New 16-Inch MacBook Pro is Thicker and Heavier Than Previous Generation

[JohnZimmerman]

The changes in the keyboard and number of ports similar to before scream of re-prioritizing function, you don’t agree? I don’t need to be a design engineer (though I am) to guess this, but, increasing the packaging needed as the result of a longer-travel keyboard plus possibly for the ports would most certainly be expected to result in a byproduct of thicker chassis. And who knows, perhaps part of the thickness increase is also functional-driven for hest transfer and cooling requirements after the last generation’s disastrous reputation over thermal management.

To an engineer at least, the current generation screams of re-prioritizing function over form, where thickness is now a by-product and not a driving factor.

I agree 100% about the keyboard and ports. I just meant to say it doesn't make sense to me to look at a miniscule increase in thickness and tiny bit of added weight and conclude that Apple has completely changed its design philosophy from form/function to function/form based on those two properties.
The laptop is still very thin and fairly light, and not nearly as powerful as it could be (as evidenced by how much more powerful the Mac Studio is when some real thickness and weight are added).
I'm not a design engineer, just a software engineer who is enthusiastic about good and functional hardware design. It seems apparent to me that if Apple were to express a value of function over form in the thickness of their laptops, then the "pro" laptops would be significantly thicker, and incorporate something like an M1 Ultra. But instead, in the M1 era, we still have thin laptops that are highly compromised relative to what we now know Apple can do with their M1 chips.

 

[Tozovac]

I agree 100% about the keyboard and ports. I just meant to say it doesn't make sense to me to look at a miniscule increase in thickness and tiny bit of added weight and conclude that Apple has completely changed its design philosophy from form/function to function/form based on those two properties.
The laptop is still very thin and fairly light, and not nearly as powerful as it could be (as evidenced by how much more powerful the Mac Studio is when some real thickness and weight are added).
I'm not a design engineer, just a software engineer who is enthusiastic about good and functional hardware design. It seems apparent to me that if Apple were to express a value of function over form in the thickness of their laptops, then the "pro" laptops would be significantly thicker, and incorporate something like an M1 Ultra. But instead, in the M1 era, we still have thin laptops that are highly compromised relative to what we now know Apple can do with their M1 chips.

Thanks for clarifying !!

I agree that a true Pro would/could/should have a larger delta than the Air. Now, from a product manager's perspective, is that because the Pro is "gimped" more than it need be, or the Air is "stronger" and too close to the Pro than it "should" be?

 

[TAJones99]

Why no optical disk drive??

Barely anyone uses that anymore lol