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New Mac Book Pro


AnuarYahya

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5 hours ago, AnuarYahya said:

but I think its funny apple kept the headphone jack. I mean with all their talk that its an obsolete port and everything. I think it says a lot that the only port they decided to keep apart from the usb c's is the headphone jack. Enough said.. 

actually phil schiller addressed that point (and others) in an interview, and turns out they actually care about audio people ; )

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/apple-macbook-pro-new-philip-schiller-interview-phil-iphone-ios-criticism-a7393156.html

"Is it inconsistent to keep the 3.5mm headphone jack as it’s no longer on the latest iPhone?"

"Not at all. These are pro machines. If it was just about headphones then it doesn’t need to be there, we believe that wireless is a great solution for headphones. But many users have setups with studio monitors, amps, and other pro audio gear that do not have wireless solutions and need the 3.5mm jack."

 

4 hours ago, RadoStefanov said:

there is a lot to love about the razor. Desktop grade graphics, cnc machined unibody, 100% adobeRGB screen.

sure looks like a nice machine. but slightly larger, heavier, slower on CPU and HD and noisier then a macbook pro. and more significant to me: about half the the battery life. on the upside, quite a chunch cheaper and will absolutely stomp the mac in GPU tasks.

 

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On ‎11‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 4:36 PM, chrismedr said:

3.5mm jack."

 

sure looks like a nice machine. but slightly larger, heavier, slower on CPU and HD and noisier then a macbook pro. and more significant to me: about half the the battery life. on the upside, quite a chunch cheaper and will absolutely stomp the mac in GPU tasks.

 

It is a deskLAPtop...

Something that Apple really don't care about.

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On 11/3/2016 at 4:36 PM, chrismedr said:

Phil Schiller:

"Not at all. These are pro machines. If it was just about headphones then it doesn’t need to be there, we believe that wireless is a great solution for headphones. But many users have setups with studio monitors, amps, and other pro audio gear that do not have wireless solutions and need the 3.5mm jack."

You totally need that 3.5mm jack for this setup that Apple showed at their MBP announcement. And the ability to drive two 5K monitors is great, though I wonder how much GPU processing power is left over to work with footage from that RED camera (that appears to be set up in selfie mode):

apple_2x5k_macbookpro-ed.jpg

 

Sigh. Close, but not quite enough for me, and apparently for lots of my edit, vfx, and 3D friends are really bummed.

Macbook Semi-Pro 

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1 hour ago, Jim Feeley said:

You totally need that 3.5mm jack for this setup that Apple showed at their MBP announcement.

well, agreed I'd probably want a dedicated audio interface for studio monitors, but I'm still glad that i can plug in some HD-25 headphones on the road to check an edit (or just to listen to music on the train). Actually, I'm quite surprised that people criticise the inclusion of a 3.5 jack port, apart from the USB port it's the most used port I see people around me using.

1 hour ago, Jim Feeley said:

And the ability to drive two 5K monitors is great, though I wonder how much GPU processing power is left over to work with footage from that RED camera (that appears to be set up in selfie mode)

well, which laptop will drive two 5K displays and still work well with some 6K RED footage at the same time? 

I do get that the macbook pro doesn't fit everybody's needs and it *is* quite expensive, it's just that I don't really see any better options out there for normal use (or what I consider normal use, which is professional work on the road, which means lugging the thing around a lot and be away from mains power frequently) - heavy GPU stuff like gaming and 3D is definitely different and there a macbook pro is likely a waste of money.

 

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33 minutes ago, RadoStefanov said:

good luck with Red 6k footage and those video cards.

I don't need luck with that - I'd transcode those to HD ProRes files for editing anyway and enjoy incredibly fluent playback and great battery life on a quiet machine which is easy to carry around.

 

33 minutes ago, RadoStefanov said:

also the thunderbolt on the right side are not full thunderbolts.

The one on the 15" actually are:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207256

Quote

Thunderbolt 3 data speeds per MacBook Pro port

Late-2016 MacBook Pro models vary slightly in the data speeds they provide to each Thunderbolt 3 port.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016) delivers full Thunderbolt 3 performance on all four ports.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) supports Thunderbolt 3 at full performance using the two left-hand ports. The two right-hand ports deliver Thunderbolt 3 functionality, but have reduced PCI Express bandwidth.

Always plug higher-performance devices into the left-hand ports on MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) for maximum data throughput.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) delivers full Thunderbolt 3 performance on both ports.

 

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14 hours ago, chrismedr said:

I don't need luck with that - I'd transcode those to HD ProRes files for editing anyway and enjoy incredibly fluent playback and great battery life on a quiet machine which is easy to carry around.

 

The one on the 15" actually are:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207256

 

You can do that on any notebook

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54 minutes ago, RadoStefanov said:

You can do that on any notebook

true ; )  
but I would even do that on a razor to improve battery life and avoid having the fan on full blast all the time...

what I don't understand is why you treat the macbook pro like it was a dog, while apart from GPU processing it's probably one of the fastest machines out there. I get that some people don't like the apple cult, or don't want to spend that kind of money on a laptop, or have specific needs that simply make it a poor match. but I don't really understand how somebody who has used them could dispute they are great machines (as I'm sure is the razor).

anyway, back to the topic:
I imagine in the transition period the USB-C ports will be a bit of a pain - certainly awkward if you just want to plug in a clients disk and realise you left the adapter at home.
on the other hand, I can't wait for USB2 and 3 cables to die - don't even want to think about the amount of time and nerves I've wasted over the years, fumbling trying to get the proper orientation!

 

 

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14 hours ago, chrismedr said:

true ; )  
but I would even do that on a razor to improve battery life and avoid having the fan on full blast all the time...

what I don't understand is why you treat the macbook pro like it was a dog, while apart from GPU processing it's probably one of the fastest machines out there. I get that some people don't like the apple cult, or don't want to spend that kind of money on a laptop, or have specific needs that simply make it a poor match. but I don't really understand how somebody who has used them could dispute they are great machines (as I'm sure is the razor).

 

 

 

Nobody is saying they are not good machines. They are just very overpriced.  it cost twice as much as other computers and honestly I would not pay twice as much for something that is not better.  People want to pay twice the price all power to them. I personally keep my extra money for sound gear and not a notebook computer.

ASUS ZenBook Touchscreen Laptop $1299 at costco
Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ Processor at 2.6GHz
16GB DDR4 RAM
15.6" Touchscreen 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) Display
4GB NVIDIA GTX 960M Graphics
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I'm reading all this silliness on a Macbook Pro that was at the epicenter of a house file.  The fire inspector found it in the debris and handed it to me.  I cleaned off the soot and ashes and it looks and works like an almost new machine.

I did have a restoration service treat the internals so that the corrosion damage caustic smoke causes over time will be mitigated.

Going back many years I've owned (and still own) many, many dozens of DOS and Windows-based desktop and laptop PCs (even some DOS-predecessor CP/M units) and totally get why I, and others, may opt to pay more for Apple products.  It's a choice of what matters to the buyer, just like any of the other tools we may purchase. 

PCs as a religion leads to rather tedious, and boring, discourse. 

 

 

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I'm reading and typing this on a MacBook Pro 5,1 Late 2008. It's been a reliable workhorse all that time, though it has moved down to simpler non production tasks. My older Windows laptops didn't last that long (though that could be luck or bad purchase choices on my part). And while I own and am comfortable with Windows and Linux computers, most of the people I work and exchange files with use Macs. Well made, long lived, etc. Like you, I'm willing to pay more for Macs. But I'm ecumenical and love/hate all operating systems and computers. I make sure the computers are the tools, not me. 

But the computer I'm using has a couple innovative features that made raised the price and improved its usefulness to me. Two examples: and an ExpressCard/34 slot that helped with fast connectivity, and mostly two GPUs...a smaller/slower one for use on battery power, and a larger/faster one for use when plugged in. Perhaps not unique, but a useful solution that extended this MBP's usefulness.

I'm just not feeling that sort of useful for pro media creators (or whatever niche I'm in) with these latest machines. I can live with the good-enough CPU and GPU. The key thing for me is the RAM limitation. And now that I think about it (prompted by others), having to haul around a bunch of small misplaceable cable adapters isn't appealing.

Lots of spendy and smart people in my circle feel the same way. And perhaps we're not alone. Perhaps first-week orders didn't hit the numbers Apple expected. I don't want to read too much into this, but just a week after the announcement:

 

Apple Drops Prices of 4K and 5K LG Displays by 25 Percent

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/04/apple-lg-display-major-price-cut/

 

Apple Drops Prices on USB-C Adapters

http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/04/apple-drops-prices-on-usb-c-adapters/

 

So the key thing is, in the past I felt like I had to pay more for a Macbook Pro, but I only had to accept one or two small compromises and in the end got value for my purchase. Just not feeling feeling the "useful innovation / slight hassle" ratio working for me this time around. Not feeling jilted or anything, just not seeing something for me. Bummer.

 

Upside: looks like I've freed up some cash for more audio kit.

 

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On 10/28/2016 at 0:26 PM, RadoStefanov said:

I just showed you an Asus PC that has the same or arguably better hardware then the most expansive MacBookPro for half the price.

The only problem with that Asus is that it runs Windows and not OSX and the Apple operating system is well worth the price differential in the long run.

You get a full-featured Office suite (Pages/Keystone/Numbers) included with a Mac while Microsoft Office will cost you $10/month forever.

You can buy Final Cut Pro (with free updates) for a one-time $300 while Adobe Premiere will cost you $20/month forever.

You can buy Logic Pro (with free updates) for a one-time $200 while Pro Tools will cost you $600 plus the cost of upgrades.

You can buy Affinity Photo for a one-time $50 while Adobe Photoshop will cost you $10/month forever (and yes, Affinity Photo is just as good as Photoshop).

Long term? It's Mac all the way.

Short term? It's up to you.

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You can buy Logic Pro (with free updates) for a one-time $200 while Pro Tools will cost you $600 plus the cost of upgrades.

Not to disprove your overall point, but Logic or ProTools is not a Windows or Mac question. PT runs on both and Logic is really a different program.

With regards to the free updates: is that really the case? Even through new OS versions?
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3 hours ago, OmahaAudio said:

[...] and the Apple operating system is well worth the price differential in the long run.

how much extra an OS is worth depends on so many things. I've been on OSX for many many years and know the shortcuts, the tricks and the quirks, so for me it's definitely worth a few hundred bucks. IBM just published a study that says it saves them $265 to $535 over 4 years per employee using a mac. But for somebody in the tax business or webserver business, or somebody who has been using Linux for 20 years, switching to OSX would be a disaster.

As for the applications:
I agree with Constantin that most (actually all) in your list are not comparable - like if I need Premiere for my workflow, no way I can replace it with FCPX. Both are editing apps that have their strengths but they definitely are not interchangeable on complex tasks.

 

1 hour ago, Constantin said:

With regards to the free updates: is that really the case? Even through new OS versions?

well, Final Cut X so far had 3 major updates (and many minor ones) and all of them were free, so It will likely continue that way (unless they suddenly kill it, like what happened with FCP7 or Aperture or Shake etc).

It's kinda obvious that we all have our preferences depending on specific needs and on what we are used to.
For those who happen to like OSX we're stuck with apple hardware, for better or worse. I find some machines beautiful, expensive power machines that are marvels to use (like macbook pros), nice but somewhat overpriced mini desktops (MacMinis), really good all-in-ones-if-you-like-this-type-of-thing (iMacs), obsolete and limited workstations (MacPros), and non-existent would-be-great-to-have affordable towers with extension capabilities.

On the Windows side there's obviously a lot bigger selection of hardware, specially on the cheaper side. There are some downsides to that too of course.

 

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Yeah, I think Apple went the wrong way with this "Upgrade".    Of course it is the Apple way to take away ports and make things not compatible with their other hardware as well as the rest of the world.   I think the All USB-C ports is a big mistake. People really hate the fact that they now have to buy a whole new Bag of Dongles to use normal items like Thumb Drives and SD cards.  Not to mention all the Display dongles needed to cover the possibilities. And every long time MacBook user is lamenting the loss of the Mag-Safe connector for power.  I also think taking away physical function keys was a mistake as well.  Now you have to look at  your keyboard and move your hands to see where the keys are and try to figure out what they do since they are constantly changing. 

There are lots of Rants on You Tube over the latest machines.  Warning!  The rant on the bottom is over an hour long. and both have NSFW language in them because the reviewers ae PISSED OFF.

----Courtney

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was in an apple store on Saturday and looked at the new macbook pros. I was stunned at the lack of RAM. I put 8GB of RAM into my 5 year old MBP a few years ago, and at this point, with everything I do it's barely able to keep up. I'd have thought by new 16gb of RAM would just be standard. I'm also put off by the new ports. Only using that USB-C means I have to get some sort of hub or something. I have two external hard drives, an audio interface, and an external monitor that I use regularly. Does this mean that I have to run all that through a hub that only then connects to one port? I'm no expert on these things, but that seems like being on the 405 in rush hour and going from 4 lanes down to 1, and that never goes well. 

 

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On November 9, 2016 at 2:32 AM, Philip Perkins said:

Mac Books, after several, have stopped being a practical location computer for me.  In the office, ok. In the field, too slow and fiddley re: ports etc. to set up and do the boring repetitive things I need to do on every job.  And too expensive, for what I actually need to do.

Not to derail the thread but what do you use now? As much as the thought of switching back to Windows pains me I may be in the same position as you after my current MBP dies. 

-Mike

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While on the surface, it may look like “it only has 4 ports” and “16 GB of RAM is not enough”.

Keep in mind that; 

 

- each port supports USB-C  3.1 10Gbps (USB 3.0 was 5Gbps, USB 2 was 480 Mbps, USB 1.1 was 12 Mbps) / Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) / Display port (capable of driving two 5K displays). Either port can also be the charging port. I got a couple USB to USB-C adapters from Amazon for 10 bucks each., and I already had a 4-port USB hub for iLok, MIDI keyboard, printer and Audio Interface. To each their own, but totally works for me with plenty left to gain when USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 drives become more widely available.

 

- The RAM is now LPDDR3 2133 MHz (LP meaning low power), twice the speed of my 2010 MBP, which maxed out at 8 GB 1066 MHz, and was btw not low power RAM. In addition, the new internal SSD drive is plenty fast enough to swap memory to disk if / when needed.

 

- The touch bar might look like “hype” to some, but I have already found it very useful in speeding up small things. Not to mention fingerprint login. But don’t worry, this will likely be implemented in all windows based machines soon.

 

It’s not only lighter, and about half the thickness, but it is actually also smaller in width and length compared to the old one. Still the screen resolution is so much better that it feels “bigger” in practical use. All this with MUCH better battery life, no noise from hard drives, fans etc. Typing this on the new MBP and in conclusion - I’m happy with my purchase.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Mobilemike said:

Not to derail the thread but what do you use now? As much as the thought of switching back to Windows pains me I may be in the same position as you after my current MBP dies. 

-Mike

I've discovered over the many years that computers I end up with become specialized tools.  In my world it is most convenient to have a Mac (late model) Mini as the office computer (lots of ports, small).  A rackmount PC (W7 64) for heavy-lifting audio post.  A Mac laptop for some portable audio tasks (including performance).  A super-expendable cheap basic PC laptop for dailies file xfer, MP3 converts, IAS wireless coordination, simple playback; that lives with my location sound gear.  These are just the computers in daily use--there are others on the shelf as backups or for special projects.  The idea of having to use a single computer (like a mac laptop) for everything makes me nervous, like not having backups for location sound gear.  I'm no kind of computer-geek, ie not a coder or anything: I just like having tools that are specially set up for the tasks I use them for.

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Apple's approach in recent years has been one tailored to consumers instead of professional users IMO. We've resorted to Hackintosh builds for desktop use, and while the MacBook Pro was always the go-to choice for us for laptops, I'm not excited for the latest one. We ended up buying a 2015 MBP on eBay instead two weeks ago when we needed to, and saved a pretty penny as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/2/2016 at 8:04 PM, Mobilemike said:

I'm pretty bummed about the ports on the new MBP too. I also think I'll miss having a dedicated escape key, but we'll see...

OWC has this doc that looks pretty nifty for the new computer:

https://eshop.macsales.com/preorder/owc-thunderbolt-3-dock/

More $$ though of course...

-Mike

  This looks awesome!!

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