yes, Tim seems unaware of what 'road map' implies. We used to call them 'Road Apples'. It seems virtually all Macs are now Road Apples.
http://lowendmac.com/2014/road-apples-second-class-macs/
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Apple CEO Tim Cook: ‘We Have Great Desktops in Our Roadmap'
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http://lowendmac.com/2014/road-apples-second-class-macs/
Nope. The Skylake MBPs can already do 5k by using two virtual DisplayPort 1.2 connections over a single TB3 cable. Anything better will require DisplayPort 1.3.
Kaby Lake still doesn't do DP1.3 and nor does the Thunderbolt 3 spec - its gonna have to wait for Thunderbolt 4. The USB-C spec supports DP1.3 in "DisplayPort Alt Mode" (i.e. when you plug a DisplayPort device directly into USB-C) in theory but that ain't going to happen in practice if the USB-C port comes courtesy of a Thunderbolt 3 controller.
As I understand it, the main advance in Kaby Lake is that the TB3/USB-C/USB 3.1g2 controller is built into the CPU chipset so it will save Apple one discrete TB3 chip (the new touchbar MBPs need 2 of these - another argument for why Apple could have just Skylake-ized the 2015 MBP and switched the 2 TB2 ports for TB3).
As for the iMac, unless the appropriate Kaby Lake chip is available Real Soon Now, it could be usefully updated to TB3/USB-C* (and 5k external display support) just as soon as a decent GPU update is available. Frankly, they could have updated it by now if they're serious about rolling out USB-C across the range.
(* but keep the ethernet and at least one USB-A!!!)
This.
The key to a successful mac pro for me is to be able to choose the grade of components, have the ability to change some of those over time and be able to hook it up to any screen I choose.
I want the Apple version of a boring, but powerful PC beige box. The existing black cylinder is cool, just let me at a cheaper i7, GTX1050, swappable SSD version and I'm sold. No retooling. 3 year old design is fine, just fresher components.
A decade ago, the only thing I would have moaned about would have been the Apple upgrade prices. But now, the entire strategy seems to be to hard fix everything to force the maximum margin possible at the initial point of sale.
It works in the short term, but if the line isn't refreshed quick enough, or you keep asking top end price for medium range components, people rightly moan, or walk.
Which considering the state of their desktops is perfectly appropriate.
Yup, don't be shocked when the next "computer" appliances from Apple AFTER iMac & iMac Pro are ARM based sans Intel.
Apple isn't the only camp going ARM.
Both MS andare pushing that way.
Win10 builds are running on ARM, and most "universal apps" run on a phone - imagine using BASH from a phone!
Apple switching desktops to a HW platform based on its mobile devices - bitcode to help push full programs to iOS.
Yep, I long posited that this is the future...and a mistake if they keep iOS the way it is (they will).
If Apple was smart it would have split the Pro and Consumer lines by making iOS more like OS X, and giving us a Surface Studio iMac with mouse and filesystem support, among other things.
On the Pro side they should have really kept it pro: expandable, repairable, non-proprietary, and compatible machines like they used to build.
Get back to basics, as it were.
Alas, they truly do not know what they've got, and are so blinded by consumer profits and an even more vision-less CEO that they're getting ready to baste and bake the golden goose.
I don't think Apple goes the right way to produce desktop machines that are limited to extend and on the other side not delivering regular technical updates. I'd personnally like to see Macs with a modular system of external grafic card boxes that could be hooked to every Thunderbold 3 Mac. That would rock ...
The new Mac Mini will have a battery and no ports. You just buy a new one when it stops working. All you have to do is be sure to pay $240/yr to back it up to iCloud. Display is via AirPlay over your Apple TV.
We went from quad core to dual core last time. So I guess we will get a single core this round.
Sorry Timmy.
After 2-3 years of your lies and empty promises pros and other desktop users are moving on to other platforms.
I'm planning to replace my Airport/Time Capsule, iMac and Mac mini next year with non-Apple alternatives.
It pains me to say this after having become an enthusiastic Apple convert for the last several years.
And after that migration, I'm not buying your other crap (AppleTV, Apple Music, Homekit)
I suspect that others (like me) will find your ecosystem less 'sticky'. I will still use my iPhone, iPad and AW but if other compelling products come along .... you'd better watch out for competition!
After 2-3 years of your lies and empty promises pros and other desktop users are moving on to other platforms.
I'm planning to replace my Airport/Time Capsule, iMac and Mac mini next year with non-Apple alternatives.
It pains me to say this after having become an enthusiastic Apple convert for the last several years.
And after that migration, I'm not buying your other crap (AppleTV, Apple Music, Homekit)
I suspect that others (like me) will find your ecosystem less 'sticky'. I will still use my iPhone, iPad and AW but if other compelling products come along .... you'd better watch out for competition!
"You don't know that whining isn't going to help..."
Ok, let me ask you this: How has that been working for ya so far?
Has it brought back the CD drive? How about axing the floppy disk - that was a huge whine-worthy crowd pleaser. Has whining brought back FireWire ports? The DVI connector?
Has it brought back full-travel keyboards - will a good whine bring those back? How about desktop computers with card slots? Perhaps keyboards and mice with user-replaceable disposable batteries, has Apple brought those back? Has it made laptops thicker, festooned with a ton of legacy connectors? Do you expect Apple's next laptop to have 20 year old USB A ports if you whine loud enough, and really mean it?
Maybe a more hearty whine will bring back a much thicker iPhone? How did that huge whine-fest work out for the ton of people complaining about the first iPhone getting rid of physical keyboard keys - did those come back? How about a 1 week battery that pre-1997 phones had - has whining brought that back?
How about Apple's executives? Has the constant moaning about them and calling for their termination worked out?
I could go on and on. In the meantime, again, how has whining been working for ya?
"You're just trying to dismiss Mac users whose growing contempt for Apple threatens your confidence and peace of mind."
Whoa, a three-fer: A deflection, straw man, and a tiny precious ad hominem all rolled into one. Rush me to the burn unit!
No, sorry to disappoint. I'm not dismissing anyone's gripes - I believe they're important to people. Just wondering when people will finally understand that whining will not influence Apple's product direction.
Do you really want to influence Apple's product plans? It's easy. Stand up, vote with your wallet and buy something that meets your requirements. That's what I'd do. And for sure, there's no way I'd embarrass myself on a public forum crying about a company not making products I need; especially when there are other options out there.
I do offer a huge tip-o-my-hat and a ton of respect to those that have actually stood up, opened their wallet and have actually switched.
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Yeah because a touch bar takes only a couple of months to go from idea, to design, to production right?
Dude, it sounds like you need to take your own advice and stop whining about the "whiners".
People are pissed at Apple for good reason. And they are leaving. So let them (erm..us) vent, what does it matter?
Just sayin'.
Thanks. Another person posed a legitimate question, and I responded. If that doesn't resonate with you, that's cool.
Touchbar on the new Magic Keyboard. Magical....
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stop whining about the whiners who whine about whiners.
[doublepost=1482246067][/doublepost]
stop whining about the whiners who whine about whiners.
My 6-Core 2013 Mac Pro with 64GB of RAM is going to be retired shortly and sold on eBay while they still have value. My 2016 MacBook Pro 13inch dual-core compresses video much faster than the Pro thanks to quick-sync on the i7. The Xeon is great for tons of tasks, but the MacBook Pro is just way faster for video compression. So iMac it is unless there are upgradable Mac Pro's.
"but important parts of the MacBook line (MagSafe, USB3) that made Apple products easy to use."
Going to USB-C is about making things easier. Yes, there will be a short time right now where you may need a dongle, but in the future this means that ALL of your products will use the same connection. No longer will you need HDMI for your monitor, USB 3.0 for your hard drive, Ethernet for your networking, eSATA for your RAID, etc. You can use a single cable for all of those things and it'll be awesome. This is what USB changed back in 1998 with the introduction of the iMac. Yes people complained at first but then being able to use all kinds of products with a single connection became incredibly empowering.
Apple has ARD if you want to remote in and take care of things on a more powerful machine. The truth is that 99% of users have no need for the additional power you're talking about. For most, the power the current MacBook offers is more than they need. Remember that the average user browses the internet, sends some emails, does a bit of social media, and maybe some light word processing. That's about it. It's why Chromebooks sell well, as most don't need much power at all. Those of us that need the power a MacPro offers are very very few, which is why Apple has put so little into keeping it current.
Do I want a new MacPro to replace my current one, yes (remember that 99% of those that complain about the MacPro here will never buy one even if it was 10x as capable just as those that complain about Porsches are generally those that aren't in the market for one). Do I understand why Apple has focused their efforts on other things like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro, rather than the very low volume MacPro, yes. Even with the most amazing MacPro they're still going to sell 1 of them for every 1000 MBPs they sell. Any company would be silly to put huge investment into the product that sells the lowest volume when they can make far more investing in the higher selling items.
Kitchen garbage can manufacturers make them in different sizes so why not the Mac Pro?
Saw this on AppleInsider: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...-jony-ive-others-in-apple-management---report
I can understand that IOS devices make a ton of money, but only Macs can submit apps at the moment. As long developers can make real, serious apps and not just POS flappy bird clones or whatever, I'll be happy.
I can understand that IOS devices make a ton of money, but only Macs can submit apps at the moment. As long developers can make real, serious apps and not just POS flappy bird clones or whatever, I'll be happy.
I think he just means speed bumps for processors/graphics etc. The obsession with gluing, soldering and non upgradeable mac pros will continue because it's just so cool and nobody actually needs to do real work or maintain their own hardware. I really don't want to with to Windows but really think I'm going to have to!
Here's an interesting article from Mark Gurman. Does anything here sound like Timmy is devoted to Mac's? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-20/how-apple-alienated-mac-loyalists
Here's a few quotes:
Interviews with people familiar with Apple's inner workings reveal that the Mac is getting far less attention than it once did. They say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company's software team. They also describe a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware and technical challenges that have delayed the roll-out of new computers.
In the Mac's heyday, people working on new models could expect a lot of attention from Ive's team. Once a week his people would meet with Mac engineers to discuss ongoing projects. Mac engineers brought prototypes to Ive's studio for review, while his lieutenants would visit the Mac labs to look at early concepts. Those visits have become less frequent since the company began focusing more on more-valuable products like the iPhone and iPad, and the change became even more obvious after the design team's leadership was shuffled last year, according to a person familiar with the situation.
In another sign that the company has prioritized the iPhone, Apple re-organized its software engineering department so there's no longer a dedicated Mac operating system team. There is now just one team, and most of the engineers are iOS first, giving the people working on the iPhone and iPad more power.
In recent years, Apple managers have also become more likely to float two or more competing ideas, meaning designers and engineers must work on more than one concept at a time. In the past, managers pushed a more singular vision. Engineers are now "asked to develop multiple options in hopes that one of them will be shippable," a person familiar with the matter said.
The internal turmoil has taken a toll. More than a dozen engineers and managers working on Mac hardware have left for different Apple teams or other companies in the past year and a half, said people familiar with the situation. Some were looking for a less all-consuming work environment, while others felt the future of Mac hardware was unclear in a world of iPhones and iPads.
Mac fans shouldn't hold their breath for radical new designs in 2017 though. Instead, the company is preparing modest updates: USB-C ports and a new Advanced Micro Devices Inc. graphics processor for the iMac, and minor bumps in processing power for the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro. Cue the outrage.
Here's a few quotes:
Interviews with people familiar with Apple's inner workings reveal that the Mac is getting far less attention than it once did. They say the Mac team has lost clout with the famed industrial design group led by Jony Ive and the company's software team. They also describe a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware and technical challenges that have delayed the roll-out of new computers.
In the Mac's heyday, people working on new models could expect a lot of attention from Ive's team. Once a week his people would meet with Mac engineers to discuss ongoing projects. Mac engineers brought prototypes to Ive's studio for review, while his lieutenants would visit the Mac labs to look at early concepts. Those visits have become less frequent since the company began focusing more on more-valuable products like the iPhone and iPad, and the change became even more obvious after the design team's leadership was shuffled last year, according to a person familiar with the situation.
In another sign that the company has prioritized the iPhone, Apple re-organized its software engineering department so there's no longer a dedicated Mac operating system team. There is now just one team, and most of the engineers are iOS first, giving the people working on the iPhone and iPad more power.
In recent years, Apple managers have also become more likely to float two or more competing ideas, meaning designers and engineers must work on more than one concept at a time. In the past, managers pushed a more singular vision. Engineers are now "asked to develop multiple options in hopes that one of them will be shippable," a person familiar with the matter said.
The internal turmoil has taken a toll. More than a dozen engineers and managers working on Mac hardware have left for different Apple teams or other companies in the past year and a half, said people familiar with the situation. Some were looking for a less all-consuming work environment, while others felt the future of Mac hardware was unclear in a world of iPhones and iPads.
Mac fans shouldn't hold their breath for radical new designs in 2017 though. Instead, the company is preparing modest updates: USB-C ports and a new Advanced Micro Devices Inc. graphics processor for the iMac, and minor bumps in processing power for the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro. Cue the outrage.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...-jony-ive-others-in-apple-management---report
I'd say most Apple fans have cause to worry if the linked report is true. As I've said, the Mac is the heart of Apple. Removing the focus on Macs? Gutting the engineer team? Not even a dedicated Mac team? That's very troublesome.
Given the above, I don't think Tim Cook gets it. If there's ever a reason to put next to the tired "apple is doomed" junk, this would be it. Apple does this at their own peril..
1. Apple doesn't have an alternative to MacOS. There's no redesign from the ground up approach going on.
2. They're betting the farm on iOS. Very profitable right now but hey, you need Macs to design anything for iOS. I view iOS as more of a toy app, rich media platform. I haven't downloaded an iOS app in ages. An ipad is nothing more than a doc viewer/drawing (for fun only) device at this point. My iphone is a great pocket tool for quick browsing, organizing, music, reading, etc.
But the hub for managing my life? For doing work? That's a computer whether it's windows or Mac. Right now that's Mac. If I go to windows, I have no need for Apple's mobile services which i only view as extensions of a PC/Mac.
I'd say most Apple fans have cause to worry if the linked report is true. As I've said, the Mac is the heart of Apple. Removing the focus on Macs? Gutting the engineer team? Not even a dedicated Mac team? That's very troublesome.
Given the above, I don't think Tim Cook gets it. If there's ever a reason to put next to the tired "apple is doomed" junk, this would be it. Apple does this at their own peril..
1. Apple doesn't have an alternative to MacOS. There's no redesign from the ground up approach going on.
2. They're betting the farm on iOS. Very profitable right now but hey, you need Macs to design anything for iOS. I view iOS as more of a toy app, rich media platform. I haven't downloaded an iOS app in ages. An ipad is nothing more than a doc viewer/drawing (for fun only) device at this point. My iphone is a great pocket tool for quick browsing, organizing, music, reading, etc.
But the hub for managing my life? For doing work? That's a computer whether it's windows or Mac. Right now that's Mac. If I go to windows, I have no need for Apple's mobile services which i only view as extensions of a PC/Mac.