Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode spans practical tech talk and product philosophy: the hosts debate the meaning of spec language like “shall” and “must,” then dive into recurring hardware obsessions—John’s fragile OXO cheese grater, Apple’s design trade-offs, the usefulness of older iPhones/Apple Watches as test devices, and the death of the 12-inch MacBook. They also discuss Apple’s new laptop updates, SSD pricing, naming computers, shell defaults in Catalina, and beach camera care.
Main Topics: Spec language and wording norms: The show opens with a discussion of how terms like shall, will, and must are used in requirements documents and standards, especially in government contracting and internet RFCs. The speakers contrast ambiguous everyday usage with formal technical meaning. Kitchen tools and the cheese grater saga: A long, comic segment centers on John’s favorite OXO rotary cheese grater, why the old model is superior, how it breaks, and why replacements are unsatisfying. This becomes a larger metaphor for design, durability, and product loyalty. Apple design philosophy vs usability: The hosts debate whether Apple may shift away from Johnny Ive’s minimalist aesthetic toward more functional designs. They use mice, remotes, keyboards, and battery cases as examples of the tension between beauty and ergonomics. Using older Apple devices for development: Marco explains buying a renewed iPhone SE and a Series 3 Apple Watch to support app and watchOS testing, highlighting how surprisingly affordable used Apple hardware can be and how older devices remain useful as test platforms. The MacBook line, butterfly keyboards, and the end of the 12-inch MacBook: The bulk of the latter half analyzes Apple’s refreshed MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro, the cancellation of the 12-inch MacBook, and whether butterfly-keyboard laptops are about to disappear in favor of scissor-switch models. Storage pricing and capacity management: The hosts discuss Apple’s drastic SSD price cuts, why OEM storage is still expensive, and how laptop storage limitations affect real-world usability. They also share practical workarounds such as sparse disk images for Photos and deleting local Time Machine snapshots. Naming computers, shells, and beach camera care: Listener mail leads to comments on naming conventions for computers, the Bash-to-Zsh default shell change in Catalina, and how to protect cameras from sand and salt at the beach.
Key Arguments: Technical standards need unambiguous modal verbs; in specs, “must” is clearer than “shall,” and RFC-style language is more precise than everyday usage. John’s cheese grater obsession illustrates how small ergonomic improvements and failure points can dominate long-term satisfaction with a tool. Apple’s products may be moving back toward utility-first design, but any move away from Ive-style minimalism could trigger backlash even if the new design is more ergonomic. Older Apple hardware remains surprisingly useful and affordable for testing, especially when bought renewed/used rather than new. The 12-inch MacBook was loved for portability but failed as a mainstream value proposition because it was too compromised: slow CPU, one port, and limited versatility. The likely future of Apple laptops is the end of butterfly keyboards; the hosts expect new scissor-switch models to take over within about a year. Apple’s SSD pricing is still high relative to the market, but the dramatic cuts from “absurd” to merely “ridiculous” reflect a major improvement. Mac storage management remains a user pain point; users benefit from planning for larger SSDs or using workarounds to control photo library growth and local snapshots.
Data Points: Time since cheese grater post: 289 weeks - John found an old Instagram post from December 21, 2013 about shredding mozzarella and being shamed for it. Cheese grater inventory remaining: 1 in reserve; now on second-to-last - John explains his OXO rotary cheese grater collection and that one recently broke. iPhone SE price: about $120 - Marco bought a renewed unlocked iPhone SE on Amazon for testing. Apple Watch Series 3 price: $240 - Marco bought a 42mm stainless steel cellular Series 3 Apple Watch, noting it was only $20 more than a non-stainless/non-cellular option. MacBook Air price drop: $100 lower to $1,100 - Apple reduced the MacBook Air price while adding True Tone and likely lowering SSD speed. Student MacBook Air price: $999 - The refreshed MacBook Air is positioned at the back-to-school/student price point. 13-inch MacBook Pro price: $1,300 - The refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro with quad-core CPUs is now priced around $1,299–$1,300. John’s MacBook Adorable weight: 2.03 lb - John cites the weight of his 12-inch MacBook. 13-inch MacBook Air weight: 2.75 lb - John compares this to the 13-inch Air he configured in the store. 13-inch MacBook Pro weight: 3.02 lb - John compares the Pro to his 12-inch MacBook and notes it felt lighter than expected. 4TB SSD upgrade price before: $2,800 - Apple’s previous 4TB SSD upgrade cost on a 15-inch MacBook Pro. 4TB SSD upgrade price after: $1,400 - The same SSD upgrade was cut roughly in half. Laptop photo library cap: 30 GB - Marco describes using a sparse disk image capped at 30GB for the Photos library on a laptop. Default iPhone storage: 64 GB - The hosts note modern iPhones mostly started to feel adequate once base storage reached 64GB.
Pivotal Quotes: "must imposes a legal obligation that something is mandatory, must not is prohibited." — John: Opening discussion of technical wording in specs and RFCs. "The MacBook One is dead, you guys." — Marco: Marco reacts to Apple discontinuing the 12-inch MacBook. "I think this is the end of the butterfly." — John: John predicts Apple will move away from butterfly keyboards to scissor-switch designs.
Implications: Listeners should expect Apple laptops to keep shifting toward practicality—better keyboards, more usable designs, and more sensible storage options. The episode also offers concrete tactics for managing Mac storage and a reminder that used Apple gear can be a great value for developers.