Why is APPL so obsessed with banishing Ports?

[kviksilver]

Quoting Phil Schiller:

But again, be careful what you ask for. Because what the design team first envisioned when we started working on MacBook was to say, "If all we do is incremental, slight change—where's the excitement, and where's the value of Apple pushing things forward? We need to take bold risks. If people don't like it, well they can keep buying the MacBook Air, they can keep buying the MacBook Pro—but why don't we design a product that's around this wireless world, that has, really, no physical connection that you need. You can get by without ever needing that. Wouldn't that be a better world?"

And in doing that, we realized "Yeah, but we do need to charge it, so let's go create this one port that can charge, and be USB, and be your video out, and that way, if you need to connect, you can—you're not giving that up—but this is really designed..." And if you do that, how far can you push it? How thin can it get, how light can it get, how aggressive a design can it be?

And I think if... I'm in my job for one reason: because I'm a customer like all of you. I love these products. I love this company. I want this company to be the best Apple can ever be. And one of the ways it can be the best Apple can ever be is to take bold risks, and try to think of new things that others aren't willing to do.

I remember that—I mean, this is all the same mentality. I remember when we took out the floppy. Oh, I'm sure many of you all do too. It's the exact same thinking!

I sat in the room with friends of mine who worked at... other companies in Texas and other places, and they literally said, "Oh my god, I'm so jealous. We can't do that. We can't do that! We can't take the risk. Because if the world is going to be risk-averse, and doesn't want us to take away anything... Then, y'know, if Dell doesn't have a floppy but Toshiba does, they'll just buy the Toshiba, they're all the same—except if you're missing one thing, no one will buy your stuff!

"You're so lucky. You make something where your customers give you the opportunity to try something in a completely different way, and they listen to you and they try it. And if you have to adjust and make an external drive for a couple of years, great, you'll do it, but you get to make that change and move on."

That's the embodiment of this new MacBook: Which is, take a bold risk; maybe some people will think it's not perfect for them yet, but for a surprising number of people, it's already their future laptop. The customer satisfaction is off the charts on it. Customer demand is great. Does anyone here have a new MacBook and love it?

http://www.imore.com/gruber-and-schiller-our-full-transcript-talk-show-wwdc

 

[Mac 128]

So I don't get how you hold so hard to the more ports as a huge differentiation? Honest question. For me the HUGE advantages of the rMB over the MBA are:

• Screen
• Fanless (equally as important as the amazing screen, it is like night and day, not having the fan noise and the heat - didn't actually think it would be that big a deal, but it just is.)
• Form factor (the numbers don't do it - hold the rMB in your hand, live with it for travel a bit, and the 11" MBA actually does feel like a pig in comparison - its the whole package together, thinner, lighter, smaller footprint, bigger screen - put it all together and it is pretty significant.)

These are all conditional use subject to your particular needs, so here's my rebuttal.

1. I have a 13" MBP I bought last year with the Retina display. It doesn't impress me as much as I thought it would. Indeed, I am typing this on my 2011 13" MBP and I don't really see the difference. Likewise with my 27" iMac. In all three cases, the screen is just too far away to make much of a difference. Retina makes the most difference to me on a device I need to hold close to my eyes, because the text is so tiny. There is a massive difference between my original iPad and my iPad 3, likewise for my original iPhone and 4.
2. The fan has never come on on any of my Macs. So this has never been a problem for me.
3. I've handled all the MacBooks in the Apple store and noticed no difference in weight or bulk whatsoever between the 11" MBA and rMB.

So as you can see, these are not advantages over the MBA for me, much less "huge" ones.

Since we're talking about subjective anecdotal use cases, these are mine:

• I have never plugged anything into the audio port.
• I routinely plug in various hard drives containing photos and movies, or to quickly transfer large files to and from my MacBook, which take up entirely too much space on my limited internal drive, via the USB 3 port, usually while the MacBook is plugged into power. Sometimes I plug in two at once, especially if I'm moving files from one external drive to another.
• I occasionally use USB flash drives to move files between my work computer or to access movies when traveling. I also use the USB ports for security fobs.
• I have a Thunderbolt to Ethernet dongle for accessing wired networks as needed, and for major backups to my TimeCapsule, usually used while the MacBook is plugged in.
• I have never used the HDMI port. I have never plugged in an external monitor of any kind. I have on occasion used the SDXC card slot to quickly move movies to my iPad while traveling, but this could be accommodated with a dongle.
• The MagSafe port has saved me on numerous occasions.
• I have had at least one port failure one every PowerBook and MacBook I've had (until my current MagSafe Books), usually the power connector which gets the majority of the use.

So my needs aren't great, but having a built-in second port would be more efficient for my needs, and make the rMB more attractive to me.

Add to that the elimination of MagSafe, having no redundant port is just foolish in my opinion, when they most likely could just as easily have had two USB-C ports. Also, as has been pointed out, wires are more efficient, reliable and faster than wireless. When I'm getting ready for a trip and need to transfer files, while I'm charging my MacBook for the trip, I'd rather not have to buy a special dock to allow me to do this. Granted that is less of a deal breaker, but unless I want to carry that dock around, then I have to buy one for each location I may need it, like my Office, or my car, and I run the risk of not having it handy when I need it. Add to that the other disadvantages of having only one port: the added strain from required dongles contributing to port failure, excessive wear resulting from connecting and disconnecting a charging cable twice a day, especially for those who do use it for peripherals, or require more frequent charging. All of these are perfectly reasonable arguments against it.

That said, I love the idea of being able to plug one cable into the MacBook, and duplicate a full desktop experience with something like the Apple Display, even if that means I have to sacrifice the MagSafe connector. That seems a reasonable trade off to me, and worth every penny. However, I don't see the logic in providing only one port, which is going to take the brunt of daily connecting and disconnecting, especially since I don't use the audio port, for which a dongle makes far more sense in terms of audio quality anyway. Moreover, I like a tidy desk. I don't want a bunch of dongles hanging off my MacBook and docks cluttering my desk, and when plugged into something like the Apple Display, I'd like a convenient place to insert a USB device without having to reach behind the display.

As for wireless, I use it all, Drop Box, iCloud, Time Capsule, AirDrop, AirPlay, Flickr, etc. And I stand by what I've said. It's much easier to manage files and move them quickly between devices via thumb drives, and wired hard drives, especially if I don't have room on my Mac to carry them all, nor want them on my Mac unless I absolutely need them. Indeed I use both, as my files are backed up in the cloud and likewise accessible online. But I don't always have access to them online. If the rMB had a cellular connection, then maybe this one port business makes sense for the i-User. But the fact that it doesn't means, there will be times the MacBook cannot connect to a network, and a user will have to rely on physical drives. So for me, it's a premature, short-sighted effort that isn't ready for Prime Time. The idea that Schiller even compares it to the removal of the floppy drive on the iMac is laughable, since that was a desktop computer, where an external input device was available if needed, not to mention several other ways to transfer data. This is one port which not only gets all the wear and tear for everything plugged into it, but requires that all those options a person may need to connect to it be carried around with them as well, as opposed to being left on one's desk. The removal of the floppy drive was nothing new for Apple, I had already given it up on my PowerBook Duo in 1995, but in those days you had no choice but to carry around a bag of dongles. Today, it makes no more sense than it did then, except there are fewer situations where they are required for most.

 

[zhenya]

^^^Portable hubs available from Amazon today for $20 give you multiple legacy usb ports and a usb-c port to pass-through the charging. This is within a couple of months of the first devices to be released with the usb-c form factor. Having to use a hub to connect multiple devices on occasion hardly seems like a struggle for someone who wants the lightest laptop available. In nearly 15 years of managing IT for our business, through hundreds of laptops, I've never seen a USB port fail from repeated use. When was the last time you saw a lightning port fail on an iPhone? These ports are designed with duty cycles many times the useful life of the device.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

^^^Portable hubs available from Amazon today for $20 give you multiple legacy usb ports and a usb-c port to pass-through the charging. This is within a couple of months of the first devices to be released with the usb-c form factor. Having to use a hub to connect multiple devices on occasion hardly seems like a struggle for someone who wants the lightest laptop available. In nearly 15 years of managing IT for our business, through hundreds of laptops, I've never seen a USB port fail from repeated use. When was the last time you saw a lightning port fail on an iPhone? These ports are designed with duty cycles many times the useful life of the device.

Yup - I have one of those mini "hubs" - it is more like a slightly extended Apple Ethernet to TB adapter, has three USB ports on one side, and on the short end in the style of the Apple Adapter, it has the RJ45. Neat piece of kit, could easily be the only adapter I'll ever use extensively. If it had the USB-C power pasthrough opposite the USB-A ports it would be perfect. That is coming though. Like @Mac 128 I rarely ever use an external monitor, probably twice a year or so to a projector. Never actually been witness to a USB port failure either, now that I think about it...

 

[Mac 128]

Having to use a hub to connect multiple devices on occasion hardly seems like a struggle for someone who wants the lightest laptop available. In nearly 15 years of managing IT for our business, through hundreds of laptops, I've never seen a USB port fail from repeated use. When was the last time you saw a lightning port fail on an iPhone? These ports are designed with duty cycles many times the useful life of the device.

I'm not saying necessarily that the port will fail from repeated use, though I've never had to plug all of my devices into only one port, nor did I plug something into the same USB port every day, much less my power cable as well. Like you say, the port itself is probably pretty rugged. However, I had a Firewire port fail on my G3 Bronze PowerBook. Who knows why. I didn't need both ports, and it was out of warranty, so I just did without it until I bought a new one. Fortunately, I had a redundant port to use. The power port on that PowerBook also went bad. This also happened on my Mom's iBook. The track pad went bad on my 2006 MacBook (as well as my Mom's), as well as one of the USB ports. Again, thankfully I had options. And as I said, MagSafe has saved me a number of times on my MBPs. While I am not aware of having put that kind of strain on any of my ports, I know people who have tripped over cables and damaged ports. I also know people who have put too much strain on USB ports, especially using dongles, and damaged them -- all it takes is pulling a plug out too fast at the wrong angle to do it, and I've seen that first hand. Heck, I've seen USB devices short out a USB port, and with the plethora of cheap Chinese junk on the market that people tend to skimp on, having only one port is a recipe for disaster.

The lightning port is really a different creature. It's a much more sturdy connector with fewer contacts, so much so that Apple's new dock doesn't require any support, relying entirely on the lightning connector. And it's used for a much different kind of device. You're more likely to drop your phone in the toilet than damage the port. However I know plenty of people who damaged their 30-pin connectors. And the data on it is likely also on your MacBook, and/or iPad in any event. Not so with the MacBook contents. Also the file sizes are much greater on a MacBook than on an iPhone, making it more difficult to manage them wirelessly, assuming a damaged port will still charge it.

As to the hub business ... I'm not saying it's a struggle. I'm saying it's one more thing to unnecessarily lug around. And it's not a very elegant Apple solution. And frankly my whole point is that for the .35 pound I'm shedding over the MBA, it seems kind of pointless to sacrifice a port, requiring me to carry around a hub! Suddenly the MBA is light enough.

 

[KPOM]

As to the hub business ... I'm not saying it's a struggle. I'm saying it's one more thing to unnecessarily lug around. And it's not a very elegant Apple solution. And frankly my whole point is that for the .35 pound I'm shedding over the MBA, it seems kind of pointless to sacrifice a port, requiring me to carry around a hub! Suddenly the MBA is light enough.

I think it's more like the external SuperDrive on the original MacBook Air. It was a virtual necessity when it first came out. Now virtually no notebook, PC or Mac, has an internal drive, and external drives aren't used much, either. The same is likely to occur over time. More accessories will support USB-C, but we'll also find ourselves using it less often. Offices increasingly support wi-fi. Cloud will eventually be secure enough and quick enough for most enterprises and certainly consumers. Apple has resisted the Wi-Di standard in lieu of Apple TV, but I can see them changing that in the future, as well.

My point is that the average user will be using that hub less and less as time goes on.

 

[Queen6]

I think it's more like the external SuperDrive on the original MacBook Air. It was a virtual necessity when it first came out. Now virtually no notebook, PC or Mac, has an internal drive, and external drives aren't used much, either. The same is likely to occur over time. More accessories will support USB-C, but we'll also find ourselves using it less often. Offices increasingly support wi-fi. Cloud will eventually be secure enough and quick enough for most enterprises and certainly consumers. Apple has resisted the Wi-Di standard in lieu of Apple TV, but I can see them changing that in the future, as well.

My point is that the average user will be using that hub less and less as time goes on.

Correct, there is currently a massive effort to be ready for USB C, next wave of Windows based computers will be USB C, as will all new Mac`s. Given the huge volume of USB C cables, adaptors, hubs etc that will come on line very shortly it`s very clear that this is change across the industry not solely related to a single Apple product; USB C can serve anything from a Smart phone to a Workstation class desktop.

Q-6

 

[Mac 128]

Offices increasingly support wi-fi. Cloud will eventually be secure enough and quick enough for most enterprises and certainly consumers. Apple has resisted the Wi-Di standard in lieu of Apple TV, but I can see them changing that in the future, as well.

My point is that the average user will be using that hub less and less as time goes on.

Well I won't disagree with that assessment -- eventually wireless will be incredibly fast, and secure, eliminating the need for wires, and all devices will be able to access a wireless network through any available radio. But the current rMB won't be using it, as it will be limited to 802.11ac wifi, and bluetooth 4. A wired connection will still provide the best performance on it.

As I mentioned above, if the rMB came with a cellular radio, then I could almost understand why you could include just one port (safety aside), even if speeds and security weren't optimal for large file transfers. It would mean that the internet, and thus your data storage clouds, would be available almost anywhere in the world. As it is, when there's no wifi, you're stuck without a cellular hotspot. And even then, you're limited by carrier coverage. If you're vacationing at Yellowstone National Park, or on a Disney cruise, you're out of luck, unless you've got a satellite internet modem, which is currently extremely slow and expensive.

That said, Apple has kept the antiquated audio jack, when stereo bluetooth connections are more than commonplace, and any wired connection would benefit form a superior outboard DAC dongle anyway. So they've pushed the envelope in terms of short term usability with one USB-C port, and retained a mostly useless audio vestige in place of a second. Where's the logic in that?

 

[KPOM]

Correct, there is currently a massive effort to be ready for USB C, next wave of Windows based computers will be USB C, as will all new Mac`s. Given the huge volume of USB C cables, adaptors, hubs etc that will come on line very shortly it`s very clear that this is change across the industry not solely related to a single Apple product; USB C can serve anything from a Smart phone to a Workstation class desktop.

Q-6

It was like that with the original USB-A port, as well. The iMac was derided for ditching ADB, SCSI, and even the floppy drive. By 1998 the floppy was all but dead, but Apple still took flak for not including one. I think we'll look back in a few years and wonder what all the fuss was about. I doubt many people use the Thunderbolt port on the MacBook Air.

 

[KPOM]

That said, Apple has kept the antiquated audio jack, when stereo bluetooth connections are more than commonplace, and any wired connection would benefit form a superior outboard DAC dongle anyway. So they've pushed the envelope in terms of short term usability with one USB-C port, and retained a mostly useless audio vestige in place of a second. Where's the logic in that?

Yes, I've never used the audio jack on my Macs. There have been rumors that they would remove the audio jack on the iPhone at some point, but so far they haven't materialized. Perhaps it's out of anti-trust concerns (since the Lightning port isn't an open standard, and Bluetooth has inferior audio quality). I could see a future MacBook replacing the audio port with a second USB-C port.

That said, in a few months USB hubs that support pass-through power will be commonplace. That should address most of the concerns of those who intend to use a MacBook at a desk with an external monitor, USB peripherals, etc. There are some no-name ones with no power pass through already.

 

[Mac 128]

The iMac was derided for ditching ADB, SCSI, and even the floppy drive.

Again, my issue is not with changing technology, I've been around long enough to know that USB-C is the way of the future. And I can always use my legacy devices with adapter dongles. No big deal. The floppy was also a much bigger deal than it was, especially on a desktop computer where buying an external IF you actually needed it was a relatively minor deal. Losing a floppy on my PowerBook Duo was a much bigger issue, because it didn't really save me much as I still had to carry my floppy drive and dock around in case I needed it.

I could see a future MacBook replacing the audio port with a second USB-C port.

That said, in a few months USB hubs that support pass-through power will be commonplace. That should address most of the concerns of those who intend to use a MacBook at a desk with an external monitor, USB peripherals, etc.

As I questioned earlier ... Why hasn't Apple already come up with a new audio standard, long ago? It's a technology that's been around for over 120 years. An open standard, 4 conductor digital connector with DAC's built into the devices would have been a much better solution. Turning that into a MagSafe connector on a portable device would have been amazing.

In the end, yes the docks and dongles will all make this lack of ports manageable on a desktop (with the added tangle of wires and devices), however, it will just be that much more to carry around when mobile, offsetting any benefits of having the latest ultra-thin MacBook. I keep going back to the Duo, but that's exactly what this reminds me of, and I lived through that because I had no other choice, and even removing all the ports and floppy, a stripped down Duo still weighed almost 5 pounds! Today, I can have it all in less than half that weight.

 

[Dark Void]

As I questioned earlier ... Why hasn't Apple already come up with a new audio standard, long ago? It's a technology that's been around for over 120 years. An open standard, 4 conductor digital connector with DAC's built into the devices would have been a much better solution. Turning that into a MagSafe connector on a portable device would have been amazing.

That sounds like it would take up more space, and Apple is the type of company that seems to believe a fraction of a millimeter is more important to save than adding something like a touchscreen for instance. Technology exists, it just doesn't fit into their agenda.

 

[KPOM]

In the end, yes the docks and dongles will all make this lack of ports manageable on a desktop (with the added tangle of wires and devices), however, it will just be that much more to carry around when mobile, offsetting any benefits of having the latest ultra-thin MacBook. I keep going back to the Duo, but that's exactly what this reminds me of, and I lived through that because I had no other choice, and even removing all the ports and floppy, a stripped down Duo still weighed almost 5 pounds! Today, I can have it all in less than half that weight.

Docks, dongles, etc. do not offset the benefits of having the latest MacBook. First of all, you only need to carry them when you know you'll need them. The rest of the time you get a lighter and sleeker notebook. Second, if you look there are lots of projects out there to make sleeker docks (there are several on KickStarter that are smaller and more elegant than Apple's solution).

 

[Mac 128]

That sounds like it would take up more space, and Apple is the type of company that seems to believe a fraction of a millimeter is more important to save than adding something like a touchscreen for instance. Technology exists, it just doesn't fit into their agenda.

Brother don't I know it. Thinking about it, they could have just gone with digital audio input/output with the DAC built into the device. So, one conductor with a MagSafe ring. It could be tiny. For those wanting to use their traditional 1/8" audio device, there's the Apple brand MagSafe DA to 1/8" headphone adapter.

Docks, dongles, etc. do not offset the benefits of having the latest MacBook. First of all, you only need to carry them when you know you'll need them. The rest of the time you get a lighter and sleeker notebook. Second, if you look there are lots of projects out there to make sleeker docks (there are several on KickStarter that are smaller and more elegant than Apple's solution).

That was the draw of the Duo as well ... if you don't need a port or a drive, leave it behind. By the time it was over I had 4 micro docks, two mini docks, a Duo Dock, an external floppy, an external ZIP, and an external CD-ROM. The reality was, I carried almost everything around with me, because inevitably I would forget to bring the very dock I ended up needing. And that was the price I paid to have the very latest PowerBook technology, at least in the ultra-portable format. Now I have to admit that when I didn't need to plug anything into it, it was a joy to use.

But I don't see the rMB in the same way. While it is the latest MacBook tech, it doesn't necessarily make it the greatest tech. Aside from the retina display, which doesn't make a significant difference for me between my 2011 13" MBP and 2014 13" rMBP, the specs on the new rMB aren't particularly superior to the current 11" MBA. They're about the same size and weight, they have about the same battery life, but the MBA has a better processor, and full connectivity options, and it's less expensive in every configuration. So really the decision boils down to paying an extra $100 for a Retina display (if that really matters to the average consumer), or whether you want a gray or gold MacBook, which if you're going to put it in a case anyway doesn't make a bit of difference. I also wonder whether the first generation Core M will be supported in the long term by Apple, or might it go the way of the original Core Duo in the first MacBook, leaving it behind well before it's useful life came to an end.

In contrast, the Duo offered essentially the same processor, better battery life than the full PowerBooks, and at least two pounds lighter, with a palpable price difference of $1K. This choice was obvious. The rMB/MBA not so much. Then again, depending on what you needed to connect to it, the various docks required could quickly eat into the savings.

I guess my point here is, for the specs and price, you're losing a lot more than you're gaining with the rMB over the MBA, with the added caveat that even if you rarely use a peripheral with your old MB now, when you do use them, you're going to need dongles and docks. And if you never know when you may need them (not an issue with standard ports on any other MacBook currently on the market), then you will have to carry them around with you everywhere you go.

So the only clear cut reason to buy the rMB, is if the only device a person is currently using is an iPad, and they need access to websites or software that only run under OS X, and manage all of their files in the cloud, with no need for external connections aside from power. Anything else, and there are definite compromises which have to be considered. If someone is moving down from a MBP for a lighter computer, then I can understand the trade off for 1.5-2.5 pound difference. I can't see someone moving from a MBA to this, unless they truly never use their ports. Frankly I consider the Retina display the least of the reasons to buy the rMB, but I realize for many that will be a potent motivator, whether or not there are real practical benefits from such a display.

 

[bwb]

So the only clear cut reason to buy the rMB, is if the only device a person is currently using is an iPad, and they need access to websites or software that only run under OS X, and manage all of their files in the cloud, with no need for external connections aside from power. Anything else, and there are definite compromises which have to be considered. If someone is moving down from a MBP for a lighter computer, then I can understand the trade off for 1.5-2.5 pound difference. I can't see someone moving from a MBA to this, unless they truly never use their ports. Frankly I consider the Retina display the least of the reasons to buy the rMB, but I realize for many that will be a potent motivator, whether or not there are real practical benefits from such a display.

Big motivation for retina over non-retina for me is that I can crank up the scaled resolution if I need to do some unplanned work. For example, a VNC session to use hardware CAD software on Linux. Of course, cranking up a 12" display to 1080p is not going to be comfortable for extended use, but the UIs of most CAD software have huge panes/toolbars so retina makes it a bit more manageable for some unexpected work, and then I can turn the resolution down to the default for day-to-day use. If retinas forced the 2x2 ratio I'd be much less interested given the price/performance difference.

 

[zhenya]

You may not consider the display a motivating factor, but to many, myself included, will not buy another computer without a high resolution display. It's the one part of the computer that we interact with 100% of the time, and the difference can't be unseen. It also allows me to run high resolution on a small display - I'm running 1680x1050 on the Macbook perfectly comfortably. The Air's screen is like going back to SD once you've gotten used to HDTV.

 

[palpatine]

The display is the most important thing -- that's what I am going to spend hours and hours every day looking at, so I want it to be as crisp and clear as possible.

This is an amazing time, when we can look at the screens and don't have to deal with pixelation anymore. Computer displays have all been relatively good or bad, depending on various factors, but none of them were great, because they were all fuzzy or washed out (I am looking at you MBA). It has been an irritating thing for my entire life, and now, we are finally free from those accursed displays. I tolerated the MBA's illegibility, but who would even consider going back?

An MBA? A non-starter at any price. If you work with Chinese characters (much of the world's population), then the difference is like night and day. I gladly paid a little more for the rMB's beautiful display, and I encourage folks to pull up a web page on an MBA and rMB to compare.

 

[maryunani]

... Frankly I consider the Retina display the least of the reasons to buy the rMB, but I realize for many that will be a potent motivator, whether or not there are real practical benefits from such a display.

Wow that was such a long post I felt really bad cutting it to only this sentence . But alas this is what typifies your argument of the rMB not making sense to you.

I'm not saying that it's a "bad" argument or that you're "wrong" or anything, but if you personally don't really care that much about the retina display than you got to admit you're probably not in the opinion of the 99%. This is because the people either "loved" the rMB, or "just wanted the MBA to get the retina screen".

 

[Mal67]

Well like most have said there's always the other models to choose from and if they don't suit then there is always other maufacturers. But I think dropping magsafe and using the lower spec camera are faults with this version. Hopefully these will be updated for vers 2. By then they might even have added another port too. However what I don't see is why they won't make an 8 gig Air available to resellers at least down here. But I guess that's another story.

 

[Mac 128]

Wow that was such a long post I felt really bad cutting it to only this sentence . But alas this is what typifies your argument of the rMB not making sense to you.

I'm not saying that it's a "bad" argument or that you're "wrong" or anything, but if you personally don't really care that much about the retina display than you got to admit you're probably not in the opinion of the 99%. This is because the people either "loved" the rMB, or "just wanted the MBA to get the retina screen".

Don't feel bad, but if the 99% feel all the compromises made by the rMB are worth the retina screen, then why does Apple even continue to offer the MBA, much less the non-retina MPB? Clearly there's a significant market that values price, power, and ports over a crisper display. So you have to admit your're seriously overstating your argument to suggest that 99% of all those considering an ultra light MacBook are solely concerned with the quality of the screen.

You're trying to distill my argument down to one preference. I would never suggest that anyone isn't justified over their single preference but I don't see that being the deciding factor, albeit I understand for some it may be, just not 99% as you suggest. Apple's own product offerings back my argument. If someone is willing to compromise the way they currently use their MacBook to get an Retina display, when they shouldn't have to, then more power to them. But the shortcomings of the rMB are not mitigated by a quality display, they are still a major concession.

 

[KPOM]

Don't feel bad, but if the 99% feel all the compromises made by the rMB are worth the retina screen, then why does Apple even continue to offer the MBA, much less the non-retina MPB? Clearly there's a significant market that values price, power, and ports over a crisper display. So you have to admit your're seriously overstating your argument to suggest that 99% of all those considering an ultra light MacBook are solely concerned with the quality of the screen.

I suspect cost is the main issue. The list price of the Core M chip ($281) is about the same as the list price in the Core i5 used in the MacBook Air ($315), and I'm guessing Intel doesn't discount it as much since it isn't a volume product. Apple is probably looking to mainstream the MacBook at some point in the future, but wants to recoup its R&D first, particularly with Skylake coming so soon. It will be a while before Apple will want to sell the MacBook for $899 or even $999, but I think it will get there eventually, at which point the MacBook Air will be put out to pasture.

 

[xmichaelp]

The fan has never come on on any of my Macs. So this has never been a problem for me.

The fan is always on.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I suspect cost is the main issue. The list price of the Core M chip ($281) is about the same as the list price in the Core i5 used in the MacBook Air ($315), and I'm guessing Intel doesn't discount it as much since it isn't a volume product. Apple is probably looking to mainstream the MacBook at some point in the future, but wants to recoup its R&D first, particularly with Skylake coming so soon. It will be a while before Apple will want to sell the MacBook for $899 or even $999, but I think it will get there eventually, at which point the MacBook Air will be put out to pasture.

I share your view that at the moment some of the users don't buy the rMB because of its price. Others because of lack of ports etc. Or both these reasons. So, for many it is a price-to-value issue.
To be very honest with you even if the rMB's cost dropped to $899 or $999, I would not buy it as for me personally the retina display does not compensate for Core M and lack of ports.

 

[maryunani]

Don't feel bad, but if the 99% feel all the compromises made by the rMB are worth the retina screen, then why does Apple even continue to offer the MBA, much less the non-retina MPB? Clearly there's a significant market that values price, power, and ports over a crisper display. So you have to admit your're seriously overstating your argument to suggest that 99% of all those considering an ultra light MacBook are solely concerned with the quality of the screen.

You're trying to distill my argument down to one preference. I would never suggest that anyone isn't justified over their single preference but I don't see that being the deciding factor, albeit I understand for some it may be, just not 99% as you suggest. Apple's own product offerings back my argument. If someone is willing to compromise the way they currently use their MacBook to get an Retina display, when they shouldn't have to, then more power to them. But the shortcomings of the rMB are not mitigated by a quality display, they are still a major concession.

No no no, that's not where I am going for at all. My argument is that most people do value a good display, in this case a beautiful Retina. You said that the retina screen is the "least of the reasons to buy an rMB" which I'm sure is not the case for most people who bought it, I'm sure they bought it with the display --much better than the MBA-- being near the top of their priorities. Why am I so sure? As I've said before, most people who is disappointed with this product (having used it or not) will end their argument with a version of "we all just wanted a MBA with a retina screen, why didn't apple give us what we want".

Of course there are concessions and maybe even compromises with the work flow if one was to try to work with the rMB. I'm not denying that at all. It's just that, in the eyes of the average consumer, while there are definite "cons" to this product there are also definite "pros" that come with it, and you're downplaying the magnitude of one of those "pros".

Off-topic, I hope my less-than-impressive linguistic skills isn't causing this apparent misunderstanding of my argument.

 

[hans1972]

eventually wireless will be incredibly fast, and secure, eliminating the need for wires, and all devices will be able to access a wireless network through any available radio. But the current rMB won't be using it, as it will be limited to 802.11ac wifi, and bluetooth 4. A wired connection will still provide the best performance on it.

I just copied a 2Gb file in just 60 seconds through my home Wifi. I am just using Apple Airport Extreme routers and have done nothing to optimize for speed. Very few users of the rMB will be copying large files over the network very often and I think to most people waiting 1 min for a 2Gb file is acceptable.

Every mobile device I own has Wifi support, even many of the non-mobile devices support Wifi or they are clustered together and connect to a wireless router through cable. I have for the three last years never bought a device that do not support wireless and I have completely stopped using USB memory sticks, SD cards and even USB-disks are only used a few times a year in exceptional cases (usually just to save time).

Some of the customers I work for do not even support wired networks at their locations!

if the rMB came with a cellular radio, then I could almost understand why you could include just one port (safety aside), even if speeds and security weren't optimal for large file transfers. It would mean that the internet, and thus your data storage clouds, would be available almost anywhere in the world. As it is, when there's no wifi, you're stuck without a cellular hotspot. And even then, you're limited by carrier coverage. If you're vacationing at Yellowstone National Park, or on a Disney cruise, you're out of luck, unless you've got a satellite internet modem, which is currently extremely slow and expensive.

People use their iPhones as their cellular hotspots! And you do it wirelessly through Wifi or Bluetooth. And I would argue that using cellular for file transfer is more secure than using some random Wifi network.

And how would having more ports help you in Yellowstone? You would face the exact same problem with a MBA or a rMBP. If you don´t have connection to the Internet and your data is on the Internet, you´re stuck no matter how many ports you have.