I’ve bought very “tock” generation of MBP for a dozen years but I’m skipping this one. I just don’t need the extra horsepower or the extra headaches.
Purchasing a can of air is ridiculous - it's not 1995. We might as well buy some rubbing alcohol to clean out the inside of the mouse balls while we're at it.
The poor keyboard experience even inspired me to try a new Surface Pro. Ironic, because it was Vista that drove me to a Mac. If the Surface reliably ran MacOS with updates... I may have found my perfect device.
As much as I have enjoyed every Macbook I've owned, I can't recommend buying any Macbook for the foreseeable future.
A keyboard guaranteed to have issues is unacceptable at this price point, or any really.
Apparently, Apple filed a new patent fixing the key/dust issue.
Will be checking the new refresh to see if any steps are made forward, but wait for the rattlesnake to bite the other fella first for a few months.
I also find the new touchpad twitchy and not as good at ignoring palm input.
If they would just spend a little bit of time on Linux compatibility they would blast Apple out of a lot of developers hands ...
I hope and suspect that the Linux Subsystem for Windows (debian based) will eventually eat all of Windows and provide complete linux support (battery, resume, etc).
https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/14/16142490/microsoft-surfac...
I have had zero problems with my keyboard, though I acknowledge that this might just be luck.
I actually really like that all the ports are Thunderbolt 3/USB-C... but I wish more things supported USB-C to match. Like if the phone were USB-C, and if flash drives were USB-C, I'd be set. It's frustrating to have to carry dongles around, for sure. I loved the SD card slot and HDMI port on the previous generation because I used them somewhat regularly, so lacking those is a disappointment. I'd be much happier if I had four T-3 ports plus the SD card slot and HDMI port. The ability to charge out of any port is actually nifty, though; I use both sides regularly.
There are a lot of things I like better, though. I actually prefer the new keyboard (I hated how the previous generation's keys wiggled). The new screen is really phenomenal. The larger touchpad is really nice. The lessened weight is also a plus. Touch ID is pretty cool, though I'm very uninterested in the TouchBar (no strong feelings either way). And otherwise they're practically the same, except for moderately improved internal specs.
For me, the new model has been a net positive. I think if I were having keyboard issues like so many others, that opinion would change, but with my present luck I am happy with it.
They have beat sales estimates on the MBP and still show growth despite a contracting market. A few people raging on hacker news is not representative of the market, nor even software developers as a whole.
As a counterpoint, my current MBP (more than a year old) is half the weight of my old one, and while the keyboard is worse, it's not significant enough for me to jettison the entire ecosystem, which is great. The Touch Bar is fine for me, though I've configured it to act like my old machine.
Summary:
+2 points weight
+1 point improved display and resolution
-1 point keyboard
+0 points Touch Bar
But significant enough that I bought a five-year-old used MBP rather than buy a new one. I don't care about weight: I miss the 17". And improved resolution? It's the same in 2017 as it was in 2013.
2017 MBP compared to used 2013 MBP
CPU +16%
GPU + 200%
RAM + 0%
Display + 0%
Weight 4.46lb vs 4.02lbs
Keyboard failure rate: +100%
Cost difference $2,000.
So basically unless you need graphics, get a used one.
On a link about class action lawsuit against Apple for the same exact reason. Oh, the irony.
As I said, I’ve bought every second revision of these things for many years, I’m on #4 or 5, clearly I like their products. But what I’m thinking is this:
You know, Great Leader has been gone a long time. We were all afraid the wheels would come off and they didn’t, but they haven’t really introduced anything big or new since, so... dunno where that leaves us, but whatever. We’re talking about laptops anyway.
Bad hardware happens. There was bound to be something eventually. Especially when your lead designer is off fucking around with buildings (I still don’t know what upper management was thinking there). But he’s back now and a redesign isn’t due for at least another year so fingers crossed.
Two bad in a row, then I’ll start to worry. Until then I’m overdue for a new tablet and then a new phone in the next year. I’ll be busy with those for a bit.