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Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

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Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#211
post #14

My controversial hot take-- I have never needed an SD card, and have gone all-in on USB-C. I will be very disappointed if they add back in USB-A/HDMI/SD ports, or remove USB-C charging in favor of proprietary charge port. Sounds like unnecessary feature bloat. Please just do MagSage + USB-C, so I can maintain my one-cable-for-everything, making traveling lighter and simpler. Here's my counter argument to all those th…

A "halo" market segment for mac books is video and photography professionals who make extremely heavy use of SD cards. Appealing to this group (who are also willing to pay a premium) has always been a feature of macs. Devs, not so much.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#212
post #190
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with the TouchBar is that it disrupt the flow of attention towards the keys. The cool thing about having just ONE screen is that you can forget about looking your fingers because the content is fixed (not dynamic) and therefore can be internalized. The TB doesn't solve any problem, and by the way, it created a UX's hiccup because: Attention is limited. Focus is limited. Flow is limited. Don't break that A…

Agreed but let's also give credit to Apple for trying to innovate. The TouchBar wasn't a bad idea just that it probably wasn't tested thoroughly with all types of users. It more seems like a "I think everyone's going to love it" kind of a designer's idea. Anyway, would happily buy a model without it.

Lenovo did the same thing years before apple with the X1 carbon gen II. It was a disaster and got removed from later models (thank God).

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#213
post #180
post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's important to note these adapters go against the USB C spec.

Most consumers miss being able to simply connect their laptop to their tv with an HDMI cable, but they know they have no voice in this modern day enlightened absolutism.

There's are plenty of USB-C to HDMI cables and TVs also come with USB-C I outs these days. We're in a weird transition phase, but going back to multiple different ports would be silly.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#215
post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An extra port is not inconvenient - you just won't use it. A missing port is SUPER inconvenient. Can't tell you how annoying it is to require a USB-A dongle or adapter, same with HDMI.

The extra port competes with USB-C. If Apple wants to make USB-C more valuable to users, they must ensure companies make more products for it and, therefore, remove such redundant ports. I have an HDMI monitor connected to my MacBook via a USB-C to HDMI/USB dongle, which also charges the computer, keyboard and trackpad, and another another via a UDB-C to DisplayPort cable. I've been using my SDcard based camera less…

There just are not enough ports on the pro laptops. 3 usable USB-c (monitor, monitor, keyboard/mouse/sdcard/network/legacy dock) and power. Docking stations only go so far as high resolution monitor/power passthrough and for those of use who end up using those features daily, our machines look like they were blessed by the flying spaghettis monster. 2-3 more USB-c ports would be a boon. Even freeing up one extra with a maglock power connector would be lovely.

I catch my Bride doing her photography workflow on her old, replaced macbook because it has the sdcard handy, she won't mess with the rat's nest in her office, and lord knows where the half a dozen dongles went.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#216

I bought a Microsoft Surface laptop 13” for work to test builds with. That laptop has a headphone port, USB-A, USB-C and a proprietary Microsoft port the power adapter plugs into. Don’t have that adapter handy while traveling? You can still charge it via the USB-C port with another charger. I can see Apple copying another facet of Microsoft’s Surface line. The other being the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.

That sounds like a terrible idea. Why have a proprietary charge port if it can also charge with USB-C?

Maybe because of the power requirements?

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#217
post #14

My controversial hot take-- I have never needed an SD card, and have gone all-in on USB-C. I will be very disappointed if they add back in USB-A/HDMI/SD ports, or remove USB-C charging in favor of proprietary charge port. Sounds like unnecessary feature bloat. Please just do MagSage + USB-C, so I can maintain my one-cable-for-everything, making traveling lighter and simpler. Here's my counter argument to all those th…

I have a MacBook Air 2012 with an SD card reader.

It has a 256GB SSD drive, and a 1 TB SD Card inside that I use for storing photos, video, music, etc. essentially everything that does not need fast storage.

This laptop was only meant to be a 1 year temporary solution, so I’ve been waiting 9 years to upgrade.

I’ve yet to find a new reasonably priced MacBook with 1,256Gb of built in storage.

Carrying an external drive sucks.

Unless Apple makes 1-2 Tb SSDs lower in price to the 100$ mark, the lack of an SD card is a killer for me.

Paying 500$ for an extra 256GB SSD when I can get 1 Tb SD card for 100$ is just ridiculous.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#218

I bought a Microsoft Surface laptop 13” for work to test builds with. That laptop has a headphone port, USB-A, USB-C and a proprietary Microsoft port the power adapter plugs into. Don’t have that adapter handy while traveling? You can still charge it via the USB-C port with another charger. I can see Apple copying another facet of Microsoft’s Surface line. The other being the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro.

That sounds like a terrible idea. Why have a proprietary charge port if it can also charge with USB-C?

All kinds of reasons - my biggest one being why MagSafe was invented in the first place; I know my power cord is run across the living room due to a lack of power outlets in my 70-year-old apartment, and gets tripped over regularly. Not to mention a proprietary charger can free up a USB port for additional peripherals.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#219
post #14

My controversial hot take-- I have never needed an SD card, and have gone all-in on USB-C. I will be very disappointed if they add back in USB-A/HDMI/SD ports, or remove USB-C charging in favor of proprietary charge port. Sounds like unnecessary feature bloat. Please just do MagSage + USB-C, so I can maintain my one-cable-for-everything, making traveling lighter and simpler. Here's my counter argument to all those th…

Not a fan of Apple's USB-C port implementation. Loosened ports that no longer "click" when a cable is plugged in is a common problem [1], and plagued my MacBook Pro straight out of the box. Even after getting it fixed under AppleCare, planting the laptop on a cradle at my standing desk, then leaving it there for months with no activity due to WFH for the pandemic, a dozen cable insertions of a USB-C drive last week a…

I love the idea of standard ports everywhere, I just wish it was apple or some other good multidisciplinary design team that had designed the standard. Lightning and MagSafe are the best out there. They feel satisfying to use; the lightning click is the phone equivalent of the German car door clunk, likewise with MagSafe, I also like that the connector tells me if its charging or not with the green/orange light on the connector. They are resistant to dust and electrically reliable. They fail safe; The lightning connector in the cable breaks, unlike mini/micro USB which knackers the port in your device if you bend it by accident. If you trip over the MagSafe cable it just pops off. The standardised ports seem to have mechanical and experiential design as an afterthought. In terms of the physical connector (not the capabilities of the port), USB-C feels like a step backwards from lightning.

Re: Apple's MacBook revival plan: Bring back old features

#220
post #14

My controversial hot take-- I have never needed an SD card, and have gone all-in on USB-C. I will be very disappointed if they add back in USB-A/HDMI/SD ports, or remove USB-C charging in favor of proprietary charge port. Sounds like unnecessary feature bloat. Please just do MagSage + USB-C, so I can maintain my one-cable-for-everything, making traveling lighter and simpler. Here's my counter argument to all those th…

I have a MacBook Air 2012 with an SD card reader. It has a 256GB SSD drive, and a 1 TB SD Card inside that I use for storing photos, video, music, etc. essentially everything that does not need fast storage. This laptop was only meant to be a 1 year temporary solution, so I’ve been waiting 9 years to upgrade. I’ve yet to find a new reasonably priced MacBook with 1,256Gb of built in storage. Carrying an external drive…

This is sort of unreasonable too hot too cold type thinking.

If you need a certain price point for a certain feature, why not expand to not limiting your search to only one manufacturer, which seems to be your binding constraint here since you’ve delayed updating 7 years, instead of expecting a manufacturer that has less than 10% of the total market share of an industry to meet you needs?

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