Why Apple “Killed” the MacBook Pro
forbes.com
forbes.com
Apple just has to update the Mac lineup so its 'good enough' to not let the PC market cause a net growth loss, and to keep iOS developers from leaving.
Yes, as a VIM user it took a minute to adjust to the missing ESC key. However converting the Caplock key to esc turned out to be a great ergonomic benefit for me. Yes I know there have been issues with the keyboard but they are resolving that. Yes the Touch Bar is a little gimmicky but it’s not bad, kind of neat and doesn’t cause a problem.
I’ve never been happier as an Apple customer as I am now. The products seem to continually improve and raise the bar for what I expect from a computer. I always feel bad for my co-workers who have to use Linux on ThinkPads or Windows.
Disclaimer: I used to work for Apple years ago and it was a great experience.
I can't stand having to change 30 years of muscle memory to make one specific brand of desktop computer work the way that I need it to. And then what happens if I have to help a junior dev at their desk?
That's why I absolutely adore both Linux and Windows - they generally let you work the way that you want on the hardware that you want instead of the one-size-fits-all way that Apple wants. It certainly does make Apple a ton of profit though because fewer moving parts and fewer software options most certainly equates to higher profits.
> The products seem to continually improve and raise the bar for what I expect from a computer. I always feel bad for my co-workers...
I wouldn't worry too much about it because the vast, vast majority of developers are on Windows and I can assure you that they'd be absolutely sickened if you made them use something that didn't behave just like Windows; something that is lacking even the most rudimentary window management features such as macOS.
Try this experiment if you think macOS has good window management: Open "About this Mac" then use Alt+Tab to switch to another app - now try to use your keyboard to switch back to the window you just switched away from. For people who like using a keyboard to do things, macOS is not good - unless you also enjoy hacking the system against Apple's will and risking losing your preferences on any given update.
For developers who find even Windows limiting though, I recommend switching to something that can run XFCE because those guys have done an absolute bang up job of emulating all the best parts of the Windows UI system while adding even more advanced features.
They've said that a couple of times. I'll believe it when I see it.
> I always feel bad for my co-workers who have to use Linux on ThinkPads
Why? I mean I've worked as a sysadmin using macs since they switched to Intel but at this point I'd switch to an X1 Carbon running Fedora if my 2013 Retina died. (And yes I had one of the newer ones at my last job)
I always pity the people who think they are "more productive" with a MBP while our Linux-on-TP users seem to be quite fine with their tools for at least half the price.
On top MBP users seem to need much more money for stupid little apps which happen to be free on linux to be even "more productive".
The newest keyboard is a piece of sht - it feels like no physical feedback at all.
When they need an upgrade they need a fin new MBP! Most of the parts can't be replaced anymore - this is really insane O.o
Maybe it was the plan all along, to get people used to a virtual keyboard once they get rid of the physical one (yes, I'm joking).
I recently moved from a MacBook Pro 13” i5 to a surface pro 6 i5, and development on Windows with WSL has been such a great experience that I doubt I’ll ever want to develop on a Mac again.
To each their own I guess.
Repairing existing keyboards with the same faulty keyboard that already failed while scrapping the bad design and going back to scissor switches for all devices next year doesn't really seem like they are "resolving" anything for existing users.
If somebody could make an updated like 2013-2014 timeframe retina MBP with replaceable nvmE disk, replaceable LPDDR5, I think people would love that..
I honestly can’t figure out how to replace my 2012 Mac book pro.. maybe Linux laptop from somebody? Any suggestions?
It doesn't matter how good they will do the next Mac
They first of all, have to fix the problem that it gets too freaking hot
There is a Kickstarter which promised and showed demos of running Thunderbolt over a magnetic connector. I do not think it's a scam, we will see, but what I am saying, this is not out of the realm of possibilities. Yes, it's tricky running 40gbps over pogopins this small but if Apple helped? That's vastly different.
The biggest issue though for a professional machine is the repairability. If you need a machine for work, you cannot give it up for several days if not weeks when there is an issue. Also, considering how expensive the machines are when purchased, a repair should be reasonably priced. It is not acceptable to throw large parts of the laptop away, if the screen connector or the keyboard breaks. So the benchmark for a real pro machine would be, that a technician can exchange the main components in a few minutes. Be it battery or keyboard. Considering how small modern SSD modules are, there is also no good reason not to offer at least one m.2 disk in the machine.
You can bemoan the state of the MBP all you want (and yes, much of it is valid), but here's the thing: realistically, Apple doesn't have to care because no other company produces a laptop that's as well made and long-lasting.
I've been trying to find a laptop that doesn't fit the following - it's mind-boggling how bad this industry is once you try to leave Apple's walls:
- It cannot look like something a 14 year old gamer would flock to, complete with lights and design trends straight out of a Bayformers film. This invalidates any "gamer laptop" short of some Razer models, and the Razer models have notable fan issues (among other things).
- After using a MBP for years, I refuse to go back to something that's made with cheap materials. If it bends the frame when I type the middle of the keyboard, it's out (so we can throw out most System76/Clevo stuff right here...)
- People like to look good. Apple products legitimately look good. I don't want to give that up. It cannot look bulky, clunky, and generally not fashionable - short of... what, one HP Notebook that I could find, the rest are just abysmal. You see non-Apple people wonder about the obsession with thin laptops and so on - this is it. People legitimately do buy with fashion in mind.
- No other laptop is as well integrated on both the software and hardware side as Macbooks are. You can tinker and get it close, sure, but the reason that Apple can sell less powerful hardware is because the system is so optimized for it.
Apple's killed it in the past decade or so on all of these. Keyboard issues start coming up? Why would they care? Where exactly are you going to go...? They'll fix it when they get to it and you'll like it.
You won't find another laptop and ecosystem as well integrated as the one Apple's made over the past decade. It doesn't exist.
For crying out loud, if System76 could just sell a cloned MBP shell that'd be amazing.
End rant, I guess. This has been a personal pet peeve of mine for weeks, the laptop industry is so abysmal all around.
Edit: Yes, before anyone points it out, Thinkpads are well made and long lasting. They do not visually look good in my opinion.
Of the top of my head: Dell XPS 13, Huawei Matebook X Pro, Thinkpad Carbon, Surface Books.
Saying MBP are unique is ignorant.
So the Surface probably works for some people, but not for me. The Surface 2 design seems like they're trying hard with the attention to details, so props to that.
Earlier this year, I gave up on my 2011 mbp, because I didn’t want to upgrade until ~2014, and by then it was basically too late. Early this year, I picked up a chromebook with an i5 U-series chip and 8gb of ram while waiting to see if Apple could fix the (primarily keyboard) issues before I put Linux on an XPS13 or X1 Carbon. Today, it’s hard to see why I’d pay $1500+ for any of those options.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_ThinkPad_Butterfly_keyboar...
or even tries an ergonomic layout, maybe split keyboard on larger models.