As an Apple lover, I'm so disappointed in Apple over the last year(s)

[albertdros]

Hi everyone,

I've been using apple products for a very long time and have always been happy doing so except for the last year. Photography is my job and I bring my Macbook Pro everywhere. This machine is from late 2013. I love the display and it has always been rather fast. I almost maxxed it out during the time of buying as this is the machine I use for 80% of the time as I am on the road a lot. It has 16 GB ram and a 1 TB ssd with a 2.6 ghz core i7

When I look at the specs of the current MBP I get disappointed. The problem is that my current machine has some GPU issues. It gets super slow often up to a point that it's not even possible to work anymore. Kernel task gets to 600% and I have tried everything to solve this. Often artifacts and GPU glitches get the better of me so I am 99% sure the GPU has issues. Being out of warranty this repair is probably going to be too much, so I am looking for a new machine. I also can't afford to bring this machine in for repair as I basically always need it. I'm a professional and I don't really care about the price of a new machine. I'd gladly buy a new Macbook Pro. But here's the thing:

Apple doesn't make the 'right' Macbook Pro for me anymore. They cut all ports. I need my USB ports, hell, as a photographer I need my SD-Card slot. I hate to drag around converters and adapters. I always lose them. And no 32 GB? Come on, my current machine is 4 years old and isn't much slower than the new MBP. I expect an upgrade and Apple isn't offering me one. In fact: They're basically downgrading me as I am losing all my ports with buying the new MBP.

4 years after and no 'better machine' for me. I am disappointed. At this moment I am doubting what to do. I love the Apple ecosystem and I Looooove OSX. That's the main thing I'm sticking with Apple. But it's like Apple is forcing me to move away. I think many people are feeling the same way. Any advice you guys can give me would be very much appreciated.

I am currently leaning towards the Dell XPS 15 with 32 GB and 1 TB SSD. But.... No OSX... Don't get me wrong, would really love to stay with Apple and not switch to Windows, but it's starting to look like I have no choice.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

Well if you just look at the raw specs then yeah of course it isn't going to seem like an upgrade. My 9 year old PC has a 2.4ghz Quad core in it, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. So on those numbers it doesn't look like much. But the new machines are significantly faster in every regard.

You state the new MBP isn't much faster than your 4 year old machine, and doesn't offer you things you need. So why do you want an upgrade if your current machine is plenty fast enough for your use? Is RAM essential for your work? I do photography and have never noticed a significant difference between 16GB and 32GB of RAM, it's not like things are double the speed because I have double the RAM, computers just don't work that way. I also just use an SD reader or wirelessly transfer photos and have had zero issues, I shoot tethered if I'm doing studio work so images are there anyway. And I have never needed to open my laptop and instantly check photos whilst out shooting.

I mean sure if those requirements are essential then look elsewhere. I'm just trying to say don't look at 3 indicators and think it's the same machine. For me it's lighter, better battery life, gorgeous screen, significantly faster, and just provides a smoother experience than my 6 year old Mac before. But I only upgrade when these things start to cause an issue, it's not financially viable to upgrade every year for no reason other than 'new'.

 

[albertdros]

Well if you just look at the raw specs then yeah of course it isn't going to seem like an upgrade. My 9 year old PC has a 2.4ghz Quad core in it, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. So on those numbers it doesn't look like much. But the new machines are significantly faster in every regard.

You state the new MBP isn't much faster than your 4 year old machine, and doesn't offer you things you need. So why do you want an upgrade if your current machine is plenty fast enough for your use? Is RAM essential for your work? I do photography and have never noticed a significant difference between 16GB and 32GB of RAM, it's not like things are double the speed because I have double the RAM, computers just don't work that way. I also just use an SD reader or wirelessly transfer photos and have had zero issues, I shoot tethered if I'm doing studio work so images are there anyway. And I have never needed to open my laptop and instantly check photos whilst out shooting.

I mean sure if those requirements are essential then look elsewhere. I'm just trying to say don't look at 3 indicators and think it's the same machine. For me it's lighter, better battery life, gorgeous screen, significantly faster, and just provides a smoother experience than my 6 year old Mac before. But I only upgrade when these things start to cause an issue, it's not financially viable to upgrade every year for no reason other than 'new'.

The problem is that my machine isn't functioning well anymore. As I said, the GPU is most likely broken meaning I have to buy a new machine. That's the whole problem. And yeah, more ram would be better for me. I use a lot of programs at the same time. Next to photography I am also a video editor. I use Photoshop, AE, LR Timelapse, sometimes even 3D software like Cinema 4d at the same time. Not to mention the amount of tabs I have open in a browser. Either way, it just sucks that my mbp is 'broken'.

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

I currently have open:

Mail with some 30,000+ emails (I'm lazy)
Photos
Atom
Messages
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
SketchUP
Cinema 4D
AutoCAD
Affinity Design
Photos
Chrome (28 tabs)
Safari (19 tabs)
Dropbox and other random background stuff...

MacOS as far as I know transfers RAM around when it's needed so it's never been an issue, here's my Activity Monitor. Notice the memory pressure.

Pretty sure I could carry on working and open many more Apps before anything was noticeable.

I'm not trying to get at you or anything. Just trying to point out that physical RAM is not a limit, unless you're doing VM stuff in which case it is physically used up. Otherwise the OS is really smart at managing it. Why not try one out? If the only real world issue is the SD reader I'm sure you could manage given the number of benefits.

 

[ryannel2003]

If you like your old machine and want to upgrade Apple has a maxed out 15" Mid 2015 Pro in the refurb section of the Apple Store right now for $1949. 512 SSD and Radeon graphics.

 

[DaveOP]

The problem is that my machine isn't functioning well anymore. As I said, the GPU is most likely broken meaning I have to buy a new machine. That's the whole problem. And yeah, more ram would be better for me. I use a lot of programs at the same time. Next to photography I am also a video editor. I use Photoshop, AE, LR Timelapse, sometimes even 3D software like Cinema 4d at the same time. Not to mention the amount of tabs I have open in a browser. Either way, it just sucks that my mbp is 'broken'.

They offer flat rate depot repairs that are pretty affordable. Getting a repair may not run you more than a few hundred dollars, which sounds like money well spent for you. I know you feel busy 24/7, maybe you should force yourself to take a vacation or a long weekend and get this repair done during this time.

 

[ZapNZs]

If you like your old machine and want to upgrade Apple has a maxed out 15" Mid 2015 Pro in the refurb section of the Apple Store right now for $1949. 512 SSD and Radeon graphics.

This. If the new design does not match one's preferences, they can get a loaded 2015 dGPU model for a very good price, and it is a great computer of great value.

There is a wide range of options currently available to suit whatever preferences someone may have.

From a camera perspective, I think it will be interesting to see what happens there in the future. My guess is that most cameras are going to go USB-C given how much better it is and how many consumers probably will not be willing to spend the bucks on something that uses the more delicate USB micro/mini A/B connectors!

 

[groove-agent]

I'm in the same boat. My beloved cMBP is starting to slowly go. The new MBP lineup is ok, but really hard to justify the price. For the same price of my fully loaded 17"MBP years ago, will get me a fully loaded 13" now. However with the current lineup, we have to buy an array of adapters and / or a dock for the lack of ports, buy an antiglare cover for the glossy screen, and extra hard drives to compensate for the overpriced, low capacity SSDs. Over $3,000 for a laptop is really hard to justify. My cMBP does more, has more, but isn't as fast, and only cost me $2000.

I too am looking at the Dell XPS 15 which has ports, infinity screen, antiglare, and you can get a second hard drive kit. I'm going to miss MacOS, but Windows 10 is slowly growing on me.

I miss the days when the upgrade was clear, welcomed, and an easy choice. Now it seems to be an extremely expensive set of compromises.

 

[Pangalactic]

I am currently leaning towards the Dell XPS 15 with 32 GB and 1 TB SSD. But.... No OSX... Don't get me wrong, would really love to stay with Apple and not switch to Windows, but it's starting to look like I have no choice.

Go for it! As a proud owner of both, the Dell XPS 15 (apart from the speakers) is absolutely on par with MBP, with a far superior I/O and hardware for your money. And, of course, battery/SSD repairs can be done in minutes by just swapping them for new ones.

but Windows 10 is slowly growing on me

It will grow on you, trust me it still has some design issues and minor problems, but at the same time I feel it is a much more professional operating system, whereas Sierra sometimes sacrifices usability for flashy animations and cool looks.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Hi everyone,

I've been using apple products for a very long time and have always been happy doing so except for the last year. Photography is my job and I bring my Macbook Pro everywhere. This machine is from late 2013. I love the display and it has always been rather fast. I almost maxxed it out during the time of buying as this is the machine I use for 80% of the time as I am on the road a lot. It has 16 GB ram and a 1 TB ssd with a 2.6 ghz core i7

When I look at the specs of the current MBP I get disappointed. The problem is that my current machine has some GPU issues. It gets super slow often up to a point that it's not even possible to work anymore. Kernel task gets to 600% and I have tried everything to solve this. Often artifacts and GPU glitches get the better of me so I am 99% sure the GPU has issues. Being out of warranty this repair is probably going to be too much, so I am looking for a new machine. I also can't afford to bring this machine in for repair as I basically always need it. I'm a professional and I don't really care about the price of a new machine. I'd gladly buy a new Macbook Pro. But here's the thing:

Apple doesn't make the 'right' Macbook Pro for me anymore. They cut all ports. I need my USB ports, hell, as a photographer I need my SD-Card slot. I hate to drag around converters and adapters. I always lose them. And no 32 GB? Come on, my current machine is 4 years old and isn't much slower than the new MBP. I expect an upgrade and Apple isn't offering me one. In fact: They're basically downgrading me as I am losing all my ports with buying the new MBP.

4 years after and no 'better machine' for me. I am disappointed. At this moment I am doubting what to do. I love the Apple ecosystem and I Looooove OSX. That's the main thing I'm sticking with Apple. But it's like Apple is forcing me to move away. I think many people are feeling the same way. Any advice you guys can give me would be very much appreciated.

I am currently leaning towards the Dell XPS 15 with 32 GB and 1 TB SSD. But.... No OSX... Don't get me wrong, would really love to stay with Apple and not switch to Windows, but it's starting to look like I have no choice.

I completly sympathise with your wishes and needs and have always felt that Apple tend to have polices that are forcing you to work how they think you should not how you think.

Many belive this is inovation and moving forward and your some sort of ludite by not imbracing all change by Apple

Sorry I think most of us using devices for thier profession know how to be productive and many like yourself feel you are being channelled outside of your prefered working methods.

This is what happens with central focus mediocrocy devices however well refined of manufactured. They have trimmed out some specialists requirements and unfortunatly you are part of that cull

Pick the tool that is right for your working practisis and plan and if that happens to be in W10 camp then thats Apples loss not yours

 

[leman]

Look into Dell Precision line. The XPS is the consumer line and doesn't let you upgrade the CPU.

 

[albertdros]

I'm in the same boat. My beloved cMBP is starting to slowly go. The new MBP lineup is ok, but really hard to justify the price. For the same price of my fully loaded 17"MBP years ago, will get me a fully loaded 13" now. However with the current lineup, we have to buy an array of adapters and / or a dock for the lack of ports, buy an antiglare cover for the glossy screen, and extra hard drives to compensate for the overpriced, low capacity SSDs. Over $3,000 for a laptop is really hard to justify. My cMBP does more, has more, but isn't as fast, and only cost me $2000.

I too am looking at the Dell XPS 15 which has ports, infinity screen, antiglare, and you can get a second hard drive kit. I'm going to miss MacOS, but Windows 10 is slowly growing on me.

I miss the days when the upgrade was clear, welcomed, and an easy choice. Now it seems to be an extremely expensive set of compromises.

This exactly. And with all of this happening I see more and more people switch. A few years ago I wouldn't have thought I would actually consider a windows laptop but I think the time has come. I can always go back if I don't like it.

 

[mtneer]

If your current machine is really getting in the way of your work, then you have to assess moving to Windows. Computers are tools after all, if Jony Ive (and Apple) are not giving you the tools needed to put money on your family's table, then move to the PC side where there are dozens upon dozens of companies offering all kinds of options to keep you going. As a professional, you ought to know - the computer is just a tool. It is not (err should not be) an emotional trap.

 

[albertdros]

If your current machine is really getting in the way of your work, then you have to assess moving to Windows. Computers are tools after all, if Jony Ive (and Apple) are not giving you the tools needed to put money on your family's table, then move to the PC side where there are dozens upon dozens of companies offering all kinds of options to keep you going. As a professional, you ought to know - the computer is just a tool. It is not (err should not be) an emotional trap.

Well said. I guess it's just that I've always worked in the mac environment as a creative (I have a PC but barely use it). I'm just 'scared' to move to Windows.

 

[DiamonDecoden]

If your current machine is really getting in the way of your work, then you have to assess moving to Windows. Computers are tools after all, if Jony Ive (and Apple) are not giving you the tools needed to put money on your family's table, then move to the PC side where there are dozens upon dozens of companies offering all kinds of options to keep you going. As a professional, you ought to know - the computer is just a tool. It is not (err should not be) an emotional trap.

Well, I can definitely relate to OP's feelings. I really like the Apple / Mac's design / look. In fact, I am sure a lot of designers, photographers prefer the look & feel of Mac OS as oppose to Windows. I do work on Windows PC at work AND I really do love some of Windows 7's functionality as oppose to Mac OS and do enjoy all the ports that's provided!

The reason there is emotional involvement because we are passionate about Apple's products (well, I still love them) BUT my biggest wish is for APPLE to know where to draw the line (thinnovation) when going WAY too far for Form over function VS Windows makers - function over form. I am talking ALL of it from the operating system to the actual machine design to the logo design. In my eyes, Apple just does it so much better design-wise however, I think the "thinnovation" can go too far, cutting out all the ports?! and reducing functionality and making you use adapters? I can rant about that all day. lol. However, I am NOT moving to android or windows voluntarily.

I really do hope Apple offer some solutions and I know we are moving towards a place when there are no ports needed like Bluetooth or AirDrop but the technology has not gotten there perfectly YET.

 

[mmomega]

I currently have open:

Mail with some 30,000+ emails (I'm lazy)
Photos
Atom
Messages
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
SketchUP
Cinema 4D
AutoCAD
Affinity Design
Photos
Chrome (28 tabs)
Safari (19 tabs)
Dropbox and other random background stuff...

MacOS as far as I know transfers RAM around when it's needed so it's never been an issue, here's my Activity Monitor. Notice the memory pressure.

View attachment 702822

Pretty sure I could carry on working and open many more Apps before anything was noticeable.

I'm not trying to get at you or anything. Just trying to point out that physical RAM is not a limit, unless you're doing VM stuff in which case it is physically used up. Otherwise the OS is really smart at managing it. Why not try one out? If the only real world issue is the SD reader I'm sure you could manage given the number of benefits.

I'm with you on that mail issue bud.

 

[groove-agent]

I just came from the Apple store which was surprisingly empty after a significant release from WWDC. I tried out the MBPs again hoping to convince myself to buy one but I couldn't.

The glossy screens had so much glare but I could maybe try antiglare film or get the 13" as glare affected me less. Typing on the shallow keyboard, I figured I could learn to tolerate it.

The touch bar? OMG, the more I used the laptop the more useless it felt. Unless you're a crappy typer and are constantly looking down at the keyboard (more and more people will be touch typers these days), it's really a waste and I just can't justify paying for it. I never realized how much I reach for the Esc (Escape) key and in this case, having to reach down and find the left side of the touch bar. In most cases you're focusing on the screen, not the keyboard so using the touch bar diverts your attention from what's important and thus is counter-productive. At first I thought it could be useful, now I think it's a wasteful gimmick that drives the price up significantly. No thanks.

So I figure I might get the 13" without the touch bar. The ones I tried seemed slower than my 2012 cMBP. Maybe it's because they're dual core i5s? To upgrade that laptop to specs similar to what I use now would cost about $2699 CDN. Are you kidding me Apple?!? I'm not paying $2700 for a 13" laptop.

I really wanted a new MacBook Pro, and while I have the money, I just can't bring myself to pay that much money for a 13" laptop. Forget it Apple. There are many other great things I could spend that money on.

For now I'm going to see if I can get my cMBP fixed, and use my Hackintosh while keeping and eye on the PC offerings and hope over time that Apple makes something worth spending my money on.

This exactly. And with all of this happening I see more and more people switch. A few years ago I wouldn't have thought I would actually consider a windows laptop but I think the time has come. I can always go back if I don't like it.

 

[bopajuice]

Lot's of great commentary, and advice. I am curious to see what you do. If you do transition to Windows keep us up to date on how the switch is going and share your experience.

 

[Pangalactic]

The only Macbook that I consider worthwhile at the moment is the 13'' non touchbar. If you need it for office work, team communication, media consumption etc then it works perfectly and I personally enjoy it quite a bit. having said that, I believe that all the other models are grossly overpriced for what they do. So it's either the base model for not very demanding tasks or none.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

As an apple lover I am incredibly happy with all the design decisions they have made over the last few years with their MBP's they are making exactly the computers I want to buy, they are also getting the balance between performance, battery life and ergonomics that I want to see in computers.

I get that this is not true for a lot of MR members but hey you are hardly representative of apples target market so I get that.

 

[groove-agent]

I'm curious what you use your MBP for these design changes to work?

I find that their design changes cater towards the casual users, not the professional. Glossy screens are good for watching movies, thin bodies are for curb appeal which is the gripe for me.

Thin bodies, an obsession for apple means less weight yes, but less of everything else. It means limited room for hard drives (some laptops have two hard drive slots), memory, ports etc. Professionals need ports - photographers need SD card slots for example. You could carry around dongles, but there is a chance you left it at home, or you're fishing around your laptop bag trying to find it. It's not practical and it affects your work flow.

I edit media like a lot of people - audio and video. Plus I do I.T. so I need to dual boot Windows. So I need serious disk space which is always a problem with laptops. The laptop I bought 5 years ago came with a 500GB hard drive (which now has two 1TB SSDs plus a 128GB class10 SD card in the SD card slot!). and to get the same in an SSD is super expensive. Yes, I could try to compensate with an external, but even with TB3 it's not as fast as an internal drive. So now we have more external components to carry around.

Considering the new MBPs have no ports, use less material in the chassis, no optical drives, no ports, shouldn't it be CHEAPER? No, it's much more. Adding to that you now have to buy external hard drives, docking solutions, dongles, and magsafe alternatives. Like I've said before, the new MBPs are an expensive series of compromises. Out of the box they're great for the casual user (like most iPhone users) surfing the web, publishing Facebook and youtube stuff, but not ideal for a professional. This is why Apple has been getting heat from the pros, and why they're scrambling to release stuff like the iMac Pro.

As an apple lover I am incredibly happy with all the design decisions they have made over the last few years with their MBP's they are making exactly the computers I want to buy, they are also getting the balance between performance, battery life and ergonomics that I want to see in computers.

I get that this is not true for a lot of MR members but hey you are hardly representative of apples target market so I get that.

 

[danwells]

One thing for photo and video folks to think about is that Windows is still lousy at color management... It's getting better (prior to about Windows 7, there was nothing at all), but there is very little OS-level support for color profiles, which are seamless on the Mac.

 

[Queen6]

I switched my 13" primary notebook from a Retina MacBook to Microsoft's Surface Book and have never looked back. As much as Apple delivers a cohesive package, it simply does not compare to the usability and jump in productivity a good 2 in 1 can offer.

Personally I would now find it difficult to return to a basic clamshell notebook as once you take the time to learn and develop the skills, take full advantage of the features a good 2 in 1 offers, returning to a basic clamshell paradigm would simply be a significant retrograde step.

IMHO Apple should have been far less defensive of it's IOS devices. The Mac & iPad may mutually complement one another, however very different realms. Had Apple done so it may well have been leading the charge, not years behind as they now are. I very much agree that Apple has shifted the focus of the MBP ever more to the casual user and growing it's already overly generous margins.

Although at times I do miss OS X, I am now more productive, and ultimately profiting from it. Looking amazing and delivering the same are very different animals, especially when form over function is the defining factor. For me the buy in price is irrelevant, what I can deliver with the hardware is what really counts.

I do Belive that Apple is attempting to respond to the outcry from the professional community and tech press, equally I feel it's more related to Apple's need for the kudos and halo effect the professional users bring to the table, than actually having a real sense to serve the professional community.

Describing the 2016 MBP as being "an expensive series of compromises" is indeed now very apt for many. I am looking at a 15" class portable for an upcoming project, once Apple would have been the choice by default sadly thx to Apple's direction with both hardware & software this is no longer the case today...

Q-6

I'm curious what you use your MBP for these design changes to work?

I find that their design changes cater towards the casual users, not the professional. Glossy screens are good for watching movies, thin bodies are for curb appeal which is the gripe for me.

Thin bodies, an obsession for apple means less weight yes, but less of everything else. It means limited room for hard drives (some laptops have two hard drive slots), memory, ports etc. Professionals need ports - photographers need SD card slots for example. You could carry around dongles, but there is a chance you left it at home, or you're fishing around your laptop bag trying to find it. It's not practical and it affects your work flow.

I edit media like a lot of people - audio and video. Plus I do I.T. so I need to dual boot Windows. So I need serious disk space which is always a problem with laptops. The laptop I bought 5 years ago came with a 500GB hard drive (which now has two 1TB SSDs plus a 128GB class10 SD card in the SD card slot!). and to get the same in an SSD is super expensive. Yes, I could try to compensate with an external, but even with TB3 it's not as fast as an internal drive. So now we have more external components to carry around.

Considering the new MBPs have no ports, use less material in the chassis, no optical drives, no ports, shouldn't it be CHEAPER? No, it's much more. Adding to that you now have to buy external hard drives, docking solutions, dongles, and magsafe alternatives. Like I've said before, the new MBPs are an expensive series of compromises. Out of the box they're great for the casual user (like most iPhone users) surfing the web, publishing Facebook and youtube stuff, but not ideal for a professional. This is why Apple has been getting heat from the pros, and why they're scrambling to release stuff like the iMac Pro.

 

[jpross123]

The problem I have with apple lately is the over-saturation of their products.

If you were to come in the store for a Macbook Pro, your options are:

13': With or without touchbar
15': Would you like the 2015 model which we still sell, or would you like the newest model without the touchbar or with the touchbar?

For the Macbooks:
We have the Macbook available in 3 different colors, but we also have another portable Macbook Air that is a couple generations old.

Then there's the iPads....

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

The problem I have with apple lately is the over-saturation of their products.

If you were to come in the store for a Macbook Pro, your options are:

13': With or without touchbar
15': Would you like the 2015 model which we still sell, or would you like the newest model without the touchbar or with the touchbar?

For the Macbooks:
We have the Macbook available in 3 different colors, but we also have another portable Macbook Air that is a couple generations old.

Then there's the iPads....

If people are confused about 6 different notebooks, lord help them if they walked into a PC World.