So HTC recommends an RX 480 or up as a GPU for the Vive, how does the Radeon Pro 460 (highest available upgrade for the new MBP) compare to that?
I read on Reddit that it's about 85% the power of an RX 460...so I guess not enough raw power for VR? Didn't Apple promote the new MBP line as VR-ready or am I misremembering?
MacBook Pro
961–970 of 1001 posts
Re: MacBook Pro
#962Re: MacBook Pro
#963Apple has replaced the MacBook Pro with a faster MacBook Air labeled "Pro". I have no idea how they could think that professionals would use a MacBook Air (no ports, shallow keyboard, no expansion, no innovative features, marginally lighter). A tiny ribbon display is completely useless to me. They removed the escape key. Twenty years of using Macs and I'm not sure what my next laptop is going to be.
The Macbook Pro they're boasting as a possible replacement for the Air has the new key tech which they mentioned in the keynote as having more travel distance, it keeps the old FN keys, and it has two thunderbolt ports. So yes, changing the ports isn't ideal and only having one to use to plug in peripherals which will most likely mean a hub is required is a bit of a pain, but the low end doesn't even include the touc…
You can use USB C for charging and datatransfer at the same time. Most USB C docks can charge your device.
Re: MacBook Pro
#964(Posted in another thread, that probably will not make it as high as this) I think conceptually this is really neat, but it could potentially suffer from one major flaw: I hardly ever look down at my keyboard. A flat, digital screen containing changing buttons does not cater well to touch typists, of which you can reasonably assume most are who use a macbook pro. Touch ID is sweet though.
I live in terminal about a third of my day. I seldom use the function keys for anything other than adjusting the volume and brightness. I can't remember the last time I needed to use a pure Function key in any app. I am a keyboard junky. I have long used LaunchBar (since OS X Beta), Keyboard Maestro and other utilities to do almost everything on my computer and while keeping my hands on the home keys. And I mapped th…
Thanks for directing me to LaunchBar and Keyboard Maestro.
I'm a touch typist, so for me the new touch bar is a no go.
Regarding function keys, they are configurable. I'm a programmer: debugging using function keys is been part of my coding live since I can remember. I guess this MBP is not for me.
Regarding the waste of space, I don't see that: there's plenty of space. The screen size mandates the amount of space available in the base of the laptop.
I understand Apple's rationale: touch bar = dynamic function keys but, why not keep the physical function and esc keys and add the touch bar on top of that?
Re: MacBook Pro
#965I am sorry, does anyone know how to navigate this comment page??? I can't even find the 2nd comment. The first comment has tons of replies and I have scrolled 30 pages and cant even find the 2nd comment.
There are now collapseable comments. Just click on the [-]. This works at any level of hierarchy. Of course, you need JavaScript enabled for that to work.
Re: MacBook Pro
#966Apple has replaced the MacBook Pro with a faster MacBook Air labeled "Pro". I have no idea how they could think that professionals would use a MacBook Air (no ports, shallow keyboard, no expansion, no innovative features, marginally lighter). A tiny ribbon display is completely useless to me. They removed the escape key. Twenty years of using Macs and I'm not sure what my next laptop is going to be.
Four standard (non-proprietary) multi-use ports is a complaint? No innovative features? What do you call a ribbon display that no one has ever done before? No expansion - nothing new to the MBP line.
> No innovative features? What do you call a ribbon display that no one has ever done before?
A definite step back for the sake of introducing a gimmick, whose consequences have not been given enough thought.
They could have tried buying a Lenovo Carbon Gen.2 and using it for half a day, and realized what a stupid idea it is.
I actually had one of those laptops for a little while - issued by my workplace. It came with the same concept - a touch-sensitive strip, with (limited) display capabilities and which could change its function depending on the context.
Even if the touchstrip hadn't been an utter piece of junk (which it was - hello lack of feedback and failing to detect extremely deliberate touches), I wouldn't have hated it any less. I don't want to have to constantly look away from the screen when I'm working. I'll avoid mentioning all the other problems of the Lenovo touchstrip (or the rest of the keyboard, which was an utter abomination) because hopefully Apple gets those right - but it doesn't really matter. Give me my ESC key back, and stop breaking usability.
In their boneheaded move, actually Lenovo _at least_ had the presence of mind to realize that ESC is really off limits, so they moved it to the row below. At the expense of the ` key, which isn't really an optimal solution, but it shows some modicum of reasoning about the usability impact of that gimmick. Apple doesn't seem to care.
I gave that mostruosity back shortly after, am now a happy user of a T450s which even has an ethernet port!!!, very happy with it. Lenovo shortly after retired the gen2, replaced it with a gen3 which has an absolutely normal keyboard, issued an apology, probably fired the idiot who suggested that horrible usability compromised. I'm afraid Apple may have hired that idiot.
I now may need to have the Courage to spend my own money on a non-Apple laptop after so many years.
Re: MacBook Pro
#967Congratulation Apple. You have added the worst feature ever: the touchbar with adaptive keys.
I discover this feature with Lenovo X1 Carbon (not the first generation): I would have paid not to have it.
I lost so many minutes everyday.
[Yes, I know this is optional on MacBook]
Re: MacBook Pro
#968Does anyone know what is to become of the 2012 13" model that they still contine to sell that allows upgradable ram and HD? You can still find them for $800 on EBay (brand new), but it doesn't look like it is still available on Apple's site. There is a 4th 13th inch on the site, instead, but it is not the same as it has 128 SSD and newer graphics. It would be great if this had upgradeable ram and HD.
I think this was discontinued as of yesterday. It was definitely available on Apple's website until then.
I have one and it's great. Of course I ordered it with SSD, since the default spinning rust would have made it behave like a slug. But it is 1 pound heavier than more modern 13" models, and 1.5 pounds heavier than the newest ones just announced.
Normally I'm OK with the extra weight, but it makes a big difference for the occasional time that I'm a "road warrior".
Edit: someone linked to a story about it being discontinued. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12811050
Re: MacBook Pro
#969Anyone else here still working on a Macbook Pro 17" ? Seems like everybody forgot about it, but was a great machine back in the day. And you could even buy a matte version of the screen.
Yes, i do. I replaced the hdd with a ssd 2 or 3 years ago and i still use it every day and love it.
Re: MacBook Pro
#970Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Microsoft really hit it out of the park yesterday. Did we watch the same event? Microsoft introduced a $3,000 desktop PC in an era when nobody uses desktops anymore. It introduced a minor update to the Surface Book that starts at $2,300 with dual-core CPU, only 8GB of RAM, and last-gen graphics hardware. For the same price as the new Surface Book i7, I can get an MBP 15" with bigger screen, twice the RAM, and a qua…
> Microsoft introduced a 28" desktop PC No. Microsoft introduced an entirely new kind of tool for digital artists. I'm not one myself, but the Surface Studio makes me wish I were. And the people I know who are, are over the moon about it. They can't wait to get their hands on one. Yes, it's Microsoft that hit it out of the park, and made Apple look amazingly weak by comparison. Today's event wouldn't have been partic…
> Microsoft introduced an entirely new kind of tool for digital artists.
It isn't an entirely new tool, it is an HDR, higher res, larger version of a Cintiq, with a built in slow PC with last-generation mobile graphics. The hinge and stuff was definitely an improved industrial design.
Those screen improvements alone are probably enough for lots of professionals to switch from cintiq, even if they lose support for professional-tier desktop hardware, but what about the pen? As far as I can tell the pen doesn't even have tilt detection and from videos you have to use the dial/puck to simulate rotating or tilting the pen.
In spite of that, it was definitely more innovative than anything Apple showed.