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 There’s a dreadfully wrong theory floating around in tech circles that says that software platforms will make hardware irrelevant. The basic theory is something along the lines of the following. As customers do more and more of their business in apps like WeChat, it doesn’t matter which hardware vehicle delivers the data.
 The rumors of a new 2020 iPad Pro are flying fast and furious and everyone is asking what new features that the iPad Pro will get. But the problem is that the biggest new feature that the iPad needs is more of an accessory. It needs the ability to extend it’s desktop to an external monitor.
Bringing the World To You vs You To the World  It appears that both Tim Cook and I are in agreement that the future is about bringing the world to you and not about taking you to the world.
 I’m always amazed at the people who ask “What else can Apple do the iPhone in the future to change the design?” I’m amazed at the lack of imagination. It’s almost like someone in the early 1900s saying that everything that can be invented has already been invented.
 I bought a pair of AirPod Pros the day that they came out but I’ve pretty much returned back to using my AirPod 2s most of the time.
 There will always be PC manufacturing in the United States for a very simple reason. Both the American and Israeli governments demand it.
 When Apple first announced Apple TV+ with it’s crown jewel show of The Morning Show, I wasn’t all that interested. However, after watching every episode of season 1 except for the finale, it’s safe to say that I’ve really enjoyed watching this show and I highly recommend it. I was initially drawn into it only because I love Steve Carrell but I’ve been thoroughly intrigued by the fresh new story line and the power struggles between Alex and Bradley and also Corey and Fred.
 So the famous Ming Chi Kuo is predicting that the iPhone will be completely portless in 2021.
In 2021, Kuo is predicting a followup to the iPhone SE 2 as well as a new iPhone model without Lightning connectivity. Kuo says that this would “provide the completely wireless experience,” meaning there would be no ports at all rather than a switch to USB-C from Lightning.—Chance Miller, 9to5Mac  On this American day of Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to recount some of the Apple tech related items which I’m genuinely grateful to have in my life. As opposed to my recent post about the most disappointing tech. But stuff which really made a difference and wasn’t something that I used once and forgot about. You know, like Memoji or sending your heart beat from your Apple Watch.
 Ever since the unveiling of the new 16” MacBook Pro I’ve been trying to think of the future scenario in which their decisions make any financial sense and I can only think of one. Apple kills the 13” MacBook Pro. I’ve tried to war game every possible scenario for the Mac Business and there is only one path that leads to increased profitability.
 Apple announced a new 16” MacBook Pro and I couldn’t care less. I’ve been all iPad for about 4 years and I’m never buying a device with a permanently attached keyboard again. That’s like buying a giant camcorder from the 80’s that you have to rest on your shoulder to shoot video. In other words, it’s out of date.
 I’m always amazed when a company can create demand where there was none before. It’s the opposite of managing your company via conducting focus groups and user surveys. Because if Apple had conducted user surveys, they wouldn’t have come away with the idea that there is a mass demand for noise cancellation in wireless earbuds.
I’ll Take My Victory Lap Now  Bear with me as I take my victory lap.
On October 17th, Digitimes reported on something which everyone found shocking, except for me. They said that Quanta Computers was actually considering dumping their Apple Watch assembly business due to profitability concerns.  When Apple added the cellular function to the Series 3 Apple Watch in 2017, something happened for the first time with Apple Watch fans. Apple Watch fans were deeply divided on the importance of it. Prior to that, the only upgrade the Apple Watch received happened in 2016 and it was unanimously praised by all the watch fans. There was nothing divisive about adding a much more powerful dual-core chip, on-board GPS, or a super-bright screen that could easily be seen even in bright sunlight.
 Apple has taken a lot of heat lately for shutting down an app on the AppStore that was used by Hong Kong protestors to coordinate action. But what has really surprised me is that many of the same people who denounce Apple for not helping the protestors in Hong Kong are the same people who want to squash free speech in America. Does anyone else see this conflict?
 One of the drawbacks to growing older is that there are fewer and fewer things that surprise and delight you as time goes on. When you’re a kid, every Christmas was a time full of anticipation and joy. But as you grow older, you start to lose that sense of wide-eyed wonder and excitement.
Can We Get Past the Traditional Laptop Already?  I watched Microsoft’s Surface Neo & Duo announcements with fascination this week. I knew that the world was inching away from the dreadful clamshell form factor that is laptop computers but Microsoft just shifted that movement into high gear.
 NBC News THINK published a ridiculous piece by the editor of New Statesman America, Nicky Woolf, which tries to make the case that Apple’s wireless AirPods were an attack on consumers.
 I’ve had my Series 5 Apple Watch for a couple days and have been enjoying the new always-on screen. But outside of that notable feature, everything else seems about the same as my old Series 4.
I was curious how the Apple Watch’s new ability to never sleep would affect my running outdoors so I immediately started to test this feature. I’ve done multiple workouts with the sun at various levels in the sky and have come away with the following.  I was disappointed to hear the recent rumor that Apple has shelved plans to work on a sort of “walkie talkie” feature for iPhones. I had written a couple years ago about how the “Cajun army”was using the Zello app on their phones to help coordinate relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey.
Why the App Store Illustrates the Beauty of Capitalism  Yes, it’s that time of year. My annual plug of the excellent video by Walter Williams titled “Is Capitalism Moral?”.
An organization called the Business Roundtable has recently released a document calling for the modernization of the business mission. Apple, Amazon, and other corporate CEOs have signed this document. But it’s a big nothing-burger. That’s why they signed it. The document tries to say that corporations should consider the impact of other long-term stakeholders such as workers and customers instead of simply maximizing shareholder value. They try to make these out as mutually exclusive and almost opposing goals. Here is a little of what they say:  I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of this article from Alastair Stevenson of Trusted Reviews. Now, in the summer I look forward to the new Apple Watch more than I do the iPhone.
 I hate to break the news to politicians, but the cost of labor for highly mechanized manufacturers isn’t the top or even second most important consideration in choosing where to manufacture. I wrote about this three years ago and it seems to be relevant again so I’m bringing back a post from from 2016 when Charlie Rose was pressing Tim Cook on why they don’t manufacture iPhones in America.
 There seems to be a mistaken notion running rampant in tech circles that all that matters when it comes to stock price appreciation is growth. Nothing could be further from the truth and I wrote about Apple’s transition to a value stock three years ago. The risk-averse value investors are looking for good management teams with steady business that is priced with good margins. That describes Apple to a T.
 The sensationalist titles are everywhere this week proclaiming that Apple “is no longer the iPhone company”. Shona Ghosh writes the following for Business Insider:
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Robert PerezManufacturing and distribution analysis since 1993. 
Perezonomics is available in Apple News
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