An Apple Store Report (of sorts)

[Jefe's MacAir]

I know of only one person who has purchased the MacBook Pro.

Knows one person and doesn't own one him/herself and yet has a qualified opinion on the abilities of the new MacPro.

It's quite clear that the lack of an SD port is HUGE in the "professional" world of "coding" 14 hours straight and to have to carry all those dongles for "coding".

The specs and tests clearly indicate the new MacBook Pro processors are faster. Improved graphics and trackpad. But remove the SD card reader and make it thinner with a smaller battery and all of a sudden it's a MacBook Air replacement.

Who are these people and what logic to they follow?

 

[CaptRB]

Clear indication you are not a professional user. I was a graphic designer and application developer for several years. I still have friends who are in the profession. They hate the new MacBook Pro. Why? It's not convenient nor is it powerful enough to run software that serious professionals need. Also, no one wants to carry around adapters. It's ridiculous. Use adapters for the Retinal MacBook, but you don't (or shouldn't) use adapters for the (what used to be) the most powerful laptop machine for professionals.

I don't care to carry around an adapter to transfer 1000 photos I just took from a charity. Nor do I want to be screwed when the adapter breaks. Also, none of my clients have a USB-C flash drive. They also do not have USB-C reader. I have four back up hard drives, none of them have USB-C connections. If you like the machine that's fine. However, there are a great many who do not. It is not illegal nor ill-advised to show disdain for a product which was changed to the point it is no longer efficient for many users.

I know of only one person who has purchased the MacBook Pro. He uses it for Office, email and streaming video. Yes, a professional indeed... However, I don't care if he likes it or not. That's his decision. At the end of the day people need to stop assuming what you think is what everyone else should think. Of course, that's hard to do sitting safely behind a screen.
[doublepost=1482880244][/doublepost]

You clearly have never coded for 14 hours straight, or stayed awake for 36+ hours to meet a deadline for a $1.5 million project. Tools matter and Apple no longer makes tools for professionals. The new MBP is basically an upgraded MacBook Air. But, keep telling yourself and your high horse that everyone who doesn't agree with you is wrong. That's our society today anyway.

I use my computers for line catalogue work jewelry photography. I bill 3K per studio day and 5K for location. I run my own business and use nothing but Mac running PS and Lightroom with various plug-ins.

Ignorance is a terrible thing, especially when it's exposed as it is above. A thousand photos at a charity function? Sure, I've done that and I've also done set shoots and show work. Adapters are ALWAYS needed, because CF cards are the industry standard for pro DSLRs. That's also because they're faster. I also run remote drives from medium format. Guess what? They work great with USB-C.

Sorry, Pal. I'm on the higher end, assuming you want to be silly enough to gauge importance by what your project is "worth."

We're all so impressed with your 1.5 million dollar project. I'm currently working on a 130 million dollar film project and we're all on Macs, some of use have the newest ones. Makes zero difference. USB-C makes no difference.

Stop telling us how important your narrow window of what a pro is. Pro writers, photographers, designers, business owners and many more will enjoy this machine. If you don't, so what? Buy something else. But don't bother working professionals with your myopic view of what Apple should be building for "your" needs.

LOL!


R.
[doublepost=1482886927][/doublepost]

Knows one person and doesn't own one him/herself and yet has a qualified opinion on the abilities of the new MacPro.

It's quite clear that the lack of an SD port is HUGE in the "professional" world of "coding" 14 hours straight and to have to carry all those dongles for "coding".

The specs and tests clearly indicate the new MacBook Pro processors are faster. Improved graphics and trackpad. But remove the SD card reader and make it thinner with a smaller battery and all of a sudden it's a MacBook Air replacement.

Who are these people and what logic to they follow?

There's no logic and often no reality either.

I'm currently working in the film business out in LA. Beyond my photography work, I probably know over 200 people working in the arts. Most of us are using Mac and I don't know a soul who's worried about an SD card slot on a laptop.

All you need to do is read these silly comments and the truth really does shine through. Professionals don't waste time bashing products they don't own. But haters make big silly blunders, like suggesting an SD slot effects event shooters! The event shooter is using a Nikon D4s and likely doesn't have his laptop with him. When he gets back to his office he will use the CF card for high speed transfer to a drive and go from there. That's how it's done.

Ask these people what software they can't run on these new machines and the silence is deafening!
Funny stuff...in a sad sort of way.


R.

 

[xraydoc]

Life and death situations here. Doesn't get more "pro" than that. Haven't had any issues with USB-C.

 

[CaptRB]

Life and death situations here. Doesn't get more "pro" than that. Haven't had any issues with USB-C.

I'd love to hear of someone's issue with USB-C.

About an hour ago a friend stopped by with a script for me to read. He handed me the old USB thumb-drive and I stared at him blankly. Tears welled up in my eyes and I started to drift into a hazy coma of technological decay and dismay. The USB-C port of my tMBP seemed to squint at me in delicious contempt as terror gripped my soul in the jaws of demonic fate.

A moment later my eyes cleared as I remembered...

I plugged his thumb-drive into the 6 dollar adapter and downloaded the script. Yeah, so no big whoop. Everything I have works and the USB-C ports can do it all...pretty amazing actually. ✌️


R.

 

[agaskew]

Oh, come on, we all know these machines cannot be repaired anyway.

I meant I was shocked that anyone would happily leave a brand new laptop behind for repairs.

 

[Mr Invisible]

I remember visiting the Apple Store at Westfield (west London), the worst experience ever. Very disorganised, not enough staff, confusing. Never again!

 

[niploteksi]

I love buying BMWs at Ferrari prices with pedals instead of engines and water bottles instead of a gas tank... Please stop with the I'm rich and you are poor comments, it's just unbecoming.

 

[daflake]

99 percent of the professional camera's sold use SD cards. Yes, there are some niche cameras that use CF but they are less than 1% of the market.

Actually you are wrong on this one. Most of the high end pro cameras still use CF cards.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/dslr/eos-1d-x-mark-ii

Consumer grade cameras are switching to SD like my 60D, but not the big boys.

 

[Robejazz]

Don't tell everyone working in the photography and film industry. Also, don't tell screenwriters, medical research centers and all of the folks making money with Macs, PCs and Chromebooks.

There's nothing unprofessional about a tool; only the person using it defines it.


R.

I am a teacher - High School, College and Private - I think I am a Pro User too, and LOVE my 15 tbMBP

 

[maflynn]

People need to realize that the vast majority of people buying MBPs arent "pro" users. They never will be.

Apple no longer designs PCs for Pro users.

This is 100% correct.

I use my laptop for work, and that's system administrating, I consider my usage professional.

While it may be true that for some people the MBP isn't a good fit, but then that's always been the case. A single product cannot fit everyone's needs. I thought at this point in the discussion, it was pretty evident that unless you define what you mean by professional, a blanket statement is ill fitting at best.

 

[Dave245]

I use my laptop for work, and that's system administrating, I consider my usage professional.

While it may be true that for some people the MBP isn't a good fit, but then that's always been the case. A single product cannot fit everyone's needs. I thought at this point in the discussion, it was pretty evident that unless you define what you mean by professional, a blanket statement is ill fitting at best.

This is very true, i have a 2011 MacBook Pro that saw me through 4 years of University, is that a "pro" use? i think if people are happy with what they are buying then it's their choice. I also agree that 1 single device can't fit everyone's needs, that's why i have a iPad Pro with Apple Pencil for certain tasks and a 2012 iMac for others, along with my now aging 2011 MacBook Pro that has served me so well over the years.

 

[ntnskrds]

I use my laptop for work, and that's system administrating, I consider my usage professional.

While it may be true that for some people the MBP isn't a good fit, but then that's always been the case. A single product cannot fit everyone's needs. I thought at this point in the discussion, it was pretty evident that unless you define what you mean by professional, a blanket statement is ill fitting at best.

Well I thought that it would be clear by now but since it's not I'll give it a try: A 'professional' is someone whose daily workflow involves the use of an SD card reader. By definition then, a professional does dot belong to the target group of the new MBPs. Consequently, new MBPs are not 'pro'. A slightly less direct consequence of the above definition is that professionals are now entitled to endless online grumbling about how Apple has abandoned them...

 

[CaptRB]

Well I thought that it would be clear by now but since it's not I'll give it a try: A 'professional' is someone whose daily workflow involves the use of an SD card reader. By definition then, a professional does dot belong to the target group of the new MBPs. Consequently, new MBPs are not 'pro'. A slightly less direct consequence of the above definition is that professionals are now entitled to endless online grumbling about how Apple has abandoned them...

LOL...but let's take further...

A professional is someone who must have an integral SD card reader!

Hey, I just realized that my 6000.00 dollar camera is not professional because it needs dongles, CF cards, SD cards, cables, lenses, flashes...soooo unprofessional!


R.

 

[Dave245]

LOL...but let's take further...

A professional is someone who must have an integral SD card reader!

Hey, I just realized that my 6000.00 dollar camera is not professional because it needs dongles, CF cards, SD cards, cables, lenses, flashes...soooo unprofessional!


R.

Times are changing, SD card slots will be a thing of the past Apple must think that otherwise they wouldn't of removed them, it's the same thing they did with the floppy disk drive and then the DVD drive years later. It's nothing new from Apple, yet people still get annoyed and eventually they come around to the idea, until Apple removes something else and the cycle starts all over again.

I personally don't mind it, with iCloud Drive, drop box and so on, there are enough cloud based solutions that can push files to my devices. But this "Pro" thing is ridiculous, just because the new MacBook Pro doesn't have a SD card slot and or USB, it's suddenly not a "Pro" machine I don't buy that for one second.

 

[maflynn]

A 'professional' is someone whose daily workflow involves the use of an SD card reader.

I didn't see anything related to the SD card reader in the definition.

Definition of professional

1. 1a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a professionb : engaged in one of the learned professionsc (1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace
   
   
2. 2a : participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs <a professional golfer>b : having a particular profession as a permanent career <a professional soldier>c : engaged in by persons receiving financial return <professional football>
   
   
3. 3: following a line of conduct as though it were a profession <a professional patriot>
   

So by your definition, a Photographer who uses a DLSR (that uses a CF card) or connects the camera directly to the computer is not a professional?

 

[CaptRB]

The days of having 37 ports on a computer are over. You have USB-C, which is essentially the Swiss Army knife of ports. It will, with an adapter, handle anything you throw at it!

With the rMBP I also needed adapters and cables. I still do, but the new ports can do more and I have a better machine overall to use.

win/win as they say.


R.

 

[iRunSlow]

I would take what an Apple employee tells you with a bucket load of salt. They are just doing their jobs.

During the staingate era of my late-2013 rMBP which to Apple's credit was replaced twice for free (yay for Apple!!) none of the employees there admitted even being aware of such problem. Or for any problem for that matter. It is just what they are trained to do.

I wouldn't fault them for it nor would accept what they have to say at face value.

If you need Apple employees to admit to something there has to be some reputable law firm collecting customer names and serial numbers with the identifying problem. In that case Apple has no problem fixing problems, twice even.

 

[ntnskrds]

I didn't see anything related to the SD card reader in the definition.


So by your definition, a Photographer who uses a DLSR (that uses a CF card) or connects the camera directly to the computer is not a professional?

Hey, I was being sarcastic... I am a professional (aren't we all ??) and I really do not know how an SD card looks like !! Yet, I had to pay for the reader in every one of my recent macs. Why should that be so ?

Look the whole 'no SD card reader, no pro' thing is just silly. COmputers are very malleable machines. Lot's of people can do lot's of different things with them. From learning to fly planes, to folding proteins, to designing houses, to editing photos, to controlling expensive machinery... you name it. Why does a certain class of professionals gets to dictate the I/O capabilities ?? Why not include an interface for connecting a biologist's microscope ? Why not an interface for connecting expensive microphones and audio equipment for musicians ?? Why not a special interface for controlling a chemist's lab ??

Guess what ? Such an interface exists and it's no other than the serial interface .. It's very capable, flexible and proven. It makes a computer's IO as malleable as the computer itself is through software. That's all we need . A single port that can satisfy the photographer, the chemist, the biologist, the musician and audio engineer .... everyone. Can the SD card reader claim the same ?? It's a single-purpose port for very few people. Why should the rest of us pay for it ??

 

[maflynn]

Hey, I was being sarcastic

You would have been better served to include a /s at the end of your post. The issue with the internet, there's no visible way to discern if you're trying to be funny, sarcastic or serious

Look the whole 'no SD card reader, no pro' thing is just silly.

Agreed, but by the same token, what you posted has been stated in various forms, so its not surprising to have someone mention the sd card/professional requirement.

Other then that, thanks for mentioning you were not serious

 

[iRunSlow]

Hey, I was being sarcastic... I am a professional (aren't we all ??) and I really do not know how an SD card looks like !! Yet, I had to pay for the reader in every one of my recent macs. Why should that be so ?

Perhaps the irony is lost on you but no SD card Macs (along with no USB-A ports) are hella lot more expensive than their 3-year old counterparts. Comparing Apples to Apples here literally.

 

[ntnskrds]

Perhaps the irony is lost on you but no SD card Macs (along with no USB-A ports) are hella lot more expensive than their 3-year old counterparts. Comparing Apples to Apples here literally.

Just try comparing the I/O bandwidth capacity of the new MBP to that of older MBPs.
How many 4k monitors can the older MBP drive simultaneously ??

 

[iRunSlow]

Just try comparing the I/O bandwidth capacity of the new MBP to that of older MBPs.
How many 4k monitors can the older MBP drive simultaneously ??

My friend you are contradicting your own emphasis in paying (rather overpaying) for options (such as SD cards) when you did not necessarily ever need one.

To which I ask why is capacity to run two 4k or even 5k monitors on a laptop and charging extra for it becomes a valid argument on your part when vast majority of people are not seeking to spend extra $1000 on a 5k display let alone two 5k displays.

See my point?

 

[ntnskrds]

My friend you are contradicting your own emphasis in paying (rather overpaying) for options (such as SD cards) when you did not necessarily ever need one.

To which I ask why is capacity to run two 4k or even 5k monitors on a laptop and charging extra for it becomes a valid argument on your part when vast majority of people are not seeking to spend extra $1000 on a 5k display let alone two 5k displays.

See my point?

I can see your point but you missed mine..
Missing generally useful and versatile ports (that can possibly satisfy diverse, future needs) is not the same as missing a built-in single purpose interface like a card reader (which can always be implemented on top of other ports).

 

[ixxx69]

Perhaps the irony is lost on you but no SD card Macs (along with no USB-A ports) are hella lot more expensive than their 3-year old counterparts. Comparing Apples to Apples here literally.

You're being too literal with "cost" - cost in this context also means size and weight and complexity of the device.

My friend you are contradicting your own emphasis in paying (rather overpaying) for options (such as SD cards) when you did not necessarily ever need one.

To which I ask why is capacity to run two 4k or even 5k monitors on a laptop and charging extra for it becomes a valid argument on your part when vast majority of people are not seeking to spend extra $1000 on a 5k display let alone two 5k displays.

See my point?

You're conflating integral legacy features with the progress of new technology and the ability to use it.

 

[CaptRB]

I would take what an Apple employee tells you with a bucket load of salt. They are just doing their jobs.

During the staingate era of my late-2013 rMBP which to Apple's credit was replaced twice for free (yay for Apple!!) none of the employees there admitted even being aware of such problem. Or for any problem for that matter. It is just what they are trained to do.

I wouldn't fault them for it nor would accept what they have to say at face value.

If you need Apple employees to admit to something there has to be some reputable law firm collecting customer names and serial numbers with the identifying problem. In that case Apple has no problem fixing problems, twice even.

This particular employee is a life-long friend. She's deadly honest too, laughs at Apple Watch buyers and dopey stuff Apple makes, but she's a fan of the phones and computers, like me.

Still shocked that the Air is the machine with most returns.


R