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Maybe there is a generational shift on the way for Mac. Something big.
Unfortunately, it can't be too big, because Apple can only move its Macs onto Skylake, since Kaby Lake isn't available for them. They also waited too long on Skylake as its near the end of lifecycle, being replaced in a few months by Kaby Lake.

People are hoping for redesigns in the MBP, iMacs, and Mac Pro, along with some love going to the Mac Mini. We'll see I suppose when October rolls around
 
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I am actually quite surprised that people haven't taken up my challenge to explain why they need new machines, other than they don't like paying for older technology, even when it is just as capable.

You asked what does the machine struggle to do, what we need a new machine to be able to do and would a new machine do it better than the old?

My macbook air 2011 has recently started to struggle with simple tasks, like finder operations. It is also runnig more hot, which means more fan noise. There is no apparent reason, no new software added but maybe my usage profile altered.
The natural path would have been to upgrade the RAM, but Apple decided to solder 4GB on, so this is not possible.

What do I need from a new machine? Low weight, silent running, physical keyboard, ability to run large external display, industry standard physical connectivity (3,5 mm headphone plug, USB2, SDXC card reader), industry standard wireless connectivity (wifi, bluetooth), upgradeable ram and storage.

Does Apple current product line offer this? No. So I am stuck with what I have and if I want to stick with mac os I need to put my hope into a new machine. I do understand that it is unlikely that Apple will offer a machine that fits my needs.


Second machine is a Mac Mini server 2011. I have upgraded it to 8GB ram and swapped drives to SSD. The machine is not yet struggling, more RAM would be welcome though. Sure, here your argument works better - there are machines in the Mac line that are not as outdated as the machine I currently own. But even if a 2014 mac mini will outperform the 2011 server, the soldered ram and difficult to access internals make it a very expensive upgrade (needing to max it out from the apple store at day 1 even if I don't need the upgrades just yet).

So yet again I need to put my hopes into a future machine that Apple seems very unlikely to ever announce.
 
You can't blame Intel for all. SSD’s, better screens, up to date and universal ports across the entire line, no more soldered ram.... And a price justification when hardware is getting older. Is this too much to ask?
You can't blame Intel at all. They had 5th gen CPUs suitable for all MBPs in 2015 and Apple didn't bat an eyelid. The 6th gen CPUs have been available from Q1'2016 (including the high-end Iris Pro models required for the 15" MBP) and Apple updated its rMB.

Now at best we can hope for is that Apple will put 6th gen CPUs in the MBPs, when the industry will move to 7th gen. So next year Microsoft will have new bragging rights with the Surface Book 2 - and rightfully so, since they're the only ones who can genuinely claim both innovation and top specs in the laptop space right now.

It looks like the Apple "Pro" line is really on the back-burner and Apple is focusing its efforts on the iPhone, iPad and rMB, in that order.
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If Apple can build a quad-core A10 Fusion chip for a phone, it can build an ARM chip suitable for Macs.

ARM is coming.
No it's not.

That's like saying that if Gulfstream can build a pretty good private jet, they can move into the 777/A380 business. Different thing altogether.

The ARM-based chips used by Apple are no good for the heavily multi-tasked desktop OSes we have. They're good for iOS, and an OS with very limited multi-tasking capabilities such as iOS cannot really handle anything more than light, fairly casual use.
 
I don't understand. What do the current MacBooks lack? Really? What are they so bad at that we need this refresh so badly? My MBA 2013 does everything I need it to.
 
I don't understand. What do the current MacBooks lack? Really? What are they so bad at that we need this refresh so badly? My MBA 2013 does everything I need it to.
- At least 32GiB RAM, perhaps upgradeable to 64GiB in the future (bare minimum, 4 DDR4 slots really wanted)
- 2.5" bay
- Thunderbolt 3
- 10Gbase-T
- DisplayPort 1.4
- ExpressCard
- Unlocked LTE-A with SIM card
- RX460 graphics minimum
- 17"
- BDXL burner
- Removable battery

Still poor without at least 6-core i7-level CPU.
 
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I don't think so. Doesn't thunderbolt 3 only work with Intel platform who developed it?
No way apple ditch thunderbolt.

You can't blame Intel at all. They had 5th gen CPUs suitable for all MBPs in 2015 and Apple didn't bat an eyelid. The 6th gen CPUs have been available from Q1'2016 (including the high-end Iris Pro models required for the 15" MBP) and Apple updated its rMB.

Now at best we can hope for is that Apple will put 6th gen CPUs in the MBPs, when the industry will move to 7th gen. So next year Microsoft will have new bragging rights with the Surface Book 2 - and rightfully so, since they're the only ones who can genuinely claim both innovation and top specs in the laptop space right now.

It looks like the Apple "Pro" line is really on the back-burner and Apple is focusing its efforts on the iPhone, iPad and rMB, in that order.
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No it's not.

That's like saying that if Gulfstream can build a pretty good private jet, they can move into the 777/A380 business. Different thing altogether.

The ARM-based chips used by Apple are no good for the heavily multi-tasked desktop OSes we have. They're good for iOS, and an OS with very limited multi-tasking capabilities such as iOS cannot really handle anything more than light, fairly casual use.


"Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée — himself a longtime skeptic of Apple’s transition to ARM chips for its desktop and laptop computers — says he’s recently been convinced, and even believes that Apple could release ARM-based Macs as soon as 2016."

"If we follow this line of reasoning, the advantages of ARM-based processors vs. x86 devices become even more compelling: lower cost, better power dissipation, natural integration with the rest of the machine. For years, Intel has argued that its superior semiconductor design and manufacturing technology would eventually overcome the complexity downsides of the x86 architecture. But that “eventually” is getting a bit stale. Other than a few showcase design wins that have never amounted to much in the real world, x86 devices continue to lose to ARM-derived SoC (System On a Chip) designs."

"He makes a good point. According to Gassée, he even thinks we could see a desktop-class A10 processor, which would put the eventual migration of the Mac from x86 to ARM to begin at 2016. Which means that in the next two years, iOS and OS X could eventually converge."

http://www.cultofmac.com/289773/ex-apple-exec-says-macs-run-arm-processors-2016/

ARM is coming to Mac, for sure.

Apple already transitioned Apple TV from Intel to ARM. Very different products, but a clear signal of intent.
 
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"Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée — himself a longtime skeptic of Apple’s transition to ARM chips for its desktop and laptop computers — says he’s recently been convinced, and even believes that Apple could release ARM-based Macs as soon as 2016."

"If we follow this line of reasoning, the advantages of ARM-based processors vs. x86 devices become even more compelling: lower cost, better power dissipation, natural integration with the rest of the machine. For years, Intel has argued that its superior semiconductor design and manufacturing technology would eventually overcome the complexity downsides of the x86 architecture. But that “eventually” is getting a bit stale. Other than a few showcase design wins that have never amounted to much in the real world, x86 devices continue to lose to ARM-derived SoC (System On a Chip) designs."

"He makes a good point. According to Gassée, he even thinks we could see a desktop-class A10 processor, which would put the eventual migration of the Mac from x86 to ARM to begin at 2016. Which means that in the next two years, iOS and OS X could eventually converge."

http://www.cultofmac.com/289773/ex-apple-exec-says-macs-run-arm-processors-2016/

ARM is coming to Mac, for sure.
I wouldn't take this speculation seriously. Currently there's a chasm separating the ARM-based Ax processors from the x86 processors, and it will not fill anytime soon. The best indicator of this performance difference is the number of tasks the two architectures can simultaneously run with good performance. The A10 is not desktop class by any stretch of imagination. It remains a mobile-only CPU.

In any case, it's a pointless discussion. The problem is being competitive, performance wise, with the industry. At the moment they aren't and it looks like the new update will still be slightly behind. They should have done the Skylake transition in the spring across the MBP line. It's important to remember that we're talking about some of the most expensive laptops available on the market, so the expectations are rightfully sky-high.

Having said that, if they do bring out next month a 15" MBP that is thinner and has Skylake, I'll buy the top specced one. If they only update the 15" next year, I'll consider other options.
 
Unfortunately, it can't be too big, because Apple can only move its Macs onto Skylake, since Kaby Lake isn't available for them. They also waited too long on Skylake as its near the end of lifecycle, being replaced in a few months by Kaby Lake.

People are hoping for redesigns in the MBP, iMacs, and Mac Pro, along with some love going to the Mac Mini. We'll see I suppose when October rolls around
It's been what seems an unusually long time so I do like to push expectations to the very edge.
 
I personally believe that Apple needs to do something about the graphics performance on their machines - iMacs, MB Pros and Mac Minis and they need to be more careful on the quality of their products!

I am waiting for a refreshed MBP and I will buy a new one.

However the history of my devices is this:
- had a MBP2008 - GPU died
- bought a MBP2011 17 inch - GPU died.....
- in Parallel iMac mid 2011 - GPU has issues ....
- Mac Mini 2011 has a nice SSD and 8 GB of Ram - works fine as my server

I remained now with a crippled iMac which has issues and the mac mini.
I will go for the new MBP - will try to collect some money, but I hope Apple will be Darn More Careful on their production line!

Please! Screw super High Speed CPUs - whatever people say, I do not see such a big performance difference between the latest models.
Put a nice GPU inside (NVIDIA :) ) and remember!!!! 100KGs of thermal paste will not make the machine faster or safer! Hear me Tim Cook?????? Do you hear me Johny?????
 
It's been what seems an unusually long time so I do like to push expectations to the very edge.
I prefer to have my expectations very tempered, that why I won't be disappointed.

Take the iPhone 7, while not a huge update, I do like what they did and I think its a better phone then I was expecting. I'm on the SE and so I'll not be updating, but overall, I was impressed. Go back a couple of years and when people were expecting an iMac update, we got the 5k. Another move by Apple that exceeded my low expectations.
 
I prefer to have my expectations very tempered, that why I won't be disappointed.

Take the iPhone 7, while not a huge update, I do like what they did and I think its a better phone then I was expecting. I'm on the SE and so I'll not be updating, but overall, I was impressed. Go back a couple of years and when people were expecting an iMac update, we got the 5k. Another move by Apple that exceeded my low expectations.
Apple is one company I have raised expectations. While I was impressed in 2012 an all new even thinner iMac design was revealed, I was equally unimpressed the screen wasn't a retina display considering retina displays had been in use on products for a couple of years (and mildly sad but understanding the super drive entered Apple's history).
 
The problem is being competitive, performance wise, with the industry. At the moment they aren't and it looks like the new update will still be slightly behind. They should have done the Skylake transition in the spring across the MBP line. It's important to remember that we're talking about some of the most expensive laptops available on the market, so the expectations are rightfully sky-high.

Steve gave the example that as an agrarian economy, the USA was a country that needed trucks. As the economic model changed, America started to produce different types of vehicles to suit different needs.

He used that example to explain why the iPad would be a replacement device for a lot of people who had previously driven PC "trucks".

He was right about that: for a growing number of people, the iPad range meets their needs.

And for many people, an ARM-based Mac will also meet their needs, especially one with a chip designed to work in a laptop rather than a handheld device.

Apple is already archiving its support pages for Intel products; this one, as an example, for the Mac Pro: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201379

Mac Pro Discontinued By Manufacturer: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MD878L...=UTF8&qid=1473514031&sr=1-10&keywords=mac+pro

I don't know if Apple has yet made an ARM chip capable of competing with a high-end Intel "truck", but for most users, it probably doesn't need to. It just needs to produce a chip that works in a laptop environment (with trackpad / mouse input) that can run most of the productivity apps that average users need and already use on iOS: Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Safari, Mail, MS Office, etc.

Yes, Apple will lose some purchasers if it dumps Intel, but it will gain control over its product line and production timings, and it will only have to develop and code for one core chip: ARM.

Steve was clear that Apple needed to own the silicon if it was going to make the best products it could. He kicked off that transition to ARM. With all the delayed updates in recent years, now would be a perfect time to bring ARM to the Mac range.
 
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Steve gave the example that as an agrarian economy, the USA was a country that needed trucks. As the economic model changed, America started to produce different types of vehicles to suit different needs.

He used that example to explain why the iPad would be a replacement device for a lot of people who had previously driven PC "trucks".

He was right about that: for a growing number of people, the iPad range meets their needs.

And for many people, an ARM-based Mac will also meet their needs, especially one with a chip designed to work in a laptop rather than a handheld device.

Apple is already archiving its support pages for Intel products; this one, as an example, for the Mac Pro: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201379

Mac Pro Discontinued By Manufacturer: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MD878L...=UTF8&qid=1473514031&sr=1-10&keywords=mac+pro

I don't know if Apple has yet made an ARM chip capable of competing with a high-end Intel "truck", but for most users, it probably doesn't need to. It just needs to produce a chip that works in a laptop environment (with trackpad / mouse input) that can run most of the productivity apps that average users need and already use on iOS: Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Safari, Mail, MS Office, etc.

Yes, Apple will lose some purchasers if it dumps Intel, but it will gain control over its product line and production timings, and it will only have to develop and code for one core chip: ARM.

Steve was clear that Apple needed to own the silicon if it was going to make the best products it could. He kicked off that transition to ARM. With all the delayed updates in recent years, now would be a perfect time to bring ARM to the Mac range.
Look, I don't have any horse in this race and I'm perfectly indifferent to Apple moving their laptops to ARM in an unspecified future.

Intel/AMD and their chips had nothing to do with Apple canning their Mac Pro line. It was at best a niche product at a very high price, that wasn't updated (not even once, if I'm not mistaken) and it's only normal that as such it doesn't sell.

Personally I am not interested in the kind of ARM laptop you're describing. I might as well buy a tablet to do all that. What I am interested in is a new Macbook Pro laptop (and of course an updated high-dpi Air, but I don't think that will happen). As things currently stand, Intel is the only CPU manufacturer who fits the spec.

In my opinion, as I explained before, ARM will never overtake x86 in any real desktop and laptop environment in the foreseeable future. It's not only the straight speed, where currently there's a world of difference. It's peripherals and buses, which are essential for storage and networking, where the difference is even bigger. I'll leave it here and not continue this conversation because honestly I don't care about a future mythical ARM laptop, and in any case, it has nothing to do with the MBP refresh. If anything, I find it more likely for Apple to essentially can or greatly reduce their Mac line than move to an ARM CPU. It would be in tune with the general fashion-tech direction the company took in the last years.
 
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For some reason MacRumors has this inane 100 post requirement for posting on some articles so I have to get busy. Of course Apple is abandoning the Mac, it is just too hard with all the resources it takes for such a small market, and there are those pesky users that want things that just aren't good for them, you know, upgradeability and ports for externals.
 
Yes! Come on Mac Pro refresh :)
With GPU options!
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They better add Lightning ports to the new Macs so we can use our new Lightning EarPods.
I think the best thing would be a 3.5mm to Lighting adapter - the inverse of the one included with the iPhone. That way, the Lighting headphones will work with everything.
 
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Just curious - those saying that they're tired of waiting and are jumping ship, what are you moving to? Windows?

The reason Apple has been able to elongate their refresh cycles for the Mac and be less concerned about customer churn is because of macOS. The ecosystem lock-in is strong enough to withstand a few delays.

Going back to Windows now...I just can't.
 
Just curious - those saying that they're tired of waiting and are jumping ship, what are you moving to? Windows?

The reason Apple has been able to elongate their refresh cycles for the Mac and be less concerned about customer churn is because of macOS. The ecosystem lock-in is strong enough to withstand a few delays.

Going back to Windows now...I just can't.
Not unless it affects your work and income.
 
Just curious - those saying that they're tired of waiting and are jumping ship, what are you moving to? Windows?

The reason Apple has been able to elongate their refresh cycles for the Mac and be less concerned about customer churn is because of macOS. The ecosystem lock-in is strong enough to withstand a few delays.

Going back to Windows now...I just can't.

I suspect few here have the courage to jump ship. It's just a bunch of noise. Much easier to whine instead, and more comfy not having to take action or risk.
 
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