512 Pixels

Federico Vitcci has rounded up a lot of information about the T1 chip that drives the Touch Bar in the new MacBook Pro. Ars Technica’s Andrew Cunningham has more.

Wild stuff.

Today’s Apple event focused on the MacBook Pro. The company shipped three new models: a 13-inch with standard Function keys, a 13-inch with the new-fangled Touch Bar, and a 15-inch with the Touch Bar:

They are faster, thinner and lighter than before. The only I/O beyond a headphone jack is a set of Thunderbolt 3 ports. These ports also carry USB-C, USB 3, Thunderbolt 2, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort and more. MagSafe, SD card slots, USB ports, HDMI and Thunderbolt 2 are gone.

Be prepared for dongles.

These new systems look great. I’m intrigued by the Touch Bar. It has the potential to deeply change how users interact with macOS, and it seems to be very well done.

Likewise, Thunderbolt 3 is the future. It is amazingly flexible, and I think the power it offers will be worth the temporary trouble.

(For what it’s worth, I ordered the $1499, no-touch 13-inch MacBook Pro. I recently picked up a refurbished 27-inch 5K iMac, and couldn’t justify spending more money on a notebook that won’t see every day use. Plus, having one machine with this and one without seemed like a real recipe for disaster.)

The notebook line is pretty confusing right now. There are several machines — ahem, MacBook Air — that seem to exist to hit a price point. I understand and respect that, but I am already dreading offering buying advice over the next year.

But there’s a bigger problem. Apple may have fixed what was wrong with its notebook line, but the Mac is still broken. Just look at the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide:

Desktop Macs didn’t get a single mention, or a silent hardware update after the announcements were done. While last-minute rumors claimed that the iMac wouldn’t be ready in time, it — and the Mac mini — would have been well-served with CPU bumps and Thunderbolt 3. The 27-inch iMac has become a workhorse for professionals like me, and in a world where the Mac Pro is in the shape its in, annual updates should be a must on Apple’s part.

The Mac mini is perhaps even sadder. The last time Apple updated it, the quad-core model went away, and the company made it impossible to upgrade things like RAM later. Seeing a Skylake Mac mini would sure make a lot of people feel better about the future of Apple’s smallest desktop.

Then there’s the Mac Pro. Not sure I need to say anything that this GIF can’t say for me:

The Retina Cinema Display didn’t make an appearance either. Apple instead has teamed up with LG to create the 5K UltraFine Display:

Priced at $1,299.95, the 27-inch 5K LG UltraFine Display features a 5120 x 2880 resolution and P3 wide color gamut. It uses multi-stream transport so it’s powered by a single Thunderbolt 3 cable, which can also charge the MacBook Pro at the same time with up to 85W of power delivery.

Three downstream USB-C ports are built into the back of the display to power additional devices and accessories, and it includes built-in stereo speakers, a camera, and a microphone. The 5K display is only compatible with the new MacBook Pro, as it requires a Thunderbolt 3 connection.

That sure sounds like a Cinema Display to me. My guess is Apple is out of the display business.

This all has left me with very mixed feelings after today’s event. The new MacBook Pros look awesome, and even though I’m not jumping into Touch Bar heaven this time around, I expect the technology will do well. And I’d love to have the option to buy a first-party screen.

However, Apple left a lot of work undone. Most of the Mac line is in as big of a mess as it was yesterday. Desktop users really have only one decent choice — the iMac — and now it is behind the MacBook Pro.

Maybe Apple has decided that the desktop game isn’t worth large investments. That would make me — and a lot of other Mac users — pretty sad. Not everyone wants a MacBook Pro and an external display.

This week on Connected:

Hello again. The Connected trio have just wrapped up watching Apple’s Mac event and are here to talk about the news and share some first impressions.

This was a lot of fun.

My thanks to our sponsor:

• TextExpander, from Smile: Communicate smarter with TextExpander.

From the new macOS Human Interface Guidelines:

By default, the right side of the Touch Bar displays an expandable Control Strip that includes controls for performing system-level tasks such as invoking Siri, adjusting the brightness of the main display, and changing the volume level. Previously, users accessed most of these controls with a top row of physical function keys. You can implement app-specific controls in the app region to the left of the Control Strip. An Esc (Escape) button or other system-provided button may appear to the left of the app region, depending on context.

Control Strip!

It’s like my YouTube channel, but way more high-dollar.

There’s a lot to process from today’s event, but right off the bat, I’ve been struck by how many SKUs of notebooks Apple is now selling. This doesn’t include any custom-built machines.

Model:Price:13-inch MacBook Air$99913-inch MacBook Air$119912-inch MacBook$129912-inch MacBook$159913-inch “Classic” MacBook Pro$129913-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports$149913-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID$179913-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID$199915-inch “Classic” MacBook Pro$199915-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID$239915-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID$2799

The “Classic” MacBook Pros are the MacBook Pro with Retina display models that were on sale this morning before the event. They have stuck around to hit price points that the new Touch Bar machine can’t.

I think price is why the 13-inch Air has survived as well. While that $1499 13-inch MacBook Pro with no Touch Bar and just two ports is an attempt to bridge the gap, there’s no denying these new machines are pricey.

Now, what to order…

Several of us are chatting on Talkshow, and Connected will be live at 4:30 PM Eastern today.

Republicans and Democrats have you down this election cycle? Why not consider a non-human candidate?

I joined Mark Bramhill for a bonus episode of his excellent podcast, Welcome to Macintosh:

Apple recently released macOS Sierra, the latest version of the Mac operating system. It had new features in it, but one of the most notable changes was something it left out — the X, the Roman numeral 10, from the name. It’s a small, unimportant change, but it’s kind of the end of an era.

In 2004, Apple introduced a very curious accessory for its music player: iPod Socks.

This week on Liftoff, Jason and I draft our favorite robotic spacecraft, after pouring one out for Schiaparelli.

My thanks to our sponsor this week:

• HelpSpot: The most comprehensive and flexible help desk software around. Get 10% off with the code LIFTOFF.

I’m helping the Six Colors team with Apple financial coverage today. Come hang out. From July to September, the company posted revenue of $46.9 billion with a quarterly net profit of $9 billion. Apple sold 9.3 million iPads, 45.5 million iPhones, and 4.8 million Macs during the quarter.

It also made a record $6.3 million in services. 9.3 million iPads is a record low for the tablet.

The company is issuing another cash dividend:

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.57 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on November 10, 2016 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 7, 2016.

2016 marks the company’s first annual revenue decline since 2001. Annual revenue has fallen from $233.7 billion in 2015 to $217 billion in the 2016 fiscal year.

Ok. Here are some charts:

Q4 2016 Revenue

Q4 2016 Services Revenue

iPhone Units Sold

iPad Units Sold

Mac Units Sold