VSzulc

benji888 said:

I don't have a problem with the move to USB-C ports, they are actually multi-functional, including moving power in both directions. Here's a cool dock for USB-C Macs: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/usb-c/owc/usb-c-dock

Ah yes, welcome to Tim Cooks Apple! 

Where the laptops not only get pricier, but also less capable than the ones they replace.

What was that? You actually NEED some of the old ports? No problem!

For only $149, you'll get a dock to permanently place on your desk, and you'll regain the functionality lost when you upgraded to the new model!

Oh, you may also need to bring the 1 lb dock with you everywhere you bring your MBP but hey look at the bright side... Your MacBook weighs 100 grams less!

mike eggleston said:

evilution said:

When 802.11ax and 5G become actual things, Apple will move people onto this project. There is no point having experts sitting around not working on a product so they may as well be improving future products. These people haven't been fired.

This makes more sense. 11ax isn't even close to being ratified, there really isn't anything more you can do to improve on the devices, so why have the team working on that. I think this is a whole lot of hoopla over nothing people. No one got fired, they are just working on something different right now, probably all dealing with networking technologies while we wait for 11ax to come close to ratification.

Also, bear in mind, there is a whole lot of people who like using that ecosystem for their networking because it "just works". From Macs, to Phones, to Pads, and TVs; their system just works. Also, people do use AirPlay a whole lot, unless that has become open sourced, they will not get out of the networking business for that reason alone.

mattinoz said:

VSzulc said:

So... It looks like it's not just Apple's routers that are dead now, they're also killing off TimeMachine/TimeCapsule as a whole.

I just read up on the post about APFS, the new APple File System that is supposed to come out next year, and APFS does not support Directory Links, which is what makes TimeMachine work at all. 

This seriously sucks.

Probable scenario: You upgrade to the next version of OS X, your TimeCapsule will be a $399 door stopper. Apple will sell you iCloud backup for X amount of dollars a month. Since APFS isn't compatible with Directory Links, your old TimeMachine backups are useless.

APFS feature sets makes potential aTime machine version 2 not just a bolt on but native.
its also being designed to scale from watch to MAc pro so could well run on the existing airport hardware. 

I think people are to keen to see doom and gloom and Apple doesn't help this on some fronts. 
Still they are clearly investing a lot of time and money in to data security and movement and add this new rumored move and it seems more a sign of some think significant coming. 

bluefire1 said:

As long as Apple continues to only hire the best, the brightest and the most creative, then everything else is secondary.

jmpmk2 said:

dig48109 said:

What a terrible decision. We buy high end Macbook Pros in our company. We buy lots of them and we max it out with 1TB SSD and a discrete graphics card. (Blah, blah, blah) This is frustrating. We've been stuck at 16GB for too many years. There is no excuse for the top end Macbook Pro (w discrete graphics card) to be limited to 32GB.

I hate to break it to you, but you're in the market for a desktop, not a mobile computing device. You might want to look cool rendering video at Starbucks, but that's not what 99% of consumers are using these devices for. I'm sure these "terrible" decision makers would be happy to point you to a number of iMacs and Mac Pros that are capable of utilizing much more memory.

davidswelt said:

People seem to have a funny perception of "Pro".  I can see that the creative industry will have a lot of devices: external harddrives, a mouse or a digitizer, an extra screen, or photos or video on an SD card.  But all of these are extra devices that need to be carried and are typically more or less personal.  So, you may as well stick an adapter on them.  Or you may carry a universal adapter that has some USB3 ports, an HDMI or VGA out port, and so on.

The rest of us professionals do other things.  We read and write, we compute, we program, we research.  We use specialized software, perhaps.  Data comes in via the internet and Wifi.  That's today's mode of connectivity, and it's been like that for a while.  External mice and keyboards are wireless.  Batteries need to be recharged, but the convenience of not having to mess with cables is nice.  For a permanent desk, why not use a Dock, or a single universal adapter.  One thing to plug in when you sit down.  Who doesn't like that?

Now, the main thing I'm going to miss is an HDMI port.  Pretty much any professional out there will need to give presentations.  I lecture, and I speak publicly -- quite regularly so.  I need a port that connects to projectors.  Now I'm going to need to carry two adapters: a VGA one, and an HDMI one.  I'm going to forget them, and it's going to lead to embarrassment.  But I think it'll be a temporary problem if USB-C is going to establish itself.

I've ordered a high-end MBP 13 for travels and work.  Retaining my older 15" MBP for work at home, and a 5K iMac on my desk at work.  Looking forward!

twa440 said:

Of course there's an increase in revenue. It cost more and gives you less. Ports, battery size, lighted logo, mag safe, extension power cord and no optical audio.