Tim Cook Says Apple is 'Very Committed' to the Mac and to 'Stay Tuned'

[coolfactor]

A few thoughts on this....

1. Current Macs, even those 2, 3, 4 years old are still exceptional machines that outperform mid-to-high range Windows computers any day of the week (not talking clock speed, but general productivity and problem-free operation). So there's no urgency for an upgrade that will satisfy an unmet need other than having the latest and greatest.
2. Apple is definitely distracted by iOS, both software and hardware, and it's clear to see why. The future is mobile. But the Mac remains an integral part of Apple's operations. Can you imagine them designing the next iPhone on a Windows computer? No. But I do take Tim's response with a grain of salt. How intimate is he with the Mac, the user experience? I've observed issues that have persisted for months or years, with complete silence and inaction from Apple.
3. People that email Tim directly are ... (blip).

 

[sracer]

Following up with the "courage" required to remove the headphone jack on the iPhone, Tim Cook and the team will continue that "courageous" approach by removing the Mac from Apple's product line.

 

[MI MacGuy]

I believe in Craig Federighi and, for that reason, choose to believe Apple still cares about the Mac.

So long as Craig is in charge of the macOS team, Macs will be fine.

 

[rmanbike]

Frankly im getting tired of waiting, thus im working on a Hackintosh project and if Sierra is stable and works like Apple says then I might just stay with a osx desktop but if not im switching, as it will be a easy switch with a Hackintosh.

 

[SteveW928]

All they need to do is to tune the strength of the magnet relative to the weight of the machine. Engineering 101.

Also, remember that magsafe is about more than keeping the machine from being pulled off a table. I'm pretty careful with my machines, and I've never really needed it for that (i.e.: I've never tripped over the cord, nor had anyone trip over my cord), yet I loved magsafe just for the UX (user-experience) aspect of it. For example, when you have the laptop stored on a shelf overnight for charging, it's much nicer to just hold the cord near the port and have it 'jump' in, instead of having to turn the machine, get the right angle, and fiddle with trying to get the connector in w/o breaking it.

 

[jiggad369]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine.

What happened to this forum?

 

[coolfactor]

Man, Thank you for sharing that video. I can't believe how much I miss watching Steve announce things. He was genuinely excited about the things he knew would change the world. I haven't felt as excited at a product announcement since he died

I share your feelings. Steve was truly intimate with the products that Apple was selling. I don't have the same feeling from Tim. I know he's sharing the stage with a lot more people, but he feels too far away from the intimate user experience that we all demand for my liking.

 

[SteveW928]

Frankly im getting tired of waiting, thus im working on a Hackintosh project and if Sierra is stable and works like Apple says then I might just stay with a osx desktop but if not im switching, as it will be a easy switch with a Hackintosh.

The hardware is certainly behind, but I'm actually far more concerned about the OS. It's gotten sloppy in many aspects, and about the only innovations are in terms of 'sync' with iOS platform. It's degraded in many other ways.

 

[Juicy Box]

Why is Apple even selling the 21.5" iMac with 5400rpm drive?

I got one better,
Why is Apple selling the 1TB fusion drive with a reduced SSD of only 24GB, down from 128GB?

Apple said they reduced it for the consumer.

 

[SteveW928]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine. What happened to this forum?

Apple.

 

[coolfactor]

Also, remember that magsafe is about more than keeping the machine from being pulled off a table. I'm pretty careful with my machines, and I've never really needed it for that (i.e.: I've never tripped over the cord, nor had anyone trip over my cord), yet I loved magsafe just for the UX (user-experience) aspect of it. For example, when you have the laptop stored on a shelf overnight for charging, it's much nicer to just hold the cord near the port and have it 'jump' in, instead of having to turn the machine, get the right angle, and fiddle with trying to get the connector in w/o breaking it.

The MagSafe has saved my laptop a few times, but the UX still gets me every time. I love the look on people's faces when they see the connector just "click" in magically. Strange that Apple would step away in the opposite direction (ie. USB Type C). Definitely form over function on that one.

 

[bladerunner2000]

I think the writing is on the wall for all headphone jacks. Tim will probably say just like with the iPhone 7, we decided to move forward with our MacBooks and eliminate the headphone jack in favor of USB-C. Maybe they'll include an adapter? Yeah, 2016 will be known as the year Apple killed the jack.

That's ok, I've already given Apple the finger and voted with my wallet; built a Hackintosh and put my macbook up for sale.

 

[Dan_Florida]

Apple CEO Tim Cook has responded to a MacRumors reader's email about the lack of a long-awaited MacBook Pro refresh, stressing that he "loves the Mac" and that Apple is "very committed" to it. He told the customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, to "stay tuned," suggesting that updates to the Mac lineup are on the horizon.

MacRumors cannot fully confirm the authenticity of the email, but it does appear to originate from Apple's corporate servers based on full headers we saw. Apple executives occasionally respond to customer emails, but it is possible the response was handled by Apple's executive relations or public relations teams.

An update to the Mac lineup at some point is inevitable, and the bigger focus is now on when that will happen. The latest word is that Apple will release new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with USB-C ports as early as October, while updated iMac models with an option for new AMD graphics chips are also in the works.

That report reiterated rumors that the new MacBook Pro will be thinner and include an OLED-based touch bar along the top of the flatter keyboard, which will present functions that dynamically fit the current task or application, as well as integrate Touch ID to enable users to quickly log in using their fingerprint.

Our own Mac Buyer's Guide shows that it has been 479 days since the MacBook Pro was last updated, while the MacBook Air has not been refreshed in 550 days. Similarly, the Mac mini has not been refreshed in 694 days, while the Mac Pro is five days shy of 1000 days since its last update. iMacs stand at 332 days.

Article Link: Tim Cook Says Apple is 'Very Committed' to the Mac and to 'Stay Tuned'

 

[bladerunner2000]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine.

What happened to this forum?

Apple went full retard.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Maybe not...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/its-over.1993758/

That poster seems far less than trustworthy. A previous thread he started was an open message to Apple about leaving the ecosystem if they didn't announce a new Mac Pro by June. The idea that he suddenly met an inside source willing to divulge company secrets between then and now is improbable. Or maybe I just want to believe

 

[coolfactor]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine.

What happened to this forum?

As another said — Apple.

Apple has set the bar so high, and that we all now hold Apple to or above that very standard. Anything less is not acceptable, so when we see their missteps (eg. long delays, limited designs, appliance-like hands-off design), it warrants some complaining.

 

[Dan_Florida]

I think Apple & Microsoft are awaiting the new Intel processors. They should be out in the near future.
The real problem is that Bluetooth 5 is just a little ways away, and we'll be buying these a little early.
That's the real shame. I wish BlueTooth 5 standard was out now! That will be the real game changer.

 

[reyesmac]

I haven't felt as excited at a product announcement since he died

Thats one of the reasons I stopped buying New apple products since he died. The other reason is that I have lost the greed of wanting the latest shiny toy and am satisfied cracking open what I have and upgrading the parts to make them work fast enough for my needs. Something that can no longer be done under Tim's Apple. As long as I can upgrade something from 2011 and make it about as fast as Apples low end $1,000 macs its just not worth forking over huge sums of cash to get a new feature that the old hardware no longer supports.

 

[deeddawg]

aww Tim, why the double spaces after the period? why Tim why!?

He's just old school. So am I.

 

[LordQ]

Still waiting for new iPods

Man, I'd love an iPod Shuffle compatible with the new AirPods and I'd love if the iPad Pro could sync it. "Post-PC", "What's a computer?" and all that, right?

 

[redheeler]

It won't be long the high end iMac will have moved past quad core to 6, 8 or 10 core processors. Just look at Intel's i7 6800K to 6950X, or the new lower power Xeon variants. Once that happens is the Mac Pro going to stay relevant as it is currently designed? Even if it has an updated processor and graphics cards?

Around here Pro hardware means dual-socket, and a rack mountable option. I don't mind the Mac Pro as designed, but Apple needs to update it with modern hardware, dual-sockets, and multiple M.2 slots. Just my 2 cents.

I hope Apple does bring back dual CPUs and expansion slots for the Mac Pro. A 24-core high-end option is completely possible at this point.

 

[Larry-K]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine.

What happened to this forum?

Need something to go with the cheese.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

OMG will you get over this? If you aren't a total imbecile you would never buy it configured that way. This has to be the most over used trope it the world. Even worse than is Safari snappier.

The other two... well you've got a point

What's that about Safari? (BTW, three Macs + Mac OS being ruined IS a pretty big deal.)

 

[BlueMoon63]

Whine, whine, whine, more whine.

What happened to this forum?

Thank you! MR is almost unreadable... People forget about what made Apple so good and all they can do is whine about what they think Apple should do or not do. How many CEO's write you back? How may chief engineers or designers respond to your emails?

Whiners never win because they are always waiting for their beloved ideas to come back.

 

[SteveW928]

The MagSafe has saved my laptop a few times, but the UX still gets me every time. I love the look on people's faces when they see the connector just "click" in magically. Strange that Apple would step away in the opposite direction (ie. USB Type C). Definitely form over function on that one.

I think it's just a symptom of Apple not focusing on UX anymore. I'm highly doubting they couldn't have come up with some technically possible solution.

I think Apple & Microsoft are awaiting the new Intel processors. They should be out in the near future.
The real problem is that Bluetooth 5 is just a little ways away, and we'll be buying these a little early.
That's the real shame. I wish BlueTooth 5 standard was out now! That will be the real game changer.

I think we'll see some exciting stuff on the hardware front, especially in terms of eGPU if Apple supports/pushes it. It could revolutionize the 'desktop' and make the 'new' Mac Pro finally a reasonable design for pros. The question is whether Apple cares enough to do it, and especially if they keep up on the software side of things. That's my primary point of concern, as they have hardware that's reasonable (even if not the latest and greatest) or one can mess with hackintosh. But if the software doesn't hold-up, that's a moot point.