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The new MBP, this sums it up

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
The relationship between the different Surface versions is particularly interesting. They all run the same operating system (Windows 10, which means they can all run Adobe CC, although some of them slowly), they all have touch screens, they can all be used as tablets, they all have "standard" USB contacts, they all have SD card or Micro SD readers, and the cheapest range can even use the same charger as most mobile phones (standard USB charger).

The most important reason why I haven't bought an iPad is that it can't replace my Mac for basic work when I travel light, simply because I can neither connect peripherals like an external disk or card reader without extra gear (that would negate the advantage of travelling light anyway) nor load the software I use for editing. An iPad is a convenient device, but there's a lack of commonality between the different Apple devices that is very surprising. Going 20 years back, the ease of exchanging data between different Apple computers was one of the features that made them great. Nowadays, this seems to be something that is actively prevented by Apple, not only between different styles of devices, but now also between different generations of devices within the same family.

Many of the reasons why I started using a Mac are simply not there anymore.
 
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Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I have one in hand now. Lots of hot air out there over it, I guess folks don't like change. Anyway very nice machine and the Touch Bar is quite interesting in its own way. But until our processing and work programs use it , it's just a nice feature. I have to get into its setup on how to use it more. It's a very fast computer for what we do . Great reads and writes that helps in processing.


Overpriced, well it is not cheap . If I did not get a discount and with tax it's just shy of 3900.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
BTW there is a Fn button at the very bottom left on the keyboard . Hit that and your function keys show up in Touch Pad. Tried it in Photoshop and works fine like normal. You have to hold the Fn button though but works on my wireless keyboard as well.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
My mid-2009 MBP is still chugging along although it did require battery replacement a few years back and I upgraded the HDD to a 1TB SSD unit. The new MBP looks great and it would be a great Christmas present but I'm up in the air about buying one or getting the next iMac.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to eat my words. I bought a Surface Book and while it is very nice in many ways, it cannot even open my 4k pro res files, and is laggy even with h.264. I thought it was just a codec issue, but it does not really work with VLC or in Resolve either. Since so much of my stuff is pro res, I guess I am pretty much stuck with the macbook pro. I still do not like the new one, and I am debating sourcing an old one with the upgraded video card. The good news is that I bought the surface book in the States and brought it back with me to Iceland, where it is still not readily available and much more expensive anyway, so I should be able to at least get my money back out of it...
 

bab

Active member
Unfortunately, it looks like I will have to eat my words. I bought a Surface Book and while it is very nice in many ways, it cannot even open my 4k pro res files, and is laggy even with h.264. I thought it was just a codec issue, but it does not really work with VLC or in Resolve either. Since so much of my stuff is pro res, I guess I am pretty much stuck with the macbook pro. I still do not like the new one, and I am debating sourcing an old one with the upgraded video card. The good news is that I bought the surface book in the States and brought it back with me to Iceland, where it is still not readily available and much more expensive anyway, so I should be able to at least get my money back out of it...
Stuart

I read somewhere the new mac release next year will be a much better improvement when the later upgraded chip manufacturing is ready to ship (seems that's part of the reason apple is holding back on new technology) rumor has it. I tested it out in the store and after files opened it seems to run slower when fooling around with the images. For my money it looks as if the IMAC is the only viable work horse and Ill keep my 2014 macbook pro for now.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Thanks bab,
I still have a 2013 Mac Pro at the studio, and while it is not new anymore, it still is more than fast enough for my video work, even on 4k. I don't do much very complicated edits, nor am I editing at production scale, so as long as the renders are reasonable and it is not laggy to work with in real time, I am ok. That said, for when I am not at the studio, it is nice to have a mobile computer...I often go to the countryside for a week or more at a time to photograph, and it is nice to have some way to at least view and sort the images and videos while I am in the field or abroad. I will stick with my 4 year old model for the time being at least, as I will likely not get back to the States again until summer, and the computers are so much cheaper there. The new Macbook Pro I would want costs 5,270 dollars in Iceland, it is "only" 3500 in the US. The difference more than covers the cost of the flight, even on business class!
 

rickgrainger

New member
Well, I pulled the trigger on a new 15" MacBook Pro. Maxed out the processor and the graphics card; one TB SSD. My 2010 iMac is just tired and needs to retire.
Dongles don't bother me much since even a 2015 MBP would require Thunderbolt adapters for my Firewire800 based stuff anyway.
We'll see how it goes. I'd rather get a little something rather than give it ALL to Uncle Sam.
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Lot of whining about this MBP , not here but Mac Rumors and I got to say my top end 15 runs like a dream. Really liking it. Torture test next week with it. About 15 thousands Raws I have to process and upload. See how it holds up but i have been very happy so far. CR is not very accurate in their testing, sorry.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
The type C connection is really fast.

Mine is doing a great job and being quite lightweight is a pleasure carry around traveling! :thumbup:
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Lot of whining about this MBP , ....
Here's some more whining for you:
The day before yesterday, I visited a customer for what I thought was a pre-installation briefing of a product they have bought. The meeting took place in a little town in The Philippines, three hours by plane and another three hours by car from our office. To my surprise, the customer had 8 people coming to the meeting and they expected a full product presentation with photos and videos. In the end, we spent 5 hours together.

The meeting was a success, and some of the reasons for the success were that:

- I could connect my MacBook to the HDMI cable that was plugged into the TV in the meeting room.
- There were photos and videos available on two 2TB external disks that I always carry when travelling.
- I could copy material to their USB thumb drives for later use by them (no outsider access to their WiFi for security reasons).

This could also have been done with the new MBP if I added:

- 2 x USB C to old USB 3 converters, or only one converter if I threw away my one year old and perfectly good disks and replaced them with new one at a cost of a few hundred dollars.
- 1 x USB to HDMI converter.
- American style plugs for the charger that I have already bought for the charger for my current MBP, but that I assume won't fit with the new charger (or maybe they will... who knows?). Assorted standards would be needed, and travel converters don't always cut it because they are to bulky etc.

To start with, buying and carrying all the extra parts represent extra costs and a logistic challenges that neither I nor other travellers want. Secondly, HDMI and "old" USB are industrial standards that won't go away overnight, particularly not HDMI. While I see thousands of happy MacBook users on airports everywhere who seem to feel very cool clicking away on their state-of-the-art Appletops, I'm sure that they wouldn't feel nearly as cool when they come to a meeting and 8 or 10 people have to flock around a 13" screen because the wonder device can't be connected to the gear in the meeting room.

Progress is fine, and I'm sure USB-C is great progress that we'll all adapt to eventually (the new GH5 features full size USB-C and full size HDMI to take an example), but throwing out an established industrial standard overnight will only annoy people, particularly when it would have been perfectly possible to equip the new computer with old USB, USB-C, mag safe and HDMI. That is exactly what Apple used to do when the alternatives were USB/Thunderbolt and USB/Firewire.

Applied technology is cool when it's not annoying and only then. If I'd had a shiny new MBP at the meeting referred to above, chances are that I'd feel very annoyed and not very cool. It's also unprofessional, and that is not something I intend to become. Apple will have to change or go.
 
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Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well I just did a big show in LA. First and foremost I shot 14 thousand images all RAW all processed in C1 and it ran like a racehorse with not one glitch. Secondly I put all 14k on IPhoto which on my old 2013 took forever to load in. This unit took a few minutes and I was running in a ballroom with huge 16:9 screens that where absolutely outstanding on screen through HDMI apple connector which is 49 dollars has HDMI one USB -c and one USB a connector. Absolutely ran in perfection doing PowerPoint, keynote and all I could throw at . Now projectors count and I had some of the bes at my disposal but I'm also on 12x20 foot screens or thereabouts. I only needed 2 other cables a TB2 to USB-c for my Apple TB me monitor and a USB a hub with Ethernet which I also uploaded 14k on smugmug. I use a faster SD card reader for my Lexar 2000 cards which I would use on any box with or without a built in SD card reader. Now all this about adapters and cables I'm sorry to say is all bullshit. You have to carry these cables anyway. So if you can't spend a extra 50 bucks and can't throw a few extras in your bag than you have a serious issue. Your getting paid to work. There are no excuses if your getting paid. Sorry I don't buy any of this crap. It was a huge success for me and it ran fast as heck and never one issue. Believe me I was pushing it as hard as you can. It laughed at me , said give me more. LOL

Also one of the PC computers blew up in the production booth we where completely down for 15 minutes in front of 2 thousand people in the ballroom. I went out bought a brand new 13 inch MBP TB for the company so we can throw out all PC out of the production booth. All the crew supporting our show all had macs. Next day we ran 3 huge competitions with the 13 inch runnng all the contestants photos and worked perfectly. I'm sorry when it works than that's all that counts. So now my wife's company has a 13 inch to run shows and I use mine to run part of the show and process all the images. Pcs will never see that production booth again never ever in a million years as long as I'm part owner.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Here's some more whining for you:
...
This could also have been done with the new MBP if I added:

- 2 x USB C to old USB 3 converters, or only one converter if I threw away my one year old and perfectly good disks and replaced them with new one at a cost of a few hundred dollars.
- 1 x USB to HDMI converter.
- American style plugs for the charger that I have already bought for the charger for my current MBP, but that I assume won't fit with the new charger (or maybe they will... who knows?). Assorted standards would be needed, and travel converters don't always cut it because they are to bulky etc.

To start with, buying and carrying all the extra parts represent extra costs and a logistic challenges that neither I nor other travellers want. ...
Yup, more whining.

All those parts amount to 100g worth of equipment that will fit in any case you carry your laptop or camera in already, and costs less than $50. If you can't manage that, I don't know how you manage carrying your camera and all of its various require bits and pieces. :confused:

I have a little case that I toss in my bag whenever I go to a presentation. It currently contains and HDMI cable, adapters for Lightning to HDMI, Thunderbolt to HDMI, various display outputs to SVGA adapters, SD card reader, Lightning SD card adapter, extra Lighting to USB cables, USB to USB-C cables, Firewire 400 to 800, Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt, US to UK, Euro, and Swiss power adapters, two extra chargers for Mac and iDevices, and an RF remote pointer. That little bag is 4x6x1.5 inches and slides neatly into any carry sack, laptop bag, or camera bag I've ever owned.

I've been carrying the same little bag with different assortments of these bits (as technologies came and went) for the past 25 years because I could be called upon at any time to do a presentation, whether for my work or for my photography... or both. These are necessary tools for presentation. If you can't manage to think ahead to what you might need for your presentation, or to carry the tools you need with your presentation equipment, you're not acting professionally.

G
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Yup, more whining.

All those parts amount to 100g worth of equipment that will fit in any case you carry your laptop or camera in already, and costs less than $50. If you can't manage that, I don't know how you manage carrying your camera and all of its various require bits and pieces. :confused:

I have a little case that I toss in my bag whenever I go to a presentation. It currently contains and HDMI cable, adapters for Lightning to HDMI, Thunderbolt to HDMI, various display outputs to SVGA adapters, SD card reader, Lightning SD card adapter, extra Lighting to USB cables, USB to USB-C cables, Firewire 400 to 800, Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt, US to UK, Euro, and Swiss power adapters, two extra chargers for Mac and iDevices, and an RF remote pointer. That little bag is 4x6x1.5 inches and slides neatly into any carry sack, laptop bag, or camera bag I've ever owned.

I've been carrying the same little bag with different assortments of these bits (as technologies came and went) for the past 25 years because I could be called upon at any time to do a presentation, whether for my work or for my photography... or both. These are necessary tools for presentation. If you can't manage to think ahead to what you might need for your presentation, or to carry the tools you need with your presentation equipment, you're not acting professionally.

G
It's not about the price of the adapters and not about weight, it's about using equipment that are built to industry standards, and that will work with those standards with a minimum of fuzz. Apple has chosen to replace industry standard interfaces with something that will probably be the standard in the future (which they also said Thunderbolt would be and Firewire and SCSI, but none of those caught on outside the Apple universe). I travel to 4-5 countries on a regular basis and quite a few others occasionally. Adapters for mains plugs already represent a hassle, and although they mostly work properly, there are often situations where they represent a problem due to size or lack of reliability.

Having a bag full of adapters means one possible problem for each adapter. It's fine if you travel to places where adapters can easily be replaced, but even in Bangkok, USB-C adapters are difficult to find. At smaller places in Asia you can mostly forget about it. Apple stores around here sell what most people buy; the latest budget models of the most popular devices and iPhone covers in pink or gold. If you are lucky, the girl behind the counter knows how to use other applications than FB and Line, but don't count on it. An Apple device is something people here buy to show that they can afford it. They are already lining up for the iPhone 9 or 10 or whatever.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/gad...b-c-accessories-in-bangkok#.WHD2xenTakk.gmail
 
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