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

[symphara]

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.

Personally I need a new laptop, and next year I'll have to do an OSX port of a product. A fast and more portable 15" MBP would do just fine for both.

However if Apple decides, say, to cancel the MBP range and grace us instead with more fashion tech, i.e. a larger rMB with similar awful specs, catering to the Starbucks crowd, I'll just look at Dell XPS or the upcoming Surface Book 2 (if they redesigned the hinge). And for the OSX project I'll get a Mini or whatever cheap OSX thing that can connect to my 5k monitor and do at least 4k, as I need to support a high-dpi display.

I don't personally have any investment in OSX and I can live with Windows or Linux just as well.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Personally I need a new laptop, and next year I'll have to do an OSX port of a product. A fast and more portable 15" MBP would do just fine for both.

However if Apple decides, say, to cancel the MBP range and grace us instead with more fashion tech, i.e. a larger rMB with similar awful specs, catering to the Starbucks crowd, I'll just look at Dell XPS or the upcoming Surface Book 2 (if they redesigned the hinge). And for the OSX project I'll get a Mini or whatever cheap OSX thing that can connect to my 5k monitor and do at least 4k, as I need to support a high-dpi display.

I don't personally have any investment in OSX and I can live with Windows or Linux just as well.

There is no way Apple will be canceling either the MacBook Pro or the iMac.

In the long run the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook will merge. With Apple's recent track record I could see them discontinuing both the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. My hunch is they will update both. I suspect we will see major updates to the MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro. The iMac, Mini, MacBook Air will all see minor updates.

 

[Romy90210]

When your best macs have worse graphic cards and prosesors that those available on some of the cheapest computers you can buy on eBay.com i find it hard to believe that Tim Cook/Apple are committed to the Mac... The days of Apple Wow Factors has come and gone...

 

[duffman9000]

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'm locked into using some aspects, but for what I need a VM would work just fine. Been too busy to explore this, but soon. Just need to buy a recent M.2 SSD.

 

[Nunyabinez]

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.

I hope that Apple makes something that meets your needs. One problem that many people will face is that they have fairly niche use cases. Not saying that it's not completely valid, but Apple is likely to shoot for the sweet spot where the vast majority of users live. Light weight and needing to run high resolution displays probably doesn't apply to most people. But you certainly have a valid gripe.

 

[flat five]

I think you're both right and wrong to an extent. Apple's hands are tied a bit on the rate they can increase single-core performance. But, that's a problem every computer maker faces. At the same time, a lot of apps (especially pro apps) can take advantage of multiple cores, and with more cores, you can run a number of different apps doing stuff in the background without impacting performance / stability of the app you are actively using. Bring on the cores!!! (Some of the apps I use can take as many core and as much RAM as I can give them.)

here's the thing.. you're saying what you think to be true.. and rightly so.. what you've said seems logical and makes sense and sounds believable..
but. you're only saying what you believe to be true instead of discussing what you know to be true.. such as your own exact experience when using and/or working with a computer.

At the same time, a lot of apps (especially pro apps) can take advantage of multiple cores

pro apps vs non pro apps has nothing to do with it.. the process determines if it's suitable for multiple core usages.. not the pro-ness of the application.

rendering.. there's a process that can make use of many cores.. so can you find me an example of a rendering software that only runs on a single core? i highly doubt it.. the pro packages, the hobbyist packages, and the free renderers will all make use of multiple cores because the math allows for it.

video encoding.. that's another process to make use of multiple cores.. and again, free/consumer -> expensive/pro will all make use of the cores..

problem is, you can count the number of processes which can do this in a noticeable manner on your fingers... very few processes can break down into individual little equations that calculate independently of each other then rejoin at the end..

computing is sequential.. an example of sequential would be driving coast-to-coast.. you have to use a single car(core) to do this.. leave SF and get to NYC in 3 days... you can't use 10 cars (cores) to each drive 1/10 of the distance and arrive in new york 10x faster..
the only way to get through this process faster would be with a faster car (clock speed)..

another example would be human pregnancy.. a sole woman needs to carry the child to term for the full 9 months.. 9 women can't join up for 1 month and produce a child.. (like this isn't happening---- lady1 "hey, i'll grow the left arm", lady2 "i'll make the feet!" etc... then combine all the parts after a month)

and with more cores, you can run a number of different apps doing stuff in the background without impacting performance / stability of the app you are actively using.

'stuff' ?
what do you mean 'stuff'... this is what i mean by you're not saying what you know to be true and simply think 'pros' have 4 major processes running at once.. you're making these simple sentences about how people work but they have very little basis in reality.. pretty much every thing you're saying about how 'pros' work and 'pro' applications is not factual and you keep stringing these sentences together when each and every one can be countered with something truthful..

i don't know how to get you to stop and say to yourself "ok, i don't actually know what i'm typing to be true.. i'm not a professional doing 3D rendering so maybe i should quit using it for my examples"... but this is what needs to happen because you keep stringing all these little false sentences together ,and believing yourself and believing you're following a logical path, then at the end of it all... it's become on large misunderstanding of how things are with your conclusions being based off of falsehoods.

so again, what 'stuff' are you talking about.. exactly ?

Bring on the cores!!! (Some of the apps I use can take as many core and as much RAM as I can give them.)

what, exactly, are 'some of the apps'... when you feed them more cores and ram, what are you physically doing and what state are the computers in? are you personally working faster or finishing your day quicker with more cores in a computer?

First, I'd say that for certain computing uses, time is money, pretty directly. For example, if you do 3D rendering, having a computer that's x% faster can magnify into many hours across a project. That means you can meet tighter deadlines, get more jobs done, or hold up your time or the employee you're paying, less. That's worth quite a bit more than the cost of buying a new machine... if there's a new machine available.

let's say i'm a pro and do 3D rendering.. and let's say you're not a pro and don't do 3D rendering.
who would you say has the valid platform to speak from regarding professional 3D work?

because here's the thing.. i am a professional computer user and i do 3D modeling and renderings.. for money. for my livelihood.. for my passion.
i'm pointing out that most of what you're saying about these areas are not correct.. what is it going to take for you to be like "hmm, ok.. i don't actually do any of this 'stuff' i keep harping on.. maybe, just maybe, i am saying things which i don't actually know to be true.. maybe, if i'm going to be dishing out 'facts' in my arguments, i should use actual facts instead and quit talking about pros and modelers and whatnot"

 

[e-coli]

Stay tuned for more AMD graphics chips...compatible with nothing pro-related. This company has lost its way.

Octane, V-Ray, most 3D apps...all run on CUDA or Nvidia optimized frameworks. Adobe's Mercury engine is also Nvidia optimized. Couple that with Apple's terrible support system for OpenCL, and it's pretty much useless.

AMD chips are great for geekbench scores, and perfect if you just do geekbench scoring for a living.

 

[Santabean2000]

Ah, it's just painful. The  community is imploding with the lack of shiny new things.

Annoying for me; disaster for pros.

 

[buckwheet]

Stay tuned for more AMD graphics chips...compatible with nothing pro-related. This company has lost its way.

huh?... OpenCL... ??

 

[jeyf]

see how things work out with the next 2016 mighty macBook Pro:
However the history of my devices is this:
- had a MBP2008 - worked well enough back in 08
- bought a MBP2010 15" - GPU died
- was not impressed by Yosemite
- Mac Mini 2011 a nice home server but actually caught fire
- 2015 iMac; s-l-o-w

buy some time and make it my last mac.

 

[mtcowdog]

Hoping Apple shows more "courage" with the Mac than they did with the iPhone. I'm sure they will be solid products. Will they push innovation or simply continue with modest incremental change? I'll keep an open mind but don't expect a whole lot more than a few minor tweaks.

More than new Macs, I am very hopeful for a Thunderbolt Display update.

 

[NY Guitarist]

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.

Many of the formerly Mac only 'Pro' apps I use are now available for Windows, so I'm not locked into Apple anymore. Pro apps were the reason media professionals used to buy Macs and the MacOS user experience was the reason they would recommend Macs to others.

Having said that, I may just have to start bringing in Windows machines. iMacs just won't cut it; I need different displays. Mac Mini is a joke now. I may be able to find 2012 MPs (upgradable!) here or there but really want the confidence of having new machines with a warranty.

If I HAVE to switch I'll be very unhappy.

 

[Wild-Bill]

I guess the relentless pursuit of profits, coupled with Ivy's almost scary obsession with thinness causes a collective memory gap at . The creative professionals were the ones that kept the company afloat during its darkest times. With the discontinuation of most of its professional software, the demise of Xserve, and the "Cube-esq" epic fail of the iTrashcan, the writing has been on the wall for some time that could care less about serving the pro market. All they are concerned with is creating shareholder value with new shiny iCrap and selling disposable computers with nearly zero upgradability. Just look at the 2014 Mac Mini. Not only did they do away with user-upgradable memory, they locked the unit down with yet another version of proprietary screws. Their computer lineup is pathetically outdated and overpriced.

Steve Jobs was many things, but one thing he did not do was cow-tow to the bean counters. Cook is a bean counter.

 

[SeaFox]

I don't understand. What do the current MacBooks lack?

A price that matches their specs? If Apple wants to charge a premium price they need to offer more than OSX to justify it. At this point, comparing to the competition Apple should have their entire laptop lineup below $1500.

 

[mrdavidn]

I am writing this on a 2010 macbook pro. It still runs amazingly well and is more usable than any windows laptop in existence today. That is crystal smooth scrolling / graphics / etc. Yes, i wish they would update the macpro laptops more often, but I am eyeing to buy 2016 one as soon as it comes out. (Unless it has only one port and no audio jack)

 

[RumorSeeker]

When your best macs have worse graphic cards and prosesors that those available on some of the cheapest computers you can buy on eBay.com i find it hard to believe that Tim Cook/Apple are committed to the Mac... The days of Apple Wow Factors has come and gone...

facts and fanboys don't mix

 

[JGRE]

Listen, Apple sold a billion iPhones in the past decade; they probably didn't sell a billion iMacs or Mac Pros. By focusing on the iPhone, Apple can truly leverage its market influence to bully the entire audio industry to accept its proprietary headphone connector, for example. Apple has nowhere NEAR that power when it comes to desktop computing.

Yup, but there might be a point in time they (Apple) will need to relay on the Mac line-up a bit more.

 

[smelly cat]

Phil Schiller reassures us as well!

 

[cube]

I have Sierra GM running an RX460 eGPU. The Macs are coming, even if they happen not to be what some people need.

But don't build one, I tried 2 benchmarks and they crashed.

 

[NY Guitarist]

Tim doesn't say which Mac they are very committed to. Nor does Phil.

I think new iOS devices soon will be called Mac instead of iDevices.

 

[Atisha]

"I love the Mac. Trust me folks, we're going to take care of it. Absolutely take care of it."

Wait, did Tim Cook write that email or Donald Trump??

 

[Thomas2006]

Well, my iBook G4 just died yesterday so I am in need of a new computer. As "outdated" as the Mac mini is, it is still faster than my 933MHz PowerPC G4, so I just have to decide on the 1.4GHz or 2.6GHz model. I definitely want to get it before is ships with macOS Sierra so I will have a machine that has had the bugs worked out of it. Also, I might be a bit paranoid, but I really do not want my computer "listening" to me.

While I am thinking about it, how hard is it to disable the computer from automatically sending things to iCloud, or any cloud for that matter? I do not want the computer sending anything, to anywhere, at anytime unless I specifically command it to. The same goes for things being received on my computer.

 

[hindmost]

He may say stay tuned, but it is odd that Apple are so slow at updating the Mac lineup. It's not like they are some small scale company that can't afford to have 1000's of people working on each product. It's like they treat the Mac line up as a bit of a fashion item like the iPhone and Watch. They forget there are people that use it for productivity and work and could do with updated specs. A lot of buyers aren't really bothered about a fancy casing that has some nine point anodization and polishing process!!

I using the 'Golden Master' of macOS Sierra as I type this. Why is this important? Well, it means a major 'update' to the Mac OS is within days. And as a business Apple and Tim know that the upcoming Holiday Season is the biggest quarter of the year for customers to Buy, Buy, Buy. That being the reality...if you are going to have a product for the Holidays you best have the latest, greatest Operating System updated and installed in the product as it hits the shelves for sale.

And here we are. macOS Sierra will be out there in the wild in mere days and I'm sure is already being loaded into the new Mac computer models that I predict will be announced by mid-October at the latest. Even late September would be better for customers and Apple.

 

[cube]

You don't need to login to iCloud in Sierra either.

You can disable sending reports to Apple in the preferences, but I saw something in the logs, at least in beta.

 

[Fumoffu]

I wonder how long we have to wait for all the wonderful products coming down the pipeine.

Maybe there is a clog?

We're working for you.