Is Apple’s new “Pro = Beefy” design language a mistake?

[maflynn]

Everyone complained that Apple tried to make everything too thin, so now let’s all complain that they making everything too thick… 🙄

Seriously, people saying its too think, now its a thicc boi and people are complaining.

I for one am happy that the ports, and features of the M1/M2 MBP, I don't mind if its a few millimeters thicker

 

[StellarVixen]

Don't know about the iPhone and iPad, but I am not gonna believe that they are making MBP "beefy" just because. They want maximum performance out of these devices and that probably comes with a tradeoff, which is being little bulkier.

 

[iPadified]

I doubt Apple will go any thicker. They already put in HDMI port, arguably the largest port on the current MacBook Pro. With the efficiency of Apple Silicon, there’s really no more reason to go thicker. If they did, that will actually put less confidence in Apple Silicon, since Apple’s own marketing had said the reason the went AS is for efficiency.

You’re right, from user perspective, pros will use whatever tools that suit their needs. I think we have to differentiate the meaning of pro users and Apple’s marketing use of “Pro.”

Neither do I, but read what many are saying here: bigger is better. It is a contradiction that ASi resulted in heavier and thicker MBP. I think though that the current size is fine and Apple will design around that thermal envelope.

I lack a "push the boarders" category of Macs. Apple is now safe and traditional.

 

[unrigestered]

imagine if the M series MBP's had gained the same amount of thickness as it was when it went Mac Mini -> Studio 🤓

(sorry, not good at photoshopping stuff)

 

[leman]

Neither do I, but read what many are saying here: bigger is better. It is a contradiction that ASi resulted in heavier and thicker MBP. I think though that the current size is fine and Apple will design around that thermal envelope.

I lack a "push the boarders" category of Macs. Apple is now safe and traditional.

I fully agree. The entire "it's bigger to get more performance" angle is most likely a red herring anyway. There are two sources of "bulk" in the new design — the display assembly (which is considerably thicker to accommodate the miniLED backlight) and the lack of tapered edges (which make the laptop appear bulkier). That's about it.

The thermal design targets for these laptops didn't change much in over a decade. The new models are a bit over provisioned in this regards, but that's not a bad thing. Quieter operation under load is always welcome.

 

[unrigestered]

sure, but still... more space would provide for even better performances, otherwise, the Mac Studios were still having the dimensions of a Mini.
not saying that MBPs should go thicker though, but i don't think that they are actually even "thick" to begin with.
i'd be more inclined to call it "pretty functional" (but i also like the looks), as opposed to being a designer laptop first and foremost with too many drawbacks on the functional side of things and high failure rates.

 

[h.gilbert]

M1 MacBook Pro​

I love my M1 Max 16” MacBook Pro when using it — it’s powerful, quiet, fast, cool and handles anything I throw at it gracefully and reliably; but this love transforms to doubts when hauling it or using it inflight or on anything other than a roomy desk for an extended period of time.

After hoisting my laptop bag to my shoulder, strolling to a gate at the airport or trying to use it inflight my inner talk increasingly turns to “Do I really need the power?” “Can I get away with a thinner, lighter, less powerful Mac laptop?“

The answer today is probably not — I need the 12 core CPU and 32 Core GPU to run discrete event simulations and visualize results as fast as possible. The difference between 30 minutes to run 20 iterations of a one-year complex simulation vs 45 minutes to do the same thing is huge — especially when collaborating with others and relying on simulation results to help others think through problems and solution with each run.

However, that rumored M2/M3 15” MacBook Air is sounding very promising. If it matches or comes close to the performance of my 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro, I’m going for it.

I think the 16" Pro is quiet, cool, and fast exactly because the bulkiness allows it. Space for a bigger heatsink and fans means better heat dissipation and allows more cores. I think you'd have to wait for the efficiency improvement of M3 to get excellent performance in something thin and passively cooled like an Air.

 

[leman]

I think the 16" Pro is quiet, cool, and fast exactly because the bulkiness allows it. Space for a bigger heatsink and fans means better heat dissipation and allows more cores. I think you'd have to wait for the efficiency improvement of M3 to get excellent performance in something thin and passively cooled like an Air.

Or it could be because Intel chips drew over 30 watts any time you need to render a website and 50-60 watts if you were doing anything that pushed all the cores, while M1 Pro/M1 Max need 3-5 watts for the first case and under 40 watts for the second

sure, but still... more space would provide for even better performances, otherwise, the Mac Studios were still having the dimensions of a Mini.

Of course, but the old chassis was definitely too small for an Ultra-class chip. Not really the case for laptop chips though.

 

[heretiq]

Yes.

You invest a lot of time in something which just will not happen.

By the way, these are the measurements (last 15 inch MBP to current 16 inch MBP):

Height went from 15.5 mm to 16.8 mm, an increase of 1,3 mm (+8.3%).
Width went from 349.3 mm to 355.7 mm, an increase of 6.4 mm (+1.8%).
Depth went from 240.7 mm to 248.1 mm, an increase of 7.4 mm (+ 3.1%).
Weight went from 1.83 kg to 2.16 kg, an increase of 0.33 kg (+18%).

So there is some difference in weight, but surely not in the dimensions of the 16 inch MBP. It looks beefier but it isn't. It is just slightly heavier. No offence, but just get over it.

Two questions:
1. Did you use the 15” MBP as your daily driver both stationary and while traveling?
2. Have you used the 16” MBPro as your daily driver both stationary and while traveling?

If your answer to both questions is Yes, I respect your informed opinion.

If your answer to both questions is not Yes, then please recognize that you are sharing an insufficiently informed opinion.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The thinnest iPhones, the 6 and 6+, were literally so thin they would start bending, and would start messing around with the display and making it unusable.
The thinnest MacBook Pros had the butterfly keyboards which failed, display ribbon cables that were so thin they would fail, and would heat up and throttle so badly it was pretty much a nonstop topic here for four years.
The thinnest iPad pros, the 2018 models, also would bend and break just like the iPhone 6.
So… no, I don’t think shaving off a millimeter or two is worth all of the hassles.
What does excite me is the rumors that the iPhone 15 series will returned to curved edges and a lighter titanium frame. That would be an absolutely massive improvement from the 14 series, which are thin enough, but way too heavy and square.

 

[heretiq]

If you are running such heavy duty software for 30 minutes on your 16" M1 Max MBP 12/32 then expect a 15" MBA to throttle a lot running the same thing.

I’m hoping for a pleasant inter-generational 3nm performance surprise 🙏🏽

 

[TechnoMonk]

You may be right; but I’m hoping the combination of 3 nm Apple Silicon, larger surface area passive cooling and expectation for “warm” operation, can bring a 2023 Air into the performance ballpark of a 2021 M1 Max MacBook Pro.

The 3nm isn’t going to fix the throttling at sustained loads for maximum performance. It’s a thermodynamics problem.Sure Mx chips are amazing but for maximum performance you would need good cooling system. I have MacBook Air 2 as a family laptop/computer, it’s great little beast but anything sustained is throttling the machine. M1 Max 16 inch gets warm. At 100% sustained loads, no throttling but I do feel the increase in temp. Not bad as those 2016-2019 Intel 16 MacBook Pro.

 

[jmovie]

After exclusively purchasing MacBook Pros, my next Mac is likely to be a MacBook Air — not because I want an Air, but because the MacBook Pro is too damn bulky.

However, this “Pro = Beefy” design language is not relegated to the Apple Silicon MacBook Pros. The issue extends to the M1/M2 iPad Pro and iPhone Pro devices as well.

​

M1 MacBook Pro​

I love my M1 Max 16” MacBook Pro when using it — it’s powerful, quiet, fast, cool and handles anything I throw at it gracefully and reliably; but this love transforms to doubts when hauling it or using it inflight or on anything other than a roomy desk for an extended period of time.

After hoisting my laptop bag to my shoulder, strolling to a gate at the airport or trying to use it inflight my inner talk increasingly turns to “Do I really need the power?” “Can I get away with a thinner, lighter, less powerful Mac laptop?“

The answer today is probably not — I need the 12 core CPU and 32 Core GPU to run discrete event simulations and visualize results as fast as possible. The difference between 30 minutes to run 20 iterations of a one-year complex simulation vs 45 minutes to do the same thing is huge — especially when collaborating with others and relying on simulation results to help others think through problems and solution with each run.

However, that rumored M2/M3 15” MacBook Air is sounding very promising. If it matches or comes close to the performance of my 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro, I’m going for it.

Yes, I’m willing to trade ProMotion, Mini LED display, and 1 Thunderbolt, HDMI and CF ports to eliminate 2 pounds and nearly 1/4 (.22) inch height on my daily driver — and likely pay less for the privilege!

M1/M2 iPad Pro​

I love my 12.9” Cellular M1 iPad Pro, but it’s too damn bulky — the M1 and M2 iPad Pro’s 1.51 pounds and .25 inches height vs 1.42 pounds and .23 inches of their 4th gen non M1 predecessor does not seem like a lot until you use it one handed and notice the significantly greater hand stress than the 4th gen iPad Pro .. or haul it around in your laptop bag along with your M1 Max MacBook Pro — that’s a total of 6.3 pounds without the power brick!

Similarly, the 4th gen 12.9” iPad Pro without mini led was fabulous in many ways (screen, performance, battery life, light weight, one-handed operation) .. and in practice the M1 version did not improve my experience as I thought it would — in retrospect I traded comfortable 1 hand operation for beefiness and the hope of future-proofing.

Likewise, I’m willing to trade off mini-LED, ProMotion and other enhancements for reduced weight and bulkiness of a larger screen iPad Air — and likely pay less for the privilege!

iPhone Pro​

The iPhone 12 Pro marked the leap from a 5.8“ screen to 6.1” screen. I reflexively upgraded from my beloved 5.8” iPhone 10 X to the 12 Pro to follow my practice of always purchasing the most feature rich, top of the line iPhone. However, after 2 months of use I realized that the iPhone X to 12 Pro “upgrade” came with a trade off: give up comfortable one-hand operation for better cameras and a bigger screen. This was a downgrade for me — not an upgrade.

I spent months trying to adapt to this change but could not — I simply valued the smaller 5.8” form factor more than better cameras and bigger, better screen. As soon as the iPhone 13 was released, I purchased an iPhone 13 mini and gave the 12 Pro to a family member. I continue to love the iPhone 13 mini’s combination of size, functionality and performance — and definitely paid less for the privilege!

Size matters​

After my iPhone Pro to iPhone mini conversion, I received an in-depth survey from Apple inquiring A. why I chose the iPhone 13 mini over the Pro and other devices (Answer: size), B. what I wanted (Answer: a 5.8” iPhone Pro model) and C. what I would do if the mini was not available: (a) choose another iPhone model, (b) choose a competitor’s mobile phone, (c) something else. Answer: (c) something else ..

The “something else” for me is to ditch the “phone” completely if the iPhone mini is discontinued and instead rely on my Apple Watch for “phone” functionality. I know the watch is not currently capable of untethered operation; but I hope that is the case in the next 1-3 years — as I refuse to buy an oversized phone when I have an iPad Pro and MacBook Pro for occasions when I need a large screen.

I have sympathy for Apple product managers enduring to the stresses and challenges in defining and evolving complex product lines but for me, the recent “Pro = Beefy” trend — first evident in the iPhone Pro, then the iPad Pro, and now the MacBook Pro — is a mistake that will impact the bottom line as it forces those who value compact portable form factors to purchase lighter devices that are often less expensive.

So, I’m wondering if Apple may be making a strategic mistake with this “Pro = Beefy” design approach as it seems to force customers to (a) choose between size and performance — which historically was not mutually exclusive — and (b) pay less for compactness — which historically came at a premium. I may be an outlier in my preference for compactness vs functional overkill; but this feels like a departure from the Apple design culture that saved us from 2 inch bricks masquerading as laptops and made us eager and excited to pay a premium for compactness.

What do you think?

/end-therapy-session/

Fair questions… I have a rather thin 2020 Intel MBPro and I often worry it’ll break in a backpack or get damaged - and I expect I will worry far less once I upgrade to a bulkier M-chip MBPro.

 

[leman]

Fair questions… I have a rather thin 2020 Intel MBPro and I often worry it’ll break in a backpack or get damaged - and I expect I will worry far less once I upgrade to a bulkier M-chip MBPro.

You know it's jut psychological, right? There is no evidence (or reason to suspect) that the new models are any sturdier than the older ones.

 

[StellarVixen]

I’m hoping for a pleasant inter-generational 3nm performance surprise 🙏🏽

Same problems will persist, inefficiency = heat.

I do not know if room temperature superconductors ever become a reality will situation with waste heat improve.

 

[Daum]

That's why I still use my 12in MacBook to this day. I would not use it do do UI design work like I did when I first got it but it's still a great machine to travel with if you want to edit photos on a bigger screen than your phone.

 

[leman]

I do not know if room temperature superconductors ever become a reality will situation with waste heat improve.

Or we could drop transistors

https://cra.org/ccc/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/Ralph-Merkle.pdf

 

[PauloSera]

I just don't understand this thought process at all. It is larger so that it accommodate better performance. That's what matters.

 

[JM]

After exclusively purchasing MacBook Pros, my next Mac is likely to be a MacBook Air — not because I want an Air, but because the MacBook Pro is too damn bulky.

However, this “Pro = Beefy” design language is not relegated to the Apple Silicon MacBook Pros. The issue extends to the M1/M2 iPad Pro and iPhone Pro devices as well.

​

M1 MacBook Pro​

I love my M1 Max 16” MacBook Pro when using it — it’s powerful, quiet, fast, cool and handles anything I throw at it gracefully and reliably; but this love transforms to doubts when hauling it or using it inflight or on anything other than a roomy desk for an extended period of time.

After hoisting my laptop bag to my shoulder, strolling to a gate at the airport or trying to use it inflight my inner talk increasingly turns to “Do I really need the power?” “Can I get away with a thinner, lighter, less powerful Mac laptop?“

The answer today is probably not — I need the 12 core CPU and 32 Core GPU to run discrete event simulations and visualize results as fast as possible. The difference between 30 minutes to run 20 iterations of a one-year complex simulation vs 45 minutes to do the same thing is huge — especially when collaborating with others and relying on simulation results to help others think through problems and solution with each run.

However, that rumored M2/M3 15” MacBook Air is sounding very promising. If it matches or comes close to the performance of my 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro, I’m going for it.

Yes, I’m willing to trade ProMotion, Mini LED display, and 1 Thunderbolt, HDMI and CF ports to eliminate 2 pounds and nearly 1/4 (.22) inch height on my daily driver — and likely pay less for the privilege!

M1/M2 iPad Pro​

I love my 12.9” Cellular M1 iPad Pro, but it’s too damn bulky — the M1 and M2 iPad Pro’s 1.51 pounds and .25 inches height vs 1.42 pounds and .23 inches of their 4th gen non M1 predecessor does not seem like a lot until you use it one handed and notice the significantly greater hand stress than the 4th gen iPad Pro .. or haul it around in your laptop bag along with your M1 Max MacBook Pro — that’s a total of 6.3 pounds without the power brick!

Similarly, the 4th gen 12.9” iPad Pro without mini led was fabulous in many ways (screen, performance, battery life, light weight, one-handed operation) .. and in practice the M1 version did not improve my experience as I thought it would — in retrospect I traded comfortable 1 hand operation for beefiness and the hope of future-proofing.

Likewise, I’m willing to trade off mini-LED, ProMotion and other enhancements for reduced weight and bulkiness of a larger screen iPad Air — and likely pay less for the privilege!

iPhone Pro​

The iPhone 12 Pro marked the leap from a 5.8“ screen to 6.1” screen. I reflexively upgraded from my beloved 5.8” iPhone 10 X to the 12 Pro to follow my practice of always purchasing the most feature rich, top of the line iPhone. However, after 2 months of use I realized that the iPhone X to 12 Pro “upgrade” came with a trade off: give up comfortable one-hand operation for better cameras and a bigger screen. This was a downgrade for me — not an upgrade.

I spent months trying to adapt to this change but could not — I simply valued the smaller 5.8” form factor more than better cameras and bigger, better screen. As soon as the iPhone 13 was released, I purchased an iPhone 13 mini and gave the 12 Pro to a family member. I continue to love the iPhone 13 mini’s combination of size, functionality and performance — and definitely paid less for the privilege!

Size matters​

After my iPhone Pro to iPhone mini conversion, I received an in-depth survey from Apple inquiring A. why I chose the iPhone 13 mini over the Pro and other devices (Answer: size), B. what I wanted (Answer: a 5.8” iPhone Pro model) and C. what I would do if the mini was not available: (a) choose another iPhone model, (b) choose a competitor’s mobile phone, (c) something else. Answer: (c) something else ..

The “something else” for me is to ditch the “phone” completely if the iPhone mini is discontinued and instead rely on my Apple Watch for “phone” functionality. I know the watch is not currently capable of untethered operation; but I hope that is the case in the next 1-3 years — as I refuse to buy an oversized phone when I have an iPad Pro and MacBook Pro for occasions when I need a large screen.

I have sympathy for Apple product managers enduring to the stresses and challenges in defining and evolving complex product lines but for me, the recent “Pro = Beefy” trend — first evident in the iPhone Pro, then the iPad Pro, and now the MacBook Pro — is a mistake that will impact the bottom line as it forces those who value compact portable form factors to purchase lighter devices that are often less expensive.

So, I’m wondering if Apple may be making a strategic mistake with this “Pro = Beefy” design approach as it seems to force customers to (a) choose between size and performance — which historically was not mutually exclusive — and (b) pay less for compactness — which historically came at a premium. I may be an outlier in my preference for compactness vs functional overkill; but this feels like a departure from the Apple design culture that saved us from 2 inch bricks masquerading as laptops and made us eager and excited to pay a premium for compactness.

What do you think?

/end-therapy-session/

Yerp. I would also like less heft in a cellphone.

A premium material mini, with allll the latest camera tech, and way better thermal regulation would be great.

The three things o didn’t like about the mini was lack of premium material, lack of most up to date camera tech, and the overheating (I.e. it got way too hot)

 

[Zdigital2015]

After exclusively purchasing MacBook Pros, my next Mac is likely to be a MacBook Air — not because I want an Air, but because the MacBook Pro is too damn bulky.

However, this “Pro = Beefy” design language is not relegated to the Apple Silicon MacBook Pros. The issue extends to the M1/M2 iPad Pro and iPhone Pro devices as well.

​

M1 MacBook Pro​

I love my M1 Max 16” MacBook Pro when using it — it’s powerful, quiet, fast, cool and handles anything I throw at it gracefully and reliably; but this love transforms to doubts when hauling it or using it inflight or on anything other than a roomy desk for an extended period of time.

After hoisting my laptop bag to my shoulder, strolling to a gate at the airport or trying to use it inflight my inner talk increasingly turns to “Do I really need the power?” “Can I get away with a thinner, lighter, less powerful Mac laptop?“

The answer today is probably not — I need the 12 core CPU and 32 Core GPU to run discrete event simulations and visualize results as fast as possible. The difference between 30 minutes to run 20 iterations of a one-year complex simulation vs 45 minutes to do the same thing is huge — especially when collaborating with others and relying on simulation results to help others think through problems and solution with each run.

However, that rumored M2/M3 15” MacBook Air is sounding very promising. If it matches or comes close to the performance of my 16” M1 Max MacBook Pro, I’m going for it.

Yes, I’m willing to trade ProMotion, Mini LED display, and 1 Thunderbolt, HDMI and CF ports to eliminate 2 pounds and nearly 1/4 (.22) inch height on my daily driver — and likely pay less for the privilege!

M1/M2 iPad Pro​

I love my 12.9” Cellular M1 iPad Pro, but it’s too damn bulky — the M1 and M2 iPad Pro’s 1.51 pounds and .25 inches height vs 1.42 pounds and .23 inches of their 4th gen non M1 predecessor does not seem like a lot until you use it one handed and notice the significantly greater hand stress than the 4th gen iPad Pro .. or haul it around in your laptop bag along with your M1 Max MacBook Pro — that’s a total of 6.3 pounds without the power brick!

Similarly, the 4th gen 12.9” iPad Pro without mini led was fabulous in many ways (screen, performance, battery life, light weight, one-handed operation) .. and in practice the M1 version did not improve my experience as I thought it would — in retrospect I traded comfortable 1 hand operation for beefiness and the hope of future-proofing.

Likewise, I’m willing to trade off mini-LED, ProMotion and other enhancements for reduced weight and bulkiness of a larger screen iPad Air — and likely pay less for the privilege!

iPhone Pro​

The iPhone 12 Pro marked the leap from a 5.8“ screen to 6.1” screen. I reflexively upgraded from my beloved 5.8” iPhone 10 X to the 12 Pro to follow my practice of always purchasing the most feature rich, top of the line iPhone. However, after 2 months of use I realized that the iPhone X to 12 Pro “upgrade” came with a trade off: give up comfortable one-hand operation for better cameras and a bigger screen. This was a downgrade for me — not an upgrade.

I spent months trying to adapt to this change but could not — I simply valued the smaller 5.8” form factor more than better cameras and bigger, better screen. As soon as the iPhone 13 was released, I purchased an iPhone 13 mini and gave the 12 Pro to a family member. I continue to love the iPhone 13 mini’s combination of size, functionality and performance — and definitely paid less for the privilege!

Size matters​

After my iPhone Pro to iPhone mini conversion, I received an in-depth survey from Apple inquiring A. why I chose the iPhone 13 mini over the Pro and other devices (Answer: size), B. what I wanted (Answer: a 5.8” iPhone Pro model) and C. what I would do if the mini was not available: (a) choose another iPhone model, (b) choose a competitor’s mobile phone, (c) something else. Answer: (c) something else ..

The “something else” for me is to ditch the “phone” completely if the iPhone mini is discontinued and instead rely on my Apple Watch for “phone” functionality. I know the watch is not currently capable of untethered operation; but I hope that is the case in the next 1-3 years — as I refuse to buy an oversized phone when I have an iPad Pro and MacBook Pro for occasions when I need a large screen.

I have sympathy for Apple product managers enduring to the stresses and challenges in defining and evolving complex product lines but for me, the recent “Pro = Beefy” trend — first evident in the iPhone Pro, then the iPad Pro, and now the MacBook Pro — is a mistake that will impact the bottom line as it forces those who value compact portable form factors to purchase lighter devices that are often less expensive.

So, I’m wondering if Apple may be making a strategic mistake with this “Pro = Beefy” design approach as it seems to force customers to (a) choose between size and performance — which historically was not mutually exclusive — and (b) pay less for compactness — which historically came at a premium. I may be an outlier in my preference for compactness vs functional overkill; but this feels like a departure from the Apple design culture that saved us from 2 inch bricks masquerading as laptops and made us eager and excited to pay a premium for compactness.

What do you think?

/end-therapy-session/

No…Pros asked for MacBook Pros that fixed what they considered “deficiencies” in the 2016-2019 13” and 15” MacBook Pros. Apple obliged and I really do not hear the level of complaints about the current MBPs that I heard from 2016-2019 now. Pros seem very happy.

None of the MacBook Pros are 2” bricks by any stretch of the imagination and are in fact, still very svelte compared to prior iterations. That’s a bit of hyperbole, don’t you think?

Also, the M3 is being set up as some savior and I’m here to say that a great many people have set their expectations at unrealistic levels. Forum members should temper their thoughts now for their own good.

Reading your post really sounds as though you’ve got it good but insist on portraying this as a bad move on Apple’s part with very subjective criteria.

 

[Logic368]

We just need to go back to the original Pro = max power and beefy, Air = lightness at all costs, and just MacBook= balanced and good for most users

 

[leman]

I just don't understand this thought process at all. It is larger so that it accommodate better performance. That's what matters.

I’m not sure this explanation makes sense. The new hardware uses less power, both CPU and GPU. So why would the chassis need to dissipate more heat?

 

[turbineseaplane]

The huge new "feet" in the design language sure don't help with perception

The new design language is very much "chonky boy"

All the svelte wedgy curving at edges sex appeal is gone on the current lineup (sadly)

 

[heretiq]

No…Pros asked for MacBook Pros that fixed what they considered “deficiencies” in the 2016-2019 13” and 15” MacBook Pros. Apple obliged and I really do not hear the level of complaints about the current MBPs that I heard from 2016-2019 now. Pros seem very happy.

None of the MacBook Pros are 2” bricks by any stretch of the imagination and are in fact, still very svelte compared to prior iterations. That’s a bit of hyperbole, don’t you think?

Also, the M3 is being set up as some savior and I’m here to say that a great many people have set their expectations at unrealistic levels. Forum members should temper their thoughts now for their own good.

Reading your post really sounds as though you’ve got it good but insist on portraying this as a bad move on Apple’s part with very subjective criteria.

I think you misunderstood the intention behind this phrase: “I may be an outlier in my preference for compactness vs functional overkill; but this feels like a departure from the Apple design culture that saved us from 2 inch bricks masquerading as laptops and made us eager and excited to pay a premium for compactness.” It is not a statement that the current MacBook Pro is a 2” brick - it’s homage to the courage and ingenuity of Apple for stepping up and delivering sub-one-inch laptops at a time when many were arguing that thermal envelopes and other factors justified the then current, bulky form factor.

Reading your post really sounds as though you’ve got it good but insist on portraying this as a bad move on Apple’s part with very subjective criteria.

Yes, I do have it good and stated multiple times that I love my M1 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, but only wish they were less bulky. Also, there’s is no insistence here — just a question based on self-awareness and observation of my own reaction to a consistent trend towards beefier devices across three different Apple product lines.

The reaction is that I’m willing to trade down on features to get a lighter, more compact, less bulky device — which often costs less. The question is whether forcing that choice on buyers (trade down to get compactness) is a mistake for Apple as buyers were historically willing to pay more for compact, high-performance gear — not less. If my trading down behavior is representative of population reaction, the move could indeed be a strategic mistake for Apple. That is the point of the question.

 

[turbineseaplane]

My friends wife was one of the first people I knew with a new 14" MBP

She's not a tech person -- at all -- and I asked her how she liked it and she said:

"Performance is nice, but aesthetically it reminds me of a Dell from 10-15 years ago"

ouch..