The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
Only 1-3% of Mac owners in the mid 2000s ever touched the machines' insides. The data was collected by Appleinsider. Majority of people want machines to be more integrated, as this allows for machines to be less error prone & more robust.
Most people rarely use the AWD/4WD systems of their SUVs but I do not see them being removed. Likewise, I have no use for stupid paddle shifters but my last 3 cars have been plagued with them. I would venture to guess that most people with sunroofs rarely, if ever, use them.
In terms of Macs, most people never touch Automator, iMovie, Game Center, Boot Camp, Disk Utility, MIDI Setup, etc. I would like to see how many Mac laptop users use the gizmo bar or the Touch ID system. Same for Emoji/Animoji.
By your logic they should be dropped and those that want them are elitists.
Only 1-3% of Mac owners in the mid 2000s ever touched the machines' insides. The data was collected by Appleinsider. Majority of people want machines to be more integrated, as this allows for machines to be less error prone & more robust.
Most people rarely use the AWD/4WD systems of their SUVs but I do not see them being removed. Likewise, I have no use for stupid paddle shifters but my last 3 cars have been plagued with them. I would venture to guess that most people with sunroofs rarely, if ever, use them.
In terms of Macs, most people never touch Automator, iMovie, Game Center, Boot Camp, Disk Utility, MIDI Setup, etc. I would like to see how many Mac laptop users use the gizmo bar or the Touch ID system. Same for Emoji/Animoji.
By your logic they should be dropped and those that want them are elitists.
Apple has the metrics. If enough people didn’t use the Macs utility tools , Apple will get rid of them. Same with hardware.
Only 1-3% of Mac owners in the mid 2000s ever touched the machines' insides. The data was collected by Appleinsider. Majority of people want machines to be more integrated, as this allows for machines to be less error prone & more robust.
Most people rarely use the AWD/4WD systems of their SUVs but I do not see them being removed. Likewise, I have no use for stupid paddle shifters but my last 3 cars have been plagued with them. I would venture to guess that most people with sunroofs rarely, if ever, use them.
In terms of Macs, most people never touch Automator, iMovie, Game Center, Boot Camp, Disk Utility, MIDI Setup, etc. I would like to see how many Mac laptop users use the gizmo bar or the Touch ID system. Same for Emoji/Animoji.
By your logic they should be dropped and those that want them are elitists.
You're failing to comprehend need v want in your less-than-stellar analogy. Just like most people rarely connect an external display to their notebook you're likely to never see a notebook that doesn't offer support for an external display because it's something that could be used during very specific instances for all users and often used for very specific users. This is why you likely find an new off-road vehicle being sold without even a donut spare, but you can absolutely find plenty fo sedans (especially lower-end models) being sold without a spare.
Now, if you want to argue that Toyota could sell their Land Cruiser as a FW 2WD vehicle without having a realistic impact on sales than I beg you to attempt that argument, but I don't think you can do it, but Apple soldering some components in their devices is going to make about as much a dent in their revenue stream as a fornicating lovebug (Plecia nearctica) does to my Land Crosier.
If you try to claim this is about security, then you go that route, but then you'd also have to be willing to state that you'd never use an iPhone or iPad because they also have their NAND soldered to the system. Personally, I kind of miss the amount of tinkering I could do with old tech but I also don't want the lack of security, higher rate of failure, and worse engineering to accompany it. If you want to tinker or have some anal level of control over your components, like hand picking your NAND chips that you solder to an SSD control that you wrote then you go write ahead and do that, but don't expect you're either someone Apple wants to cater to or will be hurt by you jumping to a Raspberry Pi.
“Please make your own laptops or desktops or go to another brand.” Most that invested every penny in Apple that Cook et al. can ever touch, know better than the current Board what they want in a laptop based on the state of the art. And don’t need arrogant and spurious instructions that are just as nonsensical as shortsighted. You don’t even have the faintest idea how many at some point will want to upgrade their measly or malfunctioning 128Gb SSD
Apple is not making commodity priced things. There are plenty of external storage options & 3rd party companies that you can get commodity priced computers from.
Right - because carrying around and external hard drive (and having it drain the battery) is exactly why people buy a laptop.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
“Please make your own laptops or desktops or go to another brand.” Most that invested every penny in Apple that Cook et al. can ever touch, know better than the current Board what they want in a laptop based on the state of the art. And don’t need arrogant and spurious instructions that are just as nonsensical as shortsighted. You don’t even have the faintest idea how many at some point will want to upgrade their measly or malfunctioning 128Gb SSD
Apple is not making commodity priced things. There are plenty of external storage options & 3rd party companies that you can get commodity priced computers from.
Derailing someone who expects premium functionality from an over-premium priced laptop to a commodity brand is just hilarious. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Contrary to what Tim Dongle and yourself seem to think, the whole concept of mobility is NOT carrying around bags with dongles, external disks, accessoiries and crap
Yeah carrying 100s of gigs of non system data on an internal drive isn’t smart either. If you want total mobility with the base storage you have iCloud storage, Google drive & other solutions as well.External hdds are the cheapest & expandable .
In the real world, your workplace may impose a profile that prevents you using iCloud or similar cloud storage
In the real world, no matter how much you tell your kids to do otherwise, they use USB sticks instead to store their assignments and other important working documents.
In the real world, what may seem sufficient this year is insufficient next year.
in the real world, having to upgrade the whole computer rather than a just the part that could be easily built as replaceable is not environmentally conscious, no matter how much they pretend to be.
“Please make your own laptops or desktops or go to another brand.” Most that invested every penny in Apple that Cook et al. can ever touch, know better than the current Board what they want in a laptop based on the state of the art. And don’t need arrogant and spurious instructions that are just as nonsensical as shortsighted. You don’t even have the faintest idea how many at some point will want to upgrade their measly or malfunctioning 128Gb SSD
Apple is not making commodity priced things. There are plenty of external storage options & 3rd party companies that you can get commodity priced computers from.
Derailing someone who expects premium functionality from an over-premium priced laptop to a commodity brand is just hilarious. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Contrary to what Tim Dongle and yourself seem to think, the whole concept of mobility is NOT carrying around bags with dongles, external disks, accessoiries and crap
Yeah carrying 100s of gigs of non system data on an internal drive isn’t smart either. If you want total mobility with the base storage you have iCloud storage, Google drive & other solutions as well.External hdds are the cheapest & expandable .
In the real world, your workplace may impose a profile that prevents you using iCloud or similar cloud storage
In the real world, no matter how much you tell your kids to do otherwise, they use USB sticks instead to store their assignments and other important working documents.
In the real world, what may seem sufficient this year is insufficient next year.
in the real world, having to upgrade the whole computer rather than a just the part that could be easily built as replaceable is not environmentally conscious, no matter how much they pretend to be.
In the real world, you should consider your current and future needs and then buy the tool that suits those needs best.
In the real world, you shouldn't argue that a vendor shouldn't offer products simply because they don't suit your needs.
“Please make your own laptops or desktops or go to another brand.” Most that invested every penny in Apple that Cook et al. can ever touch, know better than the current Board what they want in a laptop based on the state of the art. And don’t need arrogant and spurious instructions that are just as nonsensical as shortsighted. You don’t even have the faintest idea how many at some point will want to upgrade their measly or malfunctioning 128Gb SSD
Apple is not making commodity priced things. There are plenty of external storage options & 3rd party companies that you can get commodity priced computers from.
Derailing someone who expects premium functionality from an over-premium priced laptop to a commodity brand is just hilarious. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
Contrary to what Tim Dongle and yourself seem to think, the whole concept of mobility is NOT carrying around bags with dongles, external disks, accessoiries and crap
Yeah carrying 100s of gigs of non system data on an internal drive isn’t smart either. If you want total mobility with the base storage you have iCloud storage, Google drive & other solutions as well.External hdds are the cheapest & expandable .
In the real world, your workplace may impose a profile that prevents you using iCloud or similar cloud storage
In the real world, no matter how much you tell your kids to do otherwise, they use USB sticks instead to store their assignments and other important working documents.
In the real world, what may seem sufficient this year is insufficient next year.
in the real world, having to upgrade the whole computer rather than a just the part that could be easily built as replaceable is not environmentally conscious, no matter how much they pretend to be.
In the real world, you should consider your current and future needs and then buy the tool that suits those needs best.
In the real world, you shouldn't argue that a vendor shouldn't offer products simply because they don't suit your needs.
In the real world, finances are limited and MacBooks are very expensive and hard drive upgrades are overpriced. Many people will want or need to opt fo the smaller hard drive.
In the real world, knowing what will be necessary in 4 years can be next to impossible
In the real world, consumers buy products that fit their needs. If the only manufacturer of Mac hardware doesn’t make such products that suit the needs of s significant number of people, it’s perfectly valid to ask why
The 99% of users who couldn't care less about upgrading should not compromise for the sake of upgradability for a few users. Apple is simply listening to its customers.
Banging away furiously at your keyboard on forums won't change anything. If you don't like, there's always the plastic Windows alternatives from Dell et al.
It's not just upgraders. It's users whose computers go bad and need repair. Without a removable SSD, that data is lost if the motherboard goes bad; repair stations cannot swap that SSD into another computer to save the data. If the memory goes bad, the owner is suddenly paying for an entirely new motherboard instead of a cheap DIMM module.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The MBP has 4 FOUR Thunderbolt 3 ports. Since TB3 means that's it's not limited to a VGA, DVI, or other video-limited port it means there are 4 ports that can do video. It also means there are 4 ports that can do power, 4 ports that can do data, and on and on. If you really don't know what Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C are capable of you really should read up on it. We're living in the future it's quite glorious compared to lamenting about the days of data types never having to share. I certainly don't miss the days of ADC and parallel. These notebooks are the most versatile Mac notebooks Apple has ever created, not to mention having the fastest I/O, both internally and externally.
No, I meant the silly claim "nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%." Saying it as a statement of fact doesn't make it so and I learned a long time ago that people who pump out random percentage numbers are only trying to backup a claim they are unsure of or just trying to sound smart.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
Anand estimates that the power draw of the bridge board is 700 mW. In other words...meaningless.
The power and size delta of an external nvme drive enclosure is extremely small. Your objection is stupid.
In any case, most that need more space than what comes internally on a MBP use external drives anyway. Video takes TB...the SSD in my camera is 2TB. A single event will burn through 0.5 TB using ProRes. For work, our scientific datasets are also a TB in range. And I need more than one so I have an assortment of larger 4TB+ HDD drives and smaller 1TB SSD.
The “Pro” designation no longer applies to the MacBook line. They’re all student computers now.
If you'r talking about the entry-level 13" MBP with the 1.4Ghz processors, I would tend to agree. Not so with the rest of the MBP lineup.
The design and engineering reversal (for the better) that Apple made with the Mac Pro needs to happen throughout the MacBook Pro line. More connections, more expandability.
The current MacBook Pro has more connections than any other Mac laptop ever released. And, nobody really cares about upgrading their Mac except the .00001%.
Care to back up that number with a source or did you pull it out of thin air in a vein attempt to make a point?
The sources I’ve seen show that the average replacement cycle for desktop have doubled to 6 years while laptops increased to 4.
What this means is that most folks replace rather than update laptops so while 0.0001% number may be hyperbolic your objection is stupid. The need to update your laptop in a 4 year average replacement cycle is very minimal.
So: no option to ever replace or upgrade the memory or SSD and the battery is glued in place. Keyboard is still questionable for longevity.
Extending the useable life of these will not be what Macs were once known for. (Speaking as a Mac owner since 1992).
If one’s expectation is to replace your laptop every 3-4 years, I guess that is ok, but a distinctive of the Macs of the past was their usable life.
The fact that you've been using Macs since 1992 doesn't mean you are representative of the user base. As someone has already pointed out, the percentage of people who open up their Macs is microscopic. The 99% of users who couldn't care less about upgrading should not compromise for the sake of upgradability for a few users. Apple is simply listening to its customers.
Banging away furiously at your keyboard on forums won't change anything. If you don't like, there's always the plastic Windows alternatives from Dell et al.
People with 10 year computer replacement cycles are barely in the ecosystem. They certainly aren't a demographic worth worrying about.
In the 27 years since 1992 that's two maybe three units.
In that time, I’ve had 21 different Macs, with 4 in the house currently used daily. I never alluded to a 10 year upgrade cycle. The oldest in use currently is a 2012 MacBook Air used by one of our kids as a hand-me-down. The newest Mac currently being 2 years old. Being able to upgrade a Mini to SSD for example allowed it to remain highly useable. I’ve owned high end, entry level, and mid range across all those years and in every form factor offered by Apple.
It can be said “maybe you aren’t the major demographic” of a current Mac owner, but that doesn’t mean that Apple can’t at least still allow memory, battery and storage to be replaceable by an owner. Many of these owners of Macs do repairs on their homes for example. Why restrict them from easy updates to their computer?
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In terms of Macs, most people never touch Automator, iMovie, Game Center, Boot Camp, Disk Utility, MIDI Setup, etc. I would like to see how many Mac laptop users use the gizmo bar or the Touch ID system. Same for Emoji/Animoji.
By your logic they should be dropped and those that want them are elitists.
128GB -> 256GB = $200
Cost to Buy
Samsung 1TB NVMe PCIe M.2 = $170
I’m not sure how Apple’s math works, charging people 8x more. MacOS has value, but there’s a reason I’ve never owned a MacBook...
I’m hoping someday a MacBook is sold through a wireless provider, but currently no MacBook has LTE...
That 12” MacBook 8GB/256GB for $850 (Best Buy) would have been perfect (or $1000 w/LTE). I paid that for my last iPad...
I’m willing to give MacOS a try, but can’t stomach getting ripped off.
Now, if you want to argue that Toyota could sell their Land Cruiser as a FW 2WD vehicle without having a realistic impact on sales than I beg you to attempt that argument, but I don't think you can do it, but Apple soldering some components in their devices is going to make about as much a dent in their revenue stream as a fornicating lovebug (Plecia nearctica) does to my Land Crosier.
If you try to claim this is about security, then you go that route, but then you'd also have to be willing to state that you'd never use an iPhone or iPad because they also have their NAND soldered to the system. Personally, I kind of miss the amount of tinkering I could do with old tech but I also don't want the lack of security, higher rate of failure, and worse engineering to accompany it. If you want to tinker or have some anal level of control over your components, like hand picking your NAND chips that you solder to an SSD control that you wrote then you go write ahead and do that, but don't expect you're either someone Apple wants to cater to or will be hurt by you jumping to a Raspberry Pi.
But, yes to you. I'm well aware of the ports & I/O on the MBP - I'm typing on a high-spec'd 15" right now.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13510/mydigitalssd-m2x-usb-to-nvme-storage-bridge-review/3
That’s dominated by the power draw of the drive itself:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13761/the-samsung-970-evo-plus-ssd-review/9
Anand estimates that the power draw of the bridge board is 700 mW. In other words...meaningless.
The power and size delta of an external nvme drive enclosure is extremely small. Your objection is stupid.
In any case, most that need more space than what comes internally on a MBP use external drives anyway. Video takes TB...the SSD in my camera is 2TB. A single event will burn through 0.5 TB using ProRes. For work, our scientific datasets are also a TB in range. And I need more than one so I have an assortment of larger 4TB+ HDD drives and smaller 1TB SSD.
The sources I’ve seen show that the average replacement cycle for desktop have doubled to 6 years while laptops increased to 4.
https://www.channelpronetwork.com/article/demise-3-year-pc-refresh-cycle
What this means is that most folks replace rather than update laptops so while 0.0001% number may be hyperbolic your objection is stupid. The need to update your laptop in a 4 year average replacement cycle is very minimal.
It can be said “maybe you aren’t the major demographic” of a current Mac owner, but that doesn’t mean that Apple can’t at least still allow memory, battery and storage to be replaceable by an owner. Many of these owners of Macs do repairs on their homes for example. Why restrict them from easy updates to their computer?