Today Apple released a new MacBook Pro. It was the brand new 16″ model that had been rumored for months. And one key feature that will get people’s attention is this from their press release:
The 16-inch MacBook Pro features a new Magic Keyboard with a refined scissor mechanism that delivers 1mm of key travel and a stable key feel, as well as an Apple-designed rubber dome that stores more potential energy for a responsive key press. Incorporating extensive research and user studies focused on human factors and key design, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers a keyboard with a comfortable, satisfying and quiet typing experience. The new Magic Keyboard also features a physical Escape key and an inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys, along with Touch Bar and Touch ID, for a keyboard that delivers the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook.
In short, this new MacBook Pro doesn’t have the infamous butterfly keyboard which has proven to be a massive problem for Apple as they had a tendency to fail at an alarming rate regardless of what Apple admits to. In fact, I personally have delayed purchasing a new MacBook Pro since 2017 because the butterfly keyboard was simply that bad. And I have actively dissuaded my clients from buying it because it was simply that bad.
You’ll also note that in typical Apple fashion that they made this “Magic Keyboard” seem like some sort of innovation when frankly it isn’t. It’s the correction of a mistake that they made four years ago. Which of course they don’t want to admit to because Apple doesn’t make mistakes inside the reality distortion field.
In any case, that leads to this question: Should you buy a new MacBook Pro now that the butterfly keyboard is gone?
The answer is not yet.
The reason being that while this is using a scissor mechanism, Apple included the word “refined” in it. That implies that there’s something different about it. To be clear, that difference isn’t necessarily bad, but it’s enough that I would suggest waiting until two things happen:
- Wait until iFixit gets their hands on one and tears it down. They will figure out what the deal is with this “Magic Keyboard” and offer some commentary to allow you to make an informed opinion.
- Watch Twitter as well as Mac sites like 9To5Mac, MacRumors, and AppleInsider for the next month to see if any issues arise. I say this because every other time Apple has tried to address a keyboard issue, the success or failure (more of the latter based on the last four years) showed up on those sites very quickly. Thus when it comes to this keyboard, they will act as the canary in the coal mine.
Another thing that I should point out is that this new “Magic Keyboard” is only in the 16″ MacBook Pro. No other model has it. Thus I would strongly suggest steering clear of every other MacBook Pro until they too have the “Magic Keyboard”.
Assuming it is as good as Apple says it is of course.
It’s undergone a major makeover when it comes to looks. Before it was a thin box that resembled a compact pencil case. Now it looks a lot more attractive with a rounded more rectangular shape to it. It comes with an HDMI cable which is on the short side. And it comes with an adhesive strip so that you can semi-permanently mount it somewhere that allow you to use the included remote which is a line of sight one. One nice touch is that it can be fully powered by most TVs to reduce clutter around the TV via a USB cable.
FlexJobs Identifies the Top 40 Companies to Watch for Flexible Jobs in 2020
Posted in Commentary with tags FlexJobs on November 13, 2019 by itnerdTo help job seekers interested in finding flexible jobs, today FlexJobs named the Top 40 Companies to Watch for Flexible Jobs in 2020. This list is based on an analysis of over 52,000 companies and looks specifically at their flexible job posting histories in the FlexJobs’ database between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2019. Given the consistent, high volume flexible job hiring practices by these companies in 2019, FlexJobs believes these companies are likely to be strong recruiters for flexible job positions in 2020 as well.
Computer & IT, sales, medical & health, education, marketing, and finance are among the top career fields for flexible jobs. A “flexible job” is defined as any professional-level job that offers flexibility in terms of when, where, and how work gets done. Examples include:
Below are the top 10 companies with the highest number of flexible job listings in the FlexJobs database between January 1, 2019, and October 31, 2019.
For the entire list of top 40 companies hiring for flexible jobs, please visit: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-40-companies-hiring-for-flexible-jobs/
1. UnitedHealth Group
2. Kelly Services
3. Kaplan
4. Motion Recruitment Partners
5. SAIC – Science Applications International Corporation
6. Robert Half International
7. Amazon
8. Pearson
9. SAP
10. Parallon
Along with this list of 40 flex-friendly companies, FlexJobs also tracks the growth and evolution of the flexible job market.
Here are recent studies and statistics that show what the market looks like today:
To help flexible job seekers in the interview process, FlexJobs has also outlined sample responses to tough interview questions, such as those addressing salary, reasons for looking for a new job, and relationships with former bosses.
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