Shawn Blanc, expressing an opinion (in agreement with an article by Dana Levine):
As awesome as Retina displays are, they don’t fundamentally change the usability or use-case scenarios of the iPad.
Note: all emphasis in all quotations is mine.
His podcasting pal Ben Brooks then pitches a fit.1
Sorry Shawn, that’s bullshit.
Your personal, subjective opinion is shit, Shawn, and Ben is going to issue you the correct one:
Retina displays, on any device, absolutely change the usability of the device. Retina displays make text sharp, make text readable, reduce eye strain and they absolutely make me want to use these devices more.
Got that? Nice, clear text that Ben wants more of = absolute, fundamental change for all. Put your new opinion in a safe place.
I just cannot rationalize why anyone would think that retina displays are not a big deal. I get that they aren’t a feature that you find revolutionary now, but step back to when you first saw the iPhone 4, iPad 3, or retina MacBook Pro screens and you will quickly realize just how impossible it is to go back to non-retina.
Well rationalize this, Ben: I have a Retina iPhone 5 (and a 4S before it) and a non-Retina iPad 2. I use them both. Equally. Back and forth. Am I somehow defective for not realizing just how impossible that is?
I don’t care what some book in the late 90s said about disruption in technology, I can tell you that retina displays have absolutely disrupted the way I use technology — so too with most people I know that have a retina display.
Ahh…the “way he uses technology” and his friends dig it too. Therefore, if you think otherwise, you must be wrong.
Apple isn’t known as a company that rests on its success. They innovate and then innovate some more. They shit-canned the original iPod mini when it was the most popular model. Riddle me this, Mr. Brooks: why is the non-Retina iPad 2–a device determined by you to be fundamentally useless–still offered for sale on Apple’s website?
Time to switch to decaf, Ben.