Wait for Next Years 2018 MacBook Pro Update if You Can

[shamguy4]

I’m thinking of buying a MacBook today on Black Friday. I have a 2014 pro retina.

I have a fear of the butterfly keyboard. I heard it got a bit better in the 2017 model. Is there a chance that they’ll make it even better the next one?
The idea of a really flat keyboard with no give does not sound exactly exciting. I have never played around with one though so I cannot judge it fully. only based on what I’m seeing online

 

[jerryk]

I’m thinking of buying a MacBook today on Black Friday. I have a 2014 pro retina.

I have a fear of the butterfly keyboard. I heard it got a bit better in the 2017 model. Is there a chance that they’ll make it even better the next one?
The idea of a really flat keyboard with no give does not sound exactly exciting. I have never played around with one though so I cannot judge it fully. only based on what I’m seeing online

Every product improves over time, so I have no doubt the keyboard will get better in later iterations as engineers work on the issues.

 

[Naimfan]

I’m thinking of buying a MacBook today on Black Friday. I have a 2014 pro retina.

I have a fear of the butterfly keyboard. I heard it got a bit better in the 2017 model. Is there a chance that they’ll make it even better the next one?
The idea of a really flat keyboard with no give does not sound exactly exciting. I have never played around with one though so I cannot judge it fully. only based on what I’m seeing online

Keep your 2014.

That said, the 2017 models appear to be better/more reliable, possibly due to the lower heat load created by Kaby Lake processors relative to Skylake.

 

[gobikerider]

Keep your 2014.

That said, the 2017 models appear to be better/more reliable, possibly due to the lower heat load created by Kaby Lake processors relative to Skylake.

Neither are reliable due to the butterfly keyboard.

 

[thelookingglass]

I’m thinking of buying a MacBook today on Black Friday. I have a 2014 pro retina.

I have a fear of the butterfly keyboard. I heard it got a bit better in the 2017 model. Is there a chance that they’ll make it even better the next one?
The idea of a really flat keyboard with no give does not sound exactly exciting. I have never played around with one though so I cannot judge it fully. only based on what I’m seeing online

Mine works perfectly well. I love the new keyboard.

 

[Average Pro]

Ordered a MacBook Pro (15") from B&H. The price was too good to pass up. It will replace a 2013-mid MacBook Air. I'm confident I'll see a difference in performance.

 

[gobikerider]

Mine works perfectly well. I love the new keyboard.

I think the keyboard itself is great, the susceptibility to fail is my issue with them. I’m hoping for 2018 they introduce a third generation keyboard with “improved tactile response” but really just fixing this reliability issue concerning fine particles getting under the mechanism. I know it hasn’t affected everyone, but the mere idea of it being a risk concerns me if I am going to spend $1500+ on a MacBook Pro or Macbook.

 

[Abs_p]

Neither are reliable due to the butterfly keyboard.

That's where credit cards with extended warranties come into play.

 

[Queen6]

That's where credit cards with extended warranties come into play.

Personally I far prefer that Apple just got it right in the first place, as credit cards or extended warranties will not cover my time which I value, let alone the inconvenience.

I use my notebooks professionally, even with multiple systems I still consider the new MBP to be an unacceptable risk, there is simply far too much anecdotal evidence pointing to a serious design flaw. Apple should be thoroughly ashamed, however as ever Apple's hubris & greed over rides any concerns for it's customers.

My sympathy lies with the average consumer, who purchases in good faith, only to be presented with an expensive repair that for many will not be viable when the hardware is no longer covered. Apple want to produce their computers in a fashion that is barely repairable fine, equally Apple should ensure that they are reliable in the first place...

In many respects Apple is just burning it's credibility and the MBP becoming a joke in some circles, yet again being a problematic purchase.

Q-6

 

[gobikerider]

That's where credit cards with extended warranties come into play.

That’s hardly an excuse. For a company that prides itself on design this is inexcusable even if it only affects a small percentage of the user base.
[doublepost=1511589922][/doublepost]

Personally I far prefer that Apple just got it right in the first place, as credit cards or extended warranties will not cover my time which I value, let alone the inconvenience.

I use my notebooks professionally, even with multiple systems I still consider the new MBP to be an unacceptable risk, there is simply far too much anecdotal evidence pointing to a serious design flaw. Apple should be thoroughly ashamed, however as ever Apple's hubris & greed over rides any concerns for it's customers.

My sympathy lies with the average consumer, who purchases in good faith, only to be presented with an expensive repair that for many will not be viable when the hardware is no longer covered. Apple want to produce their computers in a fashion that is barely repairable fine, equally Apple should ensure that they are reliable in the first place...

In many respects Apple is just burning it's credibility and the MBP becoming a joke in some circles, yet again being a problematic purchase.

Q-6

This

 

[Abs_p]

That’s hardly an excuse. For a company that prides itself on design this is inexcusable even if it only affects a small percentage of the user base.

Personally I far prefer that Apple just got it right in the first place, as credit cards or extended warranties will not cover my time which I value, let alone the inconvenience.

I use my notebooks professionally, even with multiple systems I still consider the new MBP to be an unacceptable risk, there is simply far too much anecdotal evidence pointing to a serious design flaw. Apple should be thoroughly ashamed, however as ever Apple's hubris & greed over rides any concerns for it's customers.

My sympathy lies with the average consumer, who purchases in good faith, only to be presented with an expensive repair that for many will not be viable when the hardware is no longer covered. Apple want to produce their computers in a fashion that is barely repairable fine, equally Apple should ensure that they are reliable in the first place...

In many respects Apple is just burning it's credibility and the MBP becoming a joke in some circles, yet again being a problematic purchase.

Q-6

That's true. But the matter of fact right now is that Apple has not got it right and we can either make a decision to not give Apple our money and buy something else or if we decide to give Apple our money despite knowing the issues that plague the device, we use a decent credit card to cover the cost when the problem arises.

 

[Queen6]

That's true. But the matter of fact right now is that Apple has not got it right and we can either make a decision to not give Apple our money and buy something else or if we decide to give Apple our money despite knowing the issues that plague the device, we use a decent credit card to cover the cost when the problem arises.

I vote with the alternative as rewarding Apple for poor performance will not help in the long run as is evident. The advice to ensure coverage is sound, equally disappointing and frankly these days near mandatory...

Q-6

 

[vesperknight]

The fantastic thing about Macbook Pros is that they last a super long time. My late 2013 is still such a beast.. feels like new except for the battery and runs laps around most laptops even ones sold today. The 2017 model is only slightly faster.

So I am all too happy to wait until 2019 before upgrading because 32gb of ram does matter for me and I am always running out of ram with 16gb because of what I do with it.

Also very disappointed about the ****** keyboard they have on the new models.. the mandatory touch bar which I would love to be optional because I don't want it.. and I sure wish they hadn't removed the SD slot because I loved being able to expand the memory and carry multiple 250gb microsd cards.. such a shame they did that.. they probably only did it because they feared more people would go the way of huge superfast microsd cards that fit flush with the frame.

 

[BrittWentz]

Is there any chance they'll go back to the old keyboard design? I think the flat keys are just awful. And what about the logo lighting up? One of the MB's most essential features, you could recognize one from miles away. Now with the flat metal logo + new space grey color they look just like any other P IMO...

I wish they would slow down with the releases, we don't need a new model of everything every couple months. The "waiting for the next model" game is a long one, as its difficult to be completely satisfied by a new model. I had been waiting for the iPhone X since forever, always dreamed of a screen-only phone, and now that it's here i'm questioning if i should really drop 1,500 bucks in a phone that in a couple of months might be worth 600 when the next gen comes out. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.

 

[Abs_p]

Is there any chance they'll go back to the old keyboard design? I think the flat keys are just awful. And what about the logo lighting up? One of the MB's most essential features, you could recognize one from miles away. Now with the flat metal logo + new space grey color they look just like any other P IMO...

I wish they would slow down with the releases, we don't need a new model of everything every couple months. The "waiting for the next model" game is a long one, as its difficult to be completely satisfied by a new model. I had been waiting for the iPhone X since forever, always dreamed of a screen-only phone, and now that it's here i'm questioning if i should really drop 1,500 bucks in a phone that in a couple of months might be worth 600 when the next gen comes out. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.

I dont think they are ever going back to the older keyboard, we MIGHT get the logo back maybe someday in the future but not holding my breath for it.

About slowing the down the release,nopes. Instead they need to update their line up with latest intel processors ASAP. 8th gen processors are here and they offer a HUGE speed dumb over 7th gen. $1300 for a base model MacBook Pro with 7th gen i5 is wayy too much money when you can get a much 8th gen Kaby Lake R quad core@ ~600-700 .

 

[Falhófnir]

Is there any chance they'll go back to the old keyboard design? I think the flat keys are just awful. And what about the logo lighting up? One of the MB's most essential features, you could recognize one from miles away. Now with the flat metal logo + new space grey color they look just like any other P IMO...

I wish they would slow down with the releases, we don't need a new model of everything every couple months. The "waiting for the next model" game is a long one, as its difficult to be completely satisfied by a new model. I had been waiting for the iPhone X since forever, always dreamed of a screen-only phone, and now that it's here i'm questioning if i should really drop 1,500 bucks in a phone that in a couple of months might be worth 600 when the next gen comes out. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.

I'd guess they're pretty limited in what they can do in the current machines due to the very fine tolerance of the gap between the keyboard and screen. Very likely they will keep tweeking the design though, who knows, maybe they'll have found a way to make the butterfly keyboard reliable.

 

[greyscale74]

As to 32mb ram, Apple has stated publicly that the reason for no 32mb is, battery life is shortened significantly.
SO Apple, why is an AC adapter included with the laptop???? I use my Macbook Pro with the AC cord plugged in 90% of the time. Cmon Apple, get with it. Let the USER decide how to maximize battery life.

 

[Poki]

As to 32mb ram, Apple has stated publicly that the reason for no 32mb is, battery life is shortened significantly.
SO Apple, why is an AC adapter included with the laptop???? I use my Macbook Pro with the AC cord plugged in 90% of the time. Cmon Apple, get with it. Let the USER decide how to maximize battery life.

It's not that easy. Switching from LPDDR3 RAM to DDR3 or DDR4 would mean a significant change in the architecture of the notebook, most probably by changing the mainboard and the overall layout of the battery to make more room for the larger RAM chips. Doing all this might increase the cost of all SKUs to fund the additional development and production cost of these models, which might not be worth it to Apple since most users are fine with 16 GB RAM.

 

[Naimfan]

It's not that easy. Switching from LPDDR3 RAM to DDR3 or DDR4 would mean a significant change in the architecture of the notebook, most probably by changing the mainboard and the overall layout of the battery to make more room for the larger RAM chips. Doing all this might increase the cost of all SKUs to fund the additional development and production cost of these models, which might not be worth it to Apple since most users are fine with 16 GB RAM.

Which would be moot if Apple got past the obsession with anorexia and form over function . . .

 

[Poki]

Which would be moot if Apple got past the obsession with anorexia and form over function . . .

With a notebook, the form kind of is the function, isn't it? It needs to be portable. If it wouldn't, you could just as well buy an iMac. So making it thinner, smaller and lighter sure improves its usefulness - it certainly does for me. Obviously building a notebook is all about finding the best compromise, and you can't ever find the best compromise for all people.

 

[Naimfan]

With a notebook, the form kind of is the function, isn't it? It needs to be portable. If it wouldn't, you could just as well buy an iMac. So making it thinner, smaller and lighter sure improves its usefulness - it certainly does for me. Obviously building a notebook is all about finding the best compromise, and you can't ever find the best compromise for all people.

Your fundamental premise is incorrect, hence, everything after is also incorrect.

 

[Poki]

Your fundamental premise is incorrect, hence, everything after is also incorrect.

Would you mind telling me what exactly is incorrect with stating that a notebook is a portable computer?

 

[shamguy4]

Well I bit the bullet and bought a new MacBook Pro.
My 2014 retina has been acting up since I upgraded it to high sierra. I rarely ever saw the spinning ball before I installed it and now my Bluetooth mouse acts choppy.
Part of me wanted to just do a fresh install but I don’t have time right now. I can’t be without a working computer even for a day right now. And the idea of deregistering all my adobe apps and my stuff was bleh.

So I bought a new MacBook Pro and slowly will transfer all my apps and stuff and then sell the 2014. It’s in perfect condition.

I got my MacBook Pro on ebay
Some people think I’m crazy but I’ve gotten every MacBook I own from Ebay. They’re cheaper and usually there’s no sales tax.

 

[gobikerider]

Well I bit the bullet and bought a new MacBook Pro.
My 2014 retina has been acting up since I upgraded it to high sierra. I rarely ever saw the spinning ball before I installed it and now my Bluetooth mouse acts choppy.
Part of me wanted to just do a fresh install but I don’t have time right now. I can’t be without a working computer even for a day right now. And the idea of deregistering all my adobe apps and my stuff was bleh.

So I bought a new MacBook Pro and slowly will transfer all my apps and stuff and then sell the 2014. It’s in perfect condition.

I got my MacBook Pro on ebay
Some people think I’m crazy but I’ve gotten every MacBook I own from Ebay. They’re cheaper and usually there’s no sales tax.

In what way is that easier then having just done a clean install?

 

[ugru]

With a notebook, the form kind of is the function, isn't it? It needs to be portable. If it wouldn't, you could just as well buy an iMac.

Straw man argument...

You do not need a portable iMac, you just need a 2015 form factor laptop (which nobody found cumbersome) with a 99.5 Wh battery.
Problem solved. And, as an added benefit, you could also have had a SD card reader and some USBA ports for nowadays-compatibility.