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It never made any marketing sense to release a low end M2 machine shortly after very expensive pro M1s.

Doing so would have made the new MacBook Pro’s (and now also the Studio) look like yesterday’s tech as, in the eyes of most people, “2”sounds better than “1”
However, it's precisely what they spent years doing with the regular A-chips for iPhones and X series iPad chips. The superior X series chips were always superseded in single core performance shortly after they were released, while remaining faster in multi core and graphics. Apple seem fine with it.
 
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However, it's precisely what they spent years doing with the regular A-chips for iPhones and X series iPad chips. The superior X series chips were always superseded in single core performance shortly after they were released, while remaining faster in multi core and graphics. Apple seem fine with it.
Sure, but due to software and workflows which actually take advantage all the available performance, MacPro owners, and the computer workstation world in general, care a lot about performance benchmarks in a way that iPad owners don't.
 
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Sure, but due to software and workflows which actually take advantage all the available performance, MacPro owners, and the computer workstation world in general, care a lot about performance benchmarks in a way that iPad owners don't.
Yes, they do, but they care primarily about multi threaded performance, due to the types of software they need a Mac Pro for. Xeon chips are all about multi threaded performance. Single core scores, which the M2 would be impressive at, are of secondary consideration. Prospective Mac Pro buyers will not care that M2 trumps their processor by a bit in single core, as it won't impact their work flow.
 
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Having read through the first couple pages of this thread, and also from experience of many threads like this before, I'm consistently dumbfounded that there are still Apple users who actually expect an upgrade every year. It doesn't make sense for iPhones, it sure as hell does not make sense for macs. No one is upgrading their mac every year. And for those that are ready to upgrade, they will *not* miss out if they upgrade their years-old machine just mere months before an upgrade. The mac they could buy right this second will be perfectly fine for their needs and will do so for many years.

I average somewhere between 5 and 7 years for my macs. I might go down to 4 if cost wasn't a prohibitive factor for me. The spec upgrades that have happened on yearly cycles have been marginal when translated into real life performance for 90% of the users, unless we're talking such big jumps as from intel chips to AppleSilicon.

It simply doesn't make sense to push upgrades every single year unless you're purely looking at marketing and target the "new is always better" crowd.

Too many people still apply a PC-centric view, where you average at 2-3 years before needing to update.
 
Having read through the first couple pages of this thread, and also from experience of many threads like this before, I'm consistently dumbfounded that there are still Apple users who actually expect an upgrade every year. It doesn't make sense for iPhones, it sure as hell does not make sense for macs. No one is upgrading their mac every year. And for those that are ready to upgrade, they will *not* miss out if they upgrade they years-old machine just mere months before an upgrade. The mac they could buy right this second will be perfectly fine for their needs and will do so for many years.
While I agree there is no need for a yearly Mac refresh, I always point out in response to posts like this is that the target market for new machines is NOT those who bought the previous year.
 
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While I agree there is no need for a yearly Mac refresh, I always point out in response to posts like this is that the target market for new machines is NOT those who bought last year.

Yep. But those are not the people commenting in such threads and musing about and hoping for yearly updates, including almost throwing tantrums when they don't get those yearly updates (including frequent major redesigns). Whether or not they'd even buy one upon release. I've seen it happen so many times over the years.

I'm ready to upgrade my late-2016 MBP. I'm MBA target-demographic. I literally don't care whether I get an M1 or an M2 chip. The upgrade from my old mac will be lightyears already. Looking at the optional spec options, with some customizations, I sure as hell will be good for years, even if a 'every so slightly better' model might be just around the corner. For what 95% of people will be doing on their macbook AIR, the current specs are already almost overkill to begin with.

I'm intrigued by the design upgrade rumors. I'm a big fan of white bezels and colors. But I'm not holding my breath and am going to wait another 6 months or more just for the possibility of that coming. Or not. Or who knows when.

I think a 2-year cycle makes way more sense. It also helps people who *are* ready to upgrade to make that jump instead of feeling like they have to hold off to not potentially 'loose out' when an upgrade does come a mere couple months later, even if in reality it's marginal and the previous generation doesn't suddenly become useless over night. A 2-year cycle makes it much more predictable than 'does it come in March? April? WWDC? Maybe October? "

I rather Apple takes the time to do things right instead of rushing yearly updates just to satify the 'we need upgrades because just because' crowd.
 
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I knew I'd read someone say they liked them eventually 😅 You're part of an exclusive club, if these forums are anything to go by.
I like silver aluminum bezels, if that counts.

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I never minded it on my old Apple devices either, but I thought the black bezels looked infinitely nicer when Apple made that upgrade.
For what it's worth, back when thick bezels were still a thing, I liked white bezels on my iPad3. But when bezels got thin and notches came in they just stopped working well, and look distracting, if anything.

Edit: How about white keyboards? That's even worse I think! Haha
 
I knew I'd read someone say they liked them eventually ? You're part of an exclusive club, if these forums are anything to go by.

I've been grieving them since 2007 and had a big internal party last year when they unvailed the 24" iMac. For me, white is just iconic "Apple". The black bezels always are kinda "in your face", sticking out like a sore thumb. I find them incredibly distracting.

Even after all these years, I still really really do not like the black bezels*. I merely tolerate them. (*on macs, I don't mind them as much on iPhones and iPads, though I do miss my white-bezeled iPad mini a bit)

I like silver aluminum bezels, if that counts.

View attachment 1980861

Close enough :) Definitely counts.

But when bezels got thin and notches came in they just stopped working well, and look distracting, if anything.

That's only an issue when working in dark-mode. I actually find the dark notch very ugly on a mac when working in light mode with a light-colored menu bar. Hence, you can't really win there as there are people who prefer dark mode (for whom the dark bezels work better) and there are people who prefer light mode (for whom white bezels might work better), and then there are people like me who switch between light mode and dark mode by the time of the day.

So, yeah, that definitely does apply to white bezels on iPhones and iPads and I agree, it just stopped working.

How about white keyboards? That's even worse I think! Haha

Nope. Love them. Still iconic. Granted, they do get dirtier faster. But they just look so much better. Not like every other (PC) keyboard out there. And one of my biggest WTFs for years has been Apple moving to black bezels on the iMac but keeping the accessories white. Black keyboards on the Macbooks with black bazels matches; but hell yeah move back to white keyboards if moving away from the black bezels in an updated Macbook Air; like with the new 24" iMac.
 
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I've been grieving them since 2007 and had a big internal party last year when they unvailed the 24" iMac. For me, white is just iconic "Apple". The black bezels always are kinda "in your face", sticking out like a sore thumb. I find them incredibly distracting.

Even after all these years, I still really really do not like the black bezels*. I merely tolerate them. (*on macs, I don't mind them as much on iPhones and iPads, though I do miss my white-bezeled iPad mini a bit)



Close enough :) Definitely counts.



That's only an issue when working in dark-mode. I actually find the dark notch very ugly on a mac when working in light mode with a light-colored menu bar. Hence, you can't really win there as there are people who prefer dark mode (for whom the dark bezels work better) and there are people who prefer light mode (for whom white bezels might work better), and then there are people like me who switch between light mode and dark mode by the time of the day.

So, yeah, that definitely does apply to white bezels on iPhones and iPads and I agree, it just stopped working.



Nope. Love them. Still iconic. Granted, they do get dirtier faster. But they just look so much better. Not like every other (PC) keyboard out there. And one of my biggest WTFs for years has been Apple moving to black bezels on the iMac but keeping the accessories white. Black keyboards on the Macbooks with black bazels matches; but hell yeah move back to white keyboards if moving away from the black bezels in an updated Macbook Air; like with the new 24" iMac.
It's funny how much this stuff bugs us. :D I'd go back to Windows before buying a device with a white keyboard. I'm not sure how well illuminated letters would work with a white keyboard either. What do you make of the all black keyboard on the new MacBook Pros? Rather than the classic black keys on aluminium background look. I think it's uglier, but not a dealbreaker. It'll also look dirtier faster.

The belief regarding why Apple ditched white bezels on iPhones around the time of the notch, was that the array of bits and pieces required in the notch, that all appear black, would look weird if surrounded by white. A black and white array of stuff appearing in a notch would suit no one.
 
Having read through the first couple pages of this thread, and also from experience of many threads like this before, I'm consistently dumbfounded that there are still Apple users who actually expect an upgrade every year.
The general consensus that I have observed on MacRumors is that M# Mac upgrades will be every 18-24 months.
It simply doesn't make sense to push upgrades every single year unless you're purely looking at marketing and target the "new is always better" crowd.
This fall is 18-24 months after the M1BA was released.
 
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Apple stick to their patterns until they don't. Don't be surprised if they keep the same design and just switch to aluminum in 2023.
Has Apple ever made a significant material change, metal to plastic for example, without a new design? Even changing metals, Titanium to Aluminum, had a new design if for no other reason than the new metal required different fabrication and construction requirements. I wonder if it's possible to machine or cast plastic to keep an identical design.
 
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Has Apple ever made a significant material change, metal to plastic for example, without a new design? Even changing metals, Titanium to Aluminum, had a new design if for no other reason than the new metal required different fabrication and construction requirements.
Depends on how different you mean for "new design".

For example, the aluminum 12" PowerBook design was very similar to the plastic 12" iBook design. Yes, it was technically different, but overall it was really similar. This makes sense because the biggest change was the CPU, switching from G3 to G4.
 
Depends on how different you mean for "new design".

For example, the aluminum 12" PowerBook design was very similar to the plastic 12" iBook design. Yes, it was technically different, but overall it was really similar. This makes sense because the biggest change was the CPU, switching from G3 to G4.
The Powerbook and iBook were similar only in the general sense that they were rectangular with rounded edges and corners, but if that's the qualification then the 14" MBP doesn't have a new design compared to the 14" iBook. The screen integration is different, but the same is true of non-retina and retina Airs and they do have the same design despite that change.

The most noticeable differences were the iBook had the top-plate/palm-rest and sides combine in a silver painted plastic with the bottom being transparent poly painted white on the inside; while the Powerbook had the sides and bottom combined and the top-plate/palmrest as a separate thing with these light-grey plastic brackets used to fill the joint between metal pieces. The hinge designs were completely different as well. The iBook was significantly thicker as well.

I would say that the 12" MacBook and 13" MacBook Pro have a similar design while the 12" Powerbook and 12" iBook do not.
 
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