Waiting for 2021 MBP

[littlepud]

I would love to be proven wrong, but I don’t think Apple will back away from the Touch Bar.

I don’t mind the Touch Bar per se, but I’m somewhat annoyed that Apple hasn’t gone all-in on it.

Seems like they are half-assing it where 4 years later it’s still only on the MBP.

It feels very much like 3D Touch on the iPhones. A cool concept but something that hasn’t taken off with app developers.

 

[pcdtech]

I don’t mind the Touch Bar per se, but I’m somewhat annoyed that Apple hasn’t gone all-in on it. Seems like they are half-assing it where 4 years later it’s still only on the MBP.

Four years later, I do see myself using it now more than before, but I still think it’s a poor experience on the whole. If there was a way to add haptic feedback, perhaps my opinions would change. I’ve tried Haptic Touch Bar before and used it for some time but ultimately uninstalled it. I think it requires a true Apple taptic engine.

 

[DanMan619]

I don’t mind the Touch Bar per se, but I’m somewhat annoyed that Apple hasn’t gone all-in on it.

Seems like they are half-assing it where 4 years later it’s still only on the MBP.

It feels very much like 3D Touch on the iPhones. A cool concept but something that hasn’t taken off with app developers.

I agree, i don't think the touch bar is horrible or a bad idea. I'm more so just surprised they haven't tried to improve upon it or put more effort into expanding the reasons to use it since they introduced it. There's definitely ways they could make it better. I wonder though if they're holding back on that till ARM/a full redesign though to increase the wow factor.

 

[vseera]

2021 can't come soon enough!

Hopefully a vaccine for the coronavirus and a 14" form factor for the smaller Macbook Pro!

 

[sub150]

How do people think TB could be improved?

Haptic feedback?

 

[Useless Touchbar]

How do people think TB could be improved?

Haptic feedback?

Maybe also increase it's size? And perhaps move it further away from the rest of the keyboard to reduce accidental presses on TB

 

[Quackington]

Still wondering whether or not to get the 2020 13" or hold out for 2021. It woul be rather nice if they got rid of the touchbar.

 

[pcdtech]

Still wondering whether or not to get the 2020 13" or hold out for 2021. It woul be rather nice if they got rid of the touchbar.

If you can wait, I would wait, but I would eliminate the thought that they're going to remove the Touch Bar. I think we're well beyond that, much like the desire for Apple to bring back old ports. I really don't think it's going to happen.

 

[Quackington]

If you can wait, I would wait, but I would eliminate the thought that they're going to remove the Touch Bar. I think we're well beyond that, much like the desire for Apple to bring back old ports. I really don't think it's going to happen.

I'm currently running a 2011 MBA 11" with 4GB ram, in serious need of an upgrade. I may be able to hold out another year.

 

[pcdtech]

I'm currently running a 2011 MBA 11" with 4GB ram, in serious need of an upgrade. I may be able to hold out another year.

Wow! You really got use out of that laptop! I'm ready to upgrade my 2018! ? But that's more for the fact that I hate this keyboard.

 

[DanMan619]

Maybe also increase it's size? And perhaps move it further away from the rest of the keyboard to reduce accidental presses on TB

Agreed. It needs to be a little bigger to increase ease of seeing what's on it while seated all the way back in your seat for example. They could take a couple millimeters from the trackpad, move the keyboard down that tiny bit and then make the touch bar that little bit taller. I feel like that'd be a good size for it. A little distance between it and the next row of physical keys to reduce accidental touches would also be great. Haptic feedback if they could fit the motors for that in there. Apple also should implement even deeper customization of the touchbar for more pro/power users who want to do more with it beyond the Apple programed defaults. Or just acquire BetterTouchTool from those devs and bake that into MacOS or something. The touch bar could be super useful and powerful with the right hardware tweaks and more software support.

 

[ascender]

Four years later, I do see myself using it now more than before, but I still think it’s a poor experience on the whole. If there was a way to add haptic feedback, perhaps my opinions would change. I’ve tried Haptic Touch Bar before and used it for some time but ultimately uninstalled it. I think it requires a true Apple taptic engine.

Having used an iPad a lot, my muscle memory seems to quite like having some things on the Touch Bar where traditionally I'd move my hand off to use the trackpad instead. I'm also quite liking the BetterTouchTool haptic feedback - particularly with GoldenChaos preset - so there's a battery icon on there just now, I hold down the icon, get feedback via the trackpad and it brings up the stats for battery, CPU, etc.

It does feel like Apple put it out there and just left it - could they do more to encourage developers to make use of it?

 

[falconxp]

Needed some more power for VM's so I upgraded my MBA2018 to the MBP2020 13inch i7 10th gen. Will see what Apple will introduce next year.

 

[Metrosey]

So are we all thinking the MacBook 16 inch will launch this year? Or Spring next year? If it launches at the end of this year, I’m fairly certain it will have Tigerlake H-Series, and I’m certain (99 percent) it will have it for a Spring launch. I’m hoping it will come with Wi-Fi ax though.

 

[pcdtech]

So are we all thinking the MacBook 16 inch will launch this year? Or Spring next year? If it launches at the end of this year, I’m fairly certain it will have Tigerlake H-Series, and I’m certain (99 percent) it will have it for a Spring launch. I’m hoping it will come with Wi-Fi ax though.

I would bet on next year, including a mini LED display

 

[DHagan4755]

It’s weird to think that Apple will go over a year between updates to the 16 inch MacBook Pro.

 

[SvenLorenz1975]

I'm absolutely certain that there will be a non-ARM, maybe mini LED 16" later this year. They won't go into the holiday season with a more than one year old flagship MacBook Pro.

 

[mobi-logic]

Currently running the following MBP "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)". It has really served me well, keeping in mind I use it for at least 10 hours a day since last 6 years.

I guess I will be ready soon for the upgrade, the battery is giving up and the model has gone vintage so better to get one before it gives up. It still works like a charm, but now gathering all the cash for the purchase of MBP 16.

One thing that I have learned is that, if you need one, go for it. Do not try to time your purchase else you will keep waiting for the next upgrade forever and there is no end to this waiting loop.

 

[badlydrawnboy]

I bought a 2020 10th-gen i5 MBP, but I'm returning it. I have a 2018 i5 MBP, and my primary motivation to buy a new one was the keyboard. I've already had the butterfly keyboard replaced twice on my 2018.

However, I just can't bring myself to keep the 2020. The only noticeable difference is the scissor keyboard, and that's just not enough—as frustrated as I've been with butterfly one on my 2018. I've decided I'd rather send it in a third time for repair, if necessary, and wait for the 2021 MBP with (presumably) mini-LED, a 14" screen, and hopefully a better FaceTime camera.

At least Apple has been quite speedy in their repairs of the keyboard. It has only taken about 3-4 days, and I do have an iMac Pro at home that I can use—especially now that I'm quarantined and working from home—when I send the MBP in.

 

[DHagan4755]

I bought a 2020 10-core i5 MBP, but I'm returning it.

We know you mean 10th generation. If you had a 10-core 13 inch MacBook Pro I doubt you'd be posting about returning that beast.

 

[Metrosey]

I'm absolutely certain that there will be a non-ARM, maybe mini LED 16" later this year. They won't go into the holiday season with a more than one year old flagship MacBook Pro.

I certainly hope if it’s the last x64 CPU, then it comes with Mini-LED, that’s my biggest want of this years/next years laptop. Tigerlake is a close second though

 

[simonmet]

How do people think TB could be improved?

Haptic feedback?

It needs to be brighter and have better contrast, viewing angles and colours. It looks dull and less bright than the keyboard backlighting at typical viewing angles. That, and there’s no ability to modify its brightness.

 

[kitenski]

I bought a 2020 10-core i5 MBP, but I'm returning it. I have a 2018 i5 MBP, and my primary motivation to buy a new one was the keyboard. I've already had the butterfly keyboard replaced tw

good to hear this, I have a 2018 i5 and decided it is good enough and will see what happens with arm/future design etc

 

[SuperSonic80]

How do people think TB could be improved?

Haptic feedback?

Imho, the main problem of TB is a touch (I touch TB accidentally more times than I use it, in some cases, it drives me mad).

What Apple could do is to create a special accessory (cover) that has to be placed on top of TB to convert TB in a functional keys row (convert a touch to a press). With current TB this is impossible (no space for cover).

 

[pcdtech]

Imho, the main problem of TB is a touch (I touch TB accidentally more times than I use it, in some cases, it drives me mad).

What Apple could do is to create a special accessory (cover) that has to be placed on top of TB to convert TB in a functional keys row (convert a touch to a press). With current TB this is impossible (no space for cover).

If Apple were to do this, they would be admitting that the Touch Bar was an ineffective move. I’ve thought about this type of hardware workaround before, though, if someone were to make it and sell it, it would be a third party (e.g., Twelve South).