Apple Expected to Adopt Keyboard With Scissor Mechanism for Upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro

[Zdigital2015]

Us working Pro's don't want to fiddle looking though our bags to find that dam dongle! And if its forgotten what then?

We need onboard USB-A ports (2) We still want the USB-C (4) But the rear two need to be setup to support a MagSafe plug thats flush with the case. We also need SD card support and Ethernet.

Its all within the PCH logic! This is not a big hurdle to do. Remember Function over Form!

Yeah, pretty sure no one is getting any of that.

What would be great and more realistic would be two additional USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports (off the PCH), one one each side to keep the Thunderbolt 3 ports from being wasted on USB-PD. Also useful for a card reader, a slower USB-A peripheral (cable or dongle) or a USB-C SSD.

Magsafe needs to die and stay dead...it’s not a universal standard and it’s not infallible. It defies belief that so many people think Magsafe is essential...it is 100% possible to yank a MagSafe MacBook Pro off of a table. Ask me how I know.

Ethernet? Really? No, it makes the device too thick, also, unless you need it, you don’t need it, but it still takes up space on the logic board. I haven’t used a physical Ethernet port in 7 years unless I needed to plug into a Ethernet switch for troubleshooting and the TB2 adapter worked perfectly fine. Dedicated TB3 to GigE work and hopefully prices on 10GbE adapters will get cheaper.

Also, if Apple offered one, it would be logical to have the option of a 10Gbps port, but I think it would generate too much heat and take too much battery power, better to keep it external as physical Ethernet is an exception, not the rule.

An SD card still makes zero sense...I can get a UHS-II card reader for $20, if I need it. Pros needs are too varied (SD, XQD, CFast, et al) for an SDXC Card reader to be anything more than just another ingress point for dust.

 

[Analog Kid]

Ah, the ol' "problems are overblown" meme. That's quite a remarkable claim considering Apple just released brand new notebooks with yet another iteration of the keyboard and felt it necessary to include those new laptopsunder their existing four-year extended warranty for keyboard issues. That's quite a step for a problem that is overblown.

You don't guarantee things that you know will fail. If they're putting the new keyboards under the warranty, it's because they're not afraid they'll have to burn a lot of money servicing keyboards.

If someone tells you they're a great basketball player, but refuse to take a $10 bet on a shot, does that give you more confidence in their ability? Most would criticize them for not putting their money where their mouth is. In regards to the keyboards, Apple put their money where their mouth is in an attempt to get people past this "all the keyboards are failing" meme.
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Us working Pro's don't want to fiddle looking though our bags to find that dam dongle! And if its forgotten what then?

We need onboard USB-A ports (2) We still want the USB-C (4) But the rear two need to be setup to support a MagSafe plug thats flush with the case. We also need SD card support and Ethernet.

Its all within the PCH logic! This is not a big hurdle to do. Remember Function over Form!

Using the royal we?

 

[redheeler]

I think if they can combine the tactility and stability of a butterfly switch with the key travel and reliability of a traditional scissor switch they could have something really interesting.

They already have something close to this, it's called the Magic Keyboard and based on the scissor mechanism. Put that in a MacBook Pro and I'd be happy with it.

 

[Zdigital2015]

That's an easy question. If you're a pro, you don't forget.

You create checklists to prevent that from happening. You program alarms to remind you. You refresh your gear so you have a fully compatible set of gear. You pack extra adapters just in case. If you're a pro, I expect you to have thought out the situations you'll be in and prepare accordingly. I don't expect pros to complain just because change is a hassle to deal with.

I still carry a VGA dongle because I never know when I'll run into a situation in which my only external projection option is a VGA projector and yes, that ancient VGA dongle has come in handy before. In an odd quirk of the people who I deal with, I've actually use that VGA dongle more often than I've used an HDMI one.

Truer words...if you’re a Pro, you find the best load out for whatever your typical day to day requires and make allowances for the unexpected if your day to day changes, otherwise that silly photoshopped MacBook Pro from @MacFather would be our reality. I rarely ever needed Ethernet, but I always packed the adapter when I went offsite...same with the FireWire adapter.

That’s just sad...VGA still plagues us and will probably live past USB-A at this point. Also, truth...those old VGA/XGA projectors will probably never ever be replaced. Good luck!

 

[SomeSoftwareGuy]

I’m a dev and all I really care a about are the GPU and CPU and the keyboard feel. I don’t like dongles but I’ll deal with them. I don’t like soldered in ssd, but I’ll deal with it (same thing for ram). The aspect ratio and rounded corners are not deal breakers but secondary issues. I just need this thing to perform, not get stupid hot, and not have the keyboard issue (that if it was in such small numbers there would not be service program for it). heck, I can’t stand the idea of a touch-bar but I’ll deal with it as long as the keyboard feels right and isn’t going to leave me carrying around a happy-hacking mini kB just to get my work done.

Now, I currently have a 15” pro, and I don’t really want a 16” one, but if that’s the only way to not get the membrane butterfly or whatever switch then I’ll go for it.

 

[Virinprew]

2020 is gonna be a good year. Scissors key, new iPhone design, 5G, 5.4” iPhone. Hopefully iPhone will get the usb-C. Then you have a returning customer, Apple.

 

[chunk_]

Rumor has it the base model will come with a huge 128gb SSD.

 

[throAU]

Maybe i might be able to upgrade from my 100% trouble free 2015 Macbook Pro 13".

So glad i didn't go for the 12". It was on the cards, however sanity prevailed. Bullet dodged.
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Rumor has it the base model will come with a huge 128gb SSD.

And 8 GB of RAM.

Because PRO

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

No

Switching it all USB-c was one of the smartest things Apple has done in a very long time. I have an older 2011 17" MBP that is stuck with crappy ports that are no longer very useful like FW800 and USB2. USB-c allows the MBP to adapt to any new future connection technology and prolong the life of an otherwise perfectly good computer.

The CPU and RAM in my 2011 is perfectly fine but the ports and horrifically slow GPU with no support for Metal really kills its usefulness today. If it had all TB3 ports I could have added a eGPU and all the USB 3.1 I could ever want to keep a perfectly good system usable.

You can buy a pair of USB-c to USB3.1 adapters for $6.

No, just no. The current USB-C ports won't be able to magically support any future tech, even if that future tech uses the physical USB-C connector. There is more to the hardware than just the connector, the circuitry behind it has to support it. You can buy laptops now with USB-C ports that don't support HDMI for example, because they don't have that part of the circuitry implemented. Those particular USB-C ports won't ever support HDMI. USB-C is actually a huge mess, and not at all the magical one-port-for-all that you are imagining. And worse, the physical connector is badly designed, and is prone to working loose and dropping the connection. USB-C is a horrible disaster.

And duh, your 2011 doesn't have TB3 because it didn't exist back then.

Your logic is flawed. Dumping all ports bar USB-C is a failed idea. You will note that the new Mac Pro and iMac Pro, both have a multitude of ports, including USB-C, but also including all sorts of still useful ports. The new Pro Workflow Group at Apple is bringing back the ports, and I will be astounded if the new 16" MacBook Pro doesn't bring back the ports also.
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Good. And make the bloody emoji bar optional please. And bring back MagSafe. And the chime! It's just not a Mac without the chime.

Noooooooo! Haven't you ever had to reboot your mac while there are people sleeping in the same room???!!! The bong was an abomination!

 

[cult hero]

All we need now is MagSafe and ditching the touchbar, and maybe, just possibly, I might be comfortable in blowing £3000 of grant money on one of these...

MagSafe is not coming back and good riddance. With the battery life on laptops at this point, someone who is regularly plugged in at a place where tripping is serious issue cannot be a large crowd. And, like so many things USB-C, if you are that niche, guess what? You have some options.

As much as I want to go back to a single charging port, a proprietary connector, wonky "multi cables" if I want a docking station (a la the Thunderbolt Display), and be stuck with Apple-only solutions for said docking stations, I'm really happy with all the choice I have now and being able to do it with one plug.
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And the chime! It's just not a Mac without the chime.

I dunno if I'd go that far, but man, it would be nice to be able to enable it. When I have to troubleshoot these new machines that have no lights and no sounds to indicate whether there is power, it's kind of a pain.

 

[4487549]

Captain Obvious at it again for the weekly windup... Apple is in housekeeping mode, bringing continuity across the line before a massive announcement of their most popular pro computer sometime next year (probably during a slow quarter, possibly as late as WWDC). Anyone who thinks this reveal will be a silent release in the wake of the Mac Pro and new iPhones is delusional.

 

[throAU]

good riddance.

Why so hostile to something so great?

Magsafe is great, for both painless connection and disconnection. No need to even try and orient the connector to the hole and look where it is because it snaps into place via magnets.

I"m actually all for USB-C, but magsafe is actually great, and USB-C only for charging is a step backwards in ease of use.

edit:
oh, username explains it...

 

[duervo]

Maybe i might be able to upgrade from my 100% trouble free 2015 Macbook Pro 13".

So glad i didn't go for the 12". It was on the cards, however sanity prevailed. Bullet dodged.
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And 8 GB of RAM.

Because PRO

Same. I had one in the cart ready for checkout more than once the first year they were out.

 

[fokmik]

The mock-up is missing a notch. Gonna need one for that webcam/faceID hardware that people seem to want.

i dont think we get faceID without making the lid thicker than current one

 

[cult hero]

Why so hostile to something so great?

Magsafe is great, for both painless connection and disconnection. No need to even try and orient the connector to the hole and look where it is because it snaps into place via magnets.

I"m actually all for USB-C, but magsafe is actually great, and USB-C only for charging is a step backwards in ease of use.

edit:
oh, username explains it...

I think my reply was clear. I like the magnetic part. It was still a proprietary connector whose pros in no way outweigh USB-C for power delivery.

Having a single cable for data and power is not a step backwards. Being able to borrow chargers from basically anyone with a modern laptop is not a step backwards. Having made heavy use of single plug-in setups in the form of the LG 5K and various Thunderbolt 3 docks, my desire to go back to funky multi cables is zero. (And I loved my 27” LED Cinema Display, but do I want to go back to plugging in MagSafe, USB, and Mini DisplayPort instead of a single Thunderbolt 3 cable? No. Not to mention said Thunderbolt 3 setup also accommodates PCs.)

MagSafe was a great connector for its time but the pros (easy connect/disconnect) in no way trump single plugin solutions or even the ability I have to connect power to the right or left of the machine. If you’re one of the few who need to charge in a busy place where tripping is likely, there are adapters for you. If you really need to hook it up to charge without looking—is this really a big deal?

I don’t really have any hostility for MagSafe so much as the idea of “bringing it back.” I want it back like I want optical media back.

The one thing I will say, Apple should have made an adapter so older MagSafe adapters could have been used on the newer machines. It would have been nice to continue to use the power port on the aforementioned LED Cinema Display with my newer laptops. I also could have continued to use my spare chargers.

I’m not precisely sure what my username explains.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I guess it's kinda like the iMac and the iMac Pro?

I suppose Apple could release a mobile Xeon workstation, but I’m not sure there’s a big enough demand for it. I think it’s much more likely to be a same overall physical size/bezel shrink situation, where due to smaller bezels, a slightly larger display can be accommodated. 13/15” becomes 14/15”.

Another possibility is a coexistence of the 15” and 16” models, where the 16” has a much higher base config. Something like 8-core CPU/32GB RAM/1TB SSD for $4k.

 

[throAU]

If you really need to hook it up to charge without looking—is this really a big deal?

No. It's a nice-to-have.

Nice-to-haves are...... nice to have on a premium $2000+ machine.

I'm not saying USB-C isn't good. I'm not saying USB-C doesn't provide benefits.

I'm saying that spewing "Good riddance" to a connector that was in many ways superior to USB-C for charging purposes is unwarranted.


I rarely use the USB ports (or thunderbolt ports for that matter - because i have high speed wireless) so USB A vs. C is pretty much irrelevant for me and i get zero benefit from USB-C in my usage scenarios. The change is a total loss for my use case. It's not a huge loss. But it is a 100% loss for essentially zero benefit.

 

[pipis2010]

I'd guess: 15" will shrink footprint to have a greater physical size difference, the 16" will use near desktop class i9/ Xeon processors with rDNA graphics, the display might be XDR (MacBook Pro XDR has a nice ring to it), and of course it'll cost an arm, a leg, another arm, and several more legs. Sort of the 'iMac Pro' of MacBooks if you will.

The rumour suggests a starting price of around $3k...
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Predicted pricing on this? I don’t even wanna know.

around $3k rumour...

 

[Soccertess]

Well, this is a fair point. If this is the case, and they will maintain the same travel distance anyway, I would rather grab a MacBook that the keyboard is covered than a new keyboard that is brand new, even if it is a trusted design.

Looks like he is.

People complain because of actual failing products on those foldable phones sent out to tech reviewers.

People also complain the garbage keyboards for four years until Apple finally stops using crappy design.

Apple didn't stop using the crappy design. It remains to be seen what they did. And they denied the problem for years and people had to pay ridiculous amounts to have keys fixed. The keyboard and Apple's handling of it is not a badge to be proud of, nor has it gone away.

 

[smirking]

People complain because of actual failing products on those foldable phones sent out to tech reviewers.

People also complain the garbage keyboards for four years until Apple finally stops using crappy design.

Many people wouldn't know what to do with themselves if they didn't find something to complain about. I say this in jest, I say it as a complaint in of itself, and I say it as an observation.

The easiest way to bond with the most number of people possible is to hate something. It's much easier to hate something together than to like something together.

 

[Big Ron]

As if those departments were in a position to say no to Mr Ive and still keep their jobs even if they knew the design will be fraught with issues?

I suppose you will also try to blame Mr Ive for the Arab Israeli crises as well, while your at it why don’t you rope him into the current Crimea crisis as well. It’s got to be his fault hasn’t it. If only he was American, who would you kick then?

 

[iShater]

This would be real courage for a change.

 

[Loge]

This is comparably quite minor, but I do hope they revisit the "inverted T" layout of arrow keys at the bottom-right. Those little gaps on the scissor switch MacBook keyboards are super helpful in quickly orienting the fingers without looking.

That would make a lot of people very happy; makes navigation screens so much easier.

 

[ionutc]

I feel the whining over the keyboard or ports is getting really old. Almost every generation of MBP had some gate and yet there's some guy that swears his laptop was/is the best. BTW, if you had keaboard issues on the older models Apple would still change the top case and battery - yeah, like 2013 models and yeah, it was like 500$.

And this dongle crying is also getting old. I got a monitor for my PC, which has an Nvidia Quadro which outputs to DVI and display port. The monitor is hdmi only, so i got an adapter to DP. Nope, didn't work, so i go another one - hdmi to DVI. Newer Quadro models only have mini display port which also means adaptors - the GPU actually comes with some in the box. This is for a tower, i have what you call dongles for tower cases which have a sh*t load of ports and yet it's still not enough.

Maybe this 16'' version will be like the 12'' - an experiment, but this one an attempt at an overpowered machine rather than a light portable. The 12'' also introduced a new keyboard design that was adopted for all future MBP and MBA models. Just remember people, there will always be gates and creatives switching to Windows!

 

[calstanford]

Also, yes, yes, yes. I'm honestly a huge fan of the 2016+ design w/ the TouchBar (it's kinda meh, but I like it more than function keys)

A true Apple fan in a nutshell. I am a HUGE though it is kinda meh.

Well then.