They are in Australia, at least the last time I visited the Doncaster Apple Store, albeit that was when the 12.9 inch iPad Pro was first released
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MacBook Air With USB-C Again Rumored, Launch Timeframe Unclear
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
They are in Australia, at least the last time I visited the Doncaster Apple Store, albeit that was when the 12.9 inch iPad Pro was first released
and don't forget the bigger battery too please. Retina screen + i5/7 = power drain.
yeah... and every other year, they will come out a new interface to either include the previous ones or to exclude previous interfaces... and dont forget Thunderbolt 3, which would be another interface nightmare for the new Macs and PCs. They must use thinner and faster connectors and that does not mean "better" in anyway. I still love my old firewire 400 computer.
Mac Pro is at 952 days since refresh. 1000 days by September 14, 2016. And likely all time record in stale computing. https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_Pro
Easily gonna crack the 1k record..... I hope Tim does not do something stupid and discontinue it before the 14th sept.
There there is no place for the Mac Pro in the new apple that gets majority of its profits from idevices. I predict it's going the way of the ipod classic, only thing I'm left wondering is what excuse / spin will be put on it....when announced.
Apple, I'll do your market research for what the new lineup will be.
12" rMB with 1 USB-C and 1 USB 2.0 port, wireless charging of some type that can simultaneously charge iPhones and iPads, Core M processor - for the extreme portability phile
13" rMBA with previous gen processors/GPU- entry level model which will still have enough power for the vast majority of the population. Pretty darn light weight for its power and cost but isn't sacrificing usability/functionality/important features to make it like 2 grams lighter that no one actually cares about.
14" and 16" bezel free rMBP with actual current gen tech under the hood. Obviously very high end 14" and 16" models can have discrete graphics. 8-32GB RAM is fine
iMac - mostly fine and on the right path, but get rid of mechanical hard drives
Mac Pro - update everything to current get tech that's not 4 years old
They should all have USB C 3.1 TB.
4K external display for single/dual monitor set ups for Mac Pro
5K external display,
ultra widescreen 21:9
I'm sorry for being Captain Obvious but apparently Tim Cook doesn't know that he has $160 billion sitting in his bank account and needs to actually do something with it.
Eventually work on combining usability of the AppleTV and the Mac Mini. i.e. Mac Minis can switch to AppleTV mode. An AppleTV Pro kind of thing. It's a high spec AppleTV for gaming, it's a fully functional Mac/PC. This would be extremely easy and if it could be done for $400 would be like what the iPod did for music. TV boxes, gaming consoles and PCs fused into an extremely functional device.
12" rMB with 1 USB-C and 1 USB 2.0 port, wireless charging of some type that can simultaneously charge iPhones and iPads, Core M processor - for the extreme portability phile
13" rMBA with previous gen processors/GPU- entry level model which will still have enough power for the vast majority of the population. Pretty darn light weight for its power and cost but isn't sacrificing usability/functionality/important features to make it like 2 grams lighter that no one actually cares about.
14" and 16" bezel free rMBP with actual current gen tech under the hood. Obviously very high end 14" and 16" models can have discrete graphics. 8-32GB RAM is fine
iMac - mostly fine and on the right path, but get rid of mechanical hard drives
Mac Pro - update everything to current get tech that's not 4 years old
They should all have USB C 3.1 TB.
4K external display for single/dual monitor set ups for Mac Pro
5K external display,
ultra widescreen 21:9
I'm sorry for being Captain Obvious but apparently Tim Cook doesn't know that he has $160 billion sitting in his bank account and needs to actually do something with it.
Eventually work on combining usability of the AppleTV and the Mac Mini. i.e. Mac Minis can switch to AppleTV mode. An AppleTV Pro kind of thing. It's a high spec AppleTV for gaming, it's a fully functional Mac/PC. This would be extremely easy and if it could be done for $400 would be like what the iPod did for music. TV boxes, gaming consoles and PCs fused into an extremely functional device.
Last edited:
Here's what I'd love to see right now 
1. MacBook Retina update. The kaby lake m5/m7 just started shipping. Let's get to it!
2. MacBook Pro 13" Update. Stick a new CPU in, maintain the optical drive. Do whatever with the display and hard drive. Maintain upgradeable RAM.
3. MacBook Air update. Everyone's scratching their head but what they don't realize is the Air has the i5/i7 that the MacBook can't have, since it doesn't have enough cooling capacity for it.
4. As soon as good DGPUs come out, a MacBook Pro update. It needs something to differentiate it from the Air and MacBook, and a class-leading mobile GPU would be the ticket. Maybe they could debut the GTX 1070M and pass it off as a mobile VR development workstation or something.
Now for the completely off the wall stuff:
5. Mac Mini update. Probably end up making it the size of an Apple TV and stick the macbook retina motherboard in it
6. Mac Pro update. Not this year? I'd guess an extremely modest update that answers no questions - still only holds 1 SSD, now available in space gray, gold, and rose gold.
Dreaming:
7. The Power Mac makes its return with an i7 E, quad SSD slots, dual HD slots, and 3 PCIE slots. Demoed with a set of Pascal Titan GPUs. The Xeons remain in the Mac Pro to differentiate it,
8. imac update with kaby lake and a desktop GTX 1060.
1. MacBook Retina update. The kaby lake m5/m7 just started shipping. Let's get to it!
2. MacBook Pro 13" Update. Stick a new CPU in, maintain the optical drive. Do whatever with the display and hard drive. Maintain upgradeable RAM.
3. MacBook Air update. Everyone's scratching their head but what they don't realize is the Air has the i5/i7 that the MacBook can't have, since it doesn't have enough cooling capacity for it.
4. As soon as good DGPUs come out, a MacBook Pro update. It needs something to differentiate it from the Air and MacBook, and a class-leading mobile GPU would be the ticket. Maybe they could debut the GTX 1070M and pass it off as a mobile VR development workstation or something.
Now for the completely off the wall stuff:
5. Mac Mini update. Probably end up making it the size of an Apple TV and stick the macbook retina motherboard in it
6. Mac Pro update. Not this year? I'd guess an extremely modest update that answers no questions - still only holds 1 SSD, now available in space gray, gold, and rose gold.
Dreaming:
7. The Power Mac makes its return with an i7 E, quad SSD slots, dual HD slots, and 3 PCIE slots. Demoed with a set of Pascal Titan GPUs. The Xeons remain in the Mac Pro to differentiate it,
8. imac update with kaby lake and a desktop GTX 1060.
It pains me to say it, but it's true. The whole line-up is a debacle right now. It just stuns me how far reaching Steve Job's influence was across the whole company. All of the rest of the talent is the same, yet somehow there's just a complete lack of overall vision and unity across the products.
Even now, I still don't entirely understand the point of the MacBook - I don't know why it wasn't just released as the new Air. And I still don't understand the single USB-C port thing - seriously what were they thinking. I occasionally use my Air as a drop in desktop replacement and the power, thunderbolt, and two USB ports are just about the minimum I can manage with - even then I often need to break out with a USB hub.
It's like all function must be sacrificed for the sake of form.. which is just an ideal I can't get behind.
I'd also love to see them introduce a lower spec Mac Pro. I don't see why that expandability and form factor can't be offered to people who aren't necessarily bothered about having a total powerhouse, but want something more than a Mac Mini! Cause the Mac Mini, whilst a great system (and I'm using one right now) just doesn't have the grunt.
Thinner schminner. We need new MacBook Pros.
[doublepost=1469698799][/doublepost]
Increasing sales? You notice a minor quarterly bump from Q2 and a considerable annual decline (almost $1 billion in revenue) compared to Q3 '15. That is not to be shrugged off, even if pushing the iPhone is the shareholders' groupthink priority.
Bleeding edge specs? Most, if not all Macs haven't been updated in such a long time that we're barely talking butterknife-edge specs. All neatly packed in the same aluminium boxes conceived back in 2012. In tech, that's glacial. For Apple's standards, even more so. Those who remained with the Mac nowadays are doing so out of habit and for the merits of OSX. The crowd they won over from the PC camp years ago is already going back due to Apple's stagnation.
[doublepost=1469698799][/doublepost]
Increasing sales? You notice a minor quarterly bump from Q2 and a considerable annual decline (almost $1 billion in revenue) compared to Q3 '15. That is not to be shrugged off, even if pushing the iPhone is the shareholders' groupthink priority.
Bleeding edge specs? Most, if not all Macs haven't been updated in such a long time that we're barely talking butterknife-edge specs. All neatly packed in the same aluminium boxes conceived back in 2012. In tech, that's glacial. For Apple's standards, even more so. Those who remained with the Mac nowadays are doing so out of habit and for the merits of OSX. The crowd they won over from the PC camp years ago is already going back due to Apple's stagnation.
Attachments
Last edited:
...and yet it was a massive success that probably saved Apple from oblivion.
Why would it have had a PS/2 port? Previous Macs used the strictly Mac-only ADB connectors for mice/keyboards; Localtalk or RS423 serial for printers (c.f. Centronics parallel for PC) and SCSI for discs & scanners (crossplatform but expensive & with bulky cabling & termination issues - PCs tended to use bi-directional Centronics for 'consumer' products like Zip drives). Releasing the iMac without legacy ports put the boot behind the peripheral manufacturers and within a year or so we had a good choice of USB printers, scanners, keyboards, mice that worked on both PC and Mac (PC keyboards & mice were often USB with a USB-to-PS/2 dongle thrown in).
Apple has actually shown really good judgement over when to kick out old ports, floppy drives, optical drives etc: there's usually a great wailing and gnashing of teeth when the announcement is made, followed by silence a few months later when people realise how little they need them. I'm even realising that I never use the Ethernet port on my MBP except at home where a TB dock would make sense.
Meanwhile, even today, desktop PC motherboards, including little Mini-ITX ones with limited connector space, have PS/2 connectors, as part of a ridiculous "port cocktail" of USB-2, USB-3, USB-C, USB with always-on power, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA and the occasional RS232... If you want to attach 3 displays you need 3 different cables...
OK - I'll give you that one, although the rest of the industry does seem obsessed with over-large video connectors, even after the switch from analog to serial digital.
The answer is actually very straightforward; the market has changed drastically.
If you look at Apple's desktop product line, the line at which consumers, 'prosumers' (I hate that term) and professionals choose a product has become increasingly blurred, because processing power and expandability are no longer make-or-break features.
Only 10, 15 years ago, there was a clear distinction between the iMac and the Power Mac/Mac Pro. Hardware technology was still catching up with the demands of software, to the point that a Mac Pro really was a requirement for certain applications; not simply a choice. Saddled with Apple's industrial design, it's no surprise that these machines were way ahead of the competition as they had a market that was clearly defined from the consumer.
For example, a graphic artist would almost certainly not purchase an iMac to produce their work. Rendering times in Photoshop were significantly slower, the screens were surprisingly poor (Ironically, the Trinitron CRTs in the G3 were most likely better quality), and they overheated very easily. The differences were like night and day - I hated using iMac G5s for Photoshop and Illustrator.
Fast forward to 2016, and the iMacs are almost unreal. They feature some of - if not, the - best 4K and 5K displays on the market. They're more compact and lighter to move around. They're vastly more power efficient. But most notably, they feature processors that are more than capable enough for the vast majority of professional software packages and tasks. The fact that they are all-in-one makes them the perfect computer, and USB-C will also highlight this. Customers have less reason to crack open the case and fiddle around like back in the day, because the specs are generally that good.
Industries themselves have evolved to the point where it is easier than ever to produce professional-quality media with less reliance on legacy platforms.
The Mac Pro, then, fills in a niche of supplying unprecedented power to the most demanding tasks; but the point in question is that the audience has shrinked. Sure, a Mac Pro would be ideal for editing 4K video, but it's no longer the only solution.
I would not be surprised at all if the Mac Mini is retired in the near future, with the Mac Pro following suit later on. Having just a single machine - the iMac - may be a controversial move, but it would not only simplify Apple's release schedule, it could potentially drive more sales. Not only this, but if the company is moving away from the 'i' moniker, you're back to just the 'Mac', which is much clearer marketing.
I think my frustration is borne out of the fact that I always dreamt about a Mac Pro 'Junior' system, following the same BYODKM model as the Mini (so it's just a base unit) but allows you to upgrade memory, graphics, drives, etc. However I feel that day will never come as Apple continues down this path of soldering all components onto the system boards in the pursuit of leaving customers to have no choice but pay for those 'upgrades' at the time of purchase at grossly overinflated prices.
The killer about it all is that I love OSX as an operating system and want to carry on using it, but am just fed up of a) not being able to buy the system I want and b) getting gouged by Apple worse and worse, every couple of years, when I decide it's time for an upgrade. Sure I can go down the Hackintosh route (and to be honest may revisit that) but my experience of it, even when using a 'recommended' mainboard wasn't exactly stellar.
I just hate it when a company is obvious about screwing you, but trying to sell it as some kind of perk or benefit. When it clearly isn't. And I hate it when a company is so big and so wealthy it can basically do whatever the hell it wants and doesn't actually have to listen to more niche customers because it simply just doesn't need their business.
Sigh.
I don't think so. I like standards and would like to have USB-C on the iPhone and iPad, but I don't see them replacing lighting anytime soon.
agreed. Lightning is smaller than USB-C so it creates more room inside the phone. With the thinness obsession, I don't see them changing.
Yes lighting is thinner, and is reversible.
USB-C, for the common user, is not better than Lighting. And switching to USB-C would make cables and accessories useless. That's why is not happening on iOS devices.
well it isn't for that reason (they changed to lighting out of nowhere rendering all accessories useless if you wanted a new phone).
They changed from 30pin connector to lighting because the old connector was too big for the new iPhones.
And yes, it was an hassle for customers, that's why I don't think they're going to replace lighting now, it would be another pain for their customers without a valid reason.
These threads are always so ill informed when people start talking about CPUs. We just had one of these threads in the last week and it was terrible too. As has been posted several times, people should take the time to look into Skylake and Kaby Lake CPU families, including which parts at which TDP levels include appropriate iGPUs. Then you can post intelligently without going on about Apple neglecting to refresh devices with non-existent parts.
Ok, so you need to understand how RAM usage works. If RAM isn't being actively used then it's held by the system. Just because the system can adopt more memory doesn't mean that it actually needs it or that it's being used to effect.
[doublepost=1469720767][/doublepost]
The point is that current-gen hardware isn't significantly better than 3 year old hardware these days.
[doublepost=1469720941][/doublepost]
That's not how RAM usage works. The system will soak up as much RAM as you give it - that doesn't mean that it's being actively used or benefitting anything.
[doublepost=1469721241][/doublepost]
Actually it's exactly what Steve would do - and he did. Remember that the rMBP came out in '12. Undoubtedly Apple was still following Jobs's plan back then and Apple kept the old MBP as well - for years. Apple does hedge their bets on occasion and imo this is one of the times they should be doing so
I think it's possible that the MacBook Air will receive a retina screen. 1 of 2 the existing USB ports will become a USB-C port. To differentiate between the Air and the Pro, the Pro will have more USB 3 ports, the existing HDMI port, and a faster processor. The 12" MacBook will receive a price drop to encourage consumers to buy it as the entry-level Mac, with the Air being better, and the Pro as top-tier.
The terraced battery worked because everything else was redesigned. You're wrong about the larger footprint in terms of useable space. Remember what was taken out to get the terraced design working. Fans. The deeper keyboard. The large logic board. Ports. Do those same things to a MBA and what do you get? A MB. The MB works not because of specific changes, but because of all the design changes working together. So no, your two things of smaller logic board and terraced batteries would not have gotten the same results. By all accounts on the rumors posted to MCR before the concept of an MB, Apple tried to upgrade the Air, but couldn't find a workable solution.
As for the iPad Pro, it's not just branding. The design, better processor, better sound and the Apple Pencil do make it a Pro tablet. as for numbers, I point you to the articles about animators adopting it and Apple's numbers from Tuesday. All on MCR too
[doublepost=1469722930][/doublepost]
We don't need thinner
This is a legit criticism of the MB, so why?
Why?
Skylake? Exactly how does Skylake provide a significantly better experience on the MBP?
[doublepost=1469723043][/doublepost]
The iMac. Oh, you mean for super-pro users? The Mac Pro will get a refresh when Apple can figure out a way to deal with the problems of a trashcan design.
[doublepost=1469723115][/doublepost]
Ancient yes. Significantly worse? Not on the CPU side.
[doublepost=1469723169][/doublepost]
Yeah I was really pissed when they dropped it for the MB.
[doublepost=1469723227][/doublepost]
Thank you
[doublepost=1469723497][/doublepost]
Actually, in the CPU world, that is anything but glacial these days. CPU tech has not advanced significantly in the last 3 years. Discreet GPUs have, but Apple tends to update a product when they can update multiple parts of the product.Thinner schminner. We need new MacBook Pros.
[doublepost=1469698799][/doublepost]
Increasing sales? You notice a minor quarterly bump from Q2 and a considerable annual decline (almost $1 billion in revenue) compared to Q3 '15. That is not to be shrugged off, even if pushing the iPhone is the shareholders' groupthink priority.
Bleeding edge specs? Most, if not all Macs haven't been updated in such a long time that we're barely talking butterknife-edge specs. All neatly packed in the same aluminium boxes conceived back in 2012. In tech, that's glacial. For Apple's standards, even more so. Those who remained with the Mac nowadays are doing so out of habit and for the merits of OSX. The crowd they won over from the PC camp years ago is already going back due to Apple's stagnation.
Last edited:
Retina display is power hunger (a oled version is less, but still big and i believe is less cheap) , 1080p sufficient.
and the 12 macbook.... he only exist to Tim speak ¨see, a iPad pro is better than a laptop (rMB)¨
This makes no sense at all. Why would the Retina MacBook have a superior USB standard to the Pro? Because it's a smaller or simpler format? USB-C is practically a given on the next Pro for the simple reason that it fulfils every need. Eventually, people will look back to Type-B and laugh.
The only reason the rMB exists is to satisfy a niche market of consumers who care about form over function. This isn't an opinion, it's a fact, and the premium pricing suggests as much. That in itself is a classic mode of establishing value where there is no substance; just take the Apple Watch as an example.
Hence, with the rMB you for some reason get to choose from four colours (two of which are tacky gold options), and spend an unreasonable amount of money on something that offers less productivity and functionality that it's older sibling, the MacBook Air.
I just don't see the logic at all in that strategy, yet it's become a defining image of the Tim Cook era. It's all about image.
The MacBook Air got its name because it served a purpose - it was the lightest Apple notebook at the time of introduction, and that was its defining feature. That's what separated it from the regular MacBook, which was heavier and thicker, but offered better performance and I/O.
But this is no longer relevant, and it makes no sense keeping both the Air and the rMB when there is such a clear discrepancy in the features and pricing. This is why the 13" Pro remains their best-seller; it's simply the best bang-for-buck, and isn't blurred.
The only way Apple can sort this mess out is to drop the Air and promote the rMB as the new consumer model. Possibly give it a 13" screen, a second USB-C port, (Drop the headphone jack), lower the price and you essentially have the next generation Air, but without the moniker. The CPU performance isn't as bad as people might have you think, it's just needs time to catch up; like the first gen Air.
[doublepost=1469724332][/doublepost]
Your highlighting the technologies that are present in the MBA, but these are overdue a redesign. There is no market for the performance that the MBA offers anymore. Those who just want to plow through everyday tasks - emailing, writing, web browsing - will find the rMB's CPU more than sufficient. For everything else more intensive, you have the 13" MBP, which is Apple's best selling notebook. Furthermore, the MBA is no longer Apple's ultra-portable.
Therefore, a 'new' MBA would essentially be a 13" rMB. But since it's unlikely that Apple will move from a 12" screen to a 13" after all their marketing about its extreme portability, and the tooling invested, the more likely option is for the MBA to be retired and the rMB to take its place.
Also, I do recall seeing the video of the Pixar team using iPad Pros. Nice endorsement, and I'm sure they enjoy using them, but it's no coincidence that Pixar have an affiliation with Apple...
Last edited: