Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I would say I am a "pro" user by almost any definition. Apple and Adobe have been my sole source of income for 25 years! What I saw at the roll out:

  1. Emphasis on "thinner/lighter". (Not sure why that matters, especially to a Pro user? I have never had to slide my laptop under a door - thickness and weight not an issue)
  2. Touch Bar is "cool" has some possibilities, but Emoji's for the big demo? (I am in business with over 100 business clients and corporations and have never used an Emoji in my life! Pros don't use Emojis in business correspondence!)
  3. The Photoshop demo - she mentioned it was a lot like learning to play a musical instrument now between the touch bar and track pad (That is what I am looking for - something else to "learn"! I am ready to take the challenge using key commands and my Wacom vs that method demonstrated)
  4. Skylake chips - (All that one can expect since the timing was probably rushed for the XMAS season?.
  5. Soldered (and not the best) RAM - not acceptable. (a Pro machine should always have user upgradable RAM. Soldered-in should be reserved for cheaper disposable machines).
  6. User swappable SSD Drive - this may not be an issue based upon the OWC report?
  7. Loss of dedicated built-in MagSafe connector and extension cord. (Mystery)
  8. Obvious missing built-in ports over what I have now in my 17" Macbook Pro w/DVD. (But this is apparently the new Apple philosophy - even with the Mac Pro trash can - make everything as small as possible, solder everything in and then have an octopus of cables and wires all over the desk)?
  9. Then what every Pro needs - Siri integration. (What Pro does not want to shout at his computer just to annoy anyone else in the vicinity (aka Smartphones).
In spite of all this, I was ready to pull the trigger at the announcement, but just could not justify the price all things taken into consideration. Maybe next time.
 
It's designed for pros of the future. Just wait a few months, there will be plenty of USBc and tb3 accessories.
 
I use Premiere Pro for a living to edit videos for my clients. I've used it for 4 years, and am to the point where I don't even have to look down at my keyboard. I know all the shortcuts I need, and the movements I make with my hands onto the keyboard are fluid.

I'm sorry, but there is no way that you can say this is for someone like a video editor, unless this is your first time making a video for YouTube. The typing experience seems to be very similar to the MacBook's, and I don't know how you'll get used to that when you edit videos for hours and hours. For the TouchBar, there is no way I am going to use that thing for editing. Scrolling through the video by looking down at the touch bar? Is this a joke? Why would I prefer looking down on the keyboard and pressing a specific button, when I can just spend literally one second or less pressing a macro or a series of shortcuts?

Also, why would they demonstrate Premiere Pro with an AMD card? If I wanted to use this MacBook Pro, I would have to render via OpenCL, rather than CUDA.

It's a joke. If they actually made this computer legit (I'm talking 32GB, same battery size as last year, an NVIDIA card, or at least a 480, 512GB SSD minimum, keyboard from the last MBP and not this trash), I would have maybe considered, even with the price increase.
[doublepost=1477795351][/doublepost]
It's designed for pros of the future. Just wait a few months, there will be plenty of USBc and tb3 accessories.

"Just wait for a few months"

Right, because professionals would want to spend their valuable time waiting ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: kazmac and Queen6
The ones with the Apple Watch Edition. The ones that pay thousands of dollars for internals, that you get in the $249 base model, just to get a shiny case.

Setting aside for a moment the issue of whether or not Apple still cares about Pro Consumers (which I've been hearing for over a decade now, in various iterations);

People have been buying expensive watch cases for CENTURIES with the "same" internals. Okay, granted, some fine watches have better mechanisms. But seriously; that's kind of what a watch is. That's nothing at all unique to Apple. People spend $10,000 on a Rolex and it won't tell you the weather!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macintosh IIcx
Non Apple serves the consumer space, the "Pro" aspect is just sales & marketing spin. Sure the new MBP is desirable it`s designed to be. Apple is all about margins, building monopolies and exploiting them these days. Apple is fast becoming the place to be for the cool kids and the hipsters, that is self evident...

Q-6
 
Last edited:
Or if you live in a browser and Microsoft Office, it doesn't matter what you use. You get to choose.
I could argue that MOST people don't need a Mac at all. Either an iPad or hell...a cheapo windows laptop or desktop will do just fine. Consumers are really bad at figuring out what they need. I feel bad for people that just buy a MacBook, without really having the luxury money to afford it, just as a Facebook/ ms office machine. You wouldn't believe the amount of lower income people that get their tax refund every year and jump at the chance to blow it all on an expensive MacBook that won't change their lives much.
 
To play devils advocate here: the pro is people needing apple software and the Mac OS environment. Some people literally need it to make their living and can't switch to windows right now even if they wanted to

This is me. If I wasn't tied to Mac OS I could take my $1800 and get something truly fantastic instead of a 13" MacBook Pro with Touchbar a mid level specs CPU and no dedicated GPU.
 
This is me. If I wasn't tied to Mac OS I could take my $1800 and get something truly fantastic instead of a 13" MacBook Pro with Touchbar a mid level specs CPU and no dedicated GPU.
I feel your pain bro! Have you looked into windows and if there is a comparable solution for you on there? I for one never thought i could do development on windows after being so comfy on mac for so long. Turns out i can. And even better than ever. I was actually holding myself back by NOT going windows oddly enough. Same for video editing. Didnt realize windows had such great software. I guess i should have...since most of the world uses windows for their livelihood
 
the touch bar is not even out yet, calm down.

what is a pro for you? a person who is using apple for a living?
the guys i know are already using dockingstations, they are simply amazing!
Thunderbolt_doc_JPEG-1f5614b22e644f41.jpeg

or you could easily buy a cheap multiport-adapter for a few bucks.
6d9a1027fbca79f171ebff1bcaa109bd.jpg

Or, the real pros could buy ONE piece of hardware for 50% less with all ports built-in and no need for any additional purchases. I get the consumerism in the DNA, but there comes a point.

I love your signature about ninjas! Nice one!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
This is me. If I wasn't tied to Mac OS I could take my $1800 and get something truly fantastic instead of a 13" MacBook Pro with Touchbar a mid level specs CPU and no dedicated GPU.

I feel your pain bro! Have you looked into windows and if there is a comparable solution for you on there? I for one never thought i could do development on windows after being so comfy on mac for so long. Turns out i can. And even better than ever. I was actually holding myself back by NOT going windows oddly enough. Same for video editing. Didnt realize windows had such great software. I guess i should have...since most of the world uses windows for their livelihood

I broke out of Apple`s monopoly early this year, everything was just starting to feel too constrained with an ever pressing momentum towards the upmarket consumer. I still own & use Mac`s professionally, however I am no longer dependant or locked into Apple.

I really want to try the new 15" myself, equally already I can see that there is already better hardware on the market for my needs that compliments my workflows. The 2016 MBP is just a nice notebook to own little else right now...

Q-6
 
I broke out of Apple`s monopoly early this year, everything was just starting to feel too constrained with an ever pressing momentum towards the upmarket consumer. I still own & use Mac`s professionally, however I am no longer dependant or locked into Apple.

I really want to try the new 15" myself, equally already I can see that there is already better hardware on the market for my needs that compliments my workflows. The 2016 MBP is just a nice notebook to own little else right now...

Q-6
There's alot of sexiness out there. The xps laptops with no bezel and a touchscreen. The hp spectre series. The yoga laptops. Hell...ALL of the surface computers are quality products. So i dont know man. This is the first year in a long time i'm gonna give windows a shot. Wish me luck
 
There's a lot of sexiness out there. The xps laptops with no bezel and a touchscreen. The hp spectre series. The yoga laptops. Hell...ALL of the surface computers are quality products. So i dont know man. This is the first year in a long time i'm gonna give windows a shot. Wish me luck

Have already "switched" several businesses to W10, for my own consulting needs I still have Mac`s equally I am now too running a W10 system. Nor am I overly impressed with the new MBP, as it brings nothing significant to the table for my needs. The price of the new MBP does not intimidate, however I just don't see the value. Apple have sacrificed far too much solely to be "thiner" and speaking frankly as someone who is using Mac`s in a professional role and travels globally all the dongles etc. are little more than an irritant.

Another aspect is I also feel that Apple is sacrificing quality albeit subtly; The USB C port on my 2015 rMB is now becoming loose, keyboard looks like crap, display is marked from the KB, some pixels are flakey, battery is down to 89% in a year. Premium price yes, premium quality not so much. I admit that my rMB is well travelled and heavily used equally I have other Mac portables going back years that are in much better shape with far heavier usage...


Q-6
 
Last edited:
I could argue that MOST people don't need a Mac at all. Either an iPad or hell...a cheapo windows laptop or desktop will do just fine. Consumers are really bad at figuring out what they need. I feel bad for people that just buy a MacBook, without really having the luxury money to afford it, just as a Facebook/ ms office machine. You wouldn't believe the amount of lower income people that get their tax refund every year and jump at the chance to blow it all on an expensive MacBook that won't change their lives much.

That's an awfully good point.

What makes it worse is how people spend this huge amount of money to upgrade the machine only slightly. For example, replacing a 2013 dual-core MBP with 8 GB of RAM for a 2016 dual-core MBP with 8 GB of RAM.

I do think that a lot of professionals/people who use MBP for work need to be able to connect with other devices without a problem. By removing all the ports except USB-C, you now need adapters for just about anything you already own and almost everything you can currently purchase (if you wanted to replace everything you owned).

Of course if all you do is office/web stuff, then you don't really need a MBP to begin with. Just about anything would do.

Usually there's a transition period to new tech before you ax the old. Put the wonderful USB-Cs on the new one so that as the devices become available, you can make the transition, but leave some of the ones that are currently required to function normally.
 
Another aspect is I also feel that Apple is sacrificing quality albeit subtly; The USB C port on my rMB now becoming loose, keyboard looks like crap, display is marked form the KB, some pixels are flakey, battery is down to 89% in a year. Premium price yes, premium quality not so much. I admit that my rMB is well travelled and heavily used equally I have other Mac portables going back years that are in much better shape with far heavier usage...


Q-6

One of my uncles has a MacBook Pro with the removable battery. I think this was the last of the removable ones, the next gen came with unibody. That laptop still "feels" faster with Snow Leopard on it that I installed myself. The keys are pristine, the body and display feels far better than my 2011 MBP. Apple quality has been at best stagnant for years, if not decreasing. It is definitely NOT increasing as they might have us believe, or as many die-hards would.
[doublepost=1477806708][/doublepost]
Usually there's a transition period to new tech before you ax the old. Put the wonderful USB-Cs on the new one so that as the devices become available, you can make the transition, but leave some of the ones that are currently required to function normally.

I think, they should have replaced one of the thunderbolt ports in the existing chassis and given a USB-C, and it would have been the damn best notebook in the market still. But no, they had to ruin it for a huge population in the world.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
I would say I am a "pro" user by almost any definition. Apple and Adobe have been my sole source of income for 25 years! What I saw at the roll out:

  1. Emphasis on "thinner/lighter". (Not sure why that matters, especially to a Pro user? I have never had to slide my laptop under a door - thickness and weight not an issue)
  2. Touch Bar is "cool" has some possibilities, but Emoji's for the big demo? (I am in business with over 100 business clients and corporations and have never used an Emoji in my life! Pros don't use Emojis in business correspondence!)
  3. The Photoshop demo - she mentioned it was a lot like learning to play a musical instrument now between the touch bar and track pad (That is what I am looking for - something else to "learn"! I am ready to take the challenge using key commands and my Wacom vs that method demonstrated)
  4. Skylake chips - (All that one can expect since the timing was probably rushed for the XMAS season?.
  5. Soldered (and not the best) RAM - not acceptable. (a Pro machine should always have user upgradable RAM. Soldered-in should be reserved for cheaper disposable machines).
  6. User swappable SSD Drive - this may not be an issue based upon the OWC report?
  7. Loss of dedicated built-in MagSafe connector and extension cord. (Mystery)
  8. Obvious missing built-in ports over what I have now in my 17" Macbook Pro w/DVD. (But this is apparently the new Apple philosophy - even with the Mac Pro trash can - make everything as small as possible, solder everything in and then have an octopus of cables and wires all over the desk)?
  9. Then what every Pro needs - Siri integration. (What Pro does not want to shout at his computer just to annoy anyone else in the vicinity (aka Smartphones).
In spite of all this, I was ready to pull the trigger at the announcement, but just could not justify the price all things taken into consideration. Maybe next time.

1. Apple has been emphasizing thinner and lighter for years. This is nothing new.
2. The touch bar is probably a compromise since Apple hasn't bought into the touchscreen laptops that are so prevalent with Windows. They've begun to realize they are losing consumer sales by not having touch in laptops. It also allows them to bring Touch ID to the Mac.
3. I'm not much of a Photoshop user, but I do agree that it's hard to change a method of doing something if you're used to a different way.
4. Intel has been pushing back their deadlines for a few years now, and Apple has felt the effects.
5. Soldered RAM has been the only option on the retina MacBook Pros since the beginning. It's unlikely they will ever go back to user-upgradable RAM.
6. This one is actually an improvement, especially if third parties can provide replacement drives. Those were hard to come by when the retina models first came out.
7. The loss of MagSafe is definitely disappointing, but they have had issues with MagSafe cables wearing out. Hopefully this can be corrected now.
8. Again, reducing ports has been the Apple trend for years. Nothing new here.
9. Siri on the Mac is a gimmick. I believe Cortana and the Google assistant are also available on most devices.
 
It's designed for pros of the future. Just wait a few months, there will be plenty of USBc and tb3 accessories.

Yes, and then we would be expected to replace our perfectly working USB-A accessories with newer TB3 and USB-C accessories. Forcefully. Why?
 
One of my uncles has a MacBook Pro with the removable battery. I think this was the last of the removable ones, the next gen came with unibody. That laptop still "feels" faster with Snow Leopard on it that I installed myself. The keys are pristine, the body and display feels far better than my 2011 MBP. Apple quality has been at best stagnant for years, if not decreasing. It is definitely NOT increasing as they might have us believe, or as many die-hards would.

I believe it`s true, same applies to Apple`s software; bloated, not fully proved on release, runs like a three legged dog without a fast SSD. Recently booted up an Early 2008 15" on Snow Leopard and it runs great, even with no battery. Between this and my observations & experience with Apple`s more recent hardware I am now rather reluctant to drop $3,300 US on the new 15" MBP even when I can monetise the cost, as Apple is very much drifting to a more consumer based product for the casual user...

Q-6
 
  • Like
Reactions: kazmac
It was designed for software engineers and other creative professionals going into the future. It wasn't designed for people who are over attached to or over invested in legacy i/o methods of data transfer, storage and charging mechanisms.

Apple hasn't discontinued older models of retina MacBook Pros yet. They still support them as far as I know. You can still wait another two or three years before it's an absolute need to upgrade your peripherals. In 6 months, we all know these models will get a discount of about $200 bucks when the Kaby Lake processors come out and Apple does a quiet refresh.
 
Last edited:
Yes, and then we would be expected to replace our perfectly working USB-A accessories with newer TB3 and USB-C accessories. Forcefully. Why?

... Assuming that's even an option.

There's no iPhone that connects via USB-C, for example. I don't know of any USB-C audio interfaces for recording devices (such as those that all the YouTubers/voiceovers use). I don't know of any cameras that connect using USB-C.

There are entire segments that do not have USB-C as an option at this time, unfortunately.

.. Not that you'd want to have to replace perfectly good gear for the sake of connectors anyways, of course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: macintoshmac
I'm a 'professional'. Nothing about these new machines would prove unfavorable for my own uses other than it being rather expensive for such a modest upgrade.

I could also get by on a PowerBook (which I did) if need be, or even an iPad. The Pro is largely a marketing term anyway, and has been for a very long time.

But I get why some of their design choices on the new MacBook Pro would be problematic to creative professionals. I think like most things of this sort, it's being blown out of proportion by much of the fanbase. This is hardly the first time Apple has done this caliber of, whatever this is. I do believe USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 is the way of the future and in 4 to 5 years it'll be pretty well standardized. At some point the jump was going to be made. If anything, the decision was made far too early and was coordinated poorly between their product lines. They could have solved a lot of headache by just shipping the thing with a single Type-A adaptor or offered a well made $50 dock with all the fixings.

There was certainly a time when I disliked the disregard for legacy formats. I still understand the position. I wouldn't use anything but ThinkPads for years because of how much I valued that sort of rugged utilitarianism and over engineering.

Not that people shouldn't care. Everybody has their own usage patterns and needs. I do think, there's a tendency to react negatively towards anything that might need a new workflow adapted to it. I don't disagree. Time is money and getting used to a new way of doing things (good or bad is another conversation), tends to make people rather annoyed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wegster
1. Apple has been emphasizing thinner and lighter for years. This is nothing new.
2. The touch bar is probably a compromise since Apple hasn't bought into the touchscreen laptops that are so prevalent with Windows. They've begun to realize they are losing consumer sales by not having touch in laptops. It also allows them to bring Touch ID to the Mac.
3. I'm not much of a Photoshop user, but I do agree that it's hard to change a method of doing something if you're used to a different way.
4. Intel has been pushing back their deadlines for a few years now, and Apple has felt the effects.
5. Soldered RAM has been the only option on the retina MacBook Pros since the beginning. It's unlikely they will ever go back to user-upgradable RAM.
6. This one is actually an improvement, especially if third parties can provide replacement drives. Those were hard to come by when the retina models first came out.
7. The loss of MagSafe is definitely disappointing, but they have had issues with MagSafe cables wearing out. Hopefully this can be corrected now.
8. Again, reducing ports has been the Apple trend for years. Nothing new here.
9. Siri on the Mac is a gimmick. I believe Cortana and the Google assistant are also available on most devices.

You know the cable thing is a good point. A USB-C charging cable is far cheaper than a replacement magsafe brick when they eventually wear out.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.