Thunderbolt 3 Ports on Right Side of 13-Inch MacBook Pro Have Reduced PCI Express Bandwidth

[emailnotebox]

When they stop making laptops thinner and thinner?

Until they take all batteries out eventually. They will sell battery as an additional external package. I bet its on the table and they are thinking about it.

 

[DevNull0]

When will the bad news stop?

When Timmy pulls the ripcord on his golden parachute.

 

[emailnotebox]

The 13" keeps looking more unappealing, especially at the price points. I don't think this is a real issue for most users (who is going to generally max out their Thunderbolt 3 connector?).

There's probably some legitimate technical reason.

I feel like the 13" MBP has really been the "also ran" product since its introduction though. Anyone remember the original 13" aluminum MacBook in 2009? They'd add FireWire 800 a year later and release a gimped laptop with a Core 2 Duo due to Intel not licensing chipsets to the likes of nVidia. Rather than just put a GPU in it they kept the Core 2 Duo and the nVidia chipset. And Jobs totally defended the move too (Google "killer graphics" if you don't remember). The story was the same when the 13" rMBP was released.

No options for quad core, no dedicated GPU, etc. There's a reason I moved from a 13" Pro to an Air on my previous upgrade. I prefer the form factor but I'd like fewer compromises. The Air was just a better machine in almost every way.

My 12" Aluminum PowerBook is the last small pro Apple laptop that didn't feel like unnecessarily nerfed. (That might just me being nostalgic.)

The point? People talking about the issues with this machine like they're new or freak out about how this is all Cook and Jobs never would have done this either are new to Apple or are VERY revisionist in their memories.

With all that said, the size reduction on the 15" model is making it look more appealing. For the price point the 15" seems like a way better value.

We are not talking about gen 1 product here where they are having a hard time assessing sales predictions though. All gen 1 products are purposely conservative to test the market. Thats why they quickly follow up with more substantial offerings in the following generations with price adjustments as well. 2016' Macbook Pro is no gen 1 product. It shouldnt be compared that way here.

 

[manu chao]

That is not at all what I said, and I am not demanding anything.

I mentioned a single multipurpose port, that it doesn't fully support the new MacBook Pro lineup. It' can't properly supply power to the new 15" MBP, and it has limitations on video output. I followed by stating that Apple didn't appear to update it to fully support their released MBP lineup. In a followup response I stated that there is no suitable option with these features provided by Apple for the new MBP. The only indented implication is that I am disappointed that the array of dongles By Apple, for their products isn't consistent, and, they should have had updated models available at the release of this lineup.

So, complaining about something does not imply asking for some change that removes the source of the complaint?

 

[TMRJIJ]

This is how I feel right now.

You should see a doctor about that.

 

[Mr Dobey]

Oh I must of forgot... everyone here has 4 USB-C Thunderbolt 3 40Gbps drives just ripping to go right? Let alone all at once.

 

[tjleonard]

Because for $2300, I'll be expecting a computer that is capable to distribute bandwidth equally to all four ports.

I've defended Apple with a more open mind than most here, but this is BS hat Apple slips that in.

 

[ct1211]

Why are you convinced this is related to saving money instead of saving space and efficiency?

Huh? Apple has mastered parting **** swallows and their money. Happens every time and they laugh all the way to the bank! Need proof? OK overpriced new 13" with comproswipe (compromised touch screen function bar) is now out to 5 weeks shipping. Lame "Base" model available at just $200.00+ more than current two year old model can be in your hands November 1st. If I can pull this swindle with my company, I would be on it tomorrow. Kudos ghost of hand Jobs!

Keep voting with your dollars kids!!
[doublepost=1477716034][/doublepost]

No one here is a troll for expressing discontent for this new laptop. I've had every iBook and Macbook since 2005, and this is the first one I won't be upgrading to based on the rapacious pricing, and miniscule update (slower processor in the base model, and less battery life).

Nothing about this device is "pro."

So, um, how are you a qualified pro, exactly?

 

[manu chao]

To me, if TB3 isn't delivering full bandwidth at each port, then what is the point?

So what do you suggest they should have done? Have two 10 Gbit/s USB-C ports instead of two TB3 ports running at 20 Gbit/s*? And thus also prevent the use of any TB chains (most of which would be fine with 20 Gbit/s)? Or any of the other features that TB enables but USB-C not? Not to speak of allowing for the use of existing TB devices?

* Assuming that 'reduced' means half.

 

[cult hero]

We are not talking about gen 1 product here where they are having a hard time assessing sales predictions though. All gen 1 products are purposely conservative to test the market. Thats why they quickly follow up with more substantial offering in the following generations with price adjustments as well. 2016' Macbook Pro is no gen 1 product. It shouldnt be compared that way here.

I may have referenced the first gen 13" but if that's all you took away from what I wrote, you missed the point. The 13" MBP has been kind of a meh product from 2010 to now. The rMBP is no exception. I'm saying that this model is, unfortunately, par for the course.

And that's fine. I'm in the "okay, I won't buy it because it's not what I really want/need/can justify paying for" camp. I'm not living under the delusion that:

1. Apple under Jobs was this magical paradise that never made misteps and wasn't afraid to stick it to customers when they felt it was acceptable in a business sense.

2. Apple some how owes me because I deserve some particular piece of hardware at some price point that suits me.

I've never seen a place that more exemplifies the desire for faster horses and first world problems than this forum.

 

[Mr. Gates]

Reading through the comments, I think a lot of people are just fed up with the direction Apple is taking with hardware.
Razer has a really nice machine coming out soon. I have my eye on it.

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-pro

 

[amegicfox]

under Tim Crook run Apple there are always surprises and are always penalizing the end user

 

[bobdobalina]

edit

 

[Keirasplace]

Reading through the comments, I think a lot of people are just fed up with the direction Apple is taking with hardware.
Razer has a really nice machine coming out soon. I have my eye on it.

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-pro

You're reading a god damn echo chamber of whine, like most web site comment boards on any subject.
The positive commenters eventually get fed up of the constant whining and decide to move on with their lives.
I've been on the net since 1985 (before the web existed) and there were always some negativity, but these days its just a constant reactionary bitch fest almost everywhere. Back then, even the negativity tended to be narrow and intense (flame wars) rather than at large and pervasive.
Some sites have controlled this with strict moderation, but it takes constant monitoring to do so.

 

[lowkey]

Reading through the comments, I think a lot of people are just fed up with the direction Apple is taking with hardware.
Razer has a really nice machine coming out soon. I have my eye on it.

http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade-pro

^well it's good that there are options for everyone. Obviously it's aiming for a pretty niche market...it's certainly not a general purpose laptop.

That machine looks terrible to me personally for what I need:-
- 3.5kg!! Yikes, that's double the 15"MBP
- Asymmetrical keyboard layout means it's impossible to sit straight and type.
- Perhaps its quiet, but that cooling system certainly doesn't look it.

 

[inscrewtable]

Let me guess... The sky now is now falling on hordes of trolls who will never notice any effect of this technical detail.
The melodramatic herd-weeping is quite entertaining

So true, the day of the release there was a post right at the top, must have worn his fingers out getting it up quickly, what was it about? Why six paragraphs complaining that Apple did not remove the headphone jack from the MacBooks, seriously. It would be great if Macrumors decided to moderate these columns properly so that they actually become useful. Liked by 50 trolls.

 

[smacrumon]

What would you rather? 4 ports with 2 at full TB3 and two others, or only 2 ports at full tb3, or 4 ports none at full bandwidth? The last two options are "consistent" but poorer options.

I don't think there is even another 13" with 2 full lanes of TB3. You are complaining about something that's not technically possible with Intels architecture.
This is a perfect example of whining for whining sake.
Tell me what you are missing out on? If you need 4 full lanes of TB3 could you not upgrade to the next model?
Or are you entitled to everything in the top of the range model if you buy the entry level?

The perfect example of supporting Apple in light of their stupid mistakes. You present a false argument. Apple is to blame here, not Intel. It is Apple who configures Apple devices. How about Apple just build devices properly with no inconsistencies. Four ports at full TB. It's a no brainer. It's a PRO product if you didn't realize.

 

[mithion]

For the first time since I made the switch to macs in 2007, I'm considering switching back to windows. Theses new pros are beautiful machines and I'm sure they are well built, but I they come with too many compromises for that price. I'm eyeballing a dell latitude which is easily $500 cheaper with decent specs. It runs windows which is sad but it's what I can afford.

 

[lowkey]

You're reading a god damn echo chamber of whine, like most web site comment boards on any subject.
The positive commenters eventually get fed up of the constant whining and decide to move on with their lives.
I've been on the net since 1985 (before the web existed) and there were always some negativity, but these days its just a constant reactionary bitch fest almost everywhere. Back then, even the negativity tended to be narrow and intense (flame wars) rather than at large and pervasive.
Some sites have controlled this with strict moderation, but it takes constant monitoring to do so.

It seems to feed into the narrative that is running in politics nowadays to "make <insert country of choice> great again".

But with this level of entitlement, cynicism and negativity I doubt it's even possible for most to see how amazing things already are!

People complaining about the lack of 4 full TB3 lanes on a 13" laptop when only 2 days ago there wasn't even one in existence with "only" 2 channels.

Now if you need 2 lanes you've got 2 models to chose from. If you really need 4 lanes there's one option. Two days again there were no options...but somehow no one complaining then?

 

[Mr. Gates]

^well it's good that there are options for everyone. Obviously it's aiming for a pretty niche market...it's certainly not a general purpose laptop.

That machine looks terrible to me personally for what I need:-
- 3.5kg!! Yikes, that's double the 15"MBP
- Asymmetrical keyboard layout means it's impossible to sit straight and type.
- Perhaps its quiet, but that cooling system certainly doesn't look it.

I don't think $3,500 is a bad deal once you compare what you are getting.

 

[lowkey]

The perfect example of supporting Apple in light of their stupid mistakes. You present a false argument. Apple is to blame here, not Intel. It is Apple who configures Apple devices. How about Apple just build devices properly with no inconsistencies. Four ports at full TB. It's a no brainer. It's a PRO product if you didn't realize.

There is a 13" available with 4 full lanes of TB3.
Yet you're still whining.

 

[MH01]

Why are you convinced this is related to saving money instead of saving space and efficiency?

Cause it's Tim Cook. My £1100 iPhone has worse performance to my 6S cause intel modems are cheaper. He is Steve ballmer of Microsoft , record profits while stuffing up the Company

 

[AlexQx]

Really wanted to update my mid 2012 macbook pro... Can't believe I am now waiting for the new XPS 15 to be announced... Biggest let down this year...

Is it worth looking for a second hand mid 2015 MBP 15"?

 

[the8thark]

People here are complainih about all the Thunderbolt bandwidth missing that they will never even come close to using.

 

[mithion]

Really wanted to update my late 2012 macbook pro... Can't believe I am now waiting for the new XPS 15 to be announced... Biggest let down this year...

Is it worth looking for a second hand early 2015 MBP 15"?

It's probably a pretty significant upgrade to your 2012 version. Might be worthwhile to check that option. I mean you have to have so serious workloads if the 2015 pro isn't enough.