Details on Upcoming Amber Lake Chips Appropriate for 2018 MacBook Leak

[tyusrex]

I've had the Touch Bar for as long as it's existed. It's not worth the money until external keyboards support the same feature, because anyone doing serious work on these machines is very likely to be using a desktop machine a lot of the time or have the laptop docked to a screen/keyboard/mouse/[other specialised input gear such as Wacom tablet, midi keyboard etc] at a desk. It's not worth getting used to this feature until it becomes a serious part of the workflow. I wouldn't recommend the Touch Bar yet. Still a gimmick.

I'd say the same about usb-c. It looks tidier than usb-a or a mismatched assortment of hdmi, sd, thunderbolt etc. It's about looks more than anything else. A four hole symmetrical array.

Now go get your dongles ready to fug up all of those clean lines.

 

[KPOM]

Historically Apple has waited 6 months before updating the 12” MacBook with the new Y chips. However, since this one is 2 years after the last Y chip update, perhaps Apple won’t wait that long.

 

[EugW]

Historically Apple has waited 6 months before updating the 12” MacBook with the new Y chips. However, since this one is 2 years after the last Y chip update, perhaps Apple won’t wait that long.

Nah. Apple waited 2 months after m3-7Y32 launched last year. Remember, m3-7Y32 didn't launch until April 2017.

I wonder if they waited because the 2016 chips were missing HDCP 2.2. That didn't get added until 2017, across the Y line. Plus the 2016 m3-7Y30 was very slow. m3-7Y32 is considerably faster, and that's what Apple used.

In 2018, there is no reason to wait this year. All the chips are ready for release now, in terms of specs.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I'd say the same about usb-c. It looks tidier than usb-a or a mismatched assortment of hdmi, sd, thunderbolt etc. It's about looks more than anything else. A four hole symmetrical array.

Now go get your dongles ready to fug up all of those clean lines.

Or have one dock at work, another at home and just plug one cable in when you move between them, instead of 4 or 5.

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

Will buy. I'd prefer it having the touchbar, but can live without. Not so much for touch thing but the security module.

 

[Glockworkorange]

The processor upgrade looks good, intel have done a decent job. All Apple need to do is drop the price of the 12'' Macbook to the same as the current Air 13'', introduce a 14'' version at the same price as the current 12'' price and replace the headphone port with another USB-C.

Sounds like the plan they'll put in place this fall...

 

[joneill55]

I really love my i5 2017 MacBook. For what I use it for, its perfect and has exceeded all my expectations for it.

What's your use?? Email, notes, web-surf, watch youTube, Office365, I-Cloud, DropBox, Slack etc....???
Trying to decide if it would work as a road machine with this usage. Like the size and weight ratio for my bag.
Currently using the 2017 refreshed MacBook Air that replaced my 2013 MacBook Air.

Also will wait and see what apple does with base 13" non-touch bar Pro.


Comments please.

Thanks.

Jim

 

[johnnybeagle]

Which were? What is your use case? Is this your sole computer or you have an iMac/ Monitor as well?

I wanted an ultra portable computer that had great battery life, macOS, and enough storage space for 100-200 cases worth of documents in pdf and .docx form.

I'm an attorney so I like having an ultra portable computer that I can have in my bag with me and take to court. I don't do anything processor intensive so my use case was light, ultra-portable usage typing things in Office 365 or in an email, reviewing documents, and having a few tabs open in Safari. When I get home, I'll use it on the couch for a lot of the same stuff, or watch Netflix when I'm in a hotel because I'm doing an appearance out of town (the built in speakers are actually really good as far as I can tell.) Battery life is great, but I can charge it in my car with the USB-C cable I leave in there mainly so my wife can charge her Pixel. I have the Vava USB hub that thewirecutter recommended, but I think I've used it once or twice total, as most of my computing doesn't involve plugging a ton of things in or accessing stuff from an SD card etc.

I love how light it is, how quiet it is, and I'll grab it 9/10 times over my iPad Pro. I have a desktop at my office but I don't do anything on it that I can't do on the MacBook. I don't need more ports on it, I don't need more processing power, and I don't need a bigger screen. I don't think I'm unique in wanting a laptop that can do these basic tasks and be sleek and ultra-portable.

 

[laz232]

There's no point in mudslinging. Benchmarks tell the story.

Are you claiming the MacBook is a fast laptop? What are you angry about? Just post some benchmarks instead of calling names. Just because you stayed at a holiday inn express or met Latoya Jackson or have some other spurious claim to or association with fame does not make you right.

Please read my reply again - there was no mudslinging in it.
I also provided facts to back up my claim that relying merely on a process node number is not very useful.
And lastly despite your flippant comment as to my admittedly modest credentials within the field, I maintain that my answer was significantly more useful than most of the noise on this thread.
I wish you a good day and all the best

 

[johnnybeagle]

What's your use?? Email, notes, web-surf, watch youTube, Office365, I-Cloud, DropBox, Slack etc....???
Trying to decide if it would work as a road machine with this usage. Like the size and weight ratio for my bag.
Currently using the 2017 refreshed MacBook Air that replaced my 2013 MacBook Air.

Also will wait and see what apple does with base 13" non-touch bar Pro.


Comments please.

Thanks.

Jim

I had an Air through law school. Great computer, never had an issue with it. When my wife lost my Air, I switched to the regular MacBook because of the display and the smallness of it. Right now I'm on it and I have the Spotify app playing music and 5-6 tabs in safari, Spark, Goofy, and Messages open in the background, and I really have never felt a need for more processing power in the year and 3 days I've owned this thing. I have it running Mojave beta as well.

 

[tyusrex]

OK, I've been critical enough. I DO like the fact that the MacBook is fanless.

Wha happens though when you are using a program that is cpu/gpu intensive? Is the cpu throttled? It has to be without fans right?

I wonder if similar implementation might be beneficial for mbp users who want a completely silent computer.

 

[PickUrPoison]

What's your use?? Email, notes, web-surf, watch youTube, Office365, I-Cloud, DropBox, Slack etc....???
Trying to decide if it would work as a road machine with this usage. Like the size and weight ratio for my bag.
Currently using the 2017 refreshed MacBook Air that replaced my 2013 MacBook Air.

Also will wait and see what apple does with base 13" non-touch bar Pro.


Comments please.

Thanks.

Jim

If the apps you mentioned are representative of your workload, I think you’d be very satisfied with the performance of the current MacBook and the 2018 will be even faster.

Coming from a MacBook Air I think the performance would be similar or even better (with your particular workload) but the screen is a vast improvement. Give it a shot, especially if you can take advantage of the 14-day return period.

 

[Mattsasa]

Thunderbolt built in ?

 

[johnnybeagle]

OK, I've been critical enough. I DO like the fact that the MacBook is fanless.

Wha happens though when you are using a program that is cpu/gpu intensive? Is the cpu throttled? It has to be without fans right?

I wonder if similar implementation might be beneficial for mbp users who want a completely silent computer.

CPU throttling yes. There's a big thread in the Macbook subforum that compares the different processor options over 10 hours of usage and you can see the throttling in the benchmarks

 

[joneill55]

Imagine a 3lb laptop is “too heavy” for you

Lug it around in a brief case and fly 90K miles a year/car rental/shuttles/hotels. etc and get back to me! Any weight reduction is appreciated by my shoulder...always!

 

[Glockworkorange]

Thats what im thinking. How would this compare to the base model 13 macbook pro? Which would be better for school?

The Pro. But if anyone is in the market for class of device straddling the MB-MB Pro line, probably best to hold off until fall....

 

[Abazigal]

Can't imagine working on such an underpowered machine but I suppose they'll be just fine for 99% of users who do web browsing, email, messaging, word processing, and other general stuff.

99% of MacBook Pro users could get by with that too.

You can edit 4K video on Final Cut Pro on a MacBook, and the experience actually isn’t all that bad.

 

[joneill55]

A $150 chromebook will likely do everything those users need to do. Shame it doesn’t have a shiny apple logo. Well and the screen I guess, should someone decides to watch a 1440p movie on a 12 inch screen.

Have fun with that Chromebook....I can hear the Google data scraping from my house.
#Pass

 

[tyusrex]

Please read my reply again - there was no mudslinging in it.
I also provided facts to back up my claim that relying merely on a process node number is not very useful.
And lastly despite your flippant comment as to my admittedly modest credentials within the field, I maintain that my answer was significantly more useful than most of the noise on this thread.
I wish you a good day and all the best

You used profanity (in acronym form) and basically called him an idiot. Yet you claim I am the baddie for pointing out your obvious incivility?

Yes, the usage of the nm nomenclature has changed, and no, mhz is not the be all and end all indicator of performance (obviously). That's why I said wait for or cite actual benchmarks. Chances are:

1. 2018 models will be faster
2. they will not be as fast compared to windows, dollar for dollar.

Everyone knows apple charges more for premium build quality and a safer closed ecosystem.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Or have one dock at work, another at home and just plug one cable in when you move between them, instead of 4 or 5.

I will tell you since I am sure that 'tyusrex' and 'sir1963nz' do not want to hear it, but I only own one "dongle", which is the TB3->TB2 that I use with a Thunderbolt 2 Dock at work. At home, I have several USB-C cables for an SD-Card reader, a USB 3.0 HDD, a Scarlett 2i4 and a Zoom H1. It's really not that hard and it doe not cost "hundreds of dollars".

The continued FUD and sour grapes from people who refuse to purchase a cable as their justification for all the hate directed at the MacBook Pro is just old and tired.

 

[tyusrex]

Lug it around in a brief case and fly 90K miles a year/car rental/shuttles/hotels. etc and get back to me! Any weight reduction is appreciated by my shoulder...always!

The weight reduction shouldn't matter in the overhead bin of a plane, when you are driving, sitting in a shuttle, or with the computer on a desk in your hotel.

Do you forego a winter coat when it's snowing in December because it weighs 4 lbs? Does that coat 'hurt your shoulders?'

 

[joneill55]

If the apps you mentioned are representative of your workload, I think you’d be very satisfied with the performance of the current MacBook and the 2018 will be even faster.

Coming from a MacBook Air I think the performance would be similar or even better (with your particular workload) but the screen is a vast improvement. Give it a shot, especially if you can take advantage of the 14-day return period.

Thank you for your very prompt response.
Yes, pretty much is the workload I described. I did forget to say I'd run 150gig partion on 500gig drive in Boot Camp with windows 10 install for 1 proprietary piece of accounting software.

Looks like the 2018 may be a contender.

Thanks again!

Jim

 

[johnnybeagle]

Yeah I tried a Chromebook. It didn't have as nice of a screen, couldn't print from my work or home printer, didn't get the same battery life, had a worse trackpad, and just wasn't that great. Iirc I had to use office online instead of the apps offline so that was less than ideal for me

The MacBook is much better and feels like a full computer compared to a Chromebook. I think it's silly to compare the two.

 

[teknikal90]

I won't.
I need USB-A , Ethernet, Thunderbolt 2, Audio out, SD card reader, mag-safe power connector
I need upgradeable RAM and SSD
I need repairability, the ability to replace the battery.
I need a better keyboard with real function keys, not that wank bar, I want a proper layout for the arrow keys

I have ZERO intention of paying Apples price gouge for RAM or SSD to have it there when I buy the computer
I have ZERO intention of paying hundreds of dollars more for dongles, they are unreliable. I have Apple USB-C and Thunderbolt to ethernet adaptors at my job that fail to function on some machines and work on others.
I am forever buying dongles as visiting guests borrow them and forget to return them.
I don't want to be forced into paying Apple for iCloud storage because the SSD is not big enough for my photo library

So, instead of replacing by failed 2011 MBP I have now bought a cheap PC laptop and have thrown Ubuntu Linux on it, my first non Apple machine since the mid 1980's. Sure I don't have all the ports I want, but I have more of them now than I would on any Mac laptop. I am slowly finding software to replace what I had need of, but I am getting there.

sure.
Though you and I both know you'll eventually see a mac laptop and think, damn I used to have a superior product, and now I've downgraded.

 

[tyusrex]

I will tell you since I am sure that 'tyusrex' and 'sir1963nz' do not want to hear it, but I only own one "dongle", which is the TB3->TB2 that I use with a Thunderbolt 2 Dock at work. At home, I have several USB-C cables for an SD-Card reader, a USB 3.0 HDD, a Scarlett 2i4 and a Zoom H1. It's really not that hard and it doe not cost "hundreds of dollars".

The continued FUD and sour grapes from people who refuse to purchase a cable as their justification for all the hate directed at the MacBook Pro is just pathetic.

I never said that dongles cost "hundreds of dollars." Another phony straw man argument so you can chalk up a pseudo win on the internet. If that's the only way you can score, I feel bad for you.