6 ms·

Apple Confirms It's Working on an Ultra-Powerful Mac Pro Update

11 points by simula67 9y ago

geophile 9y ago
Oh fuck, just give me a decent keyboard on the MBP. Is that so much to ask?
- sallyfour 9y ago
  i really like the new mbp keyboard
  - cdolan 9y ago
    I assume you aren't kidding and I'm curious to hear why you like it, as I personally do not like it and its very unpopular.
    - SpikeDad 9y ago
      I find it disheartening that people here who I expect to have a wider view of commentary by online folks would think that just because there are some complaints that it's an actual issue. I also have a 2016 MBP with tb and it's the best hardware I've ever used (and that covers hardware since the Apple ][). The TB is very innovative and handy and the keyboard is pretty good. People who don't have issues just don't post - the few that do are not a representative sample.
  - Helloworldboy 9y ago
    So do I. Not sure why people dislike it so much.
- cdolan 9y ago
  and good I/O ports. I can't hook these new things up to a TV or projector without a fleet of adaptors.
  - exabrial 9y ago
    Exactly. A "Pro" laptop for use by "Pro"fessionals needs I/O like gig-e, USB3, USBC, HDMI, Thunderbolt, SD reader and an excellent DAC for the headphone jack. And I still miss the 17" macbook pro :( I miss the days where there was a separate line for consumers/professionals. A lineup of slightly thicker laptops with I/O for days and a lineup of thin-light for students and the light would be ideal. But instead we'll get touchbar 2.0. yee yee.
    - cdolan 9y ago
      Man the 17" pro was like a table lol. It was a beast though, the screen at the time was top notch
    - jeroen 9y ago
      I still do all my work on a 17" MBP. It's 6 years old now, and I fear the day I will need to replace it.
- atonse 9y ago
  I like the feel of the new keyboards but I've heard that they're much less reliable. (keys get stuck with the smallest of debris). And since Apple's obsessed with integrating everything now, you have to replace the entire assembly for a stuck key, which costs something like $500. And that's an absolutely ridiculous tradeoff and the epitome of "form over function" I don't have one but my wife's new laptop has the keyboard. I really hope we don't have to deal with that.
  - wlesieutre 9y ago
    Friend with a 15" MBP just went through it this week. Shift key got stuck in the down position. He took it to an authorized service center and the solution was to replace the entire top case assembly. That includes the case, keyboard, touchbar, trackpad, battery, and I'm not sure what else. It's out of stock on PowerBookMedic, but their price on this part is $800. Eight. Hundred. Dollars. For a single broken key. This is insane. I have a 13" version and I'm very concerned. I've got Apple Care but I'm careful with my laptops and I expect them to last more than 3 years. http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-15-w--Touch-Bar-Top-Case-with-Battery-Late-2016-Space-Gray-p-133625.html http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-15-w--Touch-Bar-To...
    - atonse 9y ago
      We got AppleCare for exactly this reason. But I'm not even sure it's covered. Her past laptop was $1,100 (2010 MacBook Air) and lasted 7 years. If this one ($1,500) doesn't last that long, it'll be a waste of money.
      - wlesieutre 9y ago
        Similar boat, my previous laptop was a 2011 MacBook Air, the one before that I think was 2006. FWIW my friend's replacement was covered. Not sure how much of that is the shop's judgement on "well you shouldn't have gotten dust in it."
  - rorski 9y ago
    Can confirm, I got a new MBP 15" about 6 months ago through work. The right side of the space bar doesn't work and the 'a' and 's' key alternate in not working without having to slam my finger into them. Also the keyboard is so obnoxiously loud that it can be genuinely annoying to others in the same room (i.e., the girlfriend). And let's not even get into the "Touch Bar". Just stay away.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  I find ironic that I need to use Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, because Apple don't do them anymore.
cdolan 9y ago
I happened to write an email to Tim & Phil today (or whomever reads those public addresses) saying: - My maxed out 2012 rMBP is going to be obsolete soon. - The laptops available have unsatisfactory trackpads and keyboards. - Those same laptops have poor I/O for professional use cases. - There is no reasonable desktop solution either (I don't consider Late 2017 iMac Pro to be as good of an answer as a 2003 Mac Tower design with upgradable components, or just a custom Windows PC). If they continue to sacrifice sleek design and limited I/O on laptops, and provide what I think is a lackluster long-term desktop solution, I have no clue what I'll buy when this machine bites the dust (someday)
- pjmlp 9y ago
  They are still quite powerful for doing Objective-C and Swift related development, the developer audience Apple cares about.
  - cdolan 9y ago
    That may be true, but what about the millions of laptops Apple sells to other professionals? Limiting the scope of Apple's pro laptops to developers is really excluding a big part of the pie. Google, Tesla, Facebook, and tens of thousands of other businesses purchased the 2012-2015 rMBP form factor for a reason - its a great laptop. The number of people who use the laptop that do not code in Swift far outnumber the number who do code Swift. Still, a greater number use Macbooks casually, and I'm sure the standard Macbooks are great for home and recreational use. To clarify, my focus is on a professional use found in a standard business setting.
    - greglindahl 9y ago
      As a non-Swift-using professional programmer who loves Macs because they're a lot like Unix and nothing like Windows, the latest MacBook(Pro)? laptops are great. All the complaining about things that don't really matter is pretty tiresome.
- Helloworldboy 9y ago
  Sounds like Apple computers just aren't for you then and you should switch to some other hardware. Personally I love my 2017 MBP, the keyboard, trackpad, and USB-C ports.
SloopJon 9y ago
Neither Apple's statement nor Fortune's article about the statement contains the words "ultra-powerful." Here's the entire statement, taken from the end of the iMac Pro press release: "In addition to the new iMac Pro, Apple is working on a completely redesigned, next-generation Mac Pro architected for pro customers who need the highest performance, high-throughput system in a modular, upgradeable design, as well as a new high-end pro display." https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/12/imac-pro-the-most-powerful-mac-ever-available-today/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/12/imac-pro-the-most-pow...
jdlyga 9y ago
I use a 2013 Mac Pro at work, and it's a really nice machine. It's running Ubuntu 16.04, and the huge amount of cores are great for compiling.

11 points by simula67 9y ago

geophile 9y ago

Oh fuck, just give me a decent keyboard on the MBP. Is that so much to ask?

sallyfour 9y ago
i really like the new mbp keyboard
- cdolan 9y ago
  I assume you aren't kidding and I'm curious to hear why you like it, as I personally do not like it and its very unpopular.
  - SpikeDad 9y ago
    I find it disheartening that people here who I expect to have a wider view of commentary by online folks would think that just because there are some complaints that it's an actual issue. I also have a 2016 MBP with tb and it's the best hardware I've ever used (and that covers hardware since the Apple ][). The TB is very innovative and handy and the keyboard is pretty good. People who don't have issues just don't post - the few that do are not a representative sample.
- Helloworldboy 9y ago
  So do I. Not sure why people dislike it so much.
cdolan 9y ago
and good I/O ports. I can't hook these new things up to a TV or projector without a fleet of adaptors.
- exabrial 9y ago
  Exactly. A "Pro" laptop for use by "Pro"fessionals needs I/O like gig-e, USB3, USBC, HDMI, Thunderbolt, SD reader and an excellent DAC for the headphone jack. And I still miss the 17" macbook pro :( I miss the days where there was a separate line for consumers/professionals. A lineup of slightly thicker laptops with I/O for days and a lineup of thin-light for students and the light would be ideal. But instead we'll get touchbar 2.0. yee yee.
  - cdolan 9y ago
    Man the 17" pro was like a table lol. It was a beast though, the screen at the time was top notch
  - jeroen 9y ago
    I still do all my work on a 17" MBP. It's 6 years old now, and I fear the day I will need to replace it.
atonse 9y ago
I like the feel of the new keyboards but I've heard that they're much less reliable. (keys get stuck with the smallest of debris). And since Apple's obsessed with integrating everything now, you have to replace the entire assembly for a stuck key, which costs something like $500. And that's an absolutely ridiculous tradeoff and the epitome of "form over function" I don't have one but my wife's new laptop has the keyboard. I really hope we don't have to deal with that.
- wlesieutre 9y ago
  Friend with a 15" MBP just went through it this week. Shift key got stuck in the down position. He took it to an authorized service center and the solution was to replace the entire top case assembly. That includes the case, keyboard, touchbar, trackpad, battery, and I'm not sure what else. It's out of stock on PowerBookMedic, but their price on this part is $800. Eight. Hundred. Dollars. For a single broken key. This is insane. I have a 13" version and I'm very concerned. I've got Apple Care but I'm careful with my laptops and I expect them to last more than 3 years. http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-15-w--Touch-Bar-Top-Case-with-Battery-Late-2016-Space-Gray-p-133625.html http://www.powerbookmedic.com/MacBook-Pro-15-w--Touch-Bar-To...
  - atonse 9y ago
    We got AppleCare for exactly this reason. But I'm not even sure it's covered. Her past laptop was $1,100 (2010 MacBook Air) and lasted 7 years. If this one ($1,500) doesn't last that long, it'll be a waste of money.
    - wlesieutre 9y ago
      Similar boat, my previous laptop was a 2011 MacBook Air, the one before that I think was 2006. FWIW my friend's replacement was covered. Not sure how much of that is the shop's judgement on "well you shouldn't have gotten dust in it."
- rorski 9y ago
  Can confirm, I got a new MBP 15" about 6 months ago through work. The right side of the space bar doesn't work and the 'a' and 's' key alternate in not working without having to slam my finger into them. Also the keyboard is so obnoxiously loud that it can be genuinely annoying to others in the same room (i.e., the girlfriend). And let's not even get into the "Touch Bar". Just stay away.
pjmlp 9y ago
I find ironic that I need to use Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, because Apple don't do them anymore.

cdolan 9y ago

I happened to write an email to Tim & Phil today (or whomever reads those public addresses) saying: - My maxed out 2012 rMBP is going to be obsolete soon. - The laptops available have unsatisfactory trackpads and keyboards. - Those same laptops have poor I/O for professional use cases. - There is no reasonable desktop solution either (I don't consider Late 2017 iMac Pro to be as good of an answer as a 2003 Mac Tower design with upgradable components, or just a custom Windows PC). If they continue to sacrifice sleek design and limited I/O on laptops, and provide what I think is a lackluster long-term desktop solution, I have no clue what I'll buy when this machine bites the dust (someday)

pjmlp 9y ago
They are still quite powerful for doing Objective-C and Swift related development, the developer audience Apple cares about.
- cdolan 9y ago
  That may be true, but what about the millions of laptops Apple sells to other professionals? Limiting the scope of Apple's pro laptops to developers is really excluding a big part of the pie. Google, Tesla, Facebook, and tens of thousands of other businesses purchased the 2012-2015 rMBP form factor for a reason - its a great laptop. The number of people who use the laptop that do not code in Swift far outnumber the number who do code Swift. Still, a greater number use Macbooks casually, and I'm sure the standard Macbooks are great for home and recreational use. To clarify, my focus is on a professional use found in a standard business setting.
  - greglindahl 9y ago
    As a non-Swift-using professional programmer who loves Macs because they're a lot like Unix and nothing like Windows, the latest MacBook(Pro)? laptops are great. All the complaining about things that don't really matter is pretty tiresome.
Helloworldboy 9y ago
Sounds like Apple computers just aren't for you then and you should switch to some other hardware. Personally I love my 2017 MBP, the keyboard, trackpad, and USB-C ports.

SloopJon 9y ago

Neither Apple's statement nor Fortune's article about the statement contains the words "ultra-powerful." Here's the entire statement, taken from the end of the iMac Pro press release: "In addition to the new iMac Pro, Apple is working on a completely redesigned, next-generation Mac Pro architected for pro customers who need the highest performance, high-throughput system in a modular, upgradeable design, as well as a new high-end pro display." https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/12/imac-pro-the-most-powerful-mac-ever-available-today/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/12/imac-pro-the-most-pow...

jdlyga 9y ago

I use a 2013 Mac Pro at work, and it's a really nice machine. It's running Ubuntu 16.04, and the huge amount of cores are great for compiling.