MacOS High Sierra Supplemental Update 2 Released for MacBook Pro 2018 Users
Apple has released a new supplemental software update for owners of the 2018 model MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. The software update is limited to the 2018 model line, so if you have a different Mac you will not find the software update available on other machines.
Labeled as “macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update 2 for MacBook Pro (2018)”, the update is said to improve “the stability and reliability” of the computer, and is therefor recommended for all users of a 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to install.
If you currently own a 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and it is running macOS High Sierra (10.13.6), you can find the supplemental update available to download now from the software update mechanism within the Mac App Store Updates section.
Alternatively, you can get the High Sierra Supplemental Update 2 for 2018 MacBook Pro from support.Apple.com here
If you download the supplemental High Sierra update directly, it weighs in around 1.3 GB.
It’s not entirely clear what is included in “macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update 2 for MacBook Pro (2018)” but there is some speculation the particular software update might aim to address some reported stability issues that are specific to the machine. It is unclear if the supplemental update improves keyboard reliability, though that is perhaps less likely given the nature of keyboard issues.
Release notes accompanying the software update are vague, without offering any specific about what exactly is addressed with the supplemental update:
The macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update 2 improves the stability and reliability of MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (2018) computers, and is recommended for all users.
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222
Presumably whatever is included in the High Sierra Supplemental Update 2 is also included in the latest builds of macOS Mojave for the 2018 model year Tough Bar MacBook pro.
The 2018 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar was released in July of this year as a refresh of the existing MacBook Pro model line.
Next-to-last paragraph contains a hilarious (autocorrrect?) typo at the end: “…for the 2018 model year Tough Bar MacBook pro.”
As a proud owner of the new i9 model (32GB, 1TB), I’m not going to take any chances taking mine to a “tough bar.” 🤣
I can, however, confirm that this (HUGE) update seems to have remedied a “crash on wake” situation that had been plaguing me since the last update.
The update supposedly fixes the kernel panics and audio crackling
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/29/macos-high-sierra-supplemental-update-2-details/
But not to get sidetracked I agree with @f12 above, the Touch Bar MacBook Pro is a giant compromise on top of compromises to no benefit to the end user, not pro level hardware.
The Mac laptop line is missing an actual pro line, there is no suitable modern replacement for the prior generation, which was and still is more pro. The 2015 MacBook Pro remains firmly the best laptop ever made.
https://marco.org/2017/11/14/best-laptop-ever
I wanted to be excited about the 2018 MacBook Pro, the 32GB RAM was a big appeal.
But ultimately the keyboard and the Touch Bar kill it for me, and I can’t compromise enough to use ineffective tools.
Every pro user needs a reliable keyboard, hardware esc, f1, f2, f3, f4, etc.
The Touch Bar should be optional, and it should be above the esc/function row. Removing it from a MacBook Pro should cut the price down $200-$300 too. Every pro user I know would do that and put the money into a larger SSD or more RAM.
And don’t even get me started on USB-C and losing Magsafe… ugh.