I’m holding onto my 2012 Retina MBP until Apple knocks out the notch - it’s useless and it’s ugly (it takes away from the otherwise beautiful laptop monitor). My RMBP still runs well and has 200GB of available space (even with a 100GB Windows partition).
My guess is the Mac Pro will get a massive redesign. It doesn't need to be that large as it doesn't need as much room for the power supply and cooling. The Mac mini might be neat to see a new design around the size of the AppleTV, almost the size of a Raspberry Pi.
My guess is the Mac Pro will get a massive redesign. It doesn't need to be that large as it doesn't need as much room for the power supply and cooling. The Mac mini might be neat to see a new design around the size of the AppleTV, almost the size of a Raspberry Pi.
They need to knock off that useless ugly notch!
A MacPro doesn't have a notch. What are you talking about?
The notch on the MacBook Pro isn't going away as soon it will have FaceID and just like with the iPhone, it will be necessary. It's not a big deal. If you don't like it too bad.
HIGHLY unlikely that the Mac Mini sees a major redesign because it fits perfectly within the current Apple design language of simple rounded rectangles that is seen across the entire product line -- the only odd one out would be cheese grater Mac Pro. The current generation Mac Mini was introduced four years ago, so perhaps further miniaturization of components since then would allow for a thinner and smaller rounded rectangle, with size driven mainly by the space needed to accommodate all the ports of the Mini Pro model and heat venting, especially the Pro model, but there's no reason for changes beyond that.
I am baffled by Apple's inexplicable decision to keep making Lightning-only accessories when they easily could have changed to USB-C ports long ago. Consider: Macbook Pro went USB-C in 2016, the Air and iPad in 2018 and the iMac in 2021. Swapping ports on accessories would be a snap. What's the point in continuing to force consumers to keep investing in the present in a discontinued past? This is a LONG overdue change.
HIGHLY unlikely that the Mac Mini sees a major redesign because it fits perfectly within the current Apple design language of simple rounded rectangles that is seen across the entire product line -- the only odd one out would be cheese grater Mac Pro. The current generation Mac Mini was introduced four years ago, so perhaps further miniaturization of components since then would allow for a thinner and smaller rounded rectangle, with size driven mainly by the space needed to accommodate all the ports of the Mini Pro model and heat venting, especially the Pro model, but there's no reason for changes beyond that.
I am baffled by Apple's inexplicable decision to keep making Lightning-only accessories when they easily could have changed to USB-C ports long ago. Consider: Macbook Pro went USB-C in 2016, the Air and iPad in 2018 and the iMac in 2021. Swapping ports on accessories would be a snap. What's the point in continuing to force consumers to keep investing in the present in a discontinued past? This is a LONG overdue change.
Almost all accessories are now USB-C, mainly due to EU legislation.
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
Never used any of mine. Drawer filler for sure.
An actual height to fit hands, modern optics for better DPI, higher Hz rates, and updated wireless AND wired modes would make it actual Magic. As it is, the only trick it has performed is making itself disappear from my desk as well.
(It's the only mouse with good vertical *and* horizontal scrolling, lets you gesture for other common trackpad functions as well - but was the only mouse ever to make me feel like I was getting carpal tunnel issues, and the Bluetooth connectivity is so janky compared to mice from more recent decades that it's just unusable. I'm convinced they don't have anyone working on the mouse team at all anymore.)
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
To heck with that! The Magic Mouse is the best mouse I’ve owned. Sick of the pc inspired junk with doodads all over, nasty scroll wheels, and buttons all over. Apple has perfected the mouse. It’s accurate, sleek, and does its job extremely well while being stylish and modern in usage. The touch sensitive secondary button is genius as is the touch scroll in any direction.
some Logitech type mouse or razor mouse would be backwards. Apple can continue to refine the Magic Mouse, but as it is, it’s way ahead of the others.
They need to start having commodity style pricing for Macs, i.e. as time goes down, we can by direct from Apple for a time-lapse discounted price.
For instance I would buy a current M2/M3MacBook Air 15" or MacMini M2 Pro (from Apple) if the $1999.99 models I am looking at were $1599.99. But no? Why? Because we have to flippin' WAIT till October to see if there are any new models. And believe me I understand this gripe has been stated before, but, this is a completely different ball game now that they are controlling the M1, M2, M3 and M4 etc. And picking and choosing debating releasing etc...
I mean are they sitting on stock of MMM2s? M3 MacBook Airs? Or do they completely BTO these days? Like actually BTO? Because if they seriously BTO, then fine there is no stock laying around, but if they have stock laying around get freakin' rid of it and make more or something? Is this making any sense?
Because having to go to these secondary dealers when we have a DAMN Apple Card with NO INTEREST payments is pissing me off. Because honestly it's getting BAD, with this "Better purchase day of release, because forget a 3 month shipping wait." because "Forget it in 6 months a new one (with M#+1) will be out."
Does anyone else see this? Cause it's ridiculous BUY ON RELEASE or DIE attitude! hehe ok I'll stop... Laters...
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
Never used any of mine. Drawer filler for sure.
An actual height to fit hands, modern optics for better DPI, higher Hz rates, and updated wireless AND wired modes would make it actual Magic. As it is, the only trick it has performed is making itself disappear from my desk as well.
(It's the only mouse with good vertical *and* horizontal scrolling, lets you gesture for other common trackpad functions as well - but was the only mouse ever to make me feel like I was getting carpal tunnel issues, and the Bluetooth connectivity is so janky compared to mice from more recent decades that it's just unusable. I'm convinced they don't have anyone working on the mouse team at all anymore.)
This!
Plus:
They should design with a less slippery material. The glass feels terrible.
The shape isn’t ergonomic for professional use; the wrist is in an odd angle all the time. This needs to be redesigned accordingly.
The left and right button should have tactical feedback (which Apple does well with the crown button on the Watch and laptop Trackpads).
There should be a scroll wheel as well with tactical feedback. Not feeling anything is terrible UX.
There should be a programmable side button.
Obviously they should switch to USB-C charging… on the back!
No serious professional who switches between editing, 3D work, coding, etc should have to deal with a mouse that was designed to look cool up to a point where it compromises basic usability. It’s still in the Touch Bar era. Apple can do so much better here!
Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?
I like the idea of a small cube though that may not be practical. My issue with the Mac mini is the cost vs. specs. I feel that Apple need to be more aggressive on pricing to put a squeeze on the low end market. I know it is not Apple's style but they did that successfully with the iPod range. The base price needs to be 499, not 599. The base model doesn't have to have the latest M chip, using a M2 will be fine. However 256GB SSD is too small and 16GB ram would be useful. Apple does well on the mid to high end machines but they can increase their customer base with better priced entry level options. This is not a race to the bottom but rather putting pressure on the competition.
The iMac also needs a refresh. The bezel needs to go. Just have the front all screen with connectors at the back, bottom or sides.
The Apple TV 4K is a lot smaller than the Mac mini and seems to be plenty feasible. So, I'm thinking -- start with that, make it taller and aluminum instead of plastic, and use the extra vertical space for a small heat sink + fan.
The next Mac mini will be fan less and only have the M4 in it. Basically it would be a MacBook Air in an AppleTV sized enclosure.
I doubt it. The mini biggest customers are embedded and racked applications any change would be geared to suit that customer base.
Like say back to front airflow and a smaller more rectangle module that better suits racking. Especially if Apple are going to use them to build out Apple intelligence capacity.
I am long overdue for an upgrade and I wish Apple were more consistent with processor upgrades. You have some Macs still on M2, some on M3 and iPad Pros on M4. Why is it so? I hope it’s not some clever-ass marketing but rather manufacturing issues. I don’t wanna buy a Mac on older generations of processors when there are better options today. What’s the problem with bringing all Macs to the same page?
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
I have a different experience with the magic mouse. I really love it. I had been coping with wrist problems from a normal logitech mouse but since I’ve been using the magic mouse these wrist problems went away. For me it’s the best mouse there is and I’ve trying out a lot.
I would sooner they kept the Mac Mini design and shrank the Mac Studio to the smaller form-factor. Those calling for a smaller Mac Mini should consider how such a small design is going to cope with cables in-and-out of it on multiple sides, very messy. Also it needs to have some weight, otherwise, said cabling is going to disturb how it sits on a surface. It doesn't need to be tiny.
I would prefer to see keyboard and trackpad designs that offer some of the functionality of dedicated control-surfaces, for example, a trackpad with a weighted aluminium control-knob above it for volume control or even a jog-shuttle dial built-in, plus of course a scattering of buttons.
Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?
I like the idea of a small cube though that may not be practical. My issue with the Mac mini is the cost vs. specs. I feel that Apple need to be more aggressive on pricing to put a squeeze on the low end market. I know it is not Apple's style but they did that successfully with the iPod range. The base price needs to be 499, not 599. The base model doesn't have to have the latest M chip, using a M2 will be fine. However 256GB SSD is too small and 16GB ram would be useful. Apple does well on the mid to high end machines but they can increase their customer base with better priced entry level options. This is not a race to the bottom but rather putting pressure on the competition.
The iMac also needs a refresh. The bezel needs to go. Just have the front all screen with connectors at the back, bottom or sides.
The Apple TV 4K is a lot smaller than the Mac mini and seems to be plenty feasible. So, I'm thinking -- start with that, make it taller and aluminum instead of plastic, and use the extra vertical space for a small heat sink + fan.
The next Mac mini will be fan less and only have the M4 in it. Basically it would be a MacBook Air in an AppleTV sized enclosure.
If so, then I hope they introduce a lower priced studio to take the place of the m2 pro mini
No need for redesign. Just release the M4 27 inch iMac and life is good.
I was in the same frame of mind for years. I still use my 27” iMac daily. But I’ve also moved on to the Mac Mini camp and have realized it’s actually better for my needs.
HIGHLY unlikely that the Mac Mini sees a major redesign because it fits perfectly within the current Apple design language of simple rounded rectangles that is seen across the entire product line -- the only odd one out would be cheese grater Mac Pro. The current generation Mac Mini was introduced four years ago, so perhaps further miniaturization of components since then would allow for a thinner and smaller rounded rectangle, with size driven mainly by the space needed to accommodate all the ports of the Mini Pro model and heat venting, especially the Pro model, but there's no reason for changes beyond that.
I am baffled by Apple's inexplicable decision to keep making Lightning-only accessories when they easily could have changed to USB-C ports long ago. Consider: Macbook Pro went USB-C in 2016, the Air and iPad in 2018 and the iMac in 2021. Swapping ports on accessories would be a snap. What's the point in continuing to force consumers to keep investing in the present in a discontinued past? This is a LONG overdue change.
Almost all accessories are now USB-C, mainly due to EU legislation.
Perhaps in some other reality of the multiverse, Apple has already made the switch, but in this reality, the Magic Keyboards, the Magic Trackpad and the Magic Mouse--you know, ALL the major accessories--are still Lightning.
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
Never used any of mine. Drawer filler for sure.
An actual height to fit hands, modern optics for better DPI, higher Hz rates, and updated wireless AND wired modes would make it actual Magic. As it is, the only trick it has performed is making itself disappear from my desk as well.
(It's the only mouse with good vertical *and* horizontal scrolling, lets you gesture for other common trackpad functions as well - but was the only mouse ever to make me feel like I was getting carpal tunnel issues, and the Bluetooth connectivity is so janky compared to mice from more recent decades that it's just unusable. I'm convinced they don't have anyone working on the mouse team at all anymore.)
This!
Plus:
They should design with a less slippery material. The glass feels terrible.
The shape isn’t ergonomic for professional use; the wrist is in an odd angle all the time. This needs to be redesigned accordingly.
The left and right button should have tactical feedback (which Apple does well with the crown button on the Watch and laptop Trackpads).
There should be a scroll wheel as well with tactical feedback. Not feeling anything is terrible UX.
There should be a programmable side button.
Obviously they should switch to USB-C charging… on the back!
No serious professional who switches between editing, 3D work, coding, etc should have to deal with a mouse that was designed to look cool up to a point where it compromises basic usability. It’s still in the Touch Bar era. Apple can do so much better here!
I disagree with almost everything in your post. It has felt great for my entire professional career since they came out, it fits my large hand without carpal tunnel, it doesn't need buttons or a scroll wheel--are you visiting from 1989?
Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.
I will be very curious to see, when Apple FINALLY upgrades the Magic Mouse to USB-C, if they at last address the main and totally justified source of hatred towards the Magic Mouse: the inability to charge and use it at the same time. Almost every MM user has had the experience of having it drop dead while working on something important and then you have to literally stop work while your mouse recharges. (Or, in my case, I keep an ancient AA battery Magic Mouse in a drawer for just such occasions.) It's hard to imagine a bigger, more intentional middle finger to Apple users than leaving the charging port on the underside of the mouse when USB-C is introduced.
Comments
The notch on the MacBook Pro isn't going away as soon it will have FaceID and just like with the iPhone, it will be necessary. It's not a big deal. If you don't like it too bad.
I am baffled by Apple's inexplicable decision to keep making Lightning-only accessories when they easily could have changed to USB-C ports long ago. Consider: Macbook Pro went USB-C in 2016, the Air and iPad in 2018 and the iMac in 2021. Swapping ports on accessories would be a snap. What's the point in continuing to force consumers to keep investing in the present in a discontinued past? This is a LONG overdue change.
(It's the only mouse with good vertical *and* horizontal scrolling, lets you gesture for other common trackpad functions as well - but was the only mouse ever to make me feel like I was getting carpal tunnel issues, and the Bluetooth connectivity is so janky compared to mice from more recent decades that it's just unusable. I'm convinced they don't have anyone working on the mouse team at all anymore.)
For instance I would buy a current M2/M3MacBook Air 15" or MacMini M2 Pro (from Apple) if the $1999.99 models I am looking at were $1599.99. But no? Why? Because we have to flippin' WAIT till October to see if there are any new models. And believe me I understand this gripe has been stated before, but, this is a completely different ball game now that they are controlling the M1, M2, M3 and M4 etc. And picking and choosing debating releasing etc...
I mean are they sitting on stock of MMM2s? M3 MacBook Airs? Or do they completely BTO these days? Like actually BTO? Because if they seriously BTO, then fine there is no stock laying around, but if they have stock laying around get freakin' rid of it and make more or something? Is this making any sense?
Because having to go to these secondary dealers when we have a DAMN Apple Card with NO INTEREST payments is pissing me off. Because honestly it's getting BAD, with this "Better purchase day of release, because forget a 3 month shipping wait." because "Forget it in 6 months a new one (with M#+1) will be out."
Does anyone else see this? Cause it's ridiculous BUY ON RELEASE or DIE attitude! hehe ok I'll stop...
Laters...
They should design with a less slippery material. The glass feels terrible.
The left and right button should have tactical feedback (which Apple does well with the crown button on the Watch and laptop Trackpads).
There should be a scroll wheel as well with tactical feedback. Not feeling anything is terrible UX.
There should be a programmable side button.
Obviously they should switch to USB-C charging… on the back!
No serious professional who switches between editing, 3D work, coding, etc should have to deal with a mouse that was designed to look cool up to a point where it compromises basic usability. It’s still in the Touch Bar era. Apple can do so much better here!
I would prefer to see keyboard and trackpad designs that offer some of the functionality of dedicated control-surfaces, for example, a trackpad with a weighted aluminium control-knob above it for volume control or even a jog-shuttle dial built-in, plus of course a scattering of buttons.