These Traces 104

May 16

A few stray thoughts on Apple's Let Loose event. First, that trash-compactor ad: I get it. Totally. But I honestly didn't it see it that way initially. I interpreted the spot as a metaphor about using iPad to create music/art...as a tool, not necessarily a replacement for anything, or anyone. That said, given the ongoing threat AI poses to creative work, I can't argue it wasn't a tone-deaf moment for the company.

Speaking of AI: unless I'm mistaken, I believe this was the first presentation where Tim Cook used the term, specifically. As opposed to Machine Learning, Neural Engine, etc. He's mentioned it before (during recent conference calls?), but this kinda makes it official: Apple is joining The Club. In fact, while next month's WWDC is expected to be the big reveal, this week's Logic Pro X update already included several new, AI-labeled features (1). And all are exclusive to Apple Silicon (M1 and over). I'm awfully curious to see how they intend to navigate this minefield. A bit apprehensive too, but I'm keeping an open mind.

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About the new iPads: great stuff, with a consensus once again building around the limitations of iPadOS on such powerful (and expensive) hardware. John Gruber, however, offers an interesting counterpoint on the subject:

But this really does explain the philosophical differences Apple sees between the iPad and Mac platforms. A better Mac is faster. Nicer too, but primarily faster. A better iPad is nicer. Faster, too, but primarily nicer. These new iPad Pros are just incredibly nice. And optimizing for niceness is underrated.

I purchased my first iPad Pro because I wanted a 12.9 in screen. I purchased the second one because I wanted that same screen in a lighter build. Even during my most militant iPad days I never once considered leaving the Mac behind. Steve Job's nailed it with his cars and trucks metaphor—these are two powerful devices that may at times overlap in functionality, but are designed for wholly different purposes. I think a big part of the problem is due to how Apple markets the Pro models: if you show an iPad as the brains of a music studio you're setting up expectations that must be met. And in this context, iPadOS isn't up to the task, period. So they might be selling it wrong.

I'm typing this post on that second iPad Pro—3rd gen, circa 2018—and I'm still getting everything I need from it, six years later. I wouldn't dream of NOT owning an iPad. But when I upgrade it'll probably be an Air, and I might even go for a smaller screen this time. Form has always driven my decision for this device—after all, I already have a truck sitting on my desk.

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One last thing that struck me: the look of the accompanying visuals. Every promotional still had a very distinct style—dark but with tons of controlled dynamic range, very crisp textures, targeted toning. Given what they announced and the BTS videos that were shown (i.e during the FCPX multicam presentation), I'm fairly certain all assets are now shot using iPhones.

Which brought to mind something I wrote in These Traces 089 (emphasis added):

…we can't dismiss the truth of computational photography, for both motion AND stills. The pace of innovation and advancement is stratospheric. To the point where we're now faced with (forgive the pun) apples and oranges. The limitations of a phone camera still exist, but 1) they ARE going away and 2) the ubiquity of these devices is probably altering our expectations of how an image should look and, ultimately, how it should be captured.

I took a picture with my iPhone 14 during the event:

Ok, it's not going on anyone's wall, but here's the thing: despite a high contrast differential, the fact that I was sitting on a couch, watching TV, and barely trying, the image is very well balanced. I could nitpick on a bunch of details but I can't really fault the result for general use. And it's all due to the computational approach of the device, the way it invisibly stacks multiple exposures into a single picture. Invisibly being the operative word. Which also rhymes with simplicity.

Oh! the times they are a chan...nope, way too obvious.
On to the links.

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1: Interestingly, Drummer, a feature that's been around for years, is now part of Logic's AI Session Players (that also includes bass and keyboards). Same function, different branding.