Waiting for the 2019 MBP [Merged]

[Gata]

I don't think that it's unreasonable to want to also game on Macs, in addition to carrying out work.

One big appeal of Macs, especially more powerful machines like the Macbook Pro, is that they have the potential to be the ultimate all-in-one machine: light and portable for when you need to be, can be hooked up to eGPU and expanded storage solutions for when you're at your desk. They can run OSX for that lovely, polished OS with a UNIX environment, and they have the ability to run Windows so if you ever really need it for a task (e.g. gaming), you can.

Since most games are GPU-bound anyway, with an eGPU solution you should be able to get pretty solid performance out of something like a Coffee Lake MBP.

 

[Lvivske]

Honestly, I doubt there are gonna be any massive changes until Apple switches to their own CPU. I've been waiting since 2013 and not much has changed in any one swoop. Largely, the Macbooks have tiny modifications each year but compounded they are huge. 2019 (or 2020) could have a chasis change. But more than likely, it'll come with problems. I'd say if you need a new laptop, just get it now rather than a constant ring of waiting and disappointment.

This is where I'm kinda-sorta at right now. I could wait another year, but the next MBP could end up being a laughable or meaningless change (ie, touchbar); or it could be a total overhaul to Apple CPUs over Intel...but for all we know that ends up taking until 2020. And then we could end up in a situation where the new CPUs have their own issues, who knows.

There is always something better around the corner.

 

[PeterJP]

I just can't believe that still in 2018 with top end MBP's that cost around $4K can't deliver the gaming performance on par or better than a $200-$300 Nintendo Switch portable console which in handheld mode is essentially a tablet.

The MBP does lots of things that that Switch doesn't do, though. Same goes for a comparison with a high spec Windows machine.

In 2002, I bought a cheap Medion laptop. It had pretty high spec, so it was pretty good at gaming. But it sucked at just about anything else. It was so badly designed that I couldn't connect a TV tuner to the USB: USB shared an IRQ with the video card, with as a consequence that I could either get high-bandwidth USB signals in, or output them onto the screen, but not both. And let's not mention the case, the keyboard or the crappy cooling solution that I needed to re-paste every 6 months.

Compare it to a car. For around €100K, you can get a nice Mercedes sedan or a Lotus race car. The race car is so much better, jeez, what was Mercedes thinking! Until you need to travel 1000km in one day. The MBP is the same: they're stable workers if you're in for the long term (both within the same day as well as over several years).

 

[redheeler]

I'm surviving on my 2012 13" MBP. The original battery is not holding a charge as long as it used to, the 8GB RAM I upgraded it to 3 years ago is no longer cutting it, the SSD that I put in it 3 years ago is nearly full. Was hoping to get a 15" i9 64GB 1TB MBP but I don't know if these nuclear powerplants packed into the chassis are worth it.

I might spend a couple months cleaning up everything on the drive and might look into adding another 8GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD to get another 3-4 years out of it.

"EW!" to no ten core on the 15" MBP.

If you're fine with a six-year-old dual-core 13" now, why would you even be considering the i9 15"? Seems like that'd be overkill for your use case.

Even the 13" with a quad-core i7 would be a decent upgrade from your current 13" non-Retina.

But for current Retina owners, I would suggest waiting until Apple bumps up the resolution to where it should be. Hopefully that will happen with next year's models.

 

[lpolarityl]

If you're fine with a six-year-old dual-core 13" now, why would you even be considering the i9 15"? Seems like that'd be overkill for your use case.

Even the 13" with a quad-core i7 would be a decent upgrade from your current 13" non-Retina.

But for current Retina owners, I would suggest waiting until Apple bumps up the resolution to where it should be. Hopefully that will happen with next year's models.

I was trying to poke fun at this thread, because the 2018 MBP literally just got released and folks are already posting threads saying they are going to wait another entire year. It's ridiculous (to me) to post a thread saying you're going to wait another year when the 2018 model came out a week ago. So I figured, why not post a thread saying that I'll wait until 2021. I know its Thursday, but its looking like a Monday around here.

People have reasons for wanting to buy certain things, we all do. But to think the 2018 model is going to be drastically different than the 2016/2017 model is a pipedream. The TouchBar isn't going anywhere, its predictable that Apple would make it the only option. They want people to use it, they want developers to develop for it. They don't want it to be a failed attempt at innovation, its not going anywhere.

The i9 models had a OS/software issue where it was getting too hot, throttling, etc. In todays age, all it takes is a popular YouTuber to make a vid and now there is a patch to resolve the issue, making the i9 models a obvious replacement last years top 15" model. Improvements all through the MBP line up. Quad cores in 13" models, hex cores in 15" models. More memory and hard drive options...

Nah, I'll just wait until 2021.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[redheeler]

I was trying to poke fun at this thread, because the 2018 MBP literally just got released and folks are already posting threads saying they are going to wait another entire year. It's ridiculous (to me) to post a thread saying you're going to wait another year when the 2018 model came out a week ago. So I figured, why not post a thread saying that I'll wait until 2021. I know its Thursday, but its looking like a Monday around here.

People have reasons for wanting to buy certain things, we all do. But to think the 2018 model is going to be drastically different than the 2016/2017 model is a pipedream. The TouchBar isn't going anywhere, its predictable that Apple would make it the only option. They want people to use it, they want developers to develop for it. They don't want it to be a failed attempt at innovation, its not going anywhere.

The i9 models had a OS/software issue where it was getting too hot, throttling, etc. In todays age, all it takes is a popular YouTuber to make a vid and now there is a patch to resolve the issue, making the i9 models a obvious replacement last years top 15" model. Improvements all through the MBP line up. Quad cores in 13" models, hex cores in 15" models. More memory and hard drive options...

Nah, I'll just wait until 2021.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The resolution is a dealbreaker for me. I won't pay thousands for a new 15" tbMBP expecting the same resolution as my 15" rMBP from six years ago, low enough that Apple felt the need to run at a scaled (non-native) resolution by default despite the associated quality loss, and less than most of the other competing high-end laptops on the Windows side. You really expect Apple to keep it unchanged on the 2019 models?

(And yes, I know the new displays are better in other areas. But having more pixels does make a difference, as my 15" rMBP made me aware back in 2012.)

 

[rdowty]

The resolution is a dealbreaker for me. I won't pay thousands for a new 15" tbMBP expecting the same resolution as my 15" rMBP from six years ago, low enough that Apple felt the need to run at a scaled (non-native) resolution by default despite the associated quality loss, and less than most of the other competing high-end laptops on the Windows side. You really expect Apple to keep it unchanged on the 2019 models?

(And yes, I know the new displays are better in other areas. But having more pixels does make a difference, as my 15" rMBP made me aware back in 2012.)

I think once you get to retina resolution you really won't get much benefit from higher resolution displays.

 

[redheeler]

I think once you get to retina resolution you really won't get much benefit from higher resolution displays.

There is always quality loss associated with running at a non-native resolution. I agree that at a certain pixel density it becomes too small to notice, but the Retina MacBook Pro isn't quite there yet.

I'm not asking for 4K, only a 3360x2100 panel to match the default resolution Apple is using on the 2016+ MBPs.

 

[frou]

Apple's whole ethos is supposed to be about perfectionism. When they ship devices doing image scaling at non-exact-integer factors, they are blowing it!

Check out the Plus phones for another example. Oh dear, must do better...

https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

 

[pubmsu]

Is it certain/likely or uncertain/unlikely that 2019 refresh will have 10nm processors?

 

[Ma2k5]

This is where I'm kinda-sorta at right now. I could wait another year, but the next MBP could end up being a laughable or meaningless change (ie, touchbar); or it could be a total overhaul to Apple CPUs over Intel...but for all we know that ends up taking until 2020. And then we could end up in a situation where the new CPUs have their own issues, who knows.

There is always something better around the corner.

At the very least, the next generation of Intel chips will have the spectre/meltdown bugs fixed, so no need to rely on the software fixes that exist today (which have performance side effects).

 

[redheeler]

Apple's whole ethos is supposed to be about perfectionism. When they ship devices doing image scaling at non-exact-integer factors, they are blowing it!

Check out the Plus phones for another example. Oh dear, must do better...

https://www.paintcodeapp.com/news/ultimate-guide-to-iphone-resolutions

Yes, I remember seeing this page back when the 6 Plus first came out. When the 6s Plus came out with the same resolution, I was still using a 5s and wanted the larger screen, so I had to get one anyway.

But even at the higher pixel density of the iPhone Plus, some fuzziness is apparent due to the downsampling. Glad Apple is finally back to using a native resolution on the iPhone X.

Is it certain/likely or uncertain/unlikely that 2019 refresh will have 10nm processors?

It's likely, given that Intel Cannon Lake chips appropriate for the MacBook Pro are expected in 2019.

 

[Ma2k5]

Is it certain/likely or uncertain/unlikely that 2019 refresh will have 10nm processors?

If Intel release, then it is certain. If they don't, then no. It's hard to guess if it is likely or not right now, the chip is already delayed by 2 years - you'd think they will finally get there.

 

[pubmsu]

What about the low yields and that high volume 10nm can't be produced until 2020?

 

[frou]

Is it certain/likely or uncertain/unlikely that 2019 refresh will have 10nm processors?

Intel's track record has been to delay their 10nm time after time, and they recently fired their CEO. So, definitely not guaranteed because they may be in some level of disarray.

 

[Ma2k5]

Intel's track record has been to delay their 10nm time after time, and they recently fired their CEO. So, definitely not guaranteed because they may be in some level of disarray.

Don't worry, CEO's just make company strategies and slogan's no one cares about .

 

[LizKat]

No thank you,il just wait for 2020 MBP

Gonna have to cave in and upgrade pretty soon or I'll be buying it from the hot place I'm going over having bought too many Apple laptops for any one lifetime already. Knew that was gonna happen as soon as I saw my first Mac.

I do like my mid-2012 for the ports, but I'm starting to prowl around now for my next great adventure, even if I end up waiting for it to show up in the refurb shelves. I don't put heavy demands on a laptop any more so I can afford to wait a leeeetle bit longer. 2020 sounds good!

 

[Falhófnir]

It's likely, given that Intel Cannon Lake chips appropriate for the MacBook Pro are expected in 2019.

As far as I’m aware CNL is still only going to be used for Y and some low end U series chips, the sort of high end U and H chips that the MacBook pros use are Coffee Lake (8th gen) and Whiskey Lake (9th gen) both 14nm. What was meant to be 9th gen Ice Lake (10nm+) is now pushed back into late next year. Additionally, 8th gen Y is now going to be 14nm Amber lake, whereas cannonlake was meant to be 8th gen Y so it’s all still on a sliding scale getting delayed further and further. The sample chips that have been released on cannonlake architecture were sub par.

 

[macintoshmac]

I would much prefer the 13" to be 1680 native, meaning double pixels, and the 15" to be 1920 native, again, double pixels, instead of the current 1280 and 1440.

 

[Falhófnir]

I would much prefer the 13" to be 1680 native, meaning double pixels, and the 15" to be 1920 native, again, double pixels, instead of the current 1280 and 1440.

You want the 15” to be @2x 1920x1200? That’s really too small an interface scale for comfortable prolonged usage. @2x 1680x1050 would be quite nice though.

 

[macintoshmac]

You want the 15” to be @2x 1920x1200? That’s really too small an interface scale for comfortable prolonged usage. @2x 1680x1050 would be quite nice though.

I am running 1680 on my 13; figured the 15" could well do with 1920.

 

[frou]

I would much prefer the 13" to be 1680 native, meaning double pixels, and the 15" to be 1920 native, again, double pixels, instead of the current 1280 and 1440.

The PPI needs to be close-ish to an integer multiple of 110 for the physical size of the macOS UI elements to be sane.

3840x2400 on 15.4" diagonal would be 294 PPI which is way outside 220.

On my Mac Pro desktop, I use a 3840x2160 32" diagonal monitor (1:1, non-retina mode) which is 138 PPI and even that deviation from a multiple of 110 is only just usable with decent eyesight.

 

[koyoot]

Is it certain/likely or uncertain/unlikely that 2019 refresh will have 10nm processors?

No chances because of reasons mentioned in the post quoted under:

What about the low yields and that high volume 10nm can't be produced until 2020?

 

[Lvivske]

At the very least, the next generation of Intel chips will have the spectre/meltdown bugs fixed, so no need to rely on the software fixes that exist today (which have performance side effects).

which performance side effects? (i'm not caught up on the intel situation, though they worked now? and are we only talking about the i9?)

 

[Ma2k5]

which performance side effects? (i'm not caught up on the intel situation, though they worked now? and are we only talking about the i9?)

Affects pretty much every CPU (including Coffeelake) over many years, not just i9, not just intel and across all types of devices.

A security patch was deployed to work around the hardware level issue on the CPU’s - people have noticed via benchmarks of a drop in performance post patch.

The next gen CPU’s will have it rectified.

You can google spectre meltdown for more info.