Live data from Hacker News

Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

apple.com

531–540 of 1001 posts

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#531

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the Apple keyboards are already $150, with no “lower” model available. Add a touchbar and it will be a $300 keyboard. Note that the price bump for emoji-enabled Macbooks is about the same.

Third party keyboards are a lot cheaper and work just as well, plus you get real F-keys if you want. While I personally wouldn't buy it (I'm kind of picky about the tactile feel of the keyboard), you can get this fully functional Bluetooth keyboard for $20. https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Bluetooth-Ultra-Slim-Keyboard-D...

Apple also sells external keyboards with real F-keys. Their newer external keyboards are meh, but the previous model, the A1243 Wired Keyboard with Numeric Keypad [0] is amazing. It goes up to F19, and I just generally prefer their layout. I've been using an A1243 as my programming keyboard for nearly a decade. When they stopped selling them I even bought a used spare as backup for when my current keyboard dies.

My only complaints with the A1243 are that the top row is half-sized, and that it has a useless eject button between F12 and F13 which can't be remapped.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Keyboard#/media/File:App...

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#532

I'm currently using the last, best 2015 macbook, and having tried a newer model as a work computer for a short while previously, am dreading the day I need to think about replacing it. How about this apple. "macbook util". The pro line can keep the thin delicate stuff. Give me the 2015 case, screen, keyboard, and magsafe, with some new internals and a usb-c. I'd happily hand over my money.

The could call it the "Macbook Classic"

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#533
Wow, people are really salty about Apple.

I too wish they would make a better computer, but for now I continue to use them because they are the only machine that I can work on with little fuss of setup and go.

I have the 2018 model with the "Keyboard" which has been fine because I use a Bluetooth Mechanical keyboard anyway and a BT Mouse. I have a single cable or "Dongle" that supplies power, 3 displays, 5 USB 3.0 type A, 2 USB Type C, a SD Card Reader and Ethernet. Its also Daisy-Chained to an External GPU and temps stay good. When I need to go portable I just unplug a single cable and go.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#534

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lots of people on HN call the Mac OS 'great' ... But why? What is so great about it that is not similar on Linux or Windows? When ye say "great", I think ye mean "the one I am familiar with".

Since the introduction of Mac OS X, I've always thought of macOS in terms of a Venn diagram of two partially overlapping circles: (A) Operating systems that major desktop apps support (B) Developer-friendly operating systems (Unix/Linux at the core, default shell is bash or similar, etc.) Windows is in (A). Linux is in (B). But macOS is in the overlapping area between (A) and (B). It's the best of both worlds.

I've struggled with this idea - almost everything (outside Apple specific development) is ported to Windows. My work is in .NET and various Javascript frameworks. Never had a problem with Windows.

Plus I feel if I really needed a Linux environment, the Linux subsystem would fill that need.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#535

How hot will this thing be with 8 cores? Unless they've cut some ventilation holes in the bottom of the laptop. MBPs aren't exactly known for good thermal regulation (my previous one I had to actually undervolt the CPU so it wouldn't overheat while playing games for even Don't see anything re: keyboard so guessing that there aren't any changes there, unfortunately.

Dave Lee made a video about the Core i9 (now previous generation) that thermal throttled almost immediately under load. The throttling was so terrible it actually performed worse than the 2017 MacBook Pro. https://youtu.be/Dx8J125s4cg

That was a software bug IIRC

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#537
post #379
post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a maxed out late 2013 MBP and I too am going to hold onto it as long as possible. 4 core i7, 16gb of ram, discrete gpu and it still runs like a champ. The only problem I had was that the battery recently swelled up which caused problems with the touchpad and fans, but apple ended up replacing the battery, keypad, touchpad, and casing for $300 which wasn't too bad considering ifixit wanted like $1,000 bucks for…

Me too. I see little reason to upgrade it. I planned to upgrade it two years ago but am still waiting for something that's up to the expected design. More memory (more than 16 gig) would have been nice when I bought it, but that's the max Apple allowed and it can't be upgraded. I've yet to have to replace my battery. I'm hoping that the 2019 edition is worth buying, e.g. this stuff built in: * Escape key * SD card re…

Out of that list, you'll definitely get USB-C sockets and probably the 1TB SSD. I can't see any of the rest of it ever being on a MacBook again.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#538

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Loss of MagSafe (this one still hurts). I will NEVER forgive them for this. Jobs was RIGHT when he said this was a major innovation over everyone else. Now Apple is either saying he was wrong or THEY are wrong. They're not BOTH right. My 2015 is the last MBP I will ever buy and it's aging fast... I think it's hackingtosh from here on out. I primarily use Ubuntu but I have to have a Mac as our app runs cross platfor…

I guess I'm the only one that thinks USB-C is actually better? The biggest win is that now I can use a single dongle for power, displayport to my monitor, and connection to a USB hub. So if I take my laptop home or into a meeting room, when I get back to my desk it's just a single thing to plug in now instead of 3+ separate cables. And since this stuff is all standardized now and there's no longer anything Apple prop…

You can even have a MagSafe USB-C cable.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#539
post #14

These used to excite me because I've desperately needed 32gb and faster procs and used to upgrade every 2-3 years but now I just yawn at MBP releases. I'm so unexcited by everything about this form factor other than the fact that it has OSX. I'm guessing I'll be on my 2016 until I finally bite the bullet and quit using OSX if they don't make a more compelling package to spend my $3k on in the next few years. I don't…

"I don't want thinner" is really what apple needs to hear. Thinner means you take away my ports so I have to carry dongles. Yes, I'd actually love to have at least one old-fashioned USB2 port. I know, I'm insane, but USB2 devices didn't exactly disappear just because USB-C is great. I still have a lot of them. Thinner means you take away magsafe, which is one of those great "gosh, apple is so clever" features that's…

> Thinner means you take away my ports so I have to carry dongles.

I'm not sure it does really. The modern MacBook Air chassis is the same size as the old one. But it's lost Magsafe, a useful keyboard, USB-A, it's lost a port on the 13 inch, and no SD card slot.

Apple hasn't got rid of these things for thinness. It's gotten rid of them because of a misguided belief that the replacements are better than the loss of flexibility, or just plain working.

Apple are wrong about these things. But the problem is much more fundamentally that Apple seems to have lost it's ability to engineer well and it's judgement about how to please it's Mac customers. Thinness is just a symptom.

Re: Apple introduces 8-core MacBook Pro

#540

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, the keyboard is awful. I just want a decent/good keyboard, an HDMI port, and just 1 USB A port, I'll definitely take 0.5mm thicker for those. Well, at least they kept the headphone jack... 32gb ram and an 8 core processor is awesome, but all the downsides have turned me away from getting the next gen unless they fix those things.

> Agreed, the keyboard is awful. I don't really get the hate for these keyboards. I benchmarked my typing speed on my 2019 MBP and a few other keyboards, I didn't notice any significant difference. Just a keyboard...

They are loud, to the point of being annoying during a meeting / conference call and the travel distance is a bit too short for some people, making typing unpleasant. If you use a Lenovo or even a dell of equal body thickness for a bit and then get back to a modern Mac, the difference is huge.
Post reply on HN