The good old 2015 MacBook Pro keyboards were super nice. Why change a winning formula? Was it the quest for ever thinner laptop bodies?
It's said that design is the art of compromise and that perfection is the enemy of the good. Unfortunately, Apple seems to have largely forgotten this. The 12" Macbook was a perfect example of this: in the quest for thinness, it was simply too much compromise.
The 13" Macbook Air (2011+) was, to me, basically a perfect laptop. Powerful enough for most needs, light enough for most needs and not too expensive. I feel completely differently if a $1000 laptop dies or is lost or stolen vs a $4000 laptop.
The USB-C debacle is another example of this. Instead of a laptop that does basically everything you now need to carry a dock or dongle or set of cables instead. How does this make sense? And let's not forget that we lost MagSafe with this too.
Sometimes I just want to throw my Macbook out the window.
I don’t know if this future will actually happen but would be nice.
Losing MagSafe is a bummer though.
The number of times I needed (or be willing to, random USB keys just don’t get to touch my computer) to plug in a foreign device during the last three years (even before I was provided a new MBP three months ago) is exactly zero.
Maybe Apple made a compromise. But if other companies can build the same laptop without compromise Apple must do better.
[1] https://www.tomshardware.com/news/lenovo-laptop-quality-cont...
You can always get a bad device. Happened to me with a faulty MacBook Display too. What matters in this case is the service contract you have with the manufacturer. And some companies have stellar service if you pay for it.
I had an X1 Carbon for work and when I used it on my lap the keyboard would randomly stop working. I realized this was because it didn't work if the laptop was only supported on the back part.
To each his own. (BTW you can get MagSafe clips for USB-C, which is a testament to this standard’s modularity)
If you're really intent on it, Griffin sells a MagSafe USB-C adapter - https://griffintechnology.com/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-power...
I was once a big evangelist for Apple laptops. Now I tell people to get something else unless they're absolutely tied to macOS. I'll definitely be taking a very hard look at other, non Apple options when this guy gives up the ghost.
Desktops are solved, we don't need a savior for desktops because the modularity allows us to combine the best parts from various manufacturers.
We need a savior for laptops where the keyboard, mouse, screen, and components are all embedded, and there's no way to separate them.
I consider the iMac a convenient machine but it's a bit like buying a tv with a vcr built in and a keurig machine built-in too.
1. Thermals. Apple prioritized silence over performance. So they like to run cpus at high temperatures and start fans only than it is absolute necessary. It limits cpu clocks and performance. And although it has great cooling solution it worse than it could be that if it was just standard desktop. And it uses intel cpus that are pretty hot because they use older technology node.
2. CUDA. There are no nvidia support for Mojave if i am not mistaken. So there isn't support for CUDA. It should make some stuff very hard or impossible. For example ML training.
3. Price. It is very expensive. Hackintosh build including great monitor with intel + amd gpus will be twice as cheap.
I've been super happy with mine since last fall, and just this week, upgraded the 8GB of ram to 32GB myself, took a whole 15 mins to insert it and put everything back together.
MagSafe has to have been one of the best ideas in all of personal computing, and now they've just completely abandoned it. The least Apple could do is give up their patents on it; if they're not going to use it, at least let someone else try their hand at it. It's a total pipe-dream, but wouldn't it be great if the next USB standard mandated detachable connectors? It would never happen because of cost concerns, but a man can dream.
Tradeoffs.
I think you need to put it in perspective. The MacBook Retina was just like the first MacBook Air, it wasn't the best or good enough when it launched but It was designed with technology coming soon in the next 2 years, the promise of Intel 10nm in mind and WiFi 6 / 802.11ax. Both were suppose to come in 2016 / 2017. The 10nm, and its subsequent 7nm CPU would give Quad Core Intel CPU in a fanless design that is as powerful as a 2014 Quad Core MacBook Pro. And 802.11ax, 802.11ad or 802.11ay in the 60Ghz. The first would finally give Gigabit Ethernet speed in a wireless environment the 2nd ones would allow Wireless Transfer in dozens of Gbps within direct line of sight. For Macbook's target audience, those computation power was more than enough.
Fast forward to now, not only Intel wont have 10nm ULP CPU in massive quantities by end of 2019, it is likely not even the same 10nm as it was originally scheduled / promised in pre 2015 meetings. WiFi 6 / 802.11ax has been met with delays after delays to the point the Working Group literally force their way out push for commercial roll out. Last time I checked their meeting notes it still has thousand of issues unresolved. Much more than all the previous Draft WiFi standards.
One theory I have, was that Apple could not afford to anger, complain or make any signs of hardballing in their Mac department as they have a much bigger grand plan, to work with Intel together on the iPhone Modem and attack the Qualcomm business model. Since they have to decide their iPhone 7 Modem in Summer 2015, the thoughts and grand plan must have happen earlier, some evidence suggest this started in 2014 as it was shown in the case between Qualcomm and Apple.
And it was one reason I suggest switching to ARM on Mac doesn't make sense because Apple relies too much on Intel's Modem on its iPhone. And the iPhone business is the bread and butter of Apple. Now that everything has been settled I strongly believe Apple Mac will announced their ARM move within 30 months. But this is another topic for discussion.
I blame computer tech journalists and reviewers that give stars for thinness.
It's a metric, a stupid and an easy one to measure.
To make an engineering statement?
I don't know, in both cases it was a total disaster.