14 DAY TRIAL // I have been a Windows user for more than 10 years. I started back when Windows 98 was the latest and greatest and then moved on to Windows XP and so on. Back then I didn't want to use iTunes so I bought a Creative media player. I had music, videos, photos and even a calendar on it, and I was a happy non-iTunes user.
In 2008, I took the big leap of faith and got a MacBook Pro, and since then everything has changed. I had to use iTunes because there was no other way to put stuff on my iPhone, but Apple has worked to improve it in the past six years so that was not an issue anymore.
Apple's experiments
2008 was also the year of the MacBook Air and I could not understand what the point of that computer was. I don't understand it now either. You have a beautiful and thin OS X computer that doesn't have retina display and it is not as powerful as a MacBook Pro.
Would you really buy it because it is cheaper than a 13" retina MacBook Pro? The difference in weight is really negligible. It is not like the MacBook Air will make your backpack considerable lighter or help you more while on the plane. Do you really want a tripped down computer? Get an iPad Air. You will have access to most of the features and you get a touch screen. Plus, there are literally hundreds of thousands of apps for everything you may need.
Buzzing on your wrist
Going back to present day, let's talk about the iWatch. Even more, let's talk about the Smartwatch in general. Why would someone need a device that stays on your wrist, is really bulky and connects with your phone so it vibrates every 30 seconds? You will get a vibration and a sound when you get a tweet, Facebook post, text message, alarm, missed phone call or email. Do you really need to see it all on your wrist, on a small screen?
I really hope Apple has learned the lesson other manufacturers got when they launched or announced a smartwatch. This kind of device doesn't need to do what the iPhone Notification Center already does, but to bring something new. Whether that fresh thing is some new sensor or feature that the iPhone does not have, we will not know until the device itself is announced.
Apple and others need to create the need for that. The iPad was the last device that has actually done that and they really nailed it. iPad was dubbed as a bigger iPod touch that will not be of interest to anyone.
However, four years later, the sales are still going strong and people love using it to read, play games or just lightly browse the web. In the past year and a half, the iPad has gained some traction in the business field, and more and more companies are making use of it in their operations.
The iWatch may be cheaper than an iPhone, but where's the need for it? Yes, Apple can kill the iPod and just release an iWatch that is good looking enough to replace the music player. If they add Bluetooth audio to it and sell it along a pair of good wireless headphones, it will be a hit.
What is wrong with 4 inches?
The last issue is the larger iPhone 6. Do we really need a bigger device in our pockets? Just because Samsung or HTC have launched phablets, it doesn't mean users want a bigger screen.
A larger display will eat up your battery faster and will make the phone look weird when you use it. A larger device cannot be properly used with one hand, so it will be impractical to hold a 5.5-inch or even a 4.7-inch iPhone when you do something else.
The gist of this rant is pretty simple. I moved from Windows to OS X and I do not regret a bit because I am using a modern ecosystem and really awesome apps. This has improved my productivity and it helps me every day.
If or when you come out with something new, you have got to give the user a good reason to switch the old product. I am not going to buy into it just because it has a larger screen.