Apple to Release New MacBook Pro and Air as Early as October, AMD iMacs and 5K Display With LG Also in Works

[Abazigal]

Uhm... lots and lots of people - a majority - use a mouse with a cord attached daily.
I think all of them would be ready to swear that it's better than no mouse at all, especially if they have actual work to do.

So, in the choice between "no mouse" and "mouse with a cord", "mouse with a cord" wins.
"Mouse with a cord" means enhanced productivity over "no mouse".

Now, Apple could have given you "mouse with a cord", but did not.

Why? Only one possible answer: to make the mouse prettier instead of more useful.

And you have the option of getting a corded, non-Apple mouse and using it should you so desire.

This is Apple we are talking about. Apple abhors cords. They sell you a wireless mouse precisely so it can be used without being plugged in (save for the initial pairing and when recharging).

So the choice here isn't cord or no cord. With Apple, it's always "no wires as much as possible). With Apple, it's "how can I preserve the aesthetic aspect of the product without compromising on usability too much?"

That's the whole point of going with Apple products - that they look great and work great. That design is at least accorded as much attention as engineering. That their end products are as much a statement about how they view the world and how it ought to be.

If you want a mouse with raw performance, get the MX performance. Maybe the Magic Mouse just isn't for you.

 

[ErikGrim]

Uhm... lots and lots of people - a majority - use a mouse with a cord attached daily.

Oh mate. You are going to have to give me a source on that.

 

[CWallace]

"You're not the target market" is usually a good answer.

I don't find this to be the case, though...Ditch a 15 grams, $0.10 a pop female power connector to make the whole machine nicer to the eyes even if completely impractical?

If it truly was completely impractical, then Apple would had added another port back with the refresh because sales would have been very poor due to too many members of the "target market" finding the device to be completely impractical and purchasing something else.

Or Apple would have released their own port replicator / dock in order to capture all the money they're losing to everyone who buys a MacBook also buying a PR/Dock.

 

[EJ Lala]

sigh, I'm still waiting for an iMac with targeted display mode preferably with NVidia gpu but I doubt they will ditch AMD gpu's. I got 3k+$ with Apple's name on it.

 

[smoledman]

What can I do to convince you people to buy a Surface instead? Macs are as useful as a hat on a cat.

I am not an MS sales rep, I promise.

 

[Made In Machines]

My hunch is that they'll release it at the same time they did with the late 2008 macbook pro unibody. That was the last real redesign (in my opinion at least).

 

[inkswamp]

The irony is that Apple thinks that iMac sales are down cause desktop computers are no longer relevant or something along those lines instead of realizing that the sales are down because of the late design and sub par hardware choices. Go figure...

Exactly. I think they're either confusing cause and effect or don't care.

 

[CWallace]

What can I do to convince you people to buy a Surface instead? Macs are as useful as a hat on a cat.

At least a hat will keep the rain off the cat. I've used the Surface Pro 2, 3 and 4 and they're as useful as a snooze button on a smoke alarm.

I kid, but I would not take a Surface in place of a Mac portable.

 

[Shemlock]

Please .. Just take my money already! Will upgrade my 2012 MBP!

 

[Dydegu]

Are you seriously defending this awkward design choice? What about putting a charging port on the back of the mouse?

Or why not redesign the Magic Mouse from the ground up since there is no alternative for the new lighting charge port?

That way it would look better when charging and it would be a chance to redesign the mouse and improve its ergonomic form since so many people are complaining that it is hard to hold and use.

This is the equivalent of saying opening your car hood is awkward when you have to change the oil. Why didn't they put the oil access somewhere more convenient so that my car doesn't look so silly when I change the oil?

The mouse gives you hours of battery in a few minutes. Keep it plugged in over night and you don't have to charge it for months.

You don't want to look at the charger (or the insides of your car) when you don't need it. Keep them covered, away from the elements.

 

[dazzer21-2]

The way I'm seeing the Mac range at the moment is with a heavy heart. Back in the day when the G4 was the first desktop Supercomputer and the G5 used to roast (quite literally!) anything else out there, it was exciting times for a Mac zealot - the design was great, the power was great... Now, I even look at my 5K iMac on my desk and I see it as nothing more than a tool. It doesn't excite me. When I had my Lombard G3 PowerBook with hot-swappable bays, that was a really cool thing to have compared to anything else at the time. My G4 Powerbook was a joy to behold - I've just compared my 2002 (yes!) G4 with my daughter's 2016 Toshiba 15" laptop and there's nothing in it, if anything the Mac's still thinner! I love the idea of a Mac Pro 5,1 - 12 core, with all the bells and whistles; the fact that people are using them as a viable alternative to the 6,1 makes me pretty sad, really - the 6,1 was meant to be all about innovation... it sucks! And how is it that it seems the common take on it these days isn't just "don't buy a Mac, get a PC" any more, it's "don't buy a Mac, get a SURFACE"?!! I'm all for seeing the exciting hardware again - but I'm not sold on thin. The day a laptop is as thin and lightweight as a sheet of A4 will leave me cold. An iMac can be 2" thick all-round as far as I'm concerned - I'm not looking at what's behind the screen. I'm sure that suitably heavyweight Mac Pro-style internals can be housed in such an enclosure. For a Mac Pro buyer, I'm sure that the included cost of a 5K screen compared to a headless version wouldn't be the *unnecessary* overhead that people think it would be. With another two 5k screens connected to it (if they're coming!), that's your Powerhouse, right there. Then, Apple can "Take My Money!!!". But then, there's an awfully good reason for me to not buy a Surface instead of a Mac. And that has nothing to do with its hardware...

 

[danielwsmithee]

An iMac can be 2" thick all-round as far as I'm concerned - I'm not looking at what's behind the screen. I'm sure that suitably heavyweight Mac Pro-style internals can be housed in such an enclosure. For a Mac Pro buyer, I'm sure that the included cost of a 5K screen compared to a headless version wouldn't be the *unnecessary* overhead that people think it would be. With another two 5k screens connected to it (if they're coming!), that's your Powerhouse, right there. Then, Apple can "Take My Money!!!".

I agree with you completely. I'd be all over a an iMac Pro with the following specs:

Processor choices Core i7-6800K to i7-6950X.
User accessible memory slots (8 DIMMS).
At least two user accessible M.2 slots.
5K Monitor.
Dual Video cards (AMD Polaris is fine by me).
USB-C/TB3.

I don't care if it is 0.25" or 4" thick.

These components could pretty easily fit physically in the current form factor with the removal of the Hard Disk. Thermally would be a challenge, but if they can fit in the Trash Can they should be able to get it to work well in a thicker iMac.

I'd even be fine with a single video card in the thing, as long as Apple officially support external TB3 video cards for those that need/want it like a BizonBOX, RAZER CORE etc, or even an external display with built in graphics card.

 

[villicodelirant]

If it truly was completely impractical, then Apple would had added another port

I don't think this statement holds.
Proof: it is impractical and Apple hasn't fixed it, therefore material implication is disproven.

In fact it isn't probably true in general, lots of companies - even those with generally sane consumers - screw up royally some products but redesigning them (which includes altering molds and machines) would cost too much, so an entire generation of products is botched.

In fact probably Apple doesn't feel the need to redesign the mouse because they sell more than enough of them to people who are, in fact willing to give up the possibility to use their mouse while charging in exchange for looks.
Probably the same people who thought the hockey puck mouse was a brilliant idea

[doublepost=1472742668][/doublepost]

And you have the option of getting a corded, non-Apple mouse and using it should you so desire.

This is Apple we are talking about. Apple abhors cords. They sell you a wireless mouse precisely so it can be used without being plugged in (save for the initial pairing and when recharging).

So the choice here isn't cord or no cord. With Apple, it's always "no wires as much as possible). With Apple, it's "how can I preserve the aesthetic aspect of the product without compromising on usability too much?"

That's the whole point of going with Apple products - that they look great and work great. That design is at least accorded as much attention as engineering. That their end products are as much a statement about how they view the world and how it ought to be.

If you want a mouse with raw performance, get the MX performance. Maybe the Magic Mouse just isn't for you.

I feel this actually makes sense in general, it's my very same position when people complain about Macs not being friggin' Alienwares or something.

Essentially, I disagree about exactly how much is "compromising on usability too much" - I think putting the charger on the bottom to avoid showing a (possibly) covered connector on the front borders on insanity.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Essentially, I disagree about exactly how much is "compromising on usability too much" - I think putting the charger on the bottom to avoid showing a (possibly) covered connector on the front borders on insanity.

I'm in agreement with you on this one. Almost every wireless mouse on the market allows you to plug in a USB charge cable on the front of it to be able to use the device while it is being charged. Silly the Magic Mouse 2 doesn't do the same. Not that big a deal, and not a huge show stopper, but not ideal either. It is pain point when someone in your household neglects to plug it in when their done using it even though they have been getting the low battery notification.

The same has been true across the whole Magic <Input Device> 2 product line in other areas. They made them all look better, and have more features, but their core functionality has been degraded.

The new Magic Keyboard was improved by making it rechargeable, and the angle of the keyboard was improved to help with ergonomics. However they couldn't leave well enough alone and messed up an already excellent keyboard. The new keyboard is much more difficult to touch type on in my experience. It feels about as good as typing on an LCD display, and removing the spacing between keys make the whole experience much more error prone. The spacing of the arrow keys is an abomination. Sure I can live with that on a MacBook where portability of the entire device is a concern, but why I would I want the compromised experience on my desktop, and this is coming from someone that has always preferred a compact 10-keyless keyboard. I think there is going to be an uproar if they use the same key layout on the new MBP.

They took a keyboard that had 4 1/2 star reviews by users almost everywhere, fixed the biggest complaint (the battery). Then couldn't leave well enough alone and now have a keyboard that is getting 2-3 stars.

The Magic Trackpad 2 has its own issues. It is great that it is rechargeable, and now has force touch, but it is much less accurate and pleasant to use for basic tasks like double-clicking, drag and drop, and pinch zoom etc.

They all sure do look pretty though. I've always liked the fact that Apple felt that form was an important design trait, but they are starting overlook core functionality in their design trade offs. Apple has historically gotten the core functionality of their product right, I hope they get back on track.

 

[CWallace]

I don't think this statement holds.
Proof: it is impractical and Apple hasn't fixed it, therefore material implication is disproven.

In your opinion (and yes, my statement is an opinion as well).

In fact probably Apple doesn't feel the need to redesign the mouse because they sell more than enough of them to people who are, in fact willing to give up the possibility to use their mouse while charging in exchange for looks.

I use my magic mouse extensively - upwards of 12-16 hours in a day - and I find I have to recharge it once a week, which I do overnight. I find the battery life of the new model to be significantly better than the older model with the Apple replaceable rechargeable batteries - which would often die on me in the middle of a session. No such worries with this new one, fortunately.

 

[villicodelirant]

In your opinion (and yes, my statement is an opinion as well).

No, that's factual.
Not being able to use the mouse at a given time is impractical, by any definition of "practical".

We can debate if there is something to gain for the loss of practicality that follows from the awkward placement of the connector.

I'd say - and that's where we differ - : nah, not really.
I like nice looking things as much as the next guy, but I find this - as many other recent Apple ideas - borders on insanity.

 

[EJ Lala]

What can I do to convince you people to buy a Surface instead? Macs are as useful as a hat on a cat.

I am not an MS sales rep, I promise.

I actually like my Surface pro 3, it's a great device away from home. I also carry a MBP, and Ipad too though.

 

[CWallace]

No, that's factual.
Not being able to use the mouse at a given time is impractical, by any definition of "practical".

I don't find it impractical because I charge it overnight or when I am away from my machine. I imagine most everyone else does it this way, as well.

 

[Shemlock]

Just give it to me already! TAKE MY MONEY APPLE! .. My 2012 first gen. retina 15" MBP is about to die

 

[fastasleep]

I like nice looking things as much as the next guy, but I find this - as many other recent Apple ideas - borders on insanity.

Insanely Great™

 

[magbarn]

http://www.sweclockers.com/test/22533-snabbtest-doom-med-vulkan
. I guess even Nvidia's was able to fix Vulkan performance. The latest drivers now has 1060 kicking 480's butt and we won't mention the 1070.

 

[finnschi]

No matter if new Macbook or new Trashcan, I will buy it on the spot.

 

[koyoot]

http://www.sweclockers.com/test/22533-snabbtest-doom-med-vulkan
. I guess even Nvidia's was able to fix Vulkan performance. The latest drivers now has 1060 kicking 480's butt and we won't mention the 1070.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_1060_Gaming_X_3_GB/12.html

Nvidia: 372.54, the drivers that Sweclockers used. RX 480 still in front of GTX 1060. Fury, and Fury X in front of GTX 1070.

 

[Jcknows0]

Why hasn't macrumors had anything on the LG 5k display slip up or the recent confirmation about early release of mobile Kaby Lake processor for the rMBP. Both appeared on other sites only in the last week but the details are scant here.

 

[CWallace]

Why hasn't macrumors had anything on the LG 5k display slip up or the recent confirmation about early release of mobile Kaby Lake processor for the rMBP. Both appeared on other sites only in the last week but the details are scant here.

They released an article about Kaby Lake 2 weeks ago - https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/21/intel-begins-shipping-kaby-lake-processors/

As for LG, if you are referring to the 38UC39, that is a curved sRGB display. Apple doesn't do curved and they don't do sRGB anymore now that they have moved to P3. So this will not serve as the core of a new 5K display (especially since it's a 4K monitor. ).