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MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

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Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#381
post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought a Magsafe-like USB-C cable...

That's quite interesting, which one did you get? What are your impressions so far? And can it be used for data?

I bought an add-on USB-C 'magsafe' adapter when I bought my 2017 MBP 13" [1]. I had planned to leave the one bit in the laptop, and use it like a magsafe, but it didn't work out well - it wasn't as magnetic or as positive in location as a real magsafe (it tended to fold 'sideways' too easily), and in the end I just stopped using it because it became more of a pain than the real risk of it getting dragged off a table (the only location I used to use it was at my girlfriend's house in the kitchen and I took to just taking the cable out when I walked away to save the kids having a nightmare).

[1] - https://snapnator.com/

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#382
post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am starting to think that it’s more to do with how people type, rather then a keyboard quality. Most people who get them break - go through 3-4 keyboards in a year. I am still using my 2017 butterfly and have not had a single issue with a keyboard. So it’s either 0 or 3+ replacements

One thing I found is that the reliability issues are usually quite fleeting. I have the feeling that a lot of the people who are experiencing issues are going to the Apple store straight away to get it fixed. I've had a few issues: 5 key stopped working properly, space stopped working properly a couple times, same for f key, where by properly I meant it needed more effort to get the keypress out, however every time t…

The point is that a keyboard shouldn't have those kind of problems. If it fixes by itself or if it needs sometime, doesn't really matter because most other keyboards works fines for years.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterpoint: Apple's laptops have lasted me longer than any other computer I've had. I'm not sure that buying this is a net negative.

I sold an ancient 2011 MBP (from back when they still had CD..or was it DVD? drives) to a friend. It's still being used by his children. Apple products also generally have good environmental scores, don't they? https://www.apple.com/environment/our-approach/#product-repo...

any reasonably mid to high tier product from 2011 is still perfectly usable today thanks to CPU stagnation from intel from no real competition from AMD in that time frame. it's only the release of ryzen 2 years ago that finally ignited real advances in (consumer level) CPU power from both teams. before that it was only sandy bridge which really moved the needle from it's previous generation. Ivy Bridge, haswell, broadwell and skylake were only around 3-5% improvements over thier previous generation counterparts, and i5 only got more than 4 cores (without H/T) in recent gens (7th or 8th IIRC) My 2015 broadwell i5 thinkpad is not showing any signs of needing replacement (for what I use it for) soon. It'll quite easily push on for considerable time too with replacable, well everything except for the CPU. regular SATA SSD, (small) M.2 slot, 2 RAM SODIMMS (albeit Maxed out with 16 GB but that's a platform limitation) accessable other parts with just a screwdriver

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#384
post #277

For those who are not in a hurry to upgrade, ( If you are on 2015 MBP ), the next upgrade which should be soon, will get you WiFi 6 and Icelake, with 20%+ IPC and hopefully Apple will throw in 10 Core Config in as well. I kind of felt Apple rushed as the problem with Keyboard were big enough and Apple had to release something to calm the market, not to mention Intel 10nm Icelake is late as usual. And of all the thing…

For those who are not in a hurry to upgrade There is always something new just around the corner.

well the counterpoint is that between 2016 and 2019 there _wasn't_ really something useful around the corner in terms of Mac laptops.

Unfortunately the times of "the next thing is basically strictly better than the previous thing" have disappeared

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's quite interesting, which one did you get? What are your impressions so far? And can it be used for data?

I bought an add-on USB-C 'magsafe' adapter when I bought my 2017 MBP 13" [1]. I had planned to leave the one bit in the laptop, and use it like a magsafe, but it didn't work out well - it wasn't as magnetic or as positive in location as a real magsafe (it tended to fold 'sideways' too easily), and in the end I just stopped using it because it became more of a pain than the real risk of it getting dragged off a table…

Yeah, I've got that one but gave it away. Turns out I didn't use it all that much. If integrated into a cable, it could be nice, though.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#386
post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those who are not in a hurry to upgrade There is always something new just around the corner.

>There is always something new just around the corner. True, but something new isn't always something better, and isn't always worth waiting for. Aka 2016 - 2019 MBP 15". And in the above cases, I consider Icelake IPC and Security improvement along with WiFI 6 to be quite a significant upgrade, not the same could be said for the past 3 update of MacBook Pro.

But is this something you would’ve known when they were released? Looking back it’s quite easy to know which upgrade was worth waiting for. What if intel can’t deliver next year?

For me it’s also less about what next upgrade might bring but also what next upgrade does to the resale price. I’m sure those offloading a 15” 2018 will feel the price drop now.

I have a 13” 2018 and I am seriously considering replacing with the maxed out 16” with 2tb.

But the struggle is real, this is essentially a first gen device despite the somewhat small design changes. What if they release a new version in half a year? Definitely not an easy decision for a laptop that costs 5k€

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#387
post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am starting to think that it’s more to do with how people type, rather then a keyboard quality. Most people who get them break - go through 3-4 keyboards in a year. I am still using my 2017 butterfly and have not had a single issue with a keyboard. So it’s either 0 or 3+ replacements

One thing I found is that the reliability issues are usually quite fleeting. I have the feeling that a lot of the people who are experiencing issues are going to the Apple store straight away to get it fixed. I've had a few issues: 5 key stopped working properly, space stopped working properly a couple times, same for f key, where by properly I meant it needed more effort to get the keypress out, however every time t…

As one anecdotal point: I waited months for mine to go away, and eventually got really frustrated with it and brought it to the store. They took it to the back and somehow their air can removed what my air can at home could not.

About a year since I did that and the key funkiness is slowly coming back for the last two weeks. Hopefully I only need another Apple Store trip and their compressed air to fix it.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#388

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…

> For example, how do Lenovo, Samsung or Dell handle this stuff

Here you go:

https://www.ifixit.com/laptop-repairability?sort=score

HP, Dell, LG, Acer and even Samsung manages to do a lot better. Lenovo is also very simple to at least change battery, ram and disk. I know this since I own one and have added memory and disk.

On the Thinkpad versions the battery is located outside and can be switched without even having to open the machine at all.

> can you explain why their approaches produce less waste?

Yes, by letting me as a consumer change parts myself for the only cost of purchasing the actual part that needs changing or upgrading, the increase the service life of the machine I purchased.

Also, by not participating in this anti-consumer behavior, I can take said machine into a third party service shop and get it repaired there. I don't have to wait weeks for the proper parts to arrive and so on and I can get it fixed the same day.

I am not hating, I am stating a fact. By indirectly forcing people to buy new machines instead of repairing their old ones that often work perfectly well, except for maybe 1 thing that is broken or needs an update, they increase their environmental impact for no other reason than profit on their part.

Apple can do better and Apple have done better in the past.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#389

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.

Personally, I prefer the MBP2015 keyboard to the Magic Keyboard. I have been to an Apple Store recently to try out the MBP16's keyboard and it's good - but not as good as the one I'm typing this on. I also don't understand the obsession with key stability on the corners. I like the instability. I use it when I'm touch typing - it gives my fingers a lot more tactile feedback.

To each their own I guess. I freaking love the stability and can't go back.

Everything else seems like a toy keyboard in comparison.

Re: MacBook Pro 16" 2019 Teardown

#390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> that alternatives are somehow better Microsoft just released Surface X with a door on the back for replacing the drive. The device is 0.28 inches thick. Thinkpad X1 Carbon and Dell XPS both have replaceable drives. From opening the case. If anything I'm struggling to find another laptop maker who solders the drives to the boards like Apple does... Drive failure isn't a possibility, it's a certainty and soldering th…

Moreover, XPSs have a screwed-in battery and replaceable keyboard, which would make restoring and reusing the laptop much more viable. With macbook, if you keyboard is broken, you trash half of the laptop, including the battery.
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