228: ‘Smallen Up the Bezels’ With Jason Snell

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode is a wide-ranging, highly technical conversation that starts with mechanical keyboards and Keyboard Maestro automation, then pivots to a deep analysis of Apple’s uncertain MacBook lineup and the naming/positioning of future iPhones. The hosts emphasize Apple’s recurring tension between clarity, price, and product differentiation, while also revisiting design whimsy, old hardware nostalgia, and sponsor-read lifehacks.

Main Topics: Mechanical keyboards and iPad typing setups (Priority: 5/5): The hosts compare favorite keyboards, the difficulty of finding a good Bluetooth mechanical option, and the Matthias keyboard/Belkin stand setup used for iPad writing. Keyboard Maestro and automation (Priority: 5/5): A detailed example shows how Keyboard Maestro can intercept paste actions and strip unwanted .php extensions from copied URLs, illustrating Mac flexibility and automation power. Apple’s MacBook lineup confusion (Priority: 5/5): A major segment analyzes Apple’s messy notebook strategy: the MacBook Air’s persistence, the 12-inch MacBook’s limitations, the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar, and rumors of a new low-cost laptop. What Apple might do with future low-cost laptops (Priority: 5/5): The speakers debate whether Apple will simply refresh the Air, rebrand the MacBook, or introduce a cheaper new model with trimmed specs, focusing on pricing, bezels, ports, and internal compromises. iPhone naming and product positioning (Priority: 4/5): The discussion turns to how Apple may name the 2018 iPhone lineup, with speculation around iPhone 9, iPhone 10, 10 Plus, or possibly iPhone Pro, and how Apple avoids awkward naming cycles. Apple design whimsy and old hardware nostalgia (Priority: 4/5): They reminisce about glowing Apple logos, sleep lights, spinning hard drives, and how Apple’s small design flourishes and old hardware traits shaped the Mac experience. Sponsors and consumer products (Priority: 2/5): Squarespace, Tres Pontas coffee, and Casper are discussed in the ad segments, with practical endorsements and personal anecdotes about their products.

Key Arguments: Apple’s notebook line lacks clarity because the 12-inch MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro overlap in awkward ways without a clean consumer/pro split. The existing MacBook Air survives because customers value features Apple once treated as legacy—MagSafe, USB-A, SD card slot, and the keyboard—more than Apple expected. A simple retina-only refresh of the MacBook Air seems unlikely; Apple probably needs a new, cheaper model or a reworked MacBook Escape with a different name. Keyboard Maestro is powerful enough to justify systemwide clipboard transformations and UI automation, even for trivial annoyances like stripping .php from copied URLs. Apple often uses product naming and silhouette changes strategically, but in this case the naming problem reflects a real hardware/price mistake, not just branding confusion. For iPhone, Apple may avoid an endless numeric treadmill by using a “new iPhone X” style, a two-tier naming scheme, or a broader rebrand like iPhone Pro. The iPad lineup is cited as Apple’s best recent example of a clean premium-vs-standard product strategy: clear differentiation, understandable naming, and strong consumer appeal. Apple’s old whimsical touches—like illuminated logos and sleep indicators—are framed as meaningful design flourishes that made devices feel more human and delightful.

Data Points: MacBook Air price: $999 - Used repeatedly as the price point that Apple’s low-cost laptop strategy must hit or beat. MacBook Pro starting price after redesign: $1,299 - Referenced as the price Apple’s 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro settled at after a later price cut. Current MacBook Pro price cut: $200 - The 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro reportedly dropped from $1,499 to $1,299. MacBook Air SSD storage: 128 GB - The base Air is criticized as underpowered by modern standards. MacBook Air RAM: 8 GB - The base configuration cannot be upgraded, reinforcing its entry-level positioning. Original MacBook Air launch price: $1,800 starting, about $3,100 with SSD upgrade - Used to illustrate how expensive and compromised the first Air was, despite being iconic. Original MacBook Air launch date: January 2008 - Referenced during discussion of the first MacBook Air’s impact and limitations. First Intel Mac launch date: January 2006 - Used to note that the original MacBook Air was slower than earlier Intel Macs. MacBook Air weight / MacBook Pro comparison: About 3.0 pounds and nearly the same as the 13-inch MacBook Pro - Used to argue that the 13-inch MacBook Pro was essentially an Air successor in size and weight. iPhone 10 display size: 5.8 inches - Referenced as the current iPhone X size and expected baseline for the 2018 premium model. Rumored larger iPhone display: 6.5 inches - Discussed as the potential plus-sized OLED model. Rumored mid-tier iPhone display: 6.1 inches - Discussed as the lower-cost LCD model with iPhone X-style design. Casper sleep trial: 100 nights - Mentioned in the ad read as the risk-free trial period. Squarespace discount: 10% off - Offer code TALKSHOW for listeners. Tres Pontas subscription discount: 20% total off - 10% subscription discount plus another 10% with the show code. Apple Watch naming scheme: Apple Watch Series 3 - Used as a model for Apple possibly favoring a name plus series designation rather than numeric product names. iOS undo support context: iOS 3 added cut/copy/paste - Used to emphasize how difficult basic text editing features were to implement on iPhone.

Pivotal Quotes: "I have yet to find a perfect solution to any of this." — Jason Snell: Summing up the frustration of finding the ideal keyboard and iPad typing setup. "After 15 years of being annoyed by this every single time... I finally thought, you know what, there's got to be a way I could fix this in Keyboard Maestro." — John Gruber: Explaining how he automated removal of .php from copied URLs. "It is super complicated." — Jason Snell: Describing the challenge of predicting Apple’s MacBook lineup and how many plausible paths remain.

Implications: Apple’s biggest challenge is not hardware alone but coherent naming and tiering across Macs and iPhones. Listeners should expect more product-line reshuffling, more price-driven compromises, and continued reliance on design cues and branding to explain differences.