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Phil Schiller Discusses 16-Inch MacBook Pro, Says Virtual Esc Key Was Number One Complaint About Touch Bar

MacRumors said:
At the very end of the interview, Schiller takes a shot at Google's Chromebooks in the classroom, describing them as "cheap testing tools" that do not allow kids to succeed. Naturally, Schiller said Apple thinks the iPad is the "ultimate tool" for a child to learn on and be the most engaged.The full interview contains several more questions and answers and is a worthwhile read.
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Schiller isn't going to like me very much, but my primary driver at work is now a Pixelbook and I work in IT. Now, the question many will ask is why is that the case?

And the answer is there are several reasons:
  1. First and foremost, it simply works with no mucking about
  2. It boots instantly
  3. It can run Linux apps natively, although in reality the only time I need them is on occasion to repair an external drive that Mac OS has corrupted, even when windows or Linux corrupts an external drive, native Pixelbook apps can usually handle it, but if Mac OS causes the corruption, it takes Linux to repair it, even Windows apps won't do the trick.
  4. It can run Android apps natively
  5. I can install crossover from the play store and run Windows apps as well
  6. It has a touchscreen, which is huge in the engineering world for doing markups on PDFs and such, not to mention makes creating tutorials much, much easier.
  7. It is super lightweight

So basically it is a system that can run everything I need from Windows, Linux, Android and Chrome OS that never gets a virus, doesn't crash and turns on instantly.

Schiller can say all he wants about Chromebooks only being good for testing, and while there was a point where that was true, the bottom line is that simply is no longer the case
 
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With the T2 chip, does that mean it is also difficult to install Linux on the new MBP 16"?
 
jonblatho said:
The iMac doesn’t suit everyone’s needs, though. Many people simply do not want an all-in-one machine. Not to say the iMac doesn’t have a market — I’m typing this from my own 27” iMac right now — but to say that it sufficiently fills the gap currently left between the Mac mini and Mac Pro is absurd.
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People have been wanting the mythical xMac for literally 18 years. Making a cut-down version of the Mac Pro saves Apple very little money, therefore it would save customers very little. What do I mean by this?

If you cut the eight slots of the Mac Pro down to two or three or four, that saves Apple maybe $5-10. PCIe sockets are cheap. If you cut down the power supply to 600-800 Watts, that saves Apple maybe $30-40. If you cut the ram sockets down from twelve to six, you save maybe $3-4 dollars. A smaller case, maybe you save $100.

So Apple saves a couple few hundred dollars, and your cutdown Mac Pro is at least $5,200-5,400, somewhere in that neighborhood. Who wants that?

The small tower isn’t going to happen. People want it for $2-3k but that’s not a profitable or viable product for Apple. Customers just wanting it aren’t enough, otherwise we’d already have it.

Especially those coming from the PC side, they always want a cheap mini tower. But Apple doesn’t do cheap anything. Not enough people would want an xMac at the price Apple would have to charge to bring it to market. That’s what I see anyway, ymmv.

PS Note I don’t say I wouldn’t want one; sure I’d love a smaller Mac Pro for $2k or $3k, even if it didn’t have high core count Xeons available. But I’d also like a 5” iPhone SE Pro for $499. Apple would need to sell it for $849-$899. So yeah, I understand why Apple won’t make those, even though I’d really, really like them :)
 
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hajime said:
With the T2 chip, does that mean it is also difficult to install Linux on the new MBP 16"?
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As with previous T2 equipped computers, it makes it more difficult but the means to bypass secure boot by first booting into recovery probably still exists. Although, I've not tried it in quite a while.
 
rick3000 said:
I would like to see MagSafe comeback, but the software is becoming more of an issue for me than the hardware at this point. They need to bring back referenced libraries to Music/Photos/Books. I would love to upgrade to this new MBP, but I will stick with my '14 MBP running Mojave for now.
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Honestly, USB-C is so much better than magsafe though, it is a standard that works well and allows the macbook to be charged by virtually any charger that can produce enough power, including many powerbanks.

But if you really want magsafe on the new computers, there is a way:
www.amazon.com

Elecjet AnyWatt USB-C MagSafe Adapter, Type-C to MagSafe 1 and 2 Converter, Compatible with USB-C M1 MacBook Pro Air

Reuse all your old MagSafe 1 and 2 chargers with this MagSafe adapter connector by Elecjet. The AnyWatt SQ USB-C adapter features a MagSafe 1 charger L-Tip and Magsafe 2 charger T-Tip, allowing you to use your old chargers to power your new Macbook devices or any USB-C device. The small dongle US...
www.amazon.com

Alternatively, if you want one that works with a standard USB-C cable, there is this: https://snapnator.com/
 
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The virtual ESC button was something that bothered me for like 3 days after getting my MBP 2 years ago, but I adjusted quickly. People here are wondering who likes the touch bar. Well I do. I run parallels on my Mac and switching back and forth between Visual Studio in Windows and Xcode and having the Touch Bar adjust for the environment is really nice. So the adjustments to a physical ESC key and separate Touch ID are fine, I guess, but for me, the big fix is the arrow key layout.
 
ElectricPotato said:
At the very least his ghost should rattle his chains around Tim.
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i think this is Tim, now that jony is gone. First two Major products post his departure and both bigger, thicker, and a lot more functional. Who knows, maybe we'll get Touch ID back too!
 
Well it's time to start the rumors for the 2020 Macbook Pro, shall I start writing the article now for you? Ha.
 
dogslobber said:
His comments on iPad in classrooms is a missed field goal. The iPad is rubbish for any prolonged content creation. You need a real computer for that and the cheapest method is via Chromebooks.
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agree on creation. But having kids sucked into the google monitoring ecosystem is really dangerous. Yes, they are protected until 18, but email addresses are sticky so they're not likely to leave on graduation. id Much rather see an option that's not based on future exploitation of current students
 
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"have received a "mixed reaction"

No Phil they were garbage from the get-go and a product of Ive's ego. Nothing more. Universally condemned and despised they never should have been on a Mac
 
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Interesting comment about Chromebook's in schools.
“Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they're cheap testing tools for required testing. If all you want to do is test kids, well, maybe a cheap notebook will do that. But they're not going to succeed.”

Has a point but missed the reason Chromebooks are such a success In education. They beat Apple at its own game. Simple to manage, cost effective, difficult to hack into by students and outsiders and most important, just a tool to learn not the learning device. Like paper, a tool in the process. Especially in the first 12 grades.

After 12th grade he has more of a point.
 
ersan191 said:
Completely unnecessary shot at chromebooks.
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Oh, it was necessary. Chromebooks have become well established in many classrooms and have made a serious dent in what used to be Apple's exclusive territory. Not just because chromebooks are inexpensive, but those deployed in classrooms are "field reparable" (teachers and students can swap faulty components), and administering a class full of chromebooks is within the ability of many teachers who are using them. The collaborate nature of Google's suite of apps adds to the classroom experience.

In the school where my daughter teaches, they are used extensively and are a valuable tool.

My Pixelbook+Google Pen have replaced my 12.9 iPad Pro+SmartKeyboard+Apple Pencil, and (except for a single app that is only available on Win/macOS/iOS) my 2017 Macbook Air (which I love).

Yes, it was necessary to take a shot at chromebooks.
 
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MallardDuck said:
email addresses are sticky so they're not likely to leave on graduation.
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We do not allow our students to email outside of our G-Suite domain (except for a few approved locations) and email addresses are deleted after graduation. I don't think most students are holding on to emails from their school domain. Maybe some really small schools are allowing students to create their own Gmail accounts, but I cannot imagine that is the norm.
 
avanpelt said:
Internally, I suspect Apple wants to put the butterfly keyboard debacle behind them. If it takes three iterations of a keyboard over four years to “get it right”, something is wrong. They wouldn’t have reverted back to the scissor mechanism on the new 16” MBP if they truly believed today that the butterfly mechanism is superior. I’m glad they finally reversed course, but I feel sorry for all the people who have had to deal with keyboard issues for the last four years.
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It will be interesting when the next MBA comes out and has a 5th gen butterfly keyboard.
 
And of course no word from Phil, nor from those early "reviewers" about Apple completely screwing customers like me, who bought refreshed version of 15" just about a month ago. It even had that "new" badge in their online store up until yesterday!

All of them are comparing the new 16" MBP to the "last gen" but nobody tells you that this particular last gen was quietly refreshed just 2 months ago and has the same processors, being otherwise in many aspects an inferior machine for the same price (don't get me started on those keyboards).

So, I could basically have the new 16 with a 1 tb storage and better graphics if I just waited one month? But hey, they kept the same price! How gracious from you Apple using your customers as cash cows once again!

And special thanks Apple for your transparent and fair roadmap of products. And for such completely natural interviews in fancy lofts with youtube "influencers". Exactly what I needed. ☁︎☄︎⌁⚡︎☠︎
 
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npmacuser5 said:
Interesting comment about Chromebook's in schools.
“Chromebooks have gotten to the classroom because, frankly, they're cheap testing tools for required testing. If all you want to do is test kids, well, maybe a cheap notebook will do that. But they're not going to succeed.”

Has a point but missed the reason Chromebooks are such a success In education. They beat Apple at its own game. Simple to manage, cost effective, difficult to hack into by students and outsiders and most important, just a tool to learn not the learning device. Like paper, a tool in the process. Especially in the first 12 grades.

After 12th grade he has more of a point.
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Most major degree seeking students in college would be absolutely fine with a Chromebook for their coursework. Perhaps, in specific fields of study but I only see one area that macOS has an advantage. Perhaps, the fields of study which rely on graphics design, video creation/editing, and other majors in arts could benefit from having macOS. Most CS students don't even use macOS because, well, it is too expensive for their available resources. Why do consider it anyways, whenever the majority of jobs are dealing with Windows/Linux/Unix/BSD environments.
So, he really doesn't and never had a point. Maybe he was thinking of the small, unrealistic settings within the private school sectors and even some public schools in/around San Fran which you could probably expand to a few similar locations in the US. Nothing that comes even close to reality. That statement was less about concern with children's quality of education and more about increasing their volume of sales. Apple, much like other companies, have always known that if you can get children interested, wanting, and purchasing their product then you've got a larger potential of profit per person over a longer period of time. Now if Apple wants to work within the budget of public schools by...yeah, that's never going to happen.
 
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