[OSX-Users] The going unProRe: "Great for hackers" Surprise view on MacBook Pro

[Andrew Paul Landells]

The minutiae of the ports on the new MacBooks isn’t really the issue though, I feel it’s just one more straw on the camel’s back. The new MacBooks are considerably more expensive, even when you adjust for the “Brexit tax”; the touchbar is an interesting concept, but hardly dripping with ‘wow factor’; and the actual computing guts of the machines aren’t going to win over anyone’s Latest-And-Greatest-Syndrome. They simply don’t inspire me to want one. The lack of connectivity is just adding insult to injury.

My only hope is that there’s some insight in that article that Chris posted. Should it be true, it’s always possible that Apple will suddenly drop something that’s actually inspiring again. Otherwise the future looks rather bleak for Mac users.

On 28 Nov 2016, at 16:18, Leslie Carr <lac at ecs.soton.ac.uk<mailto:lac at ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:

But you can add an SD card reader through your USB-C interface.
—
Les

On 28 Nov 2016, at 16:16, m.c. schraefel <mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk<mailto:mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk><mailto:mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:

Sure
Good point.
Its funny to see something as simple as loss of an sd card reader feel like such a betrayal…
Very first world.

m.c.

On 28 Nov 2016, at 16:11, Leslie Carr <lac at ecs.soton.ac.uk<mailto:lac at ecs.soton.ac.uk><mailto:lac at ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:

Or is no longer driven by the pro market. I don’t really agree with the “no innovation” argument.
—
Les


On 28 Nov 2016, at 15:55, m.c. schraefel <mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk<mailto:mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk><mailto:mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk><mailto:mc at ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:

Really interesting article, Chris
And I share the lament about the Mac Pro, and more the Mac mini.

The biggest complaints about the whole apple computer experience (they’re no longer apple computer in name anyway anymore) are colleagues in music - both production and dh’ing - and in photography/video. The pro space is seeming to have gone away - as with innovation.

The article you quote reminds me of research around fundamental group structure - Dunbar’s number - of 148. At least one company (gortex) makes sure its divisions stay that size http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-01-10/the-dunbar-number-from-the-guru-of-social-networks

Remember seeing the images of its gigantic starship sized campus thinking “uh oh"

Perhaps apple’s just gone off the rails. Or is no longer run by the right kind of tyrant?

m.c.



On 28 Nov 2016, at 15:46, Chris Andrews <w at lfie.org<mailto:w at lfie.org><mailto:w at lfie.org><mailto:w at lfie.org>> wrote:

On the subject of other Macs, here's an interesting article about the possibility that Apple is having corporate culture problems:

http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/11/27/13706776/apple-functional-divisional

It does present a possible explanation for the world's most valuable company being unable to update the niche-but-flagship Mac Pro or the niche-but-has-a-cult-following Mac Mini. The other explanation is that they just don't care and the machines are still on sale whilst they run down inventory and milk every last penny from those models before they go away forever.

Chris




--
Andrew Paul Landells
Team Lead, iSolutions Technical Innovation & Developments Team: Web & Databases.
Telephone: 023 8059 6879 (x26879); Mobile: Please ring desk phone, which will divert.
For meetings, I will usually be on the Highfield Campus on Mondays, and at 1GS on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.