My issue is that it is not adding to the desperately needed real estate, at least not at the intended resolution. Also the fact that the 17" is going away is a problem for a lot of photographers who rely on those machines on the road.
Then there is the obsession with design and flatness at the expense of disk space options and ports. I see no gain if the machine is flat (yet still bigger than it needs to be really) but I have to carry around a bag full of expensive adapters and external storage. True - I would probably do that anyway when on the road.
But again, I haven't seen or tried it yet - so maybe it works well at the 1600 or 1900 resolution. And in all fairness: this is not an Apple specific problem. My quest for a desktop AND laptop replacement with photography and audio production in mind started out when I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home.
Problem is that given that it is 6 years old I was hoping to get something way better than this with respect to speed (no problem), HD size (problem) and screen real estate (big problem). I had looked at the MacBooks because they seem to be made really well compared to a lot of the WinPC laptops. Some aspects of those I like better than others (not a fan of the keyboard and the trackpad for example but that's a matter of taste and getting used to).
For photography I had hoped for an improved (meaning higer res) version of the matte 15" and 17" hi res screens. And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive...
This is by far the biggest complaint and whining thread I have seen by far. Come on dude. Are you really not hip to the fact that external drives are fast becoming the norm when it comes to being mobile? You are on a laptop for God's sake, not a desktop. I have two external drives that I work with. One 2TB Thunderbolt drive when I am at home and a 1TB FW800 drive for when I am shooting outside of my working space. Am I burdened by the half pound external drive and cable? No. If this is too much for you, I really suggest you invest in a gym membership, and hit the weights.
Your statement: "Then there is the obsession with design and flatness at the expense of disk space options and ports. I see no gain if the machine is flat (yet still bigger than it needs to be really) but I have to carry around a bag full of expensive adapters and external storage. True - I would probably do that anyway when on the road." Make zero point zero sense. One minute you are complaining about having to carry adapters and external storage but then go on to say that you would do it anyway. Makes no sense...
Your statement: "I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home." Another rambling non-sequitor statement. You say that you like your 14" and then in the first paragraph complain about the 15" size... You are all over the map with contradictory statements... You go on mention that you had hoped for a 15" or 17" replacement but prior to this you say that 15" is too small...
Your statement: " And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive..." My absolute favorite piece of nonsense to date. You really thought that Apple would put two hard drives into a Mac? Really. You just showed you know absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing about Macs or how Apple operates. Now, as an aside, I currently have two SSD's (1 x 120gig, and 1 x 250gig) in my 15" MBP but I installed them myself and use an Optibay, thus shedding the optical drive. I run my OS and Apps on the 120gig, and maintain my iTunes library on the larger drive. I use the larger drive as a temporary storage space if I want to process while on a plane or bus, or train without having to connect the external.
It looks as though you are searching for reasons to complain and whine about something that is not going to happen no matter how much YOU want it. Laptops will continue to get smaller, thinner, lighter and use less and less moving parts. There is always a PC out there with your name on if what Apple has to offer does not suit your fancy.