I love the old keyboard. The Retina Macbook keyboard is just horrible (Imho), you may as well be typing on an iPad.
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Am I the only one who loves the "old" MBP?
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I love the old keyboard. The Retina Macbook keyboard is just horrible (Imho), you may as well be typing on an iPad.
So would I, and plan to in future. Integrated is now "Good enough" (my opinion based on HD6100) so long as you're not gaming too heavily and if you want a portable machine (i.e., not a "gaming laptop" that weighs more than a mac pro) you're not going to get a decent discrete GPU worth the hassle (heat, battery life, expense, reliability) anyway, no matter whether you're buying Mac or PC.
My point is though that the integrated GPU used in the classic MBP at the moment is a HD4000 which is many many times slower than the HD5xxx or later integrated GPUs available in the retina 13" machines, the new Macbook, etc.
This is my biggest problem with the 2012 Macbook Pro. I wish Apple would put something newer in it.
Depends. Can only account for 2 rMBP's (650m and 750m) and neither had any problems, despite seeing some fair amount of graphic-intense gaming.
I used to be quite content with the rMBP's keyboard, but after getting used to the rMB keyboard, typing on the soft rMBP keys is a bit ... strange. When switching directly, the rMBP's keys feel rather wobbly and imprecise. Especially when typing fast, I make noticeably less errors on the rMB keyboard.
It took me a while to learn to use less force while typing, but ever since I prefer the preciseness of the butterfly mechanism. To me definitely differing from typing on an iPad, btw.
Actually I wouldn't mind if Apple uses its patent and releases the rMBP with a full force touch keyboard. If it feels anything close to the force touch trackpads, it'd make for a great invention imho. Especially for Apple's quest for thinner products ...
Depends. Can only account for 2 rMBP's (650m and 750m) and neither had any problems, despite seeing some fair amount of graphic-intense gaming.
I used to be quite content with the rMBP's keyboard, but after getting used to the rMB keyboard, typing on the soft rMBP keys is a bit ... strange. When switching directly, the rMBP's keys feel rather wobbly and imprecise. Especially when typing fast, I make noticeably less errors on the rMB keyboard.
It took me a while to learn to use less force while typing, but ever since I prefer the preciseness of the butterfly mechanism. To me definitely differing from typing on an iPad, btw.
Actually I wouldn't mind if Apple uses its patent and releases the rMBP with a full force touch keyboard. If it feels anything close to the force touch trackpads, it'd make for a great invention imho. Especially for Apple's quest for thinner products ...
Keyboards are just one of those things that are just so personal that there is never a right answer. I think the new MB keyboard is interesting I think I like it better than chicklets but I don't like chicklet keyboards at all.
I always liked the 2006-7 era aluminum MBP.
I have a late 2011 MBP which is still in daily use. I upgraded the RAM to 16GB and put in a SSD (Sata 6). It boots up fast, had lots of ports (Ethernet, etc) and has a DVD drive. It runs El Capitan very well and does what I need.
It still plays some games pretty well (WoW, Diablo 3, some Steam games like Divinity), so it's good for an on the go fix. For heavy gaming I have a Windows 10 PC.
It's not Retina and it doesn't have a PCIe SSD or USB 3.0, but I'm going to use it until it dies, which I expect in the next few years due to Radeon-Gate.
I have a late 2011 MBP which is still in daily use. I upgraded the RAM to 16GB and put in a SSD (Sata 6). It boots up fast, had lots of ports (Ethernet, etc) and has a DVD drive. It runs El Capitan very well and does what I need.
It still plays some games pretty well (WoW, Diablo 3, some Steam games like Divinity), so it's good for an on the go fix. For heavy gaming I have a Windows 10 PC.
It's not Retina and it doesn't have a PCIe SSD or USB 3.0, but I'm going to use it until it dies, which I expect in the next few years due to Radeon-Gate.
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Seriously? Any article or citation backing this up?
I would hope that apple would take reasonable care in manufacturing their highest end notebooks.
Or, is this simply a caution to purchase applecare or other comparable insurance?
- While I think it's a bit too gloomy of a statement, there's this and this to back it up. Four consecutive years with separate models where GPUs from different manufacturers have been faulty.
It's not nothing. There hasn't yet been anything post Early 2013, though - but then again, that wasn't all that long ago.
Thanks for the info.
According to consumer reports, apple laptops are far and away the most reliable overall, however.
I think it's the mba's which are most reliable, though, probably due to lower heat and therefore a bit easier on the internals.
The old MBP keyboards are excellent. There was plenty of travel (~2mm) and nice resistance. The new ones just do not give as great of a feel for touch typists, all in the sake of thinness-vanity.
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That 2nd link you provided is recent, and it pertains not to defects in the GPU, but to the GPU-board assembly process. The solder used was brittle (lead-free), which caused thermal expansion-induced fatigue cracks. This is commonly fixed by reflowing (then eventually breaks again) the GPU solder connections. People were fixing these for a lot of money (300 USD) because there was a lot of these MBPs that had this issue, with any dGPU during those years. Then Apple finally stepped in and offered official help.
I agree. Though I think the problem is that some people do like the new keyboards. Wish there was an option to offer a choice of both.
That would be wonderful. I see a bit of redundancy between the MB Air and the Pro, now that the pro is nearly as slim. Why not kill the Air, and bring back a slightly thicker line of MBPs ? That's probably wishful thinking.
Jony Ive´s "thinness"-fetishism will NEVER EVER go this way.
Although their Marketing-Machine told us the "new" keyboard as being "better" and "improved", in fact it was only introduced because of the "Thinness"-fetishism. As for the new Trackpad - the tactile-innovation might be a real improvement indeed - but there exists NO Software using this feature yet. AND: We have to look if this Trackpad is as reliable as the older one… the "new" keyboard does not - too many issues with it in MB 12" already in the first year - and MANY people (especially journalists and other Pro´s) still don´t like/get familiar with it - even after 1 year of practise.
so - the next MBP will have the new (at the moment less reliable) keyboard - the question is: Do you really want to have it?
I went to the stores to check out the 12" Macbook's keyboard a month ago. It was terrible for me. I could not reliably type on it, the way I do with my MBP (non-retina), my desktop mechanical keyboard or my other Winblows laptop.
As far as I was aware, the Pro-line are productivity machines. I really do not appreciate Jony Ive's excessive obsession on thinness. At this point, past the non-retina MBPs, any reduction in thickness is really just already splitting hairs. This continuing reduction in depth is really starting to seriously compromise the utility of the machines.
Of course, that's just my opinion. I am sure that there are lots of people here would would want even thinner devices.
IMHO, the Air should become the new retina Pro. This seems to be what most retina pro people want anyway - slimmer with less ports, so why not put a few extra ports into the air, give it a retina display and boost the power a bit. Then put a retina display in the non retina pro and upgrade to modern specs.
Yes,possibly the old MBA-class form factor will replace the MBP-class and the new MB will replace MBA. That´s it.
BUT - for some reasons (look postings above) many customers, including me, see this rather skeptical.
Nevertheless _ Jony Ive doesn´t care at all. Never did.
- Yes, I know. I was using shorthand in documenting the claim that was asked about, since it was my impression the finer details might not be of consequence to the person who asked.
I appreciate the need for accuracy, though, so thanks for that.
- Yes, I know. I was using shorthand in documenting the claim that was asked about, since it was my impression the finer details might not be of consequence to the person who asked.
I appreciate the need for accuracy, though, so thanks for that.
Ah okay. You are welcome!
FYI, I am very weary about buying one of those used MBPs at the moment (with a GT650M, the most desirable iteration), because the recall-extended warranty runs out almost exactly a year from now and there are quite a few of these machines being auctioned on various sites including eBay. I hope people do their research before jumping in.
The rmb keyboard is a disaster. The design deserves to fail in the marketplace. I have average sized hands and it's very obvious that the keys are placed too closely together and key travel is ridiculously short.
Alas, there will always be a small vocal minority of fanboys who insist Ive/Apple can do no wrong.
I think the MacBook is awesome, Apple have a wide selection of Macs so wishing one of the lines to fail is a little selfish imo. If they could make a MacBook Pro 13" with a Skylake processor, a CD Drive, use-upgradeable RAM and HDD, Thunderbolt 3.0, USB Type-C, USB 3.1, options for an Anti-Glare Matte Sreen, Retina display, same keyboard as the current Retina MacBook Pros, I would buy it.