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Those silicone membranes will heat, warp, and the degrade. They'll also get sticky and wreck the keys.

Heat resistance is one of the basic properties of silicone. Not only does it withstand high temperatures, but it also doesn't retain much heat. That's why you see microwaveable containers that have silicone on the outside and glass on the inside. You can heat soup to mouth and hand burning levels inside the glass, but the silicone on the outside will only feel moderately warm.
 
I'd say straw man anyway. For example, every other computer PCB is going to be multi-layer.

Every PC board is multilayer but the key thing is number of PCB layers and routing. In case of Apple products we can observe several things:
- large reduction of components on PCB (cost reduction) so it is easier to route high speed signal paths and to have small PCB footprint (according to findings of Louis Rossmann the cost is more failure prone design)
- PCB layout is very clean so they have a really clever (good) PCB engineers
- possibly Apple use a PCB with more layers than competitors (this increase a cost of PCB) but we can make a very dense a compact PCB with good electromagnetic properties (shielding, good high speed signal integrity, noise immunity etc) so it is easier to route a high speed GHz signal (eg. SSD PCIe NVMe signals)
- motherboard is on one piece of PCB so from high speed signal integrity it is better (cost of assembly process is also reduced significantly because it is generally easier than in Lenovo or other brand products; less time for operation etc);

In case of keyboard failure like someone stated in one of keyboard topics this Apple tactics is nothing new. Apple replaced MBP 2008 motherboards with faulty NVIDIA G84 chip (GF8600 GT) using new motherboards that have still faulty NVIDIA G84 chips. The goal was to replace it till end of warranty and then this is not a problem of Apple.

Sadly speaking based on my personal experience this is extremely greedy company with service procedures that are full of technical absurds from electrical hardware / software point of view.
 
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The Bolded is nothing more than a mere assumption and a broad stroked statement on your behalf. Even If it were true, it doesn’t mean everybody would experience that scenario depending how they treat their property. Also, you cannot assume something if you don’t have experience with a product yet either.
My 13in MBP arrived today. Lid feels OK, but does actually push in at least as much as my 15in 2017 MBP. I will compare it with an older 13in MBP in the next few days.

It would have been an engineering marvel if it was repairable not just cute.

In this age where people are becoming more concerned about waste and the impact we’re having on the planet, a repair ability score of 1/10 is shameful and embarrassing.
Yes and no to this. If the unit is designed to last many years and not break because of some random but predictable event (a bit of water spilt on the keyboard, for example, or having the screen wiped with a paper tissue etc), and if software upgrades were not intentionally written so as to make the device run slower and slower (not saying this of MacOS as, actually, it runs pretty well on the hardware it's designed for), then I am happy. Generally Mac hardware has been of fairly good quality and most of it lasts a long time. Repairability is a bit of a dream, I mean, even if I wanted to I can't easily repair my 2009 Thinkpad if something breaks, because hardly any parts are available for it now.
 
Heat resistance is one of the basic properties of silicone. Not only does it withstand high temperatures, but it also doesn't retain much heat. That's why you see microwaveable containers that have silicone on the outside and glass on the inside. You can heat soup to mouth and hand burning levels inside the glass, but the silicone on the outside will only feel moderately warm.
What he said is true though regarding one of the annoying properties of silicone as it ages. It becomes sticky....
Who knows, maybe Apple found a way around that. We'll find out in the next few years. It won't be on my dime though. My 2012's keyboard is still working perfectly after 6 years...
 
And you know this to be true, how?
[doublepost=1531829757][/doublepost]

Again, how do you know this will happen?
Do a search for "Screengate Mac". For a while I stored a MBP in a briefcase which was for a time marginally overfilled with paperwork. This resulted in key imprints in the centre of the screen. The oil from fingers on the keys eroded the anti-glare coating. It happens. The new Macbooks are designed to be so thin that bend tolerances are now down to nearly nothing before something touches something else that it shouldn't. The unibody case was once much more robust than it is now.
 
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Nothing looks better than Macs inside.

Made without compromises looks like that... I'm an electrical engineer and their hardware is always pure pornography.

The components they use are hand picked, every capacitor, inductor, mosfet, etc. is of good quality, the layouts are without compromise (means they are using expensive multi-layer PCB's), there's basically no space wasted, no random cables or wires going from one place to another, the air paths are unrestricted, etc.

And LOL @ the repair score. We know iFixit hates Apple, won't stop anybody from buying a MBP.



I hated it.

Nothing says more "pro" than a glowing Apple logo, it's a work computer, not a fashion statement. Social escalators can have their iPhones in crocodile leather cases.

I must agree that the Mac internals look beautiful and artistic, and I love how the Macbook feels very intact and not wobbling.
but even Apple agrees that they are a consumer computer not a work machine. Apple was only recognized as work machine "PRO" in the media/creative industry. They were never the banks, gov. , scientists, pharmaceutical machines. Those were the IBM and IBM ThinkPads.

I am not too bothered by the non-glowing Apple logo though, it probably is better in dimmer areas, I don't look at it ever, and maybe it saves energy. I dunno.

When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through. - Steve Jobs

At one Steve Jobs keynotes, he said the back of this thing (Mac) looks better than the front of the competitor's . Although I forgot which model, maybe the original iMac or G3 tower.































What the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over. - Michael Dell

PA290225.jpg
 
I agree that Macs are more reliable (per Consumer Reports). But I'm left pondering why having everything manufactured onto the main board increases reliability. Can you elaborate why that is for us non-computer engineering types?

Chips that are on the boards rarely if ever fail. If you buy memory, they typically give you a lifetime warranty. While CPUs have typically only a 3-year warranty, they also rarely fail. In fact in my probably 40 years of using computers -- I have never had a CPU fail. A well manufactured PCB board (these days) tend to also never fail. What failed were usually mechanical parts -- or solder joints that attached things to the motherboard - especially things like slots that are more likely to have some sort of torque force applied to it during the installation and removal of components. With the older (premium) laptops like Toshiba the most common failures were the electrical plug (which was held in a plastic case and attached to the motherboard - so torque would be applied constantly), other ports - especially ethernet port, hard drives which are mechanical and wear out, etc. Other than that the next most likely fail point would be things like the monitor section which would have backlighting failures.

If you take away peoples access to the internal components and you don't allow torque on PCB boards and component solder joints the reliability goes up considerably. Basically, most of the weak points have been eliminated from current laptops and the ports are set in aluminum chassis. Unfortunately, the battery is still a consumable.

The funny thing is there are still more "repairable" electronics like TVs etc. yet in the west even if they are repairable... they never are... when was the last time someone called a TV repairperson - are there any left? Labour is expensive so people tend not to bother if the device is not working.
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Plastic ports and when the battery dies you have to also replace the keyboard and speakers too!! Forget it.. overpriced throw away junk. Poor design Apple very poor, but it’s brilliant for massively boosting your profits..

The cost to replace my laptop battery when it was replaceable was within this same range -- or even more expensive [quoted about $200 from a 3rd party just for the battery]... (and that was 10 years ago). So using your logic, if Apple is having to throw away half the computer to replace the battery... they should be LOSING money hand over fist on this service replacement. We all know that that is not Apple's way...

1-inch/13-inch MacBook Air $129
13-inch MacBook (vintage) $129
13-inch/15-inch MacBook Pro $129
17-inch MacBook Pro (vintage) $179
12-inch MacBook $199
13-inch/15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display $199

A port is usually rated for a certain number of insertions and removals (usually for USB it tends to be 10,000 or so) - this is something that is usually fairly easy to test... As long as the port is not wired directly to the motherboard, and thus torque from a possible more flexible casing lead to failure... I cannot see this being an issue.
 
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The new Macbooks are designed to be so thin that bend tolerances are now down to nearly nothing before something touches something else that it shouldn't. The unibody case was once much more robust than it is now.

Ok I respect your opinion, but after owning two MBP's (currently the 2016 TB), two Airs and the 12" MB over the years, I find your opinion to be basically a bit premature. I travel extensively and had almost 0 problems with my devices. The worst problem I had was recently with my 2016 MBP, the screen failed. Apple replaced it in 3 days shipping it directly to my home via FedEx and it was all covered by Apple Care.

Over all the years of Apple product ownership I have found one common thread, there are those who just want to find every possible excuse why they are terrible products. Of course the positive side of this is Apple does respond to the criticism and seems to fix the issues (at least most of them).
 
But I’m in complete agreement with the idea that you shouldn’t buy something that isn’t the best fit for your business and/or personal requirements. If another company makes a better product, by all means buy it and put Apple in your rear view mirror.

The issue I have is Apple's 'My Way or the Highway' attitude. As I mentioned I like the OS, but I don't feel like being pigeonholed into what Apple thinks is best for me hardware wise.

I just bought a new MBP for the office, and disappointed that there's no video output options built in, instead requiring a big ugly dongle that is plagued with issues according to the reviews on Apple's website. The discontinuation of Magsafe for a crappy USB-C connector that's also highly prone to breakage.

Apple has gone the way of Dell and it's ilk.. and because I enjoy the OS, you're pretty much stuck with their hardware offerings.

The Mac Pro will be a turning point for me, if it sucks as bad as the current version, it's time to look at Windows or Linux.
 
Do a search for "Screengate Mac". For a while I stored a MBP in a briefcase which was for a time marginally overfilled with paperwork. This resulted in key imprints in the centre of the screen. The oil from fingers on the keys eroded the anti-glare coating. It happens. The new Macbooks are designed to be so thin that bend tolerances are now down to nearly nothing before something touches something else that it shouldn't. The unibody case was once much more robust than it is now.

Funny, I did a search for that term exactly on google and I guess Google must be censoring the results or something since none of the top results have anything to do with bending the screen. It was all about staingate (screen deterioration) protection coverage (I known issue with a special program in place). So you found proof that Apple has not been perfect in the past - and yet they are typically recognized as better than others when it comes to quality.

If you sit your fat ass on the laptop it will break before, and it will break now. So basically you are angry because you put your laptop in another case - overfilled it with solid paperwork - then squished it closed... repeatedly... hmmm.... next you will be hiding it under bricks to make sure no one steals it :p ... even Apple cannot protect against idiocy :eek:
 
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I find it more annoying you couldn't put a 2 cent apple sticker over the logo.

The reason many OEMs including Apple use a full piece of glass over the LCD screen is to add rigidity to the lid.



While I liked the glow of the Apple logo, I found it annoying that external light could come through that logo and shine through to the screen. If the screen is off and sunlight shines on the back of the lid, you can see the inverse of the Apple logo on the screen.
[doublepost=1531844675][/doublepost]I laughed too.
Like Apple flies to the capacitor factory and hand picks each one out personally.
The guy is just trying to become top poster from the looks of it.

The parts are all made in China. LOL at handpicked. These aren't Bugattis. It's a mass produced consumer product. That being said my custom build desktop looks much better on the internals.
[doublepost=1531844947][/doublepost]Razer blades are the same way barely touch your leg with the screen and you see the imprint on the screen.

Do a search for "Screengate Mac". For a while I stored a MBP in a briefcase which was for a time marginally overfilled with paperwork. This resulted in key imprints in the centre of the screen. The oil from fingers on the keys eroded the anti-glare coating. It happens. The new Macbooks are designed to be so thin that bend tolerances are now down to nearly nothing before something touches something else that it shouldn't. The unibody case was once much more robust than it is now.
 
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To be clear, Toshiba no longer owns that tech. Apple and it's consortium do.
No, the consortium together with Bain Capital owns 49.9% of Toshiba Memory Corp.

The other 50.1% is owned by Toshiba (40.2%) and HOYA Corp. (9.9%), a Japanese company with a wide range of products related to optics.

The consortium includes SK Hynix, Apple, Dell, Seagate and Kingston. I haven’t seen any breakdown of ownership interest of Bain itself or any of the consortium members either.
 
Chips that are on the boards rarely if ever fail. ........

Thank you for your thorough explanation and sharing your knowledge. You’re right, the only times I’ve ever heard of a CPU failing are on PCs when it’s overheated, and likely a result of egregiously poor design.
 
Did Apple ever Alpha and Beta test the 2015 MacBook and the 2016 MacBook Pro laptops before shoving it down the production line?

Randomly, just as Apple did, I say that the USB-C will not be widely adopted even in another 5 years, by which time the USB developers might introduce a better interface.
 
The issue I have is Apple's 'My Way or the Highway' attitude. As I mentioned I like the OS, but I don't feel like being pigeonholed into what Apple thinks is best for me hardware wise.

I just bought a new MBP for the office, and disappointed that there's no video output options built in, instead requiring a big ugly dongle that is plagued with issues according to the reviews on Apple's website. The discontinuation of Magsafe for a crappy USB-C connector that's also highly prone to breakage.

Apple has gone the way of Dell and it's ilk.. and because I enjoy the OS, you're pretty much stuck with their hardware offerings.

The Mac Pro will be a turning point for me, if it sucks as bad as the current version, it's time to look at Windows or Linux.
Well there is only one upgrade, so you either buy it or you don’t. It’s like the iPhone... iPhone X came out with FaceID. If you wanted TouchID instead, you’re out of luck. They’re not going to make two different iPhone X, one with TouchID and one with FaceID.

Time and technology move on, and you either buy the new model or buy older models. You don’t get to say, well I like the new six core processors and the 32GB RAM, but I’d like the HDMI and SDXC slot from the 2015 model and the Gigabit Ethernet from the pre-retina 2012 machine.

Your favorite features are different from someone else’s, they want VGA and FireWire but don’t care about HDMI or Ethernet. Apple makes one model, what they think is the machine that best fits the needs of the entire customer base. If you want to call that “my way or the highway” that’s fine, but really what other option is there?
 
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Apple makes one model with what they think is the machine that best fits the needs of the entire customer base. If you want to call that “my way or the highway” that’s for fine but really, what other option is there?

Well, up until this month, Apple did stay flexible, in that, they offered the 2015 models.

Last year, I bought a new 15" 2015 model because I wanted my laptop to be just that - one piece to carry around. The 2016 remodel did not up the internal specs as much to make a difference to me.

The unified uppercase is a bad idea, even if those components (keyboard) worked to perfection. Every repair trashes most of the unit, not a good idea for me as a stock owner.

At least they didn't try harder at the thinness craze enough to make us dongle the battery! Thank you for that Apple.
 
The logo was illuminated by the screen, it had no side effects.

It added thickness, and as we all know 'Thin Is In' at Apple!

I would rather have a slightly thicker system with a bigger battery and the missing ports! SD, 2 USB-A as well 2 - 3 USB-C ports! I would still want the MagSafe or something similar.

Sorry Apple anorectic MacBook Pro's don't cut it, you've gone to far! Function over Form please!
 
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Last year, I bought a new 15" 2015 model because I wanted my laptop to be just that - one piece to carry around.
Would you consider carrying around two pieces, if the screen/keyboard was separated from the cpu, ports and storage? If a wireless screen is too slow, they could connect with a usb cable, but I bet wireless is possible now for most tasks.
 
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