Year in Review: Everything Apple Introduced in 2018

[Greymacuser]

Ah, yes, a "real" computer.

Aren't we over this silly trope?

We get it: the Mac mini isn't for you, and you're sad Apple doesn't have an offering for you. That's unfortunate. It doesn't make the Mac mini "reheated" or an iPad a "toy". You could've made a good case that you want Apple to put more energy into the Mac platform. You could've complained that the iMac is a year and a half old. Instead, you had to make an elitist, myopic, misguided attempt to badmouth the vast majority of computer users as "not real".

I'm sorry we aren't hardcore enough for you.

Buying a go-cart because you think its as good as a pick up truck doesn't say much for your ability to decern quality or functionality.
Sorry some of us actually want a machine that can have a long life and be useful over the years.
This is an investment (a pricey one thanks to greedy Apple tax) and if Apple can't produce quality machines, then I'll call them out on that.
If calling out shoddy craftsmanship is "elitist" then you really have low standards kid.
[doublepost=1545949156][/doublepost]

Alexia[sic] launched three years after Apple Siri. (The pre-Apple version of Siri launched almost two years earlier than that.)

Point is Amazon had the home-based appliance that you ask questions before Apple.

 

[jayducharme]

Interesting that a frequently used phrase in the article is “it doesn’t come cheap”.

 

[Tech198]

Interesting that a frequently used phrase in the article is “it doesn’t come cheap”.

It doesn't come cheap

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

The watch seems pretty good.

To sum up Apple for 2018 .....

..... Mac mini 2018 has six Torx Plus #6 security screws keeping you from the "upgradable" RAM.

If that Security Torx was Apple's idea of "keeping you from", well, ANYTHING, they failed miserably:

https://www.amazon.com/DLseego-Screwdriver-Security-Controller-Repair-Green/dp/B07JMS4TS1/

https://www.amazon.com/TECKMAN-Screwdriver-Security-Screwdrivers-Precision/dp/B07BYCPMR5/

https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Torx-Security-Screwdriver-Tool/dp/B072KWVVM9/

Oh, and I guess Microsoft must have copied Apple again: Here's the screwdriver needed for the XBox One and XBox 360. Look familiar? :

https://www.amazon.com/Torx-Security-Screwdriver-Xbox-Controller/dp/B06XTCK8CQ/

Or, if you have your own "driver" handle:

https://www.amazon.com/Yakamoz-Magnetic-T6-T40-Security-Screwdriver/dp/B078LXZPZ2/

...there are more; but I think I've sufficiently embarrassed you already.


Or, you COULD just order one from iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/TR6-Torx-Security-Screwdriver/IF145-225-4

 

[ryanwarsaw]

2018 in Apple in a nutshell:
•No new professional desktops...AGAIN.
•Reheated mac minis and laptop leftovers.
•More ports lost.
•Un-innovative iToys.
•Alexia knockoffs.
•Mass content editing/censorship.
•Unfulfilled promises on a new Mac Pro.

On the plus side, its never been easier to build your own hackintosh that outstrips anything Apple can cough up.

I bet you are the type that also didn't like the color and the fit of the socks you got for Christmas. Enjoy the half empty glass of egg nog.

I thought this year sort of sucked myself but then looking at the list they did release quite a bit. I was pretty disappointed now AirPod revamp for stocking stuffers.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

2018 was the year our local school network switched from Apple (MacBooks and iPads) to Chromebook or BYO, saving the school and families hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

And people talk about APPLE "lock-in"...
[doublepost=1545949597][/doublepost]

The "new" Mac Mini is another un-expandable, welded in place brick that offers no longevity to the user. Plus its lack of any proper heat management means thermal throttling will hamper its performance.
Its a poorly made product for those who don't know what a real computer needs.
Not to mention the puny graphics cards it's sporting. Nowhere near the lowest of PC cards.

As for the MacBooks, they have the same thermal throttling issue due to poor thermal management, horrible airflow and slowed down fans to appease Apple's fetish for quieter computers.
They also suffer with welding in components, 0 expandability and disappearing ports. A sorry excuse for a desktop

Apple said it would have a Mac Pro in 2018. Then pushed it back to 2019. I quarantine we will either see another date push back or a very lack luster product pushed out the door in 2019.

Also, don't bother trying to address the rest. It's above you anyway.

How nauseatingly condescending.

You have NO IDEA who I am.
[doublepost=1545949868][/doublepost]

The most exciting product they introduced was the rMBA (only because of its battery life, my rMBPnTB is pretty bad). Everything else was a disappointment for me.

I'll alert the media.

 

[chucker23n1]

Buying a go-cart because you think its as good as a pick up truck doesn't say much for your ability to decern quality or functionality.
Sorry some of us actually want a machine that can have a long life and be useful over the years.
This is an investment (a pricey one thanks to greedy Apple tax) and if Apple can't produce quality machines, then I'll call them out on that.

My $3k late-2013 MacBook Pro has easily paid off its value.

I have concerns about the current generation, particularly the keyboard, but I see little reason to believe that upgrading to a 2018 model would be a poor investment. I'd get twice the RAM, 50% more cores, about six times the SSD throughput, faster Thunderbolt, and so on. Will another $3k be a lot of money? Sure. But then, honestly, not really. I'll easily be using it for another four years, which makes it $63 a month, which really isn't a lot of money for a workhorse.

 

[Haswell]

On the plus side, its never been easier to build your own hackintosh that outstrips anything Apple can cough up.

Yup!
[doublepost=1545950342][/doublepost]

Apple drove me to build a Windows PC this year! Thanks Tim!

Are you running a hackintosh?

 

[Peperino]

2018 was a big year for Apple? Really?

Please make a Reality check.
- They are selling less units in computers and iPads and iPhones sales stalled.
- The entire line up is way overpriced raising price over 60% in some cases, especially for the basic specs they are offering.
- They continue in 2018 offering ridiculous entry levels specs (8GB Ram and 128SSD)
- Almost the entire line up has been switched to non-upgradable, disposable computers. So much for Apple environmentally friendly products. SSD and RAM are soldered into the logic boards.
- No Mac Pro was introduced. Still 12 years and counting and no much hope giving the recent Apple raising prices in ALL of its products.
- No iMac upgrade. Still same 10 year old external design.
- Macbook Pro. Another joke of a design. Way overpriced, still with a useless touchbar. Soldered SSD and RAM, makes a "PRO" computer non-upgradable, forcing users to upgrade only by Apple paying extremely high and way overpriced SSD and RAM Apple prices. How is forcing users to be stuck with an SSD and RAM for the life of the computer and pay ridiculous prices good design??? Apple continues to put design over functionality in a Pro computer.
- New iPhone prices are beyond ridiculous. So much so, that they are lowering prices in some markets like Japan. And we still cannot connect the iphones to a Macbook. How ridiculous is that?
- Homepod, late to the market and overpriced.
- iPad Pro seems it has a new bendable feature "that meet new Apple standards".

Apple arrogance and lack of innovation is biting its tail.

It was really a very sad year, and it truly does not look promising whatsoever at the path of overpriced products and lack of innovation Apple is going.

 

[Greymacuser]

My $3k late-2013 MacBook Pro has easily paid off its value.

I have concerns about the current generation, particularly the keyboard, but I see little reason to believe that upgrading to a 2018 model would be a poor investment. I'd get twice the RAM, 50% more cores, about six times the SSD throughput, faster Thunderbolt, and so on. Will another $3k be a lot of money? Sure. But then, honestly, not really. I'll easily be using it for another four years, which makes it $63 a month, which really isn't a lot of money for a workhorse.

$3k for just 4 years?! Geeze, I hang onto my tech for 10 at least. If I'm spending as much as a used car for a computer, it had better last longer then 4 years.
The cost doesn't justify the poor thermal management, no upgradability to the graphics cards, processor, etc. and thermal throttling of the CPU that hamstrings the computer as a whole.
Not to mention having ports taken from you for aesthetics is just silly.
Its just not a justifiable cost.
If Apple just sold the OS unlocked so we could instal it on our own desktops (like PC users and Microsoft have been doing for decades) then that would make WAY more sense.

 

[npmacuser5]

I am on Apple’s wall of shame, only upgraded one Apple Watch in 2018.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Enterprise isn't using 10GB Ethernet. They're using 10gbps (or faster) SFP and SFP+ interfaces. Don't get me wrong, 10gb ethernet is better than 1gb Ethernet. and it's a nice inclusion if you're willing to spend the upgrade price (which is actually worth it for the price).

But 10Gb Ethernet is hard to come by right now.

The 10 gigE wasn't for "Enterprise" (whatever THAT is). It was primarily for ad-hoc Clustering of minis for build and render-farms. The fact that anyone can throw a little stack of these things on a table, hook up a 10gigE switch (which, contrary to your opinion, is really not that hard to come by. Not super cheap yet; but getting better), and instantly accellerate FCPX, Logic ProX, Compressor (I think), XCode and maybe more with ZERO fuss or networking-knowledge is pretty damned cool, don'tcha think?

Of course you don't. It doesn't fit your agenda.

Here's some 10gigE (copper) stuff for reasonable (under $1k) prices. Most also have SFP and/or SFP+ capabilities, too:

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Managed-8x10GBASE-T-Lifetime-Protection/dp/B01GTWPTJY/

https://www.amazon.com/QNAP-QSW-1208-8C-US-12-Port-Unmanaged-10GBASE-T/dp/B07CDJ9YGM/

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-T1700X-16TS-Jetstream-12-Port-10GBase-T/dp/B01IABKFHI/

https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-EdgeSmart-10GBASE-T-Protection-TEG-7080ES/dp/B07BV2VYVF/

 

[chucker23n1]

$3k for just 4 years?! Geeze, I hang onto my tech for 10 at least. If I'm spending as much as a used car for a computer, it had better last longer then 4 years.

You're right. Never mind.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

unfortunately though tech doesn't work that way with inflation. as technologies mature, the cost of production generally goes down as efficiencies from scale are found.

So while everything else being equal, the pricing should have a general decline over time. Not a dramatic increase.

But, everything is NOT equal. Take a look at this 5-year graph of Aluminum prices:

http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/aluminum/5-year/

 

[Marekul]

My, aren't WE the "Glass Half-Full" type?

The thing is, at least for me, I don’t care about all the gadgets they brought out I just want a powerfully notebook with a nice backlight keyboard, MagSafe, long battery time, good trackpad, reasonable specs at a fair price.
They took away MagSafe, replaced one of best keyboard with a deeply flawed design, forced me to buy a touchbar - i would pay for not having it, made it 100% more expensive to upgrade than previous updates because of RAM and SSD soldered ....

The glass is empty, all I got is Tim Cook spitting in my face with deplatfoeming of like minded individuals under disguise of the Orwellian term “hatespeech”

But don’t worry us “haters” will go away soon enough and it will be a nice political correct circle jerk of a few left over hardcore fans soon enough if Timmy keeps running the company into the ground...

 

[deebinem]

$3k for just 4 years?! Geeze, I hang onto my tech for 10 at least. If I'm spending as much as a used car for a computer, it had better last longer then 4 years.

I have no issue with my hardware (15" mid 2012 MBPR) but rather the push to have us "upgrade" to a newer OS when it most likely hobbles my perfectly fine hardware (see my earlier comment). I would LOVE to rock this machine for another 4 years but am afraid that new patches in security or drivers won't trickle down to an OS that is too "old" or is finally abandoned by Apple.

EDIT: my spelling is atrocious at times...
[doublepost=1545952756][/doublepost]

The thing is, at least for me, I don’t care about all the gadgets they brought out I just want a powerfully notebook with a nice backlight keyboard, MagSafe, long battery time, good trackpad, reasonable specs at a fair price.
They took away MagSafe, replaced one of best keyboard with a deeply flawed design, forced me to buy a touchbar - i would pay for not having it, made it 100% more expensive to upgrade than previous updates because of RAM and SSD soldered ....

The glass is empty, all I got is Tim Cook spitting in my face with deplatfoeming of like minded individuals under disguise of the Orwellian term “hatespeech”

But don’t worry us “haters” will go away soon enough and it will be a nice political correct circle jerk of a few left over hardcore fans soon enough if Timmy keeps running the company into the ground...

So glad I wasn't part of your white elephant gift exchange... LOL

 

[Greymacuser]

I have no issue with my hardware (15" mid 2012 MBPR) but rather the push to have us "upgrade" to a newer OS when it most likely hobbles my perfectly fine hardware (see my earlier comment). I would LOVE to rock this machine for another 4 years but am afraid that new patches in security or drivers won't trickle down to an OS that is too "old" or is finally abandoned by Apple.

EDIT: my spelling is atrocious at times...

I use a 2012 MacBook as well. It was the last good one they put out before Apple lost its mind. It's holding on as a decent work station as long as I don't push it too far.
Would be nice to be able to push it though, so I can get more work done.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Not to be too pedantic, 10 Gb/s over SFP+ is still "10GigE", even if it isn't the format Apple is pushing for. It's unfortunate that there are so many competing approaches, and a case can be made that Apple should've picked a more popular one.

They picked the most VERSATILE one.

A copper-based (RJ-45) 10gigE port can be used for:

10-BaseT (if the controller would support it)
100-BaseT
1000BaseT
2.5KBaseT
5KBaseT
10GBaseT

A fiber-based 10GigSFP+ Port can be used for:

10GigSFP+

 

[deebinem]

I use a 2012 MacBook as well. It was the last good one they put out before Apple lost its mind. It's holding on as a decent work station as long as I don't push it too far.
Would be nice to be able to push it though, so I can get more work done.

Well, I don't think I'd upgrade that to Mojave... Find that it makes my machine unbearably slow at times, broke a few apps that ran perfectly under Sierra, and makes the fan scream all the time.

The worst was upgrading my wireless card to allow unlocking via Apple Watch only to have that functionality removed for the Series 4 unless you upgraded to Mojave... give me an effing break, Apple...

 

[winglet69]

And my early 2013 15" MB Pro and iPhone 6s march merrily along, not tempted by visions of touchbars and 4-figure phone upgrades...

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

No Mac Pro was introduced. Still 12 years and counting

You seem to have serious math issues...

 

[Peperino]

You seem to have serious math issues...

Go take math 101, then reply...

Mac Pro Trashcan was originally released 2006. Do the math... oops i forgot, that is too much for you.
[doublepost=1545954336][/doublepost]

But, everything is NOT equal. Take a look at this 5-year graph of Aluminum prices:

http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/aluminum/5-year/

Internal components prices, actually go down with time, Not UP. Most LED TVs, and other electronics go down in price with time. Not up. Aluminum prices is not the issue. It is Apple and Cook greed.

 

[Greymacuser]

Well, I don't think I'd upgrade that to Mojave... Find that it makes my machine unbearably slow at times, broke a few apps that ran perfectly under Sierra, and makes the fan scream all the time.

The worst was upgrading my wireless card to allow unlocking via Apple Watch only to have that functionality removed for the Series 4 unless you upgraded to Mojave... give me an effing break, Apple...

Oh I've avoided Mojave like the plague. High Sierra is just fine for this machine. Besides, I really don't need the Dark feature.

 

[az431]

2018 in Apple in a nutshell:
•No new professional desktops...AGAIN.
•Reheated mac minis and laptop leftovers.
•More ports lost.
•Un-innovative iToys.
•Alexia knockoffs.
•Mass content editing/censorship.
•Unfulfilled promises on a new Mac Pro.

On the plus side, its never been easier to build your own hackintosh that outstrips anything Apple can cough up.

Yeah I agree. Just crap all around, no wonder Apple is on the verge of bankruptcy.
[doublepost=1545955426][/doublepost]

Go take math 101, then reply...

Mac Pro Trashcan was originally released 2006. Do the math... oops i forgot, that is too much for you.
[doublepost=1545954336][/doublepost]

Internal components prices, actually go down with time, Not UP. Most LED TVs, and other electronics go down in price with time. Not up. Aluminum prices is not the issue. It is Apple and Cook greed.

MacBook prices have in fact gone down over time when you factor in inflation.

And while component prices do go down, the components themselves change and the number of components and complexity of devices increases.

But let's assume that "It is Apple and Cook greed." You do know that Apple is a for-profit corporation and that part of Tim Cook's job description is to grow revenues and profit right? Apple is not a charity for low-income smartphone owners; that's where Samsung comes in (they're even available in the prepaid section of every 7-11).

 

[deebinem]

Oh I've avoided Mojave like the plague. High Sierra is just fine for this machine. Besides, I really don't need the Dark feature.

I might have to retry with HS since I never did seem to have luck with the Betas.