Apple's MacBook Pro Event (10/27/16)

[nevets88]

Still processing the new MBP. Didn't watch the event, so going by live blogs. Underwhelmed by the touch bar, but need to use it to better assess. Touch id is great. Very disappointed Magsafe is gone. No SD slot either, so will have to dig out the iPad's SD-USB dongle, hopefully that will work. Heard someone say fewer DIY upgrade options as you're limited to what you can swap out when you open it up, hope that's not true.

 

 

 

[davechen]

Welp, I've already configured a new Macbook Pro.  I like the touch bar.  My current one is pretty long in the tooth at 3 years old.

[drmevo]

7 hours ago, nevets88 said:

so will have to dig out the iPad's SD-USB dongle

Won't you need a dongle for that dongle?

To not have at least one USB 3 port kinda sucks. I mean, with all the adapters you need for Apple product these days, it seems to defeat the idea of simplicity. Also, DDR3? 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, drmevo said:

To not have at least one USB 3 port kinda sucks.

It takes a USB Type C or Thunderbolt. Four of them no?

[nevets88]

2 hours ago, davechen said:

Welp, I've already configured a new Macbook Pro.  I like the touch bar.  My current one is pretty long in the tooth at 3 years old.

For those suggesting the new Surface, one thought of Windows and I retch. Despite the disappointment in the new hardware, the OS is awesome and it remains to be seen how many other balls Apple dropped, but so far nowhere near enough to make me switch.

1 hour ago, drmevo said:

Won't you need a dongle for that dongle?

Yep. Looks like I won't be needing to find that silly dongle. 

[Abu3baid]

I take it back.  I'll give the keyboard a chance :)

[drmevo]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

It takes a USB Type C or Thunderbolt. Four of them no?

My understanding is that USB-C/Thunderbolt is not backward compatible physically with earlier USB standards, but can be converted to them and many different standards using adapters. That's great and all, but you either have to leave those adapters hanging out of the machine all the time or carry them with you everywhere.

It's understandable to not have many interfaces on such a thin laptop, but it's going to be a loooong time before people stop widely using the standard USB format I believe, so that's why I think it should've been included.

Edited October 28, 2016 by drmevo

[iacas]

3 hours ago, drmevo said:

My understanding is that USB-C/Thunderbolt is not backward compatible physically with earlier USB standards, but can be converted to them and many different standards using adapters. That's great and all, but you either have to leave those adapters hanging out of the machine all the time or carry them with you everywhere.

It's understandable to not have many interfaces on such a thin laptop, but it's going to be a loooong time before people stop widely using the standard USB format I believe, so that's why I think it should've been included.

So buy two adapters and keep them around.

I don't know. Apple doesn't hold off on things like this just because the rest of the world will be slow to change. They push things forward - sometimes perhaps prematurely, yeah - but as with the floppy, the optical drive, etc., this will be the right choice sooner rather than later.

[Yukari]

12 hours ago, davechen said:

Welp, I've already configured a new Macbook Pro.  I like the touch bar.  My current one is pretty long in the tooth at 3 years old.

After only three years?

I'm on 2011 MBP 15".  I was going to buy the new one but had a second thought due to its price.  I may wait until my current one no longer serves my purpose or runs the programs I need.

I use my MBP for work and so far with SSD, 16GB of RAM and a new battery about 6 months ago it can keep up with all my work needs.

[nevets88]

46 minutes ago, Yukari said:

After only three years?

I'm on 2011 MBP 15".  I was going to buy the new one but had a second thought due to its price.  I may wait until my current one no longer serves my purpose or runs the programs I need.

I use my MBP for work and so far with SSD, 16GB of RAM and a new battery about 6 months ago it can keep up with all my work needs.

I have a 2009 MBP albeit with an upgraded hard drive, memory and battery and no problems, still runs great. What a workhorse.

What is it, 2-3 weeks it'll be in stores? Will try it out, if it "speaks to me", who knows? Seeing it drive 2 5K monitors was awesome, I think only the 15 inch does that though.

[allenc]

2 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

I have a 2009 MBP albeit with an upgraded hard drive, memory and battery and no problems, still runs great. What a workhorse.

+1.  My 2009 is working fine.  I've doubled the ram to 8gigs and put in a solid state drive.  The fan does go on turbo a little too often though.

[iacas]

I have the 2014 model. Great little 13" laptop. Runs really well. 16 GB, 512 GB.

I'll play with @saevel25's briefly when he shows up next.

[drmevo]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

So buy two adapters and keep them around.

I don't know. Apple doesn't hold off on things like this just because the rest of the world will be slow to change. They push things forward - sometimes perhaps prematurely, yeah - but as with the floppy, the optical drive, etc., this will be the right choice sooner rather than later.

I get that, but doesn't it seem odd that you can't even plug your shiny new iPhone 7 into your new Macbook Pro as they come out of the box? You need a $20 adapter. Apple has a long history of providing several types of input ports - Firewire+USB, TB+USB, etc. I know at some point you have to let old standards go, but USB 3.1/Type-A is not that old and still plenty usable. 

Plus without the ability to upgrade the new laptops at all (SSD is now soldered to the board, joining the RAM which has been that way for a while), these laptops clearly aren't designed to be future-proof in any sense other than the new ports that no one else uses yet.

I'm sure they're cool machines, I'm just disappointed because I've been waiting forever for them to be released, and now in addition to the fairly high prices you need to add on another $60+ just for adapters and peripherals.

[iacas]

17 minutes ago, drmevo said:

I get that, but doesn't it seem odd that you can't even plug your shiny new iPhone 7 into your new Macbook Pro as they come out of the box? You need a $20 adapter. Apple has a long history of providing several types of input ports - Firewire+USB, TB+USB, etc. I know at some point you have to let old standards go, but USB 3.1/Type-A is not that old and still plenty usable. 

Plus without the ability to upgrade the new laptops at all (SSD is now soldered to the board, joining the RAM which has been that way for a while), these laptops clearly aren't designed to be future-proof in any sense other than the new ports that no one else uses yet.

I'm sure they're cool machines, I'm just disappointed because I've been waiting forever for them to be released, and now in addition to the fairly high prices you need to add on another $60+ just for adapters and peripherals.

I get all that, and don't disagree.

But what do I know… I'm still waiting for a Mac Pro update…

[nevets88]

These prices I'm assuming are for cables made by Apple:

$50 for USB-C to Thunderbolt 2
$20 for USB-C to USB
$25 for USB-C to Lightning
$70 for USB-C to HDMI
$70 for USB-C to VGA

I'd guess the typical user would need USB and lightning. If you want to connect to two monitors via HDMI, that's $140, you could buy a low end monitor for the price you pay for cables.

[Yukari]

So the keyboard is apparently like that of rMB.

I tried rMB keyboard at an Apple store.  It will definitely take some time getting use to.  It just doesn't feel right having so little travel.  I guess ones you get use to that feel, it will be okay.   But for now, I am not sure if I like that keyboard.

[iacas]

19 hours ago, nevets88 said:

I'd guess the typical user would need USB and lightning. If you want to connect to two monitors via HDMI, that's $140, you could buy a low end monitor for the price you pay for cables.

Or… just buy a Thunderbolt monitor. And Lightning is just for iPads/iPhones so the $20 USB adapter would be fine.

And if you're hooking up a <$140 monitor… you're doing it wrong.

[drmevo]

17 hours ago, iacas said:

Or… just buy a Thunderbolt monitor.

Yeah, just spend $600-$1000+ on a new monitor, problem solved. 

 

22 hours ago, Yukari said:

So the keyboard is apparently like that of rMB.

I read some reports that it is somewhat improved over the rMB.