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

[duervo]

Lotta people here criticizing the OP when they seem to forget that even Apple has admitted they dropped the ball in the port department. This is quite apparent with the recent discount being offered on Apple's USB-C dongles for the next little while.

Way easier and cheaper to discount the reduced price of the dongles (ie: cost of entry), than it would be to cancel all the pre-orders and delay the launch so they can put a few more ports in with a refreshed design.

Essentially, it's Apple saying, "Whoops! We messed up, but it would cost us way more to fix the issue in the design, so here ... have a temporary price reduction for our USB-C dongles instead."

For the record, I answered "no" to the op's question. Doesn't mean that their opinion is totally without merit, as some seem to think.

 

[zhenya]

How, exactly has Apple admitted they dropped the ball?

It's not uncommon for Apple to throw customers a bone based on feedback after a product release. This is no acknowledgement that they think they should have done anything differently.

 

[terraphantm]

32GB would have been nice for the sake of future proofing, and I do wish they kept MagSafe. Just the other day the MagSafe saved my 2012 rMBP when someone accidentally pulled the cord.

 

[duervo]

How, exactly has Apple admitted they dropped the ball?

It's not uncommon for Apple to throw customers a bone based on feedback after a product release. This is no acknowledgement that they think they should have done anything differently.

Fine. No problemo. Continue to believe statements from a PR/marketing department.

 

[sunapple]

Lotta people here criticizing the OP when they seem to forget that even Apple has admitted they dropped the ball in the port department. This is quite apparent with the recent discount being offered on Apple's USB-C dongles for the next little while.

Way easier and cheaper to discount the reduced price of the dongles (ie: cost of entry), than it would be to cancel all the pre-orders and delay the launch so they can put a few more ports in with a refreshed design.

Essentially, it's Apple saying, "Whoops! We messed up, but it would cost us way more to fix the issue in the design, so here ... have a temporary price reduction for our USB-C dongles instead."

For the record, I answered "no" to the op's question. Doesn't mean that their opinion is totally without merit, as some seem to think.

The expensive dongles made the change to USB-C even harder to swallow, so they dropped the price. Doesn't mean they don't believe in their choice to go all-in on USB-C.

We'll see how they'll treat the iMac. You'd think it doesn't need thinner ports but yeah, it's Apple. Just compare the Thunderbolt Display to the LG OptiFine. Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

[Tanax]

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 hear you. Use the link and tell Apple that, the ones that can actually change anything.
Telling us that will not do anything for you.

Lotta people here criticizing the OP when they seem to forget that even Apple has admitted they dropped the ball in the port department. This is quite apparent with the recent discount being offered on Apple's USB-C dongles for the next little while.

Bring out the tinfoil hats, it's a conspiracy!

 

[duervo]

I hear you. Use the link and tell Apple that, the ones that can actually change anything.
Telling us that will not do anything for you.



Bring out the tinfoil hats, it's a conspiracy!

That's your definition of a conspiracy? Pretty loose interpretation, IMO.

It's not a conspiracy. Just an example of a company taking corrective action. It happens all the time.
[doublepost=1479035559][/doublepost]

The expensive dongles made the change to USB-C even harder to swallow, so they dropped the price. Doesn't mean they don't believe in their choice to go all-in on USB-C.

We'll see how they'll treat the iMac. You'd think it doesn't need thinner ports but yeah, it's Apple. Just compare the Thunderbolt Display to the LG OptiFine. Be afraid, be very afraid.

I've never been a fan of the all-in-one design. That's why I got a Mac mini ... thankfully before they were castrated.

We'll see what they do. I doubt I'll be much interested in whatever is done, aside from just curiosity. I'm curious to see if they will take one or more cue's from MS, as it wouldn't be the first time ... I will laugh my butt off if within five years from now the iMac is a tiltable, touch-enabled unit.

 

[maflynn]

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

Professionals for what exactly?

We hear the term professionals bandied around so much, and saying how the MBP is not a laptop for pros, which pros specifically?

Will it not work for the professional photographer who shoots DSLR and uses a a CF card? Clearly he's not missing the SD slot.

What about the server administrator who's going to a conference and taking notes, and using the computer to connect to his work while away?

The creative sector, i.e., graphic artists were the demographic that kept apple going during the dark ages, but apple is now much more then them, in fact they sell their laptops to many many other people who call themselves professionals and find this new computer a great fit.

Personally, I don't, its not the right fit for me, but that doesn't mean its not a good computer for all professionals.

 

[Tanax]

That's your definition of a conspiracy? Pretty loose interpretation, IMO.

It's not a conspiracy. Just an example of a company taking corrective action. It happens all the time.

Sarcasm - some get it, some don't

My point was that they didn't drop the ball with the ports. If anything, they showed that they are more confident than ever with their choice of ports. Having a sale with reduced prices for dongles to make the transition easier/faster to that port is, IMO, excellent for all parties involved.

 

[LostLib]

Well everyone, thank you for the comments - on all sides. Having used the new box for a few days, I'm suitably unimpressed. Sure, it's faster, the finish is absolutely silky smooth and beautiful. The touch bar will be useful in a couple more generations of software.

But the ports are a disaster. I have four Thunderbolt displays - which will not work with any combination of dongles. Looks like the Belkin powered port aggregator might work - that's in February. I have 10 magsafe power bricks - there is no dongle or power changer for those. Mostly, I have $5000 in peripherals which are now junk.

There were a lot of comments about my wry complaint this doesn't seem like a line of gear for "professionals", and I still think my comment is true. Yes, there are many definitions of professional - that wasn't the point - few vendors obsolete professional peripheral equipment the way Apple just did. And when they do - there is a plan.

USB-C may well be great, and the next great thing. The transition for apple cannot be of me to replace all my gear at once - because the connector takes a different form. If a customer uses the rMBP as a stand alone device, which only takes power from one place - that's great. That, in my experience, is not the typical high-end Apple Laptop user.
[doublepost=1479427047][/doublepost]

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.

Complaining to Apple is the right thing to do. Getting the opinions of my peers - is also the right thing to do.

 

[ricky1989]

Either stick with your current machine, buy the 2015 model or buy something else. No need for another complain-thread.

True. FYI, the day Apple launches the new mbps. Hong Kong Apple store staffs cleared out the inventory of 13" 2015 rmbps for themselves. (Shows how Apple staffs have more sanity and customers and btw they have extra discounts too.)

 

[jjjoseph]

Complaining to Apple is the right thing to do. Getting the opinions of my peers - is also the right thing to do.

All professionals everywhere should agree with this statement. There used to be time when open discussion about a companies products was encouraged, but it doesn't seem that way anymore. I think ever since Steve Jobbs said, "you're holding the phone the wrong way" during the iPhone 4 reception problems, there has been this justification for the blood thirsty defense of the Apple Zeitgeist. Steve Jobbs was creative, yeah for sure, and he lives in our memories, for some an unquestionable visionary, and for others an abusive cult like leader. The beauty and elegance of Apple Products have made people defend the company and their creations like a tribe would defend their last born baby against animals in the wild. I think its great for Apple, and justifbily if you pay a premiem for a product, you biologically will defend it, unless you just don't care about money. But lets complain about these new products!!! Thats the only way for Apple to make changes.. Their is some corner cutting and abuse by Apple, for sure, and for some this transition to tb3/usb-c is very painful. My company has about a million in apple hardware and we have to grudgingly purchase apples products every year.. until we build a whole new pipeline. If we had to go through tons of dongles to find one for a presentation under a deadline, I would be just as pissed. I'm pissed now, because I see Apple is moving away from high end, and have to start thinking about a new PC pipeline, because soon our computers get too slow to get the job done...

 

[zhenya]

Well everyone, thank you for the comments - on all sides. Having used the new box for a few days, I'm suitably unimpressed. Sure, it's faster, the finish is absolutely silky smooth and beautiful. The touch bar will be useful in a couple more generations of software.

But the ports are a disaster. I have four Thunderbolt displays - which will not work with any combination of dongles. Looks like the Belkin powered port aggregator might work - that's in February. I have 10 magsafe power bricks - there is no dongle or power changer for those. Mostly, I have $5000 in peripherals which are now junk.

There were a lot of comments about my wry complaint this doesn't seem like a line of gear for "professionals", and I still think my comment is true. Yes, there are many definitions of professional - that wasn't the point - few vendors obsolete professional peripheral equipment the way Apple just did. And when they do - there is a plan.

USB-C may well be great, and the next great thing. The transition for apple cannot be of me to replace all my gear at once - because the connector takes a different form. If a customer uses the rMBP as a stand alone device, which only takes power from one place - that's great. That, in my experience, is not the typical high-end Apple Laptop user.
[doublepost=1479427047][/doublepost]

Complaining to Apple is the right thing to do. Getting the opinions of my peers - is also the right thing to do.

I think that in some respects you are greatly out of touch with how other manufacturers operate. The typical lifecycle of a charging brick and dock design in the PC world is 3 years. Docks cost $250. Power bricks cost most of $100. And they are changed every 3 years or (often) less for essentially no good reason. (Microsoft changed the Surface Pro dock AND power brick design 3 times in 3 years).

I'm not sure why your Thunderbolt displays are not working. Do you have the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 adapter? Apple's own support pages indicate compatibility right here https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207256

 

[heretiq]

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.

Did you find a USB-C to MagSafe converter?? If yes, please share which product and where to purchase it.

Fortunately my transition to the new 15" rMBPro is not as traumatic as yours. Replace thunderbolt to DVI adapter, eliminate thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter (because I farely use it), buy USB-lightning cable, leave iPad Pro charger at home. Net-net: better, faster, lighter by 1 pound, more functional and productive configuration = happy and grateful Apple customer.