Forbes: Frustrated Tim Cook Reveals Disappointing MacBook Pro Delay

[pshufd]

Tucked into the notes from Tim Cook and Luca Maestri that were included with Apple’s quarterly earnings were a few choice remarks directed at Intel. The Santa Clara based chip manufacturer was lined up to supply the iPhone family with 5G modems, but as we all know that part of the relationship has ended rather abruptly.

It’s not the only relationship with Apple - anyone with a modern Mac will realise that intel still plays a part in Apple’s deskbound computing hardware, and it’s here that Cook and Maestri decided to link the delay of the new MacBook to Intel. First up, Maestri highlighted a lack of supply:

Next I’d like to talk about the Mac. Revenue was 5.5 billion compared to 5.8 billion a year ago, with the decline driven primarily by processor constraints on certain popular models.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...arm-release-date-specifications/#1813fca57922

 

[Christian 5G]

I mean what was expected if they make a computer that these days lasts just few years.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see more decline

 

[LogicalApex]

I mean what was expected if they make a computer that these days lasts just few years.

Wouldn’t be surprised to see more decline

I think you're misunderstanding the statement Apple is making. Apple is saying that they suffered a decline due to an inability to make enough Macs to satisfy demand. They note that Intel was unable to ship enough processors to them so they were unable to manufacture enough to sell...

You're saying that demand is soft due to people being unwilling to buy Macs due to reliability declines which differs from what's being said by Apple.

 

[Christian 5G]

I think you're misunderstanding the statement Apple is making. Apple is saying that they suffered a decline due to an inability to make enough Macs to satisfy demand. They note that Intel was unable to ship enough processors to them so they were unable to manufacture enough to sell...

You're saying that demand is soft due to people being unwilling to buy Macs due to reliability declines which differs from what's being said by Apple.

Nobody will tell the truth or reality, in the next half a decade we will see the truth as problems with MacBooks will be all over the place.

 

[pshufd]

Both could be true. It's just that one is more convenient.

 

[LogicalApex]

Nobody will tell the truth or reality, in the next half a decade we will see the truth as problems with MacBooks will be all over the place.

Well Apple will tell the truth as lying in a financial disclosure is a crime and would open them to shareholder liability.

The fallout wouldn't be worth it for Apple to lie about this. Especially since Investors aren't following Apple Mac demand closely. They are following iPhones which have softened.

 

[nouveau_redneck]

Well Apple will tell the truth as lying in a financial disclosure is a crime and would open them to shareholder liability.

The fallout wouldn't be worth it for Apple to lie about this. Especially since Investors aren't following Apple Mac demand closely. They are following iPhones which have softened.

Mac demand at 5.x billion, and investors aren't following it? Rather, investors are following all of Apples revenue streams, yes with a particular eye iPhone cash cow.

 

[LogicalApex]

Mac demand at 5.x billion, and investors aren't following it? Rather, investors are following all of Apples revenue streams, yes with a particular eye iPhone cash cow.

Investors chase growth and the Mac business isn't a growth business for Apple. Apple's Mac business is a healthy business, but it isn't what the Street is watching.

 

[No. 44]

Both could be true. It's just that one is more convenient.

And which do you find "more convenient"?

It would seem to me that when one company -- in this case Apple -- produces a product plagued by known issues (speakers, screen, T2 chip, keyboard etc.) and then explains the declining interest in said product by giving the fault to another company -- i.e. Intel -- that explanation is the "convenient" one. Much too convenient.

I would suggest that Apple stop giving the blame to others and instead start working on solutions to the problems it has created for itself. Intel didn't make the cable for the screen of the MacBook Pro too short and brittle. Intel didn't make the T2 chip. And Intel didn't screw up the keyboard. Apple did.

 

[FFR]

And which do you find "more convenient"?

It would seem to me that when one company -- in this case Apple -- produces a product plagued by known issues (speakers, screen, T2 chip, keyboard etc.) and then explains the declining interest in said product by giving the fault to another company -- i.e. Intel -- that explanation is the "convenient" one. Much too convenient.

I would suggest that Apple stop giving the blame to others and instead start working on solutions to the problems it has created for itself. Intel didn't make the cable for the screen of the MacBook Pro too short and brittle. Intel didn't make the T2 chip. And Intel didn't screw up the keyboard. Apple did.

Is this convient enough?

 

[leman]

And which do you find "more convenient"?

Apple is a key user of Intel's more premium chips though. All other major laptop manufacturers rely on the cheaper chips (essentially production rejects) for the bulk of their models. So a shortage in high-quality chips is going to hit Apple harder than most.

 

[sharpimage]

All other major laptop manufacturers rely on the cheaper chips (essentially production rejects) for the bulk of their models.

Do you have a source for this statement?

 

[maflynn]

All other major laptop manufacturers rely on the cheaper chips (essentially production rejects)

So you're saying is that Intel makes a specific version of CPUs for Apple and every other computer maker gets the rejects (your words).

As noted, please back up your statement of truth that literally every other computer maker is using production rejects and apple is the single company in all of the world that is only using Intel's premium chips.

 

[leman]

Do you have a source for this statement?

Premium laptops are just a small percentage of laptops shipped. Most laptops from leaders like HP and Dell are cheaper machines that use i3 and lower-tier i5 CPUs. No, I don’t have a source on this, I didn’t think my statement would be controversial at all.

So you're saying is that Intel makes a specific version of CPUs for Apple and every other computer maker gets the rejects (your words).

You know, if you cut a part of a sentence I wrote and attack your own misplaced interpretation to it, it indeed sounds bad. Intel makes only few different chips. These chips are analyzed and binned according to their individual properties. Partially broken chips are designated as i3 and sold at lower spec. CPUs with not all cores or not all cache working working are sold at a lower spec. Again, this all is common knowledge. Yields for higher-spec chips are lower and these are chips that Apple needs. That is all there is to my post. So yes, yield issues will affect Apple stronger. If Dell doesn’t get enough i7s for their XPS, they can always try to compensate by selling latitudes with i3s. Apple however doesn’t have an alternative, since they have no offerings in that market segment.
[doublepost=1556885224][/doublepost]

As noted, please back up your statement of truth that literally every other computer maker is using production rejects and apple is the single company in all of the world that is only using Intel's premium chips.

I do not see why I should be responsible for backing up your quite outrageous claims.

 

[maflynn]

You know, if you cut a part of a sentence I wrote and attack your own misplaced interpretation to it

You posted that ALL makers other then apple use the cheaper CPUs. You did not qualify that statement in any way.

I do not see why I should be responsible for backing up your quite outrageous claims.

I was not the one who made the outrageous claim, you did.
[doublepost=1556885955][/doublepost]I'll amend my request for source information. Please provide source material that ALL manufacturers use Intel's cheaper chipsets for the bulk of their offerings.

 

[thadoggfather]

whats the exact quote he says?

were people expecting a mid summer refresh, im confused, hasnt it generally been pushed to Fall recently?

And are they going to do ANYTHING about the ridiculous low travel keyboards already? Add some height, no durability, and call it a day and people will do cartwheels

Add durability, and people will say apple cured cancer

It really is a near half decade blunder now, since its implementation dating back to the 12" retina macbook

They're not horrible imo honestly, sometimes I like the keyboard, but they are no doubt very obviously flawed and yet Apple went all in

The previous keyboards werent at all polarizing

 

[pshufd]

And which do you find "more convenient"?

It would seem to me that when one company -- in this case Apple -- produces a product plagued by known issues (speakers, screen, T2 chip, keyboard etc.) and then explains the declining interest in said product by giving the fault to another company -- i.e. Intel -- that explanation is the "convenient" one. Much too convenient.

I would suggest that Apple stop giving the blame to others and instead start working on solutions to the problems it has created for itself. Intel didn't make the cable for the screen of the MacBook Pro too short and brittle. Intel didn't make the T2 chip. And Intel didn't screw up the keyboard. Apple did.

More convenient for Apple.

 

[jinnyman]

Man I can't believe my eyes. A mac rumor! Wow

 

[poorcody]

Next I’d like to talk about the Mac. Revenue was 5.5 billion compared to 5.8 billion a year ago, with the decline driven primarily by processor constraints on certain popular models.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewansp...arm-release-date-specifications/#1813fca57922

I saw that and it didn't make sense to me. I think Forbes is saying the MacBook Pro, but maybe Cook was referring to other MacBook models, considering the Pro wasn't due for an update last quarter??

Or maybe that means a new MBP is imminent and just waiting for processor supply??

 

[bruinsrme]

Having a 2017 mbp I had been eyeing the iMac.
I was excited to hear there was a refresh coming, while later only being disappointed with the offerings.
It wasn’t the processor as much as the crazy price for the SSD upgrade, as well as the ram.

Don’t blame intel for my purchase of a dell xps, blame the mbp keyboard.

Having worked in a store I will venture to say the majority buying a MacBook or pro came down to price.
Very few sales were based on the processor.

 

[leman]

You posted that ALL makers other then apple use the cheaper CPUs. You did not qualify that statement in any way.

I sure hope you are not being difficult on purpose. First of all, I didn’t say “all makers”. I said “all major majers”, which means brands like Dell, HP, Asus etc. Now go to their websites and look at the models that generate most of the worldwide sales: these are lower-end business, gaming and home laptops that use i3 and slower versions of i5. Or do you really think that Dell, for example, sells more XPS models than Lattitudes? Makers like Apple that rely exclusively on high end CPUs (Microsoft, Razer etc) are just a tiny fraction of the global market.

 

[NT1440]

So you're saying is that Intel makes a specific version of CPUs for Apple and every other computer maker gets the rejects (your words).

As noted, please back up your statement of truth that literally every other computer maker is using production rejects and apple is the single company in all of the world that is only using Intel's premium chips.

Don’t pretend you don’t know what binning is, you’re one of the most technologically literate people on these forums.

 

[Thysanoptera]

Don’t pretend you don’t know what binning is, you’re one of the most technologically literate people on these forums.

But you can't really take a grinder and shave off two cores if they're faulty. Prior to coffee lake i5 was probably a lower binned i7, but not now, they're different dies.

 

[aevan]

Nobody will tell the truth or reality, in the next half a decade we will see the truth as problems with MacBooks will be all over the place.

Maybe, maybe not - but either way, that's not what the article is about.

 

[NT1440]

But you can't really take a grinder and shave off two cores if they're faulty. Prior to coffee lake i5 was probably a lower binned i7, but not now, they're different dies.

I’m not sure what you’re getting at here, there’s loads of processors under each of those umbrella terms (i5-Xxxxxx).