No, "from edge to edge" and "all-screen design" are not metaphors but as concrete as it gets, and obviously wrong. This iPad may be great but these marketing texts are just straight lies.
No, "from edge to edge" and "all-screen design" are not metaphors but as concrete as it gets, and obviously wrong. This iPad may be great but these marketing texts are just straight lies.
If I say it's fast as lightning, I'm not saying it's exactly that fast. It's a metaphor for fast.
The fact the speed of lightning is measurable and 'as concrete as it gets' doesn't change the fact that people use it as a metaphor.
You may feel the use of 'edge to edge' is an inappropriate metaphor that's fine, not every metaphor is fitting and, hell I'd even agree with you if you said that.
If you ask me, you can start saying edge-to-edge when the edge is at least 50-80% thinner than what it is now. But it's a metaphor nonetheless, and I'd feel fine applying it to extremely thin bezels which are not actually edge to edge. If you'd have said such a thin bezel was 'razor-thin' or 'paper-thin' when it really wasn't, I'd say it's still a perfectly fine metaphor.
However, there is no such common understanding of the phrase 'edge to edge' meaning almost edge to edge. Edge to edge in English means it goes from the edge of one side to the edge of the other, literally.
It's not a metaphor. Only Jobs had a powerful enough reality warp to make that fly…
Because in the context of displays there isn't really any big consumer product out there that actually has no bezel at all. Rather you have all these nearly edge to edge displays. And we talk about them as being edge to edge, razor thin bezels etc. There's no consumer out there who thinks he's getting a display without bezels. Everyone gets the metaphor.
> It's not a metaphor.
If you don't think it's a metaphor you'd have to believe that Apple truly thinks this device has no bezels, that consumers typically think it has no bezels, that journalists using these descriptions think they have no bezels, because they all take 'edge to edge' as being literal, rather than metaphorical. And that's simply not true. It is a metaphor, whether you (or I) think it's an appropriate one or not.
[0] https://www.theverge.com/2015/10/8/9476199/dell-xps-15-2015-...
Anyway looking at the dimensions of the iPad Pro 12.9" model it's 11.04 inches wide with a 12.9" 4:3 screen. The screen itself is going to be 10.32" wide as a result, putting the bezel at .36" or around 9mm. By comparison the XPS 13's bezel is 5.2mm.
Also, whenever journalists and commentators write about Dell screens as being edge to edge, years before Apple, they're not lies, they're metaphors.
It only becomes a literal statement that is obviously a lie, when Apple uses it.
/s
To everyone downvoting me above, you can disagree with the idea 'edge to edge' it's a proper metaphor to use for an iPad display with a 9mm bezel. I agree with you in full. You'd want something like 2-3mm bezels for that, at most.
But to say it's not a metaphor is silly. It would mean that you think Apple, journalists and consumers, all or some of them, consider the edge-to-edge marketing statement to be a literal one, that must be taken literally, and is obviously a lie, rather than a statement which must be taken metaphorically.
If you go to the CEO of Apple right now and ask him in an interview, do you mean literally edge to edge, or metaphorically, what do you think the answer would be? (apart from dodging the question)
After that you could tell him it's a crappy metaphor to use. But telling him he's lying because Apple means it literally is just silly.
and... Grammarly says "A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison."
Soooo this supports the idea that "edge-to-edge" can be descriptive but not literally true, and be described as a metaphor, right?
The word "edge" in this context, literally means the edge of the device or screen. That's everyone's understanding. There is nothing metaphorical about it.
The word "lightning" for example, does NOT literally mean "fast". It literally means the electrical energy we see in the sky. When used to describe computer speed, it's obviously a metaphor, and well-understood as a metaphor.
You can't just claim something is a "metaphor" to excuse false marketing.
You can't just claim the definition is not the definition and expect people to side with you over multiple dictionaries.
That's everyone's understanding. There is nothing metaphorical about it.
Literally everyone? Or figuratively everyone? You think the Apple marketing people cannot see the bezel and honestly think is not there?
More than definition, how metaphors are used is important.
Is "edge" a metaphor when the actual edge is right there, 9mm from the screen perimeter? There is no metaphor only 'edge-to-edge' window dressing. In the same way "lightning" is not a metaphor in a discussion about thunderstorms.
See my other comment in this thread, there is at least six years of prior usage by multiple big tech companies describing their product's screens as "edge-to-edge" without literally meaning edge-of-device to edge-of-device, with links.
And see my other other comment where I wonder why "edge-to-edge" has your goat, when Apple describing the iPad Pro as "all screen" doesn't. Is that intended to be taken literally as well? There's no CPU, no memory, no battery, no glass, no other components, all screen?
Because the device is right there, it clearly has parts which are not screen, why aren't you frothing at the mouth about how it's a lie intended to "attract suckers" instead of a non-literal highlighting that the screen is large?
Like "all butter cookies" - that's a lie for suckers to think they are made of butter and no other ingredients, right? Because there's no way it could be read except literally, is there?
Non-literal descriptions are everywhere.
Irrelevant. This discussion was about the one and only use in town right now of "edge-to-edge" in a major campaign to sell new tablets.
"All screen" is more ambiguous. For starters "all screen" is not a pre-existing term. It could be used to mean there's no other elements or buttons on the front, except the screen. "All screen".
"Edge-to-edge" on the other hand, has explicit meaning built in. The primary component of which is measurement. "Edge-to-edge" refers to not one, but two hard edges, and describes that which spans in full from one edge to the other. There's no vague interpretation possible unless you force a square peg through round hole of English. It's either an edge-to-edge screen, or it's not.
I had to measure a washing machine recently to find out if it would fit. I measured edge-to-edge, and by that I mean the actual left edge to the actual right edge. But you knew that already without me explaining.... because I said "edge to edge".
Are you equally offended that this "floor to ceiling room divider" stops a couple of inches below the ceiling? https://www.amazon.com/Royhom-Privacy-Divider-Decoration-Apa...
Do you expect this "top to bottom house cleaning service" to include the chimney and roof and aerials because the "top" has a literal definition? https://top-to-bottom.cleaning/
Are you angry that "surround sound" only has a discrete number of speakers, usually 5 or 7, instead of a continuous surrounding panel?
Are you baffled by Thomson Video Networks' claim that they have an "all-encompassing video infrastructure" when you can see things in the world not encompassed by it? ( https://www.broadcastingcable.com/post-type-the-wire/thomson... )
Do you think "unmissable TV shows" are literally unmissable? ( https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/unmissable-tv-shows-watch-hulu... )
Why aren't you complaining about Apple calling the iPad Pro "magic"?
Why are you choosing "edge-to-edge" as the hill to die on, when Apple call the iPad Pro "all new" (it isn't), "all screen" (it's not), "all powerful" (it isn't), "a magical piece of glass" (nope) which "does everything you need" (even breathing?), "any way you hold it" (even covering the screen?), "true to life color" (even though you can't represent purples on an RGB screen?), "make everything look gorgeous" (even ugly people?), "the perfect machine for augmented reality" (even more than dedicated glasses? There can never be a better machine for AR?), "immersive games" when you can't immerse yourself literally in them?
The surround sound does literally surround you. Surrounding a person doesn't require a continuous circle.
They said it's an "all-encompassing video infrastructure for broadcast and multi-screen services." That has a pretty clear meaning that it covers everything you need regarding infrastructure in those domains. It is not a metaphor.
"Unmissable" has a second meaning, "too good or important to be missed." [1] It is a subjective statement that the episode is good.
Calling the iPad pro "magic" is the only thing here that is a metaphor.
I'm not picking this hill to die on. I asked one question. You say it's a metaphor, but neither of us have any idea what it's a metaphor for. I think what you're actually trying to argue is that it's completely meaningless marketing fluff that can be applied to any phone or tablet. Would you object to calling a feature phone edge-to-edge?
I also disagree with "all screen", which should have the same meaning as edge-to-edge. All your other Apple marketing term examples have clear meanings (except "all powerful", did they really say that?)
A metaphor is when you say one thing is something else to draw an analogy between them. It doesn't work when the something else is the same type of thing. It would not make sense to say "my car is a Lexus" as a metaphor to mean my Hyundai is nice. It wouldn't make sense to say "my car is turbocharged" to mean it's fast when it doesn't have a turbocharger. If edge-to-edge is a metaphor, I can only think it's a metaphor for a tablet with a screen that doesn't have a bezel. It seems like a straight-up lie.
My biggest issue with the edge-to-edge marketing claim here is that I have no idea what they mean by it. It was bad enough when they made that claim for the iPhone X, but the iPad pro has a huge bezel. They might as well claim it fits in the palm of your hand.
I probably am, yes. I mostly think it's silly to argue that it "can only be used literally" in the face of it being used non-literally. It's a metaphor for its literal definition - this screen is "edge-to-edge" like a screen with no borders. It metaphorically has no borders because it's so big and the borders are so small, even though it literally does have borders, but you won't notice them, you'll accept the screen is edge to edge because it very like one that is. Yes it does seem like a literally false statement to sell people on an idea.
Would you object to calling a feature phone edge-to-edge
I don't know. On the one hand I don't think it is, any more than I don't think the iPad Pro is. On the other hand, they can call it whatever they want, they will just say "the screen goes from the edge of the screen to the edge of the screen" and everyone will say "duh". Do I think it's harmful? Not so much because the screen is visible. "All day battery life" was more misleading because you can't see the contrary at a glance. "No fee" when there is a fee, way more harmful.
"Unmissable" has a second meaning, "too good or important to be missed." [1]
Well "Edge" has meanings "2.a. the line where an object or area begins or ends : BORDER" and "2.b. the narrow part adjacent to a border" and "2.c. a point near the beginning or the end" - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edge
So "edge to edge" could meaninglessly but accurately be saying "from a point near the edge to a part adjacent to the other edge". :-|
(except "all powerful", did they really say that?)
Yep; top of the page here https://www.apple.com/ipad/ - All New. All Screen. All Powerful.
Meaning, presumably, "every bit of it is new, it's mostly screen, every component is high end".
It would not make sense to say "my car is a Lexus" as a metaphor to mean my Hyundai is nice.
"How is your new Hyundai?" "It's so luxurious and feature filled, it's totally .. i dunno, it's ... very Lexus! Yeah, my car is a Lexus by another badge!". You wouldn't understand that?
It wouldn't make sense to say "my car is turbocharged" to mean it's fast when it doesn't have a turbocharger.
"How is your new Tesla?" "FAST it's so fast it's turbocharged supercharged bullet train rocket engine awesome" "I don't understand, it cannot be turbocharged because there is no internal combustion engine exhaust gas to spin the turbine, why are you lying?"
I think that's the core of the dispute here. The screen on this iPad is nothing like a screen that's edge-to-edge. It's surprising and confusing to see it described like that with such a clear thick bezel in all the images. I and a lot of other people in the comments here don't accept that this screen is edge-to-edge.
You can't just say "well even though the words could literally apply to the object and they do literally apply to the object in some cases in this case it's 'just a metaphor'"
It's not. It'd be embellishment if you want to be generous. But not a metaphor.
all-screen and edge-to-edge, however, are not.
Lenovo also use it on this desktop with bezels the size of the moon[1]: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/desktops/lenovo/b-series/b50-30... saying it has a 'vivid 23.8" edge-to-edge display'
Microsoft use it to describe the Surface Laptop here - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-laptop-1st-gen/90f... - "Enjoy more space for your ideas with an edge-to-edge display and ultra-thin bezel." - specifically calling out the edge-to-edge display as being a separate thing from the bezels as well.
HP describe this desktop iMac ripoff with huge bezels as "edge-to-edge" here: http://www8.hp.com/h20195/V2/GetPDF.aspx/c06002849 - "An entertainment sensation; Sit back and enjoy a captivating entertainment experience. Elevate every stream, video chat, and photo with an edge-to-edge up to QHD display"
Acer uses it to describe a laptop in 2012: https://www.acer.com/ac/en/US/press/2012/50215 - "Featuring a 10-point touch edge-to-edge display and a larger trackpad, the Aspire V5-471P and V5-571P are designed to enhance multi-gesture content" - and it's a 2012 laptop, it has bezels.
The claim that only Apple use it and it's a lie and nobody else uses it in their marketing is nonsense.
[1] I mean literally the size of the moon, because nobody is allowed to use words differently without your approval, of course.
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