[drewprops]

Loaner machines would be made with removable chips.


...

[kieran]

I just got the email notice that the repair has been done. Didn't even ship out of the Fifth Avenue store until Sunday, got looked out today, and has apparently been shipped back out tonight with delivery by the end of the day tomorrow.

No details on what they fixed or replaced, but at least I'll get it back tomorrow. Only without it for five days, which isn't the worst since part of that was the weekend.

[turtle]

Sooo.... did you get it yet? Any details on what was done? I'm assuming they replace the logic board since there isn't much else to do to it.

[psmith2.0]

The "good" thing, I suppose, is you got your trouble out of the way early. Anything beyond this is ruckus-raising time. Hopefully this was your one, and only, problem.

[kieran]

Sorry to keep you all in suspense. It got delivered early today, but I wasn't able to get to it until a short time ago.

They replaced the logic board and the TouchID sensor. Guessing that was just because of the logic board replacement.

Seems to be going ok now, but just restoring everything to it now. I really like this notebook, so I'm glad to have it back pretty quickly.

I'm hoping this is the one and only thing that gives me a problem with this. Really not looking for a repeat of my iMac having 3 screen replacements in 9 months before being replaced.

[turtle]

Wait a minute... You don't live your life to answer our questions? I'm offended.

Glad it was a quick turnaround. I think you're right on the TouchID sensor given it's part of the Secure Enclave thing. I have to admit, I'd like to try out an M1 system for myself but I can't justify getting one at all right now.

[kieran]

Well, sure, I definitely bought the new MBP just to tell everyone here about tit. There was no other reason at all...

I like this computer a lot, but in all honestly, if you didn't know it was a different chip, you really wouldn't know it was new with regular usage, besides the battery life. The battery life on these things is amazing. I'm not doing anything CPU intensive, so the biggest gains are in battery life.

I'm tempted to try some of the encoding that I'm doing in iFlicks on my iMac on the MBP just to see what the difference looks like.

[psmith2.0]

You should. That would be a pretty cut-and-dry comparison that you'd be able to notice (or not notice) a difference on.

[turtle]

You really should. Though really iFlicks needs to be M1 native if it isn't for a real world difference. Still be curious how well it handles it compared to the iMac.

[Frank777]

Maybe the second round of Apple Silicon updates will finally bring us the mythical 8K iMac?

[chucker]

Seems odd to me that they'd go 6K on their very-high-end display and then 8K on a Mac? Unless, that is, they want to go Retina 3x like on some newer iPhones. A 3x 27-inch iMac would be 7680x4800, which is close enough to 8K that they might call it that. (I suspect they don't want to introduce some weird ppi in between.)

But that also seems like a "just because we can" thing to do. With the iPhones, they went 3x in part because OLED really doesn't have the same kind of subpixel resolution.

[kscherer]

I don't suspect an 8k iMac any time soon. If anything, they would go 6k so it matches the resolution of the XDR. And that would likely mean a 30" iMac.

And 2 screen sizes have been the norm for so many years I can barely remember the last time that there was only one (early 2002?).

For giggles, I just measured a 21.5" iMac and it is almost exactly 24" from bottom left of the black bezel to the curved upper right. If that was a tiny bit larger, and the curve diameter a tiny bit smaller, then a 24" iMac would fit neatly into something about the same size as the current 21.5". So, it seams fitting that the rumored 24" iMac is a replacement for the current 21.5" form factor. And that leaves a lot of room for the 27" to grow in both size and resolution. So, a 30" display could make a lot of sense, considering it wouldn't be any larger physically than the current 27.

A 24" 5k and a 30" 6k thus make very good sense, at least aesthetically.

But, my inner hunches tend toward the current screen sizes within new, iPad Pro-like bezels.

I'm drooling a lot, because that smaller screen size is my next Mac.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer I don't suspect an 8k iMac any time soon. If anything, they would go 6k so it matches the resolution of the XDR. And that would likely mean a 30" iMac.

32, even, but yeah, exactly.

There were rumors of a 24-inch model, so going from 20/27 to 24/32 and logical resolutions 2048x1152/2560x1600 to 2288x1287/3008x1692 (~218ppi on the smaller, from ~224 to ~216 on the bigger model) makes sense to me. I guess this is driven by a lot of customers feeling "20? 27? I really kind of want something in between". 24-inch displays have become fairly common, whereas 27-inch is just within reach, but 32 feels fairly high-end, so now Apple can push 24 as the new default.

Plus, there's the likely bezel reduction and all.

Originally Posted by kscherer And 2 screen sizes have been the norm for so many years I can barely remember the last time that there was only one (early 2002?).

Well, yeah, before the iMac G4 was introduced in Jan 2002, there was only the 15-inch. The G4 first shipped as 15- and 17-inch models; then eventually, they added a third 20-inch size in late 2003! (The 15-inch G4 was… 4:3. How weird, from today's perspective. Then again, most/all? iPads are 4:3…)

Originally Posted by kscherer For giggles, I just measured a 21.5" iMac and it is almost exactly 24" from bottom left of the black bezel to the curved upper right. If that was a tiny bit larger, and the curve diameter a tiny bit smaller, then a 24" iMac would fit neatly into something about the same size as the current 21.5". So, it seams fitting that the rumored 24" iMac is a replacement for the current 21.5" form factor. And that leaves a lot of room for the 27" to grow in both size and resolution. So, a 30" display could make a lot of sense, considering it wouldn't be any larger physically than the current 27.

Yeah, though… people should be careful what they wish for. Smaller bezels could mean worse (or, not better) webcams.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker Yeah, though… people should be careful what they wish for. Smaller bezels could mean worse (or, not better) webcams.

Not sure I buy that. The current iPads Pro have significantly better "webcams" than any Mac.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer Not sure I buy that. The current iPads Pro have significantly better "webcams" than any Mac.

Yes. But they're also significantly thicker!

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker Yes. But they're also significantly thicker!

They are? We are talking about iMacs, right?

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer They are? We are talking about iMacs, right?

Yeah, well, the 2012-and-beyond iMac is tapered (a design change that, IMO, can be summarized as "unforced error" — I just don't see how the you'll-virtually-never-notice aesthetic difference outweighs the drawbacks?), and the area where the webcam resides is rather thin.

The iMac Pro seems to have a better webcam in (mostly?) the same enclosure, so I suppose they can improve it. But I suspect there's also a drive to make it even thinner (though perhaps not any more, post-Ive?).

[psmith2.0]

Speaking of the iMac, here's the latest on that front.

The new ‌iMac‌ models will feature slimmed down bezels around the screen, and the metal chin will be removed in favor of a design that's similar to the Pro Display XDR monitor that Apple released in 2019. Rather than a curved rear design, the iMacs will feature a flat back, which is also a design that we're expecting to see with the upcoming MacBook Pro models, and prior rumors have described this as "iPad Pro design language." There will be two versions to replace the existing 21.5 and 27-inch models, and prior rumors have suggested that one of these models will measure in at 23 to 24 inches.

The pic/mockup accompanying the article is interesting. Just looks like a display without the "chin" and all.

While I'm at it, there's also word that Apple is developing two Mac Pro desktops, with the current larger one staying on Intel(?) while a smaller version (less than half the size of the other) would be M1-based and remind folks of the G4 Cube.



And there's also *whew* talk of a new, lower cost display being worked on as well, more of a consumer-oriented one to replace the Thunderbolt Display they discontinued in 2016.

Looks like 2021 might be a cool year to be a Mac user. New, redesigned...everything.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by chucker Seems odd to me that they'd go 6K on their very-high-end display and then 8K on a Mac? Unless, that is, they want to go Retina 3x like on some newer iPhones. A 3x 27-inch iMac would be 7680x4800, which is close enough to 8K that they might call it that. (I suspect they don't want to introduce some weird ppi in between.)

I hate it when you people apply logic to my dreams.

That does make complete sense. Really, chasing 8K for video editing is only worth it if the screen is actually 10K right?
Because you need room for Final Cut's toolbars and such.

Makes you think it will be a very long wait for 8k content for those fancy TVs promoted at CES.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Looks like 2021 might be a cool year to be a Mac user. New, redesigned...everything.

Just read an article at MacRumors that says that Magsafe will return to Mac portables and the TouchBar is history.

It's like Christmas all over again.

[drewprops]

Come and join us in the MacBoob thread!


...

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Frank777 I hate it when you people apply logic to my dreams.

I didn’t mean to pop a bubble; I just like to overanalyze.

Originally Posted by Frank777 That does make complete sense. Really, chasing 8K for video editing is only worth it if the screen is actually 10K right? Because you need room for Final Cut's toolbars and such. Makes you think it will be a very long wait for 8k content for those fancy TVs promoted at CES.

Right, except for using 8k footage for cropping.

But I don’t see 8k being very useful in home theater setups (the TV has to be fairly large to benefit from 4K, even), and between streaming and the pandemic, it seems theaters have had their heyday in the past.

[PB PM]

Yes, unless you are getting one of those new 77” screens or larger, I don’t see much point in going for more than 4K. I’m still satisfied with 1080p for Blu-ray movie watching and steaming, the only reason to upgrade to 4K would be if I wanted an HDR panel.

I shoot 4k video on my cameras, but downsample it all to 1440p or 1080p for final use. Hides some of the noise in low light video, which is nice.

[Frank777]

If there is to be a late March event, the [virtual] invites will probably go out late this week.

To be honest, I've been surprised the Apple Silicon rollout has been this slow. I know 2022 is the official transition date, but I figured Apple would be well ahead of the curve, as they were last time. Releasing the first wave last fall and then absolutely nothing at all through winter isn't what I'd anticipated.

[kscherer]

Last time, Apple had Intel chips already developed. This time, Apple is developing their own, so a bit slower is to be expected.

In fairness, though, Apple have already complete half of their Mac lineup.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Frank777 If there is to be a late March event, the [virtual] invites will probably go out late this week. To be honest, I've been surprised the Apple Silicon rollout has been this slow. I know 2022 is the official transition date, but I figured Apple would be well ahead of the curve, as they were last time. Releasing the first wave last fall and then absolutely nothing at all through winter isn't what I'd anticipated.

The supply shortage of chips is a real thing, slowing everything from computers, car, and soon gadgets of many types. Apple might order the M1 silicon directly from TSMC, but a lot of other parts still come from other manufactures. It's also normal for reduced supply of parts following shutdowns in China for Chinese new years.

[kscherer]

Yeah, chip shortage is a real problem right now. And I think it's going to get worse before it gets better.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by kscherer Yeah, chip shortage is a real problem right now. And I think it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Yeah, I guess we've got a year or 18 months before the pandemic stops being a factor in supply chains.

Tech is in a bit of a state right now. Apple Silicon's a bright spot, but Intel seems to have lost their way. The new game consoles haven't lit the world on fire. SSDs are just not scaling upward in capacity and lower in price the way HDDs did. TVs will stay at 4K for awhile, seeing as 8K in computer setups are still rare.

Looking forward to seeing what the M1X brings to the tech party, hopefully soon.

[kscherer]

Whatever happens in the next few months, the M1X is going to crush everything Intel can think of doing in the consumer space. The future looks good for the Mac.

And at this point I think it is going to look even better within the next 3 months.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Frank777 Yeah, I guess we've got a year or 18 months before the pandemic stops being a factor in supply chains. Tech is in a bit of a state right now. Apple Silicon's a bright spot, but Intel seems to have lost their way. The new game consoles haven't lit the world on fire. SSDs are just not scaling upward in capacity and lower in price the way HDDs did. TVs will stay at 4K for awhile, seeing as 8K in computer setups are still rare. Looking forward to seeing what the M1X brings to the tech party, hopefully soon.

SSD prices are definatly a disappointment for sure. I was expecting to see $100 2TB drives by now, even if it was only QLC nand for bigger data storage drives, but that just isn't happening. QLC nand is no cheaper than TLC, so there is no reason to get one. Just ordered my first new HDD since 2016, since large SSD prices are still insane. To be honest I doubt SSD prices are going to get any cheaper than they are now, die shrinks and lower endurance don't seem to matter anymore, after the manufactures move to 3D TLC price just hit the wall. Guess the companies like the profit margins too much to budge.

Originally Posted by kscherer Whatever happens in the next few months, the M1X is going to crush everything Intel can think of doing in the consumer space. The future looks good for the Mac. And at this point I think it is going to look even better within the next 3 months.

Did you see Intel's new ads that use the "Mac" guy from the old Mac vs PC ads? Intel must be really butt hurt to be pulling this BS.