On Topic: I own a late '16 MBP 15" w/ touchbar. My machine has been serviced once to replace some issue with a failure of some motherboard component (not touchbar or keyboard). I'm am early adopter (hardware, software, gadgets, etc.) -- and I have the luxury now to wait many years before I need to upgrade again. YMMV.
Off Topic: (sorry)
I think there's a much larger debate around what it means that a company owns "everything" you do on (not via?) their laptop (and worse, the whole concept of owning all thoughts, etc.).
But, what really IS a computer anymore?
I boot off external SSD (for my OSX use). I do this while at work, home, friends, etc. I carry around an SSD drive that's small and light -- no more hauling laptops.
This usage style seems to break a lot of assumptions of what a computer with things such as licensing (Apple, Microsoft, etc.). Although it can be painful at times (if something requires GUI and the network bandwidth is low or latency is inconsistent), using a machine as a client (ie: GUI or GUI-less) terminal to access a remote (dev) machine is possible -- such as any client (windows, linux, OSX on MacBook Air) and iMac (or whatever) on the LAN. Prior to iOS dev (which requires OSX), I was using (windows) PCs and full screen VMWare to run FreeBSD, etc.
If I use a machine and ssh to a remote server and change something, does the owner of the machine that I used to do the ssh now own the thing I changed on the remote server?
I currently share my desktop via iCloud sync (and I used rsync to do this as far back as '03 or so), and split data between local and cloud -- so for the most part I can access the data I need from anywhere.
Many SaaS (cloud or not) can be accessed and used from anywhere. It's extremely frustrating to have to maintain so many different accounts to separate work from personal.
For me, at least, the "computer" is getting abstracted away and devices are just ways to access tools for doing whatever it is that I want or need to do at the moment.
Off Topic: (sorry)
I think there's a much larger debate around what it means that a company owns "everything" you do on (not via?) their laptop (and worse, the whole concept of owning all thoughts, etc.).
But, what really IS a computer anymore?
I boot off external SSD (for my OSX use). I do this while at work, home, friends, etc. I carry around an SSD drive that's small and light -- no more hauling laptops.
This usage style seems to break a lot of assumptions of what a computer with things such as licensing (Apple, Microsoft, etc.). Although it can be painful at times (if something requires GUI and the network bandwidth is low or latency is inconsistent), using a machine as a client (ie: GUI or GUI-less) terminal to access a remote (dev) machine is possible -- such as any client (windows, linux, OSX on MacBook Air) and iMac (or whatever) on the LAN. Prior to iOS dev (which requires OSX), I was using (windows) PCs and full screen VMWare to run FreeBSD, etc.
If I use a machine and ssh to a remote server and change something, does the owner of the machine that I used to do the ssh now own the thing I changed on the remote server?
I currently share my desktop via iCloud sync (and I used rsync to do this as far back as '03 or so), and split data between local and cloud -- so for the most part I can access the data I need from anywhere.
Many SaaS (cloud or not) can be accessed and used from anywhere. It's extremely frustrating to have to maintain so many different accounts to separate work from personal.
For me, at least, the "computer" is getting abstracted away and devices are just ways to access tools for doing whatever it is that I want or need to do at the moment.