“It’s funny, Apple crowing about its biggest Mac revenue year ever at a time when there seems to be quite a bit of unrest about the Mac out there on the internet,” Jason Snell reports for Macworld. “Is the Mac doing well or is the Mac user base frustrated at the last few years of Apple’s stewardship of the platform? It might be a little bit of both.”
“I detailed some of Apple’s controversial laptop design decisions a couple of weeks ago here at Macworld. To be sure, there are classes of users for whom the latest generation of MacBook Pro models, introduced in October 2016, are appreciably worse than the previous-generation models,” Snell reports. “But I’ve also talked to a lot of people who have bought new MacBook Pros and love them.”
“I have a pet theory that every design decision Apple makes on the Mac product line is magnified by the fact that it’s the only company that can make Mac hardware. Apple does seem to like making opinionated product decisions that sometimes push design to an extreme,” Snell reports. “That can be a problem: If Apple makes an ultra-thin keyboard with reduced travel and questionable reliability, and puts that keyboard on every new laptop design, what happens if you’re a Mac laptop user who just can’t stand the keyboard?”
Read more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yup, it’s a little of both.
A bit more diversity in Apple’s Mac lineups – portables and desktops – would be welcome.
i HATE the new keyboard, and i unequivocally dislike the “touch bar”, but i LOVE “touch ID”, therefore i HATE the new iPhone and will never upgrade until i’m forced to. i also hate that i can’t get 64gigs of ram and a 16 or 32core option for my laptop. i DO NOT CARE about how thin it is. make it thicker and give me more ram and cores! 🙂
crybaby!
Actually he’s not really a cry baby. I have a 2016 MacBook Pro and the new keyboard does suck. I constantly mistype words on it. It’s the worst keyboard that Apple has built on a laptop so far.
The travel distance of the keys needs to be just a hair longer. It’s too short.
Right, he is not a cry baby. I work on staff in a school system, and the Windows computers which we use have the same flat keys.
I work with 4 computer teachers, and what do they have on their desks? The old “tall key” keyboards. They require a more precise finger aim when typing, the pad that is the target is actually smaller which requires more precise typing skills (not taught anymore) and THAT IS A GOOD THING!
No question that the students make many more typing errors on the flat key machines because you theoretically are aiming your finger at a larger target, the actual effect being that the person typing is actually more careless, so more errors, which seems counter-intuitive, but ……..
Of course, auto-correct makes the situation worse because the students no long have the experience needed to over-rule a context error made by auto-correct, so 50 times a day you get “loose” when they meant “lose”, many don’t care, so…..
Point is, the flat key boards make a bad situation worse. My two best keyboards for home use are an old wired MacPro tall keyboard which can only be bought used, and a Microsoft tall key board, that actually came with my used Cheesegrater pro.
When I need to type a perfect long document I use one of those two, whichever is handy, but always an Apple Magic Mouse which I like.
Really nice to read a well thought out and logical take on a real or perceived problem and accounting for why that might be. Well structured critiques with strong reasoning and positive solutions, even when it contains some criticism or open conclusions focusing on how or must be addressed make working through the trash talk worth while.
Well, he sort of is a crybaby with the caps and stuff. But I can understand his frustration.
You should really give the X a try at least in store. Face ID is actually really great and I don’t miss touch ID AT ALL.
I agree I was somewhat skeptical about the change but judging the positivity even from Android acolytes and sites must make giving it a try the only logical conclusion. We all get used to things but it is precisely why businesses eventually fail by not challenging them. We all remember the no one will go for a on screen keyboard when you can get the real thing on your Blackberry et al. That company believed the hype especially from its own users and the rest is history.
Fact is Face ID is not only logical when you think about it (but only because it works so seamlessly) it is the catalyst for all sorts of innovative technology (esp AR) that will stop Apple repeating the same self satisfied errors made by Blackberry, Palm and so many others.
In contrast to those who dislike it, I absolutely love my new 15″ MBP. I upgraded from a high-end 2013 15″ MBP and the new MBP is amazing. The MBP keyboard works fine for me, but much of the time I am using it in combination with a 27″ Thunderbolt Display (USC-C to MDP adapter). As a result, I mostly use a separate mouse and keyboard. This also reduces my use of the Touch Bar, since it is located farther away in a dual-screen arrangement on my desk. The Thunderbolt Display ends up serving as a multipart adapter for USB-A, FireWire 800, Thunderbolt, and Ethernet, which is helpful.
Not including the Apple II+ in 1979 (which was not a Mac, anyway), the five most impactful Mac transitions in my life:
1) Quadra 630 around 1990
2) Power Macintosh 8600 in the mid-1990s
3) PowerMac G5 around 2004
4) 24″ Intel iMac in August 2007
5) 15″ MBP with Intel Core I7, 16GB, and 1TB SSD in 2017
As an aside, I always liked the name “PowerMac.” Mac Pro just doesn’t have the same punch to it.
There is a difference between a business “Pro User” and a business “Heavy User” who maxes out the CPU/Graphics.
I think Apple is missing out.
forced to buy a new MBP 15″ last year when my last one bought the startup screen farm. it’s fine. NEVER use the Touch Bar. worthless. still using my 11+ year old Apple Extended Wireless Keyboard though. i’d pay handsomely (not that you have a choice with Apple gear) for an update to that instead of the awful mini chiclet key crap they’re pushing now
You had choices. You could have purchased a refurbished MBP, for instance. It would have saved you some money. You were not forced to buy anything.
I really don’t understand why you bought the high end MBP with Touch Bar if you did not want the Touch Bar. I don’t understand your gripe about a “$3,000 Typewriter,” either. Your use case is undefined.
I am sorry that you are so unhappy with your new 15″ MBP. But you had 30 days to return it. Even now, you could probably get a decent price for it as a used device.
I have to say that I am one who loves the new keyboard. I type much faster and am more accurate. The touch bar still doesn’t impress me. I was fine with the physical function keys. Touch ID should have been introduced to the Mac years ago. They could remove the touch bar and still keep Touch ID. Touch ID needs to be added to their wireless keyboards as well. Sigh, I’m sure someone would raise security concerns about that.
It seems like there would be security issues with TouchID in a wireless keyboard. For one thing, the keyboard would need its own secure enclave chip. More importantly, the keyboard connects to the Mac or iPad via BlueTooth. So Apple would have to secure that wireless authentication path somehow. But the iPhone sends its token wirelessly to retail POS devices, so maybe it is possible with a paired BT configuration.
I would be interested in feedback on bmd0019’s idea.
I have not used the Touch Bar that much so far because of my computer setup with a Thunderbolt Display. My MBP is pushed back on my desk and the Touch Bar is not conveniently located.
But the Touch Bar has been great when I have tried it, and I like the way it adapts to display useful functions for various applications. I believe that the Touch Bar will grow on me over time…I just have to outgrow years of conditioning. But, just because it might be more useful than old school function buttons does not mean that it is an ideal solution. The integration of different types of user I/O – typing, touch, pencil/stylus, voice – on computers is still in progress, and no one has the magic solution so far. Perhaps no one can solve it until technology makes the next leap to direct brain control…
baloney whiners, mostly:🧐. As for the Touch Bar…there is a setting I believe, to change the touch bar back to a standard function key bar, with all your favorite F1-F12 keys for the diehards.
Luddite here. Still working the heck out of my late 2011 17″ MBP, praying to whatever tech deities may be that it doesn’t buy the farm anytime soon. Running High Sierra with all the latest bells and whistles of compatible software right now, and simply could not be happier. Will “upgrade” only when I have to.
AS long as it works, more power(Mac) to you!
I have a 2007 24″ Intel iMac that is still working fine. No reason to invest in a new desktop, yet.
Marco Arment has a good piece on this: https://marco.org/2017/11/14/best-laptop-ever If I had to upgrade my 2013 Air today, I’d probably go with a 2015 Macbook Pro. The new Pros are enticing, but the price, ports and no improvement in battery life blunt my enthusiasm.
The USB-C ports have not been a problem. The situation is much like when Apple released the CRT iMac in 1998 with only USB-A ports. A lot of people screamed for a few months, then industry got a clue and ramped up the USB peripherals. People forget to thank Apple for popularizing USB and pushing out most legacy ports.
In the interim, you can get a decent multiport USB-C dongle for less that $50. I bought one that has two USB-A ports, Ethernet, and a USB-C port for my daughter’s 13″ MBP, since it only has two USB-C ports. Other vendors offer multiport devices with MDP, HDMI, etc.
I understand that a dongle is not desirable. But I like the fact that Apple is willing to make a leap to the next I/O port. I dislike USB-A because my first attempt always seemed to be upside down (which violates probabilities for a 50/50 endeavor). And other ports like VGA should have disappeared a decade or more ago.
Anyway, USB-C is very nice and I have no doubt that there will be plenty of great USB-C compatible peripherals available in the near future.
Just read Marco’s piece- he is spot on (and made me feel really good about my new 2015 MBPro!)
I bought a new15 MBP love it .
People do not like change .
Apple is the leader of change.
People did not like the touch ID at first now they love it.
You will learn to use the new features or you will be left behind.
They told us the iPad and Apple watch would be flopps.( Ask them if they would take a dollar for each one sold.)
I am so glad the critics don’t run Apple aren’t you : )
I was a big defender of the new MBPro last year when I ordered a maxed out 15″ touch Bar. I tried to love it, but there were too many shortcomings for my use. I have 2 other mag-safe laptops and a lot of USB peripherals. Missed the SD card reader (photo and music recording). My workstations all have magsafe. Touch ID doesn’t work for me. Big track pad misfires. Last weekend I just sold it and ordered a maxed late 2015 which arrived today. Gonna add the new 1 TB SSD from OWC. I will revisit the “new” MBPro in a few more years when USB-c is mature and it has Face ID. Sometimes its expensive on the bleeding edge!
“Apple does seem to like making OPINIONATED product decisions that sometimes……”
Id say ‘idiosyncratic and stupid’ sometimes….
Examples:
The magic mouse charging solution at the bottom of the mouse.
The apple pencil charging solution and its ergonomic design.. rolls off every where.. no pin .. no buttons.
The igor humped battery case.
The Apple TV remote. Ergonomic disaster in a dark room… (but i like the touch pad )
Apple TV’s fragmented app based ui.. where every channel is in its own ui universe.. no predictibility which leads to inefficiency.
Apple TV.. no consolidation/centralized favorites and no notification of new favorite content… its constent hunt between apps to find what one liked or favored or if there is new favored content…. and that is if one remembers where/which app to look in.
Promoting video/movie content in Apple music. Ha?! Itunes mess was not enough ?
Total disconnet between Apple music and itunes.
Stingy on ports…. dongle town…
Removing clutter from devices and spreading it all over ones desk. Hey apple… your devices dont excist in a vacume. Think of the big picture.. how does an apple workspace/station look? )
I can go on if i want to get picky sbout software and os peculiarities… but … lets not go there for now.
Yes they do make stupid decisions ..
But(lol) at the end i love the watch and iphone x..
On the desktop end … well i come from a CGI and pc background … and now have a 3 year old imac…. has been disappointing… every now and then i am tempted to go back to PC just to have access to the latest and greatest. For gamers its a no brainer… huge mistake by Apple.
But Now im hangin in there to see what the new Pro Mac and iMac and the Apple Displays will be like…. keeping fingers crossed !!!
The short-travel keyboard will not be an issue for users who don’t write screeds of text. But, for those who do, it is a nightmare. On my 2016 MacBook, the keyboard was always horrible to use for typing long documents, it has deteriorated over time as dust and crap collects under the keys and now some of the keys don’t work at all, and many of them are unreliable.
It reminds me of the traditional American design approach to cars – make them look great and don’t worry if they can’t stop or go round corners.
I am writing a book. I have always been a fairly fast typist but I make far too many mistakes with the MacBook keyboard so I am going to try Dragon dictate. If that doesn’t solve the problem I am going to look for a windows notebook with a good keyboard. That would be my first Windows machine since 2002 but needs must…
One has to bear in mind that those responsible for the design issues at Apple are senior executives with lots of staff to do the real work for them. They don’t type, obviously, just like they don’t create complex documents in Pages (impossible now, after the dumbing down of Pages, to mix portrait and landscape in a single document – so useless for financial reports…
The silly part of this is that by making a machine with a crap keyboard, Apple frustrates and infuriates their users every time they use the product. And the users most affected are their “power users” – the ones who are most likely to be influencers.
Oh, and let’s not ignore the stupid decision to provide only one port.
But the most egregious design decision was the cylindrical Mac Pro. I have one: it is a tangle of cables and the thunderbolt connections are unreliable – move anything and an external drive will disconnect.
Function first, form second is the more sensible approach for anything work-related. If Apple had a European design facility they wouldn’t have made these elemental mistakes.
Apple has to quit promoting “new” as “better”. Apple seem so disengaged with it customers that it is ridiculous.