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Will the nTB MBPs get an upgrade sometime this year?
- Thread starter waziazi
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Such a shame. I don’t find it useful at all. And I think it kinda looks ugly. You can see the LeD cut out in the strip under the right lighting. And you can see the pixels on it too. It does not come close to matching the rich sharpness of the display itself. Kinda looks cheap.
Tbh, I don't look at that closely to notice the pixels. I don't mind it, I'm not a fan, but since its built into my laptop, I'll try to find a use for it. I'm not worked up over the inclusion, i.e., I don't think it looks cheap - to each his own. I'm not knocking your opinion, just pointing out that not that bad
There's no sign of a successor to the 15w CPU with Iris GPU from Intel, I would say that there's a reorganisation due aside from the fact that Apple have registered 5 new laptop models in Europe and the 13" and 15" MacBook Pros with TB represent the top two models.
The other 3 models could be 12" Retina MacBook, 13" MBA, and 13" nTB MBP but there's talk that Apple could have struck a deal for cheap Kaby Lake Refresh CPUs such as the i5-8250U which has a poorer GPU than last year's Iris Graphics 640.
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The touch bar is also going to be a bit pointless for users who close the lid at home and plug into a dock with separate keyboard and mouse.
The other 3 models could be 12" Retina MacBook, 13" MBA, and 13" nTB MBP but there's talk that Apple could have struck a deal for cheap Kaby Lake Refresh CPUs such as the i5-8250U which has a poorer GPU than last year's Iris Graphics 640.
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The touch bar is also going to be a bit pointless for users who close the lid at home and plug into a dock with separate keyboard and mouse.
I'm not disputing the lack of usefulness.
So here's one issue as I see it.
We have currently 2 laptop models (13 & 15") that have the Touch Bar, and as you mentioned, if those laptops are using an external keyboard that reduces the benefit of that feature.
Also consider, that these two laptops are just a fraction of what apple sells.
Mac Mini
Mac Pro
iMac
iMac Pro
MacBook Air
MacBook.
The Touch Bar is a niche feature, on a computer platform that is only at 10% (give or take) marketshare, I think we see why developers have not rushed to embrace the TB and its usefulness is still question 2 years after its introduction.
I imagine that the cooling system that is in the nTb would be insufficient for a quad core i5 that is in the Tb version. And if what was stated above about intel not having a successor announced is true, you won’t see an update for a bit.
I’m afraid this is going to be the case. I have a 2013 MacBook Air. I was hoping for nTB keyboard upgrade like the 2018 model. The internals are fine for me. If Apple upgrades the keyboards on the MacBook I may just go down to it. But I like the Pro display better. I’m going to hold off until after September.
I think Apple will replace the 2017 nTB Touchbar model. They don't want to be selling a laptop with a keyboard they warrant for replacement for four years from purchase any longer than they have to. They just don't have an obvious Intel CPU to put into it and they until the traditional October slot with which to replace the laptop.
The nTB MacBook Pro uses one fan in a case the same size as the Touch Bar 13" MacBook Pro (which has 2 fans). My separate speculation on the fate of the nTB MacBook Pro (in light of Apple ultimately wanting it to replace the cheap MBA) suggests that Apple will make it fit by:
a. Renaming it as a 13" Macbook while keeping the Retina screen (with True Tone upgrade)
b. Using cheaper i5-8250U CPU. The MacBook having lesser GPU performance from UHD620, but still roughly equivalent to the Iris Graphics 5100 from the Retina MacBook Pros from 2013.
c. Possibly going with USB-C if they do away with Thunderbolt 3 to save costs - it would be a Retina MacBook rather than a Pro.
This could get us a product that replaces the MBA but given that Apple have registered 5 laptop models in Europe we could see something else on the horizon from Apple. I'd be interested in seeing the reaction to a 15" MacBook which does without the touch bar and touch ID (and the ESC key returns), and either uses the i5-8259U (or the upgraded i7-8559U) from the 13" MacBook Pro or adds a dGPU to the i5-8250U instead. The expansion options would have to be limited to avoid cannibalising the 'proper' pro models instead.
Fingers crossed. I hope your right. That would be the perfect match for me. I would hope all the MacBooks get the upgrade keyboards too.
I don’t think the new keyboard will hold long again dust. After all there is a big hole in the middle of the membrane and dust can always get into it. But an upgrade is nice of course.
You could be right. It may make things worse. If a piece of debris enters, I would think it would be even more difficult to remove it with compressed Air.
I think it will either go away completely or be re-branded as the Macbook with the 12" Macbook becoming the Air. Or something like that. it would certainly tidy up the laptop lineup and the TouchBar is only available on the MBP line.
As for the keyboards, the new version also allows you to remove a single key cap at a time so in theory, repairs due to dust would be much easier, quicker and cheaper to do. And you might even be able to do them yourself.
As for the keyboards, the new version also allows you to remove a single key cap at a time so in theory, repairs due to dust would be much easier, quicker and cheaper to do. And you might even be able to do them yourself.
By that logic, so will the built in keyboard and mouse... should apple not include those to fit specific use cases? Of course not. Its a feature. If you don't use it... so what.
I think you can get a brand new 2017 nTB for $1,099 or thereabouts.
At that price, it is truly excellent value for money - it will be 90% of the 2018 MBP, without the annoying touch bar. The performance is very good unless you’re planning on editing videos on it (which you wouldn’t and shouldn’t do on any 13” Mac).
Plus, guaranteed keyboard replacements for 4 years. This means that, if the keyboard fails, you get a brand new battery.
Finally, you save $ 800 which you can use to get an iPad Pro or an iPhone XI.
Full disclosure: I own an nTB, purchased at full price
At that price, it is truly excellent value for money - it will be 90% of the 2018 MBP, without the annoying touch bar. The performance is very good unless you’re planning on editing videos on it (which you wouldn’t and shouldn’t do on any 13” Mac).
Plus, guaranteed keyboard replacements for 4 years. This means that, if the keyboard fails, you get a brand new battery.
Finally, you save $ 800 which you can use to get an iPad Pro or an iPhone XI.
Full disclosure: I own an nTB, purchased at full price
REALLY? That would be awesome. Is that actually documented somewhere? I haven't seen that anywhere. That might actually make me pony up to the new 2018!
There is a leaked 'internal' Apple Genius training video doing the rounds that shows how to remove and replace keys on the 2018 MBP.
Coooool. Is it possible for us to remove the key cap and clean the dust as well? That's thrilling.
Why would you want to do that, risk breaking your keyboard and voiding your warranty in the process?
It's not always easy for me to go to an Apple store. I travel a lot for work so it would be very convenient if I can just pry off the key cap to clean it myself, which is barely possible on my old 2017 mbp. Hope the 2018 version is improved.