Longtime Android + Linux user here. Just tippy-toed to the darkside to give Apple Pay a whirl. Grabbed a "New to me" 6s off Ebay from a reputable reseller. Other than limited battery life due to size, I have to say I'm not mad. Apple Pay works great I might add. Due to hardware constraints the 6s can only store 8 cards (7 + the Apple Cash card). Once you add the AppleCard (CC) itself you're down to 6 additional cards. Now I'm looking at a used 8 Plus which retains the physical fingerprint button and can hold up to 16 cards with iOS 15. I can see now how people get drawn into the ecosystem. 
So an update here on this...
I ended up ordering an M1 Max 14-inch after some shenanigans with my employer on their promissed base model mysteriously getting placed in indifinite limbo and I gotta say I'm more than a litle dissapoined with Apple's design direction of the new Pros.
First, while it's relatively easy to hide I just can't get behind the notch on the display. Unifying design language is great and all, but this is not what should have been a focal point. Contrary to popular belief, not all press is good press. The sheer volume of discussions surrounding the notches on iPhones should not be misconstrued as genuine interest. It's like large grills and BMW. Don't get me started.
While we're on the topic of displays, this brings me to my second set of issues. the lack of continuity with rounded corners on top and square edges on the bottom just really irks me and the removal of the "MacBook Pro" branding below the display gives the appearence of wasted space.
Third, what's with the regression from modern elegance? Apple has seemingly always placed more of an emphasis on form over function and these chunky ******* exude little more than a business casual persona. I feel like I've hoped back in time to 2007. My 2019 MacBook Pro 15 is just down right **** in comparison and I can't believe I'm saying this but I miss the touchbar!!! I didn't realize how much I relied on it for convient adjustments to brightness settings, scrubbing, powering down, etc. I also really appreciated the simple symetrical elegance of the old Thunderbolt-only design.
Finallly, the keyboard! While the key travel is very satisfing, I feel like the black anodized background was a huge mistake. It comes across as a cheap plastic insert at first glance which coupled with the blocky design adds up to a knock-off MacBook look.
Anyone else feeling a little offput with the changes?
@Schwartzinator wrote:So an update here on this...
Anyone else feeling a little offput with the changes?
Nope.
