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Stolen MacBook Pro Schematics Confirm Apple's Plans to Add More Ports and Remove Touch Bar
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My personal MBP is of the mid-2014 variety (port options + MagSafe + physical function keys). My work MBP is from 2017 (4 Thunderbolt ports + Touch Bar). From extensive use of both types, I can clearly attest that I prefer port options and welcome their rumored return. I can say the same about MagSafe: preferred and welcomed with open arms. I also sit in the camp that liked the Touch Bar. In my experience, it was always function keys or app-specific keys when needed. I'm surprised to see it exiting stage left so soon.
Regardless, I'm looking forward to an update of a machine I A) enjoy using I'm B) ready to upgrade. Looks to be a long summer. Stay safe, all.
The only problem is, if you want to use USB-C instead. you're not reduced to only 2 USB ports. We at least had 3 before.
The thing is if you liked magsafe, you can have it with USB-C charging - there are loads of magnetic USB-C charging connectors so I don't really understand why people miss this when we get the choice of either.
The thing i'm going to miss more than anything here is that I'll be losing 1, possibly 2 USB-C ports if I choose to charge with USB-C which I genuinely will as it means it doesn't fall out when you're using it on your lap - I found magsafe more of an annoyance than a useful feature - but with USB-C it gives people a choice - as does having it instead of single use ports.
I get with HDMI that for some use cases - well, one use case...schools with HDMI cables already fitted and HDMI to USB-C adapters not being reliable enough, this solves that. But for me it's not a dust collecting port i'll never use that can't be used for anything else and i've lost the most versite and useful port ever in Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 to have it.
If only there was a port configuration option during check out, then everyone could be happy - pick the ports you want!
P.S. My ultimate would have been 6x Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports or at the very least 4x Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 and 2x USB-C.
There is a difference when leaking a concept or a feature from he said she said to leaking schematic engineering blueprints. Apple might not have patented everything they are testing in these labs.
Except you've been able to use USB-C with a magnetic connector almost since the release of the 2016 MacBook Pro, I actually bought one - then realised I don't really like magsafe and never used it. But it's already there if you want it - so removing the best, fastest and most versitle port ever created for a single use HDMI and a magsafe port seems a step backwards. I was hoping if this was going to happen we'd at least still get two Thunderbolt 3 ports on each side, maybe another 2x USB-C ports and then whatever legacy stuff people insist they still want. But alas...for me this is going backwards.
Wait - are DSLRs now shipping with USB-C cables (been a minute since I purchased, or even researched, a DSLR)? If so, cool. If not, you're still gonna need a dongle. Having amassed quite the dongle collection, I look forward to returning to a less dongle'd scenario.
Just like it’s a classy move for Apple to keep these proprietary/secret preventing right to repair.
I don’t think the hack is a good thing, but the fact the hack is necessary is a problem and honestly Apple deserves it, sucks their stuff was stolen, but considering they keep stealing customer rights they’ll get no sympathy from me
Yeah - totally agree re: True Tone. I'm not sure folks realize how constantly "bad" (in varying degrees) that will end up looking. With a black bezel it basically "disappears" -- total opposite with light colored edges.
HDMI is about the only additional port that might make sense, but geez, we've already gotten over needing dongles, so why go back? It actually drove me to switch to displayport which is superior for a lot of things.
MagSafe is a mixed bag. It saved one laptop, but then when a staple got stuck to the magnets, it fried another one. But they could have easily made an Apple USB-C power cord that had a magnetic connector and had the best of both worlds. I suspect this is just a ploy to sell yet another batch of extra power adapters. One big downside to it is that I can use the current ones to charge Mac or iPad, and with one extra cable, iphone and airpods...unless they make a USB-C to magsafe cable that's over (and even if they do, now it's three cables instead of 2).
Can't understand why i'd have a headphone jack on the computer but not the phone, so that one doesn't make sense. Although with the airpods going schizo and jumping from one device to another unexpectedly, maybe it does.
SD is useless and legacy. Touchbar is just an expensive battery hogging toy - and if you use the machine for any decent % with an external monitor and keyboard, it's useless - your workflow won't want to flip back and forth to having it and not.
At this point give me 4 or more TB 4 ports and I'm set. Would love to see 6.
I just hope it's a black bezel - colored ones will screw up graphics work something fierce.
Not at all. Assuming this information is correct, there are three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. The reason for there only be two on the current generation had to to with there only being one channel on the SOC. I would guess they added another channel that is supporting one USB-C/Thunderbolt port and all the other ports on this design.
Personally, I think this is a huge step backwards. There is no need for a dedicated MagSafe port. There are plenty of magnetic USB-C tips out now. And at least one that supports Thunderbolt, supposedly. Apple could introduce a first-party mag tip that supports power and data. The could also then support the whole ethernet port on the brick thing - or even have another data port there to allow something like docking a multi-terabyte drive under the desk.
After years of having only the four USB-C ports I cannot see the need to go back. I did buy a few dongles for the suspected key targets - USB-A, ethernet, and HDMI. But, in all the years I have rarely actually needed them. Mostly they get carried in my back just in case. And, I am a consultant who is (was) regularly on the road and presenting. It's just not that big a deal. And having these dedicated ports just create more openings in my Mac for dust, dirt, and moisture to get in.
Touchbar will become a retro oddity for future generations to laugh at and collect. "Wow, what were they thinking?"
I started collecting mine in 2018, before it was cool!
I started collecting mine in 2018, before it was cool!
Needing to use the Fn key is irrelevant. You have to use the the Fn key on physical function keys too. Unless swap the state of the top row and have the function keys the default and needing the Fn keys for the volume/etc keys. But in that case you can just change the TouchBar settings to have it always show the function keys.
It's like people try to find reasons to hate on something.
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I literally don't care about a small increase in boot time since its such a rare occurrence for me and Im not staring at the screen while it boots. I did not notice any operational slow-downs moving from Catalina to Big Sur and no additional beachballs or instabilities. The upgrade has been a non-issue for me, even on my old computer.
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I have to agree with those that feel this is wrong to publish this story. This has severely tarnished your reputation. A really credible publication would have an ethical standard to follow. Wouldnt you rather be ethical. This makes you no better than the criminals.
Agreed. If anything, joke's on the hackers now as Apple don't give a stuff, nobody's giving them $50m and they'll probably get in trouble for hacking.
Further, they haven't halted production by encrypting these files so their 'ransom' is pretty lame.
Disagree.
This is macrumors, not macPR.....
Macrumors had nothing to do with the exploit of this info. Those that did should be liable however.
Is this MacRumors.com or MacAppleApprovedInformationOnly.com?
No, I respect the fact that some people have a problem with it. I always try to respect EVERYONES opinion, but I honestly don't understand it. You are at a website that main purpose is to distribute rumors and news that wasn't obtained by official means. It's either you are ok with this or not. There is no gray area between how the information they are presenting was obtained if they didn't actively participate in the actual theft, paid someone for the information, or are somehow profiting off said information.
What I don't respect is people being hypocritical about this stuff. (I am not targeting you specifically and not saying you are one or are not one.) People all over this forum make "jokes" about how Apple TV+ isn't worth the amount of money they ask so they pirate it online. I have no problem stating that probably 90% of Americans have in some form or another, whether it be downloading or watching it from someone else that has, have viewed illegally gained video of a movie, tv show, music video, or have listened to pirated music in some form whether they downloaded it or just heard it from someone else. In fact, just hearing/viewing a movie downloaded by someone else is more in line with what MacRumors did then actually stealing it themselves. They just posted about noteworthy news content that was already distributed around the world. Can you say you have never been a participant in that?
I still stick by my thought saying that probably 70% percent of males on here went and viewed the celebrities' photos and weren't as upset they had been posted online compared to this being posted.
If you yourself are not guilty in anyway of something similar, which as I said I doubt, then actually, good for you, for taking and sticking to a moral high ground.
Me, not a hypocrite. I have no problem saying I have seen content in some form or another that wasn't obtained legally by law. I'm not saying I'm proud of it but I'm not going to get up on my high horse and say someone was wrong for doing something similar to what I have done.