Well keep in mind that the first generation Arm MacBooks are basically the same old Intel laptops with their guts replaced. The next generation is probably going to be a completely new design.
There'd been a drive to remove ports and to make devices as thin as possible, even if it meant losing functionality (no SD slots, USB-A ports, shorter battery life) or increasing complexity (dongles, battery packs).
That seems to be reversing to some degree. Whether this was all Jony Ive or not, it's nice to see more of a balance. It should be possible to have a functional device but not include every I/O port under the sun.
Now they have to keep that TouchBar code around in AppKit even after they inevitably drop Intel support. Extremely curious decision.
The quote from Kuo specifically mentions MagSafe charging connector design, but he could have mistakenly assumed his source was still referring to the wired connector if they mentioned MagSafe.
Curious about changes to I/O ports. I would expect additional (more than two) USB-C ports, but unsure which I/O types may be considered a "standard" need for pro users at this point. Perhaps video output and/or legacy USB?
The touch bar is visually appealing and likely great for most consumers, but the bar has not been as functional as physical function keys during my time touch-typing/ programming due to lack of tactile feedback. I frequently have to look at the bar, else I tap the wrong button. I often trigger the bar unintentionally while hovering over number keys. I am thankful the M1 Pro has an Escape key. I would be very likely to upgrade to a higher end MacBook Pro to have physical function keys again.
I believe modern wireless chargers are around 75% to 85% efficient.
That sounds bad at first, but I believe most ac-dc charging bricks are in the 80% to 90% efficiency range, so it's actually not much worse at all.
And if it really is magsafe, the "secret sauce" there is the magnets will align things almost perfectly every time avoiding unaligned charging coils.
Mag safe is going to be on the charging cable and not the computer. Like on old game consoles with wired controllers.
What I could imagine though, is if the charger itself incorporates MagSafe.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_BSorDx
I haven't tried more extensive tests (e.g. video out) but I don't see any real reason why Apple couldn't make a more official (i.e. USB-C certified) version. As the sister comment says, if it's for power only then it is simpler.
I'd imagine rather than adapters like this, you would plug in a cable that has a magnetic joint somewhere near the end that can 'break' if pulled.
A charger cable, that only does PD, could have a magnetic break in it without issues.
However, as opposed to magsafe there's a tiny dongle that stays in the usb-c port. Also, the magnet is weaker than in the old apple magsafes.
I don't remember ever having problems with the charger popping out when it wasn't supposed to. But I also always used it on a desk, rather than sitting it on my lap.
A single iPhone MagSafe charger pushes 15w on a great day. A MBP is going to draw about four times that.
Now imagine if MagSafe could also be a data channel...
However, it's quite handy when doing multimedia work with applications that integrate with the touchbar (Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop)
Many times more useful are tactile programmable keys like what I get on an Elgato Stream Deck, or other dedicated hardware. The touch bar is useless since it's one solid strip. Creatives don't like staring at their keyboards either.
I was personally very excited when they announced the touchbar but having lived with it for 5 years now, I hate it. And I do a lot of media work, mostly in Ableton Live but also Adobe Lightroom and others.
I just bought a new Macbook Air and I was very happy that the feature of not having the bar was cheaper as it was something I would have gladly paid money for.
I also use Ableton and Lightroom a reasonable amount (neither are my day job though), and am constantly left wishing that they integrated with the touchbar. I have a midi controller that I use for sliding controls in both when at my desk, but I don't take it when I'm out and about, which is where having the ability to adjust analog controls (sliders/dials) with the touchbar would be incredibly useful.
I personally never used the F keys for anything so don't really care if they are there or not (I use them just for brightness and mute) but the Touch Bar was too sensitive. And while I initially thought it would be cool to have an extra status display, a display someplace nobody ever looks is pretty useless.
Computers are for more than essays and coding.
So the touch bar might be great for SOME purposes in multimedia, not for others; but a variety of VERY CHEAP peripherals are available for these purposes - no need for a one-size-fits-all integrated approach.
That's a pretty narrow view.
I've been a touch typer for many decades now (had to pass a minimum WPM score on an IBM Selectric to get my journalism degree), and I find the touchbar quite useful.
The problem is that you have to customize it. And the tools Apple supplies are inadequate.
In my case, I have a bunch of "keys" on the touchbar that trigger various macros.
Building a major change for one small set of users ("people who look at the keyboard") isn't how Apple does things.
Zoom, for instance, puts the mic, camera, and share desktop buttons right where f1-f3 should go. If they were actual keys it wouldn't matter, but since they're touch sensitive, I have to suddenly be very conscious of where I rest my hands or else risk sending content I do not want to a meeting.
The hypothetical advantages of that usecase are negated by the lack of physical F-keys, which are critical to start/stop/step through code.
Personally I think key with screens on them sounds interesting / novel / fun, at least for a week or two, maybe longer.
And these computers are not purely for power users.
His sources isn't some made up contact from within Apple like all those Youtubers, or leaks from China WeiBo and then turn into some news. His sources are from Supply Chain, and if you look at it from that perspective it has been pretty dead accurate.
For Example, most of his Red ( Wrong ) are either Apple Release Date, or Pricing. Both are those are unpredictable by Supply Chain. Apple could change their pricing strategy at any min. But those Release Date and Pricing were derived from possible Production Schedule and Total BOM cost reduction. Both have been insanely accurate.
There are other derived conclusion. Like Longer battery life, which was derived from having lager Battery capacity and better Display energy efficiency, except Apple implemented other features so battery life stays flat.
Things like iPhone having same water resistance, from his point of view none of the water resistance steps had any make over. So no change in water resistance from 2018 were exactly correct. It is just that Apple felt confidence enough the same process could now be advertise with better water resistance capacity. i.e They were too conservative with the iPhone XS water resistance claim.
Not even sure why Pro Display XDR going Mini-LED in 2019 is suggested as wrong either.
Of course there are things he would be wrong. Especially those small volume products. With iPhone you cant really hide, after all there are hundreds of companies working to make sure a product shipping a 100M unit annual volume. Leaks in supply chain are bound to happen.
Not saying this won't come to be, but his actual accuracy where it counts seems much lower than indicated.
One of the problem with High Power, USB-C charging is the higher probability of frying the MacBook. As it has been since post 2015 MacBook Pro. From a reliability stand point this isn't any good at all. The insane amount of MacBook Pro with this problem on Louis Rossmann channel
Not all USB-C Cable are capable of charging up to 100W, most are only 28W. You need specific 100W, thicker cable to charge it. Of course HN have no problem with this but majority of people will charge it with whatever USB-C cable they have lying around. i.e Smartphone low power cable.
But HN seems to value charging everything with USB-C over everything else. And seems to take a world view anyone who dont know enough about USB-C cable or do not buy all USB-C High Power Cable as "mis-informed" if I had to word it politely.
>And the sides of this thing are pretty flat and not curved.
He meant the top and the bottom. Currently being slightly curved on the lip and the bottom edge of the machine.
What if the new model had a touch screen?
About the sides, i was confused at first but I think the idea is that they will do what they did to the ipad. Compare the first ipad to the ipad pro, the pro lies flat on the table but the first one (and to some extent all ipads before the 2018 pro) has a curved bottom like a boat.
Perhaps the idea is that those who buy the base model - regular consumers - like the touchbar, and those who buy the higher-end versions, that is, professionals - don't.
I'm sure some pricing specialist figured that out. Say what you want about Apple, but their sales department knows how to squeeze as much revenue from their customers as they can.
I can't be the only professional who ordered a cheaper M1 MacBook Air specifically because I want to avoid the TouchBar. If the pricing specialist is playing 4D chess then I don't get it.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-15/apple-mac...
Perhaps they’ll make Touch Bar an optional extra.
The 14" MBP will be the new 13", so if that rumor is true, it will be the end of Touch Bar.
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ming-chi-kuo/
He has a pretty good track record.
I mean, these features sound like a dream come true, but I'm having a hard time believing them.