Hardware-Free WWDC Sets Stage for Busy Second Half of 2016

[AppleScruff1]

Really, is that what you think? What pray tell are you needing an rMBP or iMac to do that the current iteration, or frankly many from the past 3 years can't do for you? Sure, there may indeed be a few things where bleeding edge power (cpu or gpu) may be of benefit, but there are millions of people who earn a living using their current and older Apple computers.

To me, it seems like you're just taking a page out of the tired old PC market playbook, where they need to constantly update to pitch the latest and greatest (even if it's not actually great) hardware specs, because people think that gaining that extra ~13% of speed or power or whatever will transform your ability to get work done.

Even when I read some of the reviews of the latest and greatest PC hardware - the ones that are chasing after Apple's thin and light design, they often end up admitting that they're trading off things, like battery life, heat generated, or smoothness and responsiveness of trackpad, while pricing (for truly comparable product) does not show the Apple tax, but rather that there is now a PC tax in order to get to similarly equipped product.

Maybe Apple is the one with the old market playbook.

 

[Altivec88]

Thanks for posting that video… That is the Apple I know. If any exec at Apple can sit there and say they are building the best possible Mac products, they should be fired. The whole lineup is what Steve would call junk and its being sold at uncompetitively high prices.

I also can’t believe there are people defending Apple here.


I am/was a die hard apple fan boy. I owned macs since 1984, I built my company around macs, I am responsible for thousands of apple products sold, but even I see that Tim and company are destroying the foundation of What Apple spent so many years to build.


I understand that WWDC is a developers conference but what some of you don’t get is that a lot of us have been waiting years for upgrades and are continually being told, don’t worry, it will be announced at the next keynote, oops, ok no really, the next one for sure, etc…


My company does 3d renderings so we use MacPros with as much power as we can get. Our current machines are Mid 2010 12 core MacPro’s (we paid $5000 CAN per machine). We usually upgrade our machines every 2 years but after waiting 3 years for an update, Apple presented us with the trashcan. It sure looked pretty and had full of my ass innovation but yet they removed what I needed, performance. A whole processor was removed which crippled the upgrade for anyone requiring CPU speed. Bottom line for me, it maxed out at 12 cores and thats only at top level, meaning I would have to pay $10k CAN/machine to gain a very slight improvement in rendering times. So I decided that we should at least wait for the next minor bump which I assumed would be the next year.


So here we are SIX years later and not a peep from Apple. This should have been the 3rd time we upgraded our machines yet both myself and Apple continue to wait and lose money. In the past few months, I have had a couple of our machines die on us which is becoming devastating to my company but who in their right mind would spend 10k on machines with 3 year old tech right before WWDC, so we managed to hobble along.


So now what. With Apple’s showing no interest in keeping their computers competitive and rumours that they have even less interest than that in their pro lines. How long should I be waiting. I’ve already gone through 3 more WWDC, special events, etc… I’ll tell you how many more days i’ll be waiting, 0. I’m already in the process of looking into PC’s for the first time in over 30 years.


I am really frustrated and angered by being forced to switch but I really have no alternative. My PC using competitors are beginning to surpass me in terms of rendering quality and speed with their 44core systems. So as much as I love Apple, it has become a swim or sink situation for me. I am also pretty sure once I switch over all my pro machines, the rest of my machines/tablets/phones will follow.


This is what Tim doesn’t understand. Once all the loyal evangelist people like me are gone, Apple will be just like all the other big Phone companies. Nokia, Motorola, RIM all thought they were invincible and we all know what happened to them.

Wow.
If I were you, I would wait until December. Past december start switching to Windows/Linux.

That's what I did last year and the year before that. Now I have broken machines that need replacing. I can't be down two stations for 6 more months, so I have to do something. I wouldn't even mind buying their current Mac Pro if they were competitively priced but with Tim's wisdom, they don't adjust the pricing.

I understand that its not good practice to lower pricing as it devalues the product but that marketing model only works if you constantly keep your products competitive. They can't have it both ways.

This is very reminiscent of the Gil Emilio days right before Steve took over. Talk about confusing lineups. We've got a million laptop models that are almost all the same, 3 different resolution iMacs, and desktops that are getting close to a thousand days old. I remember when Steve first took over his second reign, he simplified the number of products and blatantly stated that each model needed to be best of class with updates at least once a year. That's the set up that made Apple successful. I have no clue what they are trying to achieve now. Having crappy products just weakens the entire brand.

Its not like they don't have billions of dollars and tens of thousands of employees. They already invested in the new MacPro design. How many engineers could it possibly take to put the almost 2 year old E5v3 with the same socket and a couple of new graphics cards. The E5v4 with 22 cores is now out and Apple is still trying to sell E5v2's and premium cutting edge pricing. WAKE UP APPLE... People aren't buying these machines because they are crap, not because there isn't demand for them.

 

[sn1p3r845]

Agreed. However, when you sell more iOS devices in the last 10 years than all your computers since the founding of the company 40+ years ago, you'd probably put computers on a back burner, too. Especially now that iPads will get Swift Playgrounds, before long, iPads will have a full xCode or other IDE, and Apple will need Macs even less.

However, that's still a few years off, so here's what I want in a new product line: all computers support USB-C/Thunderbolt. DisplayPort 1.4 will be a bonus. At least 2 USB-C ports on every computer. No more HDDs at all, no Fusion drives whatsoever. Go straight SSD. Possibly drop the MacBook Air line. Change MacBook Pros to 14" & 16" sizes. Lose the "baby bump" on the iMacs Eventually switch iOS devices from Lightning to USB-C. I know, it'll be a bitch for accessory developers. Give the iPad Mini the Pro treatment with Smart connector, pencil support. Ditch the rest of the non-Pro iPads. These will probably piss off a bunch of people, but would simplify the lineups.

It's not like they only have one team that makes all their stuff.. I'm fairly certain they have a full team for every product.

 

[MacAddict1978]

Not holding my breath. It's clear Apple doesn't realy care about their computer line.

Agreed. I'm bracing myself for a totally castrated machine and hoping I'll be surprised. Windows keeps getting so much better that I'm tempted to explore the dark side. Despite Win10 forcing upgrades, it's actually a great OS. I just love OSX (I can't yet do the macOS thing) and the simplicity of Apple's own apps, but those are going to hell in a hand basket in quality slowly but surely too.

I've got $2K saved and waiting for Apple to take.... but if they give us some butchery like the Macbook in the pro line, I might be tempted to wait for the next Surfacebook....

 

[MarsViolet]

At this point Apple is so slow at releasing updates I don't even see it as slow updates. I see Apple as literally leaving the computer industry for a year or two...leaving us hanging for a few years with no updates and wondering if they will ever get back into the computer business. The Mac Pro is a great example of that. They have literally left the professional workstation market for two years...again.

This is precisely the way Apple used to treat Aperture before finally announcing that they were discontinuing it.

 

[flightopsguy]

Interesting that MBP and MBA refurbs have mostly disappeared from the online store in the last few days.

 

[MarsViolet]

They're too busy working on cars to care anymore.

Five bucks says they're designing the car using advanced CAD software running on PCs.

 

[pacalis]

It's not like they only have one team that makes all their stuff.. I'm fairly certain they have a full team for every product.

I wish their thunderbolt display team would get their act together.

Anyone have a more recent photo? This one is 5 years old.

 

[Glideslope]

Yes, and this forum is full of people complaining about that (changes to iMessage, for example).

Seriously, I am glad Apple is expanding into services as there is good money to be made there and it will hopefully move some of the media and investor focus on Apple as a company away from the iOS hardware.

Unlikely. Too many care too much about specs. Sad but true. I see no change in this behavior. I never was negative about Apple's Service Expansion. I just don't expect a "Game Changer" any longer. However, Margins will stay relatively stable. That's the gig these days.

 

[tjleonard]

Got a Dell catalog in the mail last night showcasing their latest laptops. They look really nice! Right next to it, they say "Will make any MacBook Pro user jealous" and well, they are spot on. My 2013 MBPR is still just as fast as the current model?? This is crazy. Apple's software bugginess reminds me of Windows anyway, so I could save some money and switch to a Windows machine.

Oh, and the Dells are almost half the price! Add in a 5K Dell display and it's still cheaper. Wow, so sad Apple. I guess once management gets money and some fame, they have no drive to do better than "average".

XPS' are nice laptops but the touchpad, keyboard, and display all are better on the latest MacBook Pro, to the point that is the machine I reach for.

 

[dampfnudel]

If you want Retina, why don't get a Macbook or Macbook Pro with Retina? There's no indication that the Air's gonna get Retina. Your argument is somewhat flawed.

If, and that is IF, size and weight matter, you can either get an Air (if you don't care for the screen) or wait (although it has been mentioned many many times to me, that the retina pro isn't that much thicker/lighter) or you can wait. But the argument I replied to was that you get a Macbook now and then be jealous about people getting a newer model in the fall.

If in principle Apple offers what you need/want, there's no reason to wait and get butthurt over POTENTIAL new features that may or may not prove useful. Except the MBA's screen, the current MBA/MBP models really aren't as outdated as you make them seem. As mentioned before, most of it is in your mind... Yes, it is actually VERY similar to having an iPhone 6 and wanting an iPhone 6S. If Apple does not offer what you need, you wait. Simple as that.

A lot of people are doing just that.

 

[Glideslope]

Which is precisely what has me concerned. People like me who have been choosing Apple hardware for many decades worry about this direction. So far, as a services company, Apple has been pretty mediocre. The WWDC keynote ranged from dull and uninspired to outright cringeworthy. That keynote was the final nail in the old Apple's coffin. This new Apple, the one that would sanction that painful (and worse, desperate) Apple Music spot, is a new and different company.

Of course it is. I would not be super concerned about Hardware. It will still be up to the tasks required. IMO, the big change will be a 3 year Update Cycle for all Hardware eventually. Starting with the iPhone in 2017. More time for Service Creation.

 

[dampfnudel]

I'm looking forward to at least having the option of dark mode. I don't know if I'll use it always, but I'll definitely try it out.

 

[scoobydoo99]

So, when will the 2016 MacBook Pro be released?

Most rumors point towards a launch in the second half of 2016.

you're joking, right? Since it's already the middle of June, the "second half of 2016" starts in 2 weeks. Updates are LONG overdue, so OF COURSE it will be in the second half of 2016. Do we really need MacRumors to tell us this?

 

[Virinprew]

Even with the Mac Pro being 910 days old it still nocks the socks off of every other Apple product. All of Apple's other products use processors and chipsets designed for mobile use. The Mac Pro has high performance workstation components. Even my Mac Pro 2010 can smoke Apple's latest MacBook Pros and iMacs.

Umm the problem is not that. The problem is that they still charge the full price for a 910-day old tech.

 

[sourfeature]

That's the dilemma facing any student trying to upgrade to a new MacBook this summer. Option A: Buy an outdated MBP/MBA and be jealous of students who waited until October to get the thinner, more advanced/powerful MBP with that cool/useful OLED touch bar on the top of the keyboard that may even come in multiple colors. Option B: Wait and in the meanwhile use what you have now, borrow a family member's laptop or get a cheap ChromeBook to hold you over. I don't know about you, but personally I would pick option B.

My cynical side wonders if Apple had too much stock and wanted students to reduce it.

I'm exactly in this position right now

 

[friedkimchi]

Based on the rumours, Apple is waiting:

1) AMD Polaris GPU for mobile was just announced (July availability)
2) AMD Zen APU (Early 2017 release)
3) Shortage of Skylake chipsets?
4) Want to ship Sierra with the latest model (fall release, when exactly is fall?)
5) Problems in manufacturing (4 USB C, TB3 capable? ports = 4 controllers?, no more space on logic board due to thin obsession)
6) Retina screens being changed? (Due to staingate)

 

[rendyr]

I will only forgive apple if they announced it with Kaby Lake inside the MBP.

 

[Codeseven]

I will only forgive apple if they announced it with Kaby Lake inside the MBP.

Yup, Skylake has been talked about for so long now it's become yesterday's news. This year, it'll now have to be Kaby Lake to sound cutting edge at all.

 

[brentsg]

Umm the problem is not that. The problem is that they still charge the full price for a 910-day old tech.

That's pretty much it. I'm using a 2010 Mac Pro that's on its last legs. USB devices rarely work on the first 10 plug-ins, but I'm not going to buy an old model at new prices.

 

[Ankaa]

A lot of people are doing just that.

You still don't get what I mean, do you? If you need/get/want a computer now and Apple offers something for you NOW, there is NO reason to get jealous when your classmates get a newer model in the fall. That is what you stated and that's just ...em...stupid. It's an ego issue before anything else.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

Considering the revenue iOS devices bring in compared to Macs, iOS devices have been the core business for Apple for years.




And yet Apple continued to sell more Macs year on year until the most recent quarter, when every product category - including the ones folks are carping on get too much attention at the expense of the Mac - fell. So it seems pretty obvious that this neglect, while real and frustrating, has not been hurting sales in general.

I think that apple would have even more sales if they did updates more frequently.

 

[dampfnudel]

I think that apple would have even more sales if they did updates more frequently.

Exactly, but I guess Apple thinks they have a "captive" audience so whatevs.

 

[Lone Deranger]

Anybody else here started to do research in building their own Windows/Linux/Hackintosh workstation?
After 16 years, I am this >.< close to forsaking Apple.

 

[Mr Fusion]

This is very reminiscent of the Gil Emilio days right before Steve took over. Talk about confusing lineups. We've got a million laptop models that are almost all the same, 3 different resolution iMacs, and desktops that are getting close to a thousand days old. I remember when Steve first took over his second reign, he simplified the number of products and blatantly stated that each model needed to be best of class with updates at least once a year. That's the set up that made Apple successful. I have no clue what they are trying to achieve now. Having crappy products just weakens the entire brand.

The cyclical nature of Apple's business history is something I will never understand. This is a company that's succeeded under the leadership of a visionary founder not once but TWICE, and BOTH TIMES they've regressed back into this phase of attempting to please shareholders by maximizing profits using old hardware and a zillion similar products.

I don't get it... The recipe for success is so simple. Why do CEO's who phone it in like Cook blatantly diverge from it?