Chrome surpasses IE, Apple beats Microsoft at detachables; Otherwise known as nonsense disguised as news
Well, I'm surprised by what people consider news on a fairly regular basis. But the past week or so has been taking the cake in the useless news department.
Chrome surpasses IE. Umm... who cares? This is actually borderline unavoidable and natural. Why? Because Windows 10 is taking over the Windows stats and it practically rams Edge down your throats. As a direct result, IE usage stats are being cannibalized by Edge. You really need to merge Edge and IE stats. Interestingly, the article which supplied the data didn't mention Edge stats at all. Which leaves me wondering... since there is neither an other category or an Edge category... where did those stats go? I've searched numerous variations of this article, and none list Edge. A few list Other, but the stats are too low to conceivably include Edge.
Edge uses a VERY different browser engine string than IE. In fact, it effectively reports itself as Chrome with one minor difference. THAT is why I find the usage reporting potentially useless. What is even more interesting is the chart here. You'll notice that Chrome's slope increases around the release of Windows 10. Similarly IE's slope goes downward at almost the exact same rate.
Now, it is impossible to say for sure that those number don't represent people switching to Chrome as a result of trying Edge and hating it. But the average person leaves defaults well alone. And so, it is probably more likely that the uptick in Chrome usage and the downtick in IE usage is actually almost wholly attributed to Edge usage. Meaning that Chrome browser isn't actually at the levels reported. But Chrome + Edge is probably close to 100% of that number (you don't seriously believe Edge is the ONLY browser which spoofs a Chrome-like user agent string do you?).
This is important because most of the articles look at this as indicating a downturn in Windows usage. Or a blow to Microsoft. But, people are simply reading too much into data which isn't accurate enough. Or at least it seems reasonable to believe that is the case.
Next, another prediction come true. People are claiming that Apple is beating Microsoft with the Surface Pro vs. the iPad Pro. STOP THE INSANITY! The iPad Pro and the Surface Pro are CLEARLY two completely different devices in two COMPLETELY different categories. All they have in common is the word "Pro" and a detachable keyboard.
I argued that one possible reason behind Apple naming it the iPad Pro and selling it with a detachable keyboard was simply to take the wind out of Microsoft's press. The original large iPad Pro failed to do even that. So Apple simply threw a keyboard on their "regular" sized iPad and renamed that one as an iPad Pro as well. After all of that... they FINALLY have a device which outsells the Surface Pro. And THAT is exactly what is being reported.
If you want me to spell this out for you... the iPad Pro is a TABLET which you can get a FIRST PARTY keyboard for. That is all. You've been able to get BT keyboards for iPads for F***ING AGES people. It doesn't support Mac apps or true productivity apps or even a mouse. So, if you drop the 1st party requirement (and the Pro moniker) and leave your standards that low, then the Surface was probably never winning in the first place.
The Surface Pro on the other hand is a laptop with a removable keyboard. That is all (more or less).
If all you need is an iPad and you'd like a keyboard for convenience, then clearly the iPad Pro is the device for you. If you're ACTUALLY doing professional work (aside from some niche design related crap) you need either a Mac(Book) or a real computer (which the Surface Pro would classify as).
There crossover in markets for these two products is so small it almost doesn't exist. Don't lie to yourself. The iPad Pro is not taking away sales from the Surface lineup or beating it at anything (and vice versa). And, to even get this fictitious victory Apple had to effectively rebrand the iPad Air, drop its base price and create a new accessory. None of those are small or inconsequential acts.
In fact, considering all of that... I'd actually call it Apple's loss. They lost margin by lowering prices and increased production costs by adding another accessory. And I seriously doubt it did anything to bolster sales beyond what a new iPad Air at last years prices would have brought in.
Chrome surpasses IE. Umm... who cares? This is actually borderline unavoidable and natural. Why? Because Windows 10 is taking over the Windows stats and it practically rams Edge down your throats. As a direct result, IE usage stats are being cannibalized by Edge. You really need to merge Edge and IE stats. Interestingly, the article which supplied the data didn't mention Edge stats at all. Which leaves me wondering... since there is neither an other category or an Edge category... where did those stats go? I've searched numerous variations of this article, and none list Edge. A few list Other, but the stats are too low to conceivably include Edge.
Edge uses a VERY different browser engine string than IE. In fact, it effectively reports itself as Chrome with one minor difference. THAT is why I find the usage reporting potentially useless. What is even more interesting is the chart here. You'll notice that Chrome's slope increases around the release of Windows 10. Similarly IE's slope goes downward at almost the exact same rate.
Now, it is impossible to say for sure that those number don't represent people switching to Chrome as a result of trying Edge and hating it. But the average person leaves defaults well alone. And so, it is probably more likely that the uptick in Chrome usage and the downtick in IE usage is actually almost wholly attributed to Edge usage. Meaning that Chrome browser isn't actually at the levels reported. But Chrome + Edge is probably close to 100% of that number (you don't seriously believe Edge is the ONLY browser which spoofs a Chrome-like user agent string do you?).
This is important because most of the articles look at this as indicating a downturn in Windows usage. Or a blow to Microsoft. But, people are simply reading too much into data which isn't accurate enough. Or at least it seems reasonable to believe that is the case.
Next, another prediction come true. People are claiming that Apple is beating Microsoft with the Surface Pro vs. the iPad Pro. STOP THE INSANITY! The iPad Pro and the Surface Pro are CLEARLY two completely different devices in two COMPLETELY different categories. All they have in common is the word "Pro" and a detachable keyboard.
I argued that one possible reason behind Apple naming it the iPad Pro and selling it with a detachable keyboard was simply to take the wind out of Microsoft's press. The original large iPad Pro failed to do even that. So Apple simply threw a keyboard on their "regular" sized iPad and renamed that one as an iPad Pro as well. After all of that... they FINALLY have a device which outsells the Surface Pro. And THAT is exactly what is being reported.
If you want me to spell this out for you... the iPad Pro is a TABLET which you can get a FIRST PARTY keyboard for. That is all. You've been able to get BT keyboards for iPads for F***ING AGES people. It doesn't support Mac apps or true productivity apps or even a mouse. So, if you drop the 1st party requirement (and the Pro moniker) and leave your standards that low, then the Surface was probably never winning in the first place.
The Surface Pro on the other hand is a laptop with a removable keyboard. That is all (more or less).
If all you need is an iPad and you'd like a keyboard for convenience, then clearly the iPad Pro is the device for you. If you're ACTUALLY doing professional work (aside from some niche design related crap) you need either a Mac(Book) or a real computer (which the Surface Pro would classify as).
There crossover in markets for these two products is so small it almost doesn't exist. Don't lie to yourself. The iPad Pro is not taking away sales from the Surface lineup or beating it at anything (and vice versa). And, to even get this fictitious victory Apple had to effectively rebrand the iPad Air, drop its base price and create a new accessory. None of those are small or inconsequential acts.
In fact, considering all of that... I'd actually call it Apple's loss. They lost margin by lowering prices and increased production costs by adding another accessory. And I seriously doubt it did anything to bolster sales beyond what a new iPad Air at last years prices would have brought in.
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