Hands-On With Apple's New 13-Inch MacBook Pro

[0920872]

Apple users crack me up sometimes.

First, there was nothing wrong with soldering RAM.

Then there was nothing wrong with soldering the SSD.

Then there was nothing wrong with losing the function keys in lieu of the Touch Bar.

Then there was nothing wrong with thinness in lieu of performance (thermals).

Then there was nothing wrong with the keyboards.

Now there is nothing wrong with thick bezels.

Freaking hilarious. It's one thing to have no choice and put up with what Apple gives us because we love a different feature or three and we overlook flaws.

But let's not get carried away here.

You are partly right.

What Apple achieved by soldering the RAM and SSD was that I still refused to upgrade sooner, just became increasingly frustrated vs. I just showed in extra ram and a second SSD in the older models and was very happy.

TB is one of the most undercooked techs I've seen from apple, that has no advantage over a sidecar'd iPad.

Thermals don't bother me, I've never had a laptop with "good" thermals.

The butterfly keyboard is horrid I agree.

Bezels may be relevant for people working on graphics projects. I couldn't care less.

At the end of the day, Macs are machines that maintain the same, or even improved performance over a 5-year life cycle, with hardly a need for maintenance, and overall exclusive access to some of the best research software. So even though the power is weak, the fact that the OS is optimized for the hardware just makes it a long-term better deal than a Windows PC. IMHO (research POV), only a linux machines can compete, but the hardware optimization still make mac laptops just a better deal.
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yeah i agree with the macrumors review
higher end models too expensive - base model - meh
also i still want ports 2-usb 3, hdmi, sd card slot - i know - old school - old guys rule

HDMI! I cannot tell you how many times we had to scramble for a solution when a presenter showed up with their spec'd out macbook but their frigging dongle just didn't work.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

You are partly right.

What Apple achieved by soldering the RAM and SSD was that I still refused to upgrade sooner, just became increasingly frustrated vs. I just showed in extra ram and a second SSD in the older models and was very happy.

TB is one of the most undercooked techs I've seen from apple, that has no advantage over a sidecar'd iPad.

Thermals don't bother me, I've never had a laptop with "good" thermals.

The butterfly keyboard is horrid I agree.

Bezels may be relevant for people working on graphics projects. I couldn't care less.

At the end of the day, Macs are machines that maintain the same, or even improved performance over a 5-year life cycle, with hardly a need for maintenance, and overall exclusive access to some of the best research software. So even though the power is weak, the fact that the OS is optimized for the hardware just makes it a long-term better deal than a Windows PC. IMHO (research POV), only a linux machines can compete, but the hardware optimization still make mac laptops just a better deal.

Your reply sounds I'm "completely" right...

I love what Dell has done with the XPS13; it has shown up Apple in ways that'd never happened before.

But I'd STILL go with a Mac, because at the end of the day it's the OS that matters. And the trackpads. WHY can't PC get those right like Apple can? Apple's multitouch is unrivaled, regardless of device. The iPad is where Apple is firing on all cylinders these days.

Still, I hate being jealous of PCs (and Android, for that matter, which caused me to switch from iOS 5 years ago).

And I already have issues with hate, as it leads to suffering after starting with fear, then anger. I'm a Sith after all.
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yeah i agree with the macrumors review
higher end models too expensive - base model - meh
also i still want ports 2-usb 3, hdmi, sd card slot - i know - old school - old guys rule

If you're a Pro on the go, then a MBP is not for you.

But seriously, the last gen MBPs got the port balance right.

Apple LOVES to jump the gun... I mean... push technology forward, so here we are: a dongle-heavy "Pro" machine.

We do what we have to do to use macOS, don't we?

 

[0920872]

Your reply sounds I'm "completely" right...

I love what Dell has done with the XPS13; it has shown up Apple in ways that'd never happened before.

But I'd STILL go with a Mac, because at the end of the day it's the OS that matters. And the trackpads. WHY can't PC get those right like Apple can? Apple's multitouch is unrivaled, regardless of device. The iPad is where Apple is firing on all cylinders these days.

Still, I hate being jealous of PCs (and Android, for that matter, which caused me to switch from iOS 5 years ago).

And I already have issues with hate, as it leads to suffering after starting with fear, then anger. I'm a Sith after all.

Nobody's ever "completely" right But yeah, Apple dropped the ball with the macbooks so many times the past 5 years, it's infuriating, whereas the competitors are closing the gaps.

At the end of the day, I consider my mac a sophisticated netbook (like an actually useful one). Low maintenance, esp with high enough storage. But for the heavy lifting, you're probably just better off with a self-built PC with Linux/CUDA cores, etc.

 

[hudson1]

I agree.
The most likely explanation for Apple soldering the SSD is to save costs in manufacturing.
Inserting a finished M.2 SSD (or RAM) module was likely done by a human.
Placing the SSD chips on the logic board is likely done by the same robot that places the other components.
I don't buy the weight argument. SSD modules weigh next to nothing (and the weight of the chips has to go in anyway).

The soldered SSD might have more to do with long term reliability than cost of manufacture (not saying that's zero).

 

[rgbrock1]

Can you open it up? See if SSD is removable? I still have hope.

The SSD is onboard i.e., soldered.

 

[hudson1]

yeah i agree with the macrumors review
higher end models too expensive - base model - meh
also i still want ports 2-usb 3, hdmi, sd card slot - i know - old school - old guys rule

That's not "old school". ADB is old school.

 

[spazzcat]

yeah i agree with the macrumors review
higher end models too expensive - base model - meh
also i still want ports 2-usb 3, hdmi, sd card slot - i know - old school - old guys rule

You can have all that it's call a dock.

 

[alpenn]

The soldered SSD might have more to do with long term reliability than cost of manufacture (not saying that's zero).

How is soldered SSD more reliable in the long term?
It's actually the opposite. Soldered SSD makes the macbook less reliable as a whole, since the failure of a single component makes the whole system fail beyond repair (or very expensive to repair)
The only thing sitting between the removable SSD and the logic board in a passive connector. The rest is still there.
I'm not saying the SSD has a high failure rate, but it has limited write cycles , as opposed to the RAM (unlimited for all practical purposes).

 

[naturalstar]

Surprised about the bezel complaints. I don't think they look that thick at all.

I’m confused as well. You’d think they were as thick as the iPhone 8/SE by comparison.

There’s this weird fascination with edge-to-edge everything. It’s cool, but nowhere near a deal breaker.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

You can have all that it's call a dock.

No, it's called a dongle. Which defeats the purpose completely.

If my main use is docked, my money would be better spent on an iMac plus an iPad.

 

[alpenn]

The SSD is onboard i.e., soldered.

Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[hudson1]

How is soldered SSD more reliable in the long term?
It's actually the opposite. Soldered SSD makes the macbook less reliable as a whole, since the failure of a single component makes the whole system fail beyond repair (or very expensive to repair)
The only thing sitting between the removable SSD and the logic board in a passive connector. The rest is still there.
I'm not saying the SSD has a high failure rate, but it has limited write cycles , as opposed to the RAM (unlimited for all practical purposes).

The soldered connection *might* be more reliable long term than a passive connector, especially in a mobile computer. I can't say (though I'm sure Apple knows) but I can certainly believe it might be.

 

[cardsdoc]

Interesting comparison. See 10:49. The 10th gen only version gets better thermals with 2 fans and new additional woofers for better sound similar to what they did on the 16".

 

[bvz]

SSD hasn’t been removable for 5 years. Let it go.

I did let it go.

... and got a different computer with upgradable SSD and RAM.

what a waste to have non repairable and non upgradable machines like this. There is no excuse for it other than a money grab by manufacturers (Apple started it, but other manufacturers are greedily following suit).
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I do wonder what percentage of bezel-haters actually hate the bezel through free will, and how many are socially programmed to just hate bezels. I love my 10.5" iPad Pro coz I can hold it comfortably without my thumbs covering the screen, and I love my MacBook bezels as I can adjust the screen angle without getting my fingers all over the screen.

I never really cared about bezels, but now that I work almost daily on an XPS 15, I really appreciate both the aesthetics of the machine, as well as the compact nature of the device compared to the screen size.

There is something compelling looking at the XPS 13. Not only is it an aesthetically pleasing machine, but it is also notably smaller than the MacBook Pro 13. That is a genuine advantage.

 

[bvz]

Maybe... just maybe... there are reasonable reasons to want removable storage, but this one is not one of them. This is just plain idiotic.

Maybe you should learn the meaning of “back up”...?

Yay! Blame the victim!

being able to yank a drive out of a dead machine is something happens a fair bit. It’s stupid to try and support apple’s decision as anything other than a naked money grab.

I love MacOS (and miss it terribly every time I have to suffer through using Windows), but I’m not going to give them a free pass on this. Apple is a multi billion dollar corporation that, until Steve died, didn’t even bother with any corporate philanthropy. They are interested in one thing and that is making money (no different than any other multi billion dollar corporation). Soldering storage to the motherboard is one way they increase their profits (at the expense of the consumer). It’s a tug of war. Corporations try to extract as much money out of their customers as possible. Apple is no exception. Customers try to get the most product for their money as possible. In this case, Apple is winning because they have something many of us want (MacOS). We live with their anti consumer practices because on balance, many of us (not all of us) still value MacOS enough to pay Apple extra in the form of reduced flexibility and utility that comes from non upgradable and repairable devices.

It’s fine to recognize that. It’s fine to make the trade off. But we shouldn’t be blind to it.

 

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

I did let it go.

... and got a different computer with upgradable SSD and RAM.

what a waste to have non repairable and non upgradable machines like this. There is no excuse for it other than a money grab by manufacturers (Apple started it, but other manufacturers are greedily following suit).
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I never really cared about bezels, but now that I work almost daily on an XPS 15, I really appreciate both the aesthetics of the machine, as well as the compact nature of the device compared to the screen size.

There is something compelling looking at the XPS 13. Not only is it an aesthetically pleasing machine, but it is also notably smaller than the MacBook Pro 13. That is a genuine advantage.

Agreed. Everything that's wrong with the MBP and APPLE needs it to be fixed ASAP!

 

[Arctic Moose]

The soldered connection *might* be more reliable long term than a passive connector, especially in a mobile computer. I can't say (though I'm sure Apple knows) but I can certainly believe it might be.

I don’t buy that. Apple stops supporting hardware in macOS long before an SSD connector would typically fail. (I have a closet full of perfectly fine computers that I cannot run the latest OS on.)

 

[Detnator]

I read through these comments and some of you sound completely brainwashed Lemmings.

First, Apple soldered in the memory. It means there is no option to upgrade down the line which was previously a good thing. They claims "space" was the issue, but personally I cannot see that. Apple have clever engineers so they could have worked out a solution. Either way, we all bought into it and most of us begrudgingly accepted the outcome.

Next they soldered in the storage, meaning not a single component on a $1700+ laptop is now upgradable....meaning you need to either finance the laptop initially to get what you need or you end up with a sub-standard laptop, meaning you end up upgrading sooner rather than later down the line.

For those who blindly accept Apple's strategy, hear this.

WE as consumers are the only ones being taken for a ride while Apple reaps the rewards.

Don't get me wrong; I LOVE my late 2013 MBP (yes I'm aware it's old and a little sluggish at times), but over the last couple of years I've been wanting to upgrade to a newer MBP but the latest non-upgradable stuff just puts me off.

So what have I done? I've cannibalised a 2014 MBP with 16GB RAM and an i7 to replace my logic board in my 2013. The cost to me was €450 but I can still switch my 1TB SSD from my 2013 MBP to my 2014 MBP and literally just turn it on and I'm off.

Why we cannot accept this sort of hardware does not deserve the "Pro" status it's labelled with and as consumers, not blindly accept this kind of behaviour from Apple.

What a load of codswallop. You lose all credibility with this statement:

They claims "space" was the issue, but personally I cannot see that. Apple have clever engineers so they could have worked out a solution.

And that's it. YOU cannot see it. The problem is you. You don't seem to understand the point of the MacBook Pro: to pack (1) as much power and performance into (2) a small portable package.

Everything else compromises those. Every extra board/card and socket for upgradeability - and while we're at it every legacy port - takes away from one of those two things.

Some facts instead of fantasy. They have to balance expandability/upgradeability, performance, and portability.

Any even vague understanding of electrical engineering understands that user-changeable RAM and storage isn’t just an extra socket or two. It’s also an extra BOARD and other electronics to translate through the socket, plus those extra electronics generate more heat so more cooling is needed. All those add up and compromise either portability or performance. So which should they choose? Apple’s engineers are clever but they're still bound by the laws of physics (and we haven't figure out TARDIS technology yet, where it's bigger on the inside).

[I agree that the 2016 MPB form factors went too far and compromised performance too much - thermals and keyboard especially. They fixed both of those issues in the 16” and that machine is what the high end MBP should have been in 2016. (This new 13" still suffers some of those but presumably they're working on that for the rumored 14".)]

So should we compromise the portability instead? Well... let's look at the old 17” MBP. That was power and expandability at the cost of portability. Except hardly anyone bought it. The 17" didn't sell. The market spoke. Apple responded with the 2012 rMBP, soldered RAM and all. And now judging by the sales and reviews, the market seems to think this 16" (soldered everything) is the best collection of compromises at that level of "pro". So you're "WE, as consumers" is your small fantasy, not reality/facts.

What if they add all those extra sockets, boards, and ports that you people want? I mean why stop there? If the RAM and storage should be replaceable then why not the CPU, GPU, wireless card, and a whole bunch of other things. Where does it end? Same goes for the ports. Thunderbolt 3 ports is the tech today that gives maximum performance and flexibility to the widest range of needs without compromising performance or portability. Ok, so you have to replace some cables for $20... or heck even $100. So what? If that’s an issue see my response to PearsonX below.

If you want an upgradeable machine that doesn't compromise performance, get a Mac Pro: amazing performance, cooling to sustain it, removable, expandable, upgradeable everything. It’s no holds barred un-compromised everything, except it's in an enclosure the size required to give it all that. Of course it’s not portable and it's not cheap, but physics says that’s what you have to compromise to get all that.

Alternatively, if you want portability without compromising performance then let go of the stuff that doesn’t NEED to be inside and get the machine that prioritizes performance and portability over the rest. The 16” MBP is almost a portable Mac Pro. It has performance and power in a portable machine that was all pretty unthinkable just a few years ago. And the 13” (hopefully future 14") sacrifices more performance for more portability... IF that's what you WANT. You have a choice!

Don’t tell me you don’t have a choice. That’s your choice right there. The laws of physics insist that you can only have two out of the three:

1. Expadability/upgradeability
2. Performance
3. Portability.

Want 1 and 2? Get a Mac Pro.
Want 2 and 3? Get a MacBook Pro.
Want 1 and 3? Get a PC. (Apple won't cater to that market because it's too small).
Want all three? Change the laws of physics.

Your world where all that expandability/upgradeablity, etc AND performance AND portability is possible in one machine is a fantasy. I'm sorry. The real world doesn’t work that way.

 

[Detnator]

This is exactly the lemming attitude people talk about. It didn't work out of the box for you either. Apple used to "just work" and along those lines, they should provide those dongles, at least initially when they removed USB-A.

I can't quite tell which side of this fence you're on. This post implies you think Apple should be providing dongles in the box with the MBP, but I could be misreading, or perhaps you're sarcastically quoting others. A couple of posts further down you seem to be agreeing with someone who replied refuting your post.

Well, to the others who think Apple should be throwing the dongles in, and to you if you think that...

Ok. Which dongles exactly should they include? There's so many to choose from: USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD Card, DVI, VGA, lightning, DP, MiniDP, Thunderbolt 1/2, MagSafe. And how many? Only one of each, or maybe we need at least 2-4 of the USB-A ones? And why stop there? What about all those parallel and SCSI devices from the 90's? And of course they shouild throw in that extra power cord extension as well like they used to.

Perhaps I'm exaggerating to make a point...

Whatever they include they're not going to throw in for free. If they throw some adapters in "the box" with the machine, then the "box" costs more. And it's more cost for stuff some of us don't want or need.

Or... if you're going to argue they should throw some/all those adapters in for free, then you're terribly naive. Nothing is free. Someone has to pay for it. If Apple's paying for it then they're going to pass that cost on to us somewhere else, or they're going to go out of business (and then all of this is moot anyway).

So ok, back to which ones should they include. Let's say they go small, and only include USB-A and HDMI because let's say that's what you want and they listened to you. But let's say I don't want those, but I do want the ethernet one. So then you're making me pay for those useless adapters I don't need, and that are going to sit in a drawer until I throw them out and they're landfill, and I still have to buy the ethernet one anyway.

They used to do some of this, and plenty of other companies still do. If I kept every cable, adapter and whatever else that was included in all the electronic devices I've ever bought but never needed, I'd have a closet full of them. It's unnecessary cost, and waste.

What's wrong with not including any of them, and giving you the choice? The box says "MacBook Pro" and that's exactly what in the box (plus a power adapter as well!!) It's not like they're hiding this and you get home and "Oh s**t these ports are new and they didn't include an adapter!" You know up front YOUR needs, and you know up front what's in the box. When you buy YOUR shiny new Mac for YOUR needs, you can't tell me you can't spend a few extra bucks on YOUR CHOICE of adapters for YOUR specific use case, that's different to MINE, while spending the $ you're spending on this machine for everything it is.
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Exactly You said it all... On the spot !!! I love apple also but some things must be spoken and not cheered by false reviews. Amazing things 3500 with upgrades ??? My god... in which reality are they living? For the base last years model?

ps I am writing fro 2016 model which has Now 2 false keys ... Apple is my favourite....

Four year free keyboard replacement program. If you don't take that up it's on you not Apple.

 

[Detnator]

Yay! Blame the victim!

being able to yank a drive out of a dead machine is something happens a fair bit. It’s stupid to try and support apple’s decision as anything other than a naked money grab.

I love MacOS (and miss it terribly every time I have to suffer through using Windows), but I’m not going to give them a free pass on this. Apple is a multi billion dollar corporation that, until Steve died, didn’t even bother with any corporate philanthropy. They are interested in one thing and that is making money (no different than any other multi billion dollar corporation). Soldering storage to the motherboard is one way they increase their profits (at the expense of the consumer). It’s a tug of war. Corporations try to extract as much money out of their customers as possible. Apple is no exception. Customers try to get the most product for their money as possible. In this case, Apple is winning because they have something many of us want (MacOS). We live with their anti consumer practices because on balance, many of us (not all of us) still value MacOS enough to pay Apple extra in the form of reduced flexibility and utility that comes from non upgradable and repairable devices.

It’s fine to recognize that. It’s fine to make the trade off. But we shouldn’t be blind to it.

The drives, RAM, and in fact everything in today’s Macs are replaceable. They’re just not user-replaceable. Apple does it as part of their refurb process if needed.

See my post above for why soldering everything has a lot more to do with the end result for the consumer than any kind of naked money grab for Apple.

Think about it for a second:

In 2010 if the drive or RAM in your 2008 MBP died and you had AppleCare, Apple replaced it for free.

Ten years later:

In 2020 if the drive or RAM in your 2018 MBP dies and you have AppleCare, Apple replaces it for free.

The fact that they replace the entire motherboard in the second example is no difference for the consumer whatsoever.

The price of AppleCare has not significantly increased In that time.

So... where’s Apple’s money grab? What’s the problem?

Back to the original point: you seriously consider yourself a “victim” because you lose your data if you don’t back it up?

 

[0920872]

I can't quite tell which side of this fence you're on. This post implies you think Apple should be providing dongles in the box with the MBP, but I could be misreading, or perhaps you're sarcastically quoting others. A couple of posts further down you seem to be agreeing with someone who replied refuting your post.

Well, to the others who think Apple should be throwing the dongles in, and to you if you think that...

Ok. Which dongles exactly should they include? There's so many to choose from: USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD Card, DVI, VGA, lightning, DP, MiniDP, Thunderbolt 1/2, MagSafe. And how many? Only one of each, or maybe we need at least 2-4 of the USB-A ones? And why stop there? What about all those parallel and SCSI devices from the 90's? And of course they shouild throw in that extra power cord extension as well like they used to.

Perhaps I'm exaggerating to make a point...

Whatever they include they're not going to throw in for free. If they throw some adapters in "the box" with the machine, then the "box" costs more. And it's more cost for stuff some of us don't want or need.

Or... if you're going to argue they should throw some/all those adapters in for free, then you're terribly naive. Nothing is free. Someone has to pay for it. If Apple's paying for it then they're going to pass that cost on to us somewhere else, or they're going to go out of business (and then all of this is moot anyway).

So ok, back to which ones should they include. Let's say they go small, and only include USB-A and HDMI because let's say that's what you want and they listened to you. But let's say I don't want those, but I do want the ethernet one. So then you're making me pay for those useless adapters I don't need, and that are going to sit in a drawer until I throw them out and they're landfill, and I still have to buy the ethernet one anyway.

They used to do some of this, and plenty of other companies still do. If I kept every cable, adapter and whatever else that was included in all the electronic devices I've ever bought but never needed, I'd have a closet full of them. It's unnecessary cost, and waste.

What's wrong with not including any of them, and giving you the choice? The box says "MacBook Pro" and that's exactly what in the box (plus a power adapter as well!!) It's not like they're hiding this and you get home and "Oh s**t these ports are new and they didn't include an adapter!" You know up front YOUR needs, and you know up front what's in the box. When you buy YOUR shiny new Mac for YOUR needs, you can't tell me you can't spend a few extra bucks on YOUR CHOICE of adapters for YOUR specific use case, that's different to MINE, while spending the $ you're spending on this machine for everything it is.

I wasn't very explicit about this, but my opinion is that they should have included a USB-A and a HDMI when they launched the new body with USB-C. This would have made the adaptation much smoother, and they could have phased it out in a year or two. Apple would have set a quality standard for the dongles (and a consistent design language...), and early adopters would have had the essential ones. In a the following years, USB-C equipment had been becoming more available for the the late-comers. It's too late now. For me it took 2 machines in my household to adopt USB-C, and I still have reservations because the of port mechanics (small diameter of the port, especially when compared to the cables) just make it a bad idea to attach heavy dongles to it. The cost of TB3 remains absolutely bonkers too!

Now I do find it hilarious how you are normalizing cost cutting of a tech company with premium (i.e. $$$) products that has the highest profit-margins and (used to have?) the best reputation the sector had ever seen. It always looks bad when a "premium" company is trying to nickel and dime you on things that are essential for the function of the product.

 

[beanbaguk]

What a load of codswallop. You lose all credibility with this statement:



And that's it. YOU cannot see it. The problem is you. You don't seem to understand the point of the MacBook Pro: to pack (1) as much power and performance into (2) a small portable package.

Everything else compromises those. Every extra board/card and socket for upgradeability - and while we're at it every legacy port - takes away from one of those two things.

Some facts instead of fantasy. They have to balance expandability/upgradeability, performance, and portability.

Any even vague understanding of electrical engineering understands that user-changeable RAM and storage isn’t just an extra socket or two. It’s also an extra BOARD and other electronics to translate through the socket, plus those extra electronics generate more heat so more cooling is needed. All those add up and compromise either portability or performance. So which should they choose? Apple’s engineers are clever but they're still bound by the laws of physics (and we haven't figure out TARDIS technology yet, where it's bigger on the inside).

[I agree that the 2016 MPB form factors went too far and compromised performance too much - thermals and keyboard especially. They fixed both of those issues in the 16” and that machine is what the high end MBP should have been in 2016. (This new 13" still suffers some of those but presumably they're working on that for the rumored 14".)]

So should we compromise the portability instead? Well... let's look at the old 17” MBP. That was power and expandability at the cost of portability. Except hardly anyone bought it. The 17" didn't sell. The market spoke. Apple responded with the 2012 rMBP, soldered RAM and all. And now judging by the sales and reviews, the market seems to think this 16" (soldered everything) is the best collection of compromises at that level of "pro". So you're "WE, as consumers" is your small fantasy, not reality/facts.

What if they add all those extra sockets, boards, and ports that you people want? I mean why stop there? If the RAM and storage should be replaceable then why not the CPU, GPU, wireless card, and a whole bunch of other things. Where does it end? Same goes for the ports. Thunderbolt 3 ports is the tech today that gives maximum performance and flexibility to the widest range of needs without compromising performance or portability. Ok, so you have to replace some cables for $20... or heck even $100. So what? If that’s an issue see my response to PearsonX below.

If you want an upgradeable machine that doesn't compromise performance, get a Mac Pro: amazing performance, cooling to sustain it, removable, expandable, upgradeable everything. It’s no holds barred un-compromised everything, except it's in an enclosure the size required to give it all that. Of course it’s not portable and it's not cheap, but physics says that’s what you have to compromise to get all that.

Alternatively, if you want portability without compromising performance then let go of the stuff that doesn’t NEED to be inside and get the machine that prioritizes performance and portability over the rest. The 16” MBP is almost a portable Mac Pro. It has performance and power in a portable machine that was all pretty unthinkable just a few years ago. And the 13” (hopefully future 14") sacrifices more performance for more portability... IF that's what you WANT. You have a choice!

Don’t tell me you don’t have a choice. That’s your choice right there. The laws of physics insist that you can only have two out of the three:

1. Expadability/upgradeability
2. Performance
3. Portability.

Want 1 and 2? Get a Mac Pro.
Want 2 and 3? Get a MacBook Pro.
Want 1 and 3? Get a PC. (Apple won't cater to that market because it's too small).
Want all three? Change the laws of physics.

Your world where all that expandability/upgradeablity, etc AND performance AND portability is possible in one machine is a fantasy. I'm sorry. The real world doesn’t work that way.

You sound like a delightful person!