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MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

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Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#71

Post by Signez »

pornel wrote: post #47

It's not possible to buy it without the TouchBar any more :( I really wanted to like it, and the concept could perhaps eventually be good, but the current implementation is infuriatingly bad: • I need more than one tap to change the brightness, volume or skip to the next song. • The buttons are in different locations depending on context, so it's not possible to use it by muscle memory. • TouchBar automatically goes…

> I need more than one tap to change the brightness, volume or skip to the next song.

I discovered recently that you could just do a "quick swipe" (very fast) on the button in the right direction on both the volume and brightness virtual button to apply the expected effect. Good enough for my usage.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#72

Post by madeofpalk »

boobsbr wrote: post #55
eej71 wrote: post #6

If only they might restore the escape key in the 15 inch model...

Seriously, how do you exit vim insert mode without an ESC key?

The Touch Bar has a soft escape key in the same position. It takes a bit to get used to, but I found it find as a non-frequent vim/ESC-key user.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#74

Post by sincerely »

pornel wrote: post #47

It's not possible to buy it without the TouchBar any more :( I really wanted to like it, and the concept could perhaps eventually be good, but the current implementation is infuriatingly bad: • I need more than one tap to change the brightness, volume or skip to the next song. • The buttons are in different locations depending on context, so it's not possible to use it by muscle memory. • TouchBar automatically goes…

>I need more than one tap to change the brightness, volume or skip to the next song.

this is the dealbreaker for me. :( i hope they release a model without the touch bar in the future

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#75

Post by latch »

hobochili wrote: post #39
latch wrote: post #30

After ongoing problems and repairs with my gen 2 butterfly, I switched to Linux (Ubuntu). After many months, I'm still a little shocked at how much worse the desktop experience is. 11 year old OS X Leopard is more consistent, intuitive and usable. Hardware is slightly less polished, but no major complaints there (except for how poor the buying experience was). Still, keyboard works. It would take something amazing to…

What hardware did you settle on?

The new XPS 13. It's fine. My disappointment is 98% software. The XPS has poor camera placement (but you know that going in), the buying experience is awful (here in Asia anyways). I see myself sticking with Linux, but no loyalty to hardware vendors. I'm hoping the MateBook or Chromebook become [relatively] cheap and powerful first class linux options.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#76

Post by thesephist »

EnderMB wrote: post #53
nailer wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're used to MacBooks, check out the Surface Laptop or Surface Book. - The hardware (particularly the keyboard and massive trackpad) is great - apt-get on WSL is better than homebrew will ever be (powershell too if you have the time to learn it) - Windows 10 has a dedicated team working on it (Apple has merged iOS and macOS teams since a few years ago, which may be because iOS makes a lot more money).

I'd be interested in knowing how many people switched from the MBP to the Surface(Book) due to delays and changes/issues in the MBP range. I bought a first generation Surfacebook a few years ago because I couldn't wait any longer for Apple to release their new MBP range, and I'm glad I didn't wait. It's the best laptop I've ever owned. Even though I've moved away from .NET dev and work mostly with Ruby and Node it's…

Count me in, for one. My main machine is still the 2013 MBP (2015 MBP at work). But every laptop / portable / desktop I've bought since then has been a Windows machine, because they offer either 1) similar value at a cheaper price, or 2) greater flexibility and usability at the same price. The Surfaces are the best laptops a non-Apple-dev "Pro" can get right now, in my experience. They've got ports, they've got portability, their hardware is now up to par with the best of the Macs.

I still love my 2013 Macbook Pro, but I'm probably not going to be buying a Mac again until they make something of similar usability and flexibility (mostly the keyboard and the ports).

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#77

Post by mgkimsal »

varrock wrote: post #32
no1youknowz wrote: post #20

> The new keyboard has the same dimensions and look as its two predecessors, but the keys feel just a little bit different. They're quieter, for one thing. They have a softer, less click-y feel that is a little closer to the pre-2016 models' chiclet keys. We found the new keyboard to be a little nicer to type on, but it's not a radical difference. It's unlikely to convert the detractors, but it's a welcome iteration…

The 15-inch 2015 Retina model is no longer being sold on their website, too. It was there as an option for some time, but it appears this new update called for getting rid of it. I was planning on saving up to finance that as my next laptop purchase, but seems as if I'll have to go through a third party seller.

Bought a 2016, then returned it and got a refurb 2015. My only regret was getting the 500g SSD vs waiting for a 1tb model (which my friend got). The refurb levels were changing daily, and I kept missing the 1tb models, so I pulled the trigger on a 500g.

Didn't care for the touch bar - yes, hey, apparently all the cool kids 'remap' their ESC key, and many did it I guess 20 years ago(!), but I've got decades of muscle memory to overcome. But beyond that, yeah sure it was thinner and sexier, but had a 20% smaller battery, and for the work I do, I guess I'm not 'pro' enough, but never managed more than about 4 hours max of real work.

The 2015 model was 'good enough' in most respects, and better in others (keyboard, battery), and... cheaper.

Always interested to see and try the newer models, but probably won't upgrade in 2018 or 2019 without some massive reason to do so.

EDIT - well, the 32g option might be a worthwhile reason to upgrade. And the battery looks slightly larger than the 2016 model.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#79

Post by vinceguidry »

samcat116 wrote: post #63
wintorez wrote: post #33

I really hope they don't retire 2015 models anytime soon. Those were the last usable MacBook Pros.

They did

I ended up buying a used mid-2012 model, hopefully the 16GB RAM upgrade I got makes it nice and snappy. Kicking myself for giving away my 2014 Air.

Re: MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros

#80

Post by onyva »

latch wrote: post #30

After ongoing problems and repairs with my gen 2 butterfly, I switched to Linux (Ubuntu). After many months, I'm still a little shocked at how much worse the desktop experience is. 11 year old OS X Leopard is more consistent, intuitive and usable. Hardware is slightly less polished, but no major complaints there (except for how poor the buying experience was). Still, keyboard works. It would take something amazing to…

Second comment about buying experience. I got a Dell XPS which is great, though I would never buy anything again from Dell due to their horrible customer service. By which I mean pathetically rude and unprofessional (German store).

Desktop experience of clean uninterrupted GNOME is great for me. Move from Ubuntu to fedora. Ubuntu really messes up GNOME with their BS ideas of usability. I.e horrible terrible ugly Unity, RIP.

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