GAAB'er 201912

GAB’er Page: 1 December 11, 2019
THE GAB’ER
Newsletter of the Greater Albany AppleByters: December, 2019
GAAB is celebrating its 36th year (2019-2020).
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

7:00 PM at
Panera Bread
161 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY

A map can be found at the GAAB website at
http://applebyters.com/index.php/meeting-
information/meeting_map/
GAAB Meeting Agenda
Greetings and Dinner
Discussion: Topics presented by members and
News from Apple including Mac OS X and iOS UpdatesGAAB Help Desk:
Bring your questions
No Meeting in December2019 because of the Holidays
Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

16-inch MacBook Pro review: The keyboard is probably enough to

convince those waiting
By Mike Wuerthele and Malcolm Owen

Monday, November 18, 2019, 04:05 pm PT (07:05 pm ET)
Welcome to the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. While it looks quite familiar, Apple's new flagship
laptop moves the needle forward in a big way. We've spent the last several days taking the
new Pro for a spin and can say that Apple has dutifully listened to users' feedback this time
around. Let's talk about it.
Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro
We're not certain when Apple last issued four updates to the MacBook Pro within 18 months,
or to any laptop it has ever produced. But, here we are.
There are three main configurations of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, one with a 2.6GHz Intel
Core i7 processor, a 2.3GHz i9 model, and a 2.4GHz i9 configuration —effectively the same
options as the 15-inch MacBook Pro from earlier in 2019. Depending on model, there are
options for a AMD Radeon Pro 5300M or 5500M. For this review, we're examining the
2.4GHz 16-inch MacBook Pro, with 512GB of flash storage, 32GB of RAM, and the Radeon
Pro 5500M. The retail price on this configuration is $3,299.
16-inches instead of 15.4

This will matter to you a great deal, or it won't, and even before you started reading this, you
already knew if it mattered to you or not. In our eyes, there are more important aspects to the
16-inch MacBook Pro redesign than the screen, though.
What we will say, is if you are staring at a 15-inch MacBook Pro right next to the 16-inch
MacBook Pro you will notice a difference. The updated design looks better with slimmer
bezels and an ever-so-slightly elevated pixel density going from 220 to 226ppi. That likely
won't be a huge reason for users to upgrade though.
The slimmer bezels of the 16-inch MacBook Pro
Pros out there who are well-versed in the video space will appreciate one change to the
display though, which is the ability to specifically choose your refresh rate. Heading to
System Preferences, multiple options can be chosen from to best align with your work.
Keyboard
Keyboards are highly subjective. So highly subjective, in fact, that even if you like a
mechanical keyboard, there are dozens of different iterations, with different key feels because
assorted manufacturers believe that there is that much granularity in demand.
So, a little context is important. We're not giant fans of typing on glass, like the iPad. We
didn't have a problem with the butterfly keyboard that was introduced with the 2016 MacBook
Pro — but it wasn't a favorite of ours.
Inverted 'T' design for arrow keys

We get that the 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard design, and iterations, are polarizing. Where
the 2012 through 2015 design had the entire expression of keyboard like and hate, the 2016
through 2019 weighed more heavily on the "it'll do" to "this is terrible" range, with very, very
few folks in the "this is great" zone.
In regards to reliability, across the entire AppleInsider staff, exactly one unit had to be
replaced. We had the same failure rate with the 2012 through 2015 keyboard. And, the data
we've been collecting on the 2018 model and the mid-2019 refresh suggests that whatever
Apple did for reliability is working, with it having an equivalent failure rate in the first year to
the 2012 through 2015 design.
Beyond looking back, the key actuation on the 16-inch MacBook Pro is punctuated by a soft
click, most similar to the mid-2019 noise versus any other, if a bit quieter. Where the 2015
design noise was more from the key bottoming out the switch, if you press slowly, you can
feel where the click is on the new computer, before hitting the bottom of the chamber. Gone
is the clackety-clack of the original 2016 MacBook Pro keyboard, and you'll never mistake
this keyboard for a desktop mechanical model.
There's more sensory data on the keys in the video that accompanies this piece. But, here
are the numbers: the key travel on the 16-inch MacBook Pro keyboard is one millimeter. This
is in comparison to between 0.6 and 0.7 millimeters on the 2016-style keyboard, and between
1.2 and 1.5 millimeters on the 2012 through 2015 style.
Typing on the new MacBook Pro Magic Keyboard
In our testing, we had a baseline of 38 dBa of ambient noise measured with a Kanomax
model 4431 audiometer, with the test gear at head height and distance. Typing on the 2016
MacBook Pro with no other CPU load brought that up to about 43 dBa. The highest we could
manage on the 16-inch MacBook pro with a particularly angry bout of random key-mashing
was 41 dBa. Quieter indeed.
With that 2016 redesign, Apple made a big deal about key stability being an underpinning of
the design. In short, the new keyboard is more key travel than the 2016, but less than the
2012. Whatever Apple did for key stability in the 2016 was moved to the 16-inch MacBook
pro — and this is a good thing.

And, Apple tells us that individual keys can be replaced. We didn't get any information on
what this entails, but at this juncture, it still looks like a complete disassembly is required to
do so.
Touch Bar and Escape Key
The new keyboard on the 16-inch MacBook Pro has a physical escape key, and instead of
the Touch ID sensor being connected to the Touch Bar, it is in its own little well. Coders have
been clamoring for the former, and we think that Apple did the latter to ease repair, if that
sensor needs to be replaced.
In our use, a physical escape key makes little difference — but for coders, it's an entirely
different story. We've been told about times where things have gone completely awry, and
the virtual escape key on the Touch Bar doesn't work at all, forcing a hard reboot.
As a general rule, we like what the Touch Bar brings. After a lukewarm initial impression.
we've adopted it into our workflows. We're not going to say that everybody is going to like it,
but utilities like Better Touch Tool open up a frontier of customization options, and we
recommend it to anybody that has a Touch Bar and wants to use it beyond the Apple-
sanctioned or developer-mandated uses.
Testing the silicon
Apple did include the same CPU options as the mid-2019 predecessors but thanks to its new
internals, it is able to get slightly better performance out of the chips. When we compared the
16-inch base to the previous 15-inch base, we saw that single-core scores increased from
1061 to 1128 and multi-core scores increased from 5425 to 5641 on Geekbench 5.
In Cinebench R20, scores jumped as well from 2395 to 2623. This is due to the machine
being able to keep those cores cooler for longer.
Running the Browserbench.org Speedometer test that measures web app performance on

each machine, the new machine scored a 129 while the previous generation clocked in at a
126.8.
GPU
For the GPU, we turned once more to our usual Unigine Heaven benchmark. Running at full
screen, with tesselation and stereo turned off, at medium quality (our standard settings), the
new machine earned an average of 86.6 frames per second and a 2182 score. It maxed out
at an impressive 162.1 frames per second.
Unigine Heaven benchmark results for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro
Impressively, that beats the VEGA 20 graphics from the previous design which earned a total
score of 2072 and a max FPS of 147.4. It also won on average FPS over the previous 82.3.
Again, that is our base model compared to the previous high-end selection.
In another benchmark to test the performance of Metal, we ran the Geekbench 5 Compute
test. The new base machine managed a 21757 while the previous base garnered only a
13919.
Lastly, we performed an export test. Exporting the same 4K 24FPS Final Cut Pro X project
from both base units with the same settings. Final Cut was updated The previous generation
took 4 minutes and 15 seconds while the updated machine did the export in only 2 minutes
and 38 seconds.
Thermals
The 2018 15-inch i9 MacBook Pro was a very hot machine. While it still holds up, Apple has
improved the situation greatly with the 16-inch MacBook pro.
Eight cores are hot. The 5500M chipset is toasty, and the RAM is too.
In our use, when the 2018 i9 MacBook Pro was under load, the keyboard's metal surface
routinely hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit around the G, H, and J keys. That's still usable, but it is
very, very warm. On the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, that area is still the hotspot, but it hit a
maximum of 89 degrees while running under load.
There are still a large number of picky details to examine with the 16-inch MacBook Pro in
regards to the thermal environment. We'll be looking a lot more at varying work environments
including ambient temperature effects, and machine orientations as the weeks and months
wear on to see if they make any difference at all to performance.
But, we're not expecting to see much difference this time around.
In regards to the revamped cooling system. Apple says that the 16-inch MacBook Pro has
different fan blades and more surface area on all heat exchanging surfaces. This means that
the computer sounds different under load.
Strictly from a noise standpoint, in the same 38 dBA room, the 2016 MacBook Pro under
heavy load is about 45 dBa at the same range that we did the keyboard testing. The 16-inch
MacBook Pro hit a maximum of 44 dBa, with equivalent fan speeds to the 2016 model.
The MacBook Pro for the last seven years has sounded about the same. It's hard to describe
how it sounds now, but there's a lower pitch and a different warble to the fans now, likely
because of the new blade shape. You'll notice the difference if you're a long-time user, but it
isn't distracting, and you'll forget the old sound pretty quickly.
Using Final Cut Pro X on the new MacBook Pro
We've only just started testing and thermal performance. Our initial testing suggests that the
16-inch MacBook Pro can maintain a higher clock speed for longer — which isn't well-
reflected in benchmark testing to date.
The fans on the new MacBook Pro start to get audible in that 38 dBa office environment at
about 83 degrees Celsius processor temperature. Based on observation, they start to pick up
speed at about 75C — earlier than the 80C that the 2016 through 2019 MacBook Pro start to
ramp up. We'll be testing this more in the future.
The efficacy of this thermal redesign in regards to your own workflow will vary very much
depending on your individual workload. But, using a utility that turns off the boost feature on
the processor essentially guarantees a silent machine with next to no fan noise, at a cost of
taking about one and a half times longer to complete your job. We'll be talking about this in
the future too.
Flash speeds are still blistering
The drive is absolutely no slouch. Running the BlackMagic disk speed test after the machine
had been indexing for two days, we saw a write speed of 2890 megabytes per second, and a
read speed of 3150 megabytes per second on both a 512GB and 1TB model.
This is a bit faster than the i9 MacBook Pro from earlier in 2019, and about 350MB per
second faster than the 2018 MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage or more.
Battery life
Battery is improved on the 16-inch MacBook Pro
This time Apple baked in a new 100Wh battery that is necessary for the beefed-up internals.
That new battery doesn't just match the last model's performance, it extends it. While we
didn't have too much of a chance to surf the web for 11 hours on end, Apple says that is what
you can expect — which is one hour more than the 15-inch offered.
Speakers
We didn't expect much change when it came to speakers, but after trying them out we were
wowed.
Moving between listening to our above test playlist reserved for speakers and headphones as
well as Apple TV+ content with Dolby Atmos, it makes listening to content on a portable
machine far more enjoyable.

There are six speakers in the new MacBook Pro

Bass was substantial, but thanks to the dual force-canceling drivers, it doesn't cause the
machine to shake or feel uncomfortable at loud volumes.
The biggest note was how much larger and fuller the soundstage appeared as we listening to
content from one machine to the other.
Wi-Fi 6
Oddly, Apple has a few omissions with the pro machine. The FaceTime camera is still
capped at a meager 720p. But more frustrating, Apple has felt the need to hold back with
801.11ac Wi-Fi rather than jump to Wi-Fi 6 ax as we saw with the most recent iPhone launch.
Considering a Mac is intended to be a portable machine, the lack of the latest Wi-Fi tech is
frustrating. Users rightly expect to pick up a Mac and use it for several years and investing in
a new machine shouldn't be capped by previous standards. Especially one Apple has already
adopted en masse with millions of iPhones.
Wi-Fi 6 is still launching and there is only a smattering of ax routers on the market so looking
at today's landscape users aren't missing out, but they will when they have this machine in
two-three years and Wi-Fi 6 has been more widely adopted.
There will certainly be some iPhone 11 Pro users who will jump on board with Wi-Fi 6 early to
take advantage of it on their phones that will be left behind with the new MacBook Pro in that
regard.
Still four Thunderbolt 3
Apple has now redesigned the MacBook Pro, listening to pro users, and the HDMI port has
not returned. Thunderbolt 3 is staying. It's past time to come to terms and deal with it.

Still four Thunderbolt 3 ports
The USB-C physical connector on Thunderbolt 3 is not the end of the world, but it is an
adjustment for users, if you're coming from a 2015 or older MacBook Pro. Complaints that
there are multiple flavors of USB-C are correct, but this is more of an issue with cable
labeling than anything else. That adjustment is better made, than tolerated using half-baked
solutions.
We've said this before, many times: there is no special hardware required to connect a HDMI
or DVI monitor. Given that the Thunderbolt 3 protocol explicitly contains the HDMI protocol, a
cable will do, or a dongle if you prefer. There is no breakout box needed for USB-A
connectors, and a peripheral cable or dongle there can be had too, depending on what you
need.
Fortunately, since you have Thunderbolt 3, and not the other varieties of USB-C, cables are
cheap, and plentiful. You can get there from here, and it isn't expensive to do so.

16-inch MacBook Pro
Like we've been saying for nearly four years now, if you're hell-bent on sticking with your
existing cabling instead of adopting cables with a USB-C end is choosing from one of many a
Thunderbolt dock. Thunderbolt 3 docks start at $199 retail, and USB 3.2 type C ones can be
had for cheaper than that, if you don't need the full 40 gigabits per second that the faster
protocol allows.
In our testing, with a two-hour load on the MacBook Pro using both the CPU and GPU, an
87W Thunderbolt 3 dock or power adapter still drained the battery to the tune of about 4%
per hour. Under "normal" office use or similar work there was no drain at all.
If you have an older Thunderbolt dock from your 2012 or later Retina MacBook Pro, the $49
Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter will connect that unit to the new machine. It
won't supply power, but, fortunately, the 96W adapter that your machine came with will.
Furthermore, if you're considering an external GPU, many of the enclosures have USB-A and
Ethernet ports, in an accessory that costs not much more than a dock does. If all you need
are a few USB-A ports, get a USB 3.0 dock, along with a USB-C to USB-B cable for around
$8. Problem solved. Nothing that we've seen presently for eGPU enclosures provides 96W,
but that will likely be rectified very soon.
Regarding MagSafe, we've been testing USB-C for a very, very long time at this point, and
our results are unchanged. On a melamine, Corian, or finished wood desk surface, the force
required to pull out Apple's USB-C charging cable is about three-quarters of what it takes to
break a MagSafe 2 connection, when the cable is pulled from less than a 40-degree angle
from center on the horizontal plane, and less than 30 degrees from center on the vertical.
The 96W USB-C power adapter
And, the AC adapter also has a USB-C connector with the same disconnect force, so now
there are two rapid breakpoints in the case of an accident or inadvertent pull.

Apple's service numbers that we've collated bear out that the removal of official MagSafe
hasn't caused any notable increase in incidents. MagSafe's introduction in January 2006
halved accidental damage service calls by 2009. There was no change in those numbers for
MagSafe 2. But, in the three years since the MacBook Pro was released, there has been no
increase in the accidental damage rate from a reported cable snag at all.
With a 11-hour battery, we're not sure why you'd want to string a power cord along a transit
route anyway. If you're that concerned about it, buy a USB-PD battery and keep it next to
your computer.
If you're still not happy that MagSafe is gone, there are inexpensive options on Amazon.
The MacBook Pro is a workhorse, but is not a desktop
The MacBook Pro is not going to be the same maximum speed as the Mac Pro. It isn't even
going to top the iMac Pro in every regard. But, it is portable, and it is very, very fast.
If you're doing long runs of rendering or the like, the iMac Pro will work better for you. Despite
some social media posts to the contrary, the iMac Pro is in no way a portable machine. While
the new Mac Pro doesn't have those seemingly sharpened handles that the old-school Mac
Pro did, it isn't really portable either, even if you spring for the wheels.
As the last two i9 MacBook Pro were, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a solid machine, one that
is faster than literally every other MacBook Pro ever made, if not by a lot.
No matter how much of a Pro you are, not everything is a long processing job, constantly
slamming the processor. Even most editing tasks aren't constantly pushing your CPU and
GPU to the absolute limits. As we've said time and time again, considering your own workflow
in regards to what you do most of the time is crucial in making this decision.
Editing in the Final Cut Pro X on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro
If you're coming from a 2018 or earlier MacBook Pro, including the i9 2018 MacBook Pro, the
16-inch MacBook Pro with either flavor of i9 processor is unquestionably a great choice.
However, the real-world performance for nearly every task that you will do, minus those blue-
moon processor-crushing ones, the i9 performance isn't supremely higher than that of the i7
"baseline" model.
As with every other i9 MacBook Pro, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a lot of computer, with a lot
of power, for a lot of money. There are cheaper machines with the i9, dealing with many of
the same thermal constraints, running Windows.
How much is macOS worth to you? You can say all you want that there are cheaper
Windows options, and you'll be right. But, none of them bring macOS to the table.
As it was before, and as it remains, a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an i9 processor is the right
tool for macOS jobs that demand portability. It is not the ultimate solution to every macOS-
centric computing problem, and those people that need that solution probably already know
that they need to wait for the Mac Pro tower.
Score 4.5 out of 5
Save hundreds on the 16-inch MacBook Pro
Apple resellers are accepting orders for the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with a variety of
incentives. Expercom is knocking up to $438 off select new configurations with coupon code
appleinsider, while Adorama is taking up to $250 off retail models with promo code
APINSIDER (prices start at just $2,199 with code). Details can be found in this 16-inch
MacBook Pro deal roundup.
Meanwhile, at B&H, shoppers can save $100 on the retail systems and select between no
interest financing when paid in full within 12 months with the B&H Financing Card or a sales
tax refund in eligible states with its Payboo Credit Card. The latter can save many shoppers
anywhere from $200 to $500 on average.
Amazon is also offering instant discounts on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, matching B&H with
prices as low as $2,299.
Be sure to check out the AppleInsider 16-inch MacBook Pro Price Guide for the latest deals
and product availability on Apple's new hardware.
Topics:
Need a last minute gift? Grab these Apple gift ideas for delivery before
Christmas
By Roger Fingas
Monday, December 17, 2018, 10:59 am PT (01:59 pm ET)
Let's face it: it's easy to get distracted during the holidays, especially if you've got children or
travel to take care of. These are a few Apple-related products you can still order to ship in
time for Christmas.

iPad (2018
You may need to act especially quick on this one, but Amazon still expects to have some
configurations of Apple's latest "budget" iPad at your door by Christmas Eve. For most
people, it's better to get this than an iPad Pro — it currently starts at $249.99, and it's more
than sufficient for media consumption and some basic work tasks. You can also pair it with a
first-generation Apple Pencil for drawing, editing, and notes.
AirPod
AirPods ($159) are practically tailor-made for gift-giving. They're under $200, and guaranteed
to be popular with anyone who has an iPhone or Apple Watch. They're easy to pair and use,
and in fact will sync their pairing automatically with any device attached to the same Apple ID.
At press time, Verizon Wireless expects to ship AirPods by Dec. 20, but you'll want to select
next day shipping for $12.99 to receive them by Christmas.

MacBook Air (2018)
Okay, this probably isn't an impulse buy. Nevertheless you can get the base configuration of
the redesigned MacBook Air for $1,049 at B&H and have it shipped immediately. That gets
you a 1.6-gigahertz Core i5 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 128-gigabyte SSD.
Powerbeats3
For fitness fans, Apple's Powerbeats3 headphones are currently just $89.99. They're
sweatproof, and use earhooks to ensure they'll never fall out, even during sprints or hanging
crunches. They also have 12 hours of battery life, AirPods-style pairing with Apple devices,
and an inline remote that makes them easier to control during a workout or with non-Apple
hardware.
Amazon Echo (second-generation

Even with Apple and Google's best efforts, the Echo is still the reigning king of
smartspeakers. That's because Amazon had a headstart and now has the widest range of
skills and supported smarthome accessories. For a newcomer, we'd start with the second-
generation standard Echo. At the moment it's $69.99, and while its fidelity won't blow you
away, it still sounds good. If you want to go all-in you can get a $249.97 bundle with a second
speaker and the Echo Sub.
ecobee3 lite or ecobee4
Thought it might seem odd to buy someone a thermostat, the ecobee3 lite is temporarily only
$139, and can potentially save someone real cash through more efficient heating and
cooling. It also supports the big three smarthome platforms — Apple HomeKit, Amazon
Alexa, and Google Assistant — so you can control it with your voice and weave it into
complex automations. Picture closing the blinds and turning up the AC when the weather
breaks 90F, for example.
If you have a bigger budget, the ecobee4 is temporarily on discount to $199. It's largely
similar, but has an Alexa speaker built in, and comes with a external room sensor you can
use to ensure consistent temperatures.

LIFX A19
A smartbulb like the LIFX A19 ($47.99) is one of those gifts you can try almost immediately
and get a reaction. The main appeal, of course, is automated lighting in any color you can
think of. This particular bulb is equivalent to a 75-watt incandescent, and has its own Wi-Fi
connection, meaning your giftee doesn't need a dedicated hub. It works with HomeKit, Alexa,
and Google Assistant, and at the moment, you can even buy a four-pack for $156.76.
Tile Pro
People lose things, some of us more often than others. The Tile Pro ($34.99) can be attached
to keys, drones, or just about anything else you can think of, and located using your iPhone.
It has a 300-foot Bluetooth range, and should you stray further than that, the iPhone app will
remember the last known location. In a pinch you can turn on Community Find to rely on
tracking by other Tile owners.
UE Blast

We've mentioned other UE Bluetooth speakers in other gift guides, but if you want something
a little more unique, the Blast is down to $92.46 and features Alexa integration so a person
can control their home or music services like Spotify and TuneIn. It's IP67 waterproof, and
runs for 12 hours on a charge.
Apple Watch bands
A Southern Straps nylon band.
Any Watch owner you know will probably be delighted to get new bands. There's a wealth of
styles out there, so we won't suggest any one option —aside from Apple's, it's worth checking
out names like Monowear, Southern Straps, and Nomad. Do pay attention to how someone
uses their Wach though, since if they're a serious runner or gym-goer, it's better to choose
material like nylon or silicone over leather.

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GAB’er Page: 1 December 11, 2019

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

161 Washington Ave Ext, Albany, NY

No Meeting in December2019 because of the Holidays

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

16-inch MacBook Pro review: The keyboard is probably enough to

By Mike Wuerthele and Malcolm Owen

Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro

16-inches instead of 15.4

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

The slimmer bezels of the 16-inch MacBook Pro

Inverted 'T' design for arrow keys

Typing on the new MacBook Pro Magic Keyboard

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Touch Bar and Escape Key

Testing the silicon

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Using Final Cut Pro X on the new MacBook Pro

Flash speeds are still blistering

Battery is improved on the 16-inch MacBook Pro

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

There are six speakers in the new MacBook Pro

Still four Thunderbolt 3

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Still four Thunderbolt 3 ports

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

16-inch MacBook Pro

The 96W USB-C power adapter

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

The MacBook Pro is a workhorse, but is not a desktop

Score 4.5 out of 5

Save hundreds on the 16-inch MacBook Pro

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

MacBook Air (2018)

Amazon Echo (second-generation

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

ecobee3 lite or ecobee4

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

Apple Watch bands

A Southern Straps nylon band.

Contact GAAB at our Website: http://applebyters.com

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