Episode Summary
Executive Summary: The episode centers on a chaotic stretch of tech failures—failed SSD/Time Machine backups, a dead MacBook Pro, a household cold, and the need to repair and replace gear—then pivots into Apple ecosystem follow-up, the upcoming Apple event, iPhone 12 sizing and features, and broader debates about USB-C, wireless charging, Touch ID, antitrust scrutiny, and whether standalone cameras still make sense in a phone-first world.
Main Topics: Hardware failures and backup collapse: Marco describes a disastrous week where SSDs in an enclosure repeatedly failed Time Machine backups, disks unmounted, repairs failed, and the household lost a reliable backup workflow right before other device problems piled on. Laptop failure, repair, and Apple transition anxiety: Tiff’s 15-month-old butterfly-keyboard MacBook Pro died with a burnt-electronics smell, forcing an out-of-warranty Apple repair and exposing how awkward the moment is to buy Intel Macs during the ARM transition. Apple event expectations and iPhone 12 sizing/features: The hosts debate what the October Apple event will contain, whether the 'high speed' tagline hints at ARM Macs or just faster phones, and whether the iPhone 12 lineup will be too large for their preferences. iPhone usability trade-offs: scratch resistance, cases, USB-C, and wireless charging: They compare iPhone 11 Pro comfort, scratches, case use, and the likely future of Lightning, USB-C, Touch ID in the power button, and fully wireless phones. Facebook/App Store and credit-card surcharge follow-up: The show corrects a prior misunderstanding about who was affected by Apple’s 30% fee in the Facebook live-event flow, then connects that issue to surcharges on card payments and Apple’s historical pricing rules. Antitrust and Big Tech power: John summarizes the House Judiciary Committee report arguing that Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google have too much power and that antitrust law may need updating to treat ~30% market share as a rebuttable presumption of dominance. Ask ATP: camera buying for new parents: A listener expecting a baby asks whether a 'real camera' is still worth buying; the hosts argue yes if you care about keeping the best memories, but note that phones have erased much of the old advantage and that sensor size matters most if you buy one.
Key Arguments: The SSD/enclosure failures could be either bad drives or a buggy enclosure, but the repeated Time Machine errors and partition/repair failures made the hardware suspect. Buying new Intel Macs right before Apple Silicon is a bad tradeoff; a temporary clean install or repair is more rational than upgrading now. The Apple event title 'high speed' likely alludes to ARM Macs or other faster Apple-silicon products more than to iPhones, because phones are already fast and speed is a more meaningful story on Macs. The iPhone 11 Pro remains excellent overall, but scratch-prone screens, slippery backs, and Lightning frustration make the next upgrade choice difficult. Touch ID in the power button would be useful, especially in a post-COVID/masked world, but neither host expects it soon enough for this cycle. Wireless charging is convenient in some contexts, but it is slower, less efficient, hotter, and worse for development/carplay use than a wired port. Portless iPhones would solve lint-in-port problems, but the loss of wired data, peripherals, and fast charging would create major downsides; a port is still preferable for many users. The Facebook/Apple 30% issue was about Apple stopping developers from truthfully stating Apple’s cut, not about Facebook taking the money itself. Big Tech antitrust reform is likely politically difficult, but Congress is signaling that current market-share thresholds may be too lenient. For baby photography, standalone cameras still win on optics, zoom, and some image quality, but phones now cover many everyday use cases better and more conveniently; if you buy a camera, prioritize sensor size.
Data Points: SSD capacity: 7.68 terabytes - Marco references the large Micron SSDs he bought for his enclosure-based Time Machine/archive setup. Laptop age: about 15 months old - Tiff’s 2019 15-inch MacBook Pro died after only around 15 months of use. Repair cost: about $750 - Apple’s out-of-warranty repair for Tiff’s dead MacBook Pro was far less than the original ~$2,300 purchase price. Original laptop price: about $2,300 - Marco frames the failed MacBook Pro as a costly machine that should not be worth nothing after such a short time. Time Machine backup failure: multiple failures and unmounts - Marco describes repeated backup errors, unmounts, and failed disk repairs on the external SSD setup. Household virus tests: negative - The family had cold symptoms and got COVID tests so their child could return to school. Battery on school watch day 1: 33% remaining - Adam’s family setup Apple Watch initially ended the first school day at about one-third battery. Battery on school watch day 2: 60–70% remaining - After switching from raise-to-wake to tap-to-wake and with background setup complete, battery life improved substantially. Apple event date: Tuesday, October 13 - The hosts identify the upcoming Apple event date during the discussion. Current iPhone sizes: 5.8 in, 6.1 in, 6.5 in - They compare current 11 Pro, 11, and 11 Pro Max sizing when discussing future models. Rumored iPhone 12 sizes: 5.4 in, 6.1 in, 6.1–6.7 in - They discuss rumored 12/12 Pro sizes and how they compare to current phones. Apple App Store cut: 30% - The Facebook follow-up centers on Apple’s fee for purchases made through the platform. Credit-card surcharge law year: January 2013 - A follow-up notes that merchants have been allowed to add surcharges for card transactions since 2013. States restricting surcharge fees: 10 states - They list California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas. House Judiciary report length: 450 pages - John summarizes the antitrust report on Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. Statutory dominance threshold proposed: 30% market share - The report suggests 30% or more should be a rebuttable presumption of dominance.
Pivotal Quotes: "Thank God for Backblaze because we didn't have time machines." — Marco: Said after describing simultaneous backup failure and Tiff’s laptop dying. "I really, really hope Apple will eventually do this." — Marco: Said about wanting the iPhone to move from Lightning to USB-C. "Look, right now, with the Sherman antitrust law, if we try to use the Sherman Act on, say, Apple, it's going to say, we have like 40% market share... we're not a dominant monopoly." — John: Explaining why the House Judiciary report argues existing antitrust standards may be too weak.
Implications: Listeners get a practical warning: backup, repair, and redundancy matter more than ever. The episode also suggests Apple’s next hardware cycle may force hard choices on size, ports, and features while regulators increasingly question Big Tech’s market power.