The surprise update of Apple's MacBook Pro further stresses its relationship with the pros



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My boy, there are people who are angry. One might think that Apple's finally giving a little bit of love to its MacBook Pro line-up would give professionals a little respite from power, but no.

Here is a brief overview if you do not obsessively scan technical blogs: Apple updated its MacBook Pro line yesterday. They did it quietly, without a big event.

CNET: 2018 MacBook Pro packs a lot more power into its 15-inch frame

And, they did it – in the opinion of this columnist at least – in a deaf-mute, we do not really care about user needs.

You see, there is a cadence for this kind of thing. Most. Usually. Apple is holding a big event in the fall where it is updating its iPhones and other things. Sometimes Apple holds a big event in the spring, where he updates other things. Then, early in the summer, Apple is holding its WWDC, its big developer conference, where product intros are a complete joker.

From time to time, out of season, Apple updates its products. It can be a processor bump here, or … well … it's mostly a processor bump.

Apple rarely brings a significant improvement to a product shortly after a product event.

This is important especially for Macs. For professional-level Mac buyers, who are incredibly expensive, this pace is essential. The last thing everyone wants to do is to settle for a Mac at a high price and throw up, then discover that there is a new one, one that you would have really preferred, which has been introduced just a little later

8 June. On July 12, exactly 35 days later, Apple introduced an updated MacBook Pro, a MacBook Pro capable of supporting 32GB of RAM, instead of the 16GB hardest to reach. Many pros have been waiting, literally for years.

The developer Tony Pitman expresses it well: "I've specifically been waiting for the developer conference [to buy a new Mac] because it's usually when they announce a new Mac, is not it? it not? "

Because Apple does not pre-bid products, pro developers like Tony (and me) have to rely on experience to predict when it will be time to buy new equipment After a hardware developer conference, when it is disappointing that there is a long cold desert of new pro level products, it's the moment we break down and we are content with what is offered.

this turn, no? they were going, especially with something like doubling the maximum RAM capacity, opening the i9 processors and going up to 6 cores , they would have announced to their developers, whose would have acclaimed this particular development.

But no. No ads Instead, 35 days later – after smart shoppers waited long enough to be sure, really, really sure that the new Mac was dry, Apple dropped a major update

. Why not announce it at the developer conference? "

Also: All you need to know about the purchase of Apple's 2018 MacBook Pro

I can not give you an official answer, but I have a pretty good idea, I guess these machines were ready for the WWDC, but not the supply chain, I guess they were not sure if they could send them by volume, so they resisted the announcement.

Tony (and others who need to plan their purchases according to Apple's pace pattern) is upset.In his case, he would definitely have preferred the i9 plus powerful with 32GB of RAM, but Apple will not let it return its 28-day old MacBook Pro.

Here's what sucks Apple allows 14 days to return the products Tony has been to his Apple Store, called Apple, and pleaded his case. "Because Apple has announced new products two weeks after its 14-day return window, it's st stuck with its brand new old-fashioned MacBook Pro.

I think Apple's approach is wrong here

The new high-end MacBook Pro is specifically a development and pro machine. Admittedly, professionals are no longer the first market of Apple (no more than the Mac)

But it is the professionals who are the main influencers, the developers of applications and the people who showcase Apple products. They felt abandoned and generally unloved by Apple since the iPhone became Apple's main cash cow.

Now, obviously, any company has the right to introduce products at any time. But Apple is not a business. It's one of the richest in the world, and it has achieved this popularity not only through its products, but thanks to what professional developers and press professionals have produced using these products.

So, what should Apple have done? What should Apple do?

Ideally, Apple would have planned these new machines at WWDC. It's possible that they were just not sure that the supply chain would succeed, but, again, they were comfortable pre-announcing some sort of new Mac Pro before that it is not available.

Perhaps, for whatever reason, it was just not feasible. As a former product manager, I know you never really know if your product will be launched until it really does.

Apple could, and should, honor the returns of MacBook Pros for all those who bought them on June 4th (the first day of the WWDC). Heck, it would be even ok if Apple needs a visit to the Apple Store and has provided customers the opportunity to come back only if they buy a newer and beefier model.

We estimate that Apple sells about 1.2 million portable Macs per month. Of all these Macs, only 15% use professional level applications at least once a week. With regard to Mac sales, Apple has probably sold about 180,000 MacBook Pros to the pros since WWDC.

On one side, one could say that it would be far too expensive for Apple to consume 180,000 machines, but think about it. First of all, only a very small percentage would be like Tony, having spent a lot of money, but wanting even more capacity.

These buyers actually want to spend more money with Apple. Tony calls everywhere, trying to get Apple to give him his Mac 28 days, so that he can give them even more money.

While Apple had trouble moving the volume needle, there is no doubt that they took a month 's returns, recovered their investment in the renovation market or in second-hand sales.

There is absolutely no doubt that they would make sure that business users feel respected and treated well.

Occasionally, Apple will say that it cares about professional users and developers. He will give a mouth service to this influential audience. But the company's actions belie these words. The actions of the company indicate something else, perhaps a profound lack of respect for the needs of professionals, or at least a focus on business needs.

There are reasons to stay with Macs at the professional level. Some software that can increase workflow productivity is only available on Macs. But if Apple continues to take for granted the patronage of professionals, there will be a time when it will be too much: too much hassle, too much cost, too much chain and, yes, too much disrespect

I speak with Apple executives, they do not show disrespect for the professionals. They talk regularly, with pride, about the amazing projects that their professional users are producing. But they do not seem to understand (or even want) how the relationship with Apple has become stressful for the pros.

Also: Why the Mac you know does not have a future

In a sense, there is nothing new about it. In our ZDNet roundtable, did Apple abandon Mac business users ?, developer Oliver Breidenbach talked about how Apple's strange relationships with its power client have been strained for decades. Still, Apple continues to be successful, and yes, most professionals also continue to succeed.

This is simply not a healthy relationship. And it's just sad. It does not have to be this way.

Oh, heck. Who am I joking? The pros who need these things will suck it up and buy it, no matter what happens. I guess Apple needs to know that. Me? I still think of a hackintosh. Stay tuned.


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