How would you have updated the Macbook Pros?

[Rookbird]

This is what I would have done with the new MacBook Pro's as far as processing power goes. I would have a basic 13 inch with a dual core processor and an upgraded 13 inch with a quad core processor. Then I would have a basic 15 inch with a quad core processor and an upgraded 15 inch with TWO quad core processors for a total of at least 6 cores if not 8 cores. I know processor tech is slowing down but there is where you need to be creative and innovate and with the power efficiency of the new processors and if they went back to the thicker case with the larger battery then it is very possible. It's time to get over this thinness and light weight at all costs attitude. Power users want POWER! I'd also put back the magsafe connector and some of the other connectors they took away and add 1 or 2 of the new USB-C connectors. The basic 13 inch would come with 256 SSD and the upgraded 13 inch would come with 512. The basic 15 inch would come with 512 SSD and the upgraded 15 inch would come with 1 TB SSD. My goal on pricing would be the basic 13 inch model coming in around $1,200 to $1,400 and the upgraded 13 inch would come in around $1,500 to $1,700. The basic 15 inch would come in around $2,000 to $2,200 and the upgraded 15 inch would come in around $2,500 to $2,700.

How would you have upgraded the MacBook Pros?

 

[danniexi]

Judging by everyone's complaints, all of the "professionals" on the internet demand a one inch laptop with mechanical keys, SD/CF/XD card reader, 64GB of ram, Ethernet port, HDMI/DVI/display/VGA port, ten USB-A 3.0 ports, the fastest graphics card available, the fastest chips available...

Oh and MagSafe.

 

[Ryan1524]

Everything else being the same, if MagSafe and SD card slot had remained, I think everything else could have been explained away.

SD card is still very widely used. This is not like when PCMCIA card, or the CF slot were killed; they were already on their way out.

 

[therealseebs]

If it were entirely up to me?

Full keyboard plus touch bar, keep the key travel since most people seem to prefer it (or maybe make keyboard type an option), at least two USB type A ports, keep the optical out in the headphone jack, magsafe power option, keep SD slot, probably a thunderbolt2/displayport port, and an HDMI port. If possible, find a way to have a non-glossy display option, because a lot of people prefer those. (I've seen statistics as high as 70% for preference between otherwise identical machines.) 32GB option. And yeah, this would make it thicker. Use that extra space for a little more heat dissipation, and also battery.

I don't know how much more expensive this would be, or whether it would even be more expensive; it might be that some of the cost has to do with the extra effort of getting everything into that super-compact space.

But I do know that I'd have paid $hundreds more for that machine if they'd both been on offer.

 

[Rookbird]

Everything else being the same, if MagSafe and SD card slot had remained, I think everything else could have been explained away.

SD card is still very widely used. This is not like when PCMCIA card, or the CF slot were killed; they were already on their way out.

I totally agree. Apple should not get rid of any connector that is used by the majority (e.g. SD Card slot). They should not consider getting rid of a connector until it is being used by the minority. If anything add the new connector and have a few less of the other connectors.

 

[zemaker]

Keep the old keyboard (not the new low travel one), use GPU that is not an entry level, keep MagSafe, keep SD card slot, keep HDMI, 32Gb ram, and a USB A to USB C converter and really that's it, you got yourself a Pro machine.

Oh and roll down the price, because why exactly did they jack it up?

 

[motime]

Old keyboard.
Magsafe
Old ports while replacing one of the USB 3.0 ports with USB C
Same weight, increased battery life
New processors and the new screen.
32 gb ram option

Price similar to last year maybe $100-200 or so more would be acceptable.

 

[Capt T]

I totally agree. Apple should not get rid of any connector that is used by the majority (e.g. SD Card slot). They should not consider getting rid of a connector until it is being used by the minority. If anything add the new connector and have a few less of the other connectors.

SD card users are in the minority.

 

[teejaysyke]

For me, keep the old 2015 Chasis.

2 USB A
2 USB C
Magsafe
SD Card
HDMI
Headphone jack
2016 Pro internals
2016 Pro battery, but using the Macbook tech to fill in the unused space with battery

Color options: Space Gray, Silver, Matte Black

Slim the bezels on the screen, giving more real estate, but keeping the same form factor

Would be a perfect machine

 

[Phoenixx]

Replace the 2 Thunderbolt ports and the HDMI port with 3 USB C ports to make them more flexible. Leave all the other ports as is. Make the machine slightly thicker to increase battery life and to help with cooling. Slim down the bezels, and offer the new machine in colours consistent with the rest of the product range, eg. Matte Black, Gloss Black, Silver, Rose Gold and Gold. Make the machine available in 13",15" and 17" models, with a max memory option of 32gb, the latest processor chips, non-soldered SSD, user upgradeable memory (like the old iBooks), and a non-glued battery.

Keep the prices similar, or increase only slightly.

AND, INCLUDE A RANGE OF USB C DONGLES IN THE BOX TO RETAIN ALL PREVIOUS CONNECTIVITY THROUGH THE NEW PORTS!!!

 

[xxray]

Literally the same as it is now, just with lower prices.

 

[Frost17]

better dedicated GPUs.

 

[PaulWog]

I could understand their pricing if they had:
- 1080p front-facing camera
- 16GB standard RAM
- touchbar standard in all models
- slightly lower pricing curve

 

[SRLMJ23]

Everything with the ports and keyboard I agree with (Keep USB A, Change one to USB-C, keep MagSafe etc..)

Intel Xeon Skylake Purley CPU: Poised to be the biggest update since the age old Nehalem platform. Along with the improved performance per watt that comes with every article iteration, Skylake EX Purley will actually ship with 6 Channels of DDR4 as opposed to 4. It will also include the AVX 512 instruction set and will boast the 100G OmniPath interconnect. Skylake Purley will also have Cannonlake graphics support not to mention FPGA integration (another important upgrade). The FPGA will be able to execute programmable logic as opposed to the Skylake processor.

That is a PRO CPU.

Up to 64gb of RAM.

Also agree that Apple should include a dongle in box and keep prices a little lower!

 

[arbitrage]

I would have liked the exact model they released but with the option to forego the touchbar for a $300 discount (well $400 in Canada).
I'm happy with the port choice and making it smaller and lighter. I wouldn't have opted for 32 GB of RAM over the 16 so that issue doesn't affect me.

I just find the cost getting a little out of hand. But in Canada we have such a poor exchange right now that everything is getting crazy expensive lately. Apple adding a $300-$400 touchbar tax doesn't help