Will Apple drop the classic MacBook Pro this year?

[kunai]

If so, it would be a tragedy. The MacBook Pro is the last computer left in Apple's lineup (besides the Mac mini) that can be easily user-upgradeable. The only thing you can change in the 15" Retina MacBook Pro is the SSD drive. That's it. No drive bay. No memory expansion. Proprietary SSD format. No battery replacement.

I remember when SJ introduced the Unibody Pros in 2008, and touted them as being the "easiest Mac notebooks to ever upgrade" with the single bottom access panel that let you get to the battery, hard disk, memory, drive bay, and CPU fans.

Call me crazy, but I just don't see why 0.3" (an barely noticeable amount) in thickness is worth all of these sacrifices. I have a MacBook Air 13" and a MacBook Pro 13". To be honest, while the Pro is doubly hefty, it's easier to hold because its thickness gives me something to grip. The thinness of the Air always makes me feel it will slip out of my hands unless I grip it tightly.

I used to have a ton of respect for Jony Ive. But, after seeing his performance after one year, he's fallen into the same trap that all designers eventually do: sacrificing too much function for too little form. First with the MacBooks, then with the iMacs, then with the Mac Pro, and now, with iOS 7.

I've lost faith in Apple. I have no doubt in my mind they'll continue to grow bigger. I have no doubt they'll sell products like wildfire.

But, this is not the same Apple we knew from the early 2000s. We, the diehard Mac users, kept them afloat, and now they've abandoned us. I'm not going to look anywhere else except Apple, though. ThinkPads have become nothing but MacBook rip-offs, and everyone else seems to be doing the same thing.

I'm really considering buying a MacBook Pro 15" in top configuration with the high-res screen for when my Air and Pro give out. When it dies, I'll just permanently switch to desktops and reluctantly switch to the tablet bandwagon.

 

[PDFierro]

It's not just Apple. All electronics are going this way. But many people are hoping the cMBP gets killed off this year, and I do too.

 

[niteflyr]

It's not just Apple. All electronics are going this way. But many people are hoping the cMBP gets killed off this year, and I do too.

Care to explain why? Does the mere existence of a cMBP harm you in any way?

 

[calviin]

I really hope so too. My cMBP has been having problems and if they drop the cMBP, my company will have no reason to cheap out and get me another cMBP. A selfish reason.... I know.

 

[PDFierro]

Care to explain why? Does the mere existence of a cMBP harm you in any way?

Prices will drop on the rMBP if the cMBP is dropped. Besides, I see no place for the cMBP in Apple's lineup. Apple is trying to simplify their product offerings, so I'm sure that is their thought too.

 

[kunai]

It's not just Apple. All electronics are going this way. But many people are hoping the cMBP gets killed off this year, and I do too.

This is untrue. All electronics are not turning into appliances; besides ultrabooks, most PC workstations are upgradeable. It's only Apple that has decided to make their flagship workstation locked-down.

 

[ValSalva]

I hope Apple keeps it for one more year. It's too soon to go retina only with the MBP. Prices are too high and the amount of hard drive storage is too paltry for the price. Many MBP purchasers don't know the difference and don't care about SSD's versus HDD's. But with the Haswell refresh happening late I fear the cMPB may be a goner.

 

[PDFierro]

This is untrue. All electronics are not turning into appliances; besides ultrabooks, most PC workstations are upgradeable. It's only Apple that has decided to make their flagship workstation locked-down.

Flagship workstation? Electronics turning into appliances? What exactly do you need your laptop to be user-upgradeable in all aspects for?

I do agree with you on the way Apple is going, but the days of having user-upgradeable parts are long gone. And at this point, I'd rather have a better-designed machine than being able to upgrade components.

 

[durkkin]

This is untrue. All electronics are not turning into appliances; besides ultrabooks, most PC workstations are upgradeable. It's only Apple that has decided to make their flagship workstation locked-down.

The vast majority of consumers don't care about upgrading the components. They want a computer that is fast, reliable, light, and thin. The rMBP gives them all of that, along with an amazing screen. Most customers in that walk into Apple stores don't even care about comparing specs; they want something that looks good, is portable, and fits their budget.

 

[racer1441]

No average user wants to open up their computer and do anything to it. People who are here may want to, but we are not the average user.

They want the easy to use features, lighter weight, and it to just turn on when you open it.

You also can't open up a car and do much anymore, that's not a loss either.

Technology moves on.

Want to stick memory in something, build your own computer from parts.

 

[RoastingPig]

I hope so the classic macbook pros are a behemoth and nasty .been rocking air for a minute now and waiting to see if intel 5100 can help the low fps on screen on retina so i can buy one

 

[yangchewren]

Very well put points OP.

 

[alexeismertin]

15" looks like its coming to an end

All cMBP 15" with any options are 1-2 weeks delivery everywhere in Europe, I guess they will replace it with a RMBP 15" with Iris GPU only + 128gb SSD at that price point.

 

[kunai]

The vast majority of consumers don't care about upgrading the components. They want a computer that is fast, reliable, light, and thin. The rMBP gives them all of that, along with an amazing screen. Most customers in that walk into Apple stores don't even care about comparing specs; they want something that looks good, is portable, and fits their budget.

The rMBP is a pro computer; not a consumer notebook.

I understand the reasoning for the Air (begrudgingly), but to do it on the flagship professional workstation is a travesty.

----------

You also can't open up a car and do much anymore, that's not a loss either.

Shows you don't know much about cars. Anyone who has the time and patience can change the oil and air filters on their cars, or add high-performance ones for better sound and speed. Maybe not 400K+ Lambos, but most regular vehicles and nearly all sports cars under 100K can be worked on under the hood. Even the ultra-exotics have some sort of mechanism to do basic maintenance/air filter upgrades fairly easily, even if you can't swap parts that easily.

But I will tell you this: no sports car manufacturer deliberately welds the engine and fuel tank to the chassis. It's just too stupid a design decision, and if something goes wrong, you can't do anything and would have to throw out half the car to repair it.

That's why we have something in the auto industry called engine mounting. Apple could take a couple hints.

 

[nutmac]

If so, it would be a tragedy. The MacBook Pro is the last computer left in Apple's lineup (besides the Mac mini) that can be easily user-upgradeable. The only thing you can change in the 15" Retina MacBook Pro is the SSD drive. That's it. No drive bay. No memory expansion. Proprietary SSD format. No battery replacement.

Your only real complaint is the trend toward eliminating user upgrade path, which is understandable but as others have pointed out, inevitable evolution of computing devices.

Regarding proprietary flash storage, Apple is moving toward PCIe flash storage (new MacBook Airs and iMacs, upcoming Mac Pro), which is industry standard.

Drive bay is also a bit lame since most users these days don't use optical drive. External maybe a bit clumsy, but I think most folks would rather have a smaller, lighter notebook to carry around than having to deal with external drive once in awhile.

Battery replacement is a bit overflown since the design allows Apple to include MUCH higher capacity (on 15-inch, 95 Wh vs. 60 Wh) batteries. And since rMBP have longer lasting batteries, I think the cost of replacing batteries is fairly reasonable in comparison ($199 vs. $129).

My only real beef is lack of RAM expansion as it is one thing that users tend to upgrade more than other things.

 

[leman]

Comparing cars and laptops? Please. Its a very different kind of tools, with different purpose and price categories. Repairing a car makes a lot of sense, repairing a laptop often much less. There is also no practical reason to change the cars often, while there is a clear one to change laptops every few years.

And to the actual topic: Apple's focus in computing is mobility. Here, size and weight matters more then upgradeability (which is a very questionable enterprise in mobile machines). This makes a lot of sense to me, especially if we talk about laptops. Now, desktops might be another matter. I really like the iMac, because it only wins flexibility in comparison with the earlier models (because of TB), while reducing footprint/weight. Apple manages to pack a gaming PC+display into the package of your average 27" monitor - which is an amazing feat in itself. Mac Pro... I am not sure. I like the idea, but I can also understand the professionals who want to have internal expandability. After all, workstation hardware has a much longer life span.

P.S. I have yet to see where Apple takes form over function. The rMBP and Air are the most functional computers I ever had the pleasure of using. BTW, form is part of the whole concept of functional design.

 

[jav6454]

If so[...]

Doubtful. The classic MBP is very versatile in terms of upgrade-ability.

 

[durkkin]

The rMBP is a pro computer; not a consumer notebook.

I understand the reasoning for the Air (begrudgingly), but to do it on the flagship professional workstation is a travesty.

Just because it has a Pro moniker doesn't mean that's the exclusive market. If that were the case then the 13" Pro wouldn't be their best selling computer.

Maybe not 400K+ Lambos, but most regular vehicles and nearly all sports cars under 100K can be worked on under the hood.

By your previous logic Lamborghinis would be equivalent to the MacBook Pro, there for the upgrade paths on the MBP should be minimal.

But I will tell you this: no sports car manufacturer deliberately welds the engine and fuel tank to the chassis. It's just too stupid a design decision, and if something goes wrong, you can't do anything and would have to throw out half the car to repair it.

That's why we have something in the auto industry called engine mounting. Apple could take a couple hints.

Just because the engine and fuel tank aren't welded doesn't mean your average consumer can take it. Even most hobby racers don't have lift for the engine. However the manufacturer and dealer can. Likewise, just because you can't take apart your computer doesn't mean Apple can't. The entire logic board assembly can be taken out and replaced, Apple can remove the batteries despite them being glued into the top case. Apple also has the ability to disassemble the entire logic board and recycle parts (which they do). So no, you can't take apart your computer, but Apple does, so there really isn't that much waste.

 

[Count Blah]

Some people have a need for > 512Megs of storage on a laptop, and not having an option < $2899 in a 15" to do that is a BIG problem for Apple, if they dumpy the cMBP.

 

[iMacBooked]

I think they will just keep offering it. It will be the same as they did with the iPod Classic.

 

[JH19059]

I think it will be discontinued. It doesn't "fit" in with their ecosystem and what they are trying to do as far as iTunes anymore. The want to sell music and movie downloads ( hence the removal of disc drives). They want to push people towards iCloud (hence the smaller hard drives). The new direction is towards lighter portability, a smaller footprint, faster drive access and longer battery life which means less heavier and moving parts. This all adds up to the retina Macbook and Mabook air taking over. They could really careless about power users because they aren't the majority of people consume their products. The average user will not complain and will adapt to the new product lineup. If it' not discontinued this round you best believe it will the next.

 

[Starfyre]

Prices will drop on the rMBP if the cMBP is dropped. Besides, I see no place for the cMBP in Apple's lineup. Apple is trying to simplify their product offerings, so I'm sure that is their thought too.

How can you be so sure prices will drop on the rMBP? My impression is the cMBP filled the price-gap for those who cannot "go pro" with the rMBP.

 

[Sandman1969]

I also hope they don't either. I really don't like the fact that nothing is upgradeable. Even the lowest technical people can upgrade memory. If they can't they know they need more and know someone that can do it for them.
I understand not being able to upgrade like a typical desktop, CPUs, GPUs etc.

But the one thing that should remain upgradeable is memory. For such a cheap item that wouldn't take that much space that impacts performance in such a way should be upgradeable.

I also, like having access to a SuperDrive without having to have an extra item to carry around. Yes things are going to the cloud, but I still pop in DVDs and all applications are not available digitally. Yet.

 

[leprechaun8942]

To be honest, while the Pro is doubly hefty, it's easier to hold because its thickness gives me something to grip. The thinness of the Air always makes me feel it will slip out of my hands unless I grip it tightly.

I'm sorry, but that's what she said....

 

[surroundfan]

The longer Apple keeps the cMBP, the iPhone 4S, the iPad 2 and the iPod Classic on the books, they more risk starting to head down the route that got the company into such a jam in the mid-90s: a plethora of models that make it difficult for punters to work out what's what.

I can only hope the powers that be start to kill off these outdated outliers and get Apple back to the simple model structures Steve Jobs introduced. The old tech may still sell, but it's no way to force progress. His Steveness and was far more willing to kill off old models to make way for the new (e.g. the iPod mini).