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I just wish they did a Pro-in-a-box:
Kind of a Mac Mini but with a battery. I wonder if they'll bother updating the Mini. Most commentators seem to think it's the end of the line for the Mini, which would be a shame. I'd buy a new Mini today (provided it was like the old one but could drive a 5k display.)
@mrblobby yes a big concern for me too. My 2009 Mini came with 2gb ram and 160gb hard drive, now with 8 and 750 it is still giving great service. Plus there is the failure issue both my daughters and wifes 2012 mbp needed new harddrices as originals failed. No being able to chnage is a major negative. When you look at the iFixit teardowns you can see how small these soldered ssd's are but I would much rather have a slightly larger laptop and servicable ram and harddrives.
There is a great mini thread on macrumours 🙂 we are afraid they'll leave it to die which would be a real shame. I love mine has all the power i need and its small enough to move around, so etimes it sits under tv as streaming device and sometimes on desk for home office use. I have an apple tv but the mini is much more useful and flexible for content streaming/downloading. If they had done a decent upgrade in 2012 or 14 I would have bought one, now used models change hands for high prices.
The Mac Pro isn't exactly massive, you can even get a carry bag for it that's barely bigger than a laptop bag (a bit deeper obviously); I've certainly seen blokes carrying manbags etc that are bigger:I just wish they did a Pro-in-a-box:
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Mac Pro would be nice, but it's been 3 years since it was last updated, and the cheapest option is still 3 grand!
Can appreciate that Apple wouldn't want to reveal plans given possible impact to current sales, but it's been so long with the mini and pro that leaves you are wondering if Apple have given up on pro users. The only thing that seems pro about the new MBP is the price 😕
I've got a hackintosh spec'd up, if it's much longer I'll be going down that route.
Kind of a Mac Mini but with a battery
Yeah, a more powerful Mac Mini is I suppose what I had in mind, and smaller.
About the size of an Apple TV, but with the processing power of an MBP. That would be good. Wouldn't need a battery cos it would be designed to move between desktops.
I wonder if the Mac Mini will be kind of replaced by an Apple TV box running full iOS?
And if they don't want to do desktop hardware anymore I wish they'd allow PC makers to run MacOS properly (not via a Hackintosh method).
Dorset_Knob...
Everything else, I do on the iPad Pro.
Is it really a viable desktop alternative for day to day stuff (email, office stuff.) How do you find that works for you? Is it really suitable for proper content creation? What do you use with it? Pen (WTF, 100 quid for a pen!), touchpad, mouse, touchscreen, keyboard? What apps do you tend to use?
A mate of mine uses a Surface as his main device and seems to like that. But then it's easy to plug that into a big screen and use proper input devices. The iPad Pro seems a different proposition.
It's a shame Apple (and others to be fair) are driven by smaller, thinner, lighter. That's why everything is soldered on and can't be upgraded. It also means the option of a big and cheap mechanical hard drive no longer exists. I think I'll be sticking with my 2012 MBP for some time.
Is it really a viable desktop alternative for day to day stuff (email, office stuff.)
I mainly use it for reading mails, and the occasional typed response using the on-screen keyboard. I suppose I do use my laptop for any replies that demand more than an 'OK'. But those are surprisingly few and far between.
I wouldn't want to be without a desktop device but I'm surprised by how much the ipad has taken over.
Is it really suitable for proper content creation?
I had a Smart Keyboard for a while - I really enjoyed using it. But I sent it back because I found I was using the pencil much more of the time, and the keyboard gubbins was just getting in the way.
What do you use with it? What apps do you tend to use?
For work: Pencil + Notability. I'm a UX designer -a lot of what I do involves sketching/taking notes. Before, I would have done that on paper, then transcribed it all in say OmniGraffle before sharing with designers/devs/BAs. Now I can just sketch in Notability and share immediately through Slack. It's a much more fluid and natural workflow and the ability to file and organise sketches is really handy.
I didn't expect it to, but it's replaced my paper notebook completely and I just seem to keep finding myself using it more and more at work. I'm considering getting another Smart Keyboard for when I need to type longer stuff again.
I couldn't be without a laptop. But if there was an iOS version of Axure, I probably could, if not for the need for bigger displays.
It also means the option of a big and cheap mechanical hard drive no longer exists.
It is in PC land.
I wish they'd allow PC makers to run MacOS properly
If they did that then Mac sales would plummet.
@slowoldman My plan was also to stick with my 2012 but recently it's been freezing a lot and then making the RAM problem sound even after swapping the RAM so it looks goosed "logic" board wise :/ reckon next up will be the 2015 retina before this touch bar bull
If they did that then Mac sales would plummet.
They don't seem to care though!
Mac Mini's and Pros that haven't been updated for years. Not even a processor upgrade.
The only thing that gets a regular update is the iMac.
It is in PC
Been there, done that. Would prefer not to go back.
Been there, done that. Would prefer not to go back.
They've gotten a lot better recently! Use them a lot. Still prefer a Mac as my own machine. Being tied to a single hardware vendor is a PITA though when they charge a hefty premium for outdated technology and now seem to be putting form well above function.
2009 mbpro still going strong. fast as and dont need to change.. sticking with this till it pops then may change to i dont know what...
With the cinema display gone, it looks like Apple are dropping their AirPort range now too. [url= http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/21/apple-ceases-airport-wireless/ ]Report cites[/url] it's "to try to sharpen the company’s focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its revenue." I'd not be surprised to see the mini dropped and maybe the mac pro too. I wonder what else is in the firing line?
A couple of display connectivity questions for those with a new MBP with USB-C ports.
I was connecting a display to an older Mac using the Thunderbolt port with a mini Display Port to full sized Display Port cable.
If I just get a USB-C to Thunderbolt cable will this still work? The Apple website says it'll work for Thunderbolt displays, does this also mean it'll work for any Display Port display?
Also I have an Apple mini-DP to VGA adapter for connecting to stuff like projectors. Would this work plugged into the USB-C to Thunderbolt adapter?
Anyone tried these combinations?
Thanks.
Edit... balls, it looks like the adapter doesn't support connecting to DP monitors...
Note that although it uses a Mini DisplayPort connector, the Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter doesn't support connections to Mini DisplayPort displays. Also, this adapter supports only one powered Thunderbolt 2 device on a USB-C equipped Mac.
How the hell are you meant to connect a new MBP to a display port monitor then?
I suggest you ask on MacRumors or Apple Support forums
Bit of googling is suggesting the answer is yet more adapters 🙁
Macworld did a podcast a month or so back where they talked about connectivity of displays and it sounded like a minefield. Good luck.
Beyond that I can't offer any practical help 😆
Well I only really need VGA to connect to projectors so I think I'll just get the simple adapter for that. Would be handy to have a DP one too but not essential as have a new 5k monitor on the way for the MBP 🙂
How the hell are you meant to connect a new MBP to a display port monitor then?
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No HDMI option on the monitor? There's a multiport to USB-C adaptor available...
Not one of the Apple ones do display port as far as I can see! Monitor does HDMI but I don't think the protocol supports the native resolution.
Interesting...
Indeed. Given they switched off a hidden setting browser setting if anyone really experienced this variability in real life normal use ?
picking mine up on monday. there must be an update or speed bump coming in april (the usual announcement time along with october) because the refurb store is full of them and has been for the last week. they are most likely not refurbished just inventory clearing ready for the new batch.
i tried a colleagues machine and the disk speed and 4gb graphics has dealt with the issues i was having with the mask and edit tool and healing brush on huge photoshop files (10gb+) where the computer cannot keep up with the brushing as its having to render them in real time with all the adjustment layers at the same time in 16bit images.
people moan about the cost but with the high resale value of the old machine (£650 for a 4 year old laptop) plus the vat off means its will cost less than one days income for each of the next 3 years of its working life, and thats not factoring in its value at the end of the 3 years either.
cant wait to do Facebook/snapchat on it in some shoreditch hipster cafe while nursing a chai matcha vegan latte
Have fun with it. Yup detractors rarely factor in resale.
I picked up a 13 and 15" from the refurb store this week too - decent savings really.
The 13" is non-touch bar, 16Gb or RAM and 512Gb SSD. It is close to a perfect laptop for me, it's quick enough for the pretty basic stuff (compared to MrSmith) in PS, Illustrator and Premiere when using the built in display, but connect it to a 4k or 5k external display and it really, really slows down on basic operations to the point of frustration. I think it's going back. I wish they made the 13" with a quad core processor and GPU because I really like the size...
The 15" feels big next to it, really big (it's obviously not a big laptop at all)... After thinking I'd hate the keyboard, I've already come to really like it - dead surprised by that. I hope they release an external one with the same keys and a numeric keypad. The SSD really seems quick, the trackpad is great but I still haven't found any use for the touchbar - really it just replicates keyboard shortcuts that are still quicker to use. TouchID seems very reliable though.
Really I like nearly everything about it, it connects to the 4k and 5k LGs and doesn't seem to struggle with that from a speed perspective, but when connected to an external display the heatsinks on the back and the casing above the touchbar get seriously hot - about as hot as I can remember a laptop getting - certainly you wouldn't want it on your knee...
There are inconsistencies with sleep/wake when connected to external displays, and I still would MUCH prefer a matt screen on the built in and external LGs, but probably the biggest frustration is that I can't turn off the external display when then are connected, it has no buttons on the bezels and the only way to turn it it off is to disconnect it - but in my set up that means disconnecting the power supply too (good for about 5 hours so far).
Again though, the heat...
Very nearly bought an XPS 15, it was a close call. Still not sure I made the right decision, I think I might prefer Win10 to MacOS now, but ultimately the support from Apple wipes the floor with Dell and MS...