15-Inch MacBook Pro With Touch Bar Has Non-Removable SSD

[TechZeke]

If you are an "Old School Mac Guy" as your forum name says then you know your first sentence is nonsense because the current 27" iMac has a RAM door for user upgrades. Tim Cook mentioned them when he introduced the model even. But the current iMac likely had a lot of input from Jobs during the design state. He appreciated the fact pros liked to upgrade and accomodated where possible. The previous generation Mac Mini was also quite upgradable and the access lid was screwless. Again that was launched under Cook, but a Jobs era design.

But, yes, you make my point... this TC version of Apple is a pale image of the Jobs II Apple in terms of the detail it goes to to make products "insanely great" for anyone who buys it, marginalizing no potential customer if possible. The MBP is not a pro machine, it's a consumer machine with a slick marketing name. Of course, in reality is a MacBook Plus, so you are correct, the soldered SSD won't hinder sales unless Apple missed the market and consumers are put off by the price too. We'll have to wait until 1Q sales to see how that turns out.

There doesn't seem to be any exigent reason why the SSD was soldered in except to prevent people from upgrading if they wanted to or save a buck. As an old school Mac guy myself I find it odd that you would so veheminetly defend the indefensible here and welcome our new weak sauce laptop maker overlord. Apple should be careful before burning its bridges because if us old loyalists get turned off and tired of the brand then the more fickle public isn't far behind.

The Mac Mini update made Timmy's intentions quite clear. Despite no change in form factor, they purposely made the machine difficult to impossible to upgrade. Apologists couldn't even use the "Soldered because they made it smaller" excuse.

The next major iMac body revision will definitely see the end of upgradeable RAM on the 27" iMac. I'm sure if Apple could solder 5400rpm HDDs to the iMac's logic board, they would.

 

[Goratrix]

Whoa, you go ahead and post where the Samsung 960 Pro, which anywhere on the web costs almost twice what Apple is charging

Where do you get the "almost twice"??? The link you posted shows $629.99 for the 1 TB 960 Pro. Apple charges $400 just for the upgrade to 1 TB from 512 GB, that's the upsell price, not the full price of the 1 TB. The full price would be the price of the 512 GB plus the upsell of $400, so let's say $800.

 

[prism]

Unbelievable some of the fan boy comments here, Jony boy could literally take a dump and they will try to convince us that it's gold. This is reaching the point of absurdity.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Unbelievable some of the fan boy comments here, Jony boy could literally take a dump and they would try to convince us that it's gold. This is reaching the point of absurdity.

He can sell a $300 book...

 

[DevNull0]

Whoa, you go ahead and post where the Samsung 960 Pro, which anywhere on the web costs almost twice what Apple is charging, is shown to be faster than what Apple has in this machine. Even Samsung says the read speed is the same but the write speed is not as fast as in the new MacBook Pro. Samsung vs. Apple

Get your own facts straight and next time post links to your BS claims; don't trump the forum and think you won't get called out.

Funny how every time someone mentions a samsung ssd you shoot them down.

The 1TB Samsung 960 pro is $630 at Newegg (free shipping). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7597&cm_re=samsung_960-_-20-147-597-_-Product

Upgrading from the 256 to 1TB option with Apple is $600. And that 256 has value too (remember when you could put the pulled SSD in an enclosure for a super fast memory stick?). The Samsung drive is cheaper than Apple. Not twice as expensive as Apple as you say.

*And* the Samsung 960 pro is far superior to what Apple has, the specs I see show it as a lot better than Apple's.

Plus don't forget if you don't need a drive that beats Apple up on speed, there are very cheap 1TB M.2 PCIe drives that are still half the speed of Apple. If money is a concern and you care more about space than speed, there's a lot of good choices out there. With Apple, it's their way or the highway.

 

[gavroche]

No, I am suggesting the fact that a Pro can't have the "oh **** I forgot my dongle" while visiting with a customer.

How many people out there do you think there are that walk into a meeting with a customer, and go "Oh crap, I only have 2TB of files on this here portable computer... and the one i happen to need is not on it, and i forgot my dongle." [2 Terabyes!!!]. I'll ask you a very honest question, and please answer honestly: Do you think that 1% of average users need more than 2TB of storage?

 

[yaxomoxay]

How many people out there do you think there are that walk into a meeting with a customer, and go "Oh crap, I only have 2TB of files on this here portable computer... and the one i happen to need is not on it, and i forgot my dongle." [2 Terabyes!!!]. I'll ask you a very honest question, and please answer honestly: Do you think that 1% of average users need more than 2TB of storage?

No, it could be: "I have info for your newspaper here, on this USB drive. Can you please get it now, without revealing the source?" "****! I forgot my dongle."

The problem is not the space per se... bar extreme circumstances you can always delete files. You're always ready for what YOU bring to the table, you can't be always ready for what THEY bring to the table.
The problem is the total closure to the outside world + the total closure of what is inside + the outrageous price.

 

[tubeexperience]

Funny how every time someone mentions a samsung ssd you shoot them down.

The 1TB Samsung 960 pro is $630 at Newegg (free shipping). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...7597&cm_re=samsung_960-_-20-147-597-_-Product

Upgrading from the 256 to 1TB option with Apple is $600. And that 256 has value too (remember when you could put the pulled SSD in an enclosure for a super fast memory stick?). The Samsung drive is cheaper than Apple. Not twice as expensive as Apple as you say.

*And* the Samsung 960 pro is far superior to what Apple has, the specs I see show it as a lot better than Apple's.

Plus don't forget if you don't need a drive that beats Apple up on speed, there are very cheap 1TB M.2 PCIe drives that are still half the speed of Apple. If money is a concern and you care more about space than speed, there's a lot of good choices out there. With Apple, it's their way or the highway.

Samsung 960 Pro MSRP

256GB: $200

512GB: $330

1TB: $629

2TB: $1299

The Samsung 960 Pro is the most expensive consumer SSD per GB that you can possibly buy.

There are much cheaper PCIe SSDs out there.

 

[trifid]

How many people out there do you think there are that walk into a meeting with a customer, and go "Oh crap, I only have 2TB of files on this here portable computer... and the one i happen to need is not on it, and i forgot my dongle." [2 Terabyes!!!]. I'll ask you a very honest question, and please answer honestly: Do you think that 1% of average users need more than 2TB of storage?

Hey client, one moment while I get my dongle, lol

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

 

[DerRolf]

No, it could be: "I have info for your newspaper here, on this USB drive. Can you please get it now, without revealing the source?" "****! I forgot my dongle."

The problem is not the space per se... bar extreme circumstances you can always delete files.
The problem is the total closure to the outside world + the total closure of what is inside + the outrageous price.

In IT business you usually aren't even allowed to pass data on USB sticks due to the fact that they could contain viruses etc. I have no issue with the USB-C only ports. Usually customers are passing files through secure file share platforms which require internet (or LAN/WiFi) access.

 

[DevNull0]

Samsung 960 Pro MSRP

256GB: $200

512GB: $330

1TB: $629

2TB: $1299

The Samsung 960 Pro is the most expensive consumer SSD per GB that you can possibly buy.

There are much cheaper PCIe SSDs out there.

I agree with you. But the person I was replying to was saying they're twice the price of Apple's SSD upgrades which is simply not true. And they were saying it's slower than Apple's option.

My point was that not only is the 960 cheaper per gig than Apple, but there are countless other very good, very fast drives that are much cheaper.

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

You're right. It wasn't always like this.

Apple used to make computers the user could upgrade or even replace broken components of.

Coincidental or causal? You be the judge.

And speaking for myself only, I do vent often about Apple's imbecilic moves lately, but I hardly let it consume my life. It's just a natural reaction by loyal users to a company (that got to where it is largely by creating solid brand loyalty among those very scorned users) going downhill fast.

 

[tubeexperience]

I agree with you. But the person I was replying to was saying they're twice the price of Apple's SSD upgrades which is simply not true. And they were saying it's slower than Apple's option.

My point was that not only is the 960 cheaper per gig than Apple, but there are countless other very good, very fast drives that are much cheaper.

No, I totally get what you said.

 

[639051]

Samsung 960 Pro MSRP

256GB: $200

512GB: $330

1TB: $629

2TB: $1299

The Samsung 960 Pro is the most expensive consumer SSD per GB that you can possibly buy.

There are much cheaper PCIe SSDs out there.

The MSRP is RARELY what anyone pays. The issue with Apple .. you're never going to pay below MSRP for those upgrades.

Good lord man .. stop!

 

[yaxomoxay]

In IT business you usually aren't even allowed to pass data on USB sticks due to the fact that they could contain viruses etc. I have no issue with the USB-C only ports. Usually customers are passing files through secure file share platforms which require internet (or LAN/WiFi) access.

In the IT business maybe not. Maybe you need to. Maybe you're a photographer and you need the SD card slot. Whatever, mine were just examples.
The bottom line is one, and only one: Apple made computer usage more difficult for no good reason. That's a complete utter betrayal of Apple's mission.

 

[diddl14]

Do it; send a message.

Canceling is the easy part. Finding an alternative is the challenge..

 

[yaxomoxay]

Canceling is the easy part. Finding an alternative is the challenge..

Previous model, maxed out?

 

[carambo]

Since 2011 when I purchased my 15' MBP that I still use and consider as a fantastic pro computer, I have upgraded 2 times the HD and 2 times the SSD (which replace the DVD), getting bigger space and better performance each time. So this is a big disappointment, a pro machine should be open, IMHO...will wait for upgrade

 

[gavroche]

No, it could be: "I have info for your newspaper here, on this USB drive. Can you please get it now, without revealing the source?" "****! I forgot my dongle."

The problem is not the space per se... bar extreme circumstances you can always delete files. You're always ready for what YOU bring to the table, you can't be always ready for what THEY bring to the table.
The problem is the total closure to the outside world + the total closure of what is inside + the outrageous price.

Well, that's a separate argument. I'm only discussing this article and comments... about the non-upgradeability (and not wanting a dongle because you need more storage). If you are talking about connectivity, well, that's something else...

 

[scott911]

What a deteriorating company - and I say this having first used apple 2's in 1986. I was a trs-80 man before that.

 

[gavroche]

Hey client, one moment while I get my dongle, lol

Here... hold my dongle...

 

[DevNull0]

The MSRP is RARELY what anyone pays. The issue with Apple .. you're never going to pay below MSRP for those upgrades.

Good lord man .. stop!

Even more important, 2 years from now when Apple is still selling the same computers for the same ripoff BTO prices, that $1300 2TB drive from Samsung will be available for $400.

With Apple, not only will you still be stuck paying 2016 prices in 2018, if these computers were upgradable you can always buy the new SSD in a couple of years when prices drop to upgrade your 2 year old machine. When the 60 gig PATA drive in my 2004 PowerBook failed out of warranty, it cost me $50 to replace it was a 120 gig which wasn't even a BTO option originally.

 

[wankey]

Great news to top off the list of fiascos that have plagued this release.

Obsolete RAM, soldered SSD. The disposable Macbook Pro 2016.

What a load of %#$%#$%.

I bought my laptop in 2012 Mbpr, it had 256gb of ram, 8gb of storage, a crap processor, crap GPU and some awful yellow tinge which had to be fixed.

I've used that laptop continuously for more than 4 years now. I've been with me everywhere around the world, it's made me around 100-200k just doing side work on it and I'm a pretty heavy user and it chugs along.

I've never had to do the following:

a) Replace the battery
b) Replace the ram
c) Replace the harddrive

I did however had to get dongles for and VGA (lots of projectors are still on VGA) Ethernet

Now that I'm getting the 2016 with double the ram, double the harddrive, double the GPU speed, double the SSD and a much more battery efficient CPU and screen for 3/4 of the size and weight?

It'll be the same, i'll still need a dongle for VGA and ethernet, and now I'll just need a dongle for USB-A, which I haven't used since the advent of dropbox or email.

 

[Blueyo]

I just happened to buy a used 2009 MacBook Pro as my first Mac this week. I already have an 8GB RAM upgrade and second storage caddy to replace the optical drive. It's funny that my 7 year old machine is being used as a new one for me thanks to its upgrades.

Imagine these 2016 MacBooks in 7 years.

I'm writing this on my 2009 Macbook Pro that I purchased new with a 6 year old Crucial SSD, 3 year old 8gb of ram and hard drive caddy. The optical drive died first than my sleep/wake sensor for the lid died after with the battery indicator lights. The sleep/wake sensor is probably the most annoying thing to fail because I have to always use command, alt, eject to sleep it... Anyway I was so excited to upgrade this year but most likely going to upgrade to a mid-2015 15 inch Macbook Pro. I hear you, one major thing fails on one's 2016 macbook pro and it's the whole logic board... Good luck with your Macbook pro, mine had served me well.