Same way of thinking. However, the joy of building a new computer from nothing but spares is too good to pass.
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MacBook Pro Reportedly Won't See Any Major Upgrades in 2018
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Same way of thinking. However, the joy of building a new computer from nothing but spares is too good to pass.
Please lord, no.
If these junkers keep selling, Tim the Ops Guy won’t see anything wrong. These are mediocre st best, and are resting on the laurels of MacOS and previous market momentum.
If these junkers keep selling, Tim the Ops Guy won’t see anything wrong. These are mediocre st best, and are resting on the laurels of MacOS and previous market momentum.
I gave up waiting.
I found a coupon for a Dell that got me (refurbished) an XPS 15 with an i7 HQ processor, user upgradable ram, 256 GB ssd (user upgradable again), 15" HD display, and a 4GB nvidia gtx 1050 all for $760.
Christ I hate Windows. But the performance of this machine is better than the macbook pro (and handily beating it in the GPU arena). I can upgrade the ram to 32GB (which I will do almost immediately) and get a new SSD shortly. All for far less than the cheapest, 3 year old macbook Air.
Apple: I love your design. I love MacOS. But I'm also in need of a serious pro machine that has a reasonable price. I'm willing to pay a premium for your stuff, but only in the neighborhood of 20%. Not double or even triple in this case, and not for gimmicks like the touch bar, and not if you keep making the damn thing almost un upgradable.
If you get your s*** together in a few years I might be back. But for now you lost another Mac sale. I know you don't care being the richest company on earth, but this is how the seeds of decline get planted.
I found a coupon for a Dell that got me (refurbished) an XPS 15 with an i7 HQ processor, user upgradable ram, 256 GB ssd (user upgradable again), 15" HD display, and a 4GB nvidia gtx 1050 all for $760.
Christ I hate Windows. But the performance of this machine is better than the macbook pro (and handily beating it in the GPU arena). I can upgrade the ram to 32GB (which I will do almost immediately) and get a new SSD shortly. All for far less than the cheapest, 3 year old macbook Air.
Apple: I love your design. I love MacOS. But I'm also in need of a serious pro machine that has a reasonable price. I'm willing to pay a premium for your stuff, but only in the neighborhood of 20%. Not double or even triple in this case, and not for gimmicks like the touch bar, and not if you keep making the damn thing almost un upgradable.
If you get your s*** together in a few years I might be back. But for now you lost another Mac sale. I know you don't care being the richest company on earth, but this is how the seeds of decline get planted.
Making apps work on both iOS and macOS... plus an unusually long block of time without updating Mac specs?
ARM-based Macs will be coming sooner than expected, I bet.
ARM-based Macs will be coming sooner than expected, I bet.
Was your wife's problematic MBP a 2016 or 2017? I heard the 2017s have a slightly improved keyboard, but I'm not sure how big of an impact that makes. (I'm also curious whether a 2017 keyboard can be put into a 2016 MBP, or if there are physical differences which prevent that.)
Was yours a 2016 or a 2017 MBP? As I mentioned above, I "heard" the 2017s were supposed to be a bit more reliable...
I will continue waiting until Apple releases a "major update" which
--downsizes the overly large trackpad (hey Apple, provide support to link Macs to iPads wirelessly if Pencil support is desired)
--eliminates the touch-bar
--restores the escape and function keys
--increases the battery capacity (back to 99.5Wh)
--provides a keyboard with the durability and tactile response akin to the 2012-2015 models
I have a wish list too, but the on above I cannot compromise. For those who want 32GB RAM, please understand that Apple cannot provide what Intel will not support. Current Intel chipsets only support 16GB RAM.
I am bamboozled by the lack of any official announcement of support for eGPUs (which they briefly mentioned at WWDC 2017). I suppose this will come with a major update in 2019.
I currently own a 2012 Mac Mini and a 2013 MBA. I would love to purchase a MBP, but if Apple continues with this monstrosity of a design and one of my computers dies, I will be looking at (gulp) Windows computers and (as a previous Windows user) I won't be coming back. The same applies if Apple switches to ARM-based Macs.
Apple should really be looking at what other successful and highly reviewed OEMs are producing (e.g., Dell XPS, Lenovo X1 Carbon) and consider their designs in light of what they are offering (e.g. thin bezels, but I don't need OLED's increased power consumption).
[Edit: If you consider all of the common, major complaints (i.e. trackpad, touch pad, virtual esc + fn keys, keyboard), the complaints can all be grouped into one major category--user interface) The issue of ports is a user input issue and the battery falls more under usability--can't work with a dead battery.]
--downsizes the overly large trackpad (hey Apple, provide support to link Macs to iPads wirelessly if Pencil support is desired)
--eliminates the touch-bar
--restores the escape and function keys
--increases the battery capacity (back to 99.5Wh)
--provides a keyboard with the durability and tactile response akin to the 2012-2015 models
I have a wish list too, but the on above I cannot compromise. For those who want 32GB RAM, please understand that Apple cannot provide what Intel will not support. Current Intel chipsets only support 16GB RAM.
I am bamboozled by the lack of any official announcement of support for eGPUs (which they briefly mentioned at WWDC 2017). I suppose this will come with a major update in 2019.
I currently own a 2012 Mac Mini and a 2013 MBA. I would love to purchase a MBP, but if Apple continues with this monstrosity of a design and one of my computers dies, I will be looking at (gulp) Windows computers and (as a previous Windows user) I won't be coming back. The same applies if Apple switches to ARM-based Macs.
Apple should really be looking at what other successful and highly reviewed OEMs are producing (e.g., Dell XPS, Lenovo X1 Carbon) and consider their designs in light of what they are offering (e.g. thin bezels, but I don't need OLED's increased power consumption).
[Edit: If you consider all of the common, major complaints (i.e. trackpad, touch pad, virtual esc + fn keys, keyboard), the complaints can all be grouped into one major category--user interface) The issue of ports is a user input issue and the battery falls more under usability--can't work with a dead battery.]
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So it'll be at least 2019 before Apple has a laptop that has more than a minuscule 16GB of RAM?
My attitude has changed from, why can't you make a better MBP, to, thank you for continuing to make the MBP. I don't know why this is.
I'd be delighted if the only thing Apple did was fix/improve the wretched keyboard on the MacBook Pro
The machine was a 2016, bought in Nov '16. The first replacement keyboard was a 2016 (in Feb '17), but the second replacement was a 2017 (in Aug '17). That also died in 4 months. The 3rd replacement was also 2017 (in Nov '17), and I didn't give it time to die, I sold the thing immediately after the replacement.
I think we're stuck with the function bar touch thing forever. I am more worried about the laptop imposters Apple has still under today's MB Pro banner. I mean, a IG video and only 2 ports on a Pro machine. Again, Apple is taking the p!55 out of its user base.
You see, I loved that machine*. Yeah, it wasn't a "pro" machine, but the battery life was insane, it ran super cool, and the performance was damn good.
*except for the deal-breaker of a keyboard. That POS ruined the whole thing.
A keyboard that isn't physically painful for touch typists to use would be a nice start?
I'm not spending $4000+ on a "Pro" laptop that's "OMG PONNIES SO **THINSY**" that I need to carry a separate keyboard for it to be usable.
Maybe Apple could make *one* Pro laptop that wasn't designed with only anemic vegans that can barely lift their own bodies off the couch after 12hr Facebook marathons in mind?
Or, maybe they could go back to selling both Consumer and Pro laptops? Each designed to better suit a target group, rather than this one size (OMG THIN!!!) fits all BS?
I'll keep my 2012 until it dies I guess.
Well that's just stupid. Bump the processor and graphics card (should ALWAYS happen EVERY year) and offer a high-end model without the touchbar.
I have a 15" 2016 model. The keyboard still functions (and I have three years' applecare), and my typing speed on the new keyboard benchmarks at the same WPM as the old. So technically, no loss. It helps that I use emacs bindings so I don't have to deal with the teeny cursor keys.
...and yet... the MBP keyboard is functional, and no better. I tried the keyboard of the Surface Book 2, and it's exquisite. Why can't Apple match Microsoft? Why isn't Apple best in class?
...and yet... the MBP keyboard is functional, and no better. I tried the keyboard of the Surface Book 2, and it's exquisite. Why can't Apple match Microsoft? Why isn't Apple best in class?
That's the thing: They think they are.
If all you value is aesthetic design and thinness-at-all-costs, then the new MBPs are the best damn laptops ever made.
Gives them time to offer a real keyboard alternative to the TouchBar and get a CPU that is more secure. I haven't tried the new keyboard, but sounds like that could be improved too. I would have bought a new MacBook Pro by now if the TouchBar wasn't the only option.
The issue is that Apple management thinks that all laptops should be designed for a single demographic like anemic vegans (jwdsail, thank you for the term). What we need is for Apple to recognize that the single demographic they are designing for does not require 3 lines of product (MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro) all designed essentially the same. They did not start out that way, but the Ive factor has made them indistinguishable for all practical purposes.
Pros need 1 computer that is not designed on a wimpy 15 watt CPU, that has a few ports, a good keyboard that will last and is tactile, has a changeable bigger battery, has changeable RAM, and has changeable SSD. When I say changeable make it like the 2011 MacBook Pro with screws. We don't need the cost of doors or access points, we just need to not have to unglue it.
Only one computer is needed, make it the fastest CPU available and be done with it. Just one laptop computer. Under Jobs that was not so hard. Now with the improved Apple it seems impossible.
I'd liken their track record for this to marginally better than that of an Olympic snail. Would be nice though. I'm looking at you "Do not buy" stuff in MacRumors Roundups.
I'm very satisfied with the current lineup. People are complaining about ram and cpu. Common, it's a portable device not a workstation. Show me the workload that need 32GB of RAM, or laptop that is hlaf the mature as macbook is ? Dell XPS no, the touchpad and build quality is far behind, abandoned Microsoft Surface laptop with it's bending keyboard ? Nooooo, there is not any competitive device out there I'd say. It's a great decision not to change the design every year.
Apple has made it pretty clear that they don't care about the pro market. iMac Pro is a reasonably powerful machine, but still not what actual pros need. The people I know who are actual PROs with PRO needs who still want to use macos buy hackintosh machines. Apple doesn't care about MAKERS anymore, they cater to CONSUMERS.