Macbook Pro (2016)
Discussion
silentbrown said:
The difference is that you're not normally looking at the keyboard because the keys don't shift around on you unexpectedly.
However, seeing as Mac keyboards haven't had sensible pound/hash and delete keys for a very long time, the loss of an entire row of keys isn't likely to be noticed.
True, but I don't touch type using the function keys.However, seeing as Mac keyboards haven't had sensible pound/hash and delete keys for a very long time, the loss of an entire row of keys isn't likely to be noticed.
I'm curious but unconvinced, I look forward to trying one...
silentbrown said:
The difference is that you're not normally looking at the keyboard because the keys don't shift around on you unexpectedly.
However, seeing as Mac keyboards haven't had sensible pound/hash and delete keys for a very long time, the loss of an entire row of keys isn't likely to be noticed.
Mine has a £ above the 3 (shift+3). Hash is alt-3 so that's not a big deal (though evidently a decal on the key like the € has would have broken the development budget!).However, seeing as Mac keyboards haven't had sensible pound/hash and delete keys for a very long time, the loss of an entire row of keys isn't likely to be noticed.
The newer Macbook/rMBP keyboard seems to have a "delete" key. My MBA has a backspace like all the Macbooks/Powerbooks before it...but fn+backspace is delete. My MBA has a larger "enter" key too which I think is preferable.
It'll be interesting to see what they've done with the gimmick OLED "display", but at the moment I'm with the others who think losing Esc and things like the brightness and volume keys will be a mistake.
I don't really understand why they've gone with a thin strip "touchscreen" like this. Adding a full touchscreen and implementing this as a strip at the bottom (if necessary) would seem much more sensible/easier...?
From those images I'm not sure the screen bezels are that much slimmer either.
Still, all will be revealed on Thursday. Looking more like I'm switching back.
Murph7355 said:
Mine has a £ above the 3 (shift+3). Hash is alt-3 so that's not a big deal (though evidently a decal on the key like the € has would have broken the development budget!).
The newer Macbook/rMBP keyboard seems to have a "delete" key. My MBA has a backspace like all the Macbooks/Powerbooks before it...but fn+backspace is delete. My MBA has a larger "enter" key too which I think is preferable.
Don't forget that the leaked pictures show a US keyboard - UK one will be different as per current differences.The newer Macbook/rMBP keyboard seems to have a "delete" key. My MBA has a backspace like all the Macbooks/Powerbooks before it...but fn+backspace is delete. My MBA has a larger "enter" key too which I think is preferable.
On my US mac, shift + 3 = # , Shift + 4 = $ , Option + 3 = £ , shift + option + 2 = €, and of course the biggest advantage (in my opinion anyway) of a US spec keyboard is shift + 2 = @.
Still not sold on this new one as yet - will see what ports it has (or hasn't as is rumoured to be the case).
Edited by GCH on Wednesday 26th October 00:16
GCH said:
... and of course the biggest advantage (in my opinion anyway) of a US spec keyboard is shift + 2 = @....
My UK keyboard has exactly the same. Shift+2=@.Alt+2 = €
Shift+Alt+2 = ™
etc etc etc.
The '#' seems to be the bigger difference, only you're losing the '£'...
A lot of complaints about the Mac keyboard are down to lack of knowledge on the key combos IME. I was a number of years into Mac laptop ownership before I realised how to "delete" rather than "backspace". And now it looks like the buggers have changed it to a "delete" key
Murph7355 said:
A lot of complaints about the Mac keyboard are down to lack of knowledge on the key combos IME.
You'll note I said "sensible" pound/hash/delete keys in my post. I know all the key combos are available, but they're on weird mixtures of key-modifiers, which makes switching between keyboard types painful. I'd willingly sacrifice the top left key with the 'section' symbol and 'plus/minus' on it. I think that key has never been pressed on my machine.
Murph7355 said:
What was the spec and what do you do with it to need that sort of spend...?
15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display
£1,823.00
With the following configuration:
• 2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
• 16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
• 1TB PCIe-based Flash Storage
• Intel Iris Pro Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
• Backlit Keyboard (British) & User's Guide (English)
• Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
• Accessory Kit
I used it for development stuff, and also VMs from time to time.
Mac keyboard combos are (in my humble opinion) annoying if you have to be multi-discipline. In a VMWare console session, for example, # is Cmd+\ not Alt+3 .. Also while I won't miss the Function keys in OSX, I'd need them in VMs etc. Not sure how that is going to work yet..
silentbrown said:
... and via Bootcamp. Although I'm not 100% sure I'll take the same route next time, as PC laptops seemed to have upped their game a lot.
Just a shame Windows hasn't. However, Ubuntu 16.04 is superb, and I do keep thinking whether I could move away from a Macbook long term. I think I would miss the ease of OSX/IOS integration after a few days.
Yep agree OSX is probably one of the few things keeping the Mac relevant against other laptops now. Mac laptops used to have
1) Decent hardware
2) Better build quality
3) Better design
4) Light and slim
5) A better OS
All of which people where happy to pay a premium for
Now the first four things have basically been eroded as the Windows laptop market has caught up and in some instances surpassed Apple at their own game so the only really unique features are the OS and the design.
Windows 10 has gone some way to close the gap on the OS as it's one of the most stable versions of Windows yet. Unfortunately for us and fortunately for Apple, most Windows laptops still look like they were either designed by a 13 year old with flashing lights everywhere and weird blocky cases or are a boring sombre black plastic lump. If someone actually brought out a Windows laptop now which looked as good as a Macbook they would be finished.
1) Decent hardware
2) Better build quality
3) Better design
4) Light and slim
5) A better OS
All of which people where happy to pay a premium for
Now the first four things have basically been eroded as the Windows laptop market has caught up and in some instances surpassed Apple at their own game so the only really unique features are the OS and the design.
Windows 10 has gone some way to close the gap on the OS as it's one of the most stable versions of Windows yet. Unfortunately for us and fortunately for Apple, most Windows laptops still look like they were either designed by a 13 year old with flashing lights everywhere and weird blocky cases or are a boring sombre black plastic lump. If someone actually brought out a Windows laptop now which looked as good as a Macbook they would be finished.
Guvernator said:
Unfortunately for us and fortunately for Apple, most Windows laptops still look like they were either designed by a 13 year old with flashing lights everywhere and weird blocky cases or are a boring sombre black plastic lump. If someone actually brought out a Windows laptop now which looked as good as a Macbook they would be finished.
I think the new surface books are getting there and unlike the Macbooks they will function as a tablet when required too.craigjm said:
Guvernator said:
Unfortunately for us and fortunately for Apple, most Windows laptops still look like they were either designed by a 13 year old with flashing lights everywhere and weird blocky cases or are a boring sombre black plastic lump. If someone actually brought out a Windows laptop now which looked as good as a Macbook they would be finished.
I think the new surface books are getting there and unlike the Macbooks they will function as a tablet when required too.craigjm said:
I think the new surface books are getting there and unlike the Macbooks they will function as a tablet when required too.
I've only seem them in pictures and not had a chance to play with one. Do they feel as solid\well built as the Macs IRL? That aluminium chassis on the Macbooks takes some beating in that regard.Guvernator said:
craigjm said:
I think the new surface books are getting there and unlike the Macbooks they will function as a tablet when required too.
I've only seem them in pictures and not had a chance to play with one. Do they feel as solid\well built as the Macs IRL? That aluminium chassis on the Macbooks takes some beating in that regard.
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