Future = IOS7 Goodbye iPad First Gen

[bcbeak]

Feeling betrayed again .. Mackie email announced that all future releases will require IOS 7.
That bricks my iPad First Gen which I have been nursing along and have set aside for band use only.

Now I have to decide if this mixer is worth buying another iPad and if I bought a newer iPad would
have to shell out more $$ for the adapters. At that rate might as well get a new mixer. We never use the
ipad remotely .. (no sound guy) because we are busy setting up as fast as we can.

We all knew that this day would come .. but cmon .. 1 year of use and I need all new equipment?  I really
want to love this thing .. but they are really making it hard.

What am I missing?  Talk me off the ledge ...

[Wynnd]

Back off the ledge.  Apple is still selling ipad 2s.  And I understand there are lots on craigslist and ebay.  I can understand your frustration.  Mackie is at least making connector upgrades available for later models.  (Got the impression they are about $100.)  The last easiest option is if you have working Wifi, you don't really need the connector.  (Or do you need to connect for firmware pushes?)  Someone is also probably already making adapters.  (Need to check that.)  The last option is to not update and use the mixer/ipad combination exactly as it is.  You will probably miss out on some goodies, but I bought the mixer as it was and never expected the improvements we got. 

[paulfrench]

Plus 1 for backing off the ledge. I'm a new 1608 user, as in I bought one this week. We found a used ipad2 locally for $200, so that's an option. But also, your mixer isn't going to stop working with the original iPad, right? It won't get the upgrades, but it won't take a step back either.

[bcbeak]

The reason the 1608 was so appealing was the endless potential for free upgrades, improvements and bug fixes.
Now we will be stuck with the current state with our first gen iPad.

[WK154]

Keep in mind that when you bought the Dl1608 the then current iPad was iPad 3. You knew at that time that anything older would have an EOL sooner but you choose to save $ then. That was the tradeoff.

[Jerrylee]

The only resaon you would be stuck is if you refuse to upgrade. How much does it really cost to upgrade? iPad 2s are selling for $200 and less. And you can still sell your iPad 1 for some $. Even the current iPad air will be non upgradable someday. So do yourself a favor and upgrade. Or stop being a crying bitch and deal with the dl as it is. It's still a great little mixer even with the iPad 1.

And you think the dl has ENDLESS potential for free upgrades, improvements and bug fixes? What planet are you on?

Think about it. Do you own a product that was revolutionary, like the dl, that is no longer upgradable? Hmm? (Hint: IPAD 1 jackbag).

[abzurd]

 I did a little reading and this is NOT the fault of Mackie. It's Apple being heavy handed. On December 19th Apple issued an ultimatum requiring all apps and app updates submitted to the App store after Feb 1st to be IOS7 compliant. OK that by itself doesn't mean they can't not work with IOS 5 or 6, but Apple continued by also requiring all apps be compiled using Xcode 5, which just happens to only spit out IOS7 apps.
I briefly read about some hacks and ways to get the compilers for IOS 5-6 in the Xcode 5 app, but the bottom line is Apple removed native support for it.
My guess is Mackie, and others, raced to get something submitted before the deadline. That would explain Masterfader 2.1 hitting the app store on February 18th, roughly 2 weeks after the deadline, which historically has been the lag time between submission and release off apps to the store.

[Wynnd]

You probably have that right.  Thanks

[WK154]

After my brief encounter Apple I & II with Jobs I determined that Apple was not the right computer co. to do business with and went with DEC. His paranoia after the clones materialized was not a third party developers company to hook up with. Apple today is not a computer co. by design and 2007 name change asserted that it's a consumer co. Thus the throwaway product attitude. Backward compatibility is not in their vocabulary. They're control freaks get over it! Apple for those not keeping up with the smartphone business should be aware that their bread and butter product the iPhone is loosing ground and is their main concern. Fortunately iOS is key but not the audio aspect. All of their hardware is loosing ground in the marketplace and they will have to "invent" something else to stay a viable major player. iPhone 6 won't do it. Samsung Watch-phone clone? For those curious here's some market history and forecasts.
https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24645514
Android is by far the predominant OS in the smartphone business (60-70%).
Microsoft will have to reinvent themselves as well with the new CEO at it's helm but Gates and Balmer are still in the loop. Interesting times to be sure.

[abzurd]

You make it sound like they are hurting. Their ridiculous growth may be over, but they've gone from irrelevance in the 90's to the 15th largest public company in the world.... so there is that.

[WK154]

That may be so but are they interested in your business? Their smallest business iPod would be a lucrative one for a small company but their debating dumping it. Yes they are flush with cash but are they spending it?

[abzurd]

That may be so but are they interested in your business?

Specifically mine? no... no public company is. The driver is investor return. Whatever gives them the biggest pop for the least amount of effort wins. If that's superb support on a current product then that wins, if that's "Apple TV sets" then that's where they'll focus, whether I want to buy one or not.  Believe me I get it. I'm neither defending or attacking Apple.

[WK154]

Lets just hope that iOS v7.1 will fix the audio problem otherwise we can scratch iPad playback off the list of features for the DL.

[abzurd]

Lets just hope that iOS v7.1 will fix the audio problem otherwise we can scratch iPad playback off the list of features for the DL.

Agreed. As of now I've done just that. Given my ipad 1 will no longer be supported, any future upgrade to Masterfader has to be worth $300 to me (approximate cost of a backup ipad), or I'll stand pat with a 15 channel mixer with mono music playback via channel 16.

[Keyboard Magic]

Feeling betrayed again .. Mackie email announced that all future releases will require IOS 7.
That bricks my iPad First Gen which I have been nursing along and have set aside for band use only.

Now I have to decide if this mixer is worth buying another iPad and if I bought a newer iPad would
have to shell out more $$ for the adapters. At that rate might as well get a new mixer. We never use the
ipad remotely .. (no sound guy) because we are busy setting up as fast as we can.

We all knew that this day would come .. but cmon .. 1 year of use and I need all new equipment?  I really
want to love this thing .. but they are really making it hard.

What am I missing?  Talk me off the ledge ...

That really sucks indeed! I just got a 1608 with the 30 pin connector, 'cause I already have an iPad 2. I also was able to buy new a iPad 2 at a good price. I plan to keep one docked all the time and use the other one for wireless control at gigs. When my ipads die, I'll have to decide whether to convert it to a Lightning dock for iPad Air or whatever new iPad comes down the pike

I was sitting on the fence for a long time trying to decide which digital mixer to buy. Availability, the ease of use of Master Fader and good experience with past Mackie gear has convinced me to buy the DL and go down the iOS rabbit hole for now. All this techie stuff is built around obsolescence and unfortunately we all have to pay to play. I'll probably regret my decision down the road. At what point do you stop upgrading??? By then there will be something else that's even more fantastic than what we have now and I will probably jump on that particular bandwagon too. OIY! More money! 

I would stick with what you have for now and maybe look around for an iPad 2 ( it has the 30 pin connector)  at a bargain price. That should keep you going for a few more years.  Please forgive me for rambling on so long?