Great post, but apparently history is repeating itself.
"Toner-Head" Tim, has a certain ring to it.
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I've noticed, and I feel I've gotten my money's worth.
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Professional Mac Users' Complaints List Grows After 'Disappointing' Apple Event
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"Toner-Head" Tim, has a certain ring to it.
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Even without the need for powerful systems to cope with the many and varied types of processes that demand high end computer systems. The reality is there will never be a post PC era, not anytime soon at least. Maybe for a casual user or in some cases more demanding uses but obviously still within the constraints of the system.
But at the risk of stating the rather obvious, so long as the tools to create the software which runs on these post PC era devices are only available on desktop and laptop operating systems, there literally cannot be a post PC era.
In my opinion, what's happening here on the "pro" side is that when Apple had RISC architecture for their PowerPC processors, all the robust desktop and mobile PC users like designers, photographers, video editors, audio engineers, even mathematicians and researchers, would be happy because Apple was different due to their reliable HW architecture. Along came Altivec, later OS X, the Titanium PowerBooks and new PowerMacs... boy, using a Mac for your work confirmed you were going places because you needed that much hardware power (at least that was the impression in your head,) not because they were a fashion statement. They were truly different to the rest of the PC manufacturers given their custom software/hardware solutions.
Sadly, PPC architecture was not able to keep up with energy optimizations and achieve higher processor speed rates, so Apple switched to Intel. Well, at least Apple was offering the latest Intel chips and more up-to-date graphic card choices. No biggie.
Fast forward to present times: those professionals that were happy on Apple's side today feel uncomfortable paying excessive prices for average hardware architecture that's not able to fit in a professional business medium-term investment plans. Apple asks them to do this just because macOS, Touch Bar, "energy optimizations" that don't really make sense within these environments, and product thinness. Where's the differentiator now? On the desktop? Mac Pro changes hardware architecture by unloading CPU tasks to couples of graphic cards, but a 3 year hiatus on upgrades is too much to swallow given how much video and simulations have advanced within the last 18 months.
I understand all the negativity, and do not condone these pricing practices Apple is using on the new MacBook Pro and the rest of the hardware outside the USA, and I'm still an Apple fan after 19 years of using them. Hopefully this will be addressed and they'll get back their "Think Different" mantra for their high-end segment. Or, if they are going all-out on supporting iPad Pro and iOS, at least put your money where your mouth is and begin true pro development of the platform by releasing Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and XCode (as well as its tools) for iOS. Other pro software developers will surely follow your example.
Sadly, PPC architecture was not able to keep up with energy optimizations and achieve higher processor speed rates, so Apple switched to Intel. Well, at least Apple was offering the latest Intel chips and more up-to-date graphic card choices. No biggie.
Fast forward to present times: those professionals that were happy on Apple's side today feel uncomfortable paying excessive prices for average hardware architecture that's not able to fit in a professional business medium-term investment plans. Apple asks them to do this just because macOS, Touch Bar, "energy optimizations" that don't really make sense within these environments, and product thinness. Where's the differentiator now? On the desktop? Mac Pro changes hardware architecture by unloading CPU tasks to couples of graphic cards, but a 3 year hiatus on upgrades is too much to swallow given how much video and simulations have advanced within the last 18 months.
I understand all the negativity, and do not condone these pricing practices Apple is using on the new MacBook Pro and the rest of the hardware outside the USA, and I'm still an Apple fan after 19 years of using them. Hopefully this will be addressed and they'll get back their "Think Different" mantra for their high-end segment. Or, if they are going all-out on supporting iPad Pro and iOS, at least put your money where your mouth is and begin true pro development of the platform by releasing Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and XCode (as well as its tools) for iOS. Other pro software developers will surely follow your example.
I agree completely about the refresh cycle. Its especially irksome when so called expert reviewers have complaints like "looks the same as the previous model, which is 18 months old and getting long in the tooth". [You mean it looks trend setting and timeless?]
But I have sympathy for users needing more resources, which haven't come after a 2-3 year cycle. I don't buy the "abandoned" whining. I think it will come when the chips appropriate for these chassis are ready.
As someone pointed out, the only reason they have so many orders is because they haven't updated the MacBook Pro in forever. So they are going to have a lot of online orders from people who have been waiting forever and then the online orders will nosedive.
They are all paid Microsoft, Dell, HP, etc.. shills, trying to convince everyone that Apple is moving in the right direction, and everything is A-OK. When in fact, Apple is going down a dark scary path that alienates many LONG time customers/fans.
Since the Apple fanbois LOVE to use that accusation against anyone saying anything but glowing things about Apple, I figured it fit perfectly for their situation.
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FYP.
That and the fact they aren't sold in stores yet, unlike the previous MBP launches.
The problem is Apple isn't even the trailblazer in pure aesthetic looks any more - something they absolutely ruled for a decade.
Look at the XPS 13. It's two years old... and looks "next generation" compared to the Macs released last week. It's totally baffling to me how Apple got boxed out the bezel-less display market, as well as ignoring carbon fibre (which is such a nicer wrist-rest than metal).
Yeah, but who the hell is going to buy a laptop that's going to cost $3000-$4000 besides pro users? Even people who could comfortably spend that kind of money probably wouldn't want to for a laptop when they could do most of what they want on something way cheaper or potentially on an iPad.
I'm probably going to end up getting the maxed out version of the 15". That's going to set me back a lot. There's no way I'd put that much money down on a laptop if it weren't directly related to my income. Even so, it pains me to spend so much on a laptop with only 16GB of RAM. I know 16GB will be just fine most of the time, but it still irks me that I'm going to have to spend this much and get something that I'll have to make compromises to use as I want.
If I didn't have so much software tied up in Macs, I'd be jumping ship to a PC now.
this why people are still turning to cheese grater macs instead of the trash can...
http://create.pro
No.
There are many orders because these machines are a great package. The only substantial complaint is from users looking for increased memory resources. This would require a larger, heavier, louder, more power hungry solution with currently available chips. That is fine with some, but Apple didn't do it. It would be obsolete as soon as the chips are released. I sympathize but its just a delay. Cope.
When the chips are ready, increased resources will fit in these chassis. There is a well publicized delay in Intel's cycle. As someone else stated, these chips are on the edge of what physics says is possible with silicon. Cope.
Other complaints:
Ports: 4 x Thunderbolt 3 is awesome, awesome bandwidth. It was just as painful to lose 25 pin serial, parallel, 9 pin din, VGA. Update your peripherals. Why is a much larger machine with a dozen obsolescent connectors acceptable but pick and choose a couple of adaptors is not acceptable? You need every single port ever? https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderbolt/Dock/OWC/Thunderbolt2-Dock/
No 4k: Pixel count does not =/= image quality, especially on a notebook size screen. Reread the improvements to the already excellent retina displays. 4 x Thunderbolt natively drives 2 x 5k external displays.
No Dock: Snap out of it. One Thunderbolt cable has more bandwidth than your dock and it charges. A dongle is unacceptable but you want a big ass dock-le?
Price: Don't cherry pick when you compare. Look at the whole package. Get equivalent I/O bandwidth, SSD speed, CPU, memory, track-pad, battery life, quality metal chassis, on a similar size competitor. Don't compare it to machines twice the size and weight. Include the charger size and weight. Post the number. Is it worth the number? Consider OSX with included applications plus walk in customer service at Apple store.
I'll just leave this here
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Don't worry, I'll enjoy the new Surface Book or the new HP Spectre x360. These are better than these MacBooks. Better value for my money.<Yes, Dell isn't the only manufacturer that produces Windows laptops, surprise!!>
choice is good!
and these macbook issues will never bother you then
I'm a really loyal apple fan, but I'm also a rational person. For the first time, I hopelessly fell apple really messed up this round of release. I think apple's problem is getting unmanageable.
Tim can be a great COO and a VP of supply chain, but he is not and he will never become the brain and heart of Apple.
What apple needs is not time, not patient from customers, not fancy marketing, but a visionary who is competent enough to envision and guide Apple in next 50 years. Someone who can sell products in simple plain paper envelopes. Someone who can define the future of computing while presenting products that seamlessly transitions from the past industry standards. Someone who lust engineering perfection in products while understanding business economics. Someone who is a system builder that integrates all the service and products within the Ecosystem to provide an ease of mind for customers (starting by allowing iPhones to be plugged into Macbooks, Apple ear pods to be plugged into Macs, Mac standard USB-c to be plugged into IOS devices). Someone who leads, someone who creates, someone who can be the center of Apple - the Apple core, just like Steve.
Apple's outcome today was theorized by Steve decades ago. You can skip to 25:44s to see Steve's explanation of the fall of a great company or watch the entire interview. Link is here ---https://youtu.be/TRZAJY23xio?t=25m44s
My deepest condolences to Apple - once a miracle of greatness, no longer.
Tim can be a great COO and a VP of supply chain, but he is not and he will never become the brain and heart of Apple.
What apple needs is not time, not patient from customers, not fancy marketing, but a visionary who is competent enough to envision and guide Apple in next 50 years. Someone who can sell products in simple plain paper envelopes. Someone who can define the future of computing while presenting products that seamlessly transitions from the past industry standards. Someone who lust engineering perfection in products while understanding business economics. Someone who is a system builder that integrates all the service and products within the Ecosystem to provide an ease of mind for customers (starting by allowing iPhones to be plugged into Macbooks, Apple ear pods to be plugged into Macs, Mac standard USB-c to be plugged into IOS devices). Someone who leads, someone who creates, someone who can be the center of Apple - the Apple core, just like Steve.
Apple's outcome today was theorized by Steve decades ago. You can skip to 25:44s to see Steve's explanation of the fall of a great company or watch the entire interview. Link is here ---https://youtu.be/TRZAJY23xio?t=25m44s
My deepest condolences to Apple - once a miracle of greatness, no longer.
I'm with the general unrest for the Mac Pro line, though I'm looking for new desktop machines. I was hoping for updates, but even without them, I would have love to have seen a keyboard that includes the touchbar of the MacBook Pro.
Regardless of all that, the general discontent faded a bit when one of my clients reminded me of one of the main reasons I love my Mac. I told him that back in the day, if you did graphics you used a Mac and that's why I've always used Apple. I further explained that these days the Windows/Mac world is not much different except for the fact that we still are not molested by constant viruses/malware. He was pretty amazed by this.
Which made me remember why I'm on this platform. "It just works" still applies today. Sure I want updates and hopefully Apple will listen to us, but at the end of the day my 2013 Mac Pro and even older Cinema Display are still running like a champ.
Regardless of all that, the general discontent faded a bit when one of my clients reminded me of one of the main reasons I love my Mac. I told him that back in the day, if you did graphics you used a Mac and that's why I've always used Apple. I further explained that these days the Windows/Mac world is not much different except for the fact that we still are not molested by constant viruses/malware. He was pretty amazed by this.
Which made me remember why I'm on this platform. "It just works" still applies today. Sure I want updates and hopefully Apple will listen to us, but at the end of the day my 2013 Mac Pro and even older Cinema Display are still running like a champ.
There's no question that these are first world problems. I happen to be a computing professional, in the first world. I understand where the technology is going, where the money is, etc. It's like saying "email is over". It may be true, but it doesn't take away from the fact that millions, or hundreds of millions of people use it every day to conduct business. (Even some on the wrong servers.) I'm not saying it should live forever, but if every email server was taken down by this weekend, that would present a problem for a lot of folks. Business would come to a halt.
It's not Apple's responsibility to fix everything. However, it would be nice if they at least gave us some insight into their plans so we could set the budgets we need for something else.
What's everyone using 32GB and 64GB of RAM to do on your computers?
Not asking like a jerk; legitimately curious. I use my MacBook Pro for photoshop - and bought a new one this week so I can handle 4k from my drone a little less frustratingly. But I feel like I won't require more than 16GB. I know ultimately everything needs to progress, and 16GB was available years and years ago, so Im inclined to agree the option should be there, I just don't know what requires it. People typically respond with 'virtual machines,' what do you have them doing?
Not asking like a jerk; legitimately curious. I use my MacBook Pro for photoshop - and bought a new one this week so I can handle 4k from my drone a little less frustratingly. But I feel like I won't require more than 16GB. I know ultimately everything needs to progress, and 16GB was available years and years ago, so Im inclined to agree the option should be there, I just don't know what requires it. People typically respond with 'virtual machines,' what do you have them doing?
Institutional buyers? AKA professional users?
That actually proves my point. Actual professionals are buying them in record numbers, while the self proclaimed MR "professional" users who only use a prosumer camera to record 6 second clips for their short-lived Vine account are throwing a fit because the MBP is $500 more.
Institutional buyers? AKA professional users?
That actually proves my point. Actual professionals are buying them in record numbers, while the self proclaimed MR "professional" users who only use a prosumer camera to record 6 second clips for their short-lived Vine account are throwing a fit because the MBP is $500 more.
But that's sorta the problem.
The laptops are more expensive... but some people feel like they're actually getting less for more money.
Macs have always been more expensive that Windows machines. But it doesn't seem like the extra money is worth it anymore considering all of the extra hassles that come with them now (dongles, no MagSafe, etc)
But yes... people are buying them... apparently in record numbers. It'll be interesting to see if Mac sales increase year-over-year during these next couple quarters. Then we'll know for sure!
Not just virtual machines, other industries use a lot of RAM for smooth file handling like BIM for construction projects collaboration, large 4K video streams editing, large format rendering of high res 3D animation work, local simulation and analysis of any kind of structures, large database analysis... These types of work could be performed by freelancers on the go, or local workstations at an office or studio.
Institutional buyers? AKA professional users?
That actually proves my point. Actual professionals are buying them in record numbers, while the self proclaimed MR "professional" users who only use a prosumer camera to record 6 second clips for their short-lived Vine account are throwing a fit because the MBP is $500 more.
If IBM employees posting 6 second clips to Vine count as professionals then you would be right - actual media creators have different requirements however as we have FCC standards we have to meet that Vine does not. I could go on about how FCP made huge inroads into the creative market on an institutional level and then lost said market due to a tactless transition to FCP X, but the point would be lost on you.
Nice red herring.
As I was saying, Apple might care that some of their pro customers are switching to comparable PCs which don't fit the "Fords" analogy.
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I didn't say that. My point is that Apple is going to dump Intel for ARM, and when they do they'll have iOS-native developer tools ready to go since they likely already have them up and running as they did OS X for Intel.
"The market for high-end traditional computer products is a niche within an already tiny niche". You could not be more wrong.
"What Tim and Apple are doing is absolutely right for the company". Incremental updates, dongles, neglected or antiquated product lines? Right for the company? How about software? I have found Sierra and iOS buggy and in some cases unusable.
What you seem to be trying to say is Apple is trying to be the pop music of computers and they are trying to convince rock, jazz, or classical music lovers that pop music is their future. That is going to be a hard sell for sure. Profits, stock prices, and market share will tell the story. Numbers are already starting to fluctuate.
I haven't and I ran both throughout their entire beta periods. What now? Whose anecdote is worth more?
How so? The PC (I'm including "PC" and Mac) market shrinks every day.
MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
Since Sierra - Scrolling an open window to view folders sticks, sidebar disappears when trying to scroll, can't scroll down unless I close and reopen the folder. Safari hangs, clicking on buttons does not work sometimes, pages don't display properly (Multiple sites) When attaching an external monitor, I lose most of my choices of resolution. 1080 or 2160, nothing in between (Known issue BTW). Tried several monitors. Quicktime freezes or hangs, freezes up the whole computer sometimes, SD card does not appear when loaded, networking issues... I can keep going. None of this happened in El Capitan.
iPhone 6
iOS 10 - Random freezes, software update sometimes works sometimes does not. Hotspot using bluetooth super buggy. Sometimes will not connect at all. A computer and phone restart sometimes helps. Carplay almost unusable since update. Touch ID more finicky than it used to be. Sometimes I cannot slide the bar to answer the phone. Does not work at all... Again, I can keep going.
But you are right, whose anecdote is worth more?