Seven new MacBook & MacBook Pro models on the way

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 56
    DuhSesameDuhSesame Posts: 1,278member
    Don't forget that the Mac Pro only has two USB-A for Apple's configuration.
  • Reply 42 of 56
    DuhSesame said:
    Don't forget that the Mac Pro only has two USB-A for Apple's configuration.
    I stopped buying anything USB-A over a year ago and replaced all of my USB-A cables with USB-C cables (USB-x to USB-C). TB/USB 4 is using the same connector so the writing is on the wall. Apple should probably keep at least one USB-A connector on desktop models but stay USB-C for everything else. I just wish the USB-C ports were labeled better industry wide. Apple keeps it simple for the most part with all TB3 ports when using a USB-C connector.
  • Reply 43 of 56
    henrybayhenrybay Posts: 144member
    Let’s hope these new MacBooks have a keyboard with adequate KEY TRAVEL so we don’t have to pound our fingers on concrete - which is how the current butterfly keyboard feels. 
    chemengin1
  • Reply 44 of 56
    henrybay said:
    Let’s hope these new MacBooks have a keyboard with adequate KEY TRAVEL so we don’t have to pound our fingers on concrete - which is how the current butterfly keyboard feels. 
    I've always been amazing at how hard some people type. Probably a carryover from manual and electric typewriters. In any case, I like the old keyboard too.
    henrybay
  • Reply 45 of 56
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    Yup, vi.
  • Reply 46 of 56
    PylonsPylons Posts: 32member
    henrybay said:
    Let’s hope these new MacBooks have a keyboard with adequate KEY TRAVEL so we don’t have to pound our fingers on concrete - which is how the current butterfly keyboard feels. 
    I've always been amazing at how hard some people type. Probably a carryover from manual and electric typewriters. In any case, I like the old keyboard too.
    For me it’s not at all about typing hard.
    It’s just that the lack of tactile response in the butterfly keys makes me type many more mistakes, so I have to compensate by typing slower. In contrast, Apple’s keys from 2012-2015 were fantastic in my opinion.
    edited June 2019 henrybay
  • Reply 47 of 56
    apres587apres587 Posts: 51member
    matrix077 said:
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    One of the better Touch Bar implementation is physical ESC key. :D
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    I like to rest my fingers on the keyboard as I read and type. Its a habit developed over the past 30 years as a developer. I just upgraded from a mid-2012 MBP and now I'm always touching the ESC "key" with my ring finger.  I'm trying to retrain myself, but old habits ...

    Apple could add a physical ESC button like the power and touch ID button which is flush with the Touch Bar.  It would still be visually clean and aesthetically pleasing.  And it would be customizable to enable/disable touch.  Then everyone would have the type of ESC key they prefer (physical vs virtual).
  • Reply 48 of 56
    tht said:
    chasm said:

    2. Even if that “16-inch” rumour turns out to be true, everyone understands that that’s just the 15-inch MBP with a thinner bezel, right? I would expect this year’s MBP updates to be minor spec bumps and possibly thinner bezels, not much more than that. I’m guessing that we won’t see a major redesign of the MBP before 2020.
    "Just"?  Isn't a 16-inch screen crammed into the same form factor as a 15-inch screen laptop exactly what one would want?  Or are there people hoping that a 16-inch MBP would be a little wider and heavier than a 15"?
    What if the rumored 16" MBP is kind of like the new Mac Pro-- in that they throw everything in there people have been clamoring for since the end of the non-touch bar MBPs? Make the thing thicker so it's less thermally constrained and there's a larger battery, and give it basically the same complement of ports (and SD slot!) that the old 15" MBP used to have (in addition to at least four TB3 ports). Taper it a bit like the MacBook Airs if need be to disguise some of the extra girth if need be, but even if it's just loud and proud about the thickness Apple could probably charge an arm and a leg and people would buy it (after much kvetching no doubt). Total fantasy this is I'm sure, but it's fun to dream.
    Yeah, but will we be able to afford it? ;)

    16.5” miniLED
    Xeon E 6-core (up to 8-core)
    Vega 20 w/4 GB (up to Vega 30 with 8 GB)
    16 GB ECC RAM (up to 128 GB)
    512 GB SSD (up to 4 TB)
    4 TB3, 2 USBA, HDMI, SD Card
    Audio out/in

    $4000 starting price. Would people buy it?


    I'm pretty sure Xeons draw too much power for any kind of laptop, regardless of thickness, but otherwise- yeah I like these specs. 4k base price sounds about right too. Oh, upgradable RAM and SSD too please!
  • Reply 49 of 56
    jdiamondjdiamond Posts: 122member
    matrix077 said:
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    One of the better Touch Bar implementation is physical ESC key. :D
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    How do you exit full screen mode?  (Genuinely curious.)

  • Reply 49 of 56
    matrix077 said:
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    One of the better Touch Bar implementation is physical ESC key. :D
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    Same reason people like number pads.
  • Reply 49 of 56
    tht said:
    chasm said:

    2. Even if that “16-inch” rumour turns out to be true, everyone understands that that’s just the 15-inch MBP with a thinner bezel, right? I would expect this year’s MBP updates to be minor spec bumps and possibly thinner bezels, not much more than that. I’m guessing that we won’t see a major redesign of the MBP before 2020.
    "Just"?  Isn't a 16-inch screen crammed into the same form factor as a 15-inch screen laptop exactly what one would want?  Or are there people hoping that a 16-inch MBP would be a little wider and heavier than a 15"?
    What if the rumored 16" MBP is kind of like the new Mac Pro-- in that they throw everything in there people have been clamoring for since the end of the non-touch bar MBPs? Make the thing thicker so it's less thermally constrained and there's a larger battery, and give it basically the same complement of ports (and SD slot!) that the old 15" MBP used to have (in addition to at least four TB3 ports). Taper it a bit like the MacBook Airs if need be to disguise some of the extra girth if need be, but even if it's just loud and proud about the thickness Apple could probably charge an arm and a leg and people would buy it (after much kvetching no doubt). Total fantasy this is I'm sure, but it's fun to dream.
    Yeah, but will we be able to afford it? ;)

    16.5” miniLED
    Xeon E 6-core (up to 8-core)
    Vega 20 w/4 GB (up to Vega 30 with 8 GB)
    16 GB ECC RAM (up to 128 GB)
    512 GB SSD (up to 4 TB)
    4 TB3, 2 USBA, HDMI, SD Card
    Audio out/in

    $4000 starting price. Would people buy it?


    I'm pretty sure Xeons draw too much power for any kind of laptop, regardless of thickness, but otherwise- yeah I like these specs. 4k base price sounds about right too. Oh, upgradable RAM and SSD too please!
  • Reply 49 of 56
    jdiamondjdiamond Posts: 122member
    matrix077 said:
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    One of the better Touch Bar implementation is physical ESC key. :D
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    How do you exit full screen mode?  (Genuinely curious.)

  • Reply 49 of 56
    adept1adept1 Posts: 9member
    matrix077 said:
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    One of the better Touch Bar implementation is physical ESC key. :D
    Why do people clamber for a return of the ESC key?  I've had a Touch Bar MacBook Pro for years now and I have never felt this loss.  Perhaps because I haven't touched vi in 5+ years?
    I tend to rest my left pinkie on the Touch Bar and accidentally activate things. Honestly the Touch Bar is totally useless for me, and I too prefer the physical buttons. Unfortunately if you don't want a Touch Bar, you also have to make other sacrifices. My daughter needs a new computer for school soon and she'll be getting a MacBook Air. No Touch Bar but has Touch ID. Perfect.
  • Reply 54 of 56
    PylonsPylons Posts: 32member
    Yeah, but will we be able to afford it? ;)

    16.5” miniLED
    Xeon E 6-core (up to 8-core)
    Vega 20 w/4 GB (up to Vega 30 with 8 GB)
    16 GB ECC RAM (up to 128 GB)
    512 GB SSD (up to 4 TB)
    4 TB3, 2 USBA, HDMI, SD Card
    Audio out/in

    $4000 starting price. Would people buy it?
    I'm pretty sure Xeons draw too much power for any kind of laptop, regardless of thickness, but otherwise- yeah I like these specs. 4k base price sounds about right too. Oh, upgradable RAM and SSD too please!
    There are mobile Xeons since Skylake. Newest ones are Coffee Lake-H.
    I think a potential MBP could mainly use Xeon as a marketing factor to justify a higher price. Otherwise the main difference from high-end i7/i9 is that Xeon has ECC memory support, which is most often not useful in a mobile workstation anyway.
    (ECC is very useful in servers and workstations where large datasets (e.g. geospatial, biomedical or databases) or even cache for filesystems (e.g. ZFS) can be stored in RAM without risking corruption. The low number of memory slots in laptops plus the intermittent power cycles of laptops limits such use cases. That said I think there are still a few CAD apps and such that mandate ECC, so that could potentially be a market.)
  • Reply 55 of 56
    DuhSesameDuhSesame Posts: 1,278member

    DuhSesame said:
    What Apple needs to do with their MacBook lineup:

    1. Kill off the Retina 12" MacBook. In a world where a faster MacBook Air with a 13.3" inch screen exists, there is no reason for this thing to still be in the ecosystem, especially considering it hasn't been updated in 2 years. 

    2. Rebrand the 13" MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar as the MacBook. When I see the word MacBook without a trailing Air or Pro, I think of something that's slightly heavier and more powerful than the Air, but not quite as powerful as the Pro with Touch Bar, which is exactly what it is as of right now, though it could use some soec bumps to remain relevant, since it also hasn't been updated in 2 years.

    3. Everybody keeps talking about Apple bringing a 16-16.5" MacBook Pro with a nearly bezel-less design sometime next year, and I'm here thinking "Y'all do remember that Apple used to have a 17" MacBook Pro, right?" I say bring *that* back with a Retina 4K screen, and with a slightly larger battery, so they can double or even quadruple the memory capacity, especially if the current 15" model has two SODIMM slots with soldered modules. Samsung has 32 GB ECC SODIMM modules in the works, so if they can double that to 4 slots in a larger Logicboard, then they could easily give us a mobile i9 with 128 GB of RAM or better yet,  a mobile Xeon with 128 GB of ECC RAM. Maybe bump up that Vega 20 to something better with 8 or even 16 GB of HBM2 VRAM. Other laptop manfacturers (Dell and Lenovo come to mind) have 17" pro notebooks that are beefier than their 15" counterparts, it's time Apple did the same. 
    1. Why kill off something that’s quiet and fan-less with a bulkier & noisier design?

     3. 4K is overkill by Apple’s standard and power hungry, you might see PPI goes up with OLED but not that much.  That said, having 16” will make 17” rather pointless, judging by the rumor earlier, that’s probably where they’re heading.

    LPDDR4 does have ECC built-in: https://www.micron.com/about/blog/2017/february/the-advantage-of-ecc-dram-in-smartphones
    OLED uses less power right? I suspect they just bump up the display to a 16" edge-to-edge OLED if they wanted to use the same form factor as the current 15" model. That's the most gain for the least amount of effort, right? Increase the display size without having to redesign the case to accommodate a bigger battery. Either that or they go 17" full MacPro style starting at $5000!
    It depends, but more pixel still means more power even for OLED, the reason that most laptops using 4K is it costs less than non-standard resolutions.

     commentzilla said:
    macdoofus said:
    When do we expect these will be available to order? "Apple is planning to launch products in the coming months, or even sooner." whoa, I looked before posting. Hmm, Sooner? I shall delay my iMac order as an updated laptop would suit me....if affordable (lol)
    The usually updated them the same time every year: Jun-ish (developers conference), Nov-ish (before Xmas) and now some small bump a few months after the 1st of the year (quite spec bump). I suspect the next round of updates will be Nov-ish.

    A side note. There are certainly improvements that can be made when is comes to improving the internal specifications, but I doubt the external industrial design of the MBP will change much even with a move to ARM which is probably years off. Other than an edge-to-edge display or fiddling with the keyboard internals or removing the touch bar, the MBP is basically going to stay the same visually with 4x Thunderbolt ports. If anything, Apple would double down on the minimalism of the design if they could.
    Remember they just tested out their 4+8-core chips earlier this year?  It beats out the i9-8950HK.
    edited June 2019
  • Reply 56 of 56
    dm3dm3 Posts: 168member
    Wgkrueger said:
    Pylons said:
    Looking forward! Crossing fingers for models with more key travel and without Touch Bar, but I'm not holding my breath.
    Has anyone kept track in the past of how long time has elapsed from these database listings to actual product launches? (Yes, the article states "in the coming months, or even sooner", but I was thinking of a table or statistical analysis.)
    Shouldn’t you be hoping for a better Touch Bar implementation?
    The better Touch Bar is no Touch Bar. The concept is fatally flawed. The screen on a device intended for muscle memory physical contact and feedback where you specifically don't have to see what you're doing. The "screen" is where you're supposed to look. Adding a touchscreen to a keyboard is antithetical to the value of a physical keyboard. 
    Pylons
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