16-Inch MacBook Pro Debuts With New Magic Keyboard, Physical Esc Key, Up to 64GB of RAM, and More

[rmariboe]

If Apple still insists on the touchbar which I still have not heard of any one praising it, maybe they can do it like regular separate keys but instead its small LCD mono-tone screens like on the classic casio watches.

I think the long bar looks uglier, and the colored screen is more expensive and drains the battery.

Well, here you go: I ****ing love the touch bar, and I have been loving it from day one! Takes a few minutes of getting used to, but I love have a contextual panel light up right above the keyboard - especially because Parallels integrates Windows apps so expertly with it!

And I think it looks gorgeous - so do everyone else I’ve spoken to about it.

I don’t mind the escape key not being physical; it’s not like it’s moving about and so I don’t have to feel my way to it. Also do ten-finger on the iPad so maybe I’m just not constrained by a need of physical buttons to find my way around a keyboard...

 

[Zdigital2015]

Probably because the majority of devices ARE NOT USB-C, it's the stupidity of Apple trying to create a computer that is super thin, but yet you have to carry a **** ton of adapters {or at least 1}.

If the device has a detachable cable, it doesn’t matter if it’s USB-C or not. I have had to carry Thunderbolt 1/2 to 1GbE and FW800 for the past 7 years because the Holiest of Holies, the 2012-2015 MacBook Pro, also required dongles.

Define **** ton of adapters? I had to carry two with me constantly with what is considered by many here as the pinnacle of Apple laptop hardware engineering. What makes the 2016-2019 MacBook Pro any different? Spoiler alert - NOTHING!

 

[neoelectronaut]

Is it really hard for people to get a few usb-a to usb-c adapters and leave them plugged into whatever cord/device they use all the time? I don’t understand the complainers of “dongle life”. It’s not a big deal. Do what I said and stop complaining like babies about it. The ability to use either side and 4 ports of the laptop for anything far outweigh the agony It is to leave a few cables with adapters on the ends.

For me I just ended up replacing my existing cables. My USB external hard drive that used a MicroB to USB-A cable? Replaced it with a MicroB to USB-C cable.

When I bought a smaller portable hard drive recently I purposely went with a model that had a USB-C port right on the device itself and included a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box.

At some point you're just gonna have to rip the band-aid off and move into the future. I miss Firewire 800, but I had to move on.

 

[Stephen.R]

Probably because the majority of devices ARE NOT USB-C

This is another point people have tried to highlight multiple times, and just been ignored - for anything with a USB-A to USB-whatever cable (i.e. practically anything with a removable USB cable) you can buy (generally very cheaply) a USB-C to USB-whatever cable to use instead of the original, rather than using the original cable plus an adaptor.

 

[Zdigital2015]

CPU upgrade not worth it, 32GB is enough, 8GB GPU... big question is 1TB or 2TB... hmm... decisions, decisions.

Your handle tells me you are a developer...correct? Do you do audio, video or photography extensively? If so, it might be worth it to have those things onboard and not on a device that could get lost or left someplace. If not, then 1TB would probably be enough. On the other hand, you buy it and you don’t worry about it because you have an extra 1TB of cushion when you need it. How can that be wrong?

 

[Stephen.R]

CPU upgrade not worth it, 32GB is enough, 8GB GPU... big question is 1TB or 2TB... hmm... decisions, decisions.

Probably depends a lot what you use it for, how you work etc.

I deliberately have work stuff all on an external SSD so I can jump between the mini and mbp if needed.

But, if you only work on one machine, the ease of all internal storage may help - fast external storage is available but it's not always quite as clear how fast it'll be, or if it'll have issues (e.g. how much power it draws for a bus powered device etc).

 

[cmaier]

what fine grained control are you talking about with volume and brightness? It literally does the same thing as a key pressing it once or sliding left or right a little. You can do small amounts just like a key.
You can change it to what you like to use I personally like the Touch Bar but I never used the top row of keys much before. I like being able to change it.

For example, with real keys, you can use opt-shift and press the function keys to adjust volume and brightness by quarter steps.

Unless you have amazing manual dexterity, there is no way you can make such precise adjustments using a touch-sliding gesture.

 

[Stephen.R]

For example, with real keys, you can use opt-shift and press the function keys to adjust volume and brightness by quarter steps.

Unless you have amazing manual dexterity, there is no way you can make such precise adjustments using a touch-sliding gesture.

So set the touch bar to always show the expanded control strip, and keep using the shift-opt volume up/down presses - it works the same way.

 

[anson42]

If you work in tech you see 15" MBPs *everywhere* FWIW.

Ditto. That's because tech companies have the cash to spend on these I just asked for a $4K 16" model to replace my 2016 and no one blinked an eye. Many of us build Linux based cloud software, and macOS, not Windows, is so much friendlier to that environment. (Besides, I'll NEVER work in a .NET environment, don't need to nor want to.)

IIRC Apple sells, what, 4M (give or take) laptops a year though I'm not sure how many MBP's make up that number. There's a reasonable profit margin in there though of course not as good as with the phones. I don't believe general market share is a concern for Apple but keeping professional creatives in the fold probably is.

 

[cmaier]

So set the touch bar to always show the expanded control strip, and keep using the shift-opt volume up/down presses - it works the same way.

Except that you can't do it without LOOKING at the touch strip, which is not at ALL the "same way."

When I use my mac I look at the screen, not at the keyboard.

 

[Stephen.R]

Except that you can't do it without LOOKING at the touch strip, which is not at ALL the "same way."

Why? If you set it to always expanded they don't move.

 

[cmaier]

Why? If you set it to always expanded they don't move.

You don't see the difference between touch-typing on physically-raised and separated keys versus a completely flat surface?

There's a reason they switched back to the inverted-t arrow keys and increased spacing between the keys - tactile differences matter when touch-typing.

While I can easily hit F7 each and every time without looking when it is a physical key, I can never be confident that I am going to hit a specific spot on the Touch Bar each time without looking.

And, by the way, if it is necessary to revert the Touch Bar into a glorified full-time set of F-keys just to get back a fraction of the functionality we once had, what's the point?

 

[Stephen.R]

And, by the way, if it is necessary to revert the Touch Bar into a glorified full-time set of F-keys just to get back a fraction of the functionality we once had, what's the point?

It isn't "necessary". But it's one way people can use it differently.

You say you want F-Keys for functionality. I say I have zero interest or use in F-Keys. This constant "the old way is the only way" view from some people is getting kind of tired.

 

[myrtlebee]

They ditched it completely?? lol Yeah, I'll believe that once it migrates down range to the MBA and other, cheaper machines. Until then, I'd save the gloating.


(From Phil Schiller's interview with CNET)

"Can we expect to see the new Magic Keyboard in the rest of the MacBook lineup? Rumors suggest yes, but Schiller isn’t ready to make that announcement. “I can’t say today. We are continuing both keyboard designs,” he said in the interview."

Nah. Just corporate speak so they don’t have to admit that yes, they are ditching the faulty butterfly keyboard completely. They will do it slowly so that it doesn’t look like they ****ed up as bad as they know they did.

 

[Nugget]

This constant "the old way is the only way" view from some people is getting kind of tired.

This is not a fair restatement of any post I've read on this subject. If you have to misrepresent what others are saying to make your case, you've lost.

 

[Jethro!]

more...ports?

Same. I keep hoping in vain they'll do something crazy like add back the standard USB ports that everyone still uses. Something wacky like that. Or bring back Magsafe? Hey, but the Touch Bar is still there!!

 

[Stephen.R]

This is not a fair restatement of any post I've read on this subject.

There is absolutely a segment of the 'crowd' that essentially says, every time a new model comes out "UGH it has a touch bar. I hate it, everybody hates it, nobody uses it, I want F-Keys back".

It has the ability to do nothing more than show the same function keys that were present on previous keyboards. It also has the ability to do a lot of other stuff for other people who want to use it differently.

like add back the standard USB ports

You'll be glad to know that the USB-IF standardised the Type-C connector many years ago.

that everyone still uses.

Really. Everyone still uses?

 

[Nugget]

There is absolutely a segment of the 'crowd' that essentially says, every time a new model comes out "UGH it has a touch bar. I hate it, everybody hates it, nobody uses it, I want F-Keys back".

Yes, this is true. But trying to pass this off as simply resistance to change or an affection for "the old way" requires you to completely ignore everything else that people say about the TouchBar. There are lots of legitimate complaints about the usability of the TouchBar that you are trying to pretend don't exist.

I haven't heard a single person say that they don't like the Touch Bar because it is new. You haven't either.

 

[x-evil-x]

Probably because the majority of devices ARE NOT USB-C, it's the stupidity of Apple trying to create a computer that is super thin, but yet you have to carry a **** ton of adapters {or at least 1}.

Cry about it some more. I’d rather have a slimmer computer with better ports and charging options. Living with these machines since 2016 never cared much about it
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For example, with real keys, you can use opt-shift and press the function keys to adjust volume and brightness by quarter steps.

Unless you have amazing manual dexterity, there is no way you can make such precise adjustments using a touch-sliding gesture.

I really have never know about increments beyond pressing the physical button up or down one. I don’t need increments more than what you get normally no idea why anyone would need smaller than that but hey I guess some people want that for some reason.
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For me I just ended up replacing my existing cables. My USB external hard drive that used a MicroB to USB-A cable? Replaced it with a MicroB to USB-C cable.

When I bought a smaller portable hard drive recently I purposely went with a model that had a USB-C port right on the device itself and included a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box.

At some point you're just gonna have to rip the band-aid off and move into the future. I miss Firewire 800, but I had to move on.

I did the same. My external drives are usb c and came with both cables. Monitor I got a display port to usb c. It’s really not a big deal to me either.
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At the end of the day, for whatever reason, Apple found that both the HDMI and the SD Card slots no longer made sense. I ask myself, ”Was that because upper management wanted to reduce the Z-height of the MacBook Pro, so these ports have to go, or was there another reason?” I don’t dwell on it, and the chassis could accommodate an SD Card slot, but Apple chose not to put it back in. That’s their prerogative.

Having dealt with Thunderbolt 1/2 to 1GbE and to Firewire 800 adapters since 2012 with the 15” Retina MacBook Pro, among other countless adapters over the past 35 years of working and supporting computers, Mac and PC alike (along with Sun, SGI, DEC Alpha, et al.), none of the “challenges“ presented by the 2016-2019 MacBook Pros have really ruffled my feathers. I have two USB-C to USB-A adapters from Apple and a Cal-Digit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock with DisplayPort, 1GbE and 1 USB 3.0 port. I use it to hook up my BenQ SW271 and the USB-A to a Focusrite 18i8 audio interface, which works flawlessly. I do have a USB-C to USB 2.0 B for the Focusrite, but the cable is not as thick and durable as I would like and I encountered some issues using it, although I now believe those were more of an issue with .KEXt files that Focusrite support pages suggested that I delete After doing some research.

I didn’t feel as thought I was living the dongle life with my 2012 or 2015 MacBook Pros and I don’t feel like I do now with my 2016 MacBook Pro. We’re a good 4 years in, and all I see at this point are users who either adapt or don’t and while I won’t say they die, they sure are making it harder on themselves than they need at this point. This is such a non-issue that keeps being regurgitated again and again with my advice to them being - “Pry open your wallet and buy the cables you need like the rest of us!”

Just my 2¢.

Also the hdmi port I imagine they dropped because hdmi doesn’t offer the refresh rate of usb c if I’m correct? At least I couldn’t find a usb-c to hdmi that would offer me more than 4k60. My usb-c to DisplayPort will do 75hz. Another thing of having the display port on one side of the machine limits things. I use both sides daily for my external display as well as charging. Couldn’t do that before the newer machines.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Also the hdmi port I imagine they dropped because hdmi doesn’t offer the refresh rate of usb c if I’m correct? At least I couldn’t find a usb-c to hdmi that would offer me more than 4k60. My usb-c to DisplayPort will do 75hz. Another thing of having the display port on one side of the machine limits things I use both sides daily for my external display as well as charging. Couldn’t. Do that before the newer machines.

That’s a great point that I never really thought about. Having the HDMI port on one side does limit things, whereas not having it means the USB-C port can host HDMI on whichever side works best for me.

 

[cmaier]

That’s a great point that I never really thought about. Having the HDMI port on one side does limit things, whereas not having it means the USB-C port can host HDMI on whichever side works best for me.

If you can carry the usb-c-to-hdmi dongle you could also carry a short hdmi extension cable, no?

 

[HBP]

I'm sure this has been asked... should I wait until black friday to order this? Can you back date whatever promotion they have?

 

[kensic]

Just ordered

how did that config come out to $2,689? im seeing $2,899

 

[Investor27]

how did that config come out to $2,689? im seeing $2,899

Probably student/educational discount, or corporate discount!

 

[patent10021]

One thing is for sure. The 2020 refresh is going to be more beautifuller.