As the WWDC 2018 nears, it looks like our expectation for any update for MacBook Pro lines are heightening.
I have wanted to replace my old half broken MacBook Pro 15' Early 2011 and I have been collecting information of the current line ups of MacBook Pro 2017 models.
I thought of switching to Windows, but I like the shiny Apple product as long as they are functional. And I am locked into Apple Mac because I like to use Logic Pro X.
Reputations that I find about the models in the Internet are mixed. I can hardly even feel like spending money on 2017 models of Apple MacBook Pro after finding too many negative experiences shared by owners of the latest models of MacBook Pro.
What is Wrong with MacBook Pro 2017?
- This twitter post sums up most of all the issues I wanted to bring up here.
- The butterfly Keyboard issues.
- Read Apple faces lawsuit amid mounting anger over "infuriating" problems with MacBook keyboards
- The issue is not apparently resolved even with the 2017 model which is supposedly equipped with improved keyboard. So even free replacement of the keyboard by Apple will not help.
- Screen coating issue or so called Staingate.
- Replacement of the screen will not probably help. Users will still need to handle the screen with the better care than that we have usually been doing with previous models.
- Read Retina MacBook Pro: What is Staingate & what can you do about it? - Macworld UK
- There seems to be someone that solved the issue by completely removing the coating on surface of the screen. See How To Fix MacBook Pro Retina Screen Staingate very easy! - YouTube
- Screen glass cracking
- Read this apple discussions forum at Cracked screen MacBook Pro with Touch Bar - Apple Community.
- LCD monitor failure
- Touchbar
- This 21st century new candybar feature is received by crowds with confusions. I personally do not need Touchbar. I would rather prefer lower price over the new feature that I don't really need.
- Lack of ports and having to buy and carry dongles
- Lack of MagSafe
- Apple is killing off MagSafe, one of the MacBook’s best features - The Verge
- There are third party products to mimic the MagSafe convenience but there are reviews seen on amazon that such that product has caused a permanent damage to the USB-C port.
My Replacement Choices for Now (WWDC 2018 eve)
Having listed issues with the current models of MacBook Pro, my choices right now (if there is no announcement of updated MacBook Pro soon) would be:
- MacBook Pro 15' 2015 model.
- I have seen more than a couple of people saying that it is a great model. The only drawbacks would be lack of Thunderbolt 3 ports and absence of space gray body color.
- Buying 2015 model in 2018? I cannot help but thinking more than twice.
- I noticed that it does not have eGPU, which seems to be an advantage. It just has Intel's Intel Iris Pro Graphics. I do not really have a good impression about eGPU because it seem to often cause machine failures after years of use. Furthermore Apple spec page says its HDMI video output supports 4K monitor (3840 x 2160) only up to 30khz. But I noticed that there is no specific description on to what extent the Thunderbolt digital video output supports.
- MacBook Pro 13' 2017 without Touch Bar.
- The model is not free from those deficiencies listed above. But I don't mind owning one for a while till I can replace with the newer and improved models. Only because the little MacBook Pro looks cute.
- iMac
- Maybe. But I need mobility.
- Hackintosh
- I am aware that this is not quite politically correct. People on youtube have been showing how-to, e.g. Hackintosh MacOS Sierra 100% working, no kext files! - YouTube
- I am not sure if Hackintosh is for me simply because I like ease of use.
- Windows machine running Linux
- Maybe. I saw people pointing out that using VMWARE to run OSX on non-Apple machine is illegal. So this will probably not happen.
- Swap motherboard of MacBook Pro 15' Early 2011 with that of 2012 model and keep on using till I can find any other computer I want to buy.
- I have been thinking of it. This is probably the better and cheaper choice than buying Hackintosh or Windows machine to run linux on it.
I do not really have to wonder what I should buy only if Apple was selling something new that just works.
What is your thoughts? Do you think that Apple will realize something is off and reThink the current strategy on their MacBook Pro products? Or ... do you think that the current Apple is doing so awesome that they should keep up their nice work just as is?
To the question in your title, my Magic 8-Ball says:
Hi! I'm a bot, and this answer was posted automatically. Check this post out for more information.
Looks beautiful. Apple cloud servers are rooted in China, your passwords, the back doors, are under the control and power of Chinese government.
Only if you happened to reside in China for whatever reasons. But true, what Apple says on their support page can be ambiguous depending on how you interpret: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208351
China is trying to do things and has been doing things not only in China and it is worse than we think and phones are giving us cancer and worse.
I think that it is rather complex and delicate matter when it comes to anything related to Chinese policies.
In my opinion, "suggestions" of difficult domestic or cross-border political issues to the P.R.C. should be entrusted upon appropriate international institutions rather than we try to create turbulence which does nothing but exacerbates the relations between us.
So I think that what we can do is to conduct friendly exchanges with Chinese people. Something simple and fun like, make friends, talk, go for a drink etc.
However, we have experienced something outrageous with Chinese people the other day. Please check out our strange Vlog! https://steemit.com/dtube/@cuckooparrot/c3yl97dk
Chinese government murders Buddhists.
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