MacBook sales down!

Second, when they do need replacement, most folks wait for the introduction of the 'latest and greatest' and we have been waiting for quite some time now. Intel was late with the latest 'Shylake' chip set and rumor has it the new MacBook Pro will have it AND hopefully faster RAM and faster SSD.

I think when Apple does a serious refresh on the MakBook, line sales will pick up.

Link below:

First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

RE: First off, if you use a MacBook..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 14:42:51
Mercman Audiophile Posts: 6581 Location: So. CA Joined: October 20, 2002	Yup, time to catch up with the competition.

RE: First off, if you use a MacBook..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 14:47:09

pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008

When my nephew wanted a laptop for school, i MADE him buy a macbook. Could have spent somewhat less on a windows machine which would have needed replacement much sooner AND regular infusions of the current Anti Everything software.

My nephew pretty much WORE IT OUT. I saw it last year and the frequently used keys were badly worn. He had no problems during its term of use. He is also not a computer nerd.

My iMac that I'm using now, is OVER 7 years old. I might double up on the RAM here zoon, to 8gb up from 4gb. That'll max it out.
Too much is never enough

"you know they don't require frequent replacement", posted on May 11, 2016 at 14:55:46
G Squared Audiophile Posts: 8487 Location: Washington, DC Metro Area Joined: November 16, 2004 Contributor Since: May 23, 2023	matches my experience with MacBooks. Gsquared

RE: First off, if you use a MacBook..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 16:53:07
Mercman Audiophile Posts: 6581 Location: So. CA Joined: October 20, 2002	Yes, I have a 2006 MacBook Pro that still works ( I use it at work to make appointments ) and a 2007 iMac that works great with El Capitan. Our 2009 and 2011 MacBook Pros work great as well.

So, as it turns out..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:01:12
Ivan303 Audiophile Posts: 48887 Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM Joined: February 26, 2001	Apple's problem is YOU! Time to upgrade. But wait until they release 'Skylake'. ;-) First they came for the dumb-asses And I did not speak out Because I was not a dumb-ass

RE: So, as it turns out..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:14:10

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

It's interesting to note that Apple will often update a product mid-life w/o fanfare or even a public announcement. Sometimes they will bundle more standard memory at the same price or larger capacity disk. MacBook Air 13" is a recent example of more standard memory. And just last month the ultra-thin MacBook was upgraded to Skylake (from Broadwell).

I'm waiting on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro refresh. In the meantime, my 4 year old daily driver MacBook Pro 13" chugs along flawlessly like the day I bought it.

RE: So, as it turns out..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:17:48
pictureguy Audiophile Posts: 22597 Location: SoCal Joined: October 19, 2008	2 kinds of user. The Bleeding Edge guy and the USER who doesn't upgrade every time somebody even whispers the word. Problem is one of compatibility at the extreme. JPG will be around for a while as will most of the audio formats. Just TRY to find a computer with a serial port! I NEED one for a legacy device and might end up on the reef. Too much is never enough

Not the least bit interested in the super-thin MacBook..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:25:56

Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

Skylake or no.

Skylake 13 inch Retina MacBook Pro with all the newest and fastest RAM and SSD, you bet!

Mid 2011 MacBook Air is still chugging along but as it was my first MacBook and I used it for travel mostly at first, I went bottom-of-the-line in speed and storage (1.7 GHz, 4GB memory, 128GB SSD).

Five years in it could use a new battery but other than that...

First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

RE: So, as it turns out..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:29:43
Mercman Audiophile Posts: 6581 Location: So. CA Joined: October 20, 2002	Apple's problem is lousy sales.

RE: Not the least bit interested in the super-thin MacBook..., posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:36:35

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

The quiet upgrade to Skylake in the MacBook was just an example. We also saw the rapid adoption of PCI based SSD (vs SATA) in Apple's laptop line which substantially increased disk performance, also w/o fanfare.

Me too, I'm waiting to see what they have in store for the MBA and MBP.

I'd rather be Apple than IBM these days. IBM has reported year-over-year revenue declines for 16 straight quarters, and its earnings are still declining.

RE: "Apple's problem is lousy sales.", posted on May 11, 2016 at 17:51:57

Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

Because their cheap-ass customers won't upgrade.

Same with the phone.

New iPhone 7 isn't even introduced yet and Asian supplier are talking about a 30% drop in parts orders.

"The report claims Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), one of Apple's primary chip suppliers, may ship up to 30% fewer chips in the second half of 2016 compared to the year-ago period."

And for the first time in nearly a decade I may not be upgrading my phone on a two-year basis this year.

My iPhone 6 is fine, thank you.

First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

Apple's Suppliers Projecting Weak Demand for iPhone 7 Due to

And when Apple customers finally do replace...., posted on May 11, 2016 at 18:40:44

Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

they are sophisticated enough to wait out Apple for the latest hardware.

As is happening now.

"Many prospective buyers are also hoping for a redesigned MacBook Pro featuring faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, which could be announced at WWDC next month."

Link below:

First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

Apple's Notebook Sales Drop to Estimated 2.5M as Buyers Awai

Try this USB to Serial adapter, posted on May 11, 2016 at 20:03:46

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

I've had great results with the Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-19HS USB to Serial Adapter. There are several brands on the market but this one has been very compatible and reliable - good drivers. I use it on my Mac under Mac OS and Windows to gain access to the service processor on Sun servers and Cisco switches. These devices use an RJ45 style connector for the serial connection so I also get the "Cisco Serial Cable". You can search on both items at Amazon.

And the Cisco RJ45 Serial Cable for those devices that use an RJ45 style serial port

Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-19HS USB Serial Adapter

RE: Try this USB to Serial adapter, posted on May 11, 2016 at 22:15:20
pictureguy Audiophile Posts: 22597 Location: SoCal Joined: October 19, 2008	My 'legacy' device is the old school 9-pin. It is a Garmin GPS BEFORE they went to USB. I have ALL the GARMIN maps for the Western US in TOPO format (USCGS COPIES?) and need to put some on my now ancient GPS. Too much is never enough

RE: Not Macbooks but..., posted on May 12, 2016 at 01:42:07
b.l.zeebub Audiophile Posts: 9361 Location: 52deg 28'N,1deg56'W Joined: April 17, 2006	i got my first Apple computer in '96 and I replaced that one with the one I am currently using in '06. That 10 years of use for each. The only thing that broke in 20 years is one hard drive. Never had a virus except on the Windows partition I used for 6 months.

Typing this now on a late 2010 Macbook Air, posted on May 12, 2016 at 15:30:45

Dave_K

MBA 11, late 2010, 1.6 GHZ Core 2 Due ULV, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD

Like you, I got mine for traveling. I was spending 1/4 time away in the UK in stints up to 2 months and wanted a personal laptop to put in my bag.

It still runs perfectly fine and I use it every day at home. I've got a Windows Boot Camp partition on it, I've had Linux VMs on it, I've done some light gaming on it. The only performance limit I've really hit is video transcoding which is slow as molasses. Fortunately I have a fast desktop at home for that. Otherwise, the old MBA is perfectly usable as a primary computer in 2016.

If they release a new MBA with a retina display, I'm in. The Macbook is too limited in connectivity and the keyboard isn't so great. The MBA hit the sweet spot between thinness and functionality.

RE: MacBook sales down!, posted on May 12, 2016 at 15:48:58

Dave_K

I agree that part of the reason for slow sales is that they aren't competitive. But the other reason is that processing and storage requirements for typical everyday computing tasks aren't growing as fast as they used to.

I have a late 2010 MacBook Air, my wife has a 2010 Sony VAIO F, and my father has a 2010 Sony VAIO Y. The MBA and VAIO Y have Core 2 Duo ULVs with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD. They are all still perfectly suitable for everyday computing in 2016.

Are there any sales that are up?!? :P nt, posted on May 12, 2016 at 16:41:27
Presto Audiophile Posts: 5957 Location: Canada Joined: November 10, 2004	nt

RE: Typing this now on a late 2010 Macbook Air, posted on May 12, 2016 at 17:14:53

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

I'm waiting for a MBA refresh too. I have a mid 2011 MBA 11-inch 1.6GHz dual-Core i5 with 4GB RAM, originally 128GB SSD but I upgraded with third-party 240GB SSD from OWC a few years back. It's a great little laptop for travel which is I what I use it for, mainly email and work related web apps.

The MBA is not quite robust enough as my daily driver. For that, I'm using a mid 2012 MacBook Pro 13" (non-retina) 2.5GHz dual-Core i5 with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. I run various VMs including Solaris 10, Solaris 11, Oracle Linux, Ubuntu, Windows 7, Windows 10. It's on my desk and tied to a 23" LCD, bluetooth keyboard & mouse most of the time.

A 13-inch MBA would be nice but I'm waiting to see what Apple has in store next.

RE: MacBook sales down! Why is this, posted on May 12, 2016 at 22:03:11
fmak Audiophile Posts: 13158 Location: Kent Joined: June 1, 2002	of interest wrt computer audio?

RE: MacBook sales down! Why is this, posted on May 13, 2016 at 06:33:49
AbeCollins Audiophile Posts: 46291 Location: USA Joined: June 22, 2001 Contributor Since: February 2, 2002	of interest wrt computer audio? At least several dozen people here use Macs for computer audio so there's always interest in how Apple's product line is doing. Are you practicing to become a moderator? Keep practicing.

Get used to it...., posted on May 13, 2016 at 06:53:08

Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001

Latest Apple Rumors are that the soon-to-be-released MacBook Pros will be equipped with USB-C ports as the only USB option.

This will accomplish two things:

1) It will give the 'Apple Haters' an additional reason to claim that Apple products are NOT suitable for audio.

2) It will provide an additional market for new 'audiophile' cables and adapters.

Cant wait!

First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

RE: Get used to it...., posted on May 13, 2016 at 08:46:42

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

Last year when Apple was first to introduce USB-C on their ultra thin MacBook, many haters were in an uproar accusing Apple of going with a "proprietary" connector. They didn't understand that Apple worked with Intel and several other companies to help create this new "standard" called USB-C. It is NOT "proprietary"!! ;-)

Yes, the high-end audio cable makers will rejoice! More new stuff to sell.

RE: MacBook sales down! Why is this, posted on May 13, 2016 at 21:56:44
fmak Audiophile Posts: 13158 Location: Kent Joined: June 1, 2002	posts like this are off the rail and have no relevance to computer audio and a computer's performance thereof.

RE: MacBook sales down! Why is this, posted on May 14, 2016 at 07:32:39

AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46291
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
Since: February 2, 2002

Go complain to a moderator or get your own moderator badge. Quit harassing the inmates!

It seems that you're under impression that this is actually an AUDIO forum., posted on May 16, 2016 at 10:53:24

Beef Guinness Cutie Pie
Audiophile

Posts: 136
Joined: December 29, 2011

From what I've seen, that impression is wrong, despite the name of the forum trying to hint otherwise.

This place, in fact, is more like a club, where people, who have nothing better to do, gather to blather about all sorts of things, including those related to audio. Considering the demographics, I would even go as far as suggesting likeness to a common area / entertainment room in an adult (55+) community - may be not quite Assisted Living community yet.

If you look at it that way - why not decline in sales of Apple gear? Topic no worse that supposed growth of Kim Kardashian's butt, I would suggest.

RE: Try this USB to Serial adapter, posted on July 17, 2016 at 21:25:51
pictureguy Audiophile Posts: 22597 Location: SoCal Joined: October 19, 2008	Tried a USB / SERIAL convertor with NO luck. Its been a couple months and I took my test piece BACK. I don't know if it was a MAC issue or what, but No Joy. Or maybe it was something to do with a GPS maybe 1st or 2nd generation handheld. New GPS which is 'native' USB actually works as intended. Too much is never enough

Computer Audio Asylum

MacBook sales down!

99.174.245.126