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I'm thinking more and more about getting last years model while some are still available.
Who's buying the new Macbook Pro?!
- Thread starter iDan
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To me, the big questions are these:
Have we reached the point where wireless connectivity and a single, universal port can reasonably fulfil any possible demands placed upon them?
Is USB-C going to succeed where FireWire failed?
Those are genuine questions, btw. I don't know the answers and I'm not sure I'm prepared to jump down the rabbit hole with Apple.
Have we reached the point where wireless connectivity and a single, universal port can reasonably fulfil any possible demands placed upon them?
Is USB-C going to succeed where FireWire failed?
Those are genuine questions, btw. I don't know the answers and I'm not sure I'm prepared to jump down the rabbit hole with Apple.
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We're getting less and less for our money, The drive went so I bought the Super Drive, Now we have a laptop with no SD slot, Thats ridiculous in my opinion.
We're going to need dongles for this that and the other, This isn't convenience and it means spending even more money.
I'm really getting more and more unhappy with what I'm finding out.
Also I bet my Super Drive will need a dongle as well.
We're going to need dongles for this that and the other, This isn't convenience and it means spending even more money.
I'm really getting more and more unhappy with what I'm finding out.
Also I bet my Super Drive will need a dongle as well.
Maybe I lack vision, but I'm having a hard time making sense of it all.
We have a laptop that won't plug into an HDMI TV, but which will plug into a monitor that won't be available until December, can't use the headphones that were supplied with the phone you just bought, which also won't plug in. But you can use AirPods, eventually! You can't plug your keyboard into GarageBand, and if you could, you can't record your music onto your external USB HDD because that won't plug in either.
Have I missed anything?
We have a laptop that won't plug into an HDMI TV, but which will plug into a monitor that won't be available until December, can't use the headphones that were supplied with the phone you just bought, which also won't plug in. But you can use AirPods, eventually! You can't plug your keyboard into GarageBand, and if you could, you can't record your music onto your external USB HDD because that won't plug in either.
Have I missed anything?
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Don't know if you missed anything but I'm struggling to understand it too.
The upshot for me is I love the Macbook as it is now, I don't understand why we now have all these missing ports we have come to love and rely on, I could never go back to Windows and eventually the only Macbook available will be the new ones and if you want a Macbook you will have no choice but to get this new incarnation and all the new bits and pieces you will need for your accessories.
Not a happy bunny right now.
brixtonboy
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I know absolutely nothing about MacBook etc. But l remember when they first announced that Business people were throwing their credit cards on the stage so keen were they to buy them.
I have no idea if that is true or not.
Apple do lead no one can doubt that. My problem is that they tend to forget the people/owners of earlier products.
I was surprised that my iPhone 5 was able to get iOS 10
But l that's life.
Gregory Isaacs R.I.P.
Just read on another forum that a member has done the calculation and discovered that even with the new prices, the MBP is cheaper in the U.K. than in the US, by £158.
That, of course, is tax out. That 20% sales tax sure is a killer. I'll check the prices later and see if that is accurate.
That, of course, is tax out. That 20% sales tax sure is a killer. I'll check the prices later and see if that is accurate.
It would seem that we are missing the boat to some extent with complaints about the missing ports.
In time, all manufacturers will be heading this way, and far from having to have dongles to connect peripherals, we will have a single cable, with identical connectors at both ends, that will plug in and function without regard to orientation, like the MagSafe and Lightning connectors already do.
USB-C implements USB 3.1 which is twice as fast as USB 3.0, and is backwards compatible, electrically, with the older standards.
We may, perhaps, need dongles or single purpose cables in order to connect to equipment whose manufacturers have reached their own gold standard, for example the TV industry's HDMI connection, which is almost universal in video equipment, and which combines data transmission with copy protection, but in time, we can expect to see USB-C adopted alongside the existing connections, before replacing them completely.
There have been many different interfaces since the dawn of home computing, and almost as many attempts to find an industry-wide standard. These attempts have historically failed, but maybe this time we have something that can work. USB-C will transmit data, power, video and audio, uses a small, reversible connector and is cheap to implement. There is really no reason not to use it.
I'm prepared to bet that next year's iPhone will charge and sync using USB-C, and so will phones from other manufacturers.
In time, all manufacturers will be heading this way, and far from having to have dongles to connect peripherals, we will have a single cable, with identical connectors at both ends, that will plug in and function without regard to orientation, like the MagSafe and Lightning connectors already do.
USB-C implements USB 3.1 which is twice as fast as USB 3.0, and is backwards compatible, electrically, with the older standards.
We may, perhaps, need dongles or single purpose cables in order to connect to equipment whose manufacturers have reached their own gold standard, for example the TV industry's HDMI connection, which is almost universal in video equipment, and which combines data transmission with copy protection, but in time, we can expect to see USB-C adopted alongside the existing connections, before replacing them completely.
There have been many different interfaces since the dawn of home computing, and almost as many attempts to find an industry-wide standard. These attempts have historically failed, but maybe this time we have something that can work. USB-C will transmit data, power, video and audio, uses a small, reversible connector and is cheap to implement. There is really no reason not to use it.
I'm prepared to bet that next year's iPhone will charge and sync using USB-C, and so will phones from other manufacturers.
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But in the meanwhile people will be paying this huge price for the new MacBook and will need to fork out for cables as well.
I have iPhone 7 plus, An iPad Pro, I have a Super Drive and a Magic Trackpad 2 also SD cards which would need adaptors.
I have iPhone 7 plus, An iPad Pro, I have a Super Drive and a Magic Trackpad 2 also SD cards which would need adaptors.
@Poisonivy
Yes, that's the problem with transitions. I'm in the same boat as you, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. I intend to buy a Mac Mini, which will have all old style connections. I suppose the upside is that I'll be able to use my existing peripherals and continue to use them on my 2012 MBP.
Right now, I'm relieved that the headphone/optical port has survived.
I'm assuming that the omission of the SD card reader is deliberate. I haven't looked at digital cameras much. How do they exchange data? Wifi? USB? Or is in necessary, in general, to remove the SD card?
The iPhone and iPad can be synced wirelessly, so I suppose that's Apple's thinking there.
The SuperDrive will need a dongle. It's USB-A cable is hard wired. It's all very well to say that people don't use them much. That may be true, but those that do use them, use them a lot. No doubt there will be a new version, requiring an adapter to work with older Macs.
As for flash drives, I haven't seen any USB-C versions. They are probably coming, but there must be millions of existing ones kicking around. With luck, someone will come up with a multi reader that will handle all cards in one.
As lottery wins permit, I'll still be looking at a new MBP, eventually, but part of the appeal of Apple is the longevity of their computers. It will likely be 4 years or so before I'm forced to change.
Yes, that's the problem with transitions. I'm in the same boat as you, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. I intend to buy a Mac Mini, which will have all old style connections. I suppose the upside is that I'll be able to use my existing peripherals and continue to use them on my 2012 MBP.
Right now, I'm relieved that the headphone/optical port has survived.
I'm assuming that the omission of the SD card reader is deliberate. I haven't looked at digital cameras much. How do they exchange data? Wifi? USB? Or is in necessary, in general, to remove the SD card?
The iPhone and iPad can be synced wirelessly, so I suppose that's Apple's thinking there.
The SuperDrive will need a dongle. It's USB-A cable is hard wired. It's all very well to say that people don't use them much. That may be true, but those that do use them, use them a lot. No doubt there will be a new version, requiring an adapter to work with older Macs.
As for flash drives, I haven't seen any USB-C versions. They are probably coming, but there must be millions of existing ones kicking around. With luck, someone will come up with a multi reader that will handle all cards in one.
As lottery wins permit, I'll still be looking at a new MBP, eventually, but part of the appeal of Apple is the longevity of their computers. It will likely be 4 years or so before I'm forced to change.
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I only just bought the Magic Trackpad recently so that would need a cable, Not sure which type.
The other gripe I have is that the MacBook without the touch bar has only two ports, If you are using one to charge that just leaves one to do anything else with.
I'm seriously considering the 2015 MacBook Pro, I would be future proofed for quite a while and hopefully by the time I need to change again all these issues would be dealt with.
The alternative is to keep my Late 2013 model and keep my fingers crossed that it lasts.....That is my least favourite option though.
Edit-
I need to use SD cards too as they are part of my records for my antiques so wifi exchange isn't an option for me.
The other gripe I have is that the MacBook without the touch bar has only two ports, If you are using one to charge that just leaves one to do anything else with.
I'm seriously considering the 2015 MacBook Pro, I would be future proofed for quite a while and hopefully by the time I need to change again all these issues would be dealt with.
The alternative is to keep my Late 2013 model and keep my fingers crossed that it lasts.....That is my least favourite option though.
Edit-
I need to use SD cards too as they are part of my records for my antiques so wifi exchange isn't an option for me.
Last edited:
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Our local official Apple distributor will have the new MacBooks in for demonstration purposes some time this week so I will go in and check them out.
I can see two ports being severely limiting. I'd definitely go for a model with 4. On the upside, one can charge at the same time as transfer data, certainly from a monitor and probably from an external HDD too.
Not sure a Magic Trackpad would be much use on a new MBP. They already have the new 3D features.
Not sure a Magic Trackpad would be much use on a new MBP. They already have the new 3D features.
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You lost me there....I use an external trackpad as it is more comfortable for me.
Magic trackpads should work with new MacBooks shouldn't they?
I'm sure it will, with the necessary adaptor.
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