For Those Not Upgrading, What Could Apple Have Done to Convince You?

[CaptRB]

That's fine, but you're not challenging, you claim that somehow keyboard is better because you think it is precise, enormous trackpad is better because you can edit some picture that you couldn't before, battery life for ordinary use (what the hell is that?) when the battery capacity is actually much smaller in comparison to 2015 and other points not even worth discussing. All of that is your very subjective opinion. There are improvements, of course, it weights several grams less ...

So the laptop offers nothing in terms of productivity and features: It's not faster, battery life is shorter, keyboard has less keys, that's objective . The SSD .... again .... is very nice and would probably compensate well if you page a lot in case you're out of RAM, but memory management should be improved with next OS iteration anyway. So what are we left with, your productivity is only improved if what you do is copy file from ssd to external usb-c hard drive or you somehow need better speakers on a laptop ?

Even I know how to take a step back and look at the facts. You should calm down and do the same.

No one is forcing you to buy a new MBP. 5 year old units are still working fine and newer models have a lot of life left. But the rest of your mini-rant is all about YOU. Try to examine the bigger picture.

1) The screen is better, and most importantly, brighter. For many this is an important improvement.

2) I have a 2015 rMBP and the 2014 Air. The precision of the new keyboard isn't what people "think." They have less play. It's not an opinion; it's observable fact.

3) I'm using PS and Lightroom. Battery life is the same. I flew to LA to Newark last week and had no issues on a single charge and over 20% left. Same as my other units, but not as good as the Air.

4) The trackpad allows for easier text selection and manipulation is photoshop and LR, among others. I'd say manipulation of text and images is a VERY broad spectrum, which is why it's better.

5) Companies are already working on Touchbar integration. For example, Final Draft, the top screenwriting software will adopt it. It's too early to give a verdict, but some folks will like it.

YOU are free to not like the tMBP and I'm free not to like the latest Avengers movie, but neither of us could call them flops because they did too well.

Does this mean Apple can't do better? Of course not. But these are solid choices for a majority of users who can spend at this level. Others have MANY options.



R.
[doublepost=1485474265][/doublepost]

17" = instabuy

Personally I'd prefer having much longer battery life and 1 USB-A port for the transition period to USB-C/TB3.

I'm not crazy about the keyboard either, but then I'm a total keyboard snob.

LOL on the last comment. Before getting into medicine, my wife worked as an editor. She can top 70 WPM with her eyes closed and she SNEERED at the new keyboard for a few days. But after a while (about 3-4 days) she said she never wants to type on anything else.
I'm not that crazy. I can use the old wobbly keyboards without a hitch. Others may have more issue with it and that's perfectly fine. I got the hang of the new keyboards almost right away and now I'm flying on it.


R.

 

[Your A Macbook Pro]

Figured my input would be helpful although most of you know MBPs very well, some more than others....

Before anything else, the 13" wasn't and option so as a disclaimer this is solely about the 15"

So I was 100% sure I was going to buy the new MBP, I owned a 2010 MBP and sold it a year or two ago and was holding out buying since MacRumors told me a new one was being released soon.

So when the opportunity for me to buy the new 15in macbook pro came last week I started comparing.

WHY THE NEW MACBOOK PRO IS AWESOME
So the graphics are dg unlike the ig for the 2015.( Apparently the dg M390X was discontinued in production for the 2015 MBP, try and buy one now.) So this is a big upgrade, although the 2 options for your dg in the 2016 aren't as amazing as NVIDIAs in gaming laptops, they are still a huge improvement. This was probably the biggest selling point for me.

The touch bar, while as close as you can get to useless provides a very very cool looking gadget to show off to your friends hating on your overpriced MBP.

(compared to mid 2015 version)
New color is slick, ssd is faster(who cares), next gen processor, thinner, better audio, better display, new look(first since 2012).

WHY I DIDN'T BUY
Aside from the keyboard and apple not going for a better graphics card & processor on the MBP the big reason was I went to check out from the education store and I had 3100$ in my cart. (256 ssd, 460 radeon, 2.9GHz i7 with applecare). Some dude said it best earlier (was I the only one to die laughing from the post) that instead of this macbook pro he got an apartment, I don't think he was joking either.

Ended up grabbing a 2015 15" for less than half of 3100 on craigslist, love it so far.

Recommendation
I don't think this one is worth it, wait till the 2017 if you want a new Macbook Pro, especially after a model change because when your buying a macbook your making an investment and everyone know's the second version is just a fix for the first ;P.

If your a deal shopper like me snag a 2014 or 2015 MBP retina (still very amazing laptops), but do your research

 

[Sanpete]

I think this other guy is being pretty rude but I agree with him to some extent. I mean, what's the point in getting the new macbook if you have a 2014 or 2015?

Oh, I agree about that. What I don't agree about is the implication that there have been no significant improvements. As long as an older machine is working for what one needs it for, most people will quite reasonably stick with that.

That's fine, but you're not challenging, you claim that somehow keyboard is better because you think it is precise, enormous trackpad is better because you can edit some picture that you couldn't before, battery life for ordinary use (what the hell is that?) when the battery capacity is actually much smaller in comparison to 2015 and other points not even worth discussing. All of that is your very subjective opinion. There are improvements, of course, it weights several grams less ...

So the laptop offers nothing in terms of productivity and features: It's not faster, battery life is shorter, keyboard has less keys, that's objective . The SSD .... again .... is very nice and would probably compensate well if you page a lot in case you're out of RAM, but memory management should be improved with next OS iteration anyway. So what are we left with, your productivity is only improved if what you do is copy file from ssd to external usb-c hard drive or you somehow need better speakers on a laptop ?

You're confusing me with someone else. As you can see, I didn't say the new keyboard is better. I agree it's probably more precise, but that isn't all there is to a good keyboard, and others may quite reasonably prefer the older one. That's a largely subjective thing.

I also didn't say the new trackpad is better. I agree that the larger size allows for more precise control of gestures, and lines if used for applications like Photoshop, but there's more to a good track pad than that, and I think people can reasonably prefer a smaller one. Again, largely subjective.

Maybe you should review what I actually did say. Much of what you've said is simply false. There are in plain fact numerous significant improvements. You don't even mention most of the ones I listed, which include a screen that's objectively better for photo editing, and even video.

Ordinary use, of course, is what people usually do with the computer. Browsing and watching videos are usually treated as representative of that when it comes to battery tests. In tests done by professional reviewers, using the same controlled conditions when the laptops were new, the new 15" MBP shows significantly better battery life for browsing and video that the 2015 did. You can check the respective reviews from Ars Technica and Notebook Check for the numbers. For heavy-duty tasks that few people would do on battery anyway the 2015 may do better, but it's not even close for light to medium use. (I said nothing about battery capacity, which is obviously not the same thing as battery life.)

It's flatly false that the new MBP isn't faster. The CPU isn't faster, but the new dGPUs are in fact significantly faster. The new MBP 15" smokes the 2015 in video editing, for example, even the one with a dGPU.

Again, none of what I actually said, as opposed what you imagine I said, is subjective. If you're in doubt about any point I actually made, just ask, and I'll explain it.

 

[macmee]

Oh, I agree about that. What I don't agree about is the implication that there have been no significant improvements. As long as an older machine is working for what one needs it for, most people will quite reasonably stick with that.

That would depend on your definition of significant improvement then I suppose.

From a practical perspective I struggle to find any significant improvements between it and my 2014. I would be melting the computer with xcode all day and it would perform virtually identically to my current macbook several years its elder.

Maybe you have a 2008 C2D though, or maybe you really want an eGPU or want the bigger trackpad and nicer screen. Then I can see how you might think there have been significant improvements.

For lots of people Apple has changed virtually nothing and most certainly shoved the price obnoxiously high into the ripoff range. For people who care about the cosmetics and ergonomics of the computer more than performance then I guess they can probably make the argument that it's significantly better.

 

[Sanpete]

That would depend on your definition of significant improvement then I suppose.

From a practical perspective I struggle to find any significant improvements between it and my 2014. I would be melting the computer with xcode all day and it would perform virtually identically to my current macbook several years its elder.

Maybe you have a 2008 C2D though, or maybe you really want an eGPU or want the bigger trackpad and nicer screen. Then I can see how you might think there have been significant improvements.

For lots of people Apple has changed virtually nothing and most certainly shoved the price obnoxiously high into the ripoff range. For people who care about the cosmetics and ergonomics of the computer more than performance then I guess they can probably make the argument that it's significantly better.

You seem to be using your machine mainly for CPU-intensive tasks, and there hasn't been much improvement there, none at all for some tasks. For some things the new MBPs are actually slower. But if you're doing dGPU-intensive tasks, the new machines are much better. The new screen is significantly better for photographers or videographers for whom contrast and having the most realistic color possible matter. SSD speed matters a lot for some applications, another significant improvement. I personally appreciate the improved audio a lot, though that's not a productivity thing. And there are numerous smaller things. I think ergonomics are important too, by the way.

On the price, it hasn't increased as much as many seem to think. The base 15" costs $200 more than the 2015 with comparable specs did when it came out. That seems reasonable.

 

[macmee]

You seem to be using your machine mainly for CPU-intensive tasks, and there hasn't been much improvement there, none at all for some tasks. For some things the new MBPs are actually slower. But if you're doing dGPU-intensive tasks, the new machines are much better. The new screen is significantly better for photographers or videographers for whom contrast and having the most realistic color possible matter. SSD speed matters a lot for some applications, another significant improvement. I personally appreciate the improved audio a lot, though that's not a productivity thing. And there are numerous smaller things. I think ergonomics are important too, by the way.

On the price, it hasn't increased as much as many seem to think. The base 15" costs $200 more than the 2015 with comparable specs did when it came out. That seems reasonable.

more than $200 more in non-USA

and no IMO thats even a rip off and if you wait I bet they will cut 100 dollars off each year for the next few years when they do refreshes

 

[Sanpete]

They usually do lower the price between refreshes. Hard to guess about the next model, though.

 

[Altis]

LOL on the last comment. Before getting into medicine, my wife worked as an editor. She can top 70 WPM with her eyes closed and she SNEERED at the new keyboard for a few days. But after a while (about 3-4 days) she said she never wants to type on anything else.
I'm not that crazy. I can use the old wobbly keyboards without a hitch. Others may have more issue with it and that's perfectly fine. I got the hang of the new keyboards almost right away and now I'm flying on it.

It's certainly a subjective thing. Some of my keyboards (of which I have far too many) are several hundreds of dollars, and are customized/tuned, etc... I have a 115 WPM reputation to maintain.

So I certainly don't think my opinion on laptop keyboards is helpful to most people They're all pretty dismal, though I'm impressed by some of the ones on Lenovos. As long as they're quiet and have a decent layout, they do the trick.

 

[Hieveryone]

Believe me, I did want to upgrade this year. I was looking forward to Apple making me excited about the MacBook Pro again. The new MacBook Pro did just enough to be considered a new body style as happens about every four years, but not enough for me to justify a purchase just yet.

2012's MacBook Pro was a beautiful must-upgrade piece of machinery. They introduced a Retina Display and improved upon the unibody design while providing cutting-edge hardware. This was a no-brainer upgrade for me, and finding it on-sale for a few hundred off a few weeks after it came out made it a worthwhile upgrade even if I barely netted $700 for my 2008 MacBook Pro. Now though, it still stands up with the best of the Mac lineup which is a positive in that I really don't need to upgrade. It's over 33% faster than a Core i7 base 13" MacBook Pro and twice as fast as a MacBook, while sporting a Retina Display with the same resolution as the new generation that the MacBook Air doesn't even (and probably won't ever) have.

I wasn't looking for any unrealistic new features to make the leap to a new generation. An OLED display would have made me happy to upgrade. IGZO could've been satisfactory. I do think the improved display they did add is noticeably better and makes me want to upgrade more than anything else. However, it's not that much better that I'm going to go through the hassle of selling my MacBook Pro and spending $2,399 for it.

The price isn't the issue though: it's that the value isn't high enough. Maybe if the base 15" came with 512GB of flash storage I could've justified it a bit more, but the base still comes with 256GB like it did four years ago.

Even performance improvements are looking to be more moderate than expected; unfortunately, it certainly won't benchmark anywhere near twice as fast as my four-year-old MacBook Pro. The design looks nicer as expected though, and Space Grey works really well. While I'm sure I'd get enjoyment and use out of the Touch Bar, as a package deal it's just not enough for me to upgrade at a premium.

For me to spend $2,399 I would have wanted an OLED Retina Display that's preferably 4K, the latest Intel Kaby Lake processors, and 512GB of flash storage. If we're not getting an OLED display for another four years, I'll probably sit these next few years out or move over to an iMac assuming it gets a full refresh relatively soon.

I am still considering the new MacBook Pro, but it would be the 13" with an external display... which just doesn't make sense. In all honesty the iPhone and iPad are already portable computers, Apple should be focusing on the iMac and Mac Pro as much as the MacBook Pro.

It's pretty simple. I can say it in two words.

MORE PORTS

 

[zarathu]

So the laptop offers nothing in terms of productivity and features: It's not faster, battery life is shorter, keyboard has less keys, that's objective . The SSD .... again .... is very nice and would probably compensate well if you page a lot in case you're out of RAM, but memory management should be improved with next OS iteration anyway. So what are we left with, your productivity is only improved if what you do is copy file from ssd to external usb-c hard drive or you somehow need better speakers on a laptop ?

Its thinner. THINNER. T-H-I-N-N-E-R. Emaciated even. The heck with oreo cookie thin-ness. I want vanilla wafer thickness! Or maybe even silver dollar thickness.

 

[rutrack]

Even I know how to take a step back and look at the facts. You should calm down and do the same.

No one is forcing you to buy a new MBP. 5 year old units are still working fine and newer models have a lot of life left. But the rest of your mini-rant is all about YOU. Try to examine the bigger picture.

1) The screen is better, and most importantly, brighter. For many this is an important improvement.

2) I have a 2015 rMBP and the 2014 Air. The precision of the new keyboard isn't what people "think." They have less play. It's not an opinion; it's observable fact.

3) I'm using PS and Lightroom. Battery life is the same. I flew to LA to Newark last week and had no issues on a single charge and over 20% left. Same as my other units, but not as good as the Air.

4) The trackpad allows for easier text selection and manipulation is photoshop and LR, among others. I'd say manipulation of text and images is a VERY broad spectrum, which is why it's better.

5) Companies are already working on Touchbar integration. For example, Final Draft, the top screenwriting software will adopt it. It's too early to give a verdict, but some folks will like it.

YOU are free to not like the tMBP and I'm free not to like the latest Avengers movie, but neither of us could call them flops because they did too well.

Does this mean Apple can't do better? Of course not. But these are solid choices for a majority of users who can spend at this level. Others have MANY options.



R.
[doublepost=1485474265][/doublepost]



LOL on the last comment. Before getting into medicine, my wife worked as an editor. She can top 70 WPM with her eyes closed and she SNEERED at the new keyboard for a few days. But after a while (about 3-4 days) she said she never wants to type on anything else.
I'm not that crazy. I can use the old wobbly keyboards without a hitch. Others may have more issue with it and that's perfectly fine. I got the hang of the new keyboards almost right away and now I'm flying on it.


R.

If you want to look at the facts, please do so , but what you're providing is not facts ... do we really need to get into bullet points ...

1) It looks the same to me, it may be better with bright sun outside, I can't force myself to research so I'd have to agree with you here.
2) The fact is the keyboard is flat and has almost no travel. It also has less keys, that's another fact, whether someone prefers it is a personal preference, I find it hard to use shortcuts on it, that's my observation.
3) The battery capacity is 74.9 Wh vs 49.2 Wh on 13" and , 99.5 Wh vs 76 Wh on 15", so it is much smaller, while the rest of the tech is the same, it good that it's working out for you, however.
4) The trackpad is enormous and that's a fact. For some it allows for some kind of selection, while for others it gets in the way. So while you may or may not benefit from it, some definitely loose productivity, that's a compromise in design.
5) I don't know about what companies are doing, the fact is there are very few if any who benefits from that feature, while there are a lot of people who need a physical function keys and a physical escape button to have a continuous work flow.

That looks like facts to me. We can find it beneficial or not and then it turns to advantages or disadvantages of the product for a particular user.

 

[Chancha]

Better screen, faster SSD, TB3, Skylake, AMD460 are all evolutionary improvements in components that would have been included even if the chassis was kept the same as the 2015.

Therefore people who are not convinced about the new design are probably focused on the other changes that compromise the experience that were fine on the 2015: Magsafe, readily available "legacy" ports, user accessible SSD, keyboard with more forgiving travel, tactile function keys, digital audio port, large battery capacity etc.... For such a long list of compromises only for the gain of slight weight decrease it is not surprising to have mixed welcomeness.

 

[SarcasticJoe]

BTW, honest question - what is it with everyone and Kaby Lake? That is litteraly the smallest CPU upgrade in the history of Intel.

It's a minor niggle when it comes down to it, but it's always a bit annoying to see a company use an older part when there's no tangible benefit to doing so. Kaby Lake may have been Intel's most disappointing update in their company history (the only bigger blunder I can think of Itanium, a.k.a "Itanic", and that was a brand new product family), but it does apparently run a bit cooler and can turbo under load a bit better because of it.

I got a great deal from Power Max with a full year warranty on a late 2013 MBP, 2.6 ghz, 16 gb, 256gb, Iris Pro(IG), battery with only 150 cycles on it(gave me almost 9 hours yesterday doing normal internet things and no reduction of screen or anything), with a full YEAR WARRANTY. MACBENCH says single/multicore at 4100/13000. I bought it because there were no reported system wide issues with it. Since I don't do video beyond a little iMovie stuff, its wicked fast for me. And it has all the stuff Apple took out of the current model.

The only problem with that is that I'm based in Finland. Not only is shipping a major pain in the you-know-what, but there's also the issue of the keyboard (we have the extra characters of "Å", "Ä" and "Ö").

 

[CaptRB]

If you want to look at the facts, please do so , but what you're providing is not facts ... do we really need to get into bullet points ...

1) It looks the same to me, it may be better with bright sun outside, I can't force myself to research so I'd have to agree with you here.
2) The fact is the keyboard is flat and has almost no travel. It also has less keys, that's another fact, whether someone prefers it is a personal preference, I find it hard to use shortcuts on it, that's my observation.
3) The battery capacity is 74.9 Wh vs 49.2 Wh on 13" and , 99.5 Wh vs 76 Wh on 15", so it is much smaller, while the rest of the tech is the same, it good that it's working out for you, however.
4) The trackpad is enormous and that's a fact. For some it allows for some kind of selection, while for others it gets in the way. So while you may or may not benefit from it, some definitely loose productivity, that's a compromise in design.
5) I don't know about what companies are doing, the fact is there are very few if any who benefits from that feature, while there are a lot of people who need a physical function keys and a physical escape button to have a continuous work flow.

That looks like facts to me. We can find it beneficial or not and then it turns to advantages or disadvantages of the product for a particular user.

Those "facts" are all about you. Can't you see the difference?

The brighter and better screen means a lot for video and photography. It's not even debatable. If that doesn't matter to YOU, that's fine. But video and photo are mainstream applications.
The short keyboard travel is due to an all new system for Apple keyboards. It's different. But the majority of users (even polled here where complaints reign) like it. You are in the minority of users who didn't adapt to it. That's too bad.
Battery capacity is down, but so is power usage. I get the same battery life and as Apple tweaks OS it's getting better. A non-issue.
As far as the trackpad, there just aren't enough complaints to support your position. A few folks seem to have issues with palm rejection, but it's a very small number. For the majority, productivity is either the same or improved.
The touchbar is in its infancy. But video shooters are liking the touchbar and it looks like it will be a hit for writers after it's adopted. We'll have to wait and see.

YOU don't have to like or buy the new MacBook. But again, let's not pretend that the whole world agrees with you. The consensus and market response says otherwise. Apple can't make everyone happy, but it looks like they got closer to that ideal with this machine. That said, I'd like to see standard 16 GB across the board and the return of the SD slot. I've got two of the 13" models, but I'm waiting another cycle before buying the 15".



Robert

 

[rutrack]

Those "facts" are all about you. Can't you see the difference?

The brighter and better screen means a lot for video and photography. It's not even debatable. If that doesn't matter to YOU, that's fine. But video and photo are mainstream applications.
The short keyboard travel is due to an all new system for Apple keyboards. It's different. But the majority of users (even polled here where complaints reign) like it. You are in the minority of users who didn't adapt to it. That's too bad.
Battery capacity is down, but so is power usage. I get the same battery life and as Apple tweaks OS it's getting better. A non-issue.
As far as the trackpad, there just aren't enough complaints to support your position. A few folks seem to have issues with palm rejection, but it's a very small number. For the majority, productivity is either the same or improved.
The touchbar is in its infancy. But video shooters are liking the touchbar and it looks like it will be a hit for writers after it's adopted. We'll have to wait and see.

YOU don't have to like or buy the new MacBook. But again, let's not pretend that the whole world agrees with you. The consensus and market response says otherwise. Apple can't make everyone happy, but it looks like they got closer to that ideal with this machine. That said, I'd like to see standard 16 GB across the board and the return of the SD slot. I've got two of the 13" models, but I'm waiting another cycle before buying the 15".



Robert

It seems to be pointless to talk to you, why did I waste my time I'll never know. Your anger will not change the fact that this product was designed in marketing department and is complete failure. Take it easy, it's only a laptop

 

[maflynn]

the fact that this product was designed in marketing departmen

This isn't the first time I heard that the marketing dept is the driving force in Apple.

I wouldn't say the MBP is a compete failure but I do think there are some questionable choice in the design of the laptop

 

[rutrack]

This isn't the first time I heard that the marketing dept is the driving force in Apple.

I wouldn't say the MBP is a compete failure but I do think there are some questionable choice in the design of the laptop

There is nothing wrong with marketing, it's just that there should probably be other considerations in product design as well. It just looks like they were having a brainstorming sessions on both iPhone and MacBook in the same day
I don't think this particular product is a complete failure either, I'm just winding this guy up, never seen people get so stressed about a laptop i'm not going to buy it either, however and Apple now makes me think twice if I should continue investing in software licenses extensions or maybe start testing alternatives, because they seem to just follow the "perfect recipe" for a good product that was planted by Steve Jobs ..... thinner , double the power, brighter screen, bigger trackpad .... And there is nobody that can "Think Different".

 

[CaptRB]

It seems to be pointless to talk to you, why did I waste my time I'll never know. Your anger will not change the fact that this product was designed in marketing department and is complete failure. Take it easy, it's only a laptop

Look, I'm not angry at all. I just like this product, like most people. You want to create some sort of anti-Macbook revolution....good luck with that.

I own these machines, including the 2015 model. I had them side by side long enough to know which was best.

Enjoy your revolution!


R.

 

[borgusio]

I would have preferred to see the update of the whole Mac line. In this way I could make a choice.
I don't like to be put in a corner and be forced to buy the new pro just because all other products are so old. Especially for a person like me used to have three machines (desktop, laptop and tablet).

 

[Sanpete]

it is not surprising to have mixed welcomeness.

Indeed, it would be shocking if there weren't a mixed reception, as that would be the first time that had ever happened.

this product was designed in marketing department and is complete failure.

You continue to simply ignore facts contrary to your beliefs, while making claims that have no basis whatsoever in fact. That you imagine the views of others are emotional is laughably ironic.

they seem to just follow the "perfect recipe" for a good product that was planted by Steve Jobs ..... thinner , double the power, brighter screen, bigger trackpad .... And there is nobody that can "Think Different"

Obviously false, yet again. What actually happens is that every time they think different, people who don't like different start complaining about the marketing department running things. The plain irony is that features like the new ports are valued as a difference worth having by those who understand how computers work, and not by those who only concern themselves with what most people might want right this second.

 

[aevan]

It's a minor niggle when it comes down to it, but it's always a bit annoying to see a company use an older part

At the time they released it, it wasn't an "older part" - unless you are talking about the non-TB 13". It was the latest CPU available. At the same time, Microsoft released the Surface Studio with Skylake for the same reason.

Just saying. They could've waited for a very small upgrade (and remember how EVERYONE was like: WHEN WILL APPLE RELEASE A NEW MAC, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT MACS, RELEASE NEW MACS!) - or go with a tested, capable CPU. I'm glad they did what they did - you don't have to agree.

 

[Hieveryone]

I need ports. I need an hdmi, at least 2 USB but I prefer 3, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and MagSafe.

So the new MACBOOK PRO TB has some work to do.

 

[ZapNZs]

Some of the following:

• 32 GB of RAM (I can live with a larger form factor) OR user-upgradable RAM
• a 15-inch option without a touch bar that can be maxed in CPU/GPU
• a SD card slot OR the ability to upgrade the SSD (as I use the SD card slot for a second hard drive) OR a PCI slot
• Apple making their own in-house USB-C hub designed for the Users that have historically needed a lot of ports (TB1/2/MDP, USB-3/3.1, eSATA, FW, HDMI, ethernet, etc.), which they would sell in their own store (to prevent having to experiment with products that might not work right and could potentially seriously damage the computer...some of this blame lies on the USB Forum, who have been slow to address this)
• a dGPU option that isn't by AMD
• a variable-size trackpad (that is, the user could control the physical space of the trackpad that actively acts as the trackpad, so I could reduce the size to being right between that of the 2015 and the full size of the 2016)

 

[Sanpete]

a variable-size trackpad (that is, the user could control the physical space of the trackpad that actively acts as the trackpad, so I could reduce the size to being right between that of the 2015 and the full size of the 2016)

Good idea. That's something an enterprising hacker could devise, but probably won't. I'd like to see an option to make the trackpad operate like a Wacom tablet.

User-upgradable RAM wouldn't help with the present CPUs, which are already maxed out with 16 GB LPDDR3. It would require the motherboards be made to accept DDR4, but then the 16 GB versions would be stuck with that too. If Apple does offer a version with 32 GB RAM this year, with a modified motherboard, it probably won't be user-upgradable.

A non-AMD dGPU would hobble the external monitor capabilities. Of course, most people won't ever use the full capabilities of the AMD chips to drive multiple UHD monitors.

 

[ZapNZs]

Good idea. That's something an enterprising hacker could devise, but probably won't. I'd like to see an option to make the trackpad operate like a Wacom tablet.

User-upgradable RAM wouldn't help with the present CPUs, which are already maxed out with 16 GB LPDDR3. It would require the motherboards be made to accept DDR4, but then the 16 GB versions would be stuck with that too. If Apple does offer a version with 32 GB RAM this year, with a modified motherboard, it probably won't be user-upgradable.

A non-AMD dGPU would hobble the external monitor capabilities. Of course, most people won't ever use the full capabilities of the AMD chips to drive multiple UHD monitors.

I'm sure the current AMD cards are very nice and are probably designed for good durability. I've had two terrible experience with AMD products, a GPU and CPU, so I personally just prefer something else. Obviously other brands have also had bad GPU designs, such as the Nvidia chips in the 2010s...but because I've personally been affected by a bad AMD design/implementation, it's left me with some aversion learning like how after eating a food you like that makes you sick you find you don't like the food as much after.