Anyone else dissatisfied with the new MBPs?

[wardtree]

I am going back to an earlier version of the Macbook Pro, because my current one (2014 Retina) does not have the built-in CD/DVD player. I had to buy an auxiliary from Apple, for uploading my music and watching movies whilst traveling. This requires much more room to pack for travel, and also increases the weight in my laptop case to much more than the older one with the built-in unit weighs. If weight is the reason Apple took out the player, they missed their bet. Apple does not seem to realise that SOME of us still have CDs and DVDs that we like to play. Not everyone "streams" everything. I wish they would offer the retina screen with a built in slot for CDs! But I suppose they won't. So back to the "fuzzy" images on screen. Some sacrifices must be made.

 

[oGu]

You are part of a very small group of people so there is no reason for apple to build a notebook just for you.

Get over it already.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

No they are brilliant the 13 inch is the most balanced portable computer available.

 

[waitandwait]

A external CD drive will do.

I use cloud to transfer files 100% of the time, airdrop if someone is nearby and USB/SD card if they don't have an email account (extremely rare)

 

[goobot]

Why don't you just move your library to digital.

 

[justywusty]

i find it comical that the title is "new MBPs" when the CD/DVD drive was removed when Apple updated the "new" MBP 4 years ago in 2012. hehe.

 

[nStyle]

Most people stopped using CDs long before Apple even totally ditched the drive all together. I can understand one's aversion to wanting to rely solely on cloud storage and streaming though due to ridiculous bandwidth limitations across the rural US. The fact is that most people have decent enough internet though and prefer to stream for convenience sake.

Chances are that if you're still relying on CDs and DVDs, you don't need the latest and greatest computer.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Load up movies and music before trip if from physical discs....

Be doing that real soon this as I head back to the US after this week. Some liked movies to put onto the system I never got around to. With no need or strong desire to rebuy them again really lol.

TBH my only sticking issues with this is when apple removed the drive....they never put anything in as a replacement. I am not in the electronic anorexia fan club. took away the drive and made the case smaller and charged more. I dont mind size or weight if it gets me performance. Smaller and lighter never really made me happy about the change. Its not like my camera bodies or lens' where I am physically handling them for hours at time shooting potentially so a gram here and there can be of benefit. My mpb goes on a lap or my desk...few grams in the backpack nothing to me really.


I'd be happier if apple would have put the empty space to work from the 2011 shells. another disk drive (since the most common mod done was a drive duplicator setup to get 2 hdd or sad's in the shell ) would have been cool. Or bigger gpu with the space to work out some cooling for it in some way.

 

[throAU]

I consider my 2015 MBP retina to be the best computer i have ever owned or used.

And i've owned/used/built hundreds (literally) of machines since 1989. (currently have 4 machines in the house, i do SOE development at work so i use many different machines to test image compatibility at work, including Surface Pro 1, 2, 3, 4 and various other touchscreen PCs).

 

[dogslobber]

I am going back to an earlier version of the Macbook Pro, because my current one (2014 Retina) does not have the built-in CD/DVD player. I had to buy an auxiliary from Apple, for uploading my music and watching movies whilst traveling. This requires much more room to pack for travel, and also increases the weight in my laptop case to much more than the older one with the built-in unit weighs. If weight is the reason Apple took out the player, they missed their bet. Apple does not seem to realise that SOME of us still have CDs and DVDs that we like to play. Not everyone "streams" everything. I wish they would offer the retina screen with a built in slot for CDs! But I suppose they won't. So back to the "fuzzy" images on screen. Some sacrifices must be made.

An external DVD drive is right for you by the sounds of it. Internal DVD drives are luxuries most users probably don't need any more so it sounds like the external device is right for you. Also, have you tried the Apple software iTunes? It allows you to download purchased music, rather than allowing streaming only. This twin approach sounds like what you're after.

 

[GoldfishRT]

I'm not disappointed by it at all, but, I'm definitely in the minority that finds a DVD drive super useful. Rural America and all that. 30GB of data to play with each month - I still use DVD Netflix.

I also enjoyed putting in my own SSD and ram for cheap.

The TN panel is certainly the worst part of the experience though. The old IB i7 kicks ass.

 

[old-wiz]

I still have a 2008 iMac with DVD and also a 2012 MBP (the last one with DVD) but I don;t use the DVD often enough. Mostly I use the DVD/CD if I want to rip a CD to iTunes/

 

[wardtree]

You are part of a very small group of people so there is no reason for apple to build a notebook just for you.

Get over it already.

Gee, thanks for your valuable input. I really appreciate your kind words.
[doublepost=1467021686][/doublepost]

A external CD drive will do.

I use cloud to transfer files 100% of the time, airdrop if someone is nearby and USB/SD card if they don't have an email account (extremely rare)

Yes, I do have a external CD drive, but when I travel, it adds more weight (and luggage space) than the older model. It is also awkward to set up when I fly, even in first class.

I have iCloud, but there are CD's that I own that I'd like to load into my music, and DVD's I'd like to watch and that my family doesn't, so I watch them when I travel.

Thank you for your input!
[doublepost=1467021946][/doublepost]

I still have a 2008 iMac with DVD and also a 2012 MBP (the last one with DVD) but I don;t use the DVD often enough. Mostly I use the DVD/CD if I want to rip a CD to iTunes/

Me, too! Wanna trade? (hehe) I must add that my new(ish) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) has a fan that has already quit (right after the warranty, BTW) and a track pad that jumps around on it's own, so I disabled it and need to use a mouse. Lots of equipment for air travel. I love the resolution of the image, but not much else.
[doublepost=1467022172][/doublepost]

Load up movies and music before trip if from physical discs....

Be doing that real soon this as I head back to the US after this week. Some liked movies to put onto the system I never got around to. With no need or strong desire to rebuy them again really lol.

TBH my only sticking issues with this is when apple removed the drive....they never put anything in as a replacement. I am not in the electronic anorexia fan club. took away the drive and made the case smaller and charged more. I dont mind size or weight if it gets me performance. Smaller and lighter never really made me happy about the change. Its not like my camera bodies or lens' where I am physically handling them for hours at time shooting potentially so a gram here and there can be of benefit. My mpb goes on a lap or my desk...few grams in the backpack nothing to me really.


I'd be happier if apple would have put the empty space to work from the 2011 shells. another disk drive (since the most common mod done was a drive duplicator setup to get 2 hdd or sad's in the shell ) would have been cool. Or bigger gpu with the space to work out some cooling for it in some way.

YOU ARE MY HERO! You totally said what I wanted to. According to someone else on this thread, we are the only two who think this, though, and we should "get over it, already".
[doublepost=1467022683][/doublepost]

I consider my 2015 MBP retina to be the best computer i have ever owned or used.

And i've owned/used/built hundreds (literally) of machines since 1989. (currently have 4 machines in the house, i do SOE development at work so i use many different machines to test image compatibility at work, including Surface Pro 1, 2, 3, 4 and various other touchscreen PCs).

I'm glad you like yours. Mine is a Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013 model. The best thing about it is the quality of the image, but I'm willing to give it up for the drive. To date, the fan has quit (making an exterior laptop cooling pad necessary), the track pad has quit (making a mouse necessary), all right after the warranty quit. I do not have your expertise, obviously, but I know what I want in a computer. Thank you for your reply!
[doublepost=1467023329][/doublepost]

i find it comical that the title is "new MBPs" when the CD/DVD drive was removed when Apple updated the "new" MBP 4 years ago in 2012. hehe.

Yeah, I know, but I only bought a new one when my ancient on croaked. It is the first brand-new computer that I ever bought, as well, and the fan and touchpad have already died .. right after the warranty expired. You're right, though. Hehehe!

 

[waitandwait]

Gee, thanks for your valuable input. I really appreciate your kind words.
Yes, I do have a external CD drive, but when I travel, it adds more weight (and luggage space) than the older model. It is also awkward to set up when I fly, even in first class.

I have iCloud, but there are CD's that I own that I'd like to load into my music, and DVD's I'd like to watch and that my family doesn't, so I watch them when I travel.

Thank you for your input!

I was a little apprehensive to use cloud/dropbox because I was afraid my stuff would get lost in the cloud. LOL. Then I bought a disk for backup every fortnight and put everything in dropbox. It's quite convenient.

As for music, you may want to try Spotify or Apple Music (for family), I think most of the music collection can be found there and can be accessible from almost everywhere. Movies.. well besides Netflix... let's wait for an Apple Movies or Apple Dramas equivalent in the future. They should come soon.

Yeah I like the feel of physical CDs, books. And my missus used to nag at me for space hoarding. These few years, I realise I cannot bring these physical CDs along with me when I die, so it's better to save the earth by going digital. Perhaps you can consider Good day...

 

[sartrekid]

I do understand your frustration. However, you say that weight is an issue. An external drive will weigh about as much as a handful of CDs that you would carry around with you and would also be hassle on the plane, even if your laptop had an internal CD drive. So, like said by someone above, it's a good idea to rip the CDs. I've done that with my music and DVD collection.

You say your family doesn't share a particular taste in music/movies. You can create a separate folder for these in your iTunes or movies folder(s). For music, you could create a special list that contained all the music only you like. Same goes for movies. I've extracted so many DVDs onto my hard drive, hundreds of them. It's far more convenient this way. When I'm home, I can stream everything to my TV and don't need to put in a disc ever again. When I'm out and about, I have my entire collection with me and can pick and choose as I please without hassle. So, if you did that, you'd never ever be bored again on a plane or during travel and have a lot more media with you than you would ever care to carry extra in form of physical discs.

If you think about it, there's no advantage to physical discs over digital.

Pros:

- no physical weight to carry
- no external disc drive to carry
- no swapping of CDs necessary
- quick access to entire music/movie collection
- no scratching/wear of original discs
- easily transfer media from one device to the other (e.g. from laptop to smartphone/tablet)

Cons:
- ? (I can't think of any)

 

[T5BRICK]

YOU ARE MY HERO! You totally said what I wanted to. According to someone else on this thread, we are the only two who think this, though, and we should "get over it, already".

No, if you actually read the reply, they said you are part of a very small group. I prefer my portable computer to be lighter and thinner. Taking the optical drive out is something Apple did to increase portability. Most media is available in digital format anyway, and you have quite a few options when it comes to converting your existing media.

Cons:
- ? (I can't think of any)

It can be time consuming and HD movies can take up quite a bit of storage space? To me the pros really outweigh the cons.

 

[Coldmode]

Rip your CD and DVD collection using the external drive and get a 128GB microSD card and something like the MiniDrive to hold it, and you have 128GB of media with you at all times. Acquire all new content in digital form. Problems solved!

 

[MacInTO]

Think different and travel without a laptop.

Try an iPad.

 

[kevinkyoo]

Having Apple take out the disc drive for a larger battery, or whatever they replaced it with, was worth it. I frequently burn discs for ALAC on iTunes, but the one I bought for $20 on Amazon has been perfect.

 

[jerryk]

Think different and travel without a laptop.

Try an iPad.

I do this more and more. Unless I need to do some work or store a lot of photos, I just carry my iPad Air when I travel.

 

[danwells]

Apple builds one machine, with a set of compromises that will appeal to as many people as possible (and they do a pretty good job, if there's only going to be one, with a limited range of configurations).

By contrast, HP makes at least 9 models of 15" (including 15.6") laptops (not to mention the hundreds from other Windows vendors). The lightest is lighter than the Mac, the heaviest can reach 7 lbs plus the power adapter. They have displays ranging from 1366x768 on up to 3840x2160. There are models you can configure without WiFi if you really want to, and there are some with optical drives. You can get anything from integrated graphics far inferior to anything you'd find on a Mac on up to gaming GPUs that will drain the battery in 20 minutes.

Many of us would like to see Apple do the same thing, but they won't. One of the secrets to why macOS runs better than Windows (and it does) is that it supports a severely restricted range of hardware. Excluding Hackintoshes, which Apple doesn't support, the number of permutations of Mac supported by any given release of macOS is probably in the low hundreds. I suspect there are probably more configurations of 15" HP laptops sold today than total Mac configurations supported by El Capitan? All are pretty good hardware, better than 90% of PCs out there, and some are better than that. In addition to "no cheap hardware", Apple also refuses to support exotic hardware (gaming-grade GPUs on notebooks, for example) - they are more trouble than they're worth in Apple's eyes.

A huge percentage of Windows instabilities are related to either junk hardware or exotic hardware - and the tricks required to support those two categories affect the stability of Windows for everybody else. Junk hardware sells an enormous number of units, but makes no profits (Apple sells only about 7.5% of computers worldwide - 15% or so in the US, but makes more than half of the profit - at least on laptops). Exotic hardware sells tiny numbers of units...

PC hardware falls into four categories:
Junk - $300 desktops, $500 laptops, Chromebooks (most of them), most computers sold at Best Buy - You simply can't hit those price points without skimping pretty badly (and making money off of pre-installed adware and spyware), and the machines show it in durability and power.

Standard business computers - Nothing fancy, made to be word-processed on day after day, with some forays into Excel and PowerPoint. They are much better built than junk machines, and their business customers won't accept pre-installed Superfish (really nasty adware Lenovo and others were installing on junk PCs). You can pay $500 to $1200 or so for one, depending on what you want. Pick one up at Staples, but many or most are sold through CDW and other online resellers that businesses work with.

High-end non-gaming computers - At the lower end, these are the choice of middle-class college students and lower-level executives throughout the US. At the higher end, photographers, video editors , engineers and GIS mavens have specialized needs (and the CEO gets one too). Microsoft, HP and even Dell are giving this market a try, but Apple's market share has been estimated as high as 90% and rarely lower than 75% in all personal computers over $1000 (the remaining sliver contains the Surface and all of its friends, workstations and the high-end gaming market). You can pay $999 to $3199 at your local Apple Store, even more for some workstations sold direct by Hp, Dell, Lenovo and others.

Gaming computers - $2000 to $10000+ exotica that are often unstable, but always fast! Yes, you can run Word on one, but it's like driving a Ferrari to the grocery store - almost anything else would have gotten there at the same time, used less gas, and held more groceries. They are really built for one purpose, and their tiny sales (as a percentage of all computers sold) are obscured by the fact that tech websites love them. They are not always more expensive than high-end non-gaming computers, but you'll get more speed (especially graphics speed) and less practicality and stability for your dollar.

Apple plays in the upper end of the standard business market with the 21.5" iMac, some of the Airs and the 13" Pro. Everything else is pretty much in the high-end non-gaming market, which Apple completely dominates. They refuse to play in the junk market (no profits, can't make it stable) or the gaming market.

 

[MacInTO]

I do this more and more. Unless I need to do some work or store a lot of photos, I just carry my iPad Air when I travel.

I've been doing this for a few years. I've been inconvenienced only once. I've been looking at an iPad Pro with a keyboard - this might work. It could be a great compromise.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

No, if you actually read the reply, they said you are part of a very small group. I prefer my portable computer to be lighter and thinner. Taking the optical drive out is something Apple did to increase portability. Most media is available in digital format anyway, and you have quite a few options when it comes to converting your existing media.



It can be time consuming and HD movies can take up quite a bit of storage space? To me the pros really outweigh the cons.

Actually I am in the same boat. I just accepted and moved on with the external drive...I gave up fighting the anorexia lol.

Or tbh I still have my old late 11 mbp I kept around I put to this task when the mid 15 is doing something else (busy video shoot weekend, the mid 15 is basically living and breathing FCP work a lot these days at home). ITunes redirects rips to my NAS and I take things from there. that I say my late 11 mbp still around is a life saver atm....bit odd lol.

TBH it was the Ethernet port removal that sucked the most for me. As more than once after I got my mid 15 and the adapter not in the bag when I thought it was. Wireless is not all over the place. My wired office network one area its not lol. Still not seeing why it was pulled. If the hairs of mm's of height was a few gram extra to be a burden to carry....one needs to maybe hit the gym. Or break out some pushups at home for free. its almost no grams...and its not like you are shooting a d750 with a nikon 24-70 2.8 lens and battery grip for a good while. take my word for it if one has not had the pleasure....this is when grams matter. Not in bag on your back or hanging from your arm.

 

[pat500000]

Oh geez. Why attack the op? Some people are old fashion and it's their preference. I hope apple doesn't make another rmbp if some people act bad toward others.

 

[T5BRICK]

TBH it was the Ethernet port removal that sucked the most for me. As more than once after I got my mid 15 and the adapter not in the bag when I thought it was. Wireless is not all over the place. My wired office network one area its not lol. Still not seeing why it was pulled.

I use Ethernet at work too, but the port was pulled because the MAJORITY didn't use it. I get that you're part of the minority, and that sucks for you, but I'll happily take the thinner lighter computer.

If the hairs of mm's of height was a few gram extra to be a burden to carry....one needs to maybe hit the gym. Or break out some pushups at home for free. its almost no grams...and its not like you are shooting a d750 with a nikon 24-70 2.8 lens and battery grip for a good while. take my word for it if one has not had the pleasure....this is when grams matter. Not in bag on your back or hanging from your arm.

Yeah. You go ahead and give out fitness advice. I'll take my rMBP and enjoy it.