Apple to Introduce New Macs at October 27 Event

Yes... even that practical piece of cardboard keyboard on the SP4 is better than the 12" macbook keyboard and the new MBPs have the same keyboard - it's horrible :(


You seem to have an issue with the keyboard on the surface pro. It's got good reviews and i have had no issue with it.
 
It's all relative isn't it? Keyboard standards have been declining for years as people seek thinner and thinner solutions. The SP4 keyboard might be ok compared to ultrabooks nowadays but give me an old Thinkpad keyboard anyday (except the swapped round Fn and Ctrl keys, now that was annoying!)
 
If that were the case then they wouldn't be separate.

Which would be fine if they never required you to connect it to a computer despite there being situations where it's a necessity, based on your posts you'd probably find a way to justify them removing the keyboard and screen...

Well then you misunderstand my posts, I see the issues and I think the price especially is really pushing it. I certainly wouldn't spend my money on one of these although as a "pro" (some people are very misguided about what a pro is.. I don't photoshop or anything like that but I do need something that is rock solid, dependable, has a great battery, great screen and looks respectable) I would absolutely twist work's arm into buying one for me.

I'm just offering a counterpoint to the foaming at the mouth sky is falling in keyboard warriors. This will be absolutely fine, it might sting for a little while moving ports etc but that's progress... I'll accept totally that it's a ballsy and borderline arrogant move by Apple to not offer even a single USB-A but 1) don't buy it or 2) buy it along with the one dongle you might need.. it's really not the end of the world.

It's a bit like the iPhone 7 thread/debate.. the whole 3.5mm thing has been a total non event.. I've got 1 dongle in the box, it was tricky for a few weeks having to think a bit more than I'd like to, then the market swung into action because the lack of ports etc has obviously created an opportunity which China has happily filled and I've bought a couple of lightning to 3.5/lightning splitters from ebay for next to nothing and in the meantime the bluetooth pricing is collapsing and innovation is flourishing (I'm in the accessories market).

The same will be absolutely true here, I'm more annoyed that more mfrs aren't jumping wholeheartedly on the USB-C bandwagon. But nevermind, Apple's weight will address this.. a great example is I've been supplying USB-C cables and chargers to a national retailer for over a year now, they sell almost nothing despite all the small handset mfrs getting in on it, I'm pretty sure now Apple have pushed their laptop lineup there we'll start seeing loads of innovation in that space.

Although I will say the person saying it's all terrible because you can't stack a 17" laptop on top of a storage array in a bathroom is hilarious. Literally the living embodiment of how you can't please all the people all of the time.

It's a netbook... lol, calm down dear.
 
..

Although I will say the person saying it's all terrible because you can't stack a 17" laptop on top of a storage array in a bathroom is hilarious. Literally the living embodiment of how you can't please all the people all of the time.

It's a netbook... lol, calm down dear.

When did I say that?

It wouldn't even be true, because you clearly could set a new MacBook Pro up on top of a storage array in a bathroom...
 
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When did I say that?

It wouldn't even be true, because you clearly could set a new MacBook Pro up on top of a storage array in a bathroom...

I think it was v0n, I may be paraphrasing.. but I'm pretty sure he's the one going on about it being a netbook and how I'm a PRO.. I need PRO things when the definition of pro is so much broader than people who use photoshop.
 
I think it was v0n, I may be paraphrasing.. but I'm pretty sure he's the one going on about it being a netbook and how I'm a PRO.. I need PRO things when the definition of pro is so much broader than people who use photoshop.

Sorry dude. Not meaning to be confrontational.

I'm genuinely interested to hear what you think of the new MacBook Pro when you get it. :)
 
Yes... even that practical piece of cardboard keyboard on the SP4 is better than the 12" macbook keyboard and the new MBPs have the same keyboard - it's horrible :(

nah the keyboard is actually ok, deffo not the best around but I wouldn't be put off by it. Keyboards are just personal things and it is different so I think some might not perfer it to the 2015 mbp one. I'd take the keyboard/trackpad combo of the new mbp over the SP4 though, the SP4 is just a mess when using it on anything other than a table.
 
Sorry dude. Not meaning to be confrontational.

I'm genuinely interested to hear what you think of the new MacBook Pro when you get it. :)

When is pushing it a bit.. I've tried suggesting to the MD that maybe we find a reason to throw our 2014 13" retinas out of the window but in truth this is something I'm being a largely casual bystander in, I can't possibly justify an upgrade considering my laptop is still one of the fastest machines in the business.

I'm just trying to give some balance in this thread :)

Simple observations like people who have been hanging on with 2010 macbooks not being able to cope with a 2016 one I find fascinating.. or the 17" thing.. I mean I get that a 17" display is physically bigger than a 13" but using an app called RDM I can run my 13" at 3360x2100... thats crazy real estate.

Etc etc.. my point has simply been that yes there are what I'd consider fringe cases where USB-C simply won't do, or where it's really inconvenient (like when they dropped the 30 pin connector, that was a real PITA for a few months, or the 3.5mm which has been a bit irritating - but when China gets into filling the gaps it just forces MORE innovation which is great) but for the most part its just people whinging because they don't like change.

Apple being so big makes them an easy target... I mean the amount of crowing about "make the iPhone 6 a bit thicker and put a bigger battery in it! argh! no removable storage.. ARGH!.. why don't they put USB-C in it? ARGH!" and then they sell the living daylights out of it and the ecosystem around it filling in all these gaps explodes.

It's a fact that at this scale they can't be all things to all people so it is vaguely logical to put the most flexible ports on it to allow people to extend it in any way they like.

It's just really in your face to the point of arrogance to just remove standard ports and effectively mic drop and "deal with it" but it's all a storm in a teacup, it'll be a non issue in a few months and those people who really have to leave... leave! It's not a law that you have to have a macbook, I for one welcome people shoving standard forward or we'd all have laptops with VGA, serial, PS2, USB, firewire and god knows what else poking out of the back. I prefer this version of the future!
 
Was surprised by the performance numbers as well, if you look up geekbench numbers the 2016 base cpu (i5-6360U 2/3.1ghz) is faster in both single and multicore tests than the base 2015 cpu (i5-5257U 2.7/3.1). This makes sense though as the turbo speed is the most important for normal use. The 2.7 is pretty irrelevant as modern cpu's change speed dynamically all the time. Then the SSD speed, the 2016 trounces the 2015.

https://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks
 
That could be a deal breaker for me

It's not that bad. It's the best type of keyboard like that I have used... better than a number of rigid laptop keyboards even. 10x better than the new rMBP keyboard too.

I was very surprised by the lack of lag on the trackpad too... for a wireless setup it's very good.

But being unable to use it easily on my lap and other soft surfaces means the SP4 is not for me... but I really like the SB.
 
Was surprised by the performance numbers as well, if you look up geekbench numbers the 2016 base cpu (i5-6360U 2/3.1ghz) is faster in both single and multicore tests than the base 2015 cpu (i5-5257U 2.7/3.1). This makes sense though as the turbo speed is the most important for normal use. The 2.7 is pretty irrelevant as modern cpu's change speed dynamically all the time. Then the SSD speed, the 2016 trounces the 2015.

https://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks

so Air 13" to 2016 MBP 13" base
+ screen
+ cpu/gpu/ssd/memory speed
+ speakers
+ trackpad
+ 16gb available
+ size
= ports (better but less ports)
= weight
= keyboard

2015 mbp 13" base to 2016 mbp 13" base
+ screen
+ cpu/gpu/ssd/memory speed
+ speakers
+ trackpad
+ size
+ weight
= or - for keyboard
- for ports (better but way less ports)
 
You seem to have an issue with the keyboard on the surface pro. It's got good reviews and i have had no issue with it.

nah the keyboard is actually ok, deffo not the best around but I wouldn't be put off by it. Keyboards are just personal things and it is different so I think some might not perfer it to the 2015 mbp one. I'd take the keyboard/trackpad combo of the new mbp over the SP4 though, the SP4 is just a mess when using it on anything other than a table.

You mis-read... it's the new rMBP & 12" MB keyboard I'm calling terrible. I couldn't stand using that for any length of time, it's really horrible.

The SP4 keyboard is like a piece of cardboard almost... but that's not saying it's bad. I was noting that it's better than the new rMBP keyboard ;)

I didn't mind the SP4 keyboard... it was a bit soft and flimsy but I've used much worse keyboard in bigger rigid laptops... like every HP laptop on the market at the moment for an example.

The SP keyboard is much better though... I really like that keyboard.

Apple could have done a much better job with their keyboard. Look at that super thin LG... I had a play with one the other day and that keyboard is really good and the laptop is even thinner than the 12" MB!

Best keyboard on a laptop ever though, was the older MBP when they had that silver keyboard.

It's all relative isn't it? Keyboard standards have been declining for years as people seek thinner and thinner solutions. The SP4 keyboard might be ok compared to ultrabooks nowadays but give me an old Thinkpad keyboard anyday (except the swapped round Fn and Ctrl keys, now that was annoying!)

Yeah, those keyboards were quite nice.

Although there are some really good keyboards around at the moment.

The MSI steelseries thing is fantastic... on of the best laptop keyboard ever... my only gripe being the american size enter key on the uk layout.

The Acer Predator keyboard is quite pleasant to use... I'd say it's on-par with the surface pro.

The Razer keyboard is supposed to be pretty good too, but I haven't been able to try one yet.
 
so Air 13" to 2016 MBP 13" base
+ screen
+ cpu/gpu/ssd/memory speed
+ speakers
+ trackpad
+ 16gb available
+ size
= ports (better but less ports)
= weight
= keyboard

2015 mbp 13" base to 2016 mbp 13" base
+ screen
+ cpu/gpu/ssd/memory speed
+ speakers
+ trackpad
+ size
+ weight
= or - for keyboard
- for ports (better but way less ports)

Worse keyboard in both comparisons :p
 
Yes... even that practical piece of cardboard keyboard on the SP4 is better than the 12" macbook keyboard and the new MBPs have the same keyboard - it's horrible :(

You seem to have an issue with the keyboard on the surface pro. It's got good reviews and i have had no issue with it.

I think the SP4 keyboard is naff, I hate using it beyond a few minutes.
 
I think the SP4 keyboard is naff, I hate using it beyond a few minutes.

I agree... GF seems to think it's fine so it may be something you just get used to.

I will say the trackpad seems to be a bit temperamental, sometimes it'll do something with a tap, others it needs an actual click.. might just be windows too to be fair. I don't think it's especially controversial to say OSX deals with trackpads better than windows and when you factor in the generally superior trackpad hardware you do get a really strong experience there.

Although again for balance.. the new one looks ridiculously big, I dont see why you need it to be that large, the one on my 2014 pro is more than big enough IMHO.

Who knows... it might be genius.

But again suggesting they've somehow sacrificed ports for a trackpad is bizarre.. I don't recall ever seeing Apple claiming they made a HUGE trackpad by getting rid of pesky SD card slots. the 2 things just aren't related at all.
 
The stand alone latest magic trackpad is amazing so if its the same size as that I am happy.
 
I put my SP4 in the same category as my 2016 Macbook. It's OK for some stuff, but the keyboard etc. Isn't up to work-horse standards.

I'm curious about the keyboard on the new rMBP with the touchbar thing. I couldn't use the keyboard in my Macbook all day, it'd drive me potty. I tend to use that unit as a super-iPad rather than a full laptop though, I.e my meeting buddy.

My rMBP I write a lot of stuff on - it's simply not as comfortable doing it on the Surface Pro or the Macbook, so I choose not to.
 
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