Apple Planning USB-C iMac and Faster Notebooks in 2017, Mac Pro and Touch Bar Magic Keyboard in Question

[melendezest]

Damn it, Apple.

The Touch Bar was a waste of time, but now you'll keep going that route because you're stupid and (the most) stubborn (of ALL).

YOU ALREADY HAVE A VIABLE TOUCH-BASED OS. No need for BS half-measures like this. Just give iOS more power-user features (filesystem, mouse support, etc.) and throw it onto consumer laptops, iPads, 2-in-ones, and the iMac.

Leave OS X alone and build a proper Mac Pro and MBPs and put it there. Boom. Done. Loyal fans 'till death.

Microsoft has successfully integrated touch and mouse. Underestimate them at your 1984 peril.

 

[IxRich]

What I'd like to see. A return to the old form factor for Mac Pro.

The trash can Mac Pro is absolutely useless. I won't be replacing my 2008 model until they go back to the more sensible design. I don't want a box with bits and pieces hanging out of it, looking more like a mangled body after a car accident, than a computer.

 

[pat500000]

But he did crack down on those iPhone leaks, just as he promised.

No, wait...

Public stunt

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

Americans don't want to do factory work. We're a first-world white-collar country now.

Tim Cook is smart enough to know this.

Sorry. But who do you think elected the carnival-barker? The picture-perfect demagogue leveraging the downturn of the middle class.

 

[melendezest]

I've said this many times. If Apple loses me as a Mac user they've lost me as an iOS user as well. I will move on. I'm already starting to look at alternatives.

For me it's the reverse. My entire family left iOS (on the phone front). We all have Galaxy devices (Note 3, 2 Note 5's, 2 GS7 Edge).

I have 3 Macs but those will NEVER get replaced with current Macs, unless Apple changes directions.

Which means there is f'in Windows or DIY Linux in my future. Not looking forward to it, but I ain't buying sealed computers, EVER.

 

[asiga]

If I were Macrumors, I'd give more weight to the Bloomberg article and less to the volatile words from Tim Cook. That Bloomberg article is the kind of slap in the face that Apple deserves, and I really hope more business media help to describe the Mac situation to the public.

Please a true Mac Pro again. It's a nearly zero investment, as it could be built from COTS parts. That, or release MacOS to be used in third party machines, like in the days of NeXTSTEP. If MacOS cannot be used in powerful desktops, there's no future to the Mac (except perhaps minor use as iOS SDK machines).

 

[TurboPGT!]

Well that's me told then! I remember when Steve Balmer said something about nobody wanting a phone that doesn't have a physical keyboard...

Ok so this is your response, instead offering interesting counterpoints to the arguments.

You're just like every member here. "I Want This!" and you offer no professional OR amateur insight into how its possible. You just "gimme" and you don't care whats doable/practical/desirable and whats not.
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If I were Macrumors, I'd give more weight to the Bloomberg article and less to the volatile words from Tim Cook. That Bloomberg article is the kind of slap in the face that Apple deserves, and I really hope more business media help to describe the Mac situation to the public.

Please a true Mac Pro again. It's a nearly zero investment, as it could be built from COTS parts. That, or release MacOS to be used in third party machines, like in the days of NeXTSTEP. If MacOS cannot be used in powerful desktops, there's no future to the Mac (except perhaps minor use as iOS SDK machines).

Or not.

 

[melendezest]

The Air moniker needs to die. I think the ideal lineup would be:

Consumer/Mainstream users where thin and light is preferred to power
12" MacBook starting at $999 or $1,099
14" MacBook starting at $1,299

Pro/Power users where portability is a factor, but performance is the priority
13" MacBook Pro starting at $1,499
15" MacBook Pro starting at $1,999

See, I don't believe the issue is price, although that can be a factor.

The issue is that the hardware sucks. HARD.

I'd pay Razer Blade Pro money for an equivalent MBP.

And maxed-out Surface Studio money for an equivalent, even iOS-based iMac (as long as they soup-up iOS a bit).

And ridiculous Mac Pro money for a 2012 Mac Pro-style modern Mac, where all they needed to do was take the optical out (to make it smaller), and update it with modern ports, newer GCs (maybe 2 on the BTO), and latest Processor chips and RAM.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Apple designed S1 to be cheap. It's a simple ARM processor that can cost under 10 USD to make. It will run it's own OS. And putting touchID to the Ultra Magic Touch Keyboard it is not a challenge at all.

Apple will sell it for 199 USD.

Explain how putting Touch ID on a frigging accessory is not problem at all. They wouldn't, and you'll see that proven over time.

 

[pat500000]

Initially after SJ passed I believe he was, and tried hard to uphold that. It was the COO in him that sent him down. Tim could never come up with ideas like SJ and he rightly knew that. However, he was now the CEO. People expected Tim to be another SJ. He really never stopped being a COO, even to this day. I for one look forward to the day ( along time from now) when Scott writes a book about his time at Apple, and why he was pushed out along with others. I have suspicions but they will need to wait. IMO, He would have been the Creative Spark Apple is lacking. But, that's just my opinion.

So, Tim keeps talking the talk, but starts to no longer be able to walk the walk. We see this really come apart after the 5 yr plan was up. I don't think Tim deliberately Lies to customers. I do think he portrays things based as a COO. Stock Value, Market Cap, personally still obsessed with Channel Inventory in a way a COO is, not a CEO.

So, don't think of him as "Not Keeping his Word." He is, in the way he views what he thinks you want to hear. It's Apple 2016. No changes until he is gone. Good chance 2017 will be his last Holiday Season with Apple. One can only hope.

I hear you what you're saying, but benefitting the investor is one thing, but making moves to discourage Mac users shouldn't be taken lightly..,,especially those people who use macs like Mac Pro needing appropriate upgrades for work and etc. soldering macs and promoting behavior as "anti-consumerism" shouldn't be tolerated. I'm against anti-consumerism and this isn't aimed at only Apple but other companies like Microsoft.
When Tim told his employees about Macs in the future, I hope to see more than just mbp and iMacs.

By the way, what gives you the impression that he's leaving?

 

[Altis]

LOLOL.

I don't know why I read these forums anymore. It littered with nonsense like this.

Nonsensical is selling the 3+ year old Mac Pro at full price.

Or leaving the Mini as dual-core mobile CPU while soldering all the parts on.

Or having a desktop have to throttle the CPU because it was made to be so thin that it can't cool enough, and has a mobile GPU to boot.

Or having to replace your entire computer and monitor just to replace any one part, such as wanting a bigger/faster SSD, because everything is soldered on.

Or having to choose between 2 screen sizes/ratios (one of which is tiny) for a desktop. If you want any other screen size/ratio/type, you need the underwhelming Mini or the overpriced and massively outdated Pro.

To paraphrase you, I don't know why anyone bothers with Apple's desktop lineup anymore; it's littered with nonsensical compromises.

 

[TurboPGT!]

Nonsensical is selling the 3+ year old Mac Pro at full price.

Or leaving the Mini as dual-core mobile CPU while soldering all the parts on.

Or having a desktop have to throttle the CPU because it was made to be so thin that it can't cool enough, and has a mobile GPU to boot.

Or having to replace your entire computer and monitor just to replace any one part, such as wanting a bigger/faster SSD, because everything is soldered on.

Or having to choose between 2 screen sizes/ratios (one of which is tiny) for a desktop. If you want any other screen size/ratio/type, you need the underwhelming Mini or the overpriced and massively outdated Pro.

To paraphrase you, I don't know why anyone bothers with Apple's desktop lineup anymore; it's littered with nonsensical compromises.

I have no problems with any of these things because they are not real problems. They are imagined problems.

Even the Mac Pro. If people were lining up to buy it, there would be a new version, even if it were a modest upgrade.

 

[Altis]

I find it funny that you mention this as it's what finally broke the camels back for me with windows 10. my gaming tower would randomly turn itself back on.

Question -- were you using DisplayPort cable for your monitor?

I had the same problem and it ended up being power to one of the pins that should not have been there.

 

[Altis]

I have no problems with any of these things because they are not real problems. They are imagined problems.

Even the Mac Pro. If people were lining up to buy it, there would be a new version, even if it were a modest upgrade.

Imagined problems? Take a good look around the forum, especially the Mini subforum. I've given you a bunch of problems with the current Mac desktop lineup -- reasons why people have been long questioning if Apple is ditching the desktop segment altogether.

Maybe people would be lining up to buy them if Apple put out some better/up to date hardware without so many compromises.

 

[xgman]

Q3 2016 Revenue
Mac 12%
ipad 12%
iphone 57%
services 14%

I'm actually surprised mac is as much as 12%. And out of that 12%, I'm assuming the vast majority of it is macbook.

 

[Bacillus]

Q3 2016 Revenue
Mac 12%
ipad 12%
iphone 57%
services 14%

I'm actually surprised mac is as much as 12%. And out of that 12%, I'm assuming the vast majority of it is macbook.

Congrats everybody !
We seem to have reached the postPC era's post-phase ...

 

[monty77]

Well I've jumped.

My 2016 MacBook never worked properly. Anything external via USB-C was flaky in the extreme so it forced me to take another look at Windows. Just purchased a Dell 7370 (16Gb, m7, 512Gb, QHD touch, carbon) which cost £700 less (outlet pricing admittedly) than the Macbook equivalent. It's a little larger/heavier but the trade is a 13" touch screen (which is more useful than you'd think) and 16Gb memory which you cannot get on the MacBook at any price. It also has a decent array of ports, fingerprint scanner (which works great) and USB-C which works flawlessly. Considered the XPS 13 but it felt cheap somehow and quite a bit heavier.

Apple still have my iOS business but the PC offerings have gone down the pan with regards to value (always expensive, I get that but recent prices are insane even for this brand) and quality.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Holding my breath........

Don't, you are going to die!

 

[Phoenixx]

Apple, for its part, told employees it has "great desktops" in its roadmap. Cook said the desktop is "very strategic" to Apple because the performance desktops can provide is "really important" to a lot of people and "critical" for others.

Tim Cook is so full of crap. The performance of Apple desktops has always been rubbish. Only the Mac Pro and seriously upgraded iMac even come close to a computer with decent specs. The iMac line is made largely out of LAPTOP PARTS, and suffers from overheating due to Apple's obsession with thinness.

 

[Gijsh]

Apple is preparing modest updates to its Mac lineup for next year, including new iMac models with USB-C ports and new AMD graphics chips, and "minor bumps" in processing power for 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro models, according to Bloomberg.KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo likewise said new iMacs will launch in the first half of 2017 in a research note shared earlier this year, while current iMac models have not been updated in 434 days per our Mac Buyer's Guide, so updates to Apple's consumer desktop lineup would be unsurprising. USB-C ports on new iMacs would likely double as Thunderbolt 3 ports akin to the new MacBook Pro.

Apple designers are also said to be exploring standalone keyboards with a Touch Bar and Touch ID for desktop computers. The report claims Apple will decide whether to release the keyboards depending upon how well the touchscreen strip and fingerprint scanner are received on new MacBook Pro models released a few months ago. Apple's current Magic Keyboard was released in October 2015.

Meanwhile, some Apple engineers have reportedly raised the possibility of moving Mac Pro production back to Asia, as these people believe the supply chain workers have the "required skills" for "ambitious" products. Apple currently assembles the Mac Pro in Texas as its only "Made in USA" computer, but the professional-oriented desktop machine has not been updated in three years.President-elect Donald Trump recently said he will offer Apple incentives to bring manufacturing back to the United States, including a "very large tax cut" and reduced regulations. Apple CEO Tim Cook himself has said the majority of its products are made in China because the U.S. workforce has a smaller number of individuals with the "vocational kind of skills" needed.

Overall, the article suggests the Mac is "getting far less attention than it once did," partly due to "a lack of clear direction from senior management, departures of key people working on Mac hardware, and technical challenges."

Apple, for its part, told employees it has "great desktops" in its roadmap. Cook said the desktop is "very strategic" to Apple because the performance desktops can provide is "really important" to a lot of people and "critical" for others. He says the current iMac is the best desktop Apple's ever made and its 5K display is the best desktop display in the world. The fate of the Mac Pro and Mac mini is less clear.

Article Link: Apple Planning USB-C iMac and Faster Notebooks in 2017, Mac Pro and Touch Bar Magic Keyboard in Question

Does this mean we will also get a new magic mouse early 2017?? Just bought one??

 

[patrickbarnes]

We bought 2 nMP's ($5k+ each) and they're both lemons. All sorts of USB power, DisplayPort, wake from sleep, etc issues.

Time to move the manufacturing back to China where they can actually make decent electronics.

I'll stick to iMacs from now on. At least they're basically disposable, and you can buy one every 2 years for the price of a nMP over 5 years.

 

[Phoenixx]

Much as I love my Mac when the time comes will seriously look at returning to Windows. Don't see value for money in a Mac as it stands.

Agreed. I use both. People used to buy a Mac and it would last for a LONG time, but this is no longer the case. With all the upgradeability striped away, my Macbook Pro and iMac (both 2013) are now really beginning to show their age, while my Windows machine from 2011 is the fastest and most powerful computer in the household (it's also the oldest other than a couple of legacy Macs that are no longer in use). I expect to get 2-3 years of use out of my Macs, before they become so slow that they aren't worth bothering with anymore. The Windows machine, by contrast, rarely uses more than 20% of its CPU ability, and is capable of rendering graphics better than a Mac Pro due to a recent graphics card update; I expect it to last far longer than my Macs.

 

[steve333]

Is this supposed to impress anyone?
Like I said before, no Mini =no Apple.
Tim Cook is a jackass
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Americans don't want to do factory work. We're a first-world white-collar country now.

Tim Cook is smart enough to know this.

I hope you're being sarcastic

 

[DesterWallaboo]

As much as I love the iMacs... Apple needs to dump AMD and move to Nvidia for their chipsets. Right now all design acceleration is geared towards Nvidia-powered apps. Not a whole lot going on via the AMD side of things. We lose too much by not having CUDA support under AMD.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

They don't have the requisite skills.

Oh really, and how did the Chinese workers get those skills?