Well, like a lot of people I do enjoy taking advantage of new technologies. Now if something new would just come along, something to make me go... wow!
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The next MacBook Pro redesign (merged)
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Well, like a lot of people I do enjoy taking advantage of new technologies. Now if something new would just come along, something to make me go... wow!
USB-C and dual USB-C/USB-A (male) adapters and peripherals are starting to ramp up this year with a lot good options. I could see Apple making the new rMBP with 4 USB-C (like the leaked images) and possibly with a new 4/5k for the display. Which won't really increase performance even with the new upcoming mobile GPUs. Just when Apple could put in a decent mobile dGPU, but of course they'd go 4/5k and put us back in the 2012 era of GPU performance. I swore I read a rumor with the Apple Pencil 2 working with trackpads, so Apple might just have a TON on the plate.
I'm not so sure about this, to be honest. If that were the case then I doubt we'd still see cellular iPads, especially iPad Pros.
Personally I would love this and think there's very much a point to adding LTE to the next MacBook Pros. I use iPhone tethering now, and have used it regularly since it was first introduced. However, I've never found it to be a truly great solution. It has always drained my various iPhones' batteries so fast, even my brand new iPhone 6S, and because of that issue it's just not a great option for serious on-the-go daily use. I either have to tether very sparingly, accept the fact that my iPhone (i.e. my sole data connection) will drain significantly, drain my MacBook Pro's battery faster than I otherwise would (and remember to carry a Lightning cable) in order to keep my iPhone alive, or just not use tethering at all and go without data access on my MacBook or use a potentially sketchy public access point when I'm out. Not great choices, and I hope Apple sees this. I'm sure LTE wouldn't be cheap on MacBooks but I bet there would be people who would pay for the access. I know I would. Now that their Apple SIM technology has been refined with the iPad, this could be a great time to introduce optional LTE connectivity with the Pros in a way similar to how the iPads handle it. Who knows if they will do it, but it makes sense.
In a way I almost see iPhone tethering as being similar to what Apple Watch proximity unlocking of Macs will be once Macs get TouchID - a useful feature, for sure, and something many people will still use anyway for various reasons, but also somewhat of an alternative, so that people who don't have newer hardware can still make use of these features. iPhone tethering is still great for people who use data sporadically, too, so I'm sure the feature won't go away.
I think it is easier to implement the antennas on an iPad and also iPads are more portable and at the time of introduction, so it makes sense for them to carry on a feature into the Pro line. Since they've been able to integrate it into a MacBook they probably saw that the majority of people used their phone since tethering wasn't as locked down/unavailable as it used to be. Also at that point, places where it's common to use a MacBook would have WiFi.
I still think it would be interesting to see if they do it but I'm not sure it will happen, especially in a notebook where they are trying to save space.
As we're now reaching a time where MacBooks in general are not that much larger and heavier than iPads in general, and as were seeing much more convergence across devices, I'd argue that anything that justifies the iPad having data access also justifies the MacBooks having it. The smaller MacBooks especially.
The reason people are only using tethering or public wifi is due to the fact that no other options exist, so I would hope they wouldn't then use the fact that people do a lot of tethering as a reason to then not add built-in data - it's a bit of a circular argument. And at least where I live, in a major city, there aren't a lot of public data access points around that are secure and reliable. As I mentioned in my post above, tethering is, for me and many I know, the only reliable option, and not a great option at that. Also, I'm not sure that assuming that "places where people use MacBooks" (which is pretty vague) are just going to have public wifi is a good assumption for a company like Apple to make. I as a user certainly haven't seen that.
Another reason why laptops haven't had built in data introduced yet could be that Apple's embedded Apple SIM technology is still very new, only having been deployed in a widespread manner within the last year or so within new iPad models, and we haven't seen a major laptop redesign since the technology's initial deployment. And I think it makes sense that they'd want to test and refine the technology in the less-expensive iPads before deploying it in their MacBook line. Since the technology hasn't seemingly been prime time ready until fairly recently, it fits that we *could* see it within the next few years (but hopefully sooner). But I think saying that we won't see it added to MacBooks because we haven't seen it yet just doesn't fit in with the timeline of this technology's development.
20% of the US use mobile broadband as their single source for Internet. When 5G launches I think the number will exceed 50%. Data prices will go down and unlimited may again be an option.
They would never work with Razer. Razer blatantly copies Apple except they meet the users demands.
In terms of the Razer Core, it will work with TB3 equipped Macs. There are already lesser known external GPU solutions out there, and if Apple wanted to do one they would do it themselves.
wow. you're incredibly optimistic considering how the entire telecom industry does everything in their power to rape the consumer's wallet.
BAHAHHAHA yah that is why AT&T was fined $100 Million for throttling customers for Unlimited data plans. You are naive.
I use to use the tethering feature but I chose to cut some costs and get the unlimited plan from AT&T. I didn't realize until after that they cut the tethering feature out of the iPhone when using the unlimited plan. They allow for you to add tablets but of course I got the Wi-Fi only iPad pro because I was tethering it before. A MacBook pro that I can add to my unlimited plan would be awesome and truly be one of the most mobile laptops around. Compared to my last laptop (Alienware 17) the MacBook pro is so light and thin that it is extremely easy to carry around.
It's a shame there is no simslot or 4K output in the new MacBook either. It would defend the hefty price tag.
So as we are nearing the new MBP - I think that one of the best things Apple could do at this point is offer both the new model and Retina model, and FINALLY kill off the cMBP. If they could offer the original Retina 13inch for $999 with 256gb storage and 8gb ram as standard, they would sell really well for people who don't want the newer option with USB C ports. I really don't care about any of the new features that are being rumored and would be pissed if they just have the new retina and still keep the garbage 2012 cMBP.
wow. you're incredibly optimistic considering how the entire telecom industry does everything in their power to rape the consumer's wallet.
There is no way that data prices will go down as the market currently stands.
You might as well look at cable tv. The price never went down and it never will.
The best bet would be for the internet to be ruled as a utility and have its pricing controlled by the government.
In Norway the biggest mobile data subscriptions have gone down in price, though the unlimited offerings have been discontinued. You can get 20GB for around 40USD, the same amount of money would provide you with 6GB back in start of 2015. Thats almost four times as much. With higher quality cameras, better streaming services and more applications relying on cellular data, the cost will come down along with a growing user base with more demanding content and consistency.
Cable is a technology that hasn't changed much. In contrast to cable, cellular data has penetrated every space in the developed world, both business and private, so you can't compare cable to cellular. 5G will allow faster speeds, dense traffic and more users from the same cell towers that have we use today.
My primary source of Internet is cellular, and I pay around 65USD for 200GB per month. With additional 80GB costing me 20USD. It would be nice to have fibre, but I like to bring my connection with me, since I can carry a 80Mbit connection practically everywhere in the EU and roam for free.
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And how have the Competition Authority in Norway fronted any policies that has led to changes in price per gigabyte in the Norwegian telecom industry? In Norway there is a duopol. Two companies who have a license to build and maintain a cellular network. I wouldn't call that a competition.
The big change has been in the amount of companies who lease the network and sell subscriptions with their own brand within the duopol's coverage. Most of these companies are waging a price war, which leads to reduced prices. The Authority are more involved in mergers than the actual setting of prices, though they are obliged to investigate cartels who set prices to avoid competition.
Did you read my last paragraph or any of the results from that search?
Read the last paragraph in this article...
http://www.aftenposten.no/okonomi/--Skal-sorge-for-a-holde-mobilprisene-nede-65136b.html
Google hits is a flawed argument. Show me the context or drown in the content.
Most of the so-called budget brands have bleeding red numbers, but also an enormous growth in subscribers. Fiber, cable and DSL has a slow growth rate, and will eventually just be used by power users and businesses. The next generation will probably never see a pixel or a cable in their life. Which is good, because I hate setting up routers and having non removable outlets for Internet access. Download speed and ping is sufficient as it is on 4G. 80mbit down and under 20 ms ping. 4K HDR from Netflix is not a problem.
When 5G is ready as a standard in 2020, wi-fi will slowly be replaced by cellular access points rather than local outlets. It doesn't make sense to have routers and cables everywhere. It's cheaper for the ISPs to maintain and expand a cellular network.
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He might have been talking about the US. In the US, prices for things like mobile essentially never go down. And what you said you use for Internet doesn't even exist here, most certainly not for $65 a month. My total mobile phone bill is like $150 a month for two phones sharing 6GB of data on 4G.
The CA IS the context. In a country where competition is actually mandated to happen, it will happen. In the US it doesn't, since monopoly is a fantastic business model!
In the US there is 12 cellular networks issued by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. In Norway it's just two. The US also has 62 times as many subscriptions as Norway. The prices are in no way mandated, what is often controlled by the CA is mergers, and since Telia acquired the third network license, we now have duopol. Both license holders have more or less the same pricing in their own brand product portfolio, but budget brands who lease the network, may sometimes provide higher GB quota, but will usually charge a premium on overuse, often by the MB.
I want to point out the reason behind the increased cable pricing
https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/cable-tv-revenue-decline-broadband-cord-cutting-1201836417/
Norway is further developed than the US in cellular technology, but far behind Asian markets like Japan and South Korea. So early adopting of new technology may be the cause for lower pricing.
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