Actually I was able to see the lowest spec 2018 MBP on BTB Greenhills. That was 3 weeks ago and that was it. Also the prices were a tad bit higher than that of the apple [ph] website
Welp, no new MBP "escape"... at least for now. It's likely coming out in Oct which means available to order in Nov and delivered in Dec. Can't wait as I'll need a new one soon so I am trying to decide which custom MBP touch-bar 13" to get: 2.3 GHz (base) quad-core with (upgraded) 16 GB RAM or... 2.7 GHz (upgraded) quad-core with (base) 8 GB RAM Don't wanna upgrade on both RAM and processor as that's too expensive for me and I don't really need it. I just need a little more power to future-proof myself as I don't upgrade frequently. I'd likely only be using it for office work – MS Office apps, "iWork" apps, browsers with webpages with a little more going on (dashboards and flash-like stuff). At home, Photos, iTunes and the occasional iMovie. So which of the 2? Also, any brick-mortar stores that cater to custom orders? I wanna get the cash discount and also avoid delivery and possible customs fees that come with ordering Apple stuff online.
choose the ram upgrade since the cpu clock speed does not matter much. more ram allows more apps to work simultaneously without lagging or allows memory hungry apps to work better. how i wish 16gb ram will be the default for future macbooks!
FYI: you can rest assured that if you buy directly from the Apple Philippines store online, the price you pay is all-inclusive, i.e. you won't have to pay anything else (e.g. delivery and customs fees) on top of that.
Should I buy the base model of the MacBook Pro w/o TB now or hold off a little bit longer? I've been waiting for a refresh since WWDC but no new products has been announced..
That's what i want too... except that it still has the old keyboard that reportedly has problems. I was expecting that variant to be updated... maybe in Oct (?).
It's unlikely that the the MBP and rMB will get an updated/improved keyboard anytime within the year, as if Apple has devised an improved butterfly mechanism, we would have known about it already. Note that Apple usually would apply for a patent for an invention (such as the butterfly mechanism) before they launch a product that uses it. The latest patent application related to that butterfly keyboard is this one they filed in the US last March 2018, which is the 3rd generation butterfly keyboard (i.e. the one with the "condom") that is used with the 2018 MacBook Pros they launched in July 2018, which was 4 mos. after. If Apple had invented a 4th gen. butterfly keyboard, they would have filed a patent application for that by now, and we would know about it a few months before the launch of the MBP/rMB that will have it. As for the 3rd-gen. butterfly keyboard, which came with the 2018 tbMBP, as pointed out by @Edelheid, it's still more or less as problematic as the previous ones, as the "condom" apparently doesn't provide adequate protection:
^ they should at least update the MacBook 12" and the MBP 13" non-touch bar this year to the updated keyboards this year... just like they did for the MBP touch bar versions. That's what I meant.
It is, however, unlikely that they’ll update the keyboards of the rMB and ntbMBP with the 3rd gen mechanism, given that it’s just as prone to failure as the previous one. Doing so will give them and their service centers worldwide an added logistical burden, as they’d have to further stock-up on 3rd gen replacement keyboards for such rMBs and ntbMBPs, in addition to the 2nd gen replacement keyboards for prior models. There’s therefore no compelling reason why they should update the keyboards of those Macs to the 3rd gen butterfly mechanism, and on the other hand, such will just give them more headaches. In one respect, the 3rd gen keyboard is worse than the previous ones as, one dust particles get in, it’s much harder to expel them because of the “condom”, while with the previous ones, occasionally you can still expel the dust using compressed air or by flipping your Mac and tapping that part of the lower case opposite the affected key. Apple will likely just update the MBP and rMB keyboards once they’ve come up with a 4th gen butterfly or a new mechanism altogether.
Would it be then advisable to purchase a keyboard protector to lessen the instances that dirt may creep in the keys? However that sets up another issue with the coating of the screen....
The one from Moshi is thin enough to not affect the screen. Been using one for months now without any issue. It’s pricy though, php1000+.
A keyboard protector can, to a considerable extent, reduce the chances of dust getting in. Of course, if you opt to use one, to reduce the chances of staingate, among other measures, it's best to: buy a sufficiently thin keyboard protector, as suggested by @Leeger; and avoid putting it inside a backpack or bag with books or other things that can exert much pressure on your Mac which can cause the screen to flex and press against the keyboard/keyboard protector which rubs on, and may eventually wear, the coating of the Retina screen. Using a keyboard protector is, of course, a matter of personal taste. Some are perfectly fine with it, although I personally don't use one, as I don't like the feel of typing on one. Better try it first to check if you're alright with it. If you like how it feels--buy one. (Note however that, while it can obviously minimize the chances of dust getting in, it cannot totally eliminate it altogether, given that dust can get in during that very brief period of time when you peel your keyboard protector off to clean it, or otherwise through any of the two exhaust vents underneath your MBP. Thus, if you're not much of a fan of keyboard protectors, one way of deciding whether to buy one is to consider whether putting-up with any "discomfort" of using it far outweighs how inconvenient it is for you if your MBP's keyboard failing (which can happen anytime, actually) and being without your MBP while it undergoes repair. My opinion here is, a keyboard protector becomes, arguably, a must-have once the 4-year warranty that Apple provides on the butterfly mechanism keyboard lapses; as by then, once a single speck of dust creeps in and jams a key--consider your Mac a goner--as you can expect a hefty repair cost (given that the entire top case, which is an assembly that includes the keyboard, batteries, touch bar and USB ports, would all have to be replaced), which is rather pointless shelling out, as you'd end up coughing out the same amount again as soon as another speck of dust gets in and trashes your keyboard. However, before your MBP turns 4 (i.e. while Apple's warranty for the keyboard subsists), I'd say it's just fine using it without a keyboard protector if in the country that you are based in, the average time it takes to place your keyboard is not too long as to significantly disrupt your work, and, preferably, you have a spare computer that you can use in the meantime. If that's your only computer, and you practically can't be without it for 3-5 days, it's arguably worth considering using a keyboard protector, as keyboard failure, which can occur anytime (my last one occurred a mere 3 mos. after the first replacement I got), might be damaging to you. In my case, though, I prefer to use it without a keyboard protector as it's still under warranty and because: I have two spare notebooks (a 2009 MBP and a Lenovo MIIX 320) that I can use during the period of time that my MBP's keyboard is being replaced. FYI, I had its keyboard replaced twice already (so this is the third keyboard of my Mac of 1 year and 8 mos.). There's minimal work disruption to me because my work files are synchronized between my two Macs through iCloud, and I am likewise able to access my iCloud files on my Lenovo; and I'm based in China where such repairs are completed in a comparatively short amount of time: a mere 3 days during the first time I had it done, and 5 working days (a total of 7 calendar days) during the second time.
For comparison, customers in the Philippines typically wait between 5 to 7 days for diagnostics alone. Combining the order of top case from Apple Singapore and actual repair procedure may take 10 days minimum taking up to a total of two weeks on average. To keep your expectations healthy, consider the possibility of waiting even up to three weeks before you get back your machine. It's unfortunate how the Apple repair program still require parts to be ordered and delivered instead of sending them in bulk knowing customers will be pouring in. Users get shafted.
Or probably after the warranty expires, to avoid the hefty price tag of the repair, buy an inexpensive bluetooth keyboard..
