What to Expect at Apple's October 30th Event: New iPad Pros, Mac Mini, Low-Cost Retina Notebook and More

springsup said:
1) Xcode for iPad

I'm pretty sure Apple are working on it. Modern iPads are extremely powerful machines, and support non-powered keyboards via the smart connector. Lots of us developers want to take our iPads on the road, but reading code and making small bugfixes require Xcode and a full laptop.
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Actually a 12” MacBook is just as portable as an iPad, and surprisingly powerful enough for Xcode. I was sceptical at first, but I started using it occasionally when I was away from my iMac, but now it became my main machine for coding.
 
i look forward to this, as i want to upgrade my setup. My 2012 mini with 2,3 i7, 16GB needs an equivalent as new. Or maybe new portable machine as macbook with similar internals and not crippled for affordable price.
 
Infinite Vortex said:
So basically this is saying what we've known for a long long time… Apple needs to badly update pretty much everything.
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No, that's just listening to the silly internet. Yes, the Mini and MacPro and are "badly in need of updates," but that's all and those are two of the niche products. In the past year, they've already updated iPhones, iPad, MacBook pro, iMac Pro, Homepod is new. The Air had a minor update, and still sells extremely well, but definitely needs to be replaced just to get to Retina.The iPad Pro is going to be updated but is far from "badly needing an update." iMacs and MacBook were updated a little over a year ago. They will probably get some kind of update, but they are still great now in terms of power. So, in reality, there is very little that "badly needs to be updated."
 
Naimfan said:
That SHOULD be easy for Apple: update the damn cheesegrater!

Of course, it won't do that, because that's what people want.
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Owning two (a G5 and and Intel) cheese graters, it's certainly NOT what I want. Technology and the world have moved on. Looking forward to a fresh and expandable design with modern super-fast I/O.
 
curtvaughan said:
One way to advance the iPad as a replacement for "real computers" is to reduce ports and interfaces on laptops and desktops to the point that the iPad really can be a replacement. The latest Apple laptops are so small, thin, and portless as to look sort of like toys. That's really the impression I get when looking at the laptops students are using at a local university, where it's the case that many are choosing high quality PC laptops over MacBooks . They really need and use the ports.
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OK so you're saying Apple will purposely cripple their computers to make the iPad look good? Does this sound like a good company?
 
Zdigital2015 said:
I have been thinking about this one quite a bit lately. I say no. Please follow my logic - Apple implemented the T1 in the MacBook Pro for Touch Bar and Touch ID only because it had a captive keyboard, meaning the keyboard plugged directly into the logic board, so there is nothing in-between that would be able to intercept the communication between the Touch ID sensor and the Secure Enclave in the T1. The question then becomes, how does Apple replicate that security over Bluetooth 4.2 and/or 5.0? I do not see Apple releasing a wired keyboard again ever, so a Touch Bar and Touch ID keyboard is going to need a bigger battery as well (others have pointed this out before me), but the security aspect is the one that I think about more. Also, when you are recharging the keyboard via the USB cable it disconnects Bluetooth, so you also have to make sure the USB connection is secure as well. Lots in play, I do not see it happening ever, but see the 13” MacBook getting Touch ID as a more likely scenario.

The flip side is that the keyboard in a MacBook Pro just presents as a USB device in System Information, so why would Touch ID NOT work over Bluetooth 5.0 and/or USB just as securely? Wish I had the expertise to answer the question authoritatively.
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My hope would be that Apple gives us two “minis”, one in the existing case that uses Intel 28w U-Series CPUs and simply replaces the Thunderbolt 2 ports with Thunderbolt 3 ports at the same or very similar price points and a “Mac” that is like that mini on steroids, but uses the Core i5/i7 8xxxG CPUs with Radeon Pro WX Vega Graphics in a larger, more flexible chassis that allow for better thermals and up to 64GB of DRAM. This would also make a cheaper Developer box for AR/VR provided it also had an HDMI output.

Now, I will not be surprised when this does not happen nor will I be upset. Again, for most people, the gateway into the Apple world is the iPhone and/or the iPad and not a Mac. The iPad is the most logical choice for users who enter via the iPhone as then they do not have to purchase new applications. H/T to user abizigal for that insight.

Unfortunately, I think the Mac Pro will be less accessible than most would like it to be and with a rarified price tag (5K base and up it goes).

However, I will try to be optimistic that Apple has not yet abandoned the Mac. Looking forward to Tuesday either way.
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A secure connection and battery life were the roadblocks I saw too. Would be so nice though as I use my MacBook Pro on a stand. And no one outside the MBP can enjoy touchid on their Mac. I love it!!
 
Westside guy said:
I agree. But they could even bump up the screen quality somewhat without incurring higher component prices.
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Given that Apple could use the exact same LCD display they use in the 13” MacBook Pro, I expect a Retina Display in whatever is introduced on Tuesday. This would be the last model to move to Retina and given the font smoothing issues in Mojave in non-Retina displays, a lower quality non-Retina display would make zero sense, even for Apple.

This is a genreral statement and not directed at you, so just want to be clear, but too many people on these forums equate Tim Cook with Mr Burns from The Simpson’s and I wish the would stop. He May nibble around the edges at some sacred cows (3.5mm to Lightning adapter, et al.), but the main hardware always seems to be top notch.

This MacBook is too important to them to be botched by a crap display. It might only have 2 or 4 USB-C ports, but the display will be very nice to look at.
 
I can’t wait for the event to be over by this point. How many articles parroting the same stuff will tech journalists write? Everyday I see the same info/speculation. We all know a Face ID iPad, new MacBook and perhaps new Mac Mini will be released. There is no reason to keep regurgitating the same info ad nauseum.
 
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WatchFromAfar said:
But "retina" means nothing. Apple calls iPhone, iPads, iMacs "retina" but they all have different resolutions. "retina" is just a buzzword made up by Apple.
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This is the real "elephant in the room" If Apple are going to continue with the narrative that the iPad is a "real computer" and it "can replace your laptop" why would they hold an iPad event where they announce a computer and laptop?
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"Retina" is marketing speak for a screen that's essentially a high(er) amount of DPI for the screen size than what standard HD is, that's it.
 
Zdigital2015 said:
Given that Apple could use the exact same LCD display they use in the 13” MacBook Pro, I expect a Retina Display in whatever is introduced on Tuesday. This would be the last model to move to Retina and given the font smoothing issues in Mojave in non-Retina displays, a lower quality non-Retina display would make zero sense, even for Apple.

This is a genreral statement and not directed at you, so just want to be clear, but too many people on these forums equate Tim Cook with Mr Burns from The Simpson’s and I wish the would stop. He May nibble around the edges at some sacred cows (3.5mm to Lightning adapter, et al.), but the main hardware always seems to be top notch.

This MacBook is too important to them to be botched by a crap display. It might only have 2 or 4 USB-C ports, but the display will be very nice to look at.
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It will not have 4 TB3 ports. Apple will not sell a non-TB MacBook with the I/O of the MBP. They have always reserved the best I/O for MBP and they will not be changing that. If anything they will offer one TB3 port for power and one type-C USB 3.1 gen 1 (5Gbps) or gen 2 (10Gbps) unless they just introduce the Escape MBP at a lower price point which I personally don’t think they will do.

The “cheap” MacBook will most likely not have Iris.
 
QCassidy352 said:
I’m really confused about the positioning of this new low cost notebook. I always assumed they would eventually just kill the air and price the MacBook around $1000. If there is in fact a new $1k notebook, and it’s got a retina display, how can you possibly sell the MacBook at $1300 base price?
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I love my old 11" Macbook Air. But it is showing signs of age. Would love exactly the same machine with retina display and same connectivity. I absolutely loathe the 12" MacBook. New types of port/connections with each new model is driving me crazy. My world still uses headphone jacks and old-style USB hard drives, etc.
 
Just a quick question. Are new Macs generally released the day they are announced or later in the week? I think it's a mixture of both depending on the model but it's been so long since I've been in the market, I can't recall. Sorry if someone asked in this thread as I only went back 2-3 pages. Thanks!
 
lec0rsaire said:
It will not have 4 TB3 ports. Apple will not sell a non-TB MacBook with the I/O of the MBP. They have always reserved the best I/O for MBP and they will not be changing that. If anything they will offer one TB3 port for power and one type-C USB 3.1 gen 1 (5Gbps) or gen 2 (10Gbps) unless they just introduce the Escape MBP at a lower price point which I personally don’t think they will do.

The “cheap” MacBook will most likely not have Iris.
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I never said it would have Thunderbolt 3. I do believe it will have two USB-C Gen 2 ports plus the 3.5mm jack and that will probably be it. I think the Industrial Design will be nearly identical to the 12” MacBook, although Apple could use the nTB MacBook Pro chassis, but I think they want the MacBooks to stay visually different as well.

I do not expect it to have Iris, since the 15w Whiskey Lake CPUs do not have an Iris Plus variant officially released. I think Apple has optimized it to work under the UHD 620 iGPU in the i5-8265U and the i7-8565U. The 12” MacBook has a UHD 615 and it supports Metal.
 
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mozumder said:
Lack of Mac rumors suggest these products are being manufactured by Apple in Austin, instead of the more leaky Chinese manufacturers.
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This is a good point. We had leaks galore when the MacBook leaked, but not much for this new device.
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mpainesyd said:
If the new iPad has a USB-C port instead of Lightning what are the chances that it could work with files on a USB-C SSD drive - say for videos?
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For sure.
 
DeepIn2U said:
Lol since 2002 OSX (or this bs named macOS; incorrect that is died should not have been named back), has been cpu agnostic!

Apple scheduled 12mths for porting from Power architecture to Intel x86 and completed their lineup in 7-9mths! Shipping products not announced in that time frame.

Apple can most definitely increase the cores or stack does to get 8-10-12-16 core A12’s or new designed chips wiring in a team and quickly use Xcode/Seift to port the kernel over.
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Um, NEXTSTEP was already ported to Intel and PowerPC when Apple bought the company. I’m not saying they can’t, or won’t, start offering A-series Macs, but it would be a complete shock if it happened next week (or even next year).
 
drewbugdad said:
Just a quick question. Are new Macs generally released the day they are announced or later in the week? I think it's a mixture of both depending on the model but it's been so long since I've been in the market, I can't recall. Sorry if someone asked in this thread as I only went back 2-3 pages. Thanks!
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When they released iPads and macs at wwdc 2017, and that was the last time Macs were launched after an event, I think they went on sale that day, so who knows
 
jlc1978 said:
I beg to differ. Motorola to Intel was not exactly seamless.
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NeXT did it seamlessly. When NeXT introduced NEXTSTEP for Intel, SPARC and PA-RISC, all that was needed was a simple app recompile.

Apple’s transition was anything but seamless, but they still did an excellent job all things considered. Supporting the legacy (Classic) Mac apps couldn’t have been easy.
 
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