Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Likely Aiming for Late October Launch of Redesigned MacBook Pro

Crazy Badger said:
Why would Intel be wanting a deal with Apple? It's not like Apple represents a huge share of the market, and I don't think it would come as a huge surprise in future years if Apple started using their own chips in some of their PC line-up.
Click to expand...

It worked in the past mostly because Apple positioned itself much differently, as a company for creative people, power users, professionals, which is (IMHO unfortunately) no longer the case. You are right and the market share is shrinking. With Tim Cook, I don't believe the company cares about computers anymore. Just look at the current portfolio of Macbooks, Mac Pros and Mac Minis and compare it with technologies available..

Very probably, using the A-line chips they use for iPads or similar and potentially switching to ARM from x86. There would be massive consequences for developers though so it might take a good few more years if it ever happens.
 
Bryan Bowler said:
Great point! Why on earth would Apple not include a lightning connector?
Click to expand...

Why would they include a lightning connector?
The real question is, how long will they continue to use the Lightning connector on iDevices now that there is a standard, USB-C (partly designed by Apple), that solves all the problems with Mini/Micro USB. Really, they should have switched to USB-C with the iPhone 7 before making everybody buy lightning headphones/adapters.

Bryan Bowler said:
Also, MagSafe has been the best thing EVER for laptops. Why on earth would they remove this?
Click to expand...

Because:
(a) laptops have got smaller & lighter and now can easily be pulled off the table by a magnet (heck, its not inbfallible with a larger laptop: my MBP 17" took a dirt nap because someone tripped over the cable wrong),
(b) laptops now have all-working-day battery life so you don't need to keep pugging them in at meetings etc.
(c) there is now a 'universal laptop charger' connection in the form of USB-C - lots of people will now charge via. a 3rd party USB-C docking station.

Val-kyrie said:
All USB-C is an example of uniformity but the need to use adapters for everything decries any claim to simplicity.
Click to expand...

Except we've never had anything quite like USB-C/TB3 before, that provides a first class connection for USB3, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, HDMI and power via a single, industry-standard connector that only needs passive cables and adapters. (Not sure if the recently announced HDMI-over-USB-C mode will be supported by the next wave of Macs, so that one might need an active DP-to-HDMI adapter - but they are already on the market - everything else is basically just a cable). There's already a better choice of USB-C cables and hubs than there ever was for Thunderbolt, and the prices are getting lower.

Short-term, yes, there will be a bit of adapter pain, but long-term the smart money is on USB-C becoming ubiquitous and, thing is, a major laptop brand like Apple going USB-C-or-bust will speed up that process - just like the original iMac helped kickstart the uptake of USB: PCs had dusty, unused USB ports for a year or so before the iMac, but since they also had RS232, Centronics, PS/2 etc. there was no real incentive to use them (or for MS to sort out the Win95 USB driver hell).

As for simple: I have a (fairly typical) PC motherboard which has one of each of DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and VGA sockets - great, huh - until you want to connect 2 HDMI screens and find out that none of the ports support adapters (because that's probably how they're implemented internally) and that there are arcane rules about which 2-3 of the 4 ports you can use together. The only connector its got more than one of is USB - and even then its a mix of USB 2 & 3. So, yeah, "I've got a new Mac so, to connect X I need a USB-C to X cable/adapter which will go into any free socket" is pretty simple.

That said - the leaked cases for the new rMBPs were the same basic shape, but slightly thinner, as the existing ones, so they haven't gone for an Air/rMB-style tapered design which is what really reduces the space for ports. Keeping MagSafe, a 3.5mm jack/optical socket and maybe one USB-A port wouldn't be a bad thing.
 
The sad fact is that Apple are a better mobile phone company than they've ever been a computer company. Even when Jobs was still at the helm. I can't see them abandoning the computer business, given their history, but it's likely to be an ever decreasing percentage of their overall profit. I don't see them replacing Intel any time soon, but when you see how the processing power of mobile chips has developed, it's not hard to imaging these eventually being fitted into the computer line up too. When a company describes their new tablet as a replacement for a PC, don't expect them to be setting the PC market alight!
 
  • Like
Reactions: mhuggett
jwdsail said:
What if I told you that wasn't even a headphone jack? What if I told you that it was yet another MagSafe connector shape/size?
Click to expand...

If true, I would cry for joy!


cult hero said:
As for the Kaby lake whining... it's not going to be ready for a MBP at launch, and the improvements in Kaby Lake over Skylake are... well... fairly trivial.
Click to expand...

Only in terms of the CPU. Kaby Lake iGPUs have much improved video decode / encode built into the hardware for cooler, longer-lasting operation.

Still don't get the complaints about adapters and people telling me and others what constitutes a "Pro" notebook. You're either on the move and entirely wireless or you're at a designated workspace and have some kind of something. I use a thunderbolt dock at work and at home. Everywhere else? I'm using it on my lap or at a desk. I don't need USB, ethernet, or video.

Seriously, what adapters, beyond MAYBE one do most people need while on the move?
Click to expand...

The inability to directly plug in USB thumb drives will be the greatest annoyance, followed by adapters for SD cards, headphones, and Ethernet. USB-C adapter cables are an additional expense, but they simply replace a cable I would have to carry anyway.

This is going to be nice. I'm hoping some of the limitations on Intel's current crop in terms of video for a dedicated GPU solution on the 13" MBPs. I doubt it, but that would be pretty nice.
Click to expand...

The gains in video performance only come with Kaby Lake. Sorry.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tomnavratil
WinstonRumfoord said:
If they drop the HDMI and SD card reader I will respond in kind by dropping my money on a non-mac laptop.
Click to expand...

I will use my current MBP as long as possible.
Dongle for this, that and the other thing.
The SD reader is a must for me. It's use it nearly every day. Donglization seems costly to the used. Fork over 2500+ for a he MBP then $100+ for dongles then cables.

I wonder if Apple care will cover USB-c ports
 
Crazy Badger said:
The sad fact is that Apple are a better mobile phone company than they've ever been a computer company. Even when Jobs was still at the helm. I can't see them abandoning the computer business, given their history, but it's likely to be an ever decreasing percentage of their overall profit. I don't see them replacing Intel any time soon, but when you see how the processing power of mobile chips has developed, it's not hard to imaging these eventually being fitted into the computer line up too. When a company describes their new tablet as a replacement for a PC, don't expect them to be setting the PC market alight!
Click to expand...
that's incorrect. My 2011 iMac is performing as if I bought it yesterday. I have never had a windows computer last this long.
 
  • Like
Reactions: navier, Ankaa and HenryDJP
dk808 said:
So they could get rid of old inventory?
Click to expand...
It doesn't make any sense since production of current generation MBP continues and thousands of customers switch to Surface pro 4 - IMHO much more attractive solution compare to 2 years old MBP for similar price. I can see it in my university. 2 years ago Apple was default choice for most professors. Now about 50% switched to SP 4. Good job Apple!
 
Crazy Badger said:
The sad fact is that Apple are a better mobile phone company than they've ever been a computer company. Even when Jobs was still at the helm. I can't see them abandoning the computer business, given their history, but it's likely to be an ever decreasing percentage of their overall profit. I don't see them replacing Intel any time soon, but when you see how the processing power of mobile chips has developed, it's not hard to imaging these eventually being fitted into the computer line up too. When a company describes their new tablet as a replacement for a PC, don't expect them to be setting the PC market alight!
Click to expand...

The PC market is dying though, Apple knows this hence the emphasis on mobile.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HenryDJP and citysnaps
I really don't understand all of those moans. Almost all "Late" MBPs have been released closely to the end of October. Just check Wiki for this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Saturn007
Rob_2811 said:
The PC market is dying though, Apple knows this hence the emphasis on mobile.
Click to expand...
That's just a narrative to sell more mobile gimmicks.
If you need to get work done, you need a decent monitor, a mouse and a good keyboard.
Reading social media or watching movies or YouTube doesn't require any modern device at all.
It's just marketing.

The PC is not dead, because people who work need a decent working environment.
Smaller and faster hardware does not always work well, because we are still the same human beings with big sausage fingers and bad eyesight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Adam Warlock, navier, stevekr and 4 others
theluggage said:
Why would they include a lightning connector?
The real question is, how long will they continue to use the Lightning connector on iDevices now that there is a standard, USB-C (partly designed by Apple), that solves all the problems with Mini/Micro USB. Really, they should have switched to USB-C with the iPhone 7 before making everybody buy lightning headphones/adapters.
Click to expand...
IMO, Apple will continue to use Lightning for as long as they can. Lightning does pretty much everything they need a smartphone charging cable to do. Plus, being proprietary, Apple has the freedom to modify Lightning to do whatever they may need Lightning to do in the future, because they don't need to play nice with the rest of the world. I would imagine that with an open standard like USB-C, Apple's hands would be even more tied with regards to how they want to implement it because there are standards they are obligated to adhere to.
 
MacRumos just copied the report of analist Rhoda Alexander, which appeared on monday. Stop acting like you have sources within Apple.
 
pmau said:
That's just a narrative to sell more mobile gimmicks.
If you need to get work done, you need a decent monitor, a mouse and a good keyboard.
Reading social media or watching movies or YouTube doesn't require any modern device at all.
It's just marketing.

The PC is not dead, because people who work need a decent working environment.
Smaller and faster hardware does not always work well, because we are still the same human beings with big sausage fingers and bad eyesight.
Click to expand...

No it isn't.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/13206e30-4ecf-11e6-88c5-db83e98a590a.html#axzz4LeeNwTPB

http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3373617

Have a look at this graph depicting PC sales since 2010 (which coincides with the explosion of mobile devices like Smartphones and Tablets).

Yes there are still some people who need a fully fledged computer but PC market worldwide has died a death since the start of the decade, to dismiss that as "just marketing" is burying your head in the sand I'm afraid.



dL3x-dB0BpsF19M3rL0ZCyRZytbdGsb-CZjBrsYbZII.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Branflaakes and cerberusss
Its about time. I didn't want to upgrade my MacBook Air to a Pro because of the release of a new MBP.

I'm glad I did. That was 10 months ago.
 
Well, I don't buy pre-assembled computers (except a Mac mini, but if Apple won't upgrade it, than bye!), just DIY components.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back