Why I'm switching to PC after 17 years of being on a Mac

[gdeputy]

Oh? Show me that quad core laptop with GTX 1050?



Is it so? Can you show me a (any) laptop that a) weight 1.8kg, b) reaches 9-10 hours battery life, c) has a better performing GPU, d) offers multiple high-speed ports?

http://www.microcenter.com/product/470419/XPS_15_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver

Equal GPU - Equal CPU - Larger SSD - much better display - Touch Screen - Expandable up to 32GB RAM - Damn close build quality - over 1300$ cheaper.

5 1/2 hours of 4K video playback which - quoted lower than the MBP as we ALL know, the MBP 15" is having serious issues with battery life.. So.. about equal there too.. with the higher draw RAM config and the MUCH better screen.

 

[thesaint024]

First off, it's huge, and it's in my way.

Secondly, I am a mechanical-click type of person, so I turn off tap-to-click and instead use the mechanical switches. They are... at best unreliable. It appears that there's a setting for how much force is needed. I set that to the minimum and it would recognize about 90% of clicks. Note, we have clear tactile and audible feedback when clicking, and it does not reliably indicate a click.

But the real killer is: I have it set for lower-right-corner clicks as "right click". So, what do you think happens if I press firmly in the very lower-left corner, getting an audible click from the mechanical button, and there is a whisper-light brush of contact against anything somewhere in the vast reaches of the right side of the trackpad? Why, that's right, that is a right click.

So it's large and unwieldy, I need to move my hands a lot more to click, the clicks are only recognized "most" of the time, and it is prone to picking the wrong click event.

It is the second-worst touchpad experience I've ever had, narrowly edged out by an asus I had once where the trackpad's physical buttons were incredibly stiff.

Dude, that's the strangest thing I've ever heard. I've not heard too many negatives about the trackpad and yours sounds exceptionally awful. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you have a lemon. If a person can't say this is one of the best trackpads you've ever used, then something is wrong. My opinion of course. But I am amazed by this thing every time I use it. It registers perfect. After I turned off tap to click, palm rejection is perfect. Taptic engine is flawless - forget that it's not a physical button. Using other trackpads after this, including my '09 MBP feel archaic and sloppy. That's one thing about the MBP's that they still have massive competitive advantage in my eyes.

 

[therealseebs]

Dude, that's the strangest thing I've ever heard. I've not heard too many negatives about the trackpad and yours sounds exceptionally awful. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you have a lemon. If a person can't say this is one of the best trackpads you've ever used, then something is wrong.

Or... just possibly... it's personal taste?

I've heard multiple other people confirm the right-click problem, and the difficulty of getting clicks to register. And I just plain hated this one. It happens sometimes! People like different things.

So, yes, something is wrong. The trackpad isn't suited to my tastes. I have used more than one of them, they were identical, and they don't bug everyone, just me.

And I have no desire at all for a trackpad this large, so...

My opinion of course. But I am amazed by this thing every time I use it. It registers perfect. After I turned off tap to click, palm rejection is perfect. Taptic engine is flawless - forget that it's not a physical button. Using other trackpads after this, including my '09 MBP feel archaic and sloppy. That's one thing about the MBP's that they still have massive competitive advantage in my eyes.

I was pretty happy with previous-gen trackpads, this one has been really disappointing to me. I didn't keep using it long, because my machine went away (was gonna return it, ended up shipping it to someone whose order was several weeks out). But I was still using it on my spouse's machine until it stopped charging or working off power adapters and died.

I don't understand what it is about this forums that we have all these people who feel obliged to tell other people that they can't possibly just actually dislike a thing.
[doublepost=1480976631][/doublepost]

Do you go into a forum for said $90,000 car and post about how you are not going to buy it and because it has no value to you?

The distinction, I think, is that lots of us are long-term MacOS fans.

I still love MacOS, but Apple's hardware has been getting worse and more expensive with every generation for a while now.

With the cars, it's hard to come up with a comparable analogy, because there's nothing corresponding to "but this is the only vendor with the operating system I like."

 

[thesaint024]

Or... just possibly... it's personal taste?

I've heard multiple other people confirm the right-click problem, and the difficulty of getting clicks to register. And I just plain hated this one. It happens sometimes! People like different things.

I don't understand what it is about this forums that we have all these people who feel obliged to tell other people that they can't possibly just actually dislike a thing.

Buddy, wasn't trying to offend or accuse. I truly thought you had a lemon. I didn't consider precision and accuracy as subjective feel things so I was trying to share my perspective. I've heard of issues too, and trackpad issues are something people can't/shouldn't live with. Good luck.

 

[paaj]

Except that, as I pointed out, I had about 70% success with single-finger left clicking, too. And I hate tap-to-click, and always have, and I don't really want to suddenly try to retrain my hands just because one specific trackpad doesn't work at all.

Weird. One/two finger clicks are really flawless for me. But then, I prefer the tap-to-click so maybe thats why our experiences differ.

 

[therealseebs]

Weird. One/two finger clicks are really flawless for me. But then, I prefer the tap-to-click so maybe thats why our experiences differ.

That might well work. I was focused on how the clicky parts of the trackpad worked, or didn't. I'm used to a pretty light touch for mechanical clicking.

 

[Count Blah]

You mean the anti-Apple fanboyism is strong in this thread. I see very little posts with sound reasoning. It's all personal preference projected on the rest of the planet and people being angry about something.

I sincerely think that MacRumors should put a ban on topics like these or create a blog section because this topic is not a topic at all, it is just a blog post. It doesn't belong in a forum because forums are meant for discussions, finding solutions, etc. If you want to tell a story than you do that on a blog.

Restricting opinions counter to yours is what you are asking for.

No thanks

 

[therealseebs]

Restricting opinions counter to yours is what you are asking for.

No thanks

I have no idea to whom this remark is addressed.

I note, though: I have seen a lot of people complaining about the 2016 MBP and saying they want bigger machines with better specs even if they weigh more.

I have seen none of those people suggest that really thin machines shouldn't also exist. Just that they shouldn't be the only option.

 

[Count Blah]

I have no idea to whom this remark is addressed.

I note, though: I have seen a lot of people complaining about the 2016 MBP and saying they want bigger machines with better specs even if they weigh more.

I have seen none of those people suggest that really thin machines shouldn't also exist. Just that they shouldn't be the only option.

I quoted the recipient of that remark in my response.

Where do you see ANYONE say that there is no room for a thin laptop. That is what the MacBook Air is for, or the MacBook.

 

[aioriya]

I sympathize with OP, I bought a maxed out 13 inch touch bar and I've been feeling very underwhelmed by this years release. I was very excited to get a new mac and replace my old one but I cannot in good conscience recommend it. I'm feeling buyer's remorse and I'm even considering returning it. But If I do return it, I will get a maxed out last year model instead which is definitely a much better value. I love OSX and a full switch would certainly suck.

Here is a good review I found and it highlights many of my disappointments. Its definitely worth a watch for anyone interested in getting a new model.

 

[Count Blah]

Against my better judgment, I felt like addressing a couple things in your post. Full disclosure, I own a 16 MBP and love it. So by your definition, I'm a fanboy.

Nope, you TOTALLY missed my point. It was directed at folks who seek out threads that are known to contain people expressing their current displeasure with Apple, and then get offended when the read about people being displeased.

Some are annoyed at this post and similar ones because it is received as unnecessary and dramatic. Apple "abandoned me" or "lost touch with the Pro base" or some other poetic way to avoid saying "I can't/won't pay Apple tax any longer". That d-bag photographer article that was linked here is case in point. It's not really about losing an SD slot or reason x. Call it what it is, don't say that the '16 MBP sucks because that's just horses**t. Underwhelming compared to the '15? I can accept that as a debatable argument.

Great, then skip the thread. Problem solved, when it comes to threads like this. I've seen lots of well argued counters to the 2016 MBP - Price, lack of ports, limited options, lacks GPU power, lacks > 16 Gigs of RAM, unasked for tool bar, etc... Those saying that the 16 MBP sucks, are few and far between - But I'm guessing that you are lumping any criticism, as being equal to "it sucks". Your 1st paragraph is a great example of you reading things into other's statements.

To be clear, I am not making some elitist statement about the affordability. This has nothing to do with how much money anyone has, just about whether or not one is willing to part with money for this iteration of the MBP to meet their needs.

From the posts, it appears that the '16 MBP does NOT meet a lot of people's needs - be it money, ports, RAM, unwanted tool bar, etc...

Sorry, but I just think this whole hater approach is rather stupid. I would have thought "haters" would love all these "fanboys" beta testing at these "unreasonable" prices for when the prices drop in the next revision. Are haters doing this so that they throw in a dongle? If the objective is to actually get Apple to lower their prices NOW, history (and supply/demand) says it won't happen. And you don't actually want Apple to roll back these advancements do you? If it's trying to feel better about "only" having a pre-'16 MBP, then it can be solved by getting a '16, which may be about the ability/willingness to pay the Apple tax again. People have a right to express shock or dismay about pricing. I just don't understand beating it death, as if it were for a purpose, especially if you don't have a '16 MBP.

Also, a couple points I couldn't let go:

You think it's stupid. Great, then why did you come into this thread, since you knew it was going to be "stupid". I see you are going with the "only fanbois are buying" angle. Sorry, doesn't work.

"comparison threads will be filling up this forum" - This really is what the "haters" do wouldn't you say? They like to compare how you can get an i7 for half the price of an MBP and how this benchmark shows Macs are slower in this or that. Most happy owners of MBP's, or "fanboys", don't seem to care as much about specs, just the cliche'd "it just works" thing. But people will always want to justify their purchase or non-purchase with rationale.

It shows how out of touch those at Apple have become. The Apple tax was reasonable in years past. Now it is not - IMHO. At what point would it take for YOU to say something against Apple's moves? a $5k MBP? $10k? $15k? There is a limit, isn't there? It's just that for some of us, we've hit it already. What you are not getting is that there is passion behind a lot of these posts. People who have been consumers of Apple products, through the lean years, who feel that their loyalty is being betrayed. Showing hard comparative evidence is a good way of backing up those feelings of betrayal. I always see the defenders say "show me this" and "show me that", when it comes to the competition. Well, get ready for it.

"soooooo many people are less than thrilled with the 2016 MBP" - Is hyperbole because I'm pretty sure you don't know this for a fact, and I'm pretty sure it's wrong. Record sales, pent up demand, and holiday season probably have a little to do with this.

There are several MAc enthusiasts are work, and at this point, we gather in a support group to lament the good old days at apple. None of those folks post here. I talk with several friends who also are not too thrilled, some even begrudgingly bought the new '16 MBP, even though it wasn't what they wanted. In fact, I've not met a person in real life, who was thrilled with the new MBP.

 

[/macuser]

Trust me I deploy these at work. The craftsmanship is NOT the same.

The panels have light bleed and are not calibrated.

The SSD is nowhere near as fast. Trust me.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/470419/XPS_15_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver

Equal GPU - Equal CPU - Larger SSD - much better display - Touch Screen - Expandable up to 32GB RAM - Damn close build quality - over 1300$ cheaper.

5 1/2 hours of 4K video playback which - quoted lower than the MBP as we ALL know, the MBP 15" is having serious issues with battery life.. So.. about equal there too.. with the higher draw RAM config and the MUCH better screen.

Nope, you TOTALLY missed my point. It was directed at folks who seek out threads that are known to contain people expressing their current displeasure with Apple, and then get offended when the read about people being displeased.

Great, then skip the thread. Problem solved, when it comes to threads like this. I've seen lots of well argued counters to the 2016 MBP - Price, lack of ports, limited options, lacks GPU power, lacks > 16 Gigs of RAM, unasked for tool bar, etc... Those saying that the 16 MBP sucks, are few and far between - But I'm guessing that you are lumping any criticism, as being equal to "it sucks". Your 1st paragraph is a great example of you reading things into other's statements.

From the posts, it appears that the '16 MBP does NOT meet a lot of people's needs - be it money, ports, RAM, unwanted tool bar, etc...

You think it's stupid. Great, then why did you come into this thread, since you knew it was going to be "stupid". I see you are going with the "only fanbois are buying" angle. Sorry, doesn't work.

It shows how out of touch those at Apple have become. The Apple tax was reasonable in years past. Now it is not - IMHO. At what point would it take for YOU to say something against Apple's moves? a $5k MBP? $10k? $15k? There is a limit, isn't there? It's just that for some of us, we've hit it already. What you are not getting is that there is passion behind a lot of these posts. People who have been consumers of Apple products, through the lean years, who feel that their loyalty is being betrayed. Showing hard comparative evidence is a good way of backing up those feelings of betrayal. I always see the defenders say "show me this" and "show me that", when it comes to the competition. Well, get ready for it.

There are several MAc enthusiasts are work, and at this point, we gather in a support group to lament the good old days at apple. None of those folks post here. I talk with several friends who also are not too thrilled, some even begrudgingly bought the new '16 MBP, even though it wasn't what they wanted. In fact, I've not met a person in real life, who was thrilled with the new MBP.

 

[thesaint024]

Nope, you TOTALLY missed my point.

Great, then skip the thread. Problem solved, when it comes to threads like this.

Your 1st paragraph is a great example of you reading things into other's statements.

From the posts, it appears that the '16 MBP does NOT meet a lot of people's needs - be it money, ports, RAM, unwanted tool bar, etc...

You think it's stupid. Great, then why did you come into this thread, since you knew it was going to be "stupid". I see you are going with the "only fanbois are buying" angle. Sorry, doesn't work.

It shows how out of touch those at Apple have become. The Apple tax was reasonable in years past. Now it is not - IMHO. At what point would it take for YOU to say something against Apple's moves? a $5k MBP? $10k? $15k? There is a limit, isn't there? It's just that for some of us, we've hit it already. What you are not getting is that there is passion behind a lot of these posts. People who have been consumers of Apple products, through the lean years, who feel that their loyalty is being betrayed. Showing hard comparative evidence is a good way of backing up those feelings of betrayal. I always see the defenders say "show me this" and "show me that", when it comes to the competition. Well, get ready for it.

There are several MAc enthusiasts are work, and at this point, we gather in a support group to lament the good old days at apple. None of those folks post here. I talk with several friends who also are not too thrilled, some even begrudgingly bought the new '16 MBP, even though it wasn't what they wanted. In fact, I've not met a person in real life, who was thrilled with the new MBP.

Apparently I'm not good at interpreting things and I miss the point all the time. There's a lot of noise in these forums, pro and con, and trying sift through rational arguments vs. non is getting to be challenging. Hard to tell if someone is trying to imply something or not. If what I said doesn't apply to you, I retract and redirect to a larger group of so called "haters" that roam the forums.

I do think this battle is stupid. Not because it's a disagreement, but because I see no point to it. I read the thread for the same reason a lot of people do, it kept coming up with recent posts. Curiosity like a lot of my activity here. I guess I'm holding out for a good point, which you made here...

You have a point about loyalists expressing passion. Unfortunately, trolls get lumped in with loyalists and just make counter statements with no real point other than to bitch. I don't know when the last time you were really happy with a new toy, but did you get a bunch of people telling you why it sucked or why you overpaid for it? People like that aren't a lot of fun at parties.

I don't see how you can count real life people you know as any more real than me and real life people I know, or the people on these threads who post about their experiences with the new MBP's. I don't imagine Apple is putting agents on the forums to sing it's praises. I'm assuming these are real people because I don't know why anyone would waste their time singing praises about an MBP if it weren't truly their experience. That would be psychotic. Whether or not your people or my people are real is irrelevant since documented sales are cut and dry facts.

I do have a tipping point for when the MBP isn't worth my money. Many of us who purchased see this as a no brainer, especially coming from older models. No one is arguing that it's not debatable with recent MBP's. I can't give you a personal dollar figure because it varies with the MBP being offered, the alternatives, the value I have for a tool vs. price tag, and the financial situation of me and/or my employer. This equation will change each time I'm ready to buy.

I attempted to address your counters. I could have TOTALLY missed your points or READ into a statement incorrectly or maybe my argument just "doesn't work". And I hope I didn't edit your quotes out of context. I tried to keep the points I wanted to address without misrepresenting your statements. Like I said, I tried. "Everyone loses in war."
[doublepost=1480987326][/doublepost]

Trust me I deploy these at work. The craftsmanship is NOT the same.

The panels have light bleed and are not calibrated.

The SSD is nowhere near as fast. Trust me.

This is anecdotal, and you can find something to point at in any product. Laptops will never be perfect. However, this is all RELATIVE. People all have different expectations, but more importantly, what are you comparing this "poor craftsmanship" to? I'm going to guess it's not the WinPC alternatives, no contest. If it's prior Macs, you can say that about literally anything product that's been in production. They don't make ANYTHING the way they used to. Apple also never made a 3lb laptop this powerful. Kind of an apples to oranges statement. People love car analogies, they sure don't make GM's the way they used to either. The list can go on. IBM PC's of the 80's were literally metal tanks. S**t, they don't make water bottles the way they used to. They are making a strategic decision to trade crazy premium and solid parts for weight and size. This is not news, this is what the market seems to want.

 

[adww12321]

This is anecdotal, and you can find something to point at in any product. Laptops will never be perfect. However, this is all RELATIVE. People all have different expectations, but more importantly, what are you comparing this "poor craftsmanship" to? I'm going to guess it's not the WinPC alternatives, no contest.

Indeed, expectations are all relative.

I've own a bunch of iMacs and MBPs (still use an iMac5k for a desktop) and have the Dell XPS 15/9550 too.

The 4k screen on the Dell is incredible. Not just 'good for a dell' -- it is good or better than any Mac i've used (admittedly I haven't seen the new 15" MBP.) 16:9 is the only thing about it that stinks.

Is the 'build quality' worse? I have no idea what that even means anymore. What I do know is that if something breaks, I can crack the Dell open myself and replace whatever needs replacing in 30 minutes or less. And if it needs repair I can remove the ssd to make sure my data is safe.

So.. for us dinosaurs, the Dell is a better machine in lots of ways. It will certainly have better longevity, as once 4TBs hit the market, it is a 10-minute repair to pop one in. The MBP goes to craigslist at that point...

Windows 10 is passable, not as nice as OS X but if it means not having to fork over over $4k for a disposable-freaking-laptop, i'll take it. C'mon Apple.

 

[Count Blah]

Thank for your reply thesaint024. I do tend to go a little overboard, but it's really because of desire to see Apple return what I believe made them great. I lobbied many in my extended family to switch to Macs. This was done by being tech support and upgrading their machines as their needs grew and technology grew. With Apple's butchery of the 2014 Mac Mini, I cannot recommend any more Macs, except for the Air as an ultra portable.

I really hope my 2012 15" cMBP(16 gigs of RAM and SSDs) isn't the last Apple laptop I even own, I really do. But Apple is moving further and further away from what I loved about Apple, with every iteration.

Thanks again, thesaint024. And please enjoy your new machine. The last thing I want to do is attempt to make you change you opinion of your own machine. I just hope Apple sees fit to make both of us happy as some point.

 

[ixxx69]

Apparently I'm not good at interpreting things and I miss the point all the time.

There's a lot of that around here... the Count was gracious in his last reply, so I'm not picking on him, but there are a lot of folks around here who seem to consistently misconstrue what's written... it seems to be because they're often so focused on their own beliefs and what they think you're saying that they don't comprehend what it is that you're actually saying.

You've shown patience and grace, and I hope you can keep it up... we'll have to check back in a few months or a year and see how you're doing... I've found that it's a good idea to check out regularly because the haters are relentless... they simply have more time and will and there's more of them. You can think you've turned a corner with some of these folks, but most of them will be right back at it a few days (or hours) because, well, that's what they do.

This is anecdotal, and you can find something to point at in any product.

I think the poster you were replying to was actually suggesting the Dell XPS in the link that a previous poster had posted, was not of the same quality as a MBP... he was saying the MBP is better.

 

[thesaint024]

There's a lot of that around here... the Count was gracious in his last reply, so I'm not picking on him, but there are a lot of folks around here who seem to consistently misconstrue what's written... it seems to be because they're often so focused on their own beliefs and what they think you're saying that they don't comprehend what it is that you're actually saying.

You've shown patience and grace, and I hope you can keep it up... we'll have to check back in a few months or a year and see how you're doing... I've found that it's a good idea to check out regularly because the haters are relentless... they simply have more time and will and there's more of them. You can think you've turned a corner with some of these folks, but most of them will be right back at it a few days (or hours) because, well, that's what they do.


I think the poster you were replying to was actually suggesting the Dell XPS in the link that a previous poster had posted, was not of the same quality as a MBP... he was saying the MBP is better.

Thanks for the correction on the second post. I clearly wasn't reading closely AGAIN! I was lmao on the "patience and grace." Those haven't been attributed to me in awhile. Maybe I'm getting old. Check back once I'm allowed to post in politics and religion forum. I'm sure people will hate me.

Yeah, I'm obviously new here. I was a little taken back by the "passion" on both sides. I'm most surprised since we all LOVE Macs. I guess I was expecting more kum-ba-yah. Good stuff though. Learning something new everyday. And realizing I'm spending way too much time here. Clearly, I just want to keep talking about my MBP!

 

[bopajuice]

What an asinine post. You're basically saying that because Apple released a new MBP (which you admit that you don't even need) that you can't afford, your old hardware has been rendered useless and therefore you must sell what you have to change over the PC world.

That literally makes zero sense. Also, news flash: if you want to stick with Apple, don't need the performance of the newer machines, and want to save money, there's always a refurbished 2015 15".

So in order to be able to continue using a competitive Apple product you are recommending an older refurb?

Nowhere in the original post does it say he cant afford it. "Can't afford" and "being smart" about a purchase are two different things.

I could run down and buy a half dozen MBP's right now if I wanted. I wont because they are not worth the price. See the difference? Asinine post.

 

[raqball]

It's the rally cry of everyone who wants to put down others who don't think the new MacBooks are the greatest thing since microwave popcorn..... 'You can't afford it" and to be honest they make themselves look silly when they assume such nonsense..

 

[therealseebs]

If Apple had made a laptop with specs as good as the Dell I ended up getting, I woulda paid $4k for it, easy.

They don't. They likely won't, because they don't want users who do things like "buy with less memory than you may later want, and upgrade two years later when memory is cheaper", because that narrows their profit margins.

 

[KPOM]

No one was expecting Apple to drop prices. It is just the hike was a lot more than people expected.

Could you imagine Steve Jobs announcing a new Mac for $2999 with a single port, or a Mac that broke compatibility with all legacy peripherals?

 

[therealseebs]

Could you imagine Steve Jobs announcing a new Mac for $2999 with a single port, or a Mac that broke compatibility with all legacy peripherals?

A mac that broke compatibility with all legacy peripherals? Sure. Original iMac.

... But the interesting thing is, when they did that, USB actually worked, and they didn't have the ability to power the machine contingent on never ever finding a bug in the new implementation.

 

[dilutedq]

http://www.microcenter.com/product/470419/XPS_15_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver

Equal GPU - Equal CPU - Larger SSD - much better display - Touch Screen - Expandable up to 32GB RAM - Damn close build quality - over 1300$ cheaper.

5 1/2 hours of 4K video playback which - quoted lower than the MBP as we ALL know, the MBP 15" is having serious issues with battery life.. So.. about equal there too.. with the higher draw RAM config and the MUCH better screen.

Slower SSD, worse display, touch screen (gross). Worse keyboard, no where close to build quality. Not 1300 cheaper. Do you just enjoy making false statements. Oh worse battery life and Windows 10 (gross for laptops).
[doublepost=1480998433][/doublepost]

If Apple had made a laptop with specs as good as the Dell I ended up getting, I woulda paid $4k for it, easy.

They don't. They likely won't, because they don't want users who do things like "buy with less memory than you may later want, and upgrade two years later when memory is cheaper", because that narrows their profit margins.

They've made one with better specs.

 

[Hieveryone]

Then you are a lucky person, because the new MacBook Pros support all of those peripherals interfaces.

They have usb c

 

[leman]

You're creating a very weird strawman there, and not defining a higher end laptop in anyway like the rest of the world does.

You write as if the concept of 'higher end laptop' is a clearly defined one. What are we talking about? Performance? Mobility? Feature balance? Battery?

You seem to have difficulty understanding that the MacBook Pro line follows a particular design purpose (and always did so, from its initial inception), which is deeply rooted in the idea of a balanced, adaptable machine. With the MBP, Apple wants to deliver the most portable machine that does not sacrifice performance while offering best connectivity among its class. Which they do, every single time. They use fastest in-class components, period. While also providing an ultra-mobile chassis with very competitive battery life. Of course there are laptops with faster graphics, as there are laptops with better battery life, but there is simply no other laptop that combines features and capabilities in the way that the MBP does.

Firstly, you know perfectly well "9-10" hours battery life is not what's happening in the real world (whereas the Surfacebook is achieving 13-16).

All benchmarks I have seen show that the 15" MBP reaches the 9-10 figures. I don't care what Surfacebook is achieving, because its using low-power dual-core CPUs which are simply not suitable for my purpose. Its not a valid comparison, because its a different device class.

Secondly, every single one of the Nvidia 10-xx series are outperforming the MBP's AMD chipset, and doing so by massive margins in the Adobe suite.

You can talk about your 1050 Nvidia series all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that this GPU does not exist yet.
And its far from being certain that the 1050 will be any more energy efficient than the die thinned Pro 460. And its not even true that Pascal is outperforming Polaris. When using modern APIs (DX12/Vulcan), they are a match, with Polaris overtaking at lower TDPs.

Thirdly, there are lots of laptops with one or two USB-C ports. There are no other high end laptops with just USB-C ports though, because it's ridiculous in 2016. It's a negative, as told by half the posts on this board.

And yet there is also no other laptop on the planet that offers you as much high-speed connectivity as the MBP. That is a simple fact. With the MBP, I can connect a couple of monitors + high-speed storage devices. Which I simply can't do with the competition. Again, the MBP is much more flexible and adaptable machine.

And 4thly, why is 1.8kg some magic number? It's not the lightest, it's not the heaviest. It is however a weight they've made a massive battery sacrifice to achieve.

Because its what the MBP weights. Its not a big achievement, in this day and age, to offer 10 hours of battery with decent CPU/GPU on a laptop that weights 2kg (but then again, Dell doesn't even manage that). Apple can do it in 1.8 kg. In fact, nobody else seems to be able to do it. SurfaceBook has great battery, but they achieve it by gimping the CPU. It is certainly possible to argue whether Apple was right for trading the battery life for a modest weight/size reduction, but ignoring their considerable advancement in this area is just as fallacious as comparing the MBP to a gaming laptop that does not offer even a fraction of MBP's adaptability or flexibility.