On the 2019 MacBook Pro

Today Apple announced an update to the MacBook Pro lineup, 10 months after the last update. Albeit just a spec bump, there’s two major takeaways from this product: an incredible increase in performance, and yet another improvement to the butterfly keyboard.

The Keyboard

Seeing as it’s the most controversial part of the current generation MacBook Pro, which first shipped in 2016, let’s start with the new keyboard. The design has been slightly tweaked again - Apple says that it is using “new materials” in the switch mechanism that should significantly reduce the occurrence of double and missed key presses. This new keyboard is found on both the 15-inch and 13-inch 2019 MacBook Pro models, but Apple remained quiet on whether it would use these new materials on the other MacBooks currently on sale, such as the 2018 MacBook Air. I suspect we will have to wait for the Air to receive a 2019 or 2020 refresh before this happens. Apple are also keeping quiet about what these new materials are other than to say it “substantially reduces” the issue of double or missed key presses. We will have to wait until iFixit tear one of these apart to know for sure. Interestingly, this is not a fourth-generation butterfly keyboard, rather a revision to the third-generation keyboard found on the 2018 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. This is similar to what happened when the 2017 MacBook Pro shipped with an update to the second-generation butterfly keyboard.

2018 MacBook Pro and Air customers that bring in their keyboards for repair will actually have their keyboards replaced with ones that have these new materials, according to Apple. Again, similar to what happened when the second-generation keyboard got an update a couple of years ago.

Speaking of keyboard repairs, Apple also announced an update to its keyboard repair extension program today. All MacBooks equipped with butterfly keyboards - almost every MacBook since the 2015 MacBook - will now be eligible for the program. This means both the 2018 MacBook Pro and Air are now eligible, along with these new 2019 models. Apple is not extending how long that program lasts — it’s still 4 years after the first retail sale of the unit. As we’ve discussed on The Blue Ink Show, the MacBook Air has been far from exempt from the issues that plague the butterfly keyboard and it’s good to see it getting extended repair coverage.

Will this revision be the one that finally fixes the butterfly keyboard? We asked the same question last Summer and today we’ve effectively received confirmation that it didn’t work. Only time will tell, but it looks like the next major design to MacBook Pro is destined for at least 2020, not 2019 as some thought.

Performance

Moving away from keyboards, and onto something the MacBook Pro does very well - power. From Apple’s press release:

Apple updated MacBook Pro with faster 8th- and 9th-generation Intel Core processors, bringing eight cores to MacBook Pro for the first time. MacBook Pro now delivers two times faster performance than a quad-core MacBook Pro and 40 percent more performance than a 6-core MacBook Pro, making it the fastest Mac notebook ever. These new processors, combined with powerful graphics, the brilliant and colorful Retina display, super-fast SSDs, the Apple T2 Security Chip, all-day battery life and macOS, make MacBook Pro the world’s best pro notebook.

These 2019 MacBook Pro models are around twice as fast in performance compared to the outgoing 2018 models. The 15-inch MacBook Pro now features faster 6- and 8-core Intel Core processors, delivering Turbo Boost speeds up to 5.0 GHz, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro features faster quad-core processors with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.7 GHz.

Pricing remains unchanged and the new MacBook Pro is available to order from Apple today. If anything it is good to see Apple consistently updating MacBook Pro on an yearly basis, but I would not be surprised if this is the final revision to the current design, especially if the rumours of a 16-inch MacBook Pro are true.

:))

On the 2019 iMac

Yesterday the iMac line received welcome updates. This update was just a spec bump, but a big one to say the least. These models remain physically unchanged but feature new chips:

• The 21.5-inch iMac now features 8th-generation quad-core, and for the first time 6-core Intel processors, delivering up to 60 percent faster performance.

• The 27-inch iMac now for the first time features up to 9th-generation 6-core and 8-core Intel processors, delivering up to 2.4 times faster performance.

• The Radeon Pro Vega graphics that debuted on iMac Pro, and were later added as an option to MacBook Pro, now come to iMac. On the 21.5-inch iMac this new GPU delivers up to 80 percent faster graphics performance and up to 50 percent on the 27-inch.

Sadly, these new iMacs do not include the amazing T2 chip found in all other recent (2018 onwards) Macs, but that’s because it doesn’t support Hard Drives. The iMac is overdue a major redesign, which I can’t see happening before Apple’s standalone 6K display debuts alongside the 2019 Mac Pro. Hopefully, when this happens the iMac will move entirely to SSD’s, like iMac Pro, and then we will see the T2 (or by then T3) chip come to the consumer desktop line.

Seeing as iMac was last updated at WWDC 2017, these updates are really good to see, but I can’t help but think that this will be the final revision to the current iMac design, originally introduced way back in 2012.

:))

On the 2018 MacBook Air

“Lightness Strikes Again.”

Today Apple finally took the wraps off its new 13-inch, consumer, Retina notebook. Long-rumoured to be a MacBook Air successor, it turns out it’s just a new MacBook Air. It also turns out it’s effectively a bigger MacBook with 2 USB-C ports. Tim Cook almost joked about the fact that the MacBook Air was still lacking a Retina Display, and that’s the key new feature here; the new 2018 model has a 13.3-inch Retina Display, which Apple claims has 4x the pixel count of the previous generation. This isn’t quite true, as the resolution is a native 2560x1600 - the same as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The keyboard is the 3rd-generation butterfly mechanism found on the 2018 MacBook Pros and features Touch ID in place of the power button. The trackpad is now larger and features Force Touch. Under the hood, there’s now a T2 chip, just like iMac Pro, the 2018 MacBook Pro, and the 2018 Mac mini. The T2 is used as an SSD controller, allows support for always-on ‘Hey Siri’, features a Secure Enclave for storing secure Touch ID data, and has new secure boot options. The CPU is a low-power 7W class chip, similar to the 5W version used in the 12-inch MacBook, with i5 and i7 options. There’s up to 16GB RAM - up from 8GB on the 2017 model - and up to 1.5TB SSD options.

MagSafe and the SD card slot are gone, replaced with 2 USB-C ports, which are also Thunderbolt 3 capable. This is pretty impressive seeing as the 12-inch MacBook only has a single, USB-C port with no Thunderbolt support whatsoever. This means the new MacBook Air is capable of driving external displays up to 5K resolution. The headphone jack remains on the right-hand side of the chassis. The enclosure itself is almost unchanged from the 12-inch MacBook, and it takes up 17% less volume than the old MacBook Air. It’s just 15.6mm thick and weighs in at just 2.75 lbs. For the first time, MacBook Air comes in multiple colour options. No surprises here - it comes in Space Grey, Silver and Gold - the Gold being the yellow/rose gold hybrid first introduced on iPhone 8 in 2017. The brilliant news here, however, is that the enclosure is now made from 100% recycled aluminium - just like the 2018 Mac mini.

Battery life remains stellar, as we’ve come to expect from a MacBook Air; with up to 13 hours of iTunes movie playback. The speakers have also been vastly improved with stereo sound and improved bass. They’re also 25% louder. Ultimately, this new MacBook Air is everything it needed to be, although it’s a little expensive. It starts at $1199/£1199 which is considerably more than the old model, which is still on sale for £949, but honestly, Apple should be ashamed of themselves for still selling that thing in 2016, let alone going into 2019. $1199 gets you a 1.6GHz dual-core i5 with turbo boost up to 3.6GHz, 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage.

Whilst this Mac is great, the bigger problem here is that Apple decided to keep lots of older models in the product line, rather than take the opportunity to fix the confusing mess that is the Mac notebook lineup. I wrote about this a couple of months ago, and this Mac addresses a lot of those issues, but it needed to be launched in conjunction with a cleansing of the lineup, which today, unfortunately, did not bring. However, this should not take away from the fact that Apple has finally done the MacBook Air justice and given it the update it truly deserves.

MacBook Air goes on sale November 7th.

:))

On the 2018 Mac mini

“It’s Space Grey… our pro customers are gonna love that!”

After facing four long years of neglect and impending discontinuation, the Mac mini today received a substantial update. Whilst “remaining an important part of [Apple’s] lineup”, the Mac mini seemed to be dead, with the last update coming in October 2014, which was seen by many as a major downgrade over the 2012 model due to the lack of after-market upgradability. This new 2018 version features the same basic case design, but now it has a Space Grey finish - of course it does. The brilliant news here, however, is that the enclosure is now made from 100% recycled aluminium.

The base configuration features an eight-generation, quad-core Intel i3 - configurable up to a six-core Intel i7 - making this Mac mini 5x faster than the outgoing model. There’s also now a T2 chip for managing security, borrowed from iMac Pro and MacBook Pro. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM, but this is configurable up to 64GB, albeit costing over $1000 extra. All models come with an SSD, starting at 128GB but build to order options offer up to 2TB of storage. Interestingly the RAM has been confirmed to be upgradable but Apple “strongly recommends” taking it to an Authorised Service Provider to do so.

On the back of the case, the IO situation is nothing short of glorious. There’s still an HDMI port back there, so finding a third party display you like should be no problem at all - no visit to dongle town needed. There’s 2x USB-A ports for ‘legacy’ connections. Of course, there’s 4x USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and there’s even the option for a 10Gb Ethernet port taken straight from iMac Pro. This is more ports than any of us could’ve expected from 2018 Apple. Oh, and I almost forgot - there’s a headphone jack too.

The new Mac mini starts at $799/£799 but once it’s been maxed out it will set you back well over $4000/£4000. This device can be for the consumers that Mac mini was originally designed for - buy a cheap Mac, you bring the rest. But the price and Apple’s presentation shows this little box off as far more than a consumer entry-level Mac, and appropriately so - over the past few years it’s very much become a machine used and loved by professionals. You can stack them, you can use thousands of them in server farms, you can run a home video server on a single unit, or offload tasks to it from your MacBook Pro so you can get on with the next task at hand. You can spec these things exactly how you want, depending on your use case, and the possibilities are almost endless. It’s tantalising to see Apple revive such a brilliant product after it was presumed dead, and it’s yet more evidence to suggest the Mac is on a good path.

Mac mini goes on sale November 7th.

:))

The Future of Mac Notebooks

Almost 2 years ago, when Apple introduced the 2016 MacBook Pro, the price of the MacBook Pro line significantly increased. In the past, you could buy an entry-level MacBook Pro for £999, then suddenly they retailed for £1749. Apple pushed up the price and are keeping it up high because they want people to see this device as a professional tool. These devices are for the kind of professionals who buy iMac Pro, not for the masses, hence the high price tag. This is in stark contrast from the situation of the past 8 or so years where the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been the go-to, default Apple laptop (and maybe any laptop for that matter). So when consumers see the high price, they get confused, especially if they are upgrading from a previous model that, when purchased, was a much lower price. They (the consumer) begin to think Apple have lost their way, fuelled by the non-tech media spreading a narrative of Apple being ‘doomed’. People are looking at the high end of Mac portables in the wrong way. It’s not 2011 anymore, it’s the Cook-era, and in this era the MacBook Pro is for high-end professionals.
 
So, you’re an average consumer, maybe your needs are pretty simple; you want something more capable than an iPad Pro (what’s a computer? Right?!), but you’re not a high-end professional prepared to spend almost £2,000 on a laptop. It’s time to start looking at the lower end of Mac laptops. This is where things start to go south. The sweet-spot price point for these computers has always been around the £1000 mark. Any lower is great - provided quality is not compromised, any higher is getting a little eye-watering for someone who just wants a laptop running macOS. Luckily, there is a Mac currently sitting at this price point, as it has been for a number of years; MacBook Air. 

MacBook Air starts at £949 and would be a great value computer - if it were about £300 cheaper. The screen is non-Retina, using a display that looks like it’s about 8 years old - because it is. Apple should be ashamed of themselves for shipping this display on a device at any price point, let alone the £1000 bracket. High-end PC manufacturers would be crazy to include such a low-res display with poor colours and viewing angles in 2018. Apple get away with it because they’re Apple, and they shouldn’t. Internally, the MacBook Air is acceptable. Last refreshed in early 2017, the difference over the previous 2015 model is incredibly minor so you’re effectively getting a 3 year old machine for your money. Having said this, the performance will be more than suitable for basic users. But what if you want something a little better, or a little well, newer? 

Well for £1249 you can buy the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2 Thunderbolt 3 Ports). First introduced in 2016 - then refreshed in 2017, this model has no Touch Bar (hence the colloquial name ‘MacBook Escape’ due to the presence of a physical escape key), and only 2 Thunderbolt /USB-C ports as opposed to 4 (hence Apple’s aforementioned official name). When originally introduced, Apple described this machine as an option for potential MacBook Air customers, because internally, the specs are on a par with what a modern MacBook Air should be. So it’s called MacBook Pro, but it’s not a MacBook Pro. It’s at this point I begin to feel sorry for prospective Mac buyers - it’s just confusing. 

It only gets worse. For the same price as MacBook Escape (or more depending on spec), you can have something smaller and less powerful than MacBook Air - the 12-inch MacBook. Lovingly known amongst Apple fans as ‘MacBook Adorable’, this 12-inch notebook is everything MacBook Air should be in 2018. It’s even thinner, even lighter, and above all it’s equipped with a Retina display. The only problem is it costs £300 more than a MacBook Air, and starts at the same price as the MacBook Escape. So you could have something that looks like a MacBook Pro and has MacBook Pro written on the box for the same price as something that’s effectively an overpriced, modern MacBook Air. I’m getting confused just writing this and I deal with these computers on a daily basis. 

There is a new hope however. It’s been rumoured for a while but it looks like Q4 2018 will see the introduction of a MacBook Air ‘successor’. Rumours have been very conflicted, but it seems for certain it will be a 13-inch, Retina Mac portable. What form this Mac will take is pretty much unknown at this point. Will it be a 2018 MacBook Air? Will be a 13-inch MacBook alongside a refreshed 12-inch model? Will it replace the 12-inch altogether? No one seems sure. Personally, I think the current MacBook Air will be discontinued, along with the MacBook Escape. The MacBook Escape was notably absent from Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pro refresh and it’s starting to look like a strategy that didn’t work out. However, it is possible that this new machine is just a refreshed MacBook Escape rebranded as ’13-inch MacBook’ rather than MacBook Pro.

What will happen to the 12-inch MacBook Adorable is another question altogether . Back in 2015 it seemed as if it would be the MacBook Air replacement, but the Intel M-series CPUs still haven’t got cheap enough to manufacture hence the high starting price of MacBook. Apple could take an alternative approach, such as renaming it to MacBook mini and only sell the 512GB option to justify the high price and the fact at £1549 it costs more than the bigger, better laptop *cough* iPad mini 4 *cough*.  It could also remain stagnant for the next 18 months, until Apple decide to use it as a platform for launching the first ARM-based Mac equipped with their own A-series processors. 

In my eyes, the perfect solution is to drop everything besides the 13-inch and 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pros, and to sell them alongside this mysterious, new, affordable 13-inch laptop. This wouldn’t be very characteristic of Tim Cook’s Apple so I’m not holding out hope. 

Regardless of Apple’s intended strategy and previous motives, the notebook lineup has ended up in a mess. At the top, MacBook Pro is in good shape, but the consumer line needs fixing, and this new mystery Mac should help to bring balance to the force. 

This post wasn’t designed to criticise the products themselves (except for the non-Retina screen on MacBook Air), rather critique the lineup as a whole and see if I could make any sense of what is coming next for Mac notebooks.

:))