Apple shouldn't have released the "MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)"

[Yebubbleman]

This might be a weird topic to discuss and/or debate. But, with the "MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)" now out and with its immediate predecessor, the "MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)" discontinued and with said immediate predecessor's sister model [the "MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)"] still on sale for the time being (and likely until Spring 2021 at the very earliest), I'm thinking that Apple having updated the 2-port model still with the exact same innards and changing only the keyboard was kind of a crappy thing to do to consumers.

I know that's a weird thesis pitch, but hear me out.

- The 2020 4-ports model got a sizable internal upgrade from its 2019 predecessor on top of the Magic Keyboard+Escape key treatment. It got 10th Gen and better graphics (and a better cooling system too). Also, it was released in May and is still being sold currently (MacBook Pros typically have no less than an 8 month shelf life; these days it's often more, but that's still the minimum shelf life on average).

- The 2020 2-ports model is literally the exact same computer as the 2019 2-ports model from July 2019 (albeit likely with a firmware difference that disallows macOS Mojave), but with a better keyboard. Otherwise same ultra-low voltage and wattage 8th Gen Intel U-series processors as before. Lame.

- Apple HAD to have known that the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro was going to be the first "MacBook Pro" branded Mac to move to Apple Silicon at the time that they were gearing both 2020 Intel 13" MacBook Pros for sale. There's no way that they didn't plan out the 2020 Intel 2-port 13" MacBook Pro model's entire cycle when also preparing for its M1 replacement.

- Pretty much every review of the 2020 13" MacBook Pros (video and print) recommended against the 2-port model on grounds that the 4-port model was a substantially better value, and that's despite Apple fixing the keyboard (many of them panning the thermal situation as merely not being as good as the 4-port model, but also the fact that it's still 8th Gen in 2020).

- If Apple had only updated the 4-port 13" MacBook Pro this year, as they did, the reviews would still crap on the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro for not being changed enough (and still using the same 8th Gen chips as before), they'd have one more crack about how butterfly keyboard hasn't gone away, but they'd still recommend against it

- I'd make the same claim about the 2020 Intel MacBook Air, but at least Apple put out the first (and last) quad-core Intel MacBook Airs. They were at least trying to not recycle the 2019 version by using an 8th Gen Intel part (not that the 10th Gen Y-series was much better).

And even after all of these, the main reason I say that the 2020 Intel 2-port MacBook Pro shouldn't have come out at all is that Apple pretty much used it to lure people to this machine, knowing full well that the M1 version was right around the corner. If they had just left the 2019 model up for sale, people would've either:

(a) Gravitated toward the 4 Port Intel model (scoring a win for Apple in getting the customer to spend more)

(b) Waited until the M1 model replaced the 2019 model (in this hypothetical) to buy that (scoring a win for the customer AND for Apple)

(c) just bought the 2019 model not really caring (win-win for Apple and the customer, at least until the butterfly keyboard crapped out)

Plus the 2020 M1-based 2-port 13" MacBook Pro (in this hypothetical), adopting the same Magic keyboard treatment as the 4-port Intel model would've been seen as finally completing the transition away from the butterfly keyboard, even further scoring it a win (though maybe that would've further highlighted the fact that it's still a 2-port model and that what we all want is more I/O).

Whereas now, I feel bad for anyone who bought the 2020 Intel 2-port 13" MacBook Pro who didn't explicitly need anything that was Intel specific (Boot Camp, x86 virtualization, or low power apps that still don't translate well via Rosetta 2 and likely won't ever get updated). Especially those that did so because the contemporary Intel Air wasn't performant enough (and had thermal issues). I think Apple cheated those that bought this machine on those pretenses. If they had just kept the 2019 model on sale until this exact same set of 2-port M1 models replaced it, then there wouldn't be that problem.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my totally besides the point TED Talk! Cheers!

 

[wytwolf]

While it sucks for anyone who purchased the 2020 2TB MBP now that the M1's are out, the 2020 was a better laptop when compared to the 2019. I agree most of the components are the same between the 2 intel's so no speed difference but Apple wanted too cut ties with the butterfly keyboard and also increased the base storage for the same price.

Who know's, the 2020 intel's were probably a stop gap between the 2019's and M1's because the M1's production as delayed due to Covid. Ifixit has confirmed the M1 MBP's internal look very similar to the 2020 intel version. Basically only the logic board is different and that was not drastic. (memory and T2 chip were all consolidated to the SOC) and the rest basically remained the same.

 

[smbu2000]

Well they should still perform fairly well, plus you do get the updated keyboard. It was probably easier for Apple to just update both models (and the MBA) and make their whole lineup have Magic Keyboards.
The 2020 2TB MBP was a minor upgrade from the 2019 model, but the 8th gen 4core CPUs still perform well. I have two (4TB) 2018 MBPs with 8th gen 4core CPUs and I've had no problems with them performance wise for most tasks.

I'd imagine the people who bought the 2TB MBPs are using them for basic tasks and for that they should serve their purpose very well.

Apple also upgraded the base storage on the 2TB MBP from 128GB on the 2019 model to 256GB on the 2020 model in addition to upgraded keyboard.
Just because they released the M1 versions doesn't make the "old" intel one obsolete.

 

[Yebubbleman]

While it sucks for anyone who purchased the 2020 2TB MBP now that the M1's are out, the 2020 was a better laptop when compared to the 2019. I agree most of the components are the same between the 2 intel's so no speed difference but Apple wanted too cut ties with the butterfly keyboard and also increased the base storage for the same price.

Who know's, the 2020 intel's were probably a stop gap between the 2019's and M1's because the M1's production as delayed due to Covid. Ifixit has confirmed the M1 MBP's internal look very similar to the 2020 intel version. Basically only the logic board is different and that was not drastic. (memory and T2 chip were all consolidated to the SOC) and the rest basically remained the same.

The main reasons why I say that the 2020 Intel 2-port 13" MacBook Pros shouldn't have come out is that (a) every review still bashed them, despite the fact that they dropped the butterfly keyboard, and recommended the 4-port version instead, (b) Apple released this version knowing full well that they'd be replacing it in six months with the M1 variant, so, (c) it was hoping to lure people into buying a computer that they didn't realize would get replaced by a night and day better version that was likely way more future-proof all on the pretense of it fixing the keyboard they should've never designed/engineered to begin with. Otherwise, they could've left the 2019 model alone until the M1 model and let consumers decide if they're going to stick with a 2019 model or wait until an Apple Silicon one came out that finally completed the transition away from butterfly. Were there any other differences between the 2019 model and the 2020 model, I'd be thinking differently on this. Again, I give them a pass for effectively doing the same thing with the MacBook Air, as they at least moved from 8th gen to 10th gen there and TRIED to improve performance (despite failing to do so enough).

Well they should still perform fairly well, plus you do get the updated keyboard. It was probably easier for Apple to just update both models (and the MBA) and make their whole lineup have Magic Keyboards.
The 2020 2TB MBP was a minor upgrade from the 2019 model, but the 8th gen 4core CPUs still perform well. I have two (4TB) 2018 MBPs with 8th gen 4core CPUs and I've had no problems with them performance wise for most tasks.

I'd imagine the people who bought the 2TB MBPs are using them for basic tasks and for that they should serve their purpose very well.

I'm not saying that they won't perform adequately for those that have them and who don't push their computer with heavy tasks. They're better than any Mac I currently own (for the time being). Nor am I saying that the Magic Keyboard isn't an improvement over the butterfly keyboard. I'm saying that they don't perform any better than their immediate predecessors and therefore the keyboard is the only difference. So, someone that might not have wanted the 2019 model got the (Intel based) 2020 model thinking that magic keyboard was enough to change their mind on a 2-port model, only to get screwed way more than usual in terms of longevity and performance by not waiting six months. Not saying that their 2020 Intel 2-port models are invalid or no longer good. But if the things that make Intel preferable don't apply to that user, than that user effectively got penalized for not waiting 6 months (which is WAY shorter than the 10 months between the 2019 2-port 13" and its 2020 Intel successor, let alone the 2 years and 1 month between the 2017 2-port 13" and the 2019 2-port 13" [which was its direct replacement]). It's not like Apple doesn't have a history of waiting with that particular model much longer than its 4-port sibling.

Apple also upgraded the base storage on the 2TB MBP from 128GB on the 2019 model to 256GB on the 2020 model in addition to upgraded keyboard.

That IS nice. But they could've given the 2019 model that spec bump and it would've been much more fair. They've done that before (hell, they did it to the 21.5" iMac and the Intel Mac mini this year). It would've also been a clear signal to those that follow these things that another shoe is about to drop. Sure, that entails a little bit of Osborne effect, but not more than Apple has done in the past and is currently doing, and not enough to deter anyone who otherwise wasn't in the know about how lame Apple's butterfly keyboards were.

Just because they released the M1 versions doesn't make the "old" intel one obsolete.

I'm not saying the Intel one is obsolete. I'm saying that someone looking to buy a new 2-port 13" MacBook Pro in 2020 might've done so earlier and got a way less powerful machine that will lose support way faster. Apple not updating that model's predecessor (with identical under-the-hood specs) wouldn't have stopped people from buying it anyway. But updating it likely enticed more people to buy it rather than waiting for its M1 based successor.