3 ms·

I think the new MBPs are simultaneously trying to a) be all things to all people, and b) push the envelope a little and encourage everyone to adopt USB-C. a) m

I think the new MBPs are simultaneously trying to a) be all things to all people, and b) push the envelope a little and encourage everyone to adopt USB-C. a) means it has to be reasonably powerful, but also thin and light for road warriors. But why is a single device better than a range of device -- really light Air for those who need portability, and a beefy 17" for people who need power? b) is fine as far as it goes, but taking away all the other ports, and doing this in the same machine that ticks all the boxes in part a), just means it's a compromise that's awkward for everyone. If I buy Apple's latest laptop and their latest phone right now, they have different connectors, so I still need the same number of cables as before, I just need a whole set of new ones. If the next iPhone switches to USB-C, that would start to make sense (but then all those Lightning headphones suddenly become obsolete, so that's a bit awkward...) It's not that the new MBPs are really bad, they're just underwhelming. If I needed a new Mac right now I'd be feeling resigned rather than excited about it. (Which is a strange feeling! Who doesn't like getting brand-new Apple kit?)

lmm 10y ago
> a) means it has to be reasonably powerful, but also thin and light for road warriors. But why is a single device better than a range of device -- really light Air for those who need portability, and a beefy 17" for people who need power? Computers are finally powerful enough that they think they can manage both at the same time. Having replaced both my travel netbook and my 18" gaming laptop with a Surface Book, I think they're right.
- iainmerrick 10y ago
  There's something in that, but doesn't segmentation make sense purely from a pricing perspective? There are many people who would love a Mac but don't have a ton of money. Apple don't have to slash prices to meet that demand, the current Air was already doing OK. But they're actually moving in the opposite direction, raising prices. And there are many people who like Macs and are prepared to spend a lot of money on one. Why limit their options to a very narrow range of models? (I guess the cynical answers would be, low-end users aren't worth much, and high-end users will upgrade frequently anyway so there's no need to sell them a machine with headroom for future expansion.)
  - lmm 10y ago
    Well, segmentation or not it's certainly worth making the Pro light and portable if they can achieve that without compromising its power too much. They seem to believe they can, or at least get close enough (I mean perhaps a larger/heavier Pro could have run to 32GB while maintaining acceptable battery life). Whether it would be better to make a cheaper Air than the cheapest new model is a separate question. I'll just say that Apple has always gone the premium route (and the limited-range-of-models route) and there are advantages and disadvantages to that.
pilif 10y ago
> means it has to be reasonably powerful, but also thin and light for road warriors I like a device powerful enough to do development on while still being able to commute with it. And these new machines might finally be the ones to make this possible, so that's great in my book. > If the next iPhone switches to USB-C, that would start to make sense it won't. They want to keep Lightning in order to keep their MFI licensing program going (asking for $4 ish for every unit sold). However, they will quite possibly ship an USB-C to Lightning cable, so existing headphones and friends keep working - you'll just be able to connect your phone directly. This cable already exists (http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightning-cable-1-m http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightni... - priced outrageously, of course), btw, so you don't need an ugly dongle to connect an iPhone.
- iainmerrick 10y ago
  I like a device powerful enough to do development on while still being able to commute with it. Me too! So despite my complaints, this direction is probably OK for me (except they're getting even more ridiculously expensive). All this business with overpriced adapters and dongles still makes me more resigned than excited, though. I'm going to give it at least a year before upgrading. I assume by that point, the MBP will be more or less the same, just missing the headphone jack. :)

lmm 10y ago

> a) means it has to be reasonably powerful, but also thin and light for road warriors. But why is a single device better than a range of device -- really light Air for those who need portability, and a beefy 17" for people who need power? Computers are finally powerful enough that they think they can manage both at the same time. Having replaced both my travel netbook and my 18" gaming laptop with a Surface Book, I think they're right.

iainmerrick 10y ago
There's something in that, but doesn't segmentation make sense purely from a pricing perspective? There are many people who would love a Mac but don't have a ton of money. Apple don't have to slash prices to meet that demand, the current Air was already doing OK. But they're actually moving in the opposite direction, raising prices. And there are many people who like Macs and are prepared to spend a lot of money on one. Why limit their options to a very narrow range of models? (I guess the cynical answers would be, low-end users aren't worth much, and high-end users will upgrade frequently anyway so there's no need to sell them a machine with headroom for future expansion.)
- lmm 10y ago
  Well, segmentation or not it's certainly worth making the Pro light and portable if they can achieve that without compromising its power too much. They seem to believe they can, or at least get close enough (I mean perhaps a larger/heavier Pro could have run to 32GB while maintaining acceptable battery life). Whether it would be better to make a cheaper Air than the cheapest new model is a separate question. I'll just say that Apple has always gone the premium route (and the limited-range-of-models route) and there are advantages and disadvantages to that.

pilif 10y ago

> means it has to be reasonably powerful, but also thin and light for road warriors I like a device powerful enough to do development on while still being able to commute with it. And these new machines might finally be the ones to make this possible, so that's great in my book. > If the next iPhone switches to USB-C, that would start to make sense it won't. They want to keep Lightning in order to keep their MFI licensing program going (asking for $4 ish for every unit sold). However, they will quite possibly ship an USB-C to Lightning cable, so existing headphones and friends keep working - you'll just be able to connect your phone directly. This cable already exists (http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightning-cable-1-m http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0X2AM/A/usb-c-to-lightni... - priced outrageously, of course), btw, so you don't need an ugly dongle to connect an iPhone.

iainmerrick 10y ago
I like a device powerful enough to do development on while still being able to commute with it. Me too! So despite my complaints, this direction is probably OK for me (except they're getting even more ridiculously expensive). All this business with overpriced adapters and dongles still makes me more resigned than excited, though. I'm going to give it at least a year before upgrading. I assume by that point, the MBP will be more or less the same, just missing the headphone jack. :)