New mac book pros:not good

Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
They failed to get Consumer Report's recommendation due to very poor battery life performance of only a few hours. The crown is definetly slipping.
 

NEWRIGEL

Active Member
They failed to get Consumer Report's recommendation due to very poor battery life performance of only a few hours. The crown is definetly slipping.
Plug it in... do you use your laptops battery for 12 hours during a session? No one does! I'm not backing Apple's position here, just putting things into perspective.... just plug it in unless you're an environmental sampling engineer, but even then any laptop will give you minimal time for any serious work using it's battery.


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Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
Obviously you can plug it in but I don't think that is the point.

The report that I read indicated that not only does the battery performance vary significantly in all three tested brand new machines from only a few hours to 10-14 or so but it was so inconsistent that they decided to report the minimum so as not to mislead consumers.

The CR perspective is always comparative explicitly or implicitly, to like devices , so the new MPB battery performance is atypical for a mac and against its competitors.

My 2012 mbp i7 with upgraded ram and 2 ssd's (I installed myself) is bullet proof, guess I will be hanging on to it for a while :)
 

NEWRIGEL

Active Member
Obviously you can plug it in but I don't think that is the point.

The report that I read indicated that not only does the battery performance vary significantly in all three tested brand new machines from only a few hours to 10-14 or so but it was so inconsistent that they decided to report the minimum so as not to mislead consumers.

The CR perspective is always comparative explicitly or implicitly, to like devices , so the new MPB battery performance is atypical for a mac and against its competitors.

My 2012 mbp i7 with upgraded ram and 2 ssd's (I installed myself) is bullet proof, guess I will be hanging on to it for a while :)
But I'm sure you plug it in while doing serious work right?
YES.
Batteries loose their capacity over time anyway... I don't know, I only use my MB when I'm out and about and I still just plug it in regardless of anything I've read from CR or any place else. The new machines are better all the way around especially for graphics people who need the better display.
You have to put all these things into account on power consumption and nothing is going to give you the tech without a tax somewhere so I just plug it in when doing anything mission critical.
To each is own.
People driving Ferraris don't bitch about the gas they consume.
Performance costs!


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Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
People buy laptops for mobility and these are brand new units. If the first charge is 12-14 hours and the 2nd is 4 hours, a drop of that magnitude has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with poor design and or execution.

As long as the consumer knows then they can take an informed decision, but it seems like apple largely missed an opportunity to significantly improve that actual performance of the new mbp with more ram and faster more powerful cpu.

These aren't significantly better than my 4 year old mbp.
 

NEWRIGEL

Active Member
People buy laptops for mobility and these are brand new units. If the first charge is 12-14 hours and the 2nd is 4 hours, a drop of that magnitude has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with poor design and or execution.

As long as the consumer knows then they can take an informed decision, but it seems like apple largely missed an opportunity to significantly improve that actual performance of the new mbp with more ram and faster more powerful cpu.

These aren't significantly better than my 4 year old mbp.
Are you field recording on your MB that there isn't a power source? Even then there's D.C. Converters for autos.
Your going to have to charge it eventually whether it's an hour earlier or not.
All battery life specs are subjective to what your doing... if your running a DAW you're better off just plugging in!
 
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Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
Are you field recording on your MB that there isn't a power source? Even then there's D.C. Converters for autos.
Your going to have to charge it eventually whether it's an hour earlier or not.
All battery life specs are subjective to what your doing... if your running a DAW you're better off just plugging in!
No one is arguing that the laptop can be plugged in.

The point is what length of battery charge should be expected of a lap top of this quality/expense ? Consumer reports obviously thought the new MBP performance inadequate so no recommendation.

I was not discussing workflows/work arounds.
 

Gerk

Venerated Member
Are you field recording on your MB that there isn't a power source? Even then there's D.C. Converters for autos.
Your going to have to charge it eventually whether it's an hour earlier or not.
All battery life specs are subjective to what your doing... if your running a DAW you're better off just plugging in!
You're digging pretty hard to get there and defend a flawed design. You're not really Tim Cook, are you? ;)

There are more than battery issues with these new MBPs. They definitely need to work out some glitches with them. And the touch bar, while interesting, is kind of "out there", at least IMHO.
 

Don Schenk

Administrator
Forum Admin
Moderator
I think Kcatt's point is, Apple's quality control on the Macs is slipping. That seems to be Consumer Reports' point.

My wife, who does not use audio software on her Mac (rMBP, 13-inch with an i5 CPU) always uses the battery for power. She expects it to have good battery life. In contrast, I almost always use my Mac (rMBP, 15.5 inch, with an i7 CPU) plugged into power. For audio use, I have disabled all of its power-saving features.

John and Janie Q Public expect good battery life from a new Mac so they can use the Mac in a meeting, in the classroom, in Starbucks, on the couch at home, all on battery power.

Newrigel is right in that folks doing pro audio (or video), shouldn't expect to use their Macs running on battery power, but we are a tiny minority among Mac users.

:- Don
 

Jedanor

Active Member
Not sure why everyone is jumping on the "bashing Apple" bandwagon. I see this everywhere, and I get it. The thing is, with any given laptop or tablet, etc., I bet I can kill the battery much faster depending on the program(s) I'm running. While I don't like the direction Cook is taking the company, I still get work and music done on all my Apple systems, every single day. The integration is still top tier for my work.

I suffered on the windows platform for years. I can't tell you how many times I had to reformat / rebuild my Dad's machine or my kid's machines due to component failure or viruses. Aside from a dead video card, all my Apple systems are still running to this day. I know Cook is behind the 8 ball on the technology. The fact is, in this techno world, everyone eventually catches up by playing off the other. But, I can tell you this, and I know Mac's now get malware too....but....since I switched in 2006, I've never had that problem. I told everyone I was going Apple and they were on their own with their windows machines...and never looked back. My productivity at work went up. My business became better integrated. Everything really did "just work". And yes, the first 11 years of my business was on PC's, and the problems were enormous and every other OS dating back to Win3.1 was a POS. I hated dealing with the registry. It was all too much. Going Mac meant more $$$, but it paid off in longevity.

I avoid Windows like the plague and only run emulated Win7 when absolutely necessary inside my Mac. I'm dabbling in Linux and like the feel. I guess the bottom line is, most systems these days are so powerful compared to my first crappy Apple IIC (which I programmed a lunar lander on during undergrad physics so it wasn't THAT crappy), that I don't worry about a compromise in performance too much. I do worry about peripherals and integration, but at this point, I'm fine with what I have for both recording and work for the next 5 years. I know Windows improved and I think Win7 was a stellar achievement. I just hate the company and the products / integration I suffered using for so many years, that they lost my business. Win OS = $150 bucks or more, give or take and typically is/was a piece of crap. Mac OS = Free.

I'm with NEWRIGEL on this, I plug in my laptop. I have an older mac laptop (2011) and it still gives me all the horsepower I need. I use it for both work and scientific calculations. Does it bog down when I run a 100,000 ray calc in EASE with 8 different sound sources on a model with 1200 faces? YEP, but I can kill ANY laptop battery damn quick doing that. I doubt I'll get the new MacbookPros, but I have read that many people love the touch bar integration. I wish them all the best and hope it serves their needs. I know, you can't write on the screen on a Mac. Personally, I like writing on my iPad and despise that the screen is literally covered with fingerprints after limited use.

So...to each his own and YMMV. Does it really matter? If you don't like someone's product, don't use it or buy it. The truth is, we need all these companies to thrive so the technology progresses. Would it be a better scenario if Apple collapses and our choices are limited? I don't think so, but the Apple bashers would probably love it, at least initially. I could bash Microsoft all day...seriously....if I sat here and wrote a list...it would be extreme. Yet, if I had to, I could make do easy with any platform. I prefer Mac. I like the feel. They don't crash on me and rarely have I had to do an OS reinstall. With Jobs gone, I may have a different perspective over the next 5 years. Honestly, it's all personal choice.

For the record, love my iPad and can kill that battery too a lot quicker using some apps versus others. And one last thing, and I'll shut up. Interestingly enough, I had two noise control jobs I did a few years back, one in a battery plant and one in an outdoor motor plant. In both cases, the foreman's laughed because at the motor plant he said all the old timers always bicker on who has the better motor, Johnson or Evinrude? He showed me where they were manufacturing the exact same motors, sending them to two parts of his plant, painting them different colors with different decals, and sending them off to be put on boats for guys to sit around and boast on which was better. Same with the batteries. The manufacturer was making them for several different manufacturers and shipping them off with different packaging, yet they were the same battery. You can believe me or not, I saw it. Again, YMMV.

Cheers and Merry Xmas... And Kcat...don't take offense to any of this, you are aces in my book and invaluable on these forums. We all have opinions and mine came after four cups of coffee. I get everyone's frustration with Apple and I sure wish Steve Cook was 1/2 the leader Steve Jobs was.

Jed
 

Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
No probs dude not bashing just stating facts. I am honestly disappointed in the new mbp and was expecting a good performance jump that's all. It a very good laptop just not much different than the older ones that's all. I get that the battery is not the end of the world but I think the concerns that peeps have raised about the quality shift at apple with the trashcan ( MAtt H here has had 3 ?) and now this battery problem. Apples were pretty bullet proof in the past so I just think the crown has slipped a little :)
 

DanButsu

Administrator
Forum Admin
Moderator
Apple is declining Pro Tools is dying :cry:
 

mwd

Active Member
There's a difference between being acceptable and being an innovator. For the things I do Apple has been tanking since Snow Leopard.
 

Don Schenk

Administrator
Forum Admin
Moderator
...Interestingly enough, I had two noise control jobs I did a few years back, one in a battery plant and one in an outdoor motor plant. In both cases, the foreman's laughed because at the motor plant he said all the old timers always bicker on who has the better motor, Johnson or Evinrude? He showed me where they were manufacturing the exact same motors, sending them to two parts of his plant, painting them different colors with different decals, and sending them off to be put on boats for guys to sit around and boast on which was better. Same with the batteries. The manufacturer was making them for several different manufacturers and shipping them off with different packaging, yet they were the same battery. You can believe me or not, I saw it. Again, YMMV.
Jed
Not all that surprising. A friend worked for a local home appliance retailer. When a shipment of new water heaters came it, his employer had him put new warranty stickers on them. They were all the same water heater, but the price changed with the length of the warranty.

Another friend, who is now retired from the science/research department at a leading soap and beauty products manufacturer, revealed that several of their beauty products contain the same ingredients, but are priced differently depending upon the reputation of the brand names - how they are perceived by customers.

Mennen Talc and Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder are the same product except for bottle and price point. They are mined at the same talc mine, shipped in the same train cars, processed and given the same fragrance, and even bottled at the same plant. Then the bottles are shipped to each company.

Me? I'm happy in both the Windows world and the Mac world. Perfection could be either WinIntosh or Macindows. Resurrect Steve Jobs, and have him do a Vulcan Mind Meld with Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Well okay - and with Tim Cook.

:- Don
 
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Jedanor

Active Member
No probs dude not bashing just stating facts. I am honestly disappointed in the new mbp and was expecting a good performance jump that's all. It a very good laptop just not much different than the older ones that's all. I get that the battery is not the end of the world but I think the concerns that peeps have raised about the quality shift at apple with the trashcan ( MAtt H here has had 3 ?) and now this battery problem. Apples were pretty bullet proof in the past so I just think the crown has slipped a little :)
I know Kcatt. That's why I said, I was loaded on coffee. One man's facts are another's opinion. I think my irritation carried over from another post on here a few weeks ago which was relentless. No harm, no foul, and I hold your advice and opinions in high regard.

Incidentally, I have a trashcan that is on 24/7 and it is problem free and I bought it used on Ebay. I've never heard of the trashcan problems. I'm sure the quality of Apple product offerings will continue to diminish because Jobs is dead. He was a narcissist and perfectionist, but genius at what he was good at. I think Steve Cook likes the role, but he is no Steve Jobs and is as inspiring as an enema. I "get" that people are disappointed. Truthfully, I never look to laptops for recording, so my rant was more general from the trends/complaints I'm seeing everywhere. My real point is, if Apple goes away, I think it will be a bad thing for end users, even with other products that are hitting the market daily. Hopefully Cook will get wind of all the concerns and put out a product that is cutting edge and up to par with today's processors and technology. I can't remember which member it was, but I'm sure his Hackintosh is faster than my trashcan. More reliable? I'm not sure. I have buddies that only record in Windows or use PCs, and I'm cool with that. I never have liked the windows OS. It's all a matter of taste.

With all that said, I'm sure the battery for normal use is still probably sufficient. I've never had a laptop battery that lasted very long with how I abuse computers. I seriously abuse them with everything from EASE, to CAD, to MATLAB, to (insert processor intensive program here).

I feel your concerns though. I have been irritated that Steve Cook is focusing more on iPads, iPhones and maybe an iCar / Virtual Reality, rather than keeping the root of what made Apple in check, and that is personal computing. I still like all their software and the price point on most apps. (Hey the camera on my iPhone 7 is awesome....rolls eyes.)

Since I'm still efficient and pulling in money with their systems, I'll stay where I'm at for now. Trust me, if they get to the point they totally suck, I'll be looking more and more into Linux based machines. I have a Linux server and it is rock solid.

Funny story about the talc. I found it funny that the duracells and eveready were the same battery. I'm sure people will bicker that duracells last longer....o_O.

These are my two longest posts on this forum ever (7th cup so far). I have a few days off from a 24/7 job so I'm happy I'm getting to shoot the (s&*t) with people I consider friends.

I got a new Jazzmaster under the tree, so as soon as Christmas comes, you guys probably won't see me until after NY!

Jed
 

Kcatthedog

Hall of Fame Member
:) MAtt H here bought a trashcan and I believe it has either failed twice of three times: just not the cheese-grater war horse of old ?
 
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