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2018 MacBook Pro Review

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Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#181

Post by andrewmunsell »

npunt wrote: post #71
coupdejarnac wrote: post #63

Has the power supply been redesigned so the cord doesn't fray in 18 months? This has really irked me.

Since the 2016s were released the USB-C cord is separated from the power brick, so if there's any cord fraying you can just replace the cord w/o replacing the brick.

Which also has the added benefit of allowing you to use your own cable that is either more durable to begin with or a different length. I have a 10 ft USB C braided cable that I've been using since day one, which is much more convenient than having a fixed cable attached to the brick.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#182

Post by satysin »

prolikewh0a wrote: post #114
satysin wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh it isn't a good comparison I agree with that. I can't help but be pissed off with Dell though. This isn't the first problem I have had with their "premium" laptops either. I only bought the 9570 as Apple was silent on upgrades to the MBP at WWDC but it has been the worst purchase I have made in years. The MBP may be expensive but I have never had any issues with my previous MBPs so I feel much more confident buyin…

XPS 13 9370 has been the best purchase I've made in years, and Dells customer support really isn't too bad considering they don't have stores in every city like Apple does. MBP's have their own sets of issues, and aren't flawless either.

Yeah Apple are not perfect but the luck of the draw has given me several faulty Dell's and no faulty Mac's. Which am I going to prefer? :)

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#183

Post by 1996 »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #155
ambulancechaser wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you're extolling the benefits of USB-C not the lack of USB-A. The presence of a USB-A would not affect your listed benefits in the least.

It would increase the thickness of the laptop. Apple is design driven. I also hate the new keyboard but couldn’t care less about using dongles if I get a thinner laptop.

It might increase the thickness. It is not a given.

I remember about old single slot pcmcia cards which had a push mechanism that would show a RJ-11 so you could connect a modem.

Check the "XJACK connector" for pictures. It was technically possible. It still is.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#184

Post by chx »

wux wrote: post #15
knolan wrote: post #5

It’s shocking how expensive Macs have gotten. I paid around €2300 for my 2014 15” and today’s equivalent tier is over €3k. For this I get a faster thinner machine without MagSafe and a variety of ports. It seems that the only viable upgrade path is to convince your employer to stump up the cash.

In July 2014, the U.S. dollar was worth around 0.73 euros; today, it is worth about 0.86 euros. In January of last year, it was worth about 0.95 euros, and Apple obviously has an incentive to account for possible short-term exchange fluctuations. 2300 / 0.73 * 0.86 = ~2710 2300 / 0.73 * 0.95 = ~2993 It would appear that currency fluctuations account for a significant portion of that price difference that you're seein…

I have no idea what your calculations are trying to be, let me try it myself, it should be very simple:

In 2014, a 2300 EUR laptop was 2300 / 0.73 = ~3150 USD or so.

Today, a 3000 EUR laptop is 3000 / 0.86 = ~3500 USD or so.

So no, just the exchange ratio does not explain this. The US inflation numbers, however, say 3150 in 2014 was 3353 USD in 2018 so that's closer.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#185

Post by megablast »

Stratoscope wrote: post #179
bodas wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd go further and say that Apple isn't basing their hardware strategy on the needs of any real person. It's a laptop with only USB-C ports (and the 13-inch only has two of them). You can't even plug a USB stick into it. The only people who asked for a laptop like that are working at Apple.

Lately I've been working at a company that uses YubiKeys for 2FA. You can use a traditional YubiKey, but the YubiKey Nano is especially popular because you can put it in your laptop and leave it there. It barely sticks out at all, just enough that you can touch it and activate the touch sensor. [1] I started noticing people in meetings with their new MacBook Pros and six inch cords sticking out the side, and on close…

Yes, I too base my decisions of which laptop to buy based on how a YubiKey looks.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#186

Post by georgewfraser »

The touchbar is such an FU to developers. It still hasn't found any real use. They're not rolling it out to other models. Basically, it's a little fun "experiment" that they've imposed on all their PRO users, thus demonstrating they no longer really care about this user group.

Personally, I'm waiting for the next generation of Surface devices to come out, and I'm going to see if I can make WSL work for me.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#187

Post by satysin »

MrMorden wrote: post #154
prolikewh0a wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

XPS 13 9370 has been the best purchase I've made in years, and Dells customer support really isn't too bad considering they don't have stores in every city like Apple does. MBP's have their own sets of issues, and aren't flawless either.

Dell and Lenovo both come to you if you choose the right warranty plan. It beats the heck out of the Genius Bar.

Yes I have Pro Support (on-site, 24h) but they don't have the part (keyboard in this case) in stock so the earliest they can do is Wednesday (when I called Thursday) which is no good for me as I am over the Atlantic that day. Not Dell's fault that I am not available but I had hoped they would have a keyboard in stock or could at least get one next day but apparently that wasn't possible. I ended up initiating a return so it will be picked up the following week.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#188

Post by freehunter »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #172
godzillabrennus wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would increase the thickness of the laptop. Apple is design driven. I also hate the new keyboard but couldn’t care less about using dongles if I get a thinner laptop.

I don't understand. At this point, what are the benefits of a thinner laptop? Lighter I can understand, but what does a thinner laptop enable you to do?

I don't have the new body style of Macbook, I have a 2015, but I can tell you that when I switched from a PC laptop to the 2015 Macbook, it was thin enough that I could now travel with my laptop and an iPad in my carry-on. Before I had to make the choice of carrying only my laptop or packing a roll-aboard to be able to fit everything I needed for a work trip.

What does a thinner laptop enable you to do? What a question. Might as well ask why compact cars are more popular in the city than pickup trucks.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#189

Post by pdpi »

Stratoscope wrote: post #179
bodas wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd go further and say that Apple isn't basing their hardware strategy on the needs of any real person. It's a laptop with only USB-C ports (and the 13-inch only has two of them). You can't even plug a USB stick into it. The only people who asked for a laptop like that are working at Apple.

Lately I've been working at a company that uses YubiKeys for 2FA. You can use a traditional YubiKey, but the YubiKey Nano is especially popular because you can put it in your laptop and leave it there. It barely sticks out at all, just enough that you can touch it and activate the touch sensor. [1] I started noticing people in meetings with their new MacBook Pros and six inch cords sticking out the side, and on close…

I bought myself the full sized Yubikey instead of the nano because I'm very much of the opinion that the inconvenience is a feature, not a bug — do you _really_ want to leave your Yubikey attached to the device that holds your password manager too?

That said, the problem you described is a temporary one — while not as neat as the USB-A variant, there is a USB-C Yubikey Nano. https://www.yubico.com/product/yubikey-4-series/#yubikey-4c-...

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#190

Post by twblalock »

stupidcar wrote: post #96
blhack wrote: post #91

It's become comedy at this point. Many, many developers: "We hate this keyboard. It is atrocious! Give us back the old one please!" Apple: "We have listened to your needs. The keyboard is now 8% quieter, and the touchbar is mandatory!"

It's almost as if Apple aren't even basing their hardware strategy on what developers are complaining about on Hacker News.

> It's almost as if Apple aren't even basing their hardware strategy on what developers are complaining about on Hacker News.

I’m imagining someone who went into a fallout shelter about 10 years ago, somehow only had HN as a source of news, and suddenly re-entered the world. What would such a person be suprised to learn?

I suspect Apple still being a successful company would come as a huge shock to such a person. So would the success of SystemD and Docker and Kubernetes and Dropbox and microservices, the complete takeover of widescreens in the display market, and the continued survival of Tesla.

I bet a stock picking strategy that invests in companies and ideas that HN users hate, and shorts the ones that HN users love, would be right far more often than it is wrong and would make tons of money.

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