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2018 MacBook Pro Review

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Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#521

Post by indemnity »

blhack wrote: post #496
indemnity wrote: post #379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried the WiFi running/debugging? Works pretty well for me.

This is seriously where we're supposed to be for a pro laptop? It shouldn't work "pretty well" when you're using a $2000+ machine. It should work perfectly every single time. This is what built apple into the company it is. "pretty well" wasn't good enough. This sounds like the type of concession I would have made in 2005 on my gentoo laptop. "Yeah, USB doesn't work, but there is a workaround that sends that data ove…

It's not a workaround, it's an additional capability.

Before they added this feature, a USB cable was the only way to do this, and it still works, and works reliably. If you have a USB-A connector on your Lightning cable, you'll need an adapter, if you have a USB-C connector, you won't.

From the OP's complaint, he didn't like having to do this with USB, so I suggested the WiFi option to avoid cables. Maybe you read that as "the USB option does not work", which is not the case.

WiFi depends on the quality of your WiFi network. Mine is rock solid, so "pretty well" is my engineer answer to cover the cases when AP is flakey, range is crap, etc.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#522

Post by Derbasti »

wilsonnb2 wrote: post #509
Derbasti wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exact same thing happened to me. Now I have a big tower PC for serious work (32 cores, 64 Gb RAM, dual 1080) plus a nice laptop (XPS 13), for a combined cost of less than this MBP. While the Linux software ecosystem is not quite as smooth as macOS, I have found it to be quite adequate for my work.

How exactly are you calculating that your desktop+laptop is cheaper than the MBP? 64GB of ram apparently sells for around $600 right now, plus $500 for each 1080, plus $700 for a 16 core threadripper (I'm not sure what 32 core processor you're using or if you're using multiple processors, but the next gen threadripper will be 32 and cost about this much), plus $1000 for the base model Dell XPS 13 9370 puts you at a t…

Well, obviously I wouldn't go for the stock configuration. Seeing my needs, the top CPU, RAM, and GPU seem reasonable.

But I really didn't check. The point is, the MBP's performance per dollar is ridiculous.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#523

Post by andromeduck »

manigandham wrote: post #497
andromeduck wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's hard to believe. Are you walking 50 miles? How would you notice an extra pound? What about the rest of the stuff you carry, your clothes, your shoes? Is everything else already optimized? Not everyone is particularly fit. Some are old, some don't have time to exercise, some choose not to, some don't have the choice and some others are and just prefer the convenience. > Why does the (likely) most expensive fu…

There are multiple product lines. Those people who need extreme lightness should not choose the Macbook Pro line then, which should remain focused on functionality first.

I think most pros doing particularly heavy processing nowadays have a desktop or server to offload to in addition to their laptops and performance has improved enough for pros with light to moderate processing so that higher portability is better value for most people.

Mobility is functionality.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#524

Post by andromeduck »

ballooney wrote: post #513
derefr wrote: post #502

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not keep your dongles at work, then? > which is cool because I have an HDMI port right there on the side of my [2014, may-it-last-forever] macbook pro I would point out that modern non-Apple PCs don't tend to have HDMI ports, either. They either have mini-HDMI ports, or OTG ports. The dongle requirement is nearly-universal for connecting modern devices to projectors, to the point that you may as well just buy a s…

Easy - half the conference venues don't come with dongles, or if they do the AV guy is dealing with a crisis in one of the other 17 conference rooms and won't be able to get to your one within your 20 min slot (this happens A Lot. I do have my own HDMI-VGA though, but the VGAs seem to by dying out thankfully). SD cards - I've never had an SLR or a high end mirrorless camera (but i haven't bought either for maybe 18 m…

Every conference room I've ever been in has had a ring of dongles attached to the cable.

The new Sony full frame cameras all have USB-C charging and very fast transfer speeds.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#525

Post by pseudalopex »

andromeduck wrote: post #523
manigandham wrote: post #497

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are multiple product lines. Those people who need extreme lightness should not choose the Macbook Pro line then, which should remain focused on functionality first.

I think most pros doing particularly heavy processing nowadays have a desktop or server to offload to in addition to their laptops and performance has improved enough for pros with light to moderate processing so that higher portability is better value for most people. Mobility is functionality.

Nobody is saying Apple shouldn't have thin and light options.

Apple's prices and hardware designs made the 15" MacBook Pro a popular desktop replacement. For the same price as a 13" MBP and a 21.5" iMac, you could get a 15" MBP that would outperform the iMac in some cases.

Mobility is functionality, which is why things like battery life and working keys matter.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#526

Post by kuon »

wilsonnb2 wrote: post #509
Derbasti wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exact same thing happened to me. Now I have a big tower PC for serious work (32 cores, 64 Gb RAM, dual 1080) plus a nice laptop (XPS 13), for a combined cost of less than this MBP. While the Linux software ecosystem is not quite as smooth as macOS, I have found it to be quite adequate for my work.

How exactly are you calculating that your desktop+laptop is cheaper than the MBP? 64GB of ram apparently sells for around $600 right now, plus $500 for each 1080, plus $700 for a 16 core threadripper (I'm not sure what 32 core processor you're using or if you're using multiple processors, but the next gen threadripper will be 32 and cost about this much), plus $1000 for the base model Dell XPS 13 9370 puts you at a t…

The MBP is nearly 8000$ when upgraded here.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#527

Post by toyg »

HumanDrivenDev wrote: post #514
toyg wrote: post #452

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a professional, that's a few days of work. Over 5 years, after tax etc etc, it's still a blip for what is effectively one's main tool. An IT pro must invest in three primary tools: chair, monitor, and laptop. A £5K budget to amortize over 5 years is fair game, and in the grand scheme of things (traders etc) is actually very very low. If it's to watch movies and play games, then of course it's insanely pricey; but…

For a professional, that's a few days of work. Nice stealth brag (: I'm an intermediate dev in a first world country with a salary that locals would call good. That's over a months work for me.

No, that’s still a few days of work... for your employer. If s/he won’t invest them on your wellbeing, that’s another problem.

Re: 2018 MacBook Pro Review

#528

Post by godzillabrennus »

1996 wrote: post #183
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.

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.

I had those cards.

Horrible to deal with.

In college I inherited a Dell Inspiron 1100 from my Dad. Total pile of junk.

I upgraded the CPU, Ram, and disk drive. It was still terrible.

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