Apple Launches New 'Behind the Mac' Ad Campaign

[nottorp]

Thanks, like i needed a reminder that Apple products are now useless for anyone except "creative professionals". The developer doesn't count, because he is forced to use an Apple machine to develop for iOS.

Besides all the other hardware complaints, I'm typing this on a 2012 mbpro *outdoors*. But if this machine dies of old age, the 2018 emoji keyboard mbpro is so sensitive to dust that I wouldn't dare to use it outside... or better, I'd get a Dell and put Linux on it. Sad state, Apple.

 

[mrzz]

It's so sad the Apple logos on newer MacBook (Pro) models no longer shine again , which is a 'feature' since the PowerBook era

they are removing everything useful or nice (magsafe, USB-A, SD card reader, glowing logo, not replaceable or extendable SSD etc etc)) and creating something what many find terribe. I literally hate MBP 2016/17.

 

[thenewyorkgod]

"Buy a Macbook because it allows you to zoom in on photographs" - well, I'm sold!

 

[ROGmaster]

Anyone besides me think its rather cool that my 2012 rMBP 8gb runs Mojave... FCPx... Adobe CS... etc - not only well - but likely faster than in 2012... Why do we think we always need faster and more expensive hardware - when the software is getting so much better - we might not always NEED new machines? Apple is about to completely shift to where new hardware might not ALWAYS be the need - but more efficient software will - I love my machine - I'm glad it's still kicking ass.

So you would pay full price in 2018 for a 2010 generation car simply because it's new?
Honestly I don't think anybody would.

The Mac situation wouldn't be that bad if Apple would drop prices like it's normal for computers that have outdated hardware.

 

[Peperino]

Apple sells obsolete technology with crappy keyboards.

This is the state of the Mac.

• iMac Pro: 182 days ago
• iMac: 374 days ago
• MacBook: 374 days ago
• MacBook Air: 374 days ago
• MacBook Pro: 374 days ago
• Mac Pro: 436 days ago
• Mac Mini: 1337 days ago

And most of those “updates” were inconsequential bumps. Is it even ethical to be selling the Mac mini at this point?

Design decisions, e.g. 1 USB’s c port which is required for power, The ill-conceived touch bar, mindlessly making everything thinner over functionality, and again, those train wreck keyboards, etc., make the current line up worse than what they offered 3 years ago.

No amount of marketing or slick videos is going to fix how bad the hardware situation is, nor will it cover up Apple's unwillingness to regularly update the Mac line.

Apple is causing the decay of the Mac through their lack of care, and it breaks my heart.

Cannot say it better. I agree 200%

Why waste money on useless advertising when the entire Apple hardware line up is outdated??
They even removed one of the best features of the Macbook, the Mag-safe.

It is sad that Apple become a phone company.

 

[ocnitsa]

I agree with you that Apple needs to be a lot better at keeping their products up to date, but it doesn't even have to be predictable upgrades. All the other PC companies are constantly refreshing their products as new tech comes out, so when you buy a current model from them you can be reasonably confident you're getting the latest tech today even though you know a new model is coming. It makes the buying decision easy because whenever you need the product, the time is right to buy.

If you have a predictable upgrade schedule you have situations where there's new tech not available as Apple waits for the next planned release and then nobody is buying a computer because they're all waiting for the update.

One issue here is that Apple is letting their overarching design motivation (thinness), a design that works with a less-pro, more mainstream crowd, clash with preferences by the pro community which butt up against thinness (more power/RAM, current CPUs, a variety of ports). The choices they are making probably can be put on a routine schedule, because they often are irrelevant to hardware release dates. Touchbar and keyboard design work (or don't work) on their schedule. Case in point: the 32GB RAM option. Their refusal to go that route boils down to their design motivations that originate in thinness. They say it's because logic board revision and non low-powered RAM will reduce battery life. While that's true (and many pros don't care), the battery could be somewhat larger if there wasn't a non-budge stance taken on thinness. I think it's arguable that their stance on ports can likewise be linked to thinner design (and probably more standardized designs for logic boards). The ironic thing is that this is only a problem because the pro line is under the same overarching design constraints as the other lines...in fact, I imagine if they offered a 17 inch model that eschewed those constraints, people would stop complaining (apart from the broken keyboard design) about the 13 and 15 inch models.

 

[Glideslope]

Best Mac campaign to date. Easily.

Too bad there is no worthy hardware or software .

 

[Wedlock]

I think it's a shame that Apple makes some of these choices like no glowing logo and replaceable parts like memory or ssd options but some people here are going a bit over the top by saying things like I hate Apple for this and so on
It's just a machine not a life dependent thing, if you don't like it don't buy it.....it's that simple.

Hope that Apple brings new iMacs soon though because I would like one with a 6-core Coffee Lake cpu please

 

[mj97]

Wouldn't be surprised if the ad campaign involved the camera panning round to reveal an iPad behind the Mac.

What's a computer ad part II?

 

[Yvan256]

Funny how the videos feature adapters for the macs. lol

Even the people featured in those Apple ads need adapters. At which point will Apple wake up and add at least one or two USB 3 ports back to their laptops?

This situation is as bad as the trashcan Mac Pro requiring everything to be external so the real-world photo looks like a cable mess with lots of boxes around the Mac Pro. There's nothing neat-looking about that.

 

[panjandrum]

...but how are they going to "make something wonderful" when the keyboard stops working?

Oh, you aren't thinking nearly "brave" and "minimalist" enough! Apple isn't about making great things anymore, they have evolved far, far past such crude materialistic beginnings! Now it's all about identifying with that specific, amazing Apple image! That image? Thin! Minimalist! Wait until you see the next gen hardware from Apple and you'll see just how brave Apple is. They won't even need a keyboard, because all they will do is show the Apple symbol on the screen. That's it! It's gonna be so thin! So minimalist! So brave! But that's just a stepping stone to the ultimate Apple products that will be coming down the line just as soon as the technology exists; products so thin, so minimalist that you can't even see them! All you'll have to do is walk into an Apple store, look around at the ambiance (because you can't see the products), plunk down your cash and walk out with your new "Apple Super Air iThin Double-Pro", secure that you've purchased the best, most hip, bravest piece of equipment ever made - even though you can't actually see it or feel it...

 

[cBraunDesign]

Here's a thought. Take the 2015 MBP, switch out the mini display ports for TB3/USB-C, keep everything else the same, and stuff new chipsets inside and add 32GB of RAM. Bam. Perfect computer.

 

[ChrisChaval]

Bring back the glowing logo.

my thoughts exactly

why show it in the ad when they have almost killed it off

oh, I forgot, we got the touchbar now ..

 

[elppa]

The developer doesn't count, because they are forced to use an Apple machine to develop for iOS.

It is true that whilst the iOS market sufficiently large there will be companies willing to pay for iOS apps to be written and thus developers will follow the money. But I'd argue strongly the developer story for the Mac is far more important and nuanced than this simple equation.

Innovation, future directions and trends tend to emerge from enthusiasts, hobbyists, students, graduates, researchers and indie developers who can choose what they use, so Apple does need to be relevant and appeal to developers. There is also a large number of web platform developers who use the Macintosh and this follows through with some of the best tooling.

The platform is healthy not when developers have to build on it, but when they want to build for it.

 

[centauratlas]

I have to say that this seems as if Apple is neither self-aware nor aware of the Mac market any more.

Most of the rest of the comments above are spot-on, why advertise outdated machines? Sure, for a student it might be okay or for reading email, but for any type of pro market, they are obsolete.
[doublepost=1529072322][/doublepost]

Here's a thought. Take the 2015 MBP, switch out the mini display ports for TB3/USB-C, keep everything else the same, and stuff new chipsets inside and add 32GB of RAM. Bam. Perfect computer.

And give a 17" option. Then I'd agree with the "Bam".

 

[RogerWilco]

they are removing everything useful or nice (magsafe, USB-A, SD card reader, glowing logo, not replaceable or extendable SSD etc etc)) and creating something what many find terribe. I literally hate MBP 2016/17.

It's Jony Ive run amok and no one to rein in his brand of crazy. He has trashed the Mac, all the accessories, and be honest, do any of you really like the arbitrary nonsense he's inflicted on the iOS GUI? Please retire you old sot, and take Tim and Phil with you!

 

[LordVic]

So you would pay full price in 2018 for a 2010 generation car simply because it's new?
Honestly I don't think anybody would.

The Mac situation wouldn't be that bad if Apple would drop prices likes it's normal for computers that have outdated hardware.

this is what many "apologists" don't understand. Computer tech is still fairly quick moving, and within 6 months of release there is almost always something better / faster out there.

Almost every single computer company revises and updates their product lineups every 6 or so months, Discounting their previous models till they're sold, and keeping the new revisions at the "premium" price point

Apple does not do this. Apple will frequently go 2-4 years between revisions, WHILE keeping the price point high. Buying an Apple computer when the product launches, is not that bad. But after 6 months to a year, you're essentially paying "NEW" prices for technology that has been replaced. Sure the old tech might be enough for you, but if you're paying the premium top end price, you should be getting the latest technology. NOT just the technology that Apple deems is 'Good enough'

 

[ipponrg]

Case in point: the 32GB RAM option. Their refusal to go that route boils down to their design motivations that originate in thinness.

Not sure if I fully agree with this. I don't think most people need 32 GB RAM here. For example, on my PC gaming machine, I have 16 GB DDR4 with a Geforce 1080 Ti. I do video editing and high res gaming perfectly fine.

 

[Villarrealadrian]

...but how are they going to "make something wonderful" when the keyboard stops working?

With an external keyboard with a dongle ofcourse!

 

[LordVic]

Not sure if I fully agree with this. I don't think most people need 32 GB RAM here. For example, on my PC gaming machine, I have 16 GB DDR4 with a Geforce 1080 Ti. I do video editing and high res gaming perfectly fine.

The problem is. when you call a device "PRO" there needs to be the assumption that it's going to be configurable enough to account for a wider range of options than most consumer devices. Pro (to get away from the idea of work vs non work since work is pretty subjetive), generally means that the computer itself can scale to the workload that it is required to perform.

For many people, who want Apple computers, who need high end performance needs, 32gb might very well be a requirement. By not even providing this option (Even if it has battery life affects), Apple has put a ceiling on their "Pro" line that many who want/need 32gb cannot cross.

16gb is more than enough for gaming. I've yet to see an AAA title that will saturate that. But there is a tonne of enterprise, and even consumer software titles that will benefit tremendously from more RAM.

 

[gnipgnop]

this is what many "apologists" don't understand. Computer tech is still fairly quick moving, and within 6 months of release there is almost always something better / faster out there.

Misleading at best. "Better" these days is about performance-per-watt for the most part. That's due to the dominance of mobile computing + value of battery life as a sales tool. Need a monster GPU? Use the eGPU support.

 

[LordVic]

Misleading at best. "Better" these days is about performance-per-watt for the most part. That's due to the dominance of mobile computing + value of battery life as a sales tool. Need a monster GPU? Use the eGPU support.

Not just talking about raw performance. There are other benefits and updates that occur other than just CPU / GPU changes. Adding features like QuickSync, Updated chipsets for performance of peripherals and other support.

it's not JUST about performance per watt, else everything would keep getting the same ULV chip that you find in the MBA, which has a high performance per watt, but has a low maximum performance.

it's not a simpe "this is why" thing. That's why almost everyone else is doing 6month or shorter update cycles of at least some parts / internals. Tech changes daily.

 

[iwataasks]

See, even Grimes uses dongles

 

[szw-mapple fan]

It’s so rare to see an Apple ad with most of the focus on a older generation of products.

 

[buckwheet]

I have to admit, I'm among those sorely disappointed with the 2016 revision of the MacBook Pro. I bought the 15"/512gb out of sheer desperation. My mid-2012 had a failing GPU which had reached the point of arbitrarily blasting my ears with noise and spontaneously rebooting. I loved the machine, to be honest, but it had to be replaced. I seriously considered the 2015, but it felt ridiculous, to me, paying so much for old technology.
In many ways, I regret my decision. On the 2016, the keyboard is dodgy, with command-key, arrow-key, and spacebar all missing keystrokes routinely (and what's with the arrow-key design??—I can never find the up-key on my first attempt!... yes, I touch-type).
After two screen replacements (due to a very mysterious blotching in the corner), the third is now showing permanent damage from contact with the keys (yes, I clean the screen daily, and properly, but I also frequently carry it in my $250 Booq laptop bag, which apparently "causes" the damage... wtf???).
The ports are loose, so that the charger comes unplugged with the tiniest bit of movement, in some cases so subtly that I won't even notice without looking at the charge logo.
And finally, the (admittedly gorgeous) Space Grey finish is wearing off under the wrist area, making it look old and dilapidated (despite being less that 18-months in my possession). Absolutely pathetic. Awful, awful machine. And I say this as a professional musician who's used Macs since the early '90s. I'm not a "hater" by any stretch of the imagination, but I am very disappointed with my purchase.