The beginning and end of the iPad

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Apple’s new iPads, arguing the hardware is stunning but the iPad’s core problem remains software and use case. The hosts also dissect the backlash to Apple’s “crushing” ad, then pivot to streaming consolidation and the return of bundle economics, and finally note Microsoft, Epic v. Apple “button and link” litigation, and Foxconn’s Wisconsin site becoming a data-center story.

Main Topics: Apple’s new iPad lineup and the iPad’s identity crisis (Priority: 5/5): The hosts review the refreshed iPad, iPad Air, and especially the iPad Pro, praising the hardware while arguing Apple still hasn’t solved what the iPad is for beyond being a powerful, expensive pane of glass. iPad Pro engineering: M4 and tandem OLED (Priority: 5/5): Discussion of the 13-inch iPad Pro’s extreme thinness, the M4 chip, and tandem OLED display technology as a major hardware leap that may be preparing for future software features. Apple Pencil Pro and keyboard accessories (Priority: 4/5): The new Pencil Pro’s squeeze and barrel-roll gestures and the redesigned keyboard case are examined as incremental but potentially niche-improving upgrades, with skepticism about mass adoption beyond power users. Apple’s crushed-instruments ad and the creative backlash (Priority: 5/5): The hosts debate the controversial iPad ad that literally smashes creative tools into an iPad, arguing the reaction reflects broader distrust of Big Tech and fear around AI’s impact on creative labor. Streaming consolidation and the return of bundles (Priority: 4/5): Alex Kranz explains how Disney, Hulu, and Max bundling reflects a shift back toward cable-like economics as streaming companies seek profitability, scale, and ad revenue rather than endless growth. Apple app-store enforcement and the Epic ‘buttons and links’ fight (Priority: 4/5): A detailed legal update shows Apple defending restrictive anti-steering rules in court, with judges pressing the company on why external links/buttons are being constrained despite prior injunctions. Foxconn, Racine, and the Microsoft data-center pivot (Priority: 3/5): The show closes on a Wisconsin-local-history victory lap: the failed Foxconn factory promise is giving way to Microsoft’s data-center buildout on the same site, framed as a political and economic reset.

Key Arguments: Apple’s new iPad hardware is impressive, but without meaningful iPadOS changes it remains unclear what problem the device is truly solving. The iPad Pro’s M4 and tandem OLED are technically significant because the chip and display likely depend on each other for performance and power efficiency. The iPad Air is a reasonable mid-tier device, but the price/performance gap to the base iPad may not justify upgrading for most users. Apple Pencil Pro features are appealing mainly to a small group of creative and shortcut-heavy users, not to the mass market. The backlash to Apple’s crushing ad is less about the ad itself and more about rising anxiety over AI, creator compensation, and tech companies’ role in creative work. Streaming companies are being forced into bundle economics because standalone growth is no longer sustainable; profitability and scale now matter more than subscriber fantasy. Apple’s anti-steering rules are increasingly indefensible because they amount to malicious compliance rather than legitimate product design. The Foxconn site illustrates how political promises, industrial hype, and actual investment diverge over time; the site’s practical future is now data infrastructure, not the original LCD dream.

Data Points: iPad Pro thickness: 5.1 mm - The new 13-inch iPad Pro is highlighted as exceptionally thin. iPad Pro thickness: 5.3 mm - The 11-inch iPad Pro is also described as extremely thin. iPad base price: $349 - Apple lowered the price of the base iPad after discontinuing the ninth-gen model. Old base iPad price: $329 - The prior ninth-generation iPad sold with a Lightning connector and headphone jack. iPad Air price: $599 - Price for the 11-inch iPad Air. iPad Air price: $799 - Price for the 13-inch iPad Air. OLED brightness: 1600 nits - Apple’s stated full-brightness rating for the tandem OLED iPad Pro display. Number of Apple pencils: 4 - The hosts note Apple now effectively has four different Pencil options, illustrating lineup complexity. Streaming bundle timing: this summer - Disney, Hulu, and Max bundling is described as arriving later in the year. Netflix subscriber position: 100 million+ globally (contextual mention) - Used to illustrate Netflix’s scale and relative stability versus competitors. Microsoft data center jobs: 2,000 construction jobs - Biden’s Wisconsin appearance touts the planned Microsoft facility. Microsoft data center jobs: 2,000 permanent jobs - The same Wisconsin facility is said to create long-term employment. Foxconn strategy: 3 plus 3 equals infinity - The current Foxconn Wisconsin website slogan is cited humorously as a replacement for earlier hype. Apple ad format: 35-minute infomercial - The new iPad launch event is described as a short infomercial-style presentation.

Pivotal Quotes: "We will have much more to say about the future of our platforms at WWDC." — Tim Cook: Closing line of Apple’s iPad event, emphasizing that software changes were deferred to WWDC. "What if they add a bunch of AI features in June?" — David Pierce: Frames the iPad hardware launch as potentially incomplete until Apple reveals software/AI plans. "If you truly loved those things, you would not smash them." — Neili / discussion: Summarizes the criticism of Apple’s “crushing” ad and the symbolic backlash from creatives.

Implications: The episode suggests Apple’s hardware is ahead of its software, streaming is reverting to bundle logic, and tech companies face growing distrust over AI and platform control. Future fights will center on software restrictions, pricing power, and creator rights.