# What is Apple doing? (new Macbook Pro released) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2016, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927 "2016-10-28T12:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/21 "2016-10-28T16:56:37Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > My theory is that the Macbook Airs were victims of their own success. I see them everywhere. And I have to imagine that the profit margin on the $1000 computer is much lower than the margin on the $1500 and $2000 computer. So I guess Apple has priced itself out of my market. > > Anyone know of an alternate laptop that is approximately the size of the 13" Air with battery life and a trackpad that doesn’t suck, for around $1000? I paid $1300 for my Air two years ago, and it was my second Macbook. I’d pay the same price for a Macbook Air as I would for a Macbook Pro. When I purchase a laptop, price is basically my last consideration. Maybe not everyone feels that way. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/22 "2016-10-28T17:06:47Z")
Can the iPhone and Mac sync/backup wirelessly? It seems like the the iPhone connector should have been considered. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/23 "2016-10-28T17:09:22Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Can the iPhone and Mac sync/backup wirelessly? They want you to do everything wirelessly via iCloud. . ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/24 "2016-10-28T17:15:09Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I paid $1300 for my Air two years ago, and it was my second Macbook. I’d pay the same price for a Macbook Air as I would for a Macbook Pro. When I purchase a laptop, price is basically my last consideration. Maybe not everyone feels that way. I wish I were that rich 😉 I’m happy to pay a $100 premium for running OS X. Hell, Windows has always cost that much or more, and Mac OS is way better (although in my experience with Windows 10, Microsoft is catching up). I’m happy to pay maybe another $100 premium for the higher build quality. I just ordered a Dell XPS 13 with similar specs to the new Macbook (not as good a screen, which is a feature I don’t care much about) and it was just over $1000 shipped. Reviews are good. Size/weight is pretty close to a Macbook Air, and the battery life is _longer_ in testing. We’ll see if I hate it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/25 "2016-10-28T17:21:47Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I just ordered a Dell XPS 13 with similar specs to the new Macbook (not as good a screen, which is a feature I don’t care much about) and it was just over $1000 shipped. Reviews are good. Size/weight is pretty close to a Macbook Air, and the battery life is _longer_ in testing. We’ll see if I hate it. Keep me posted. I’m hoping I’ve got another year left on this thing, at least, but I probably use it far more than the average person (hours and hours and hours a day typing - I’ve already had to replace the entire keyboard.) ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/26 "2016-10-28T17:23:26Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I really like Project Fi (and can find nothing cheaper) and the Nexus 5x. I doubt I will hate the Pixel, though I don’t fully understand how it is different from the Nexus and a standard Android OS. It’s just that the Pixel was planned, designed and fully controlled by Google from the ground up. It’s a phone of, for, and by Google. Nexus phones were just sort of a fork of another company’s flagship product without all their proprietary stuff included. The complete control it gives Google makes it so that they can start making their own bold decisions (and possibly, mistakes) about where to take Android and smartphones. As you’ve seen with Project Fi, they’ve been able to start nibbling away at the carriers’ control. With the Pixel they’re nibbling away at the phone manufacturers’ control. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/27 "2016-10-28T17:26:26Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > As you’ve seen with Project Fi, they’ve been able to start nibbling away at the carriers’ control. With the Pixel they’re nibbling away at the phone manufacturers’ control. As long as they don’t fuck it up, I’m okay with that. And really, they have a pretty high incentive not to fuck it up. With Project Fi there is no contract so I could theoretically cancel my next payment and sell my phone any time I want. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/28 "2016-10-28T17:42:45Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > As long as they don’t fuck it up, I’m okay with that. > > And really, they have a pretty high incentive not to fuck it up. With Project Fi there is no contract so I could theoretically cancel my next payment and sell my phone any time I want. Well, they pretty much gave that control that they wrested from the carriers to you, the consumer. So, I think you owe 'em the benefit of the doubt. 😉 BTW: Interest you in a Chromebook? ;);)😉 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/29 "2016-10-28T18:18:04Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Can the iPhone and Mac sync/backup wirelessly? > > It seems like the the iPhone connector should have been considered. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/30 "2016-10-28T18:36:48Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > …But the point of this thread is that this time it feels different, in that Apple will now sell you two same-generation flagship products that simply don’t work well together. > [@steronz](#): > > The easy move would have been to make the lightning cable that they give you with the iPhone have a USB-C plug on one end, and then give you a USB-C charger as well. No clue why they didn’t do that. > [@kanicbird](#): > > It seems like the the iPhone connector should have been considered. But don’t over-egg iPhone connection as some kind of qualitatively different issue from prior Apple port/harware removal decisions. It is, at most, a $25 problem – the cost of buying a lightning to USB-C cord from Apple so to connect your iPhone to your Mac. Now, it certainly seems to me that maybe Apple should provide the lightning-to-USB-C cable for free with either the iPhone or the MacBook Pro, or certainly to offer it as an alternative with the iPhone – and surely they will do the latter at least in the near future. But in any event, it’s a $25 problem, pretty much a rounding error on the price of either one of those products for anyone who’s already willing to pay the Apple premium for the many other advantages. Leaving the headphone jack there rather than a lightning port for headphones does seem a bit odd, on that I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/31 "2016-10-28T19:37:05Z")
Apple lost me as a laptop consumer when they stopped making a 17" laptop. But their current trend towards every more sylph-like laptops is ensuring that I will not cave and buy a 15" eventually. The laptops are almost completely unupgradable and unrepairable. By using only SSD drives, they’ve reduced the file capacities of their laptops which is the first time in recent history that new machines can store less than old ones. There’s this latest connector fiasco – magsafe has saved my laptop about a million times over the past 6 years. Why would you discontinue it? I really hate the direction they are going with most of their products (their keyboards are stupidly tiny) and it’s really gotten to the point where they are preferring aesthetics over usability. It’s a very bad trend. Note: this is from someone who’s been a constant Apple user since 1984, so it takes some really dedicated design screwups to turn me to the dark side. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/32 "2016-10-28T19:50:26Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > …But their current trend towards every more sylph-like laptops is ensuring that I will not cave and buy a 15" eventually… But surely you must realize that for most people, this is a huge selling point. Laptops are _supposed_ to be, you know, portable and light? > [@Finagle](#): > > …The laptops are almost completely unupgradable and unrepairable… How often do they actually break, and does _upgrading_ a laptop rather than replacing it every few years really make sense? And weigh that against the massive advantage of compactness: my Air weighs nothing and is incredibly slim, and I’m still getting around 12 hours battery life after 2 years – that’s only possible by (among other things) squeezing battery into every available space. > [@Finagle](#): > > …By using only SSD drives, they’ve reduced the file capacities of their laptops which is the first time in recent history that new machines can store less than old ones… But what about the massive advantages of SSD in reliability and speed? Reliability in something that’s designed to be portable, with a much higher likelihood of trauma? For how many users is it really a prioirty to store 1TB of data on a laptop, as opposed to having 256Gb that’s bulletproof and fast? I mean, I appreciate that for your needs an Apple laptop doesn’t make sense. But surely you must acknowledge that your needs are atypical. _Most_ laptop buyers want features that are the diametric opposite of what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/33 "2016-10-28T19:58:48Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > my Air weighs nothing and is incredibly slim, and I’m still getting around 12 hours battery life after 2 years – that’s only possible by (among other things) squeezing battery into every available space. How the shit are you doing that? I average around six and I feel like the capacity is constantly dropping. I run a lot of apps though. It all depends on what you want in a laptop. My major priority is word processing, which is not all that challenging to accomplish on any machine (though again, I MUST be running OSX to use my preferred program.) The portability is critical, and I like the keyboard better than a standard size for writing (if I were doing a lot of number entry it would be a different story.) I also find the shallow keys makes it easier to type. I love that I can carry a plate of pizza in one hand and my laptop in the other. > [@](#): > > For how many users is it really a prioirty to store 1TB of data on a laptop, as opposed to having 256Gb that’s bulletproof and fast? Everything’s cloud-based these days anyway. All hail the cloud. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/34 "2016-10-28T20:17:57Z")
Better to hail the cloud than to have the cloud hail you! **SW:** What’s your preferred word processor? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/35 "2016-10-28T20:26:31Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Better to hail the cloud than to have the cloud hail you! > > **SW:** What’s your preferred word processor? [Scrivener.](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/) They have a Windows version but I find it unsatisfying. It’s probably one of those ‘‘don’t know what you’re missing’’ things for Windows users, though. I would never discourage anyone from using it on Windows, it’s just native to Mac and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/36 "2016-10-28T20:33:26Z")
I was actually thinking about switching to Apple once the new Macbook Pros came out. The removal of the headphones jack in the iphone (which I use constantly) was a big turn off to me. The removal of many useful ports, and un-upgradability of this new MBP (which I have done numerous time for my wife’s MBP) has scared me off. It does seem like they are becoming less and less user friendly. I’m not exactly sure where their goal is, but I am not hitching my trailer to them and following. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/37 "2016-10-28T20:51:55Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > How the shit are you doing that? Obviously not when watching video. But simple web browsing, reading, writing or using spreadheets - certainly the limited stuff that I do when I’m on a plane or in the backcountry without a power supply - yup, I got 12 hours when I bought it, and the battery has not deteriorated more than ~10% in 2 years of use. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/38 "2016-10-28T21:07:35Z")
I must have forgotten to reset the clock. Is it already time for the semiannual “Apple’s jumped the shark” thread? I still fondly remember my first one. I was incredulous that anyone would pay real money something as useless as an iPod. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/39 "2016-10-28T21:07:50Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I mean, I appreciate that for your needs an Apple laptop doesn’t make sense. But surely you must acknowledge that your needs are atypical. _Most_ laptop buyers want features that are the diametric opposite of what you want. Well, that’s the thing. There’s room in Apple’s product line for ultra-portable laptops and a high-end desktop equivalent for people like me who like to sit on the couch or outside and do some serious work. It doesn’t have to be a one or the other deal. Yes, I have a desktop machine, but this means that I need a dedicated office and I have to screw around with multiple backup devices and net-based servers to share data and all that crap. And despite my degree in computer science, I’m actually happiest when I’m not doing IT crap in my free time. The decision to kill off the slower-moving 17" laptop probably increased Apple’s margins slightly, but alienated a larger subset of their customers than they know. Customers who are now either out of or are considering leaving the Apple ecosystem. And when you’re bringing in 9-11 billion dollars a quarter, I think you’d take the slight hit on margins to keep your customer base as large and happy as possible. I dunno – maybe that’s why I’m not a highly compensated CEO of a major corporation. A corporation whose revenues are now dropping for the first time in fifteen or so years. ---
**Author:** ![TwiSpark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TwiSpark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwiSpark)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927/40 "2016-10-28T21:14:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t know if it’s because of Apple, but many PC notebook systems have the same limitations; small SSDs, no optical drive, no VGA port, internal batteries. This is often the case on the computers sold as “[ultrabooks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrabook)” and some of those limitations is due to the thin profile of these systems. Yeah this seemed to start when MacBooks (and Apple in general) were at the height of their popularity. The industry’s done a whole lot of “Apple are extremely successful so let’s just copy them” over the last decade or so. I think that’s actually a bad idea - when a laptop tries to be a Windows MacBook, it’ll only ever be an imitation. A PC should be a PC and excel at doing PC things and having ports and function keys; a PC should not try to be a poor person’s Mac. It’ll never be one. Play to your strengths, PC manufacturer people! The only one IMO that does a decent job of being a “Windows Mac” is the Dell XPS. But most of them just seem like cheap knockoff Macs instead of good PCs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-apple-doing-new-macbook-pro-released/769927.md?page=3)