Nonsense.
Apple is responsible (and to blame) for the type
and number of ports that appear on its designs.
PS - take better care of your cables.
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Apple Said to Release New Entry-Level 13-inch MacBook This Year, Likely Replacing MacBook Air
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Nonsense.
Apple is responsible (and to blame) for the type
and number of ports that appear on its designs.
PS - take better care of your cables.
Intel designed Thunderbolt 3 and chose to use the USB-C connector. Don’t blame Apple for Intel’s design decisions. (Suddenly you’re talking about port choice and not about “cramming” Thunderbolt into USB, but that’s not the subject that I was responding to).
PS. Taking “better care” of cables doesn’t help poor design. I’ve never had that issue with other cables.
But never did those ports come with a reduction in other ports. You always had mini-DVI, or mini-VGA *in additon* to USBA or Firewire, it was never, lets get rid of all the ports and replace it with one. We've only had one connector that tried to replace every other before and that was USBA which replaced Serial, Parallel and Firewire (3.0 eventually replaced eSATA as well). But USBA is everywhere now. On all your cars and accessories. Those all have to change to USBC now. And never did USBA try to carry video. Video went through an array of connectors starting from S-Video and VGA then to DVI then to HDMI and DP and now to T3. Combining data and video into one universal connection is a huge deal and will take time to implement.
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Of course it will take time to implement, but Apple wants to prod the market along. Legacy ports hang around for so long because no one wants to drop support for them. There is no good reason why new PCs shipping in 2018 should have VGA ports (the latest and greatest from 1987) yet many Windows PCs do.
Indeed I was talking about Apple's port decisions.
I think USB-C/TB3 is a fine replacement/upgrade for any TB2 port.
MacBook and MacBook Pro:
==================
Apple chose to remove USB-A and offer only USB-C ports.
That means customers need a dongle to plug in standard USB-A devices.
Bad for customers
iMac
============
Apple chose to include both USB-A and USB-C ports.
That means customers can use whichever port suits them.
Good for customers.
All is well. Carry on.
I would say that Thunderbolt eventually replaced FireWire since the protocols are more similar, and they started combining ports with Thunderbolt by using the mDP connector. Then Intel decided to use USB-C alternate mode for Thunderbolt 3, plus USB-C supports power delivery, making USB-C a viable replacement for every port, and I think we’ll see more and more computers using it (especially since Intel dropped their licence fees for computer manufacturers). PC manufacturers love legacy ports (serial and parallel are still common) so they won’t transition like Apple, which always eliminated legacy ports.
This is true, but it also makes USBC a very confusing port. Every company should indicate whether their USBC port is T3, or supports DP only or PD or is just a regular data port. I've owned laptops since 2003 and I'm confused by this, just think about the average consumer.
the MBA design and feature wise is an excellent value for an Apple laptop, despite a few extremely outdated flaws (that 2011 era display)
But my fear when rumours start about its replacement is that anything new Apple will release will go the MacBook / MacBook Pro route
A few updates that are wanted, a few changes that will make the experience less enjoyable to use (dongles, scissor keyboard), and as almost every single other Apple product under Cook, a price increase.
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But my fear when rumours start about its replacement is that anything new Apple will release will go the MacBook / MacBook Pro route
A few updates that are wanted, a few changes that will make the experience less enjoyable to use (dongles, scissor keyboard), and as almost every single other Apple product under Cook, a price increase.
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It should, but that price differential.
A new 13 inch is not needed. What is needed is 14 or 15 inch with the lightness of the Macbook (read: the weight of a 15 inch LG Gram but with the quality of the Macbook).
On the other endpoint a heavier 17 inch MBP with 8-16GB NVIDIA GPU is also needed.
Prices are right, no need for lowering them. What is not right is the lack of compatible USB ports.
On the other endpoint a heavier 17 inch MBP with 8-16GB NVIDIA GPU is also needed.
Prices are right, no need for lowering them. What is not right is the lack of compatible USB ports.
It's 2018! No new devices should include the old USB type A ports! The industry needs to move on and there's nothing stopping you from buying a USB type A to type C converter for your old stuff.
But why drop USB type A completely? There's a difference between moving on and telling the majority of your users that they are wrong. They know they need USB-A, who are you to decide? You can have both USB-C and USB-A on the same computer, I don't get this nonsense of dropping USB-A completely.
And converters wouldn't be a problem on a desktop computer because the ports are behind, who cares. But converters are troublesome for a laptop since the laptop is supposed to be the only thing you carry.
If the industry didn't push new standards, they'd never be adopted by the masses.
Then why have everything plugged into it? Chances are that you already needed adapters because of different display standards, the need to plug into Ethernet at a client, etc.
There are a lot of portable USB-C hubs with pass-through charging now. I have one with 3 USB-A, Ethernet, HDMI and SD all in a package the size of an iPhone SE. It’s very convenient and perfect as a portable “docking station.”
The price differential is something that Apple made up to increase their profits. They increased prices of all MacBook Pros by $300 starting in 2016 without any reason for it (oh wait, actually taking away things like the charger extension cables). They could definitely lower it to $999 and their profits wont suffer at all since they are selling $1k iphones now
Absolutely
Apples current pricing model is aimed to appease share holders. Not consumers. Apple aims for specific profit margins and factor those into the cost, instead of pricing at market levels, and earning similar profits to their competitors.
Look at their PC revenues from last quarter.
Record revenues, despite volume of sales continuous decline over a two year period (in line with most of the industry)
You don’t earn more profit and revenues by selling less products without significant markup. The Apple tax Is back friends. It’s like the 90s all over again
Actually, sales volumes have continued to climb albeit slower over the last 2 years. They're selling more Macs at a higher per unit price. Their gross margin across all sectors is 38% but that could be 300% on a cable and 20% on a Mac, nobody knows. It's higher than the rest of the industry, absolutely, but the rest of the industry hasn't got thousands of shops for sales and services, neither do they provide their own OS and chips.
Their profits on dongles and cables should definitely be more than before for sure. I don't like to argue the 'Steve would have never approved of this' but its very telling that currently, you cannot connect your iPhone to your MacBook Pro with the cables that you get out of the box from both devices.
I agree ... as consultants and former Apple resellers, we absolutely hate the MacBook ... it is overpriced and underpowered and what moron thinks a laptop with a single port to be used for everything including charging is a good idea? Granted, you can purchase a hub, but that negates the point of small and portable. The MacBook Air allows our clients to maintain compatibility with their "old" (usually by only a few months) printers, Time Machine drives, etc., without having to shell out $30-40 for more freakin' dongles. Plus, it's the only Apple portable where they haven't been mind-numbingly stupid enough to remove the MagSafe adapter.
I would like to see Apple continue to have a full line-up of reliable entry-level consumer devices. Their current line-up is:
Laptop: MacBook Air
Desktop: Mac Mini
Tablet: iPad 2017 (5th Gen)
Phone: iPhone SE
Watch: AW Series 1
To attract new people to their ecosystem, the Laptop and Desktop need to be updated. They are overdue. The MBA is the quintessential college laptop, and Apple needs to continue to attract these consumers to their brand.....I would think this is an important long term strategy.
The rMB is targeted to the ultra-portable market, and it's just not an everyday consumer laptop. The rMB is terrific, but a little too niche and expensive with compromises for extreme portability. The MacBook Pro is targeted to the "Pro" market.....whatever that means...... I suspect most office workers could easily handle all of their documents and databases on a base MBA. Finally, both the rMB and MBP suffer from keyboard failures and reliability problems. Sorry, they are just too temperamental and expensive to qualify as good old everyday entry-level laptops.
Anyway, I would like to see Apple continue to offer a Laptop targeted to the entry level $999 price point.
Laptop: MacBook Air
Desktop: Mac Mini
Tablet: iPad 2017 (5th Gen)
Phone: iPhone SE
Watch: AW Series 1
To attract new people to their ecosystem, the Laptop and Desktop need to be updated. They are overdue. The MBA is the quintessential college laptop, and Apple needs to continue to attract these consumers to their brand.....I would think this is an important long term strategy.
The rMB is targeted to the ultra-portable market, and it's just not an everyday consumer laptop. The rMB is terrific, but a little too niche and expensive with compromises for extreme portability. The MacBook Pro is targeted to the "Pro" market.....whatever that means...... I suspect most office workers could easily handle all of their documents and databases on a base MBA. Finally, both the rMB and MBP suffer from keyboard failures and reliability problems. Sorry, they are just too temperamental and expensive to qualify as good old everyday entry-level laptops.
Anyway, I would like to see Apple continue to offer a Laptop targeted to the entry level $999 price point.
The only thing the Air really needs is an improved screen.
For those of us who intentionally have chosen the Macbook Air over the Macbook Pro or retina Macbook, it looks like it is going to be the end of the road. Magsafe and traditional ports are not important for most, but those handful of us who rely on them, Apple is leaving us with no option.
Dongles and adapters are a workaround, not a preferred option. Transporting a Macbook with dongles/adapters attached can cause damage to the port and/or adapter and give it something to snag on when inserting and removing the Macbook from a sleeve or bag.
My 2014 11" MBA (aka, the little notebook that could) is going to have to last me a long time. Thankfully it is extremely well-made.
Dongles and adapters are a workaround, not a preferred option. Transporting a Macbook with dongles/adapters attached can cause damage to the port and/or adapter and give it something to snag on when inserting and removing the Macbook from a sleeve or bag.
My 2014 11" MBA (aka, the little notebook that could) is going to have to last me a long time. Thankfully it is extremely well-made.
It's kind of all tied together though.
the more volume the device has, the more battery they can fit in. THe more battery they can fit in, the more weight they will have.
so it's a trade off. The smaller and lighter an object, the smaller and lighter the battery.
if you're just going to a make a device thicker, but leave all that space empty, it's just a poor use of space that can be used to create an extra benefit, as bigger batteries can improve battery life dramatically.
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Coke brought back CocaCola Classic because the change hurt them financial as people stopped drinking coke.
Unless people stop purchasing Apple products as a message to the board, Nothing will be re-added as they've proven that removing magsafe wasn't enough to hurt them.
its PURELY about money.
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So the universal standard port of USB-A that exists on virtuallly every consumer, enterprise and even some really bizarre uses like factory equipment today should just be... cut off at the knees because... Apple said so?It's 2018! No new devices should include the old USB type A ports! The industry needs to move on and there's nothing stopping you from buying a USB type A to type C converter for your old stuff.
the USB-A port (aside from thunderbolt where available) provides identical bandwithc and capabilities as the USB-C port.
I love the USB-C port. It WILL replace USB-A. but right now, while everyone is using USB-A as the absolute standard, a device without USB-A is going to have inherent flaw of needing adapters and dongles to be as useful as a device with a mix.
Apple could have EASILY put a single USB-A port on the new MacBook Pro. Considering that on the lower end models, the USB-C ports on one side don't have enough PCI-E lanes for full THunderbolt anyways, the requirement of all USB-C was absolutely a business decision and NOT a practical one. IN your day to day life around the house, you might be fine going out and replacing all your USB-A chords and dveices with USB-C one, But tell enterprises that with millions of dollars in server infrastructure that uses, guess what, USB-A that their ports are obsolete and should replace all their hardware just to be compatible with your laptop
The industry will move on. When it's ready. first you provide devices that offer BOTH options so that there's a bridge period. And when people realize the convenience of the new port and devices, they'll move on their own. will it be oven right? no, but most of the time in technology, it isn't overnight and can take years to happen.
Apple wants to push faster because it's financially beneficial to them. not because it's better fro the industry as a whole right now.
The big problem with USB-C that many do have is that, without THunderbolt 3 and reversability,, USB-C doesn't actually offer any benefits over USB-A as they are both capable of carrying (at least currently) the same USB-3.1 standards.
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Note however that the lack of compatible USB ports is only a minor point in my post. If I had considered it critical, I would have written it at the beginning of the post rather than at the end (and even then, I used it just as an example of things that aren’t right, in comparison with the prices, which are right IMHO)It's 2018! No new devices should include the old USB type A ports! The industry needs to move on and there's nothing stopping you from buying a USB type A to type C converter for your old stuff.
Agreed, and I have no doubt the $999 price point will continue. MBA could definitely use an update, but I don’t think it will be just a slightly larger version of the 12” MacBook, which is what calling it a 13” MacBook implies.
I suppose a new Air could get a 5W Y-series later this year if Intel can get 10nm viable for production, if performance would be similar to the current Air. But I can’t imagine there’s any way it could match the Air's highest performing CPU, the 2.2/3.1 GHz 5650U. So I really don’t think 5W CPUs can cut it.
The article goes a little sideways with talk of OLED and ARM (since the Air replacement is supposed to be released later this year) but ok. An OLED screen that Apple would be satisfied with would probably add $400 or more to the price, so I think that’s at least a couple of years away for MBP. So yeah Apple “eventually” will use OLED in MBP, but when? 2021 might be a good guess.
ARM is also several years away, assuming Apple decides to do that. It wouldn’t happen near soon enough for an Air replacement; performance (especially single core) isn’t where it needs to be, regardless of what geekbench may lead some to think.
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Yes. Apple were the first, but Dell and everyone else are now following suit, see Dell's latest 13" flagship below:
https://mashable.com/2018/01/05/dell-xps-13-2018-hands-on/#AnnqTgvH0kq5
You always move forward in this game. Always.