[POLL] Are you going to upgrade to any of the new MacBook Pros [MERGED]

[andrewbee]

We need a version of this for the new Macbook Pro.
'member the glowing Apple logo? I 'member
'member SD card? I member
'member RAM upgrades? 'I member

 

[Banquo's Ghost]

My 2012 MacBook Pro is really due an upgrade, but for the first time since the mid 90s, I don't think I'll be buying Apple. Whilst I understand how the British pound's decline has to be factored in, the simple truth is that £2.5k starting for a laptop is just robbery. The Touch Bar is not a sufficient reason to consider this a must-have upgrade for me. I have to consider that a lot of peripherals will also have to be upgraded to work with the new Pro.

It's sad, but for me at least, Apple has lost the plot. I wish them well, but I have started looking at Windows alternatives, and I never thought that would happen.

 

[andrewbee]

You left out the option for "Disgruntled and now undecided about whether to continue with MacOS or switch to Windows". That's where I find myself this morning.

You already have the answer. You are undecided and stuck between the options above, which are final decisons.

 

[Gregintosh]

Yep prices will drop. I'm strongly considering waiting 6-8 months.

If it hasn't dropped or been updated by then, at the very least with the next back to school promo maybe you can get another $300 pair of headphones or some other goodies to sweeten the deal.

 

[Marhowl]

"17 months is a LONG wait and then 3 years. You are also comparing 13" with 11", which I don't think is reasonable."


"Yes, but they also dropped the dGPU in the base model, which is why it was cheaper. What are they going to drop this time?"

"I think one valid reason to wait could be kaby lake as you would get h265 support, which would significantly future proof your laptop in my opinion."

Yes, perhaps comparing the 11" and 13" version wasn't the best idea but then again, Apple was kind of testing the waters with the Macbook Air to see if there was a market for ultra-portable computers. The 11" is a different computer of course, but falls into the same category. I am certain there were people in the mid 2010 who bought the 2009 Macbook Air, only to regret it later when the 2010 model was released in October. When it comes to 2011 models only 8 months later from that, their computers are still performing good until today. So, what I'm trying to say is that whoever purchased a Macbook Air 2011 made a good "future proof" investment

If they dropped the dGPU in the 15" model, I am sure some people would appreciate it, including me. Some people don't need the graphical computing power, but rather a screen real-estate. There was also a 15" model in 2009 that offered only the Nvidia 9400M GPU, then in Late 2013 there was the model with only Intel Iris, which I would say is the most reliable 15" inch computer from Apple. I haven't yet experienced a single of those machines to fail regarding video issues, while people brought to me a lot of Macbook Pros with Radeon 6xxx and GT 650M to me. Luckily, there is a quality program from Apple going on for that right now. However, recently two people brought me their Late 2013/Mid2014 with GT 750M with a video issue.

I am all for future-proofing. I was waiting for Skylake MBPs to come out last year. Today they are yesterdays news, so I'm all for Kaby Lake at this moment.

 

[maflynn]

Color me doubtful on the price change, this is the new Apple, though I've been wrong many times before.

As for buying, I'm looking to keep my MBP a while longer now, thanks to Apple

 

[Marhowl]

Color me doubtful on the price change, this is the new Apple, though I've been wrong many times before.

As for buying, I'm looking to keep my MBP a while longer now, thanks to Apple

If you have a Macbook Air from Mid-2013 and up or Macbook Pro from Late-2013 and up, you are fine.

Not even 24 hours after the announcement and I've got a lot of customers asking for the 13" and 15" Haswell rMBPs

My vision of the future on pricing may be a wishful thinking, but then again I remain with the argument they have put year old CPUs across the whole line

 

[adoniteking]

When you buy a product or into a brand, you make an affirmation, you vote. That is your strongest power as a consumer and Steve Jobs couldn't have said this any better. Jump to 2:35s.

 

[Davefevs]

I will be getting the MBP 13" with Touch Bar. £1749 in UK, but I can get 6% discount through discount schemes.

I've always been a Windows user, but both my 5 year old desktop and laptops (mid range at the time) are giving up the ghost, so I'd planned to replace anyway. Just been waiting for the announcement.

I use iPhones and iPad Pro, and just want that joined up usage. I know I'm paying over the odds for early adoption, but my Limited Company will be paying for it and owning it, so the price becomes a little immaterial. I won't use its full capability, but for once I'd like to buy something near top-end instead of always buying the 'budget' option with compromises.

In fact I'm also going to get an iPhone 7 whilst I'm at it. I'll get a few quid back for my 5s, which was given to me by my sister-in-law.

Bonkers? Maybe?

Excited? Definitely!

 

[Ghost31]

When you buy a product or into a brand, you make an affirmation, you vote. That is your strongest power as a consumer and Steve Jobs couldn't have said this any better. Jump to 2:35s.

I remember that well. I was nodding in agreement strongly when he said what he said because i felt like "yes. This is a company that stands up for what it believes in! And really...this is just about having good taste"

Now? No. My opinion of apple has done a complete 180 and i see them as something else now. They are switching places with microsoft and showing that they aren't hungry anymore. They are sitting back, completely comfortable and overconfident in their position and think that whatever the hell they're doing is not only good enough, but that they can jack up prices and people will pay it.

Sad part? People probably will. Just like the headphone jack issue with the iphone 7, apple saw more sales than it ever had. People complain and then say they'll "buy it anyway" and prove apple right in their thinking that they can do whatever they want and people will buy it anyway.

I'm voting with my wallet. Thats for god damned sure

 

[cardfan]

Seems to me that people want to buy the new macbook pro, but simply can't because it's too expensive. I very much suspect that this will end up being an iphone 1 problem all over again where Apple realizes that they have overpriced it and will drop the price by $200 across the board within the first two months. Apple's really screwed up the pricing. Never anticipated that price would be a factor for those who'd been waiting for years for a new macbook pro. Except that those prices, at a $500 premium, are squarely in the ridiculous territory, affordable by only a select few. It's not a question of want or desire or will anymore. It's a question of basic math. It is not unlike a ferrari. Sure, why not? But I never consider it because it's way out of my price range. These computers are no longer in BMW territory. They are now in ferrari territory.
[doublepost=1477641346][/doublepost]
Please don't buy the macbook pro and support this kind of behavior. Buy a used one.

Money isn't an issue for me. It's just that I don't want the hassle of adapters everywhere. 4 ports. Each time I have to pull out adapters. Ugh. Then there's the kb issue but I won't know til I try it. Dev support takes time so if you want a more supported touchbar, then give it another year.

 

[junkw]

6 months delay and price hike, all that to get a worthless emoji bar

 

[sirees01]

Just want to gauge opinion on how many people intended to buy the new macbook pro but decided not to fo a particular reason.

 

[jerryk]

You should add a "not buying now, but might buy based on user feedback".

 

[Bending Pixels]

I'm not purchasing one 'cuz my 2 year old 15" rMBP works just fine. If I needed a new one - yeah...I'd purchase it

 

[oneMadRssn]

Judging by the flood of Macbook Pros listed on ebay, and even numerous on this forum's marketplace section, I am guessing quite a lot of people are buying these.

 

[sirees01]

You should add a "not buying now, but might buy based on user feedback".

Added as requested.

 

[nol2001]

I think I will wait to buy a future revision (hopefully with 32GB RAM option and HDR screen).

I would have liked a 15 inch iGPU option.

Hopefully my 2012 rMBP will last another year or two.

 

[jclardy]

How about "buying, but extremely reluctantly and may cancel in the next two weeks"

 

[stockscalper]

I'm taking a hard look at the HP Spectre x360 with Kaby Lake processor. Thin, small footprint, touch screen, 10hrs battery life, gorgeous screen, better keyboard than MacBook at around $1,100.

 

[BenTrovato]

How about "buying, but extremely reluctantly and may cancel in the next two weeks"

Haha yes! I'm in that category

 

[0388631]

I'm taking a hard look at the HP Spectre x360 with Kaby Lake processor. Thin, small footprint, touch screen, 10hrs battery life, gorgeous screen, better keyboard than MacBook at around $1,100.

Wait until more powerful Kabylake mobile processors come out.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Not buying immediately -- but maybe once it ships and online dealers start discounting a bit.

I didn't jump in b/c my rMBP is still decent and requires no dongles when traveling. It also has the same 16GB RAM and 256 storage (albeit slower, not sure enough to make a noticable difference) as the new 15".

I like the touch bar and think it could add to my productivity but the two programs I use the most Word and Photoshop are the standalone versions which I doubt MS and Adobe are going to update for Touchbar -- just the cloud versions. So that removes some of the usefulness right there.

The screen might be fantastic too, but hard to know untill I put eyeballs on it.

On the negative side, the new MBP requires dongles for USB2, which I'm not a fan of because they are something else to keep up with when traveling. Also no SD slot hurts a bit too and no idea how the new keyboard or trackpad feels -- important elements on a laptop.

So I'll remain on the fence for now. I like the new MBP, just not enough to dump my current one. That says a lot since it's 4 years old, well past the typical time I keep my laptops. Maybe I'll change my mind when I see it in person. Normally I buy MBPs blind on release. I need to see this one in action.

 

[az431]

Your poll answers make false assumptions, namely that there has been a "price increase." My top of the line MacBook Pro 2014 was $2,699. An 2016 with the identical specifications is $2,799. Factoring in inflation the prices are nearly identical.

Moreover, the two are not the same. Among other improvements, the 2016 supports four 4k monitors, is twice as fast, is smaller, weighs less, incorporates touchID, has a longer battery life, and supports higher data transfer speeds via Thunderbolt 3. All for what at most is a $50 difference in real world purchasing power.

 

[SuprUsrStan]

I am still trying to make up my mind. So, I have decided to believe in hard numbers.

Here are some reasons why I think the 12" Macbook and the Touch-Bar-Less 13" rMBP will receive a price cut in the near future. Let's say, the next 9 months, or at WWDC 2017

Remember the base Late 2008 Unibody Macbook 13"? Priced at $1,299

• No Backlit Keyboard. Weak 2.0GHz CPU (History now repeats itself). Removable battery. Actually a worse a quality display compared to later models (I disassembled a few of them)
• 8 months or so later, became the "Macbook Pro" priced at $1,199, Backlit keyboard in all models, received longer battery life thanks to non-removable battery, SD Card slot and a faster 2.26GHz CPU.

Now, I'm not saying we are getting and SD card slot again or any of these upgrades, but it serves as good example.

Here are some more:

Remember the Early 2009 17" Macbook Pro? Was priced at whopping $2,799.

• Had a weak 2.66GHz C2D CPU for some reason in the base configuration
• 4-5 months later, received a $300 price cut and a 2.8GHz CPU that was finally up to par with the CTO 2.93GHz CPU from the Early 2009 model
• Then, in 2010 there was a base i5 model for $2,299 but then again in 2011 became priced at $2,499. Whatever

Remember the 2008 Macbook Air? Priced at $1,799! You had to be crazy to buy one back then, unless you really didn't care. I call this computer the ultimate trap for "Early Adopters", or perhaps "Unpaid Apple Beta Testers"

• 17 months later of its release, discounted at $1,499
• Another 17 months later or something, in Late 2010, a 11" model gets released priced at just $999. However, still bad time to buy. Mid 2011 models were superior on all levels
• Early 2014. Late but still, the 11" Macbook airs started at $899. Not bad

One last minor, but quite recent example. There was a base 15" rMBP in Mid-2012 starting at 2,199. In late 2013 the base model was $1,999.


Therefore, based on this info and how apple puts price tags on its 1st generation products, (The most recent example could be the Apple Watch) only to discount that product later when it becomes the second generation or when they just put new hardware in the same damn thing, I HOPE for the following to happen:

--- The 13" rMBP base model will become priced at $1,299, or even at $1,199, becoming the true next Macbook Air 13" Replacement

--- Hopefully, the 12" Macbook will receive one Thunderbolt 3 port instead of just the USB-C, will start at $999, becoming the next true replacement of the 11" Macbook Air.

--- The 13" models with touch bar should also receive a price cut, matching the prices from before

Now, I don't know about the 15" Models, but I would very much like to see a base model for $1,999


So, that's my conclusion. That conclusion is also based on some feelings, so don't take my word for it. However, I am going to go ahead and listen to these feelings. I've seen too many people adopting too early. Don't forget this is basically a 1st gen product. Nobody paid you to test it. I hope there are enough reasonable people on this forum to not fall into this trap. Leave this "Beta Testing" job to clueless people.

I'm interested what you guys think, so I have created a small poll

Yes, I totally agree with the price hikes on the first generation MacBook pro's. Remember the 2011 MacBook pro's 15" even drop down to like $1700/$1800's for the base and then the rMBP came in at like $2200? My mid 2012 rMBP came out to like $2800 all said and done an it wasn't even fully maxed out. There is a precedence for a high tax on first gen products.


There's another way to look at this though. Even though there's a tax, the incremental improvements expected in 2017 and even 2018 are not going to be that great. We might see a 32GB option but that's still going to be a pricy option. A few percent increase in processor performance and graphics performance. If this 2016 is what you need and no more, then the premium tax is basically allowing you to get it a year or two earlier than everyone else with the knowledge that not much will change in the next few years.
[doublepost=1477661968][/doublepost]

Your poll answers make false assumptions, namely that there has been a "price increase." My top of the line MacBook Pro 2014 was $2,699. An 2016 with the identical specifications is $2,799. Factoring in inflation the prices are nearly identical.

Moreover, the two are not the same. Among other improvements, the 2016 supports four 4k monitors, is twice as fast, is smaller, weighs less, incorporates touchID, has a longer battery life, and supports higher data transfer speeds via Thunderbolt 3. All for what at most is a $50 difference in real world purchasing power.

Prices of the top end hasn't shifted all that much. However the barrier of entry of the low end has increased as much as $400. As i said, my mid 2012 rMBP was like $2800. There is one other factor that has changed in the last 16 to 24 months which is the much stronger dollar and Brexit. I see a lot of people quoting prices north of $4000 USD in foreign countries. And that just sucks :/