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MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

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Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#341

I went with my gf to take a look at these last night at the Apple store. Her command key has completely stopped working on her 2018 MacBook that otherwise works perfectly fine. It feels clumsily large, especially since we’re coming from MacBook 13s. She kept asking me if I’d heard any rumors about when new 13s would come out. She went in pretty determined to get a new machine but decided to wait. The struggle continu…

Well, on the 16" they improved the thermals as well (2nd biggest complaint for the previos 15"), put a much more powerful GPU (3rd major complaint) and more storage for the same price and finally put a bigger battery which I'm sure everybody likes.

Apple will certainly upgrade the 13" model as well next year, maybe moving to a 14" format.

They really wanted to release this 16" sooner because the 15" was by far the most criticized one and they wanted to show to the "Pro" market that they're still there.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#342
post #305
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently bought a used 2015 13inch MPB. Extremely happy.

That's what I'm replacing with the 16" now. I work with external displays and the Intel Iris is the weak link for me. Other than that I've been really happy with the 2015 13"!

Speaking of macs and external monitors: I continue to enjoy my 2012 mbp 15r, but gave up on non-mac external monitors years ago, because of text blurriness. Is this a solved problem?

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#343

I love how Apple claim to care so much about the environment and then goes on to create basically the most unfixable pieces of hardware possible. Great job, really awesome for the environment Apple.

This comment is randomly bashing Apple for not acting ecologically while suggesting that alternatives are somehow better. Apple can and should be criticized for shitty environmental behavior when you can actually back up your claim.

Not that there would be any proof in the comment, no. For example, how do Lenovo, Samsung or Dell handle this stuff and can you explain why their approaches produce less waste? Of course not, but let's put some hate into the HN comment section!

A centrally managed maintenance process where Apple hardware is managed and its waste properly disposed off (recycling, proper sorting of waste, secure handling of toxic materials...) vs. risks like customers putting Li-Ion batteries into their home trash causing landfill fires. And throw the left-over SSDs and RAM right into the mix as well.

No, it's just about hating on Apple without any evidence or data to back it up. Mimimi Apple ecologically bad but I won't tell you why or how others are evidently making it better!

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#344
post #32
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it's riveted to the chassis - you cannot replace the keyboard still.

Apple will never give you a modular, easy to repair system. It just isn't going to happen, time to move on.

That depends. The EU is already implementing a right-to-repair law for appliances, it will only be a matter of time until this is extended to electronic devices such as laptops and smartphones.

Apple will have two options then: drop out of the EU market (which they won't do, 500M consumers waiting to be fleeced) or follow the law.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They do it for stiffness, which does improve the typing experience.

You can have screws at the same spots as rivets, the stiffness argument seems to be weak IMHO.

Not while keeping the same thickness, though. A screw requires about 1mm (at least) distance from the housing so the screw has something to screw in to, a rivet / weld not.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is correct. The Magic keyboard has been beloved for several years, and it is not a keyboard that has ever been in a laptop before.

I love (and am typing this on) a bluetooth keyboard that came with my 2008 iMac. Is the "magic keyboard" (which apparently came out in 2015 and is lower-profile than its predecessors) sufficiently better to warrant the moniker "magic"?

They branded it as such to match the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad (the only product to earn the name)

It is a rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard, no real magic, little innovation.

It is a very nice Bluetooth keyboard though, reliable, easy to clean, feels higher quality

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#347

I love how Apple claim to care so much about the environment and then goes on to create basically the most unfixable pieces of hardware possible. Great job, really awesome for the environment Apple.

This comment is randomly bashing Apple for not acting ecologically while suggesting that alternatives are somehow better. Apple can and should be criticized for shitty environmental behavior when you can actually back up your claim. Not that there would be any proof in the comment, no. For example, how do Lenovo, Samsung or Dell handle this stuff and can you explain why their approaches produce less waste? Of course…

Weird, because this comment comes off as randomly not understanding Apples anti consumer repair practices are the worst in the industry.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand this comment. So something is difficult to fix; how does this make the components any less recyclable, less free of harmful toxins? Apple has a fairly comprehensive recycling system, to strip their own systems apart and reclaim reusable components. Are you suggesting when people take their MacBooks to get replaced that Apple are just throwing them in a landfill or something?

Repairing a device by replacing a small part (preferably only the broken component) uses far less resources than recycling. For most other laptops, repair or replacement of common components doesn't depend so much on the manufacturer. The skill and equipment required to do the repair is significantly reduced. All else being equal, this makes it more likely that the laptop will be repaired rather than discarded.

Not trying to be cynical here because I also would prefer a MBP that was more serviceable/repairable, but all these discussions about how repairability impacts the environmental cost of these devices are IMO extremely contrived.

How many (in percentage terms) of laptops will ever need repairs, how many of those will actually be repaired (as opposed to consumers just deciding to buy something new, even if repair would be relatively easy and cheap), and then finally, what percentage of these defective laptops will actually been thrown away without any form of recycling? I'm pretty sure that if you do the math, in the grand scheme of things, these numbers will be utterly irrelevant except for HN talking points.

I would recommend spending public outrage about environmental concerns on areas where it really matters instead, such as e.g. food waste, plastic bags, energy efficiency etc. I'm pretty sure that even a tiny, tiny fraction improvement there would offset the environmental impact of the worldwide total of laptops that cannot or will not be repaired after they break down.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#350
post #315
post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i don't get it. what does one thing have to do with the other? i assume no-one's going to throw their macbook in the trashcan anytime soon, so i don't see the connection between the ability to repair the device and how bad that device is for the environment.

After Apple care expires, many repairs are so expensive that you have to consider the MB totalled, that means, you are throwing away a device that should be repairable. A keyboard exchange should cost between $100 and $200, not in excess of $600.

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