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DigiTimes: 16-Inch MacBook Pro Will Feature Narrow Bezels and Launch in September
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Even if you like the touchbar it is certainly NOT worth it a $400.00 increase.
That is a complete rip off.
There shouldn't be groups here, nobody is here to win anything by being right (I hope). Any machine you choose to use has some perks and only you can decide if it's worth it or not - like if you get an Nvidia Quadro GPU for your PC you will probably need an adapter for your monitor. People that get by with this usb-c thing are not as vocal because... they don't need to. You can get usb-c external hdds cables, usb-c/a thumb drives or just use an adapter for your other stuff. I'm not implying you should change all your peripherals, but something's got to give - don't get a MBP then. It's not even an Apple thing, everyone's ditching ports and if I have an adapter for an ethernet port, I can have another for a card reader.
Nice! Finally, slim bezels. If they're still going to truck along with the 13" and 15" it makes me think this laptop is going to be stupidly expensive.
A MacBook Pro Pro?
The real question is: will it have a notch for the FaceTime camera?
A MacBook Pro Pro?
The real question is: will it have a notch for the FaceTime camera?
The only way to change that is to get rid of USB-A, otherwise we just end up getting caught up in the inertia and things don't change. Change is not always pleasant, but change is constant and its all around us, whether we want to admit or not.
I am not some jet setter, but I do work in a Pro field and I took steps to make sure that the disruption to my world during this changeover were minimal. The writing was on the wall well before Apple introduced the 2015 Macbook with that single USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps) port. This was Apple letting you know that changes were coming but, as usual, a lot of people buried their heads in the sand and pretended that it wasn't. Then the second Gen 2016 MacBook was released. Again, one USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps) port. Then the 2016 MacBook Pro was released and then some users got a really rude awakening.
If Apple releases this 2019 16" MacBook Pro with a couple of extra USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports, would that satisfy you?
Tell me which USB-A devices that you use that are critical to your work that cannot simply have a cable swapped out? Or won't work with a dock or an adapter. I am sure that some may exist, but I have not found them in my limited sphere. Broaden my mind and help me understand any actual roadblocks you have.
What headaches are you talking about? The USB-A camp speaks in a lot of sweeping generalities, but is incredibly short on specifics. The port is still simple USB, even if the connector is different, but yet you speak of it as though it's some mystical barrier that threaten your existence.
You stated in an earlier post that you currently use a 2015 MacBook Pro, which only has two USB 3.0 Type-A ports on it. I assume that you use them on a constant basis and that you use the SD Card slot constantly as well. So far, my 2016 15" MacBook Pro is equivalent to the 2015 in all regards. I have two USB-C ports that can each have an SSD or HDD on them along with my Transcend USB-C connected card reader (RDF9 UHS-II) and if I have my battery charger running, then I have filled out all the ports. In that regard, the 2016-2019 is being used fairly ineffectively utilized given the power of the four Thunderbolt 3 ports. So, in this regard, I would love Apple to put two more USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports on the 16" MacBook Pro and then I can relegate the charger and the SD-Card reader to those ports and have two extras available for an eGPU and say a Thunderbolt 3 dock with a 10Gbps port on it and perhaps some PCIe-based Thunderbolt 3 storage (Samsung X5).
To me, you have a system that works for you and you simply don't want it to be disrupted, for whatever reason. I get that. It took me a while to get my dbx 286s Channel Strip set exactly the way I want it and I generally don't touch it, but I can always write down what works so that I can set it back up the same way if I decide to experiment with it. Part of being a Pro means re-examining your workflow from time to time, experimenting and changing what doesn't work for what does and streamlining whenever possible. You stated in an earlier post that you already burned through a 2012 and a 2015 MacBook Pro and you were on your second 2015 MBP. Why is that?
Again, what part of your setup would you actually have to get rid of or would not work with a 2016-2019 MacBook Pro that isn't solved by simply swapping out to an updated cable?
Users pounding their chests back saying, "We want our ports back!", cannot be something Apple responds to when they have provided a viable path moving forward, something they have always done. Because it isn't convenient for each and every user doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done. Otherwise, computing simply doesn't progress...for better or worse.
I still have a 17" MacBook Pro and a 17" PowerBook G4. The PowerBook still runs believe it or not. A 16" MacBook Pro would be great but I remember the days of lugging those 17" monsters on and off airplanes. I am sure if this is true the new 16" MacBook Pro will be a lot thinner and lighter than the previous large screen version.
Good work... now do a model with no touch bar and i'll consider itUSB-C i may get used to, so that would be in the 'maybe pile.
Honestly, I just set the touch bard to mimic the function row and have noticed no difference between having it and not having it.
Sadly, you're probably right. However, it is at least possible that the "trade-off" won't be spending more, but rather living with a less "slim" design. That is, they may offer a more "Pro" machine—in the sense of being upgradable, having more ports etc.—in a slightly larger/thicker form factor. This would give the current 15" an edge in portability, for those who mostly need it for office work, leaving the 16" for those who need something for coding, video, audio, etc. I'm sure Apple realizes by now that there's a sizeable market for a pro-level performance machine that won't break the bank with it's entry-level price tag. Apple, for example, doesn't have any product category equivalent to the PC's notion of a "gaming laptop"—i.e., less compact, less costly, but upgradable and with high-performance internals. [NOTE: I'm not saying they'll make an actual gaming laptop—too few macOS games for that. But the philosophy behind the gaming laptop idea would definitely work for Apple's video editing, audio production, and developer market.]
Not sure about the GPU though...will that chassis even be able to dissipate the heat of CPU alone effective? The GPU will probably make the whole an expensive frying pan I think...
LOL everyone wanting a 14" screen with USB A and dedicated graphics. You keep describing my 2018 Matebook X Pro
Sadly macOS on my Matebook doesn't recognize the dedicated graphics or integrated wifi.
Sadly macOS on my Matebook doesn't recognize the dedicated graphics or integrated wifi.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I think eGPUs afford the ability to game or do more intensive graphics work on ANY Mac.
I believe this to be a reason why Apple will never release a headless iMac, given their propensity to attempt to cover all scenarios with a few machines, even if it means shoehorning something.
Now that we have TB3, I've had to think and rethink what my setup should be, given I don't need powerful graphics on the go (I'm coming from a consumer perspective).
That said, I'm of the mind that Apple should have machines for each category. They're big enough now to cover all bases and there's no need for the product efficiency that was required to bring the company back from the brink in 1998.
A non-Pro-overkill Mac that is Windows-capable, with a removable graphics card (NVIDIA OR AMD), and removable SSD would fit nicely between the mini and iMac and build upon Apple's user-base.
The 2016-2019 MacBook Pro with 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports can be more finely customized for the end-user than before, but it requires effort, a bit of patience and a good understanding of your daily workflow.
If I need four eGPUs, get a desktop? That's a rather silly statement, don't you think? The only Mac desktops with 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports are the Mac mini and the iMac Pro. We both know that if I actually need 4 eGPUs, chances are I am doing video editing. The Mac mini is fine for that, takes more DRAM, has a fast 6c/12t Core i7, etc, but has no 8-core options and is not very portable. The iMac Pro is not portable either and the base model runs neck and neck with the 8-core MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro ends up being ideal if I end up on location or in a remote office as I can simply rely on the Vega 20 to power through the editing or add an eGPU or two to help speed thing up. Perhaps, the location has a 10Gbps network and eGPUs aren't really an issue, I simply plug into a Thunderbolt 3 dock they have and I'm rolling with a 5K display and access to their SAN. I can take my MacBook Pro with me and hook up at home to a similar setup and access checked out footage to edit in my own suite that I have more monitors and fast Thunderbolt 3 local storage. I attach a cheap USB 3 HDD to the MacBook Pro and do my Time Machine backup, finish editing and rendering video with as many eGPUs as I deem necessary and charge my Watch directly from the USB-C cable on the back of the eGPU.
More ports doesn't make a computer more PROFESSIONAL, its what you do with them and how you are able to customize them to your workflow that makes all the difference. Instead of a 2015 MacBook Pro, with two USB 3.0 and two Thunderbolt 2 ports, I get four USB-C or four TB3 or two USB-C and two TB3 or three USB-C and one TB3 or one USB-C and three TB3. Way more versatile than the 2015. Depending on my actual needs, I can add a stationary dock that powers my MBP, hooks up to a 4K or 5K display and my USB audio interface via single cable without tying up every port and plugging and unplugging constantly if I am on the go.
That MacBook Air Retina is more constrained by the CPU in it than by only having two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Add a Thunderbolt 3 dock with NVMe storage and an eGPU and you have a decently effective 4K editing machine. Add a USB dock with USB-A ports, an SD-Card slot and charging while on a photo shoot and connect up to an HDMI monitor with an HDMI to USB-C cable or shoot tethered while hooking up an HDMI or Display Port monitor a USB-A device and 1Gbps Ethernet. The possibilities are endless.
If you don't need any of that sort of connectivity, you're not obliged to carry it with you. Perhaps a power brick and a small USB-C hub (I have a Satechi) which doesn't take up much room in a messenger bag is all you need. It may be all any Professional needs.
I use Bluetooth for my mouse...I have never owned a Logitech that required one of those USB-A transmitters. Tell Logitech you want them to produce a USB-C transmitter, buy a Bluetooth mouse or use a dongle, but please don't ask Apple to hold up moving forward just so people can connect up a doohickey for a mouse. OR a Wacom Tablet. Most of the older non-wireless Wacom USB-A tablets are no longer supported under Mojave anymore and if it is, use an adapter or buy a new one. That's what my last employer did, and opted to simply use it wirelessly or purchase a USB-C to USB Micro-B cable in place the one Wacom shipped. A one time purchase of $6.99 USD and those who preferred wired were happy.
Your arguments are as unconvincing to me as mine are to you. I am firmly committed to USB-C/TB3 and I have made the necessary changes to update my equipment and it didn't cost me $$$. It cost about $32 USD. Time marches on, things change. Especially, technology. Move or get run over has been the thing I have been told by other, older users in this business constantly over the past 40+ years of using computers. Their advice is sage.
Will be interesting to see this one, hoping for a 13/14" version of it with the same rumored bezelless design.
The only price comparison I could find between a nonTB and TB MBP had a non-updated one without TB and an updated one with TB with a $400 difference. In that case you got more than just a $400 touchbar. What are you comParing?
I guess you do not remember, but when the touchbar was introduced, the TB Macbooks were $400 more expensive than the non TB Macbooks.
It is a complete rip off to charge $400 for a basic TB, as if it was the innovation of the decade.
when that is one third of the cost of any computer.
I remember but the only one I could find was when Apple sold the 2015 non-touchbar along side the newer 2016 15" MBP w/TB; and the 2016's had more features than the 2015 so it wasn't a one to one comparison. You could get an older modle for $400 less or a more powerful newer one.
I hate to break this to you, but 50 people isn’t actually a lot of people at all.
I bet i'm more pro than you a proper pro's pro
I've had only Thunderbolt 3 ports now since 2016 and I don't need a single hub or adapter...just use USB-C cables instead, it took about £30 the first day I owned the 2016 MBP to throw out the USB-A cables and replace them with USB-C, no "dongles" needed, only someone who's never owned one would say that.
USB-A is dead, it no longer has any reason to exist. I used to have to use a hub if I needed more than 2 USB ports - I know have 4 if I need them with no hub required. It's far far far more flexible and powerful than it ever ways, the best port array on any laptop by a long way ever, especially for actual pros who need 3000MB/s on the IO whilst supporting an EGPU as well...good look doing that with your 2015 MBP.
You won't be getting old legacy ports back ever - this is the future (present actually, it WAS the future) , it's time you moved into it.
The only thing i'm missing now is a USB-C ONLY hub (I don't' ever want to see a USB-A port again)
I have to agree with you, I really don’t understand this guy’s problem, I did exactly the same thing while waiting for my MacBook to be delivered, just updated my cables and never gave it a second thought.
I do carry around a dongle, a USB-C to VGA for when I need to present on a VGA projector, but it’s simply replaced the Mini DisplayPort to VGA adapter I was using for years anyway. I hardly think Apple should bring back the VGA port for this one niche use case which is easily solved.
And if you’re one of those people who absolutely relies on a cable that can’t possibly be upgraded to have USB C on one side, or the cable’s built in to the equipment, who is the professional who’s walking around carrying their MacBook and equipment without a bag that could easily just house the dongle along with everything else. I’m really struggling to understand why this is such an issue.
I have a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and, while I would like to have USB-A ports, it is just a minor annoyance.
Of course, I had to buy additional cables. And yes, I have to put them back on whenever I want to use a USB-A device. And yes, I do not own any device that actually uses USB-C ports. But still, this is no reason not to buy the laptop.
I can understand users who do not like the keyboard, or those who think the Touch Bar is unecessary and drains battery, or those who complain about the soldered parts or the high price. But not the lack of ports.
I never seen such a careless upgrade plan in developing a product.
The MacBook Pro was recently upgraded this year.
What poor planning and a waste of time and resources.
If Apple had a plan to replace the keyboard, what is the need to do a senseless upgrade 3 months before?
Apple really took a turn for the worse in terms of the Macbooks.
Its stubbornness of making it thinner, over functionality completely ruined 3 year+ of possible innovation.
1- They removed the best feature Mag-Safe in order to make it thinner.
2- Implemented the worse keyboard ever, and insisted with 4 generations before they acknowledge that it was the wrong direction to go.
3- Massively reduce connectivity, removing all the ports.
4- While other companies have laptops that are full touchscreens, detachable keyboards or larger touchscreen areas above the keyboard (similar to Touchbar but larger and better), Apple is stuck in time with both innovation and specs comparing to other laptops.
5- As always entry level specs are pathetic and not worth the way overprice especially considering we are in 2019 and they are shipping with 8GB RAm and 128gb SSD.
6- Completely overpriced for what they are delivering.
The MacBook Pro was recently upgraded this year.
What poor planning and a waste of time and resources.
If Apple had a plan to replace the keyboard, what is the need to do a senseless upgrade 3 months before?
Apple really took a turn for the worse in terms of the Macbooks.
Its stubbornness of making it thinner, over functionality completely ruined 3 year+ of possible innovation.
1- They removed the best feature Mag-Safe in order to make it thinner.
2- Implemented the worse keyboard ever, and insisted with 4 generations before they acknowledge that it was the wrong direction to go.
3- Massively reduce connectivity, removing all the ports.
4- While other companies have laptops that are full touchscreens, detachable keyboards or larger touchscreen areas above the keyboard (similar to Touchbar but larger and better), Apple is stuck in time with both innovation and specs comparing to other laptops.
5- As always entry level specs are pathetic and not worth the way overprice especially considering we are in 2019 and they are shipping with 8GB RAm and 128gb SSD.
6- Completely overpriced for what they are delivering.
In the end, if it doesn't work for you and is too expensive for what it would do, don't buy it. It all comes down to personal opinion and for many people the MBP meets their needs at a price they feel is worth it. Sure, I'd like more features and lower costs but that doesn't negate the ability of my MBP to meet my needs.
I have a Sandisk Extreme Rugged Portable SSD (500GB) that has a USB-C port on the drive and USB-C cable with a USB-A adapter that works pretty slickly. I occasionally misplace it and then I wish that I no longer had anything USB-A. however, I have a couple of proprietary USB cables that I have not found a USB-C version and I cannot tell if the other end is actually proprietary or a real USB standard connector, so I use an adapter and move on with my life. It's not actually worth the price of a new cable, but the adapter helps me with those items that I need for various reasons that I am not going to simply re-buy a USB-C version or are still useful to me (USB-A Flash Drives). I don't mind carrying around the adapter in my laptop bag and I don't have 5lbs of dongle in the bag, which is just a way of people deflecting from actually figuring out what they might really need to make the switch as painless as possible. I have been mystified by user's reticence to simply buying the right cable to replace the old one and the continuous ranting about dongles. I own 2 USB-A to UCB-C and 1 Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2. That's it. I plug things in and move on with my day.
I don't hate the keyboard, but I just don't love it, that's for sure. I have written quite a few posts about my personal experience, and I have had one mushy key and one "flat" key, both of which operate normally now after a blast of canned air. I like the Touch Bar, but I do understand if some don't...battery life is really my biggest complaint.
My only complaint about the ports is that the 3.5mm audio jack should be on the left side of the chassis and I wish the Force Touch TrackPad was slightly smaller. Overall, I love my MacBook Pro and I don't lament the things that are no longer present (MagSafe, HDMI, SD Card, USB-A). Socketed storage would be nice, but Apple never embraced m.2, so the move from their proprietary 12+16 pin slot to soldered storage never really phased me. Also, I operate just fine with a 256GB SSD, which I know is difficult for quite a few people.
It is my concerted belief that Apple's decision not to create a non-Mac Pro tower with PCIe slots is a completely conscious choice on their part as they regard it as the least profitable computing form factor on the planet. Memory slots, removable GPUs and removable SSD guarantee that potential purchasers will buy the cheapest possible box they can and then upgrade it themselves. If anything goes wrong, Apple ends up on the hook to fix something they didn't necessarily have anything to do with. I think they see Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo deal with that and simply don't want to touch that market. It's also evident that Apple is never going to allow NVIDIA back onto the macOS platform and would rather manage a smaller group of people complaining about it (2019 Mac Pro owners) than deal with ordinary users who want an RTX 2080 to dual boot into Basecamp for gaming only to buy a "xMac" and find out that there are no NVIDIA GPUs that work in it.
You are 100% correct that Apple would rather have a limited set of Macs for sale and use Thunderbolt 3 and eGPUs to fill a market niche.
It may be a standard micro-B - several of mine use that for the external drive.
Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
This is an excellent point I did not think of. It makes sense for Apple to stay out of this segment (as much as it pains me).
On the other hand, the xMac is now entirely possible with the mini + TB3 everything else (which I believe was the too-early-intention with the Tube).
The options today are really great. You can have a dedicated xMac (as above) and an iPad for portable needs, a clean all-in-one for both POWER and consumer use, and a decent gaming rig you can unplug from when you want to have coffee and browse the Net (and the iPad is not for you).
It'll only get better from here (unless Apple leaves Intel entirely).
The other reason I forgot to mention is that because that is also the biggest (really, only) DIY computer segment that as a result, Apple tends to want to avoid comparisons. Apple really has nothing new to bring to the table and building a Core i-Series desktop with, say, 3 PCIe slots would draw relentless price comparison from not only consumers comparing a PC OEM desktop and the enthusiast segment. I remember Apple previewing the iMac Pro and after the $4,999 price was revealed every PC hardware site had a meltdown trying to show how overpriced the device was until they couldn't and then things got very quiet, very quickly. The comparison was knee jerk and it was based on a misconception that the CPU Apple was using in the iMac Pro, which had not even been announced, much less released. Apple tends to want to keep those head to head, component by component breakdowns to a minimum, a desktop PC would be impossible, especially given the sheer number of YouTube channels and enthusiast websites dedicated to the tower PC.
I enjoy Intel's compatibility and the ability of booting into Windows, if needed. However, the constant delays, obfuscations and just plain chicanery with regard to 10nm just puts me off. Broadwell was bad enough, but 10nm has been an unmitigated PR disaster, compounded by AMD's resurgence with Zen and Intel's refusal to upgrade certain technologies until the release of 10nm (LPDDR4/x support and better iGPUs) to artificially spur another round of PC upgrades because 10nm really isn't that interesting 3-4 years late. Apple can only become successful with moving to the A-Series if they do it in a slow, methodical, disciplined ways. Right now, they are doing that with the slow addition of the T1 and T2 support chips, the changes begun in High Sierra, Swift UI and Catalyst.