The coffee shop is a great working space for completing impromptu urgent tasks. After spending a few hundred pesos for a 20-ounce coffee, you find a great spot and then open your laptop to get that job done. Then suddenly, you realize that there is no power outlet and you are on 20 percent battery, giving you a quick window of merely 30 minutes to work.
You realize that you need a photo from your mobile phone to wrap up the report you are trying to complete. You scrambled upon your backpack only to realize that you have no cable with you. With the urgency, you lost the common sense to send it through the internet via the cloud. But who understands the cloud? As Filipinos, we are mostly acquainted with the usual flash drives and cables to move files between our mobile phone and computer.
You lost it. The deadline, the confidence, everything.
As a number one doubter of Apple products due to their unattractive pricetags and Western origin, I also jumped from one brand to another including Samsung and Huawei. However, when I finally gave in and entered the so-called “Apple Ecosystem,” I doubt ever leaving Apple products in my digital needs. Here are some reasons why:
Everybody seems to get along
Are you familiar with AirDrop? It’s been with Apple for the longest time. AirDrop is a proprietary ad hoc service in Apple. It was introduced in Mac OS X Lion and iOS 7, which could transfer files among supported Apple computers and iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad using close-range wireless communication.
The technology uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption over a direct Apple-created peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection for the transmission of documents. For simplicity, the Wi-Fi radios of the source and target devices communicate directly without using an Internet connection or Wi-Fi Access Point.
Compared with the usual third-party transfers which could enable exchange between Android and iOS devices, AirDrop file transfers have unprecedented speeds and do not harm your device from heating up when large or voluminous files are transferred.
Powerful built-in applications
Apple hosts a handful of proprietary software which are free to use for any of its devices. Something very common and very useful for content creators is iMovie. It is a video editor available in iOS, iPadOS and Mac OS and is readily available upon unboxing your Apple device. It has a very convenient and straightforward user interface. Upon completing your video editing, it also renders the videos at shorter periods versus PCs with lower specifications. To illustrate, the entry-level MacBook Air can already do justice in video editing producing high-quality renders while saving your precious time; compared with PCs whose entry levels would heat while rendering and consume longer periods.
Unlike PC laptops with Windows, MacBooks and even iPads have a built-in word processor, spreadsheet and presentation applications. Apple has Pages which turns out to be the counterpart for Microsoft Word, Numbers for Microsoft Excel and Keynote for Microsoft PowerPoint.
And apparently, Apple does not stop there, most of its apps are available on various devices and could be synchronized through the cloud. It just requires some understanding of how the cloud works and which data needs to be in sync. Personally, I sync my calendar, contacts, notes and reminders. This ensures that the most important things are within reach through any Apple device I have. Pro tip: Don’t sync photos as this might consume so much of the memory. Instead, use AirDrop when you need the photo on another Apple device.
Sophisticated minimalist designs
Let’s be totally honest about it. Apple products pay so much attention to detail. The name itself has been linked as a luxury. While some consider its devices a bit too over-the-top, it remains to be a signature accessory and to some extent a status symbol. Come to think of it, though, Apple does not impose a high price tag unless you want the latest model. In fact, as of this writing, iPhone 11 is still actively being manufactured and is on the market at lower prices.
Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.
STEVE JOBS
Apple devices are known to be with the highest material grade compared with its competitors. For example, some flagship models of Android brands boast aluminum chassis. This means they could be produced much cheaper than Apple, which uses surgical grade stainless steel for its flagship Pro models.
Come to think of it, we do get what we pay for even in terms of aesthetics and the actual build of the phone when we patronize Apple products. With the positioning of speakers, the cameras, you see its Apple vibe. What I am a bit excited about is their upcoming Macbooks which are rumored to showcase various colors just like the iMacs released last year.
Efficient and enabling hardware
I remember back in the day when computer build enthusiasts would criticize people who would buy Apple computers for gaming. I mean it is indeed embarrassing. But now that Apple has begun producing its silicon chips, not only has their computers become much cheaper, they are many folds faster than older third-party chips they once used.
After a successful deployment of the M1 chip in their Macbooks and iPads, M1 Pro and M1 Max are putting the impossible possible in the latest MacBook Pro line with unprecedented speeds.
The main secret of Apple as to why they are successful in what they do is simply because they build and develop products across their own built and designed ecosystem. Unlike Android which runs across many brands of devices and has to mix and match with the hardware, Apple simply puts its focus on their products whether software or hardware. Android, while it provides the ultimate flexibility, is put on a double-edged sword as it tries to fit on every device of a multitude of brands, ending up in unsustainable promises of quality and longevity.
So the next time you choose to buy your hard-earned gadget, consider how much you are getting for a certain price point. While Apple and others have many pros and cons, it entirely lies in your preference, budget, and perception of value for money.
Ilonggo Engineer 