Apple |OT|

jenya · Nov 27, 2019

Has anyone used the Keyboard Service Program for MacBooks? I have a 13'″ MBP 2017 and it's "covered" until 2023. Do they actually bother to replace the key/s or just simply give you a new model? I'm wondering because I had some problems with iPhones in the past and I always got a replacement device (they were more expensive than my current MBP lol)

TheRaidenPT · Nov 27, 2019

jenya said:
Has anyone used the Keyboard Service Program for MacBooks? I have a 13'″ MBP 2017 and it's "covered" until 2023. Do they actually bother to replace the key/s or just simply give you a new model? I'm wondering because I had some problems with iPhones in the past and I always got a replacement device (they were more expensive than my current MBP lol)

They replaced the whole top case where the keyboard is.. That means new battery! I also did it on a 13" 2017 Touch Bar.

TheRaidenPT · Nov 27, 2019

Alright, ordered the base 16".. It didn't make any sense for me to upgrade any of the things because the base model.. Is a hell of a machine already! I didn't upgrade the SSD because I already own a Samsung T5 external hard drive (500gb)

Getting it Tuesday.

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

TheRaidenPT said:
Alright, ordered the base 16".. It didn't make any sense for me to upgrade any of the things because the base model.. Is a hell of a machine already! I didn't upgrade the SSD because I already own a Samsung T5 external hard drive (500gb)

Getting it Tuesday.

Went for the base model as well and i'm super happy with it.

The speakers are really one of the main improvements of this thing (apart from the Keyboard and the GPU in the base model ofc.)
They're crazy high quality.

Semi happy with my dongle - while it's exactly what i wanted, ergonomically, it sometimes has audible coil whine when the machine's drawing a lot of power.

Also, battery life is great - yesterday i was doing Trophy cleanup for Jedi - Fallen Order and using the Laptop for looking up collectible guides and youtube videos, 5 hours of usage only made the battery drop down to 60%. So we're looking at 10+ hours of battery life under light use.

TheRaidenPT · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
Went for the base model as well and i'm super happy with it.

The speakers are really one of the main improvements of this thing (apart from the Keyboard and the GPU in the base model ofc.)
They're crazy high quality.

Semi happy with my dongle - while it's exactly what i wanted, ergonomically, it sometimes has audible coil whine when the machine's drawing a lot of power.

Also, battery life is great - yesterday i was doing Trophy cleanup for Jedi - Fallen Order and using the Laptop for looking up collectible guides and youtube videos, 5 hours of usage only made the battery drop down to 60%. So we're looking at 10+ hours of battery life under light use.

Thanks for the information, that's what I'm also gonna do at the office! Got the dongle and gonna have it connected to dual 1080p displays to put my VMs up there.

Have you tried any virtualisation with Parallels yet? Glad to hear the 10 hours stick true, I do very light usage on holidays and this is amazing to hear.

Also not sure yet but is 85W enough to drive this too 100% fully charged up while under load?

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

TheRaidenPT said:
Thanks for the information, that's what I'm also gonna do at the office! Got the dongle and gonna have it connected to dual 1080p displays to put my VMs up there.

Have you tried any virtualisation with Parallels yet? Glad to hear the 10 hours stick true, I do very light usage on holidays and this is amazing to hear.

Also not sure yet but is 85W enough to drive this too 100% fully charged up while under load?

I would strongly assume so. I think they only upgraded the 85W chargers to 96W ones (i don't think you can even buy the 85W variant in the Apple Store anymore) for faster charging purposes (of the huge ass batteries in those macbooks) and not because that's what the machine would draw under full load. Especially not the base model.

Haven't tried any virtualization. Like, the most hardware intensive stuff i've done this last week was possibly some photoshop and Photos doing its metadata scanning (faces, objects, etc.) for my 50gig Photos library. But that's about it.

grmlin · Nov 27, 2019

The USB-C thing I have does not deliver enough power from the MacBook power supply under load. No idea why, but it is what it is. For the 15" MBP.

Sid · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
The AirPods are simply the among the first wave of Apple Product that switches from "USB-A -> Lighting" to "USB-C -> Lightning"
(funnily, the iPhone 11 still comes with USB-A -> Lightning, while the pro comes with USB-C)

The main technical difference between the two connectors would be that USB-A doesn't allow for >12W fast charging, while USB-C can even power devices like the latest Macbooks (96W).

In the case of the AirPods Pro, that difference should be irrelevant - here, it's mostly about phasing out the USB-A connector. If you "only" have an USB-A to Lighnting cable, you'll be perfectly fine. The AirPods Pro case has a 519mAh battery. You don't need "fast charging" for that kind of capacity 😄

Thanks brah

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

grmlin said:
The USB-C thing I have does not deliver enough power from the MacBook power supply under load. No idea why, but it is what it is. For the 15" MBP.

Well, what's the wattage of your USB power brick? Is it a phone charger?

grmlin · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
Well, what's the wattage of your USB power brick? Is it a phone charger?

the included one for the MacBook Pro. The USB-C dongle somehow limits the power the charger provides.

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

grmlin said:
the included one for the MacBook Pro. The USB-C dongle somehow limits the power the charger provides.

Oh, with "USB-C thing" you meant the dongle. Yeah, i made sure mine is rated for 'up to 100W' power delivery.

grmlin · Nov 27, 2019

yes, sorry :D

TheRaidenPT · Nov 27, 2019

grmlin said:
the included one for the MacBook Pro. The USB-C dongle somehow limits the power the charger provides.

Yeah you gotta get a 85W-100W one

Fliesen said:
I would strongly assume so. I think they only upgraded the 85W chargers to 96W ones (i don't think you can even buy the 85W variant in the Apple Store anymore) for faster charging purposes (of the huge ass batteries in those macbooks) and not because that's what the machine would draw under full load. Especially not the base model.

Haven't tried any virtualization. Like, the most hardware intensive stuff i've done this last week was possibly some photoshop and Photos doing its metadata scanning (faces, objects, etc.) for my 50gig Photos library. But that's about it.

I was honestly looking to upgrade to the i9, 1Tb, 5500M version.. The thing is I don't need the 1TB and at the end of the day.. I'm not sure if the i9 and 5500M are really worth upgrading too.. I work mainly via a Windows VM while using Office/Terminal/Safari on Mac OS...

I'm currently using a 13" TB 2017 and is always over 60c and it's 8GB are full... CPU always at 3.5 dual core... 👌...

Not sure but again it feels like the base model is more than enough? I only game World of Warcraft and Civ VI on the go

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

TheRaidenPT said:
Yeah you gotta get a 85W-100W one

I was honestly looking to upgrade to the i9, 1Tb, 5500M version.. The thing is I don't need the 1TB and at the end of the day.. I'm not sure if the i9 and 5500M are really worth upgrading too.. I work mainly via a Windows VM while using Office/Terminal/Safari on Mac OS...

I'm currently using a 13" TB 2017 and is always over 60c and it's 8GB are full... CPU always at 3.5 dual core... 👌...

Not sure but again it feels like the base model is more than enough? I only game World of Warcraft and Civ VI on the go

I came from the lowest specc 2012 13" Retina MBP and while i had the occasional beach balls in Safari and scrubbing through 4k30 HEVC recordings was a pain, my biggest issue was the 120gb SSD.
I mostly chose the 16" Pro for the larger screen (and because i couldn't really wait any longer...) so, to me, even the base model is going to offer more than enough headroom performance wise for the years to come.

TheRaidenPT · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
I came from the lowest specc 2012 13" Retina MBP and while i had the occasional beach balls in Safari and scrubbing through 4k30 HEVC recordings was a pain, my biggest issue was the 120gb SSD.
I mostly chose the 16" Pro for the larger screen (and because i couldn't really wait any longer...) so, to me, even the base model is going to offer more than enough headroom performance wise for the years to come.

I completely understand you! In my case the 13" isn't cutting anymore and need more performance but think the base model is the sweet spot!

Ringten · Nov 27, 2019

Hey Apple-users!

Quick question. I ordered the IPhone Xr (64GB) for 300 euro right now, as a black friday offer. I realise it is a cracking price since Apple is selling it for 700 haha.

Is there anything I should know about this phone. I know the main difference is the lower resolution (and LCD) and no tele-lens camera.
But that's about it right?

Mind you, it's for my mum so those 'cons' don't even matter too much. She has been rocking an iPhone 6 all this time, so it was about time I got her something new.
64GB shouldn't be an issue right. I remember back in the days iphone selling 16gb/32gb phones which were pointless tbh

MorningDew · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
The AirPods are simply the among the first wave of Apple Product that switches from "USB-A -> Lighting" to "USB-C -> Lightning"
(funnily, the iPhone 11 still comes with USB-A -> Lightning, while the pro comes with USB-C)

The main technical difference between the two connectors would be that USB-A doesn't allow for >12W fast charging, while USB-C can even power devices like the latest Macbooks (96W).

The new iPad Pro is USB-C instead of Lightning, correct? I have an Air 2 that I would like to upgrade. I was looking at the new Pro but am slightly turned off on the price as I would need to spend around $900. I don't want to look at the other models since I love using FaceID and don't want TouchID. I guess I should wait for the next model to come out sometime in 2020, right?

Ringten said:
Quick question. I ordered the IPhone Xr (64GB) for 300 euro right now, as a black friday offer. I realise it is a cracking price since Apple is selling it for 700 haha.

Is there anything I should know about this phone. I know the main difference is the lower resolution (and LCD) and no tele-lens camera.
But that's about it right?

Yes, you're correct. XR is a good phone. I got it for my wife and daughter. As a techie, I got the XS Max 2.

catboy · Nov 27, 2019

if i smashed the front and back of my iphone and it's covered by applecare+ and i haven't made any claims what happens when i take it in? will i get a same day replacement / fix? thanks!

grmlin · Nov 27, 2019

Ringten said:
Hey Apple-users!

Quick question. I ordered the IPhone Xr (64GB) for 300 euro right now, as a black friday offer. I realise it is a cracking price since Apple is selling it for 700 haha.

Is there anything I should know about this phone. I know the main difference is the lower resolution (and LCD) and no tele-lens camera.
But that's about it right?

Mind you, it's for my mum so those 'cons' don't even matter too much. She has been rocking an iPhone 6 all this time, so it was about time I got her something new.
64GB shouldn't be an issue right. I remember back in the days iphone selling 16gb/32gb phones which were pointless tbh

I love using mine for a year now. Fantastic phone!

Fliesen · Nov 27, 2019

Ringten said:
Hey Apple-users!

Quick question. I ordered the IPhone Xr (64GB) for 300 euro right now, as a black friday offer. I realise it is a cracking price since Apple is selling it for 700 haha.

Is there anything I should know about this phone. I know the main difference is the lower resolution (and LCD) and no tele-lens camera.
But that's about it right?

Mind you, it's for my mum so those 'cons' don't even matter too much. She has been rocking an iPhone 6 all this time, so it was about time I got her something new.
64GB shouldn't be an issue right. I remember back in the days iphone selling 16gb/32gb phones which were pointless tbh

woof, where did you get that deal?! it's amazing.
The XR is a fantastic phone. For casual users it might even be the better choice, because, even though it does lack the 2nd camera, the slightly lower screen resolution combined with the larger size than the XS, it has fantastic battery life.

MorningDew said:
The new iPad Pro is USB-C instead of Lightning, correct? I have an Air 2 that I would like to upgrade. I was looking at the new Pro but am slightly turned off on the price as I would need to spend around $900. I don't want to look at the other models since I love using FaceID and don't want TouchID. I guess I should wait for the next model to come out sometime in 2020, right?

Yeah, the iPad Pro has USB-C instead of Lightning - but the 'conversation' you quoted wasn't about the port on the device, but the type of cable used for charging. Just so we don't get confused.

Apple's Lineup right now is as follows (cmiiw)

(Wall) USB-C -> USB-C (iPad Pro)
(Wall) USB-A -> Lightning (iPad Air)
(Wall) USB-A -> Lightning (iPad Mini)
(Wall) USB-A -> Lightning (iPad Mini)
(Wall) USB-A -> Lightning (iPhone 11)
(Wall) USB-C -> Lightning (iPhone 11 Pro)
(Wall) USB-C -> Lightning (AirPods Pro)
(Wall) USB-A -> Lightning (AirPods)
(Wall) USB-C -> USB-C (Macbooks, all of them)

The Air 2 is the same hardware as my current Mini 4, right? so you still got iOS 13?
I'd wait for next gen, personally.

Ringten · Nov 27, 2019

MorningDew said:
Yes, you're correct. XR is a good phone. I got it for my wife and daughter. As a techie, I got the XS Max 2.

grmlin said:
I love using mine for a year now. Fantastic phone!

Thanks! Good to know

Fliesen said:
woof, where did you get that deal?! it's amazing.
The XR is a fantastic phone. For casual users it might even be the better choice, because, even though it does lack the 2nd camera, the slightly lower screen resolution combined with the larger size than the XS, it has fantastic battery life.

Netherlands here, 360 euro as a black Friday deal, got another 60 euro off from an additional voucher that happened to work on top of it. Lucky me.

Yeh sounds good! Better battery is always appreciated. Although even with her current 6, she manages to get through 2 days somehow lol.

MorningDew · Nov 27, 2019

Fliesen said:
(Wall) USB-C -> USB-C (iPad Pro)

The Air 2 is the same hardware as my current Mini 4, right? so you still got iOS 13?
I'd wait for next gen, personally.

Personally I think lightning is superior to USB-C. I understand moving away from USB-A at the wall but why not continue to use lightning?

Ok, I'll wait for the next gen.

XMonkey · Nov 27, 2019

jenya said:
Has anyone used the Keyboard Service Program for MacBooks? I have a 13'″ MBP 2017 and it's "covered" until 2023. Do they actually bother to replace the key/s or just simply give you a new model? I'm wondering because I had some problems with iPhones in the past and I always got a replacement device (they were more expensive than my current MBP lol)

You sure it's until 2023? I believe it's 4 years from when Apple first starts selling the device, not from when someone buys it (so 2021 for a 2017).

SvennusDemonicus · Nov 27, 2019

Are Apple watches still needing Apple watches to set up or can you set up independently?

DekuBleep · Nov 27, 2019

SvennusDemonicus said:
Are Apple watches still needing Apple watches to set up or can you set up independently?

what? You can set up an Apple Watch with your iPhone. Apple watch is pretty useless without your iPhone so I'm not sure why you would expect to set it up without one.

Quantum Leap · Nov 28, 2019

Any unlocked iPhone deals? I want to upgrade my mom's SE with at least a 7 or 8

Edit: eh fuck it just bought one without a deal

jenya · Nov 28, 2019

XMonkey said:
You sure it's until 2023? I believe it's 4 years from when Apple first starts selling the device, not from when someone buys it (so 2021 for a 2017).

It's four years from your purchase date (bought it this year). My spacebar sometimes get sticky but it's not easy replicable, so it's not that dramatic but still.

Fatoy · Nov 28, 2019

I'm starting to think I might legitimately be able to do my entire job on an iPad Pro. I mean, I'm probably not going to, but I think it's technically possible, and I'm very tempted to buy a 12.9 Pro to try it out next time I travel.

I work as a freelance researcher, analyst and writer, and I also run an online magazine. I spend my days on emails, writing articles and papers, designing simple website graphics and banners, and doing business admin.

The only software I absolutely NEED is:

Microsoft Word (or something else that's interoperable with DOCX files)
A web browser (the clients I have who don't use Office use GSuite)
Airtable
Evernote
An email client (I use AirMail on macOS)
Dropbox
Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo
Slack
A decent file manager.

I don't think there's anything there that I can't do in iPadOS these days, right?

Azurik · Nov 28, 2019

Store down? Any surprise drops incoming, or is it just some Black Friday stuff?

kappapeachie · Nov 28, 2019

I'm getting around to buying an iPad pro eventually. I don't know when though. Probably black Friday at the latest.

FaceHugger · Nov 28, 2019

Is the Apple Magic Mouse 2 compatible with my 13" Macbook Pro?

Fliesen · Nov 29, 2019

FaceHugger said:
Is the Apple Magic Mouse 2 compatible with my 13" Macbook Pro?

99% sure it is. It connects via Bluetooth and gesture compatibility happens on the software side.

Ghos · Nov 29, 2019

Was watching a YouTube video even the audio from the ear piece just gave out. Rebooted, updated, played with settings, the speaker is still barely audible, while the bottom speaker is just fine. Anyone know what's up with my XS? Can the speaker really just break like that?

The last unusual thing I've done with my phone is pair it with my car via bluetooth. I never use Bluetooth. Could that be it? I forgot the device but still no audio.

Cocksman · Nov 29, 2019

On iTunes if I had an hd code for years but now have a 4K code to redeem of the same movie, will the 4K overwrite the HD movie or will I have two separate files in my library?

RDreamer · Nov 29, 2019

This may be a stupid as hell question, but here goes:

Can I use an Apple Store gift card (like the $25 one they're giving with Apple TVs) to then purchase an App Store gift card so I can buy movies and apps and such?

Fliesen · Nov 29, 2019

RDreamer said:
This may be a stupid as hell question, but here goes:

Can I use an Apple Store gift card (like the $25 one they're giving with Apple TVs) to then purchase an App Store gift card so I can buy movies and apps and such?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5695632

old thread, but apparently that's possible.

edit: oh wait

https://www.apple.com/shop/personalize/itunes?product=MF645LL/A

can you just use your Apple Store card to buy a digital iTunes gift card?

RDreamer · Nov 29, 2019

Fliesen said:
can you just use your Apple Store card to buy a digital iTunes gift card?

That's basically what I want to do. I'm seeing mixed reports on if it's possible I guess, but they are kinda old so it may not be the same now.

Fliesen · Nov 29, 2019

RDreamer said:
That's basically what I want to do. I'm seeing mixed reports on if it's possible I guess, but they are kinda old so it may not be the same now.

have you tried the 2nd link i posted? seems pretty straightforward

RDreamer · Nov 29, 2019

Fliesen said:
have you tried the 2nd link i posted? seems pretty straightforward

I don't have the card yet. I'm making a decision on where to buy an Apple TV. I can get $10 off at Wal-Mart and other spots, but Apple is giving out a $25 card. I don't particularly have anything else to get an apple store in the near future but would spend things on the app store/movie store, etc. So obviously if I could buy the card with the free card then I'd go with apple. If not I'd probably go get it at Wal Mart.

Deleted member 2226 · Nov 29, 2019

Well at the $250 price for it I bit on a 7th gen iPad. Shame that you can get cheap cases but the damn pencil is still a hundred bucks.

SvennusDemonicus · Nov 29, 2019

DekuBleep said:
what? You can set up an Apple Watch with your iPhone. Apple watch is pretty useless without your iPhone so I'm not sure why you would expect to set it up without one.

First off it's not for me. It's for my elderly father in law and the only reason that we are interested in it for him is for fall detection and location service. He has vascular dementia. So yeah....

DekuBleep · Nov 29, 2019

SvennusDemonicus said:
First off it's not for me. It's for my elderly father in law and the only reason that we are interested in it for him is for fall detection and location service. He has vascular dementia. So yeah....

I recommend reading this article.

https://www.imore.com/how-set-and-pair-your-apple-watch-your-iphone

you may consider getting your father a budget iPhone too. even the Apple Watch with cellular pairs with an iPhone. And the cellular data can kill the watch battery pretty fast if he actually uses it to say stream anything.

SvennusDemonicus · Nov 29, 2019

DekuBleep said:
I recommend reading this article.

https://www.imore.com/how-set-and-pair-your-apple-watch-your-iphone

you may consider getting your father a budget iPhone too. even the Apple Watch with cellular pairs with an iPhone. And the cellular data can kill the watch battery pretty fast if he actually uses it to say stream anything.

He's not gonna be streaming anything unless it's by accident

DekuBleep · Nov 29, 2019

SvennusDemonicus said:
He's not gonna be streaming anything unless it's by accident

why don't you just get him a medical alert system with GPS and fall detection? Those even come with 24/7 monitoring. They may have a monthly fee though...

ara · Nov 30, 2019

If I want to watch rented/bought iTunes movies on my LG B7, the 4k Apple TV is probably the smartest choice? I guess I could technically connect my Macbook to it via HDMI, but it sounds like a pain and I wonder if HDR/ DV works at all like that.

And tangentially related, but is there really no built-in wishlist or something in the iTunes Store or TV apps?

Fliesen · Nov 30, 2019

ara said:
If I want to watch rented/bought iTunes movies on my LG B7, the 4k Apple TV is probably the smartest choice? I guess I could technically connect my Macbook to it via HDMI, but it sounds like a pain and I wonder if HDR/ DV works at all like that.

And tangentially related, but is there really no built-in wishlist or something in the iTunes Store or TV apps?

Hmmm, wasn't there a wishlist before? i barely rent movies on the iTunes store anymore - but i remember filling a wishlist back then.
The "Add to Up Next" feature in the TV App seems to fulfil that functionality, doesn't it?

Also, i love my AppleTV for being a one-stop-shop for any kind of streaming service, AirPlay receiver, media library. It runs PLEX, Netflix, Amazon Prime, AppleTV+ and does proper multi-tasking.
Sure, there's a price premium to it, but i don't think any streaming box is as versatile and compromise-free, out of the box.

ara · Nov 30, 2019

Fliesen said:
Hmmm, wasn't there a wishlist before? i barely rent movies on the iTunes store anymore - but i remember filling a wishlist back then.
The "Add to Up Next" feature in the TV App seems to fulfil that functionality, doesn't it?

Also, i love my AppleTV for being a one-stop-shop for any kind of streaming service, AirPlay receiver, media library. It runs PLEX, Netflix, Amazon Prime, AppleTV+ and does proper multi-tasking.
Sure, there's a price premium to it, but i don't think any streaming box is as versatile and compromise-free, out of the box.

I'll have to check the Up Next functionality, sounds more like queuing shows and films but it could work.

I didn't even consider the fact that I could show off my photos and such on the TV with the ATV too. I think I'll go buy one soon.

How big are your typical 4k HDR/DV movies on iTunes? Wondering if the 32gb model would be enough.

Fliesen · Nov 30, 2019

ara said:
I'll have to check the Up Next functionality, sounds more like queuing shows and films but it could work.

I didn't even consider the fact that I could show off my photos and such on the TV with the ATV too. I think I'll go buy one soon.

How big are your typical 4k HDR/DV movies on iTunes? Wondering if the 32gb model would be enough.

well, you can "up next" movies you do not yet own. It's quite literally the "want to watch" queue that you can populate with individual episodes of TV shows as well as movies.

And storage wise - You'll be streaming the 4K HDR content, no matter what, right? As i understood it, storage mostly only matters for stuff like apps, games and local downloads.

ara · Nov 30, 2019

Fliesen said:
well, you can "up next" movies you do not yet own. It's quite literally the "want to watch" queue that you can populate with individual episodes of TV shows as well as movies.

And storage wise - You'll be streaming the 4K HDR content, no matter what, right? As i understood it, storage mostly only matters for stuff like apps, games and local downloads.

If you can stream your rented/owned movies, yeah, sure. For some reason I was under the impression that I'd have to download them 🤷‍♂️

Fliesen · Nov 30, 2019

ara said:
If you can stream your rented/owned movies, yeah, sure. For some reason I was under the impression that I'd have to download them 🤷‍♂️

I think the AppleTV is, in concept, a streaming box because it's assumed that you're always connected to a Home WiFi.
As opposed to, say iOS devices, which let you download media straight to the device - but which also don't download / playback 4K content anyways - because you might be using them on the go, or on the plane or something like that.

Which is why phones go up to 512 gigs nowadays and the AppleTV is stuck at 32/64.
I don't even know the capacity of mine ... it's 32 i think, and i stream 4k content all the time, albeit not HDR.

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