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Comment by tlow | Hacker News Reader

This is a poorly written article mainly complaining about the lack of an update to the Mac Pro product despite it's thesis that: > Apple, the MacBook Pro is not a pro-level computer. It’s simply not.

However, the article is indeed self-contradictory as it later goes on to say: > Who needs anything more than a MacBook Pro? The answer is a very small segment of high-demanding users.

So given that the main thesis that the Macbook Pro is not a professional machine is entirely unsupported, I argue that the Mac Platform Decline described in this article is not an accurate portrayal or reality.

Edit: Update The linked article even states the different thesis that the Mac _DESKTOP_ product line is doomed.

> Apple’s desktop Mac lineup is headed for the graveyard. Dead. Done. Over.[1]

[1] http://www.tedlandau.com/slantedviewpoint/index.php/archives...

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To the pro users that need more power than what you get from a laptop, there's no compelling alternative from Apple today. Even the iMac has thermal throttling that puts limits on its performance.

I don't understand why you think the article is poorly written, but I certainly can understand and agree with the authors concern. I'm not sure how it's possible to not share that concern after the lack of updates to the desktop line.

It doesn't sound like a contradiction to me. A very small segment of users are 'pro-level' users.

Now yes, it isn't supported, but if you accept that as the reality then it is not contradictory.

Those pro-level users were what kept Apple alive during the dark years but now that greener pastures have been discovered they can easily be abandoned.

If that's really the thinking inside Apple then they are being penny wise pound foolish. The pro users are the influencers. Losing video and photo editors is one thing, but if it eats into their developer marketshare than it will signal the beginning of a slow decline in apps which will significantly hurt iOS over the long-term, and likely be impossible to recover from given Google's leg up in services.

Frankly if the competition wasn't so shitty, I'd probably be jumping ship already, but Apple still has a considerable advantage in hardware quality and the overall Mac OS X ecosystem being way ahead of Windows on the Unixy stuff, and way ahead of Linux on the polish/interop stuff.

People don't buy iPhones for the number of _new_ apps anymore. I have a feeling Apple knows this. They already have a share of the market that they're not easily going to drop as long as they keep updating iPhones and marketing them accordingly. I'd say that Apple's focus has shifted, and therefore their long term strategy.

I don't see Apple being the place where the next generation general purpose operating systems will be built.

I think the whole 'pro-user' description needs examined a bit. Tons of developers at companies use macbook airs which are far less powerful than the newest laptops.

Ex: Rob Pike uses a macbook air. Is he not a professional?

There's a huge range of needs even within the pro user camp and I'd posit that the majority of them will be well served by the new Macs. If you're doing game development I'd argue Apple hasn't made great machines for you in the past so I'd expect a continued miss on the portable VR front as well.

For those that are doing visual work - are current generation machines actually not powerful enough?

I've found a Mac Pro to be an excellent machine for graphics work including large video editing projects that ground my Dell to a halt.

Nobody is claming that your're not a professional because you don't need a Mac Pro. Of course the majority of pro tasks will be served by the new Mac laptops. But that's not what we're discussing here.

For the ones that need more performance, it can be a dealbreaker to go so long without updates.

For the ones that have their needs are met today, there's a very clear signal now that if your needs ever grow, Apple won't be there to meet them.

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