M1 Max MBP has all these unnecessary ports….WTF?!

[jlc1978]

That 100 Wh is the guaranteed limit based on international norms. The same IATA norms allow batteries up to 160 Wh with the approval of the airline. Some airlines have enabled that as a matter of policy, some require a special permission for larger batteries, and some don't allow them at all (except as dangerous cargo). The 160 Wh limit is also quite new, and some countries may not have implemented it yet.

It is also part of the CFR; and it makes sense the IATA and CFR are compatible. My point was that a 70WH the Ais could have a larger battery but that was a design trade off.

If you travel with a laptop with a battery larger than 100 Wh, there is a risk that you have to abandon the laptop before you are allowed to board the plane. Especially when something unexpected happens, such as when your flight is rerouted. As a result, you rarely see large batteries in the default configurations of mass market laptops. They tend to be limited to specialist equipment for situations where you have to make special arrangements before flying anyway.

Correct, as the CFR states up to 160 but over 100 is at the airline’s discretion. Unless airlines decide to allow larger batteries no manufacturer will make them as a non-removable and replacable component for teh reason you suggest. It’s easier to carry 2 100WH batteries and not have to worry.

 

[Nicole1980]

Just plug the hole with putty and paint it silver.

actually, for those dorks complaining there's too many ports, you just came up with a great product line: aluminum 'caps' that match the color and texture of the macbooks finish and that fit snugly in the ports. Sell them for $14.99 each and you might make some serious money!

 

[Nicole1980]

Look, if you want a minimal Mac Laptop, get an Air. It's light, and has minimal ports.
If connectivity matters to you, get a MacBook Pro.
This is what is called product segmentation. If you are just buying a MacBook Pro without evaluating your wants/needs vs the model features that is on you, not Apple.

This. Apple now gives you a choice if you want a laptop with minimal ports. The OP is basically complaining that Apple is giving us too many options. Just SMH that anyone would complain about a product that offers flexibility.

 

[MajorFubar]

@Nicole1980 OP's whole argument was based around the assumption that anyone who needed the ports had already invested in a workaround (dongles), so the ports are pointless. But actually that's not the case: whole swathes of us just hadn't updated our Macs at all, we were hanging onto our old kit for dear life, waiting for Apple to come to their senses and give us a machine with the sockets we needed.

Took them, what, five years? But better late than never.

 

[fluxtransistor]

YES! Finally, the MacBook Pro M1 Max, a worthy player for my PowerPoint presentations.

Seriously, if you're a programmer or video maker, you likely don't need a 'spur-of-the-moment' HDMI jack, because your work monitor already has a Type-C charging dock. And if you just need it to give sales forecasts for the Acme Dongle Company, you're probably better suited to a less powerful computer.

 

[spiderman0616]

YES! Finally, the MacBook Pro M1 Max, a worthy player for my PowerPoint presentations.

Seriously, if you're a programmer or video maker, you likely don't need a 'spur-of-the-moment' HDMI jack, because your work monitor already has a Type-C charging dock. And if you just need it to give sales forecasts for the Acme Dongle Company, you're probably better suited to a less powerful computer.

Yep. There's a little whiplash going on here with some of the user base. For a few years there, I did agree with the whiners. The MacBook Pro lineup was not good. I still have one of the bad ones in rotation from my employer and I still hate it. The keyboard is bad, the battery life sucks, the fans are loud, and the computer in general just struggles to keep up with some things. When I flip my workstation over to my personal M1 Air, that feels more like the "pro" machine than the actual MacBook Pro sitting next to it.

But Apple has made huge changes here with the Pro models. While "Pro" still just means "nicer in general and has more features" for the rest of Apple's products, "Pro" in the Mac lineup now legitimately means "professional". Meaning most of the people whining about the new 14" and 16" models having too much crap on them and being "ugly" probably do not need a professional laptop. And no, I don't count the people that just want power headroom. I'm talking the people who actually need a professional laptop to do professional things that require that much power. Those people are who the new Macs are for, and those people seem to be loving them.

I just think if anyone thinks the newest notebooks from Apple are too thick (this is for thermal management), too heavy, too far from the old design, too many ports (still don't get that one--that's super weird to complain about), etc. then they probably don't need a computer even close to that powerful. Get the M1 Air or wait for the new M2 model. But the Pro models are now for actual pros. Anyone who feels like Apple left them behind with this generation probably never needed that kind of machine in the first place.

 

[fluxtransistor]

Yep. There's a little whiplash going on here with some of the user base. For a few years there, I did agree with the whiners. The MacBook Pro lineup was not good. I still have one of the bad ones in rotation from my employer and I still hate it. The keyboard is bad, the battery life sucks, the fans are loud, and the computer in general just struggles to keep up with some things. When I flip my workstation over to my personal M1 Air, that feels more like the "pro" machine than the actual MacBook Pro sitting next to it.

But Apple has made huge changes here with the Pro models. While "Pro" still just means "nicer in general and has more features" for the rest of Apple's products, "Pro" in the Mac lineup now legitimately means "professional". Meaning most of the people whining about the new 14" and 16" models having too much crap on them and being "ugly" probably do not need a professional laptop. And no, I don't count the people that just want power headroom. I'm talking the people who actually need a professional laptop to do professional things that require that much power. Those people are who the new Macs are for, and those people seem to be loving them.

I just think if anyone thinks the newest notebooks from Apple are too thick (this is for thermal management), too heavy, too far from the old design, too many ports (still don't get that one--that's super weird to complain about), etc. then they probably don't need a computer even close to that powerful. Get the M1 Air or wait for the new M2 model. But the Pro models are now for actual pros. Anyone who feels like Apple left them behind with this generation probably never needed that kind of machine in the first place.

My words exactly! Some machines are just better suited to different applications. I use an M1 Pro for most things, but I still crack open a G4 PowerBook for its keyboard (which is just wonderful for word processing).

 

[darngooddesign]

This. Apple now gives you a choice if you want a laptop with minimal ports. The OP is basically complaining that Apple is giving us too many options. Just SMH that anyone would complain about a product that offers flexibility.

No, they weren’t complaining about flexibility or options.

They were complaining about two single use ports, which we can assume they won’t use, instead of two multi use USB-C ports which would offer more flexibility.

 

[Nicole1980]

No, they weren’t complaining about flexibility or options.

They were complaining about two single use ports, which we can assume they won’t use, instead of two multi use USB-C ports which would offer more flexibility.

but... you still have THREE multi use USB-C ports. So what on earth is the problem!?!?!

 

[darngooddesign]

but... you still have THREE multi use USB-C ports. So what on earth is the problem!?!?!

Im not saying its right or wrong, although if your cameras use XQD then SD is a useless slot, just pointing out what the OP's issue actually was.

 

[Nicole1980]

Im not saying its right or wrong, although if your cameras use XQD then SD is a useless slot, just pointing out what the OP's issue actually was.

Useless, to you, and him. But some of us like having a native SD card slot. Point is, this laptops satisfies both groups of peoples wants. That's why I dont get the bitching.

 

[darngooddesign]

Useless, to you, and him. But some of us like having a native SD card slot. Point is, this laptops satisfies both groups of peoples wants. That's why I dont get the bitching.

Your assumption is incorrect. My cameras use SD cards so its useful to me and I'm happy with its inclusion; however, its crazy that Apple didn't use a multi-format slot on its Pro computers so the dedicated slot would be useful to people who use SD, CFast, and XQD.

 

[Calaveras]

It's guaranteed that no matter what Apple does with the MacBook Pro people will complain.
That they are complaining that it has too many ports?
Strange stance to take, just ignore them.
If the take is that those ports could have been USB C or TB, it's pretty well established that the chips will only support a limited number of TB ports. At best you would have likely gotten a USB A instead.
As it stand, the 14" MBP has the same number of AVAILABLE ports as the last one. Since that one always gave up a port for power. In the best possible situation you may have had a USB C monitor with PD. But not all of us settled on those displays.
I like this port arrangement. I can hook up a monitor, use an SD card, and be on AC power supply and still have 3 ports left for audio interface, raid array and future expansion.
And I could probably chain the raid and the audio interface.

 

[anthonymoody]

crack open a G4 PowerBook

Bro.

 

[appleArticulate]

The whole convo cracks me up honestly.

I'm using precisely 1 port on the new MBP. 1 of the 3 Thunderbolt ports, because the only time its plugged into anything is when its at my desk, and when its at my desk it plugs into a Thunderbolt hub which splits out multiple Thunderbolt and USB displays and accessories and devices.

From my perspective, 3 TB ports is more than enough, because you really only need 1, and the extra ports added for convenience for the time you're not expecting to need to hook up to HDMI or pop in an SD card, is a good balance. I don't care about MagSafe.

 

[guzhogi]

I really wish there was a higher-end version of something like the Raspberry Pi Compute Module. You get the very basic SoC, and Raspberry Pi sells a basic IO board. However, I've seen websites where you can design your own IO board. Really wish there was something like that, but higher end (there probably is, but I don't know where to look). Just someplace where you can designate how many CPU sockets you want, how many PCIe slots. For PCIe, designate how many slots, what configuration (ie three x16 slots, and two x1 slots or whatever), and the spacing between them should you want single- or double-width cards. Add in how many M.2 slots, whether you want audio, video, etc.

Unfortunately, I don't see Apple doing something like this. I find Apple likes to integrate more & more. Plus, it'd be a hassle to maintain the software for so many hardware configurations.

 

[Fomalhaut]

Your assumption is incorrect. My cameras use SD cards so its useful to me and I'm happy with its inclusion; however, its crazy that Apple didn't use a multi-format slot on its Pro computers so the dedicated slot would be useful to people who use SD, CFast, and XQD.

It would have been nice to see a CFExpress type-A / SD card hybrid (similar to some Sony cameras), but CFast is highly unlikely and is far larger than CFExpress Type A (or B):

From left to right: CFast, SD, XQD (same size as CFExpress Type B).

CFExpress Type A is slightly smaller than SD, but can see how it would be possible to create a smaller CFe-A slot inside an SD card reader:

 

[Fomalhaut]

[deleted]

 

[Alameda]

It would have been nice to see a CFExpress type-A / SD card hybrid (similar to some Sony cameras), but CFast is highly unlikely and is far larger than CFExpress Type A (or B):

View attachment 1942707

From left to right: CFast, SD, XQD (same size as CFExpress Type B).

CFExpress Type A is slightly smaller than SD, but can see how it would be possible to create a smaller CFe-A slot inside an SD card reader:

My camera has a CFExpress and an SD card. It’s very convenient to pop the SD card out of the camera and put it in the MacBook Pro. No searching for cables or anything. But when I need the high performance of the CFE card, I set up the camera to use it and then I transfer using a USB-C cable.

 

[Calaveras]

Thats what I was doing with SD cards on my last company Mac. Using my camera as an SD card reader.
Which was a pain, because you have to go in a submenu and change the mode of USB from tether to USB card reader.
Then remember to switch back. Not the end of the world. But I much prefer just having the SD card reader.

 

[fakestrawberryflavor]

I use everyport on my MPB, since I have 2 LG 5Ks, a TB3+ Dock, a 4K TV connected all the time, and use the SD Card reader to make images for my Raspberry Pi. IMO, this thing doesnt have enough ports lol

 

[flapflapflap]

I use everyport on my MPB, since I have 2 LG 5Ks, a TB3+ Dock, a 4K TV connected all the time, and use the SD Card reader to make images for my Raspberry Pi. IMO, this thing doesnt have enough ports lol

the HDMI port is useless for 90%, prefer another TB3/USB-C port

 

[Alameda]

YES! Finally, the MacBook Pro M1 Max, a worthy player for my PowerPoint presentations.

Seriously, if you're a programmer or video maker, you likely don't need a 'spur-of-the-moment' HDMI jack, because your work monitor already has a Type-C charging dock. And if you just need it to give sales forecasts for the Acme Dongle Company, you're probably better suited to a less powerful computer.

Thing about presentations is that companies are moving from projectors to TV’s, and 100% of large TV’s today are 4K.

Connect your HDMI dongle to a 4K TV and you’ll only get 4K30, which is pretty terrible for display quality. Windows and animations move slowly, etc. The new MBP drives a full 4K60 HDMI. It’s much better this way.

 

[Alameda]

the HDMI port is useless for 90%, prefer another TB3/USB-C port

You just made that number up. This thread certainly indicates it’s not so.

 

[ader42]

the HDMI port is useless for 90%, prefer another TB3/USB-C port

I’d rather they got rid of the SD card slot and upgraded the HDMI (which I do use) to 2.1