YouTuber Dave Lee shared a video today that takes a look at four notable problems the MacBook Pro has seen since its redesign in 2016. He believes they could all be sorted out if Apple didn’t insist on making the notebook so thin. Is Apple prioritizing form over function? Should it make a thicker MacBook Pro?
After mentioning that the Touch Bar didn’t really catch on as a valuable tool, Lee notes the first major problem the MacBook Pro line has seen since 2016 is the keyboard. With the 2018 refresh, Apple added a membrane to help prevent debris from causing problems after it started a service/replacement program last June.
Second he brings up the display cable issues that we reported on back in January. Essentially Apple changed a display cable from a sturdier wire to a thin ribbon cable. The way it’s engineered, it’s not possible to replace the faulty cables, turning what should be a $6 repair into a $600 one.
Lastly, Lee notes that while Apple hasn’t used replacement/repairable components in its notebooks for some time, making them so thin means there’s no possibility to do so.
In addition to those major issues that Lee thinks a thicker MacBook Pro could solve, Apple could also offer much better battery life, a controversial subject particularly when the 2016 refresh was released. As shown in the concept image above, a thicker notebook would also mean more possibilities for I/O.
Of course, all of those hypothetical improvements would come at the price of a heavier and thicker machine.
What do you think? Is it time for Apple to offer a thicker MacBook Pro for a better balance of function and form? Or is the current design well balanced as is? Share your thoughts in the poll and comments below!
