Popular Mac Developer Slams Apple for 'Sad State of Macintosh Hardware'

[asiga]

It’s shocking to realize that Apple is failing even at the side where they were pushing strong: thinness and lightness. PC ultralight laptops (like LG or Acer, to name two) have beaten the size/weight ratio of the MacBooks this year, releasing 15 inch models with the weight of a 12 inch MacBook (while still supporting USB-A).

This puts the MacBook family in a weird situation: Not as light as you’d wish for their size (or analogously, display too small for their weight), nor not as powerful as they could be if they don’t belong to ultralights anymore.

Said this, I honestly believe that a 15 inch MacBook (not Pro) with the weight of the 13inch MBA would sell great.

 

[alien3dx]

It’s shocking to realize that Apple is failing even at the side where they were pushing strong: thinness and lightness. PC ultralight laptops (like LG or Acer, to name two) have beaten the size/weight ratio of the MacBooks this year, releasing 15 inch models with the weight of a 12 inch MacBook (while still supporting USB-A).

This puts the MacBook family in a weird situation: Not as light as you’d wish for their size (or analogously, display too small for their weight), nor not as powerful as they could be if they don’t belong to ultralights anymore.

Said this, I honestly believe that a 15 inch MacBook (not Pro) with the weight of the 13inch MBA would sell great.

Reality for me , i don't care even weight more. As long as can use/connect to hdmi(projector, extra monitor) is good enough. While time i want to purchase 2015 version already stock out. 128 GB space for 1k price macbook is absurb, 256 GB is nice way in the era. Some photographer want their memory card not wireless. Wireless slow.. Most of buyer are professional work except show off student at hippies cafe like Starbuck.

For me , keyboard is the main issue. I had 3 broken windows laptop and most of them changed twice. If macbook overprice range also have keyboard issue and need to paid high price.. Hmm .. Better replace 45 dollar keyboard normal windows laptop compare to apple maybe 700 dollar ?

 

[tex210]

deleted for unnecessary silliness.

 

[nStyle]

I'm pretty confident I'm on my last Mac. It's five years old and I'll keep it as long as possible but there are just too many good Windows PCs nowadays and there's no saving grace for the MBP IMO...the touch bar is an atrocious mistake.

To be fair...any hardware built in the past 2-3 years is good enough for 90% of people I'm sure since by nature desktop class hardware is a very mature product line. Doesn't change the fact that Windows laptops still seem to keep getting better and cheaper by a larger margin than MBP's. MBP's are getting worse and more expensive.

Razer Blade 15 would be my laptop of choice hands down right now.

I secretly hope iPad becomes infinitely more useful with software updates but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[ROGmaster]

So you are telling me that Apple needs to copy the management style of other companies far less successful than themselves?

Apple should copy the management style of other companies that seem to try to better meet the needs and requests of their costumers. That's what other users are talking about.
The only reason Apple is this successful now is because of their legacy, the image they created in the past.

 

[Abazigal]

Wow, delusions of grandeur much? "Observing", "conduct themselves", "infect", "surprise me", "not holding my breath"? Hey buddy, newsflash, no one gives an eff about you, and contrary to what the magic mirror in your closet tells you, you're not the prettiest princess in the world.

Especially when you spew hypocritical garbage and chicken out whenever you get called out.

Anyways, what's important to note is that no where in your comment do you deny what I've mentioned about your behaviour.

By the way, you still haven't answered my question, what exactly are you agreeing with when you said "I agree Tim Cook deserves some criticism".

And this time I'm assuming you've slept so don't use that as an excuse, or do you have more exam settings to do?

P.S. Didn't call you by name because quite frankly I couldn't be bothered to memorize it and don't think you were worth the 5 seconds of time to look it up. I know this must come as a shock to you but again let me stress how insignificant and poorly I think of you and I look forward to your next post to further prove this point.

I am out for a MM retreat, so my opportunity to check my phone and follow up on this thread is fairly limited. As is the next few days as I head back to school for meetings. You can choose not to believe me, that’s your prerogative.

And if it makes you feel any better, I don’t really care what anyone here thinks of me, because chances are, my impression of them is likely isn’t any better.

My point is very simple.

I don’t know what it is about these self-professed Mac die-hards who think that their angst over the lack of suitable Mac updates is such a huge deal that they feel justified in crapping all over the place.

I have made my arguments and my point. What transpires subsequently in future forum threads will be on them, not me.

 

[alien3dx]

Apple should copy the management style of other companies that seem to try to better meed the needs and requests of their costumers. That's what other users are talking about.
The only reason Apple is this successful now is because of their legacy, the image they created in the past.

Legacy of colorful imac , the desktop swing also nice .. I wanted them lol... but cannot afford that time. Their old macbook is nice and uptodate when era Steve Job take over.. But sadly now, it become PHONE company.. Same as XIOMI, they never mention they are phone company but they are service company. Apple knew, hardware not profit much but the IOS app is..

 

[zen]

It is already too late. My (very large) company has given up already on Apple and, while we were about 90% Macs, we are moving to being 90% PCs. This was decided 6 months ago and is happening now. Apple has already lost the race. Our legacy Apple machines are old and failing one by one, but there is nothing to upgrade to.

I don't know what they could do to get us to switch back at this point.

I think this is one of the most important points, and it makes me think the Mac actually IS dead at this point.

Because even if Apple suddenly announced a major Mac renaissance tomorrow, with a completely new and updated lineup, one that satisfied the demand across all user groups, and provided genuinely high performance and upgradable systems, that basically ticked every box and then some... it is still too risky to switch back, because who knows if Apple will then just abandon Macs for another five years. Even if they say they were 100% committed, that wouldn't be enough, as they have a very bad track record. So nobody would risk it.

I'm not sure what Apple would need to do to get confidence back. Probably a big public commitment, renaming back to Apple Computer Inc, and possibly a new CEO.

 

[pipis2010]

Soon we'll get 8th-gen Intel processors on Macbooks. You're too desperate... even current Lenovo workstations are being sold with 16GB of RAM. Ok, you could fill a Lenovo P50 with 64GB. Perhaps Apple could bring the "Classic" Macbook Pro 15" model back for people who want Mac laptops with a lot of RAM and faster Intel processors as soon as they are launched.

I've already needed 32-64GB on a Macbook when I worked with NLP algorithms, but 16GB are currently more than fine to me, so I don't see the point on carrying a heavy laptop around.

I think the problem is that Intel’s roadmap does not correlate with Apple’s, meaning that indeed we may get 8th gen intel mackbooks, etc, but Intel will release their 9th gen in Q1 2019, and again people will be frustrated that they will have to wait by end of 2019 to get updated 9th gen macbooks, etc,etc - see where this is going?

If this holds true, Apple needs to change their update/refresh schedule to correlate with Intel’s and the rest manufacturers to be “realistically” up-to-date...but that’s just a pipedream!

 

[tex210]

The state of Mac is sad indeed. I understand the idea - innovation in PC industry is slowing especially on the desktop hardware side, so a yearly upgrade cycle is unsustainable or not needed. We should upgrade less often. But Apple is sending a contradictory message on the software front. A Mac Mini bought in mid 2012 (even though it looks exactly the same and is just as capable as the current 2014 Mac Mini) is ineligible to run the latest Mac OS introduced in 2018. This machine is only three generations old in terms of the Mini lineup! If I want to buy a replacement, I can't, since the message is clear: the current 2014 Mac Mini will probably be unsupported in 2-3 years.

If the message is that we should not upgrade that often, then please, at least be consistent and don't force obsolescence on the software front!

I can’t find a mid 2012 Mac Mini I can only find a mid 2011 Mac Mini the late 2012 Mac Mini is eligible for upgrade and should receive updates for security for a couple years apparently. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[ROGmaster]

the MacBook Pro's running the 7700HQ aren't out of date. intel doesn't have a replacement for that CPU for mobile out just yet.

However, That's the ONLY one thats not outdated. the i5 MacBook Pro can be updated to a newer CPU already.

in fact the 13" i5 (dual core) CPU has been outdated for a while now, with the i5-8 series being a drop in replacement that brings quad core under the same power envelope.

The MacBook Air is grossly out of date. The Mac Mini is grossly out of date. The Mac Pro is grossly out of date. The iMac is out of date.

So out of Apple's entire product lineup in the computer world, 1 of their more expensive models isn't out of date. the quad core based MacBook Pros

Hmmm I thought the i9-8950HK is the replacement for that i7.

 

[pipis2010]

If Apple doesn’t invest in the Mac why should the pro app developers do it?

Because apparently the Apple ecosystem is where the most money is made compared to Android. Not to mention it is App Store that generates more revenue for developers, compared to Google Store (at least that’s what research has shown with Apple user’s higher disposable income, etc). So, if all these are indeed true, then developers will not give up so easily the Apple ecosystem...

 

[tex210]

No one has actually supplied numbers yet on total keyboard repairs or failures. Not the people that filed lawsuits and not Apple itself. Until someone does provide the numbers, there's no proof the butterfly keyboard is actually less reliable than the scissor keyboards. I myself have had scissor keyboard problems both at work and at home in the past, so I'm not sure why people think anecdotal problems with butterfly keyboards prove anything on a large scale.

Just the thought of it, as it circulates around , is probably enough for some people not to buy. If it is a problem, it should not be an expensive fix. I hope we don’t get a sealed machine with some crazy magnetic keys first though.

 

[Soccertess]

Apple should copy the management style of other companies that seem to try to better meed the needs and requests of their costumers. That's what other users are talking about.
The only reason Apple is this successful now is because of their legacy, the image they created in the past.

So many people forget that. They give Tim all the credit for apple’s revenue growth. They don’t consider that smart phone market expanded and the enternece into China (which they now have lost) I can only think of one product that isn’t too bad under Tim, which are their headphones. Everything else including HomePod has sucked

 

[alien3dx]

Because apparently the Apple ecosystem is where the most money is made compared to Android. Not to mention it is App Store that generates more revenue for developers, compared to Google Store (at least that’s what research has shown with Apple user’s higher disposable income, etc). So, if all these are indeed true, then developers will not give up so easily the Apple ecosystem...

Apple freakin lazy eco system. Forcing everybody moved ahead to new OS . There are not such thing as Long Term Stability. Yes it's great to have IOS12 even on old iphone 5S which should be obsolete compare to android era. But the real problem people who buy iphone 7,7S which don't update to latest OS will be have permanent bugs.. unless upgrade.

For me, objective C is odd so as swift. No autocomplete for both of them in XCODE , compare to other matured language.

You need to paid per annum 99 dollar , if not your app will not be at apple store. For user which buy the product and abandon by developer how ?It just freakin free or 99 cent price minimum.

If enterprise need to paid 299 dollar per annum, what da hell this thing ? Just give the ipa who wanted lol.

To be truth, apple ios is the priciest development of all cost in my history.. While margin is so low or somebody else loss.

 

[wallah]

edit: deleted to help keep discussions constructive

 

[Feenician]

Sadly, you ended up violating your own rule of not getty pissy with others on the board. I know you’ve got cold, hard supercomputer logic in there, but it comes across as arrogant instead.

I don’t think the other people in you meetings for the next few days will be having much fun with you either

Your entire post is an ad-hominem. You never even tried to address a point. That, or you simply couldn't.

 

[wallah]

edit: deleted to help keep discussion constructive

 

[Feenician]

Intentional, on the hope that he will remove a Like from my previous post

Intentional personal attacks. Cool. I rarely report posts unless they're spam or *isms and yours is no exception. I won't report it, but I will know exactly how seriously to take you.

 

[pipis2010]

Oh my goodness, this is my story too. My first Mac was the second model 512K Mac, and then I was into PC's because of work, and 15 years ago came back to Apple. I used to be an Apple evangelist, and brought my entire extended family and so many friends to Apple.

Now I loathe what Apple's corporate persona has morphed into.

For me, it was the removal of the matte-antiglare option from MacBook Pros. C'mon, with close to a trillion dollars of pile of cash, you would think Apple could have offered the anti-glare option for those users who need it. I myself have an iMac 5K Retina screen which is superb in my room with few windows - but my MacBook Airs are a nightmare when used on the road in very bright lighting.

Apple deserves to be one of those companies that shrivel and die after being in the limelight. Apple has no customer loyalty. It is only driven by greed for more cash. Remember the fairy tale of the dragon that amassed a mountain of gold just to sleep on its pile of gold. That's what Apple is like. It doesn't do anything with its cash. It just sits on it, gloating over how high the pile of cash is growing.

It's hard to imagine I would so eagerly evangelise people to Apple back in the early days. I think the hard reality came around 2013 when Apple removed the anti-glare option from MacBook Pros. It's then that I realise that the heart and core of Apple had become rotten. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, and everything diseased about Apple was well under way by 2013.

Your quote speaks for me too: "I didn't abandon Apple. Apple abandoned me."

Apple could release a pile of poop, stick its logo on it and people will still buy it! It has achieved what other companies only dream of...

 

[wallah]

Intentional personal attacks. Cool. I rarely report posts unless they're spam or *isms and yours is no exception. I won't report it, but I will know exactly how seriously to take you.

You can read my other posts, too when you get around to it. I’m more accommodating.

edit: deleted the earlier post to avoid supporting downward spirals in discussion on this otherwise really excellent forum. I really value the balanced and thoughtful contributions of so many people which, when it goes well, is stimulating reading and informative too.

 

[Winni]

I think the problem is that Intel’s roadmap does not correlate with Apple’s, meaning that indeed we may get 8th gen intel mackbooks, etc, but Intel will release their 9th gen in Q1 2019, and again people will be frustrated that they will have to wait by end of 2019 to get updated 9th gen macbooks, etc,etc - see where this is going?

If this holds true, Apple needs to change their update/refresh schedule to correlate with Intel’s and the rest manufacturers to be “realistically” up-to-date...but that’s just a pipedream!

They could also just go with AMD CPUs once in a while... Competition can be a very healthy thing (not always, but in this case it certainly would be).

But the problem lies elsewhere: The current Macs are more than good enough for iOS developers, and if you ask Apple, everybody should be using iPads anyway.

 

[pipis2010]

Why if you want a bigger screen should you have to have the very best of everything and have to pay £2600 for it.

For many its just about the screen size. A 15" macbook would be perfect for a lot of people. It would still be half the weight but offer the same screen size. The 15" is a great machine but seems a mistep to only sell it as a powerhouse because of the screen size. Why cant the 15" be portable a 15" variable of the macbook will still be lighter than the 2015 13" macbook pro.

It would be very compelling for a lot of people. It may even offer enough room for a second USB C port.

Price the 12" Macbook at £1099 and the 15" macbook at £1499. Would offer two very compelling and more affordable laptops.

You cant tell me that the retina which is 6 year old tech will be the main factor in price its all BS at this point. There are far higher resolution products on the market for less.

That being said for the sake of crap graphics cards and processing power, keep the 2k retina and many would be happy.

I think a lot of people are missing the point with regards to the 12” Macbook - it’s meant to be a design/lifestyle/fashion statement! Nothing else really - it doesn’t replace the MBA, because it’s way overpriced and offers only one port and I doubt it will ever replace it, unless they indeed drop the price to close to $1k, which I highly doubt it will ever happen.

But, other than that, for me, the MB is just a fashion/lifestyle item, nothing else...

 

[tex210]

I don’t tweet.
Edit- I saw the email address up a way’s, but thanks for the links.

After reading this thread up ‘til you, I’m now thinking it’s a security problem with the chips and testing for that... apple doesn’t need anymore of those headlines. How easily I want to believe. Well @pple, since you’re not getting first dibs on processors anymore, you could just throw Intel under the bus and bring out an aluminum suit on stage when you announce the next transition. A chip built just for crypto currency.

Lets just tweet to Tim and friends about this thread, someone may reply.

https://twitter.com/tim_cook
https://twitter.com/cue
https://twitter.com/pschiller

 

[pipis2010]

you mean,wildly billion dollar companies that have been succesful for longer than Apple has been around? Sure.

you're doing the exact same thing I accused you of in the last post. you're looking at the profit margins / revenue numbers and assuming that if they're doing that well, they must be 100% right.

that's foolish. the Backstreet boys were the #1 selling boy band of the 90's. Nobody accused them of being fantastic musicians or of having a big long future. (Not saying this is analogous to Apple, just an example that revenu/profit as some proof of quality is a fools opinion)

Apple is also NOT the worlds largest company. Stop repeating this nonsense. in 2017 apple was 9th for Revenues:

1. WalMart Stores (US) - $485.8bn
2. State Grid (China) - $315.1bn
3. Sinopec (China) - $267.5bn
4. China Natural Petroleum (China) - $262.6bn
5. Toyota Motor (Japan) - $254.7bn
6. Volkswagen (Germany) - $240.2bn
7. Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands) - $240bn
8. Berkshire Hathaway (US) - $223.6bn
9. Apple (US) - $215.6bn
10. Exxon Mobil (US) - $205bn

When talking about Actual Assets owned? Apple isn't top 10.

Apple is only #1 for "MARKET CAP". this is NOT the same as "worlds biggest company". Market cap is just the total value of all outstanding shares based on current stock market valuation. Heck, Even Samsung (as much as people here hate them) is technically a bigger company, hiring more employees, with more divisions, more asset ownership.

You can’t compare Samsung to Apple, because they are a consumer electronics company, with many more divisions in various other industries, compared to Apple which supposedly is still a computer company evolving into something else in the near future...

Other than that, your rest comments are SPOT ON!