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'16 rMBP - what was apple [not] thinking?

Do you need more than 16GB of memory or a $10 USB-C/Magsafe power converter?

  • Yes, need one or both

    Votes: 25 28.7%

  • Nope, not an issue

    Votes: 62 71.3%
  • Total voters
    87
L

LostLib

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 23, 2012
15
4
A couple of fairly big misses on this release. USB-C - More dongles isn't a good thing, wireless just does not cover everything. Ever try to unload 100GB of photos and video from your camera? Just because Apple's design team wants to simplify to a single connector, doesn't mean it's customers have that option - we're stuck holding the bag to re-purchase a boatload of "connectivity benders".

My "connector bender" bill just passed $500, and I haven't done the power yet. If you have multiple locations, ergo multiple monitors, and likely six to ten power bricks - Apple just handed you a $5000 bill to upgrade four monitors, OR a $1000 bill to upgrade the power bricks. On top of a $5K laptop.

All this USB-C "common port" mess has accomplished - is require me to carry around a "dongle bag" of connectors - Apple has actually made this machine less useful. With the dongles, it actually weighs more, and now I have two items to lug around. Great way to start a meeting: "who has the right dongle???"

And they left out the memory upgrade. For anyone doing MPP development requiring more than two or three VMs or docker images - this machine doesn't help. "power saving" was the reason given - why that trade off of battery life over memory isn't a customer choice - well - as I've implied, Apple clearly was only thinking about design purity.

My current MBP is 4+ years old, so I don't have much choice. But I'm really pissed that I already know I'm going to have to sell this one when a memory capable machine comes out - or I will just have said to hell with it, and have made the jump to linux.

This is labeled as "Professional" gear. Certainly would be nice if Apple actually took into consideration that professionals actually use the gear.
 
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LostLib said:
A couple of fairly big misses on this release. USB-C - More dongles isn't a good thing, wireless just does not cover everything. Ever try to unload 100GB of photos and video from your camera? Just because Apple's design team wants to simplify to a single connector, doesn't mean it's customers have that option - we're stuck holding the bag to re-purchase a boatload of "connectivity benders".

My "connector bender" bill just passed $500, and I haven't done the power yet. If you have multiple locations, ergo multiple monitors, and likely six to ten power bricks - Apple just handed you a $5000 bill to upgrade four monitors, OR a $1000 bill to upgrade the power bricks. On top of a $5K laptop.

All this USB-C "common port" mess has accomplished - is require me to carry around a "dongle bag" of connectors - Apple has actually made this machine less useful. With the dongles, it actually weighs more, and now I have two items to lug around. Great way to start a meeting: "who has the right dongle???"

And they left out the memory upgrade. For anyone doing MPP development requiring more than two or three VMs or docker images - this machine doesn't help. "power saving" was the reason given - why that trade off of battery life over memory isn't a customer choice - well - as I've implied, Apple clearly was only thinking about design purity.

My current MBP is 4+ years old, so I don't have much choice. But I'm really pissed that already know I'm going to have to sell this one when a memory capable machine comes out - or I will just said to hell with it, and have made the jump to linux.

This is labeled as "Professional" gear. Certainly would be nice if Apple actually took into consideration that professionals actually use the gear.
Click to expand...

Come on! Buy a dongle. Why not thank Apple for the amazing design, the top quality SSD, the perfect screen, the thought that has gone into it.
Don't waste your life moaning about a materialistic product! If you don't like it - don't buy it. Carry dongles is hardly a problem like families dying in Syria or someone without food. Think about it!!!
And thanks Apple for a really decent design of laptop.
 
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Obviously you (including myself) wasn't the intended crowd of "professionals"...wtf ever that means.

We would be better off drawing flying penises for our development work
 
LostLib said:
This is labeled as "Professional" gear. Certainly would be nice if Apple actually took into consideration that professionals actually use the gear.
Click to expand...

Come on. Apple isn't stupid. They wouldn't design a computer that the vast majority would not buy due to not being powerful enough. Obviously you're the minority here and the vast majority will do fine on the new MBP.

Get off your high horses and realize there are multiple types of professionals.
Also; keep in mind this is a LAPTOP. Get a desktop computer if you need more power. It's always been this way.
 
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BarcelonaPaul said:
Come on! Buy a dongle.
And thanks Apple for a really decent design of laptop.
Click to expand...

It's not one dongle. It's five for the "dongle bag" and it's at least two for every workstation - so another ten to 15 of the little beasts. And that assumes the dongles or converters even exist - find a USB-C to MagSafe converter - not a cable, a converter.

I already bought one, it'll be here on Wednesday. Cool design is only really cool - when it works. Otherwise, it's just a piece of hanging art work.
[doublepost=1478974195][/doublepost]
Tanax said:
Come on. Apple isn't stupid. They wouldn't design a computer that the vast majority would not buy due to not being powerful enough. Obviously you're the minority here and the vast majority will do fine on the new MBP.

Get off your high horses and realize there are multiple types of professionals.
Also; keep in mind this is a LAPTOP. Get a desktop computer if you need more power. It's always been this way.
Click to expand...

I can entirely agree with there being many types of professionals - and it will work for lots of people. I AM in the minority, until I'm not. Point is that for those of us closer to the edge, this isn't really an upgrade at all. Apple does make the best HW, note I'm still using my 4+ year old rMBP. It doesn't make this new one better.
 
LostLib said:
It's five for the "dongle bag"
Click to expand...
Just curious, what 5 dongles are you carrying with you ?
[doublepost=1478974258][/doublepost]
LostLib said:
I already bought one, it'll be here on Wednesday. Cool design is only really cool - when it works. Otherwise, it's just a piece of hanging art work.
Click to expand...
More curiosity, your post clearly makes it sound it dosnt work, so its just a piece of art, so why did you guy one ?
 
LostLib said:
I AM in the minority
Click to expand...
Then with all due respect, Don't buy it. Every laptop can not cater for every one. Apple would have made the design decision for what caters to maximum audience.
Its sad they dont make a workstation grade Laptop with options to upgrade and more types of Port, but its useless to complaint really.
 
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hj576 said:
Just curious, what 5 dongles are you carrying with you ?
[doublepost=1478974258][/doublepost]
More curiosity, your post clearly makes it sound it dosnt work, so its just a piece of art, so why did you guy one ?
Click to expand...

USB, DVI, VGA, Lightning, Thunderbolt, MiniDisplay, Apple Watch Charger, CF, MicroCF... Doesn't count the power brick.

Changing OS's and 50 applications isn't an investment I can make at the moment, nor do I really think I want to. I'm not mad at Apple, I'm disappointed they didn't think about this - a lot more than this appears.
[doublepost=1478974778][/doublepost]
hj576 said:
Then with all due respect, Don't buy it. Every laptop can not cater for every one. Apple would have made the design decision for what caters to maximum audience.
Its sad they dont make a workstation grade Laptop with options to upgrade and more types of Port, but its useless to complaint really.
Click to expand...

If we don't complain, no one will know there is an issue. This is documenting - there is an issue.
 
LostLib said:
USB, DVI, VGA, Lightning, Thunderbolt, MiniDisplay, Apple Watch Charger, CF, MicroCF.
Click to expand...
VGA,DVI ,Apple watch Charger, CF, MicroCF, Lightning, wouldn't you be carrying this even if you had an older model.
You can get the Apple USB C to Digital AV mutli Adapter to cover USB and HDMI (if needed) and a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
So thats just 2 more adapters than you would normally carry, or am I mistaken ?
 
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The need for a good powered multiport adapter is obvious, you can't blame me for lamenting I need a bunch of them. It's also clear that over time, many peripherals will support USB-C on the other end - which makes much of the cable mess go away - I get the objective. That said - the all or nothing transition, isn't a good one.

I don't carry many of these now - because we invested in dongles in every conference room... so some of that is masked. Those will need to be replaced, or yet another dongle converter will need to be purchased...
 
LostLib said:
The need for a good powered multiport adapter is obvious, you can't blame me for lamenting I need a bunch of them. It's also clear that over time, many peripherals will support USB-C on the other end - which makes much of the cable mess go away - I get the objective. That said - the all or nothing transition, isn't a good one.

I don't carry many of these now - because we invested in dongles in every conference room... so some of that is masked. Those will need to be replaced, or yet another dongle converter will need to be purchased...
Click to expand...
USB-C to USB cable and then the dongle to that cable :D :p
Simple solution xD
 
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LostLib said:
The need for a good powered multiport adapter is obvious, you can't blame me for lamenting I need a bunch of them. It's also clear that over time, many peripherals will support USB-C on the other end - which makes much of the cable mess go away - I get the objective. That said - the all or nothing transition, isn't a good one.

I don't carry many of these now - because we invested in dongles in every conference room... so some of that is masked. Those will need to be replaced, or yet another dongle converter will need to be purchased...
Click to expand...

Why not get mad at the issue that we have so many damn port standards in the first place? And instead thank apple for being proactive to get rid this whole mess? I still remember the world before USB, trust me they are doing the world a favor
 
Also for slow transitions, it will take 5 years for every peripheral manufacturers to catch up, and you will still get a bunch of whiners crying about what they are suppose to do with their ps2 keyboards
 
hj576 said:
Then with all due respect, Don't buy it. Every laptop can not cater for every one. Apple would have made the design decision for what caters to maximum audience.
Its sad they dont make a workstation grade Laptop with options to upgrade and more types of Port, but its useless to complaint really.
Click to expand...
Apple promised us many times top line computers and they broke that promise, again. On top of that there is the dongle fiasco. Those of us that Apple locked inside their neatly groomed garden are left with nothing but expenses and hassle changing platforms. We have all the right in the world to complain
 
Apple always holds back something on their products, so that you have to spend more to get what you want... or buy next year's model to get what you want.

2015 Macbook Pro 13"? 128GB SSD. (8GB of RAM was still an issue but not as much as in 2016)
2016 Macbook Pro 13"? 8GB RAM.

Here's the piss-in-the-lemonade though: Apple upped their prices so ridiculously that they SHOULD be giving the customer a complete product. As in, 16GB of RAM.

A premium computer should serve the average consumer's needs for at least 4 years. A pro's needs, maybe not as much. I would bet money that in 4 years, 8GB of RAM will feel slow, even if you're just doing average stuff. Sure it'll work, but it'll feel limiting to many.
 
Esmilis said:
Why not get mad at the issue that we have so many damn port standards in the first place? And instead thank apple for being proactive to get rid this whole mess? I still remember the world before USB, trust me they are doing the world a favor
Click to expand...

If only Apple stuck with a standard. It took courage to remove a headphone jack...on some products. My new iPhone doesn't use a headphone jack, but the MBP I have on order does. And my new phone uses a lightning cable, but my MBP uses USB C. Yes I know I can get a USB to lightning cable, but Apple hardly got rid of a mess.
 
Tanax said:
Then by all means, complain: http://www.apple.com/feedback/
Doing it here doesn't do much, other than.. well, just complaining for the heck of it.
Click to expand...
Because changing platforms is a huge deal for most people, there is the expense in hardware, but there is retraining and codebase to consider too. And I used to love Apple, talking with people that feel the same way and have the same experience makes it somehow less atrocious.
 
I think the laptop is amazing and I'm a developer. Is that pro?

This dongle whining gets old. I also have a MacBook and you eventually love the usbc convenience.
 
You are way, way outside of the ordinary if you insist on having power bricks and a full selection of adapters at 4-5 separate locations. The reality is that with any brand you'd have this same transition every few years. Apple actually changes connection standards far less frequently than most. They just do it without looking back, but then they tend to stick with it for a long time.

Most people will need an adapter or two, and perhaps an extra power brick. And Apple went with an open standard! So if you don't want to buy from Apple, buy from anyone else you like!
 
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