-generation butterfly keyboard, with backlighting, so it’s too soon to lump in problems people had with older keyboards with this new one. Fingers crossed!
Careful, Rose; for my generation, “pansy” is (was?) a homophobic insult.
Perhaps definitions have changed in 2018.
Pansy is British for wimp 
As well as being a pretty flower.
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