4 ms·

The thing is, they don't even need to push the envelope. I would have been happy with a classic MBP with upgraded hardware but without USB C ports and no touchb

The thing is, they don't even need to push the envelope. I would have been happy with a classic MBP with upgraded hardware but without USB C ports and no touchbar. It's just that they keep introducing stupid, useless gimmicks.

asark 7y ago
IMO they needed one transitional design where they replaced the thunderbolt (is that right? I get all their storm-named ports mixed up) ports, and maybe the charger port if they must, with USB-C, but kept HDMI and at least one USB-A. I use the SDCARD port all the time but I could see their getting rid of it. The other stuff? Gimme a break, going all USB-C from a state of no USB-C? WTF was I supposed to plug into it without an adapter or buying all new peripherals and drives?
- inferiorhuman 7y ago
  All the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pros double as Thunderbolt 3 ports — IMO this is a big advantage over other laptops where some ports are USB-C only. I've only ever had a 2016+ MBP as a work computer so I didn't mind the USB-C stuff too much (especially with a dock that I didn't have to pay for). The lack of dedicated ethernet port and SD card reader is vexxing though (on my personal 2015 MBP).
  - holy_city 7y ago
    > All the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pros double as Thunderbolt 3 ports — IMO this is a big advantage over other laptops where some ports are USB-C only. The disadvantage is that one of those USB-C ports will be your charging port when there is only 4 on the 15" and 2 on the 13". I don't mind USB-C/Thunderbolt so much, I think it's great we'll get products that will be forced to adopt it (looking at you, audio interfaces/DACs). The MBP has been a port desert for a long time and dongles are awful UX - and they just keep removing more and more of them. It baffles me when they try and do things that seem to improve UI/UX, like the touchbar (which I hate, but I get it), the move to Retina displays, high quality dual-front facing speakers on all models now, etc... but then they turn around and remove IO options and roll out a terrible keyboard. It seems like they have warped priorities for the mac line. Personally if the move to ARM and don't offer MacOS as a standalone product, the pro-media world will probably abandon Macs altogether. And I don't really want to develop for another OS, I love mac. The machines are just awful.
    - dillonmckay 7y ago
      The audio quality of the speakers pisses me off because of how good it sounds. Such an unnecessary ‘enhancement’, and reminds me of the old HP Pavilion laptops, touting Altec Lansing speakers, which I thought was asinine.
      - X-Istence 7y ago
        Wait... you are pissed off because you get better sound quality from your laptop speakers?
        dillonmckay 7y ago
        Yes. It is an unnecessary and over-engineered feature, where effort should have been spent on other parts of the machine.
        Simon_says 7y ago
        That's certainly a fresh take.
    - stephenr 7y ago
      If any of your TB3 or USB-c devices is decent (ie not a cheap Chinese POS) and has a/c power it’ll probably provide power back to the laptop over the same connection.
    - MikusR 7y ago
      The 13" has 4 thunderbolt ports

asark 7y ago

IMO they needed one transitional design where they replaced the thunderbolt (is that right? I get all their storm-named ports mixed up) ports, and maybe the charger port if they must, with USB-C, but kept HDMI and at least one USB-A. I use the SDCARD port all the time but I could see their getting rid of it. The other stuff? Gimme a break, going all USB-C from a state of no USB-C? WTF was I supposed to plug into it without an adapter or buying all new peripherals and drives?

inferiorhuman 7y ago
All the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pros double as Thunderbolt 3 ports — IMO this is a big advantage over other laptops where some ports are USB-C only. I've only ever had a 2016+ MBP as a work computer so I didn't mind the USB-C stuff too much (especially with a dock that I didn't have to pay for). The lack of dedicated ethernet port and SD card reader is vexxing though (on my personal 2015 MBP).
- holy_city 7y ago
  > All the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pros double as Thunderbolt 3 ports — IMO this is a big advantage over other laptops where some ports are USB-C only. The disadvantage is that one of those USB-C ports will be your charging port when there is only 4 on the 15" and 2 on the 13". I don't mind USB-C/Thunderbolt so much, I think it's great we'll get products that will be forced to adopt it (looking at you, audio interfaces/DACs). The MBP has been a port desert for a long time and dongles are awful UX - and they just keep removing more and more of them. It baffles me when they try and do things that seem to improve UI/UX, like the touchbar (which I hate, but I get it), the move to Retina displays, high quality dual-front facing speakers on all models now, etc... but then they turn around and remove IO options and roll out a terrible keyboard. It seems like they have warped priorities for the mac line. Personally if the move to ARM and don't offer MacOS as a standalone product, the pro-media world will probably abandon Macs altogether. And I don't really want to develop for another OS, I love mac. The machines are just awful.
  - dillonmckay 7y ago
    The audio quality of the speakers pisses me off because of how good it sounds. Such an unnecessary ‘enhancement’, and reminds me of the old HP Pavilion laptops, touting Altec Lansing speakers, which I thought was asinine.
    - X-Istence 7y ago
      Wait... you are pissed off because you get better sound quality from your laptop speakers?
      - dillonmckay 7y ago
        Yes. It is an unnecessary and over-engineered feature, where effort should have been spent on other parts of the machine.
        Simon_says 7y ago
        That's certainly a fresh take.
  - stephenr 7y ago
    If any of your TB3 or USB-c devices is decent (ie not a cheap Chinese POS) and has a/c power it’ll probably provide power back to the laptop over the same connection.
  - MikusR 7y ago
    The 13" has 4 thunderbolt ports