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When you are accepting of the overall ecosystem it takes a lot to make you think of moving. However this is just what I am now pondering. Lots of comparisons have been made about Apple forcing change on consumers in the past but I don't remember a single mainstream Mac machine that was more insular and out of touch than this. (When the original iMac came out there were a lot of peripherals around for USB). Even your new iPhone 7 won't connect without an add on dongle! If you look at the overall approach Apple is clearly losing ground more and more and seems to be rudderless in their direction. They used to really be integrated in making it all work together and providing different solutions across the board. However now with iPhone sales falling, iPad sales falling and now the choice here is accept a machine that doesn't fit with your existing peripherals or buy everything new...... for a price that is more expensive than the last generation for the same specs and requires expensive add on dongles for basic functionality! And the kicker is it's using last generation Intel technology! Apple has been able to update the existing mac line with Skylake processors since January and apart from a couple of iMacs there has been nothing until now and then a one size fits all approach that forces a move to USB C. Am really disappointed in the overall direction here. Mr Ive and his team seem to be completely oblivious about how the real world lives. Definitely not buying this generation of MB Pro's and likely will consider moving more and more personal stuff to the cloud and then using Windows for work. If they won't play with you, then you just go around them......
 
This is just dumb logic. But, I'll humor you and pivot to a brief comparison between the two adapters.

Old MagSafe2 brick: $79, includes extension and power plug. Magnetic. Little fins to hold cord. Best designed power cord, for any device, ever.
New Brick: $79....plus $19 for power cable....plus $19 for extension. Not magnetic. No little fins. A giant leap backwards. Doesn't even include a little velcro tie strap like the ****** Lenovo power bricks the PCs in my office come with.

WAIT!! You know what? You are right! The new MacBook Pro WILL be useless, because I'll forget my charger at home. I won't have a 2nd one in my backpack like I always do now, because a 2nd adapter would cost me $117+tax, and my old adapters that have worked for 8 years are now useless.



Sorry, but this is completely wrong. I have a 2014 MBP, and I literally have 1 adapter, for ethernet, in case I get lucky and a client has a nice fast ethernet port for me. I really don't have to carry it, I have it because I'm an optimist. The PCs in my office don't need adapters, ever. They even have USB-C ports for the future! Imagine that.

I'm as diehard an Apple fanboy as the next guy, but if you look at this logically and objectively, it's a bad design. It'll still be a bad design in a year. It's consumer unfriendly to the nth degree, and Steve is rolling in his grave.

Well I look forward to debating further when you decide to look at this logically or objectively. Until then, have a good day. ;-)
 

I only see 32 from different manufacturers at that link. But wow are they ever expensive. You'd have to be a fool to consider buying them. And a fool to buy a gimped computer that won't take the USB-A ones at 1/5th the price.
 
USB-A might not have fitted on the slimmer design, but what's the reason for removing SD slot & HDMI?
Possibly related to the fact that the footprint for the same screen size is now significantly smaller. The screen bezel size has been reduce and the width/length dimensions are smaller. So less room internally and not just vertically.
 
HP Spectre x360 13-WO11TU has 2 usb-c ports, 1 standard usb; + Kaby Lake. Admittedly its in the price range of the cheapest new Macbook Pro but some of this is what I was hoping to see in an updated Air-like notebook comp. The only reason I wouldn't jump at this is W10. It's also quite comfortable to hold.
 
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I only see 32 from different manufacturers at that link. But wow are they ever expensive. You'd have to be a fool to consider buying them. And a fool to buy a gimped computer that won't take the USB-A ones at 1/5th the price.
Expensive? Where you do live? I can get a Samsung 128 GB stick for $35. Two years ago, you would have gotten half that or less for the same price. Plus, it's "Water proof, shock proof, magnet proof, temp proof, and X-ray proof with a 5-year warranty" according to Samsung.
 
so Apple has taken the time to work with LG and their own engineer to make the monitor seamless work with their new MacBook line but they didn't take the time to brand it Apple ?

the new Apple = Blackberry=Nokia=Motorola

selling iPhone and iPads until they either sell or go bankrupt

well done Timmy !
 
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You may be right it's all going to USB-C. But it's still just 2016 and most devices in the wild and in the stores are not USB-C.

This macbook is just a gimped pile of junk built to sell extra adapters.

If you don't buy Apple, you get USB-A and USB-C. And HDMI, SD slot, etc. Even TB3 if you want it.
You CAN find systems with all of those; however, using only USB-C does allow the computer to be slimmer, because the other ports simply consume more physical space. The built-in SD Card readers all junk, even in Apple computers, they are very slow compared to what speeds SD cards are capable of today. The computers that have all of those (especially TB3) are also very expensive, many are more expensive than these new Macbook Pros.

You can easily buy an all in one adapter off of Amazon for around $30-$50 depending on what features you want and then you only need to plug in one cable to connect all of your devices AND many of them will power the Mac as well.

In addition if Apple didn't go the USB-C only route, the adoption process of USB-C will continue to be slow and costly. With Apple going this route, they have ensured that third party manufacturers will bring USB-C out quickly and cost effectively.

And USB-C charging means, I can pack a single charger to charge my Laptop and my Phone (no, I don't use an iPhone). I can even charge them with the same cable if I so choose. I personally will bring two cables, one for my phone and one for my Macbook Pro, but the point is I could. Again, it makes it easy to have a power brick that can be used to charge the computer without needing some strange custom brick thing from one of the companies that have made them.

No, this is definitely more than Apple just trying to sell adapters. Don't believe me? Look at all of the adapters that are already on the market on Amazon that Apple will make no money off of that will be fully compatible from day one. And why? Because Apple FINALLY decided to use an industry standard charging system and ports and for some strange reason, they are getting grief for it. Yes, adapters will be needed for a while, but that was going to happen no matter what, Apple is just the first that went all in and they are paving the way for other devices out there.

Don't get me wrong, I am not an Apple can do no wrong kind of guy, but really this one makes sense if one stands back and looks at it objectively.
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Don't forget HDMI is also gone... and I use every one of them. This new MBP does not allow a single thing I use the current ports for without having to go buy other **** (Apple does not even make a suitable replacement device that offers the now missing capability)
Why should Apple make the adapter when the adapters they have made have been notoriously bad?

The ports are industry standard, meaning there are already tons of adapters out there that will already work and cost as little as $10. There are ones with just about every type of connection for $30-$50 and you can connect all of your devices by plugging one cable into your laptop.

So again, why is Apple going to get into making these adapters?
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so Apple has taken the time to work with LG and their own engineer to make the monitor seamless work with their new MacBook line but they didn't take the time to branded Apple ?

the new Apple = Blackberry=Nokia=Motorola

selling iPhone and iPads until we either sell or go bankrupt

well done Timmy !
No, because monitors are a low profit item, Apple would either need to mass produce them and make sure they are compatible with Windows or continue charging a high premium just to break even. I am sure they ran the numbers and figured out that they can work with LG and get a small royalty from each monitor sold as a result and probably come out ahead.
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Expensive? Where you do live? I can get a Samsung 128 GB stick for $35. Two years ago, you would have gotten half that or less for the same price. Plus, it's "Water proof, shock proof, magnet proof, temp proof, and X-ray proof with a 5-year warranty" according to Samsung.
Actually, you get a Kingston for less than that with USB-C connectivity.
 
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Actually, you get a Kingston for less than that with USB-C connectivity.
I wouldn't trust Kingston with my data. In the past, their thumb drives were terrible and still are. Their SSDs aren't all that great either and they were caught in a scandal swindling customers alongside PNY as far as their SSD goes. The only brands of thumb drives I'd use are Samsung, PNY, SanDisk and Lexar to an extent.
 

The problem is work. I cannot very well tell clients who have 100+ GB databases, that they have to upgrade their servers or replace their memory sticks to accommodate me. They will provide USB-A sticks because thats the port that the worlds servers are still using.

Or what about that USB smart-key with USB-A plug that is proprietary and it's software ONLY runs with it?

there are case scenario's where USB-C is only is a hindrance. It would be disingenuous to not acknowledge that there will be times where not having a USB-A will not be an inconvenience.
 
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Umm, you can get a GOOD USB-C to HDMI or virtually any other video connection for around $15 on Amazon, just use a trustworthy brand.

There are even ones that work with pretty much all video connections for around $30.

And yes, USB-C is the way everything is going to go, you will need adapters at first, but I would imagine that eventually we will see everything, even displays going USB-C.

Exactly. I'm glad that the posters on MacRumors don't work for Apple...
 
We will need dongles no doubt, but please don't forget and be confused about some things:

1) New MacBook Pro 13" and 15" offer option for the fastest CPU that is out there for notebooks, which is now Intel Skylake. Kaby Lake with TDPs of 28W and 45/47W are not even released yet, so saying that Apple could provide a faster CPU option must be a joke.

2) There is a good reason why Apple did not introduce touch display (understandably very few complaints about it on this forum). There is a trackpad. Best in class, which just got better. It's painful to work on Windows notebooks on integrated trackpads (granted, there is a dongle out there that solves that problem - a USB/Bluetooth mouse).

3) Speaking of dongles: you can get one for $50 with all the ports you need for your late 2016 MacBook Pro, or a $50 Thunderbolt 3 adapter to connect existing Thunderbolt Display or third party thunderbolt dock, but there is no dongle that fixes terrible Windows scaling.

New Retina displays on MacBooks are best in class and are not only just usable but are a real pleasure to work with. Once you go Retina MacBook - you never go back. A lot of you know what I mean. Feel sad for any user of a modern Windows notebook with high res screen that has to run anything other then 200% scaling. BTW, running Windows in a VM on Retina display looks exactly right with 200% scaling which is indeed usable, this is one of the reasons why MacBook Pro is actually the best notebook to run Windows on.

4) Don't know a single (13" and less) notebook with an integrated GPU that would work with 5k display. New MacBook Pro 13" can apparently drive one. This means a portable notebook that is super convenient to carry during the trips, with tons of power and ability to fit into most hotel safe boxes (based on positive experience with MacBook in a small carrying case, which is only slightly smaller) can be connected to an amazing external display, that doubles up as a dock. Granted, only time will show if such display can be driven smoothly by a 13" MacBook Pro (something is telling me that we will have to wait another year or two for this to happen).

4 Thunderbolt 3 ports that all support power delivery and pretty much everything there is to support... Honestly, did anybody thought that this will be the case when 2016 MacBook Pro schematics/images got leaked?

5) Touch ID. Finally.


Best gaming experience/immersion possible on high end gaming desktop.
Thanks in large to macOS, some most amazing, powerful and versatile work setups to this day are only possible with Apple.

Pretty much any high end leads to a sad wallet and is not justified by the majority of people.

New MacBook Pro definitely pushes boundaries with it's new design. We like it for some things, hate for others and desire... mostly because we are hardware geeks before anything else. Live with it:-D
 
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MagSafe is a niche feature that the average person just doesn't need. But if you're in that niche, you can get the Griffin BreakSafe.

There is literally no reason to complain about it.

1. The "average person" does not exist and it they did, you would not speak for them.
2. You don't get to decide what features people like and having a feature you like removed is a perfectly valid reason to complain.
3. Forums are a great place to share your opinions, but you don't get a pass when you try to pretend they are any more than your opinions.
 
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The problem is work. I cannot very well tell clients who have 100+ GB databases, that they have to upgrade their servers or replace their memory sticks to accommodate me. They will provide USB-A sticks because thats the port that the worlds servers are still using.

Or what about that USB smart-key with USB-A plug that is proprietary and it's software ONLY runs with it?

there are case scenario's where USB-C is only is a hindrance. It would be disingenuous to not acknowledge that there will be times where not having a USB-A will not be an inconvenience.
Let me get this right. You're saying you're moving 100 GB databases on a USB thumb drive regularly? Mission critical data at that.

Iron Keys and Kangurus work with Type A to Type C cables.
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1) New MacBook Pro 13" and 15" offer option for the fastest CPU that is out there for notebooks, which is now Intel Skylake. Kaby Lake with TDPs of 28W and 45/47W are not even released yet, so saying that Apple could provide a faster CPU option must be a joke.
This is true. They're either running the 6870 or 6770 HQ processors. Thought the 6820HQ is available on workstation laptops from ultrabook to less modern design. Those laptops also come with Xeon options and Quadro cards. Opting for that an dGPU M1000M 4GB, 15.6" UHD display with matte coating, 32 GB of DDR4 2133 RAM, 2x 1 TB PCI-e SSDs and backlit keyboard come out to be around $3,900. Even if the MBP offers the fastest Skylake mobile processor at the moment, the HP ends up being the better deal performance wise as a whole rather than just the processor. And people won't notice the difference between a 6820HQ vs a 6870HQ. That's the Zbook 15 G3.
 
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While the new MacBook Pro's keyboard is a controversial topic, with some users preferring Apple's traditional scissor design, most reviews said Apple's second-generation butterfly mechanism offers an improved typing experience compared to the 12-inch MacBook's first-generation butterfly keyboard.

Brian Heater of TechCrunch said the keyboard "feels more natural" and that individual keys have "better give":Jim Dalrymple at The Loop echoed that sentiment, noting there is "a little more travel distance when you press down on a key"
Most pundits complain about the butterfly keyboard's shallow travel, but what kills the experience for me is the larger footprint of the keycaps. Even after a 18 months of using the MacBook, which I'm using right now, I make far more mistakes on it than I do on my Apple Wireless Keyboard, or any other keyboard for that matter.

I'm still tentatively buying a new Pro, but not online. I need to walk into an Apple Store and physically try the new keys. I might be better off with a late 2015 model.
 
Where are these people with massive Mickey Mouse proportioned hands that need a track pad that big?

And if their hands are so large that they need such a large track pad, how are they going to use the tiny touch bar?
 
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Expensive? Where you do live? I can get a Samsung 128 GB stick for $35. Two years ago, you would have gotten half that or less for the same price. Plus, it's "Water proof, shock proof, magnet proof, temp proof, and X-ray proof with a 5-year warranty" according to Samsung.

Link please? Because it's BS that you can get a 128 gig for $35.

And if you're talking about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147471 That's USB-A and Micro-USB.
 
So they put out two of their leading products weeks apart that you can't actually connect to each other (iPhone and MBP)? That's a very Microsoft in their heyday thing to do.
 
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I'm hoping the 2016 MacBook Pro is like the Samsung Galaxy S6 from last year. Samsung took out removable battery, microSD slot, and water-resistance that the S5 had. Samsung brought two of the three back into the S7. But this is Apple who loves ticking people off with dongles and incompatibility. The ports of no return...
 
They're either running the 6870 or 6770 HQ processors.

Should be i7-6920HQ for the top 15" model, what does not really change much anyway.

I thought that Apple would go fully integrated GPU way on both 13" and 15", providing an option of Xeon E3-1575M v5 for the top 15" model (or whatever comes after this in Kaby Lake sauce). I am scared of all these external GPUs because of the thermal load it puts on the chassis. Perfectly happy with my Iris 5200 only late 2013 MacBook Pro 15 (runs completely silent most of the time and super smooth with external 27" WQHD display).

Well, I guess there is no way to make Iris Pro 580/P580 run 2x 5k displays, so that was one of the reasons for going with Radeon Pro and less powerful integrated graphics option.

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Scared of dedicated GPUs, not external ones.
 
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Should be i7-6920HQ for the top 15" model, what does not really change much anyway.
Yes, you're right. I was referencing the base i7 in the 15". Do you mean dedicated GPU? External GPUs are very new and have their own power supplies. Hopefully they become common place in the future as well as USB-C.
 
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