2018 MacBook Pro Models Now Available for In-Store Pickup in the United States

[Bacillus]

Again look at their margins. Apple’s gross margin for FY 2010 was 39.4%. For FY 2017 gross margin was 38.5%. FY 2010 profit margin was 21.4%. FY 2017 profit margin was 21%. So in the past 8 years margins have remained basically the same even while there’s been a greater percentage of revenue coming from App Store and other higher margin services.

Mac business has become so marginal that these aggregate numbers say nothing about it - but the more about iDevices

 

[code-m]

Are you asserting that DVI, mini-DisplayPort or DisplayPort are proprietary? The last Apple-proprietary display connector was ADC, and that was a long time ago.

What I am saying is that Apple has a history of proprietary only I/Os and grudgingly adopts widely accepted I/Os that it should have from the start, i.e. FW400/800, FW1600 (did not see the light of day), etc. These “pro’ connectors have some excellent specs, however never gets adopted by the masses. I understand that USB-C is not an Apple only created I/O, however how long before it’s tossed out like ADC, FW400/800, etc.

Pros spend their hard-earned money on these external devices only to get replaced in 5 years. Seriously how long did FW400/800 last, how about TB1 onwards. The USB devices I purchased 10+ years ago still work great. How does USB-C improve video output that HDMI cannot?
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The Dell laptop my colleague just got doesn't have HDMI. Instead, he got a dongled dock that includes HDMI and Ethernet.

By your own admission Dell “INCLUDED” a dongle for HDMI and RJ45, something Apple would not even consider. One of my first PowerBook G3 included an S-Video dongle that I used constantly. Nowadays Apple pushes that additional cost to its customers. Why not include a voucher for some USB-C dongles for the Apple priced dongles or lower the price of the device to offset the additional cost.

 

[chucker23n1]

I understand that USB-C is not an Apple only created I/O, however how long before it’s tossed out like ADC, FW400/800, etc.

Probably not for another two decades, just like USB-A lasted us two decades.

Seriously how long did FW400/800 last, how about TB1 onwards. The USB devices I purchased 10+ years ago still work great. How does USB-C improve video output that HDMI cannot?

FW also lasted over a decade. TB1 can continue to be used with simple adapters. USB isn’t about better video output. It’s about a flexible connector.
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By your own admission Dell “INCLUDED” a dongle for HDMI and RJ45,

They did not.

something Apple would not even consider.

My rMBP included a Ethernet dongle.

Why not include a voucher for some USB-C dongles for the Apple priced dongles or lower the price of the device to offset the additional cost.

Fair, but also rather off-topic.

 

[code-m]

It’s about a flexible connector.

Many 3rd party vendors do not support the full specification of USB-C, leading to confusion by many non-technical customers who purchase a USB-C cable that may only support PD or data (not video). Some that support video only max out at a certain resolution. As a non-technical customers when I see USB-C as a flexible connector I expect this cable I purchased to support it all and not come with caveats and limitations. That is the problem with USB-C the standardization is lacking. This would explain why USB-C hubs are welcomed as it adds I/O functionality that is required by many.
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They did not.

Your post did not mention the purchase was in addition.

My rMBP included a Ethernet dongle.

Fair, but also rather off-topic.

Wonder why Apple includes no dongles anymore.

 

[Candlelight]

Local store here in New Zealand said they were still 1-2 weeks away.

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

I have found the touch bar a really cool thing. But it could deal with some haptic feedback. The haptic feedback in the touchpad of the old MBP was super convincing.

 

[ateslik]

I keep seeing these ridiculous posts almost two years in. Unless you’re getting some kind of TB3 hub (which also acts as a charger and can usually feed two monitors—and the one from Pluggable is like 225) the adapters are nowhere near in that range. Can we just drop this nonsense, please.

This post made me wonder how much it would cost me to get the adapters I would need for one of these machines.

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MQGJ2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightning-cable-1-m?fnode=8b

$19 x 2 (iphone and ipad)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1M2AM/A/usb-c-to-usb-adapter?fnode=8b

$19 x 2 (mouse and sd card reader)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HJKF2ZM/A/belkin-usb-c-to-gigabit-ethernet-adapter?fnode=8b

$34.95 (just one for work and home)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter

$69.00 (hdmi for presentations)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD464LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter

$29.00 (Imacon 949 scanner)

total: $208.95

The reviews indicate that many of these adapters may not work. I’m particularly concerned about the firewire adapter.

 

[AgentAnonymous]

Not all PCIe SSDs are equivalent. Far from it. In fact the one in the SB2 can’t even sustain write performance, half that of a 2015 MBP, never mind a 2018.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Micro...-i7-GTX-1050-Convertible-Review.263954.0.html

View attachment 770784

As for the cpu, as you say “When it gets refreshed“. What you’re now claiming is that because it will get refreshed in the future it makes it better now? I don’t think I have to point out why that’s wrong.

Doesn't matter. I'm right, period. It's a PCIe SSD and a i7-8650U. When it gets refreshed (it hasn't been updated in 9 months), like the Macbook Pro just did yesterday, it will have the Coffee Lake equivalent of the i7-8650U.

As for the cpu, as you say “When it gets refreshed“. What you’re now claiming is that because it will get refreshed in the future it makes it better now? I don’t think I have to point out why that’s wrong.

No I'm claiming that the Macbook got refreshed a week ago, and you're comparing a brand new product to one nearly a year old.

I don't think I have to point out why that's wrong.
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Personally I would rather that Apple went back to the nVidia cards, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards anytime soon. The point I was making was that if you go looking for laptops that are comparably spec’d, and I did, the MacBook isn’t so much out of line with them.

Yes it is. Microsoft is the only one you could find remotely in the same ballpark (because they're also trying to offer a "premium" brand-name device), but the base configutation you're talking about actually includes a 4k screen and a GTX 1060 with 6GM VRAM so it's not really comparable. To upgrade to a 4k screen and a GPU with 2GB more VRAM on the Apple checkout page, you'd probably be adding over 1000 dollars to the 2400 dollar base 15 inch config.

 

[Feenician]

Doesn't matter. I'm right, period. It's a PCIe SSD and a i7-8650U. When it gets refreshed (it hasn't been updated in 9 months)

You said it was better without qualification. You’re not right, and I explained why. It’s better in some aspects, worse in others.