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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.
There are 12 cellular networks who don't compete. We have two who do compete. You're not proving your point, you're quoting statistics at me.
 
There are 12 cellular networks who don't compete. We have two who do compete. You're not proving your point, you're quoting statistics at me.

I have submitted statistics who are well documented, and findings from my resource within the Norwegian cellphone market. I feel your assumptions are uneducated and biased towards bland consumer activism. I would love to hear more about the US cellular market and why it so different from the Norwegian. I dislike the assumption that Norway is a fully governed and "fair" nation, it may be more fair than the US in some ways, but in no way directly comparable.

Enjoy Amuerica.
 
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comes down to Battery life. I want to upgrade because I do it every 3 years but my macbook air has 13 hour battery life. Hoping we get at least a 10 hour retina Macbook pro :)
 
comes down to Battery life. I want to upgrade because I do it every 3 years but my macbook air has 13 hour battery life. Hoping we get at least a 10 hour retina Macbook pro :)

I wish my 2011 11" Air lasted that long. I'm lucky to get 3 hours these days. Weight is also important to me, or I would have upgraded to a Pro a year or two ago.
 
Anyone else triggered by the top button row being replaced by an oled display?

That means the brightness buttons and the volume buttons is oled too!

No more non-looking adjusting audio or screen brigthness. I never ever look at my keyboard. I'ts for my fingers, not my eyes.

NotLikeThis
 
No, I don't "trigger" on rumors. And if it turns out the OLED thing is a bust, I'll buy the 17-model with the "woops we ****ed up, here's some extra buttons"-keyboard.
 
Need to buy an updated apple lappie... I am sooooo bored with the current design. I liked the good old days when I could upgrade yearly and it was always an improvement!
 
What does everyone think about the rumoured larger trackpad? If it's going to be big, why not have the entire portion below the keyboard be a touch pad. Resting your palms shouldn't effect cursor (at least it doesn't on current MBP's).

And since we're redesigning from the ground up, how about we make the trackpad also Pencil compatible?
 
What does everyone think about the rumoured larger trackpad? If it's going to be big, why not have the entire portion below the keyboard be a touch pad. Resting your palms shouldn't effect cursor (at least it doesn't on current MBP's).

And since we're redesigning from the ground up, how about we make the trackpad also Pencil compatible?

I like the idea of a larger trackpad, but I don't think that making it as big as you suggest would be good. It would be too easy to register spurious clicks. I also suspect that it would be quite expensive. Pencil compatibility would be interesting, but it might be hampered by the lack of geometric congruency between the screen and trackpad. I also don't know if the technology that tracks Pencil movement and pressure on the iPad is transferable.
 
Of course I care about the internal improvements and any new features that are in the re-design, but as a photographer that travels around the world, a lot, I have to bring at least two external drives with me so I'm anxiously waiting to find out what ports will be included. I sure hope that Apple includes USB-3 ports.

I have several trips lined up between now and early November, but assuming that a new MBP is released sometime by mid-November, then I need to make any adjustments to my backup strategy while working in the field before I head out on some really big trips over the winter: 7 weeks in Florida, followed by 18 days in Africa, and then 14 days in Panama.
 
I have a late 2012 13" MCP w/Retina 8GB and 512gb flash. To this day I see no reason to "upgrade" at all. Not much has changed, just bumps in processor speed, graphics chips etc. Give me a reason. Show me something new!
Late 2013 model here - feel the same way. Apple just replaced my screen for free (coating replacement program) and the 3rd party shop did a fantastic job of cleaning the machine as well. I'd need something compelling to upgrade soon. The 10% or so bumps each year are not enough. Yes, some of my Adobe apps would move a little faster, but Please!

A Note - while my machine was in the shop for the free screen, a friend let my use a PC laptop (A fairly new Toshiba) and it was a nightmare to use. I knew the MBPr was good, but getting it back in new shape was EPIC!
 
You should be happy, that you don't have to upgrade... you are saving alot of money.

But i'm actually in the same boat. I would like to buy a new Macbook, even though i don't really need one.

Hopefully the next one has smaller bezels. just like the dell laptops. their exclusivity deal must have run out by now.
 
I ended up buying an iMac 5K about a month ago. No way am I downgrading to a MBP now!

Still really want to see it though :)
 
I really want the new MBP. Although my 2012 Retina works flawlessly still. I just upgraded to a 2015 iMac 5K as well so I don't necessarily need a new one. I just feel like my 2012 MBP could fail at any time, even though it works great still. With my Applecare expiring over 6 months ago, I feel nervous holding on to it any longer than I have to. Especially if it fails, its worth nothing, where as its still working, its worth about $800-$1000.
 
How likely is it that we'll see the Smart Connector on the new MBP?

It may have been raised before but this could effectively be the successor to MagSafe, only a more versatile solution. It's magnetic, transfers power and data, and is seemingly more reliable given the simplicity of the physical interface.

Judging from the leaked image of the unibody, it may then also help to explain why the area between the back of the chassis and the first USB-C port (left side, bottom image) appears flush; the Smart Connector would presumably require a different milling process than the simple blanks of speaker holes and USB ports.

left_and_right.jpg


Also, it may tie-in to how future iOS devices are interfaced and waterproofed. Apple could effectively drop Lightning and use only Smart Connector for charging and syncing. My guess is that at present, they're including it only with the iPhone 7 Plus as incentive to upgrade.

The Smart Connector plug could potentially look very similar to the current MagSafe, and the cable therefore would be compatible with both Macs and iOS devices - provided the other end featured a USB-3/C plug. This would be a very typical move for Apple as it simplifies cable requirements.

Lastly, if the MBA is believed to be having a redesign and continuation, then Smart Connector would be an upgrade over MagSafe and in turn an additional feature over the rMB. However this may only work (or make sense) if the rMB is positioned in a lower-tier to the new MBA.

Sorry if this has been raised before, it just strikes me as logical strategy.
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are we expecting a new MBP on Sept 7th?
I thought it was just iphone 7 and Apple Watch.
Without wanting to sound rude, this has been asked many, many times already. It's almost a given that Apple will dedicate the upcoming event to iOS devices, and the October event to Mac - just as it has done in recent times.
 
No, I don't "trigger" on rumors. And if it turns out the OLED thing is a bust, I'll buy the 17-model with the "woops we ****ed up, here's some extra buttons"-keyboard.

It'll probably take another four years for a MacBook Pro with an OLED display if they don't include it for the refresh so I'll be pretty annoyed since some Windows laptops already have OLED options. (Only interested if it's included by default on the Retina MacBook Pro though.)
 
I absolutely think Apple drags their feet between upgrades and Ives probably overthinks everything and then talks in hyperbole about how much thought went into everything.
Is it better designed, yes? Is it evident that thought went into the mbp? Yes.

But given that the notebook has largely remained the same for two decades, improvements have come in the form of upgraded component parts. That is, much nicer and thinner screens, more responsive touchpads, better battery tech, etc. Incorporating these items into a clamshell design that's been the same forever to me does not seem to warrant 4 years between major releases. Especially for a company the size of apple. I mean, if there's better screen tech, use it. But don't tell me it takes four years. Why can I say this? Because other companies can incorporate it within a year.

I don't think that Apple thinks they're dragging their feet. They genuinely think that with regard to the notebook, they're continually working hard. But clearly, based on seeing competitors' products, it does not have to take that long to say, build a usb-type c port into a laptop; or add in a 4k screen; or slim down a notebook's thickness; or upgrade a touchpad to work properly (surface book). These guys all do it within a 1 year or two.

Now I'm going to contradict myself. Though I think Apple moves too slowly due to Ives' paralysis by analysis, there's still no better laptop than these "outdated" macbook pros. All the others have the specs and check all the boxes, but they're not as enjoyable to use. So as I've mentioned before, I'll whine about the snail's pace of innovation at Apple but I really should be saying to the competitors: we'd love to jump ship as soon as you build something that delivers more value.
There's nothing that has a retina screen and a great touchpad and a great price. Nothing. And I'm not even considering mac os x which is one of a kind at the moment. The power of the ecosystem is a real big barrier to change. All the other laptops on the market mess up in one way or another: they have a retina screen but a crappy touchpad or vice versa. Or they get it all right and then charge as much as or more than a macbook.

Maybe that last 10% of the details: making sure the OS scales well at retina resolutions so that the odd programs don't have dialog boxes that are 1/4 the size sometimes; making sure that the touchpad works while you rest your thumb on it; making sure it detects two finger scrolling all the time; getting rid of keyboard flex; having a webcam that works well when there's strong backlighting, etc; I could go on and on....

Only Apple bothers with each of these things. I don't think it should take this much time, because you solve it once and the next time it should not be this monumental complete rewrite from scratch. But maybe I'm wrong and it does take 4 years to sweat these last 10% of the details so that the most core of the core functions of the laptop: staring at the screen, using the touchpad, and typing on a keyboard, just work.

Either way, only Apple sweats them and others just release what they have thinking that for 90% of people it's good enough. But for those of us who appreciate the details (or only realize the details were there after we switched over to a better spec'd competitor laptop), it's sadly Apple or nothing right now. And so we wait. Whining loudly, hoping openly for a real competitor to develop, but in the end we get called on our bluff time and time again. We're not going anywhere.

Apple could wait another year and while we'd be upset, we'd never leave. And Apple knows this.
 
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I ordered a MBP 15" mid 2015 on 10-30-15 when believe it or not, it was considered a risk for missing a major MBP upgrade. Skated by nicely on that one.
 
. . . there's still no better laptop than these "outdated" macbook pros. All the others have the specs and check all the boxes, but they're not as enjoyable to use. So as I've mentioned before, I'll whine about the snail's pace of innovation at Apple but I really should be saying to the competitors: we'd love to jump ship as soon as you build something that delivers more value. . . .
. . . Apple could wait another year and while we'd be upset, we'd never leave. And Apple knows this.
As I explained in the "other" thread: I was very close to buy a Macbook Pro 15, but decided to go with a Zenbook Pro 15.6" with i7-6700HD and Nvidia GTX-960M. This was half the price of a Macbook, and the quality of the trackpad is not up to Apple standards, but everything else is very comparable to the Macbook: 4k matte screen with 95% sRGB coverage, an SSD that was easy to get an upgrade with twice the original capacity, 16GB RAM, good keyboard. To be honest, the keyboard can be pressed down with force, but this is just a cosmetic issue; and I use an external mouse when not travelling anyway. The weight of the ASUS is very close to the Macbook Pro, but it has a slightly larger footprint (both would be too large for an airplane tray).

On of the main reasons why I wanted a current Macbook was the abundance of ports which may be gone with the new models. The ASUS has 3 USB 3.0, 1 USB C 3.1 with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, SD card, 3.5mm audio. Of course, I miss magsafe, but this could also be gone with the new Apple models?

Windows 10 is still not as polished as OS X, but I use the same applications (MS Office and Matlab mostly) and there most differences are gone. Windows has some features that I think are even better than on OS X (e.g. explorer vs. finder, especially when accessing some company servers). All C++ development at work is done in Visual Studio, so I no longer need the hassle of Bootcamp or Parallels VM.

Last but not least: I can run Windows games with decent performance: Word of Warcraft hardly pushes the ASUS to the limits, and even games such as Witcher should run without problems. I don't game too much so that a special gameing rig was never an option for me.

TL;DR Some may have given up on Apple and just watch the show. They need to bring something really exciting to win me back (and this will not be the OLED touch strip replacement for function keys).
 
Not impressed with Kaby Lake on paper, although I'm sure there'll be some nice improvements.

With the latest rumor of KL already in the hands of contractors, I hope to wait for the next or next-next processor, or possibly until they make the leap down from 14 NM. My mid 2015 15" might have given the depth to do this to a certain extent.

Otoh I'd love to be surprised, although this scenario with Intel is looking more and more like an IBM/Motorola moment.
 
How likely is it that we'll see the Smart Connector on the new MBP?

It may have been raised before but this could effectively be the successor to MagSafe, only a more versatile solution. It's magnetic, transfers power and data, and is seemingly more reliable given the simplicity of the physical interface.

Judging from the leaked image of the unibody, it may then also help to explain why the area between the back of the chassis and the first USB-C port (left side, bottom image) appears flush; the Smart Connector would presumably require a different milling process than the simple blanks of speaker holes and USB ports.

left_and_right.jpg


Also, it may tie-in to how future iOS devices are interfaced and waterproofed. Apple could effectively drop Lightning and use only Smart Connector for charging and syncing. My guess is that at present, they're including it only with the iPhone 7 Plus as incentive to upgrade.

The Smart Connector plug could potentially look very similar to the current MagSafe, and the cable therefore would be compatible with both Macs and iOS devices - provided the other end featured a USB-3/C plug. This would be a very typical move for Apple as it simplifies cable requirements.

Lastly, if the MBA is believed to be having a redesign and continuation, then Smart Connector would be an upgrade over MagSafe and in turn an additional feature over the rMB. However this may only work (or make sense) if the rMB is positioned in a lower-tier to the new MBA.

Sorry if this has been raised before, it just strikes me as logical strategy.
[doublepost=1472894474][/doublepost]
Without wanting to sound rude, this has been asked many, many times already. It's almost a given that Apple will dedicate the upcoming event to iOS devices, and the October event to Mac - just as it has done in recent times.

I use to think that too, but what excites me even more looking at the rMB is that perhaps Apple will switch to true wireless charging on Macs, and therefore leaving the remaining ports for data transfer. That would be innovative.
 
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What does everyone think about the rumoured larger trackpad? If it's going to be big, why not have the entire portion below the keyboard be a touch pad. Resting your palms shouldn't effect cursor (at least it doesn't on current MBP's).

And since we're redesigning from the ground up, how about we make the trackpad also Pencil compatible?
Forget the pencil thing that makes too much sense from a user standpoint, as would a screen you could use like the Suface Pro. What's more likely to happen is like the late 2008 MBP which was sold in Nov. and had a major upgrade in March. This one is likely to be announced in Oct, sold in Nov. and the pencil in March along with the up grade.
 
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