MacBook Pro Reportedly Won't See Any Major Upgrades in 2018

[gtg465x]

Damn, people are harsh on the keyboard and Touch Bar here. I wonder how many actually own 2017 MacBook Pros. The 2016 was bound to have some problems because it was the first year of a new design, but is the 2017 really as bad as people say, or are these people that don't even own one? Two people on my team at work have 2016 MacBook Pros and neither one has complained about the keyboard or Touch Bar. I can't really weigh in because I own a 2015, but the keyboards on the 2016 and 2017 have seemed fine to me when I've played with them, and the Touch Bar looks cool and seems like it would be useful to me.

 

[carlos916]

All i want is my 10hrs of battery life...

 

[BiscottiGelato]

A quad in the 13”, same battery life, more reliable keyboard. I’ll pay at least $2k for that as soon as it’s out

 

[macsrcool1234]

Give me a price drop and im happy.

 

[leman]

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.

Except XPS is not Dell's direct competitor to MBP, the Precision 15" is. The XPS doesn't let you upgrade the CPU, doesn't reach maximal sustained CPU performance (unlike the MBP) and also comes with a GPU that's optimised with gaming in mind (performance/stability tradeoff with faster clocked RAM). XPS is a very nice multi-media machine that cuts a few corners here and there in order to reach a lower price, thats it.

 

[Darajavahus]

Seriously? I would think they would probably need to completely redesign the motherboards for Intel 8th Gen G-series processors with RX Vega M GH (for 15" and GL for 13") and they (Intel with Apple) most likely work on version with proper 6 core Coffee Lake no those old 4 core Kaby Lake that Intel put in those first G-series processors that arent for Apple.

If in couple months Apple won't introduce new MacBooks Pros with Intel 8th Gen G-series with 6 core Coffee Lake and RX Vega Pro M and iMacs with Intel 8th Gen G-series with 6 core Coffee Lake and RX Vega Pro
(all 27" 8GB of HBM2) then it would be like WOW, unbelievable, can you imagine Apple being even more behind lot cheaper windows computers?

Especially since earliest rumors up to official release of Intel G-series BGA set-up so many sites mention how it looks so much like made for Apple.

Here I very quickly photoshopped how much space would be saved, not only that but it would fit in 13", first 13" with discrete graphic!! And the smallest one is 2.6 TFLOPs can anyone find how much TFLOPs have Iris Plus Graphics 640?

 

[The Game 161]

Loving my MacBook Pro with touch bar and has no issues with my 2017 model personally...can't see myself needing to upgrade it at all anytime soon.

 

[ssmed]

Damn, people are harsh on the keyboard ... I wonder how many actually own 2017 MacBook Pros

I think you are not understanding the extreme frustration when something so simple changes for the worse - all for the 'religion' of thinness.

I do own a 2017 15" MBP. The keyboard has got sticky due to the smallest debris in the spaces around on several occasions - it makes complicated password entry quite tricky. I am now using a cover which has helped, but the small amount of travel makes this a less than satisfactory situation. For a machine which cost more than a month's salary for many people in the uk that is just not good enough. For whats it's worth, the keyboard is better than the original MacBook.

 

[Ener Ji]

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.

Thanks for clarifying. That's worrying that the 2017 keyboard also failed within four months.

I wonder how much these issues could be minimized by carefully avoiding eating any food in the vicinity?

 

[cm_junk]

What more does it need than an upgraded CPU? Not much more should be done at this time.

Off the top of my head...

- More USB ports (just two on a "pro" computer is pathetic).
- MicroSD card slot (professionals use SD cards).
- Touchbar-less models (no gimmicks needed).

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

Make gimmicky Touch Bar optional. Thank you.

Here ya go: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro?product=MPXT2LL/A&step=config#

You're welcome.

 

[mazz0]

What it needs it haptic son the touch bar

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

Except XPS is not Dell's direct competitor to MBP, the Precision 15" is. The XPS doesn't let you upgrade the CPU, doesn't reach maximal sustained CPU performance (unlike the MBP) and also comes with a GPU that's optimised with gaming in mind (performance/stability tradeoff with faster clocked RAM). XPS is a very nice multi-media machine that cuts a few corners here and there in order to reach a lower price, thats it.

And... WinBlows.

 

[parsonsmike]

Damn, people are harsh on the keyboard and Touch Bar here. I wonder how many actually own 2017 MacBook Pros. The 2016 was bound to have some problems because it was the first year of a new design, but is the 2017 really as bad as people say, or are these people that don't even own one? Two people on my team at work have 2016 MacBook Pros and neither one has complained about the keyboard or Touch Bar. I can't really weigh in because I own a 2015, but the keyboards on the 2016 and 2017 have seemed fine to me when I've played with them, and the Touch Bar looks cool and seems like it would be useful to me.

I can understand why people would like the new keyboards. I happen to dislike them quite a bit. But the reason they are a problem is that they are unreliable as hell. I got a chance to speak at length to an Apple tech/genius when I had mine evaluated before the 3rd replacement. This was at the Providence Place mall in RI, which is the main store downtown in a small/midsize city. The genius told me he was having at least one person come in for a keyboard replacement every day. Some days there were multiple people. And every replacement cost apple overnight shipping back & forth to Houston, plus a new keyboard, top case, and battery (!). That's a metric buttload of money being spent on this part.
[doublepost=1516050791][/doublepost]

Thanks for clarifying. That's worrying that the 2017 keyboard also failed within four months.

I wonder how much these issues could be minimized by carefully avoiding eating any food in the vicinity?

In my case, none. Because mine lives at my work desk, and I don't eat food there. This keyboard design is defeated by regular environmental dust + usage.

 

[KPOM]

I can understand why people would like the new keyboards. I happen to dislike them quite a bit. But the reason they are a problem is that they are unreliable as hell. I got a chance to speak at length to an Apple tech/genius when I had mine evaluated before the 3rd replacement. This was at the Providence Place mall in RI, which is the main store downtown in a small/midsize city. The genius told me he was having at least one person come in for a keyboard replacement every day. Some days there were multiple people. And every replacement cost apple overnight shipping back & forth to Houston, plus a new keyboard, top case, and battery (!). That's a metric buttload of money being spent on this part.
[doublepost=1516050791][/doublepost]
In my case, none. Because mine lives at my work desk, and I don't eat food there. This keyboard design is defeated by regular environmental dust + usage.

If that’s typical then Apple will change the design. What’s interesting is that the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard doesn’t have those problems. Maybe they’ll incorporate some design elements from that.

One key on my refurb 2017 MacBook failed the second day, but Apple was able to pop in a new key in 10 minutes and it has worked since. Still a little concerning.

 

[rafark]

Can anybody tell me why is the macbook pro much more expensive tan a larger, 4k iMac?

 

[BWhaler]

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.]

I wish you worked at Apple. This is exactly right.

 

[wonkymouth]

Damn, people are harsh on the keyboard and Touch Bar here. I wonder how many actually own 2017 MacBook Pros. The 2016 was bound to have some problems because it was the first year of a new design, but is the 2017 really as bad as people say, or are these people that don't even own one? Two people on my team at work have 2016 MacBook Pros and neither one has complained about the keyboard or Touch Bar. I can't really weigh in because I own a 2015, but the keyboards on the 2016 and 2017 have seemed fine to me when I've played with them, and the Touch Bar looks cool and seems like it would be useful to me.

I spend about 10 hours a day on a 2017 MBP15.

Like somebody else posted, I prefer the size of the trackpad on the 13", much fewer accidental errors. The Touch Bar neither annoys or adds value to my day. It does a couple of things well (half useful in Adobe, Safari and Office), but it is generally nowhere near as fast or convenient elsewhere as just knowing a few keyboard shortcuts (Finder, for example).

Software issues aside, the biggest issue for me is the battery life (and the heat the whole thing generates) 3 hours on average running light duties in Photoshop, screen brightness at about 60%.

Perfect for me, would be a better keyboard, smaller trackpad, better battery and cheaper 1 and 2TB SSD options (and an actual, stable version of High Sierra). Oh and a mouse with buttons and a scroll wheel please

 

[wouwout]

Not fixing the keyboard that can be brought down by dust and crumbs?

 

[jasonsmith_88]

Damn, people are harsh on the keyboard and Touch Bar here. I wonder how many actually own 2017 MacBook Pros. The 2016 was bound to have some problems because it was the first year of a new design, but is the 2017 really as bad as people say, or are these people that don't even own one? Two people on my team at work have 2016 MacBook Pros and neither one has complained about the keyboard or Touch Bar. I can't really weigh in because I own a 2015, but the keyboards on the 2016 and 2017 have seemed fine to me when I've played with them, and the Touch Bar looks cool and seems like it would be useful to me.

In our office we have two 15" TBs, one 13" TB, and one 12". All of them have problems with at least one key not working properly, usually spacebar but other keys are affected too. Watching the touchbar when people work in Adobe CS is hilarious - keyboard shortcuts are so fast that the TB just flashes different interfaces at high speed. There's no way they could work at the same speed using the TB. Not to mention they never look at the keyboard anyway. Totally useless for professional environments where people work fast, but I guess it's good for casual users who are content with hunting & pecking. So it's weird that this feature only exists on Pro machines. ‍♀️

 

[Allen_Wentz]

With currently available Intel chips, that would mean a huuuge hit to battery life.

The old keyboard design would require the old case. So basically you’re asking for the 2015 case with 2018 internals. Seems unlikely.
Or less.

Who cares about some alleged "huuuge hit to battery life?" Most RAM-intensive work is done when in workstation mode, plugged into a/c mains power. Just do not perform RAM-intensive work while worried about how long the battery will last.

But give us 32 GB RAM capability. Lack of that single feature has me still using a 2011 17" MBP; otherwise Apple would have had my $3k+ more than a year ago.

I also want a matte display, 17", and MagSafe, but I can work around those limitations. 32 GB RAM however is MANDATORY.

 

[Hank Carter]

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).

After more than 2 years I gave up waiting for a Mac Pro update and like you ended up with refurbished Dell workstation that smokes any Mac in existence for a fraction of the cost. Win10 is not exactly a pox on humanity like previous versions of Windows.

Now I'm in need of a new laptop and there's NOTHING in the MacBook Pro lineup that looks appetizing. The keyboard alone is a joke and I am NOT buying hundreds of dollars worth of dongles to plug anything into an already overpriced machine. I'm probably going to end up with a Surface Pro, which means I will probably also dump my iPad since it has a touch screen.

I'll keep an eye on Apple and if they ever manage to pull their head out of their rear end I may return to the fold.

 

[unobtainium]

Who cares about some alleged "huuuge hit to battery life?" Most RAM-intensive work is done when in workstation mode, plugged into a/c mains power. Just do not perform RAM-intensive work while worried about how long the battery will last.

But give us 32 GB RAM capability. Lack of that single feature has me still using a 2011 17" MBP; otherwise Apple would have had my $3k+ more than a year ago.

I also want a matte display, 17", and MagSafe, but I can work around those limitations. 32 GB RAM however is MANDATORY.

Most people care about a huge hit to battery life. The MBPs are already struggling in terms of battery life because of their thinness.

If you need 32GB RAM you have to wait on Intel, or move away from Apple, or get a desktop.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

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.

1) Since 2011, Thunderbolt and i7 the top MBP _has_ been competent as a workstation. The 2016 MBP will drive dual 5K displays and has 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports. But the 16 GB RAM maximum remains lame.

2) Sure I can show you the workload that takes advantage of >16 GB RAM: folks like me who work with images, which have been getting larger in individual size and batch size every year (e.g. Photoshop under Mac OS has taken advantage of lots of RAM for a decade).
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Can anybody tell me why is the macbook pro much more expensive tan a larger, 4k iMac?

Sure. It cost money to design engineer a thin portable laptop that, except for RAM, provides workstation performance, drives dual 5K displays and will tolerate field abuse for 5+ years.

I have been abusing my 17" MBP for 7 years now and it still drives a heavy graphics workflow and an external display. Original cost was more than what a top MBP today would cost.

 

[trainwrecka]

[doublepost=1516015801][/doublepost]MacBook Pro users seem to be able to look forward to one of two changes each year. We tell them the MacBook Pro is thin enough and we'd like new and better features, to which some years they respond with "No" and some years they respond with, "We've heard you, so we've made it thinner and removed fewer useful features than we usually do!" At this point, I'd be happy if they reintroduced the MacBook Pro lineup from a few years ago, replacing one of the USB ports with USB-C, knocked $300 off the price, and declared, "We think you'll find them to be the best we ever made."

They probably think lack of sales is due to lack of demand, but they give us items we don't demand.