This is Apples answer to those who think the actual screen should be a touchscreen (stupid idea, IMO - who wants to reach up to touch your screen and who wants fingerprints).
A "pro" device that's clearly not for pros. USB is still everywhere, from memory sticks that people hand me, to external drives I get media on, to peripheral IO hardware. So what do I do with this, use a bunch of stupid adapters? And the SD card slot I use constantly, gone too. Add another adapter to my iBag.
This is just an overgrown email appliance with more colorful lights.
So anything that doesn't have usb-a and sd card is an appliance?
Now don't get me wrong, it's it all bad. The new Touch Bar is a great idea (though with a stupid name, too easy to confuse with a touchpad!) Love the implementation and the possibilities it brings.
Also great to get new CPUs in the MacBook Pro who have fallen way behind. The storage speeds seem amazing.
But there is so much they messed up with this new MacBook.
1: The focus is wrong. It's what... 15% thinner and 20% ligther? WHO CARES?!? It's not a MacBook Air, and we've long gotten past the point of thin enough and light enough.
This is supposed to be a machine for professionals, and I don't know any MBP owner who wouldn't choose longer battery life or something else useful, rather than shave off 2mm of height or 15% weight of a 3 pound laptop.
2: Only 2 ports. Again, keep in mind that this is supposed to be a machine for professionals. Who on earth approved that the bottom tier model only has 2, that's right: T W O USB ports?!? And these ports are the only one on the machine! Want to hook up your MBP to the Ethernet while it's charging and connected to your phone? Tough, you can't! Not unless you upgrade to a more expensive model.
3: Too few ports. The bigger models have 4 USB C ports, which is an improvement, but still woefully lacking. What was the point of removing all the old ports from the MBP? Making it a mm or two thinner? As I said: Dumb!
Apple took a machine for professionals, axed all the ports that professional users actually use, and replaced them with only 4. And to make it even worse, they chose a replacement port that 95% of people don't use or have.
So how am I supposed to hook the new MBP up to an Ethernet cable? Or a monitor? Or get sound in and out?
Apples vision of the future is one where people carry around laptop that's 15% lighter. And an extra pound or two of adapters and USB C cables... Dumb!
Since when did Apple become "The Dongle Company"? No dongle, no play. That phrase is my description of Apple this year. It started with the 12-inch MacBook, then moved to the iPhone 7...
Funny story. Was at a party with everyone plugging their phones in to play music, and the only person who couldn't? The iPhone 7 user, because of course, no headphone jack. Hahaha. No dongle, no play. That sucks.
... and now the new MacBook Pros follow the same ridiculous design philosophy. It's a pro machine that requires a dongle to interact with absolutely anyone and anything. It replaces a machine that has an SD card slot and an HDMI connector as well as two standard USB3s, a headphone jack, and two DisplayPort/Thunderbolt2 connectors, you know, the connectors ACTUAL professionals need and use every day. When you live in the real world, you see how practical having some of those ports really is, especially MagSafe, which has saved my MacBookPro a million times. Instead, Apple continues to indulge Jony Ive's obsession with removing usefulness for thinness. Eventually, the world may catch up to USB-C connectors, or we'll have a different one altogether, or not, but having it as the ONLY connector only forces us to carry more and more dongles at 20 to 40 bucks each. Apple...the Dongle company. The most ironic part of the whole presentation was Phil Schiller having to include VGA in his presentation, not DVI, but VGA, because in the real world, it continues to be ubiquitous, just like headphone jacks.
The new TouchBar is very cool though, and better than expected. I presume they left a model with keys to placate disabled users and those who prefer them. My biggest worry about the TouchBar was addressed and I love the possibilities of it. The positioning is a bit too far from the hand, requiring more effort than with keys or a keyboard, but it would have been too radical to put it in the logical place which would have been in the center row of the keyboard. I'm sure eventually we'll have those rumored e-ink display, configurable keys and other advanced keyboard formats. The current one seems an interesting step in the right direction. We'll see.
I see Touch ID being the biggest reason for this update. Eventually it will replace username and password on the web which will be an end game move on the competition. Remembering usernames and passwords on websites, resetting them, having accounts compromised by software capturing key strokes or fishing scams are BY FAR the largest complaint/problem/annoyance the average computer user has. Solve this pain point few people would even look at another platform.
See "Windows Hello". MS has already got this covered.
We knew Touch Bar was coming, but it's still cool to see.
This is Apples answer to those who think the actual screen should be a touchscreen (stupid idea, IMO - who wants to reach up to touch your screen and who wants fingerprints).
Now you have a smaller touchscreen in an area that's easy to access and fingerprints won't matter. Yet you still get all the contextual buttons/controls.
I'm thinking, what a great idea it would be to have this functionality in a separate keyboard...for iMac, et al, and versions for iPad Pro.
Kaching
The Touch Bar defines disruption. Look for every keyboard maker on the planet to replicate this in some form or another. Physical function keys are on their deathbed.
Do we know if the Touch Bar has haptic feedback, like found on the iPhone 7?
Personally, I find haptics crucial for proper UX with touch screens.
So your iPhone was seriously hampered before they added 3D touch with the 6s? If this had haptic feedback or 3D touch, they would have mentioned it, so no.
Apple has priced themselves out of any non pro market. With a base price of $1800 up through $4300 for a non upgradeable machine with a max of 16GB of RAM is a little nuts. I get the high end and not racing to the low end, but they always had a decent machine in the $1000 range at the base. Now all they have is the years old MacBook Air. Nothing new. Nothing you can ever upgrade and prices beyond the reach of many of their base.
Add in all new ports which means you can't even plug in your brand new iPhone 7 or the headphones that comes with it without dongles.
I never thought I'd say this, but having experienced Steve's wrath about ``this is sh**! fix it!
I mostly agree.
Today's preso reminds on one that Steve did. That one (at the same location, AIR) lasted about an hour, and gave us the iPod Hi-Fi and a leather sleeve for the iPod.
It was obvious, to me, that there were more products planned -- that didn't make the cut.
My first encounter with Steve was at our Sunnyvale Computer Plus Store where I was giving an Apple ][ demo to about 20 people...
This voice yelled out from the back of the group: "You're doing it all wrong!". Then Steve came up and gave the best damn Apple ][ demo I ever saw.
'' he would have tossed this one into the can and said, ``integrate it into the keyboard with hot swappable icons with custom command combinations, preload for apps ready, etc.''
I wouldn't integrate it into the kb -- maybe into the touch pad, but better, IMO an attached iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.
BTW, AAPL stock indicates the market was iot too impressed with today's preso.
I never thought I'd say this, but having experienced Steve's wrath about ``this is sh**! fix it!'' he would have tossed this one into the can and said, ``integrate it into the keyboard with hot swappable icons with custom command combinations, preload for apps ready, etc.''
No he wouldn't because it's a crap idea. It's been tried before with the Optimus Keyboard and that hasn't really taken off. Namely because it's too expensive and it is frought with issues.
The Touch Bar actually makes a lot of sense and if it does fail it's not going to make the entire system useless.
Having worked around the man, he wo
You knew Steve Jobs?? That's incredible! If I were you I'd drop that into conversation at every available opportunity!
I dont mind the USB-C thing, or the magsafe lacking. But only two ports for the 13" and no chance of 2 TB storage is a deal breaker.
Plus, it is way too prices outside of the US – around 30-50% plus on the US prices. Topping up ram to what should be standard 16 GB, and storage to 1 TB, makes it a minimum 3000 USD buy in Europe. Crazy.
So instead of being able to touch type and keep looking at the screen or looking at the screen and touching what I want, I now have to keep looking down at the thin touch strip on the keyboard to work? That seems very inefficient
Pretty sure the screen and the top of the keyboard area on a laptop are well within the field of vision for everyone who doesn't have eyes on the sides of their head. You'll even be fine with those 5" thick bifocals.
Maybe, but without any tactile feedback or set positioning of the icons I can see this being difficult to work with. I use a work laptop every day and you still have look down at the top of the keyboard to s that area. Have to wait and see.
There's a difference between having to move your head and moving your eyes. Do you know people normally move their eyes when looking at the different parts of their screen? This is nothing more than if the screen was slightly extended down by couple of inches. Believe me, it will feel natural.
BTW, AAPL stock indicates the market was iot too impressed with today's preso.
Microsoft was down yesterday and is also down today. I'm guessing this is not really about product announcements. Though with Apple sentiment is so shitty who knows. If my Twitter feed is any indication we're back to 2013 when people were calling for the board to fire Tim Cook.
My daughter wants to upgrade her 13" MBA, so for months I've been telling her to wait for the new MacBook Pros. I'll buy a new one and give her mine. Now I might have to come up with a Plan B. I was hoping to be able to get a 13" MBP with 16 & 512 for $1800. Turns out I was off by $300. Might have to grab yesterday's model when they get discounted instead.
Touch bar looks interesting. I think it will be bery useful for some and only somewhat useful for most. Still I like it. The DJ app was great.
I don't like that Apple couldn't come up with a MagSafe replacement. I realize that with all ports accepting power (good idea) it rules out a special receptacle for a breakaway connector in the unibody. How about coming up with a cord that optionally offers a MagSafe USB-C connector? The cords are separate from the power brick so it would be a minor expense. I guess I'll have to get that ugly Griffin thingy.
I'm a mac user for - gosh - 22 years. I was prepared to be "underwhelmed", instead I find myself utterly disappointed.
Not because the MacBook Pro isn't a great evolutionary machine (I already ordered one), but because it's the ONLY announcement. Seriously, Apple? SERIOUSLY? After all this time of not giving your former core business any loving, THIS is it??
What happened to making the best products? Make it outstanding, or don't make it? Not updating products for year just so obviously lacks dedication and determination to be the best. They just go where the money is. That's not a good strategy. They should take care of their ecosystem, keep niche products alive.
And what pisses me off most of all, is that Apple could EASILY AFFORD to keep their "hobby products" (is that what the Mac is these days?) current. It wouldn't hurt them! They could do it. So I really don't understand it. I'm so f**** frustrated with them. *Sorry*
Comments
Now don't get me wrong, it's it all bad. The new Touch Bar is a great idea (though with a stupid name, too easy to confuse with a touchpad!) Love the implementation and the possibilities it brings.
Also great to get new CPUs in the MacBook Pro who have fallen way behind. The storage speeds seem amazing.
But there is so much they messed up with this new MacBook.
1: The focus is wrong.
It's what... 15% thinner and 20% ligther? WHO CARES?!? It's not a MacBook Air, and we've long gotten past the point of thin enough and light enough.
This is supposed to be a machine for professionals, and I don't know any MBP owner who wouldn't choose longer battery life or something else useful, rather than shave off 2mm of height or 15% weight of a 3 pound laptop.
2: Only 2 ports.
Again, keep in mind that this is supposed to be a machine for professionals. Who on earth approved that the bottom tier model only has 2, that's right: T W O USB ports?!? And these ports are the only one on the machine! Want to hook up your MBP to the Ethernet while it's charging and connected to your phone? Tough, you can't! Not unless you upgrade to a more expensive model.
3: Too few ports.
The bigger models have 4 USB C ports, which is an improvement, but still woefully lacking. What was the point of removing all the old ports from the MBP? Making it a mm or two thinner? As I said: Dumb!
Apple took a machine for professionals, axed all the ports that professional users actually use, and replaced them with only 4. And to make it even worse, they chose a replacement port that 95% of people don't use or have.
So how am I supposed to hook the new MBP up to an Ethernet cable? Or a monitor? Or get sound in and out?
Apples vision of the future is one where people carry around laptop that's 15% lighter. And an extra pound or two of adapters and USB C cables... Dumb!
That phrase is my description of Apple this year. It started with the 12-inch MacBook, then moved to the iPhone 7...
Funny story. Was at a party with everyone plugging their phones in to play music, and the only person who couldn't? The iPhone 7 user, because of course, no headphone jack. Hahaha. No dongle, no play. That sucks.
... and now the new MacBook Pros follow the same ridiculous design philosophy. It's a pro machine that requires a dongle to interact with absolutely anyone and anything. It replaces a machine that has an SD card slot and an HDMI connector as well as two standard USB3s, a headphone jack, and two DisplayPort/Thunderbolt2 connectors, you know, the connectors ACTUAL professionals need and use every day. When you live in the real world, you see how practical having some of those ports really is, especially MagSafe, which has saved my MacBookPro a million times. Instead, Apple continues to indulge Jony Ive's obsession with removing usefulness for thinness. Eventually, the world may catch up to USB-C connectors, or we'll have a different one altogether, or not, but having it as the ONLY connector only forces us to carry more and more dongles at 20 to 40 bucks each. Apple...the Dongle company. The most ironic part of the whole presentation was Phil Schiller having to include VGA in his presentation, not DVI, but VGA, because in the real world, it continues to be ubiquitous, just like headphone jacks.
The new TouchBar is very cool though, and better than expected. I presume they left a model with keys to placate disabled users and those who prefer them. My biggest worry about the TouchBar was addressed and I love the possibilities of it. The positioning is a bit too far from the hand, requiring more effort than with keys or a keyboard, but it would have been too radical to put it in the logical place which would have been in the center row of the keyboard. I'm sure eventually we'll have those rumored e-ink display, configurable keys and other advanced keyboard formats. The current one seems an interesting step in the right direction. We'll see.
Just pondering...
See "Windows Hello". MS has already got this covered.
Kaching
The Touch Bar defines disruption. Look for every keyboard maker on the planet to replicate this in some form or another. Physical function keys are on their deathbed.
Apple has priced themselves out of any non pro market. With a base price of $1800 up through $4300 for a non upgradeable machine with a max of 16GB of RAM is a little nuts. I get the high end and not racing to the low end, but they always had a decent machine in the $1000 range at the base. Now all they have is the years old MacBook Air. Nothing new. Nothing you can ever upgrade and prices beyond the reach of many of their base.
Add in all new ports which means you can't even plug in your brand new iPhone 7 or the headphones that comes with it without dongles.
I mostly agree.
Today's preso reminds on one that Steve did. That one (at the same location, AIR) lasted about an hour, and gave us the iPod Hi-Fi and a leather sleeve for the iPod.
It was obvious, to me, that there were more products planned -- that didn't make the cut.
My first encounter with Steve was at our Sunnyvale Computer Plus Store where I was giving an Apple ][ demo to about 20 people...
This voice yelled out from the back of the group: "You're doing it all wrong!". Then Steve came up and gave the best damn Apple ][ demo I ever saw.
I wouldn't integrate it into the kb -- maybe into the touch pad, but better, IMO an attached iPad Pro with Apple Pencil.
BTW, AAPL stock indicates the market was iot too impressed with today's preso.
Plus, it is way too prices outside of the US – around 30-50% plus on the US prices. Topping up ram to what should be standard 16 GB, and storage to 1 TB, makes it a minimum 3000 USD buy in Europe. Crazy.
I don't like that Apple couldn't come up with a MagSafe replacement. I realize that with all ports accepting power (good idea) it rules out a special receptacle for a breakaway connector in the unibody. How about coming up with a cord that optionally offers a MagSafe USB-C connector? The cords are separate from the power brick so it would be a minor expense. I guess I'll have to get that ugly Griffin thingy.
Not because the MacBook Pro isn't a great evolutionary machine (I already ordered one), but because it's the ONLY announcement. Seriously, Apple? SERIOUSLY? After all this time of not giving your former core business any loving, THIS is it??
What happened to making the best products? Make it outstanding, or don't make it? Not updating products for year just so obviously lacks dedication and determination to be the best. They just go where the money is. That's not a good strategy. They should take care of their ecosystem, keep niche products alive.
And what pisses me off most of all, is that Apple could EASILY AFFORD to keep their "hobby products" (is that what the Mac is these days?) current. It wouldn't hurt them! They could do it. So I really don't understand it. I'm so f**** frustrated with them. *Sorry*