MacBook Pro 2016 first look: One week later

By Rene Ritchie
last updated
MacBook Pro with a cup of coffee and iPhone
(Image: © iMore)

For the last week hours, give or take, I've been working on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro 2016. No, not the one with the fancy Touch Bar instead of function keys — that'll come soon enough — but the superlegere version that strips away the bar, a couple of ports, and some of the performance in order to become something else: A replacement for the 13-inch MacBook Air.

The bad news is that the starting price is $500 more than the 13-inch MacBook Air — $1499 vs. $999 and, for some people, those bleeding edge ports are more of a dongle-edged annoyance. The good news is that even the stripped down 13-inch MacBook Pro (late 2016) still includes the same, high-density Retina display, now with eye-popping wide color, a version of Intel's Skylake processor and Iris graphics, and Apple's high-speed storage architecture.

So, is the new baseline 13-inch MacBook Pro a legit replacement for the trust 13-inch MacBook Air, the computer that was my primary for over two years and more press conferences than I want to remember?

MacBook Pro Packaging

The new MacBook Pro comes in packaging that's very similar to previous years. It's what's inside that's different. Instead of the trusty MagSafe adapter and classic power brick, there's now a USB-C cable and a USB-C power brick.

The USB-C cable is identical to the one that comes with the 12-inch MacBook and the brick is similar but pushes even more power. It's also similar to what's available separately for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, though that one requires a Lightning to USB-C cable instead.

The new configuration has some advantages. Notably, if your cable frays or otherwise fails, all you have to do is get another USB-C to USB-C cable, which is much, much cheaper than a new MagSafe cable, which only came with the brick. It's also easier and more flexible to carry or pack.

On the downside, though, there's no bundled extension cord, no little hugger arms to wrap the cable around, and no easily detachable magnetic ending. In other words, no MagSafe.

I can handle wrapping the cord — I've been doing it with iOS devices for years — but I miss the extension cord, the hugger arms, and the magnetic ending. Hopefully Apple can bring the best of MagSafe to the USB-C cable and brick eventually.

MacBook Pro Display

MacBook Air was never going Retina. It was a holdover from a previous age. Once pulled from a manila envelope, it already went through its one and only transformation — one that led it to become the template for almost every ultrabook that followed. It's still around for those who want it, at least the 13-inch size and maintaining that entry-level price, but it's approaching the end. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is beginning anew.

Best Sleeves for MacBook Pro (Late 2016)

Best Sleeves for MacBook Pro (Late 2016)

The display announces that. 2560x1600, it's high enough density that you can't see pixels from a normal working distance, which is how Apple uses the Retina display brand. It also uses the DCI-P3 cinematic color space, which is wider gamut than previous generation sRGB displays. Think of it like HDR for your screen. Once you see it, you can't go back. The reds are so red. The magentas so deep. The oranges so bright.

I first experienced it on the 2015 iMac with 5K Retina display, then on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and most recently on iPhone 7. You only really notice it when you go back to an sRGB device — like my current 13-inch MacBook Pro. Then the world suddenly seems less bright.

Last summer, Dolby showed me scenes from The Force Awakens and The Revenant in 4K sRGB and in 1080p HDR. 1080p HDR kicked 4K's ass. Put both together, and zo-ma-gawd.

Looking at Photos on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro display is glorious. Even spoiled by the 5K iMac, seeing it on a laptop is sensational. Looking at my now old MacBook Pro side by side with this one, it's like a layer of haze has been pulled off.

I've only had to go back to my old MacBook Pro a couple of times over the last week — I've been too lazy to move my work VPN over — and when I do, I notice it immediately now. The similar context but the drabber image don't make it difficult to work on the older machine, but it does make it significantly less enjoyable for me now.

Apple also manages the color profile across devices, so P3 shots you capture on iPhone 7 bring all that depth to MacBook Pro. It's part of the advantage Apple has in making all these devices — the more you own, the more you get.

There's a ton of technology behind this display, only a tiny amount of which Apple has disclosed so far. It takes what they did with the 12-inch MacBook panel and builds on it, allowing for truly amazing quality in a super-thin profile.

Apple even managed to make one of the biggest MacBook weaknesses slightly less weak: Instead of the anemic 420p FaceTime camera you get 720p. It's not 1080p, which is what a modern Mac really deserves, but it's about all they could manage given the z-index of this display. Still, like I said with the MacBook, I'd gladly take a camera bump to get a better lens.

Also like the 12-inch MacBook, the display is too thin to house the glowing Apple logo of yore. It's gone now, RIP, and in its place is the new-style stainless steel embedded logo. It's… fine. But I'll miss the light. It made it so easy to pick out all the MacBooks covering competitors' events.

MacBook Pro I/O

My previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro has MagSafe for power, 2x Thunderbolt 2 and 2x USB-A, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, HDMI, and an SD card slot. My previous 13-inch MacBook Air had MagSafe, 1x Thunderbolt 2, 2x USB-A, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and an SD card slot.

MacBook Pros

MacBook Pros (Image credit: iMore)

This version of the new 13-inch MacBook Pro has 2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That's it. It's double what the 12-inch MacBook has, and throws in USB-C, but it's still a far cry from what even the Air packed on board.

You can charge over either USB-C port, and connect to any Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C peripheral, but for anything else you'll need an adapter dongle. You can get them for USB-A, HDMI, VGA, Thunderbolt 2 — pretty much anything you need these days, but they're one more thing to carry with you, fuss with, and potential forget or lose when you need it.

I made peace with it, kinda, eighteen months ago when I got the original 12-inch MacBook. I missed having the extension cord for the AC adapter, which came in the box with my previous generation MacBook Pro and I used all the time. And I really missed the charge light on MagSafe that told me, at a glance from across the room, that I was green and good to go.

I miss both even more now with the new Pro and hope Apple figures out a way to put the extension back in the box and the light back on the cable.

Other things I thought I would miss more, but turns out not so much. Initially, for pulling photos from my Canon 5D Mark III, I went running back to my old MacBook Pro. Over time, I've had to do that less and less. Now that I have an iPhone 7 Plus, I haven't gone back to my Canon once.

When Apple introduced the Lightning to USB-C cable for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, I got one in case I wanted to plug my iPhone into the MacBook. I never did, though. Since Apple made even beta versions of iOS available over the air (OTA), I've not once plugged my iPhone into anything but an AC adapter.

Likewise, I use a Time Capsule for local backup. So, slowly but surely, the cords have all been cut.

But my use case isn't everybody's. Even if most people in the mainstream never connect over a cable to anything, MacBook Pro by definition isn't mainstream. It's for people who do connect over cables and to everything.

I understand Apple's desire to simplify, and their almost Alton Brown-esque distaste for unitaskers, but we're still in a period of transition and that means we need to transition.

Just like iPhone 7 contained a 3.5 mm to Lightning adapter, it'd have been nice if Apple included a USB-C to USB-A adapter for everyone with an iPhone or iPad and no out-of-the-box way to connect them, or any other legacy peripheral, to a brand new MacBook Pro.

That aside, the new ports are heavy duty. They can drive one 5K external display or two 4K external displays (though at least one of them will have to supply power, since that requires all your ports!) They can also drive external storage at the state-of-the-art-of-speeds.

MacBook Pro Trackpad and Keyboard

The superlegere 13-inch MacBook Pro may not have the Touch Bar but it does have the new, larger Force Touch trackpad. The technology is the same as previous years: A Taptic Engine tricks your fingers into believing vibrations are depressions, and so you "click" a solid surface and are misled into feeling like it really clicked. The increased size, though, is almost… luxurious.

For normal text and office work I don't notice much difference but for creative work like image and video editing, it feels like you can go further, faster than on previous versions. It's not quite as big as the standalone Magic Trackpad, but it's getting closer.

Force Touch Trackpads on MacBook Pros

Force Touch Trackpads on MacBook Pros (Image credit: iMore)

There's no issue with palm rejection as far as I can tell. I never rested my palm on it while using it, but incidental contact while typing was ignored. When I deliberately put the edge of my palm down and tried to swipe with it, it barely moved. If I had to guess, multitouch is smart enough to distinguish finger sizes from palm sizes.

The keyboard is a second-generation version of the dome and butterfly design introduced with the 12-inch MacBook. I've used the original for almost 18-months and am fine with it. I can pretty much adjust to any keyboard, including the Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro, within a very short period of time. Your mileage will absolutely vary.

The version on the new MacBook Pros has been tweaked to have slightly more travel than the one on the MacBook and I like it. I don't think it'll convert any haters, though. Those who prefer scissor switches will still prefer the old MacBook Pro keyboards.

After a week of using it, though, I'm actually finding that I enjoy typing on it. I was fine on the MacBook, but I like the MacBook Pro. I'm not sure if Apple's tweaks are responsible for that, if it's the slight difference in how all the parts are laid out on the 13-inch, or if I've just gotten more and more used to it over time.

Either way, while I still love the old keyboard dearly, I no longer miss it.

The major new feature of the new MacBook Pro, Touch Bar, isn't on this model. So I'll save my thoughts on it for next time.

MacBook Pro Performance

Intel's Skylake architecture powers the new MacBook Pros, including this one. Why Skylake and not Kaby Lake? If I had to guess it'd be that it took Intel this long to get Skylake to where Apple needed it for the new MacBook Pro — they don't buy off the shelf — and Kaby Lake would have pushed the timeline out even further. The way Apple uses Intel is more of an implementation detail at this point anyway, so as long as soon as they can hit acceptable performance and efficiency levels, they go in and the product ships.

The graphics are Intel Iris as well, nothing additional to see here. (15-inch models get AMD Radeon Polaris as well.)

In my week with the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, though, I haven't seen any lag or stutter. Interface animations, screen draws, and transitions have all been snappy.

There's also 8 GB of RAM standard, which you can choose to expand to 16 GB through build-to-order. That's the current limit, though. Apple's using low power RAM and Intel simply doesn't support that on Skylake. Maybe Kabylake or Coffeelake will... My breath can no longer be held.

To sort-of make up for it, Apple raised the game on their already incredibly impressive SSD speeds. It's so fast it pegged my tests and, if I have forced my Mac to swap in Photoshop or Final Cut Pro X, it's fast enough I've barely noticed. You can also get up to 1 TB even in this version of the new MacBook Pro.

Perfunctory benchmarks:

Image 1 of 3

As for battery life, despite the difference in specs, Apple claims the same 10 hours for this 13-inch MacBook Pro as it does the one with Touch Bar. So far that's matched my usage. I've still been doing some things on iPhone, iPad Pro, and iMac, so I never spend all day with it, so I can easily go without charging every night.

Still, I charged it to 80% yesterday, went to the coffee shop, worked for 4 hours, and it ended up at just under 40%. I'll keep testing and keep updating, though.

MacBook Pro Speakers

My previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro didn't have speakers on either side of the keyboard. This new one does. Big, bold, glorious speakers. I'm not an audiophile but when I heard Adele pouring out of them during the demo, it sounded great. Likewise right now while I'm playing some iTunes and YouTube.

Apple says they have far more dynamic range and separation than before and I have no reason to doubt them. I just know they're LOUD and they're clear.

First iPad Pro, then iPhone 7, now MacBook Pro — Apple has seriously upped their speaker game this last year and I really appreciate it.

MacBook Pro First impressions

So, is this new 13-inch really a lean and mean upgrade for MacBook Air owners, or is it just an artificially crippled MacBook Pro meant to lower the cost of entry?

A bit of both, depending on your point of view.

If you're really a MacBook Pro owner at heart, you won't be happy with the lack of ports, the lower performance, or the absence of Touch Bar and Touch ID. Get the full-on 13-inch or 15-inch and the experience will more than make up for the price differential, especially over the life of the device.

If you're coming from a MacBook Air, and that's what you love, but you really want a Retina display and Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports, along with the Force Touch Trackpad, and you don't really care about Touch Bar or Touch ID, then this very well might be the MacBook for you. Just make sure you're okay going wireless — or you're stocked up on dongles.

After initially thinking the AMD Radeon graphics would make me go 15-inch instead of 13-inch this year, after a week I'm now convinced I'll be going 13-inch. I'll opt for the Touch Bar model, though. The size is easier to take around and I haven't lacked for any power.

MacBook Pro Random Notes

I know Mac App Store can be painful for some developers, and it seriously needs love and attention to get it up to iOS App Store parity, but it's still the best way to set up a new Mac. Every app I needed was downloaded with a click. Apps I needed to reclaim from web stores were painful — and Geekbench 4 I could get in time for this post, because email snafus, so I used Geekbench 3 from MAS.

Also, continuity has become magnificent. Following a tip from Cabel Sasser of Panic, I didn't even have to install and set up 1Password. I simply used Universal Clipboard to copy passwords from 1Password for iPhone and paste them in where needed.

Absent Touch ID on the MacBook Pro lite, Auto Unlock is still a dream. I don't even think about it any more. I just open and work.

And yes, this preview was written on the new MacBook Pro and shot on iPhone 7 Plus.

Any questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Originally published October 28, 2016. Updated November 3, 2016.

MacBook Pro

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○ MacBook Pro with M1 Review
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Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

228 Comments
  • Well, after the announcement yesterday I grabbed a refurb 13" MacBook Air from apple.ca. I was hoping for a better deal at some point but…
  • How can you live with that resolution? I have trouble using my 1080p screen at home for anything but gaming, since text looks horrible on that low PPI. (my laptop has 267ppi, desktop at home 96ppi, your MacBook Air 128ppi)
  • for me it's simple. Screen resolution is not something i care about. It didn't factor in my purchase. Retina doesn't make me feel any better. Some users value different things. For me the big things were hard drive size, ports, and having at least 8gbs of ram.
  • troll
  • Sorry, I'm confused. He's a troll because other things matter other than screen resolution?
  • How he answered like it does not matter what apple does I buy it. Sent from the iMore App
  • How is he a troll ?
  • It's almost exactly the same resolution as my 17" MacBook pro and it's fine. I need my ports. This is just a computer for home so I'm fine with it. Text looks good enough for me. I'm not a princess. :-)
  • don't know the prices but beach camera has lots of deals on new ones and you can customize the configurations like on the apple website
  • Wise move. You need that computer right now and you bought the best one you can afford without waiting a price cut. I'd not say the same for a brand new Macbook Air, however, a brand new Retina Macbook would be better. A refurb MBA is very meaningful.
  • Apple should really stop listening to Joe Ivy or whatever his name is. Thinner does not equal better. Not in this case. #TeamSpaceGray 6sPlus
  • If you are an Air user wanting a retina display, get to Best buy today and get the 2015 MBP. Magsafe, USB 3.0 ports, SD card, HDMI. Much better value
  • I picked one up the other month and loving it. This one will hold me out for many years. If apple is eliminating all ports by then I will be looking elsewhere.
  • Yep!! I"ll be picking that up,, until everything change to usb C then I'll consider the new MacBook Pro Sent from the iMore App
  • Yes! I'm currently using 2015 MBP, loving it! Sent from the iMore App
  • At least easier to carry around
  • i agree on phones too. I think they can add some thickness and get some more battery. I was gonna keep my 6 without a case but once i bought it it felt so thin i kept squirting out of my hand and i bought a case to make it more comfortable due to the little extra thickness
  • agree 100% with you always these stupid talking about best macbook ever and thinnest macbook ever. i like my macbook air however the screen need an upgrade thats all. i have my USB ports and SD card reader. wish i had HDMi but is ok all these thunderbolt **** remove that and give me HDMi. give it a 999$ price and i am fine.
  • There's nothing wrong in thinness. What's wrong here is the price. And Jony Ive isn't responsible for that. Blame Cook about that.
  • +1
  • I, for one, appreciate the thinness in the MacBook. I don't code on it and I'm not a gamer, but what I do use it for is mainstream business uses - office apps, web, finance, and some e-commerce apps and non-professional photo and video editing (photoshop and final cut user). For those and my frequent travel, it's a great solution at least for the 6 days that I've owned it. Perhaps my acceptance is related to the fact I had the 12" MacBook (travel) in addition to a 15" MacBook Pro (video/photo). The 13" base model is replacing my 12", so my perspective may be different than a user replacing a late model 13". As far the the USB C limitation, I worried about it with the 12" purchase and got a few of the Apple dongles. I also hunted for a good hub with pass through power and ethernet, because that absence worried me. The reality is that I kept putting it off buying the hud because most of them were bad products until I realized that I didn't actually need it. My only true missing connection (with my two apple dongles) is a way to get video in from an old video camera using firewire. There it looks like I'll need two dongles in series to make it work. Again, not a big deal, but I can understand those that complain about the extra expense - I'm not thrilled about it either. I've also read comments here and elsewhere about getting a Windows laptop instead. Good luck. I have a Lenovo Carbon X1 from work and it's OK - but not better than this machine. The keyboard is nice and the screen is good, but it also needs dongles and does not have equivalent battery life in real world use. Besides, Windows 10 still feel awkward to me and it's a privacy and security nightmare. For me, the reality is that Apple made some real compromises here based on addressing the upper middle and lower spectrum of it's users. For true pro users, I see and understand the problems. With Apple's incredible resources, it should have created a true pro model - even if it required keeping the same chassis design of the 2015 models.
  • If waiting for Kaby Lake was all that stood between Apple being able to make a MBP version with more than 16 GB they should have either waited, used some of their $200B in cash to have Intel make it a priority or used Intel being the main supplier of iPhone 8 chips as a carrot/stick. There are Windows laptops shippping soon so why couldn't Apple do the same?
  • should listen to the last macbreak weekly. rene just tried really hard to make a point thinner and lighter. until someone said if i hear one more time thinner and lighter.... PRO user do not care about thinner or lighter. it is power and more power and not 16GB ram or a bad user experience with the keyboard.
    and always " u get used to it with all these dongles and adapters. mac safe was one of the best ports apple had and gone...
  • Rene - The display is 2560x1600 not 1400.
  • I'm with you René.
    I for one am excited by what the future holds. Lack of HDMI, display, USB-A ports is no problem since I usually dock my computer with one cable. I currently own a MBP 15" (2015) and dock to an Elgato Thunderbolt 2 dock.
    That dock is hooked up to a Dell P2715Q 27" 4K monitor, an external USB3 drive, an extra lightning cable for emergency charging and my favourite PSB over ear headphones for when I want peace and quiet in my office environment. My future dream setup would be, one of these beauties hooked up with just ONE cable to that LG 5K monitor they announced and the monitor itself acts as my dock.
    Now just need to be patient to accumulate all these $CAN to buy it. Cheers
  • +1, finally someone who understands what Apple is going for. One cable beats having loads of different ones. Just need the iPhone to have USB-C now instead of Lightning and it'll be awesome
  • Agree completely with this. My only complaint with carrying a new MacBook Pro and a new iPhone is the requirement to have two sets of headphones or carry around and constantly connect / remove dongle if one uses their iPhone a lot but also does online meetings from their Mac.
  • +1, totally agree. Many people look at Apple's changes and forget its all about the future. Imagine 10 years later if we still have audio jack, a cluster-mess of ports on a laptop, we'd all be cavemen ! Apple's is about getting rid of things we dont always use, and accessories makers can sell those addons that [Not Everyone Needs]. This applies to the touch bar, 3.5mm jack, etc Sent from the iMore App
  • Did they not the other day call the 3.5mm jack a dinosaur and then proceed to put one onto the future of laptops?
  • Shh you are using too much common sense. The headphone jack must die... unless it is on the MacBook then it is ok lol.
  • lol! defend that, irobots
  • Unlike the iPhone 7, the MacBook Pro doesn't need to be waterproof.
  • ?? headphone jack has nothing to do with being waterproof...plenty of phones are water resistant and have headphone jacks
  • Well that's a dumb comment Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • iPhone 7 isn't waterproof Sent from the iMore App
  • or you could just not drop your phone in the pool. I've managed all this time.
  • what has the headphone jack to do with waterproof? other phones are waterproof and have it.
  • The headphone jack removal technically has nothing to do with waterproofing although it's possible it could be done more easily when removing the headphone jack. But the main reason the headphone jack was removed was because it's old and limited in what it can do. The Lightning port can do audio and so much more, including doing more with audio and headphones as well
  • if the main reason was that its old and limited then it would have been removed from a Macbook pro that came out a month after iphone 7 and replaced with something more functional as you'd like to spin it as. The presence of headphone jack on macbook pros take a massive dump on your brainwashed argument that it was all about the "future"...well guess what the "future" macbook pro still has a headphone jack.
  • It's still about the future as Apple said in their keynote that the headphone jack is old. They didn't lie, and regardless of whether it's on the Mac or not, it won't be there forever, because the headphone jack is, in fact, old
  • No one is sure why the 3.5mm jack is still on the new Macs, but it will go eventually. Do you really think Macs will continue to have the headphone jack whilst the iPhone doesn't for the next 5 years? It won't stay like that because it would create fragmentation
  • It already has caused fragmentation thanks to Apple's inconsistency and its own internal confusion about what to do. Two products released just a couple months apart (iphone 7 and MBP), one has headphone jack, one doesn't. one has type c, one doesn't. it's a cluster phock.
  • Unfortunately so :(
  • On a notebook you have room available for that. On a smartphone is a totally different matter
  • so you basically admit that this has never been about the "future" as the fanboys claim and its about Apple's inability to fit-in a headphone jack in its new iphones, something that btw no other flagship has no problem with
  • Apple could have fit a headphone jack in the iPhone if they wanted to. They didn't want to, because it was time to move forward and get rid of the old, limited port. Yes, it's still here on the Mac and I'm aware of that before you start parading about how Apple aren't saying it's old because it's on the new Mac. I don't think anyone is sure why it's still on the new Macs, but one thing's for sure is that it won't be on the Mac forever
  • we both know your desperate attempts at defending this Apple thing that you idolize as if your mom owns it is getting no where. if it was about "moving forward" then the new Macbook pros wouldn't have had it either and you know it. the fact that they do have it proves that it wasn't about "moving forward" as they brainwashed you to be.
  • You were literally waiting for Apple to put a headphone jack on the new Macs just so you could restart your campaign of trying to tell everyone that the headphone jack is the best thing since sliced bread. The fact that it's still on the Mac doesn't matter because it won't be forever. The headphone jack is old, get used to it or live in the past, like grandparents who don't know how computers work
  • It is still on the new MacBook Pros because people need to use it. Phil S. from Apple was quoted in a recent interview as saying that Pro users use the port to hook to many different things. I totally agree. And also my new Beats headphone won't plug into any other port.
  • It won't be for forever though, regardless, it's still an old and limited port
  • If it does what is needed and just works then why is it limited? It works with headphones, mics, Credit card readers and other such devices, many types of audio equipment, sensors, etc. It is used by lots of people in business, also personal, hobby, etc. Why do you hate the port so much? If you don't use it fine but many others do use it and depend on it everyday. What do you intend to replace it with right now? People still have to get work done.
  • Preferably USB-C, since it's capable of doing plenty of things and will improve audio fidelity, even the Lightning port is better than the headphone jack port. Why would you need the headphone jack for a credit card reader when there's Apple Pay? And anything audio can be done at a higher quality through a digital port, plus it gives the ability to do more with audio as well, such as other kinds of sensors connected with the audio device. The floppy drive did what was needed and "just worked" at the time it was removed. We can't stay in the same spot forever, we have to move forward
  • Because that is what is being used now and the newer equipment doesn't exist yet. Businesses have to continue to to get work done.
    Yes, we have to move forward but the world cannot stop in the mean time. Funny you mention Floppy drives. You might actually be surprised how many high tech pieces of equipment are in use today which still use them. You don't scrap a $250k machine which is working fine just to update it to USB or whatever else is newer. Most businesses in the US do not make the kind of profit that companies like Apple are able to.
  • The newer equipment doesn't exist yet but forcing people to only be able to use USB-C means that the newer equipment will come much sooner, it's a strategy that has always worked in the past for Apple. And you've just proved my floppy drive point, yes people still use them. Should we still support them though? No, we shouldn't, and this is no different
  • We're not talking about ten years from now. All we want is a little backwards compatibility so we can catch up. Now I have a choice trash all my peripherals or later trash all my dongles. Neither would be necessary if Apple could have thrown us a bone with a USB 3.1 A type port, HDMI, and an SD slot? This gives us our laptop for 5 years and by then the other stuff ages out. I like it when Apple decides when my infrastructure needs to go.
  • I would rather Apple provided the dongles than put ports on the MacBook that are quickly going to become obsolete
  • If everyone keeps putting legacy ports on their devices for "backwards compatibility" then peripheral manufacturers NEVER move forward. And why would they? It costs them more money, and people can still use what they have. Why make a change? Dongles, despite your complaint, ARE the best way forward. Backwards compatibility is for cowards, who don't believe in the future they're claiming is better. All backwards compatibility has ever achieved, is slowing the adoption of successive technologies.
  • Exactly! If we kept putting legacy ports on devices, we'd still be using floppy drives. Apple made the right decision here, it needed to be done to push USB-C forward
  • Exactly jmurgern. New PC motherboards come with USB 3.1 Thunderbolt ports in the USB Style A format. It would have been nice for Apple to include a couple of these as well as the USB-C ports. This is a perfect transition in my opinion. People will still have USB A devices (including the iPhone and iPad) , Thumbdrives, etc. for a few more years. By the time USB C is really the new standard it will be time to get a new MacBook anyway.
    I wonder where everyone expects us to get the money to just scrap and replace our whole infrastructure ?
  • Exactly right. This will be a fairly long transition and a single USB-A port would have been incredibly useful. A good part of the new Apple HQ must be dedicated to dongle storage.
  • I hate to say that but we loyal users should boycott Apple on this... they went too far with this prices, and we are just struggling more and more to afford those products. They will never stop, unless we stop buying.
  • Don't think you should be the one calling for boycotts when you yourself are defending a lack of RAM update in 3 years for a "pro" line of a product. Until people like you make excuses for why things are lacking, Apple will have no problem selling its products
  • Programs haven't really used any more RAM in 3 years, even with editing high quality stuff like 4K videos. If anything, OS/Application updates have decreased the amount of RAM usage, for example the next large Chrome update will decrease the RAM usage on some webpages by up to 50%
  • Just because your candy crush app hasn't needed more RAM doesn't mean professional applications that you're clearly oblivious of haven't either. I gave clear examples of situations that more RAM is needed.
  • Right… so now you assume that I don't use professional applications? As a matter of fact I do, and I've still not reached 16GB even with plenty of stuff open including VMs. It's very unlikely you're going to reach 16GB, not on macOS anyway
  • Depends on what you are doing. I'm sitting here on may Mac right now and it is using 16 GB. I have a VM open with a CAD application running and a couple Mac apps open on the Mac side. I always use up 16 GB or more in routine use. Glad I have 32 available.
  • Sorry, but they are already selling at a record setting pace. Pick up a still very nice and powerful previous model if you can't afford one of the new ones. Or wait for a refurb model. Or, since they will last for many years, realize that the difference spread out over 5 years is less than a fancy cup of coffee once a month.
  • Super Legere implies it's lighter - it isn't it's just slower and cheaper & doesn't have the touchbar. These prices are INSANE - they have to be cutting these and soon.
  • The Geekbench is barely 10% faster than my 12" MacBook. Which model was the Geekbench done on? Seems little point spending double the cash over a 12" for a thicker heavier less portable laptop that is barely any faster.
  • $500 price difference with Macbook Air is not much, considering that there is a $300 difference between MBA and the Retina Macbook. So the difference of $200 between the Retina Macbook and the new 13" Macbook Pro is reasonable. These $200, $300 differences seem "unstable". I think Apple has the intention to bring Retina Macbook down to $999, but **** Macbook Air, it still sells !!!... ;-) Macbook Air prevents the Retina Macbook to get its place at the sub-1000 price point. Apple must get rid of it as soon as the holiday shopping season ends. Apple may still announce a price cut on the Macbook Air, however. If it does, then that will mark the end of life of Macbook Air, after which Retina Macbook will take its true place and proliferate...
  • How can you justify this price is beyond my comprehension... this notebook has absolutely no reason to cost more than previous 13" MacBook Pro cost in 2015 at launch. Absolutely no reason to cost $200 more.
  • The 256 GB one was $1499 in 2015 at launch. Same price for better specs.
  • Its so gorgeous. What a dream it would be to own one. :)
  • Always nice to have the latest. However I picked up a MBP earlier in the year. Think I'll hold on to it for now. Doesn't mean I won't drool over the new ones though :) Excited to go check them out in store.
  • Yeah, I picked up the top of the line 15" MacBook Pro a couple months ago for school and I love it. Even runs Windows 10 like a dream. Runs a few of the 3D modeling and CAD programs without "batting an eye." The new MBP's are really nice. but I'm with you. This easily runs everything I need to to run. I'll hold onto this one for many many years.
  • I just don't get the obsession on Apple's part with making a thinner and thinner laptop. It's almost a capitulation to the lack of doing anything truly revolutionary with the OS, or frankly with the screen. So now thinness has taken away the glowing Apple logo completely for all Mac laptops with a still-viable update cycle. And the cost of that is, as you say, not being able to comprehend at a glance and even at a distance which laptops people are using around you are Apple laptops. I think that's the biggest marketing blunder imaginable. And while it's politically correct these days to say we shouldn't be comparing Apple's current decisions with what Steve Jobs might have done, let's be honest here. Jobs would never have taken that logo away. Or MagSafe, for that matter. It's as if the only things Tim Cook understands are better and better feats of engineering, but not the influential combination of style and usability. It's as if he doesn't get what makes a Mac a Mac in people's hearts. And that's really sad.
  • "...a capitulation to the lack of doing anything truly revolutionary...so now thinness has taken away the glowing Apple logo..." Right, so the glowing Apple logo is more revolutionary than a multi touch retina task function bar. "Jobs would never have taken that logo away". or the floppy disk or the parallel printer port or... "It's as if the only things Tim Cook understands are better and better feats of engineering, but not the influential combination of style and usability. It's as if he doesn't get what makes a Mac a Mac in people's hearts. And that's really sad." Speak for yourself. For me the Mac has always been about usability and improving man machine communication. The new function bar is a work of Genius.
  • Steve wouldn't have taken away the glowing logo. It wasn't old-fashioned, it was an iconic thing on the Mac. The new function bar looks fantastic though, and I am glad that the old ports are gone. On with the future!
  • Let me start by saying I'm an original Mac proponent. I had the first 128K Mac, upgraded to a Mac Plus, then to a Mac SE. I currently have a 13" MacBook Air, 13" Macbook Pro, and an iMac. So I'm not a Windows Troll. Having said all that, if yesterday's MacBook Pro announcements are any indication of where Apple is going with Macs, my next computer will likely be a PC running Windows or Linux. I'm done with Apple ignoring professional-level users (designers, photographers, videographers, scientists, engineers, etc.) in favor of consumer-level toys with a focus on "thin and light!" We need performance and expandability, NOT thin and light! Apple: you're losing the very customer base that created you. And apparently, you don't even care. You're more interested in being politically correct and becoming another Sony than in producing cutting-edge tools for professionals. Too bad. Fortunately, there's a lot of options out in the PC world. The real interesting announcements this week were from, of all people, Microsoft, with their new Surface Studio and Surface Notebook. These computers absolutely put Apple to shame, and it's pretty clear Cook and Ive are no Steve Jobs. I've watched Apple go down the consumer electronics drain steadily since Jobs passed on, and it looks like they're headed for the same black hole as Sony! Me? I'm probably done with Apple.
  • How are Apple ignoring professional-level users? They've updated the hardware and provided the Touch Bar which has the potential to greatly increase productivity for not just users who do basic things like browse the internet but also for professional users, for example it works with Final Cut Pro and no doubt other professional applications will receive support soon.
  • updated hardware? the 2016 MBP still the max amount of RAM than my 3 year old macbook pro which becomes crippled running statistical analysis that windows laptops with 32gb of RAM run with a breeze
  • Btw, the processor is also last spring's.
  • So what? What processor should Apple use?
  • You should educate yourself a little better. There are no other processor available with Iris Pro Graphics. Blame Intel for that. Their release schedule is utterly ridiculous....
  • Sounds like you're the one that needs to educate himself a little better. First of all, the 13" macbook pros aren't using Intel Iris "pro" Graphics (and 15" isn't using iris graphics at all), they are using regular Iris graphics (models 540 and 550) which are all 2015 i5 cpu generations. Intel has already released its i5 Intel with iris PRO graphics in Q1 of 2016 that comes with GPU model 580 so yes there were newer processors available with iris graphics that Apple could have used.
  • That depends not on the amount of RAM but uniquely on you. If you don't hold all the simulated data sets in memory at once you can do it with 16 GB of RAM as well.
  • that made no sense. Most statistical softwares write to RAM first as it's much quicker then they spill over to the disk space which is much more slower and sluggish
  • There is no disk in Macbook Pro, read again the specs. There is SSD, and 3x faster than the previous models. No one can say "much more slower and sluggish" for such an SSD.
  • calm down,by disk i was generally referring to the internal storage drive. Reading and writing to RAM is atleast 2-3 times faster and up to 10 times faster depending on what benchmark you look at than reading and writing to SSD so yes it is "much more slow and sluggish "
  • By adding more RAM you create more memory management load. You know, things like moving memory blocks around to create more continuous free space, compressing memory etc. At least the SSD has no such runtime burden, the optimization of it can be done asynchronously. Heat is another issue. More RAM -> more heat -> CPU throttling...
  • Thats all dandy, but the end result remains the same...a task that uses RAM only finishes much faster than a task that has to write write half of the task on RAM and half on SSD. even if a alternate universe that you find a statistical software that is capable of completely bypassing RAM, and write everything on SSD, still 100% SSD loses out to 100% RAM
  • You've begun with "Macbook Pro crippled" and you've ended with "RAM much faster". No one would deny that 32 GB may be apparently faster. That doesn't mean that 16 GB is "crippled", inability and slowness are not the same thing. You try to evaluate the performance of a newly released Macbook Pro based on your experience with your three year old model, just because of the same amount of RAM, ignoring all the hardware and OS improvements in three years. Benchmarks will be published and the new machines will shine. Do yourself a favor and just try to see what you may be missing...
  • I stated a fact, which is, in 3 years, the amount of RAM hasn't changed. I have also seen the massive difference in 16gb and 32gb of RAM in performing intensive statistical tasks when everything else is constant. You attempted to tell me having a SSD makes up for lack of RAM and i corrected you. I have brought my MBP with 16gb of RAMs to a near freeze many times with intensive-enough tasks that were done swiftly on 32gb RAM windows laptops with equivalent CPU and internal drive speeds. If your argument has been now been reduced to being a vocabulary detective, I think we're done here.
  • Who says RAM requirements have to raise year over year? Actually isn't true. RAM requirements slowed down in the last 3/4 years. Today 8 GB are enough for most of the tasks, and 16 GB are ok even for heavy duty. 32 GB are a somewhat niche requirement.
  • Year over year? it's been 3 years and its still the same RAM. People were saying hardware is fully upgraded and i stated RAM hasn't. Tagging a price tag of $2500+ to a laptop that has the same RAM as it's 3 year old predecessor is a bit silly, especially as i outlined there is a real difference in 16 and 32gb of RAM when it comes to intensive tasks.
  • Here you go XperImnenT http://www.imore.com/why-doesnt-new-macbook-pro-have-32-gb-ram
  • I upvoted you, despite the couple of downvotes. I agree 100%
  • Microsoft has come out with a touch-screen iMac, which seems like a no-brainer for Cintiq users who are OK with Windows; as for me, I'd like an iPad pro in that form factor, since it could use the Apple pencil and all of my beautiful iOS apps (notably music apps from synths to DAWs to control surfaces to effects to score editors - all of them are simply better on a multitouch display, and score editing is a killer app for the Apple pencil.) Microsoft's design echoes the iMac, though it's more like a high-resolution version of the Lenovo Ideacentre. Apple has so far rejected the drafting-table form factor (which Microsoft embraced starting with the first large-format Surface prototypes) so I wouldn't expect a touchscreen iMac any time soon. On the other hand, Apple adopted a Surface-style keyboard for the iPad, for better or worse. If the Surface Studio catches on, we may see Apple rethinking its opposition to large-format multitouch displays for mac OS and/or iOS devices. We might also see a Nintendo-DS style MacBook Pro where that giant trackpad turns into an OLED multitouch display.
  • It sounds like you might benefit from taking a break from the Apple ecosystem and exploring a bit. I'm a huge fan of Apple devices but it's interesting to see how other design choices work out in practice, and the most personally accurate way to do so is to use them for your own workflow over an extended period of time. Then you can see what you like better, and what you miss (if anything.) Microsoft and Google moving toward a more Apple-like approach of hardware and software integration should provide both a better user experience and more credible competition for Cupertino.
  • "... Apple ignoring professional-level users (designers, photographers, videographers, scientists, engineers, etc.) in favor of consumer-level toys with a focus on "thin and light!" We need performance and expandability ..." On a notebook 4 x Thunderbolt 3 gives you absurd levels of performance and expandability. There is no other notebook on the market that can come close to that level of I/O performance.
  • "On a notebook 4 x Thunderbolt 3 gives you absurd levels of performance and expandability." No, it doesn't when NONE of the current shops have ANY peripherals that connect to the ONE interface (Thunderbolt-3). I'm in the entertainment industry and consult for various companies; almost all Apple shops just suddenly paused because none of their expensive and extensive hardware is compatible with the new MacBooks (all 4K monitors use TB2, all Gig-Ethernet dongles connect to TB2 or USB3, external storage is either USB3 or TB2, and all video cameras record to SD cards or Red Stations (with USB, FW, and/or TB2 interfaces)). There's a reason we don't use Macbooks (12"), and that's because they can't natively connect to ANY OF OUR HARDWARE -- not even the myriad amounts of MagSafe power adapters strewn about everywhere will work now.
  • When USB 3 came, did you throw out all your USB 2 peripherals? The same for Thunderbolt 3, why wouldn't you connect a TB 2 or USB 3 peripheral to a TB 3 port? It supports both. Myriad amounts of MagSafe adapters exist only in Apple's backyard with their broken cables.
  • When USB3 came, USB1 and 1.1 and 2 were still physically compatible so it allowed us time to phase the old technology out while retaining functionality. When mini-display port became TB/TB2, the cables/connectors were physically compatible, thus allowing organizations time to phase the old technology out while retaining functionality. Right now, I can have people go from desk to desk to conference room to table and only carry their laptop -- all the peripherals hook right up. When the new machines start to come in, that will no longer be the case, pure and simple. Worse than that, NONE of the existing peripherals will work... NONE, since the only port on the MBP is TB3 -- whether it has five hundred ports or two is irrelevant, they're still ALL DIFFERENT from every MacBook released since the late 1990s This is Apple's problem: form over function. No one can argue the new machines aren't great-looking (most of their HW, to be frank), but they still have to work at a certain level. When you have an organization with over 200 people and 4 times that number in computers and peripherals, you don't just say "Hey, no big deal, we'll just buy all new adapters." It's worse as that number increases -- it begins to cost organizations money with all that wasted time. The new systems are different enough that it's almost like having Apple shops start buying Windows machines -- they'd still allow data to be transferred back-and-forth, but the logistics of maintaining disparate systems starts becoming an unnecessary waste of time.
    _________ On the other side, however, here's something interesting: the new MBPs now have no proprietary connectors whatsoever. That means I can buy one of those external laptop power banks and plug it right in... I like that.
  • Ah, I get it: you have a plug issue. The plugs of the existing hardware do not go into those new holes. Managing both the personnel and the plugs/dongles is certainly a difficult task.
  • They only need to buy everyone dongles if they are buying everyone a new laptop. I've never, ever seen a company make a decision to replace every laptop in one go simply because their choosen manufacturer brought out a new one.
  • You miss my point; we're not buying everyone a new computer... but every new computer we buy going forward is NOT PORT-COMPATIBLE with ANY of the EXISTING infrastructure. An infrastructure that is NOT small, and NOT cheap. 1. All of our 4K monitors, thus all of our cables: mDP/TB2.
    2. All of our power supplies: MagSafe2 (almost exclusively, not counting desktop power supplies for iMacs or Mac Pros).
    3. All of our USB keys: USB-A.
    4. All of our cameras: SD-cards or USB-A dock stations.
    5. All of our Gig-E dongles: TB2
    6. All of our connections to the editing bays/RAID storage: TB2
    7. We have meeting rooms with HDMI inputs for watching HD pre-prod content. So now, when you get a new MBP, we need to get you at LEAST 3 dongles that you need to carry with you... (Gig-E to TB3, USB-A to TB3, and if there's a MagSafe2 to TB3, that, too) and a few more that you need to have available to you...
  • Dongles are just for the transition period, soon all of those products will be using USB-C, and Apple will be a driving force to making it happen
  • Even Londo Mollari agree with your comment
  • Surface studio and surface book are also overpriced products....
  • I'll stick with my Early 2015 MBP 13 purchased in November of last year. Definitely will play with one at the store, for what I need and do with a computer, I can hold out for a very long time.
  • I don't think the MacBook pro without the touch bar can be called a superlegere version of the MacBook pro. While it is light on features, it still retains the same weight, is slower in performance and cheaper than the MacBook pro with touch bar
  • There are many professionals who need to carry more than one computer or device at once. So don't humiliate thin and light as "consumer-level toys" and don't humiliate consumers as well treating their devices as "toys". Not every profession is as comfy as your desk. Give a pilot cabin, a business vehicle some credit... Thin and light is not a marketing snobism, it is a necessity of the modern civilian life.
  • Maybe you need to spend some more time in the gym if you thought that the laptops need to be any lighter. They are already featherweight.
  • Or maybe you should get out and travel more instead of sitting in your parents basement all day?
  • If you compare the "MacBook" to the "MacBook Pro", there's a fair bit of weight difference. Anything that can be made lighter is a bonus
  • I for one am super excited for the new MacBook pros. I guess since my current MacBook pro is 6 years old I am a bit more acceptable to buying new cables and accessories. (Hopefully I will be able to get usb c to HDMI,micro usb and usb A). The price hike will definitely sting the wallet a little bit though
    Personally i have my eye on the 15" MacBook pro
  • Palm rejection works perfectly in my previous gen MacBook pro. I am sure the new one will have no issues.
  • Great write-up. I wonder what the future holds for the 12 inch MacBook. The price is very similar to the base model MacBook Pro. Also, I'm dying to see how Logic Pro makes use of the Touch Bar. Can see it being incredibly handy.
  • Where'd the microphones end up? There are no longer pinholes on the side for them.
  • Hey all, new to the community. I thought I'd join and share my thoughts. While I think the new screen is quite promising, especially with the expanded colour gamut and the touch bar is interesting (no opinion until I've used it and quite frankly I do most of my design and video production work with my MacBook Pro docked and connected to a Cinema Display, so I'm wondering how useful it really will be from a creative capacity.) What I'm totally flummoxed about is Apple's apparent lack of care or concern over integration with their other devices and Ive's obsession with "thinner is better". First on the cables, Apple has sold hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads, all which use USB-A as their main power and data transfer interface. There are USB-A outlets everywhere. In homes, in airports, on airplanes, everywhere except where I need one for my day-to-day work. On the new MacBook Pro. There isn't even a "dongle" or adapter to connect with. I travel a lot, and I regularly use my 2015 MacBook Pro to charge my phone when I'm on the road. Sometimes there just aren't any power outlets available. Additionally, with my new iPhone 7 - I have no way to connect it to the new MacBook Pro and no way to use the new headphones to connect and listen to music on the new MacBook Pro either. It's a complete miss with regards to device integration - recognizing we are in a transition period - Airdrop and bluetooth aren't currently enough to suffice my needs to device interoperability. I'll also be challenged to find an adapter or dongle that will allow me to connect my Apple Cinema display to one of these new MacBook Pros. It uses MagSafe, Thunderbolt 2 and USB to interface with my Mac today. I'm not prepared to drop more than $5,000 CDN on both a new MacBook Pro and a new display. With regard to the focus on thinness - I can't understand why the pursuit to build the thinnest device can come at the expense of practicality or usability? In order to get the new iPhone 7 thinner, I suspect Apple had to remove the headphone jack. And in order to get the new MacBook Pro thinner - no more MagSafe power connector? Now we're connecting with USB-C which is not forgiving when a child or pet or clumsy coworker crosses in front of your MacBook sitting on your lap while you're working. Wasn't that the reason for the MagSafe in the first place? To better meet the needs of portable Mac users who had to power up, but didn't want to trip up others? I'm pretty disappointed with the announcement. I've been on the Apple platform since 1998. If a scrappy young startup hit the scene with a new vision for computing, I'd be tempted to jump. I had a look at Microsoft's announcement and I like a lot of what they're saying, but their new devices are also really expensive. It doesn't make any sense to risk abandoning the Mac platform just yet. I hope I get over this disappointment and warm up to the I/O challenge Apple has presented. Rant over, thanks for reading.
  • "First on the cables, Apple has sold hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads, all which use USB-A as their main power and data transfer interface." Untrue. All of the recent ones use Lightening. You just used a lightening to USB-A lead because you were connecting to a USB-A device. So now you can use a lightening to USB-C lead to connect to a USB-C device. What is your problem? There are USB-A outlets everywhere. In homes, in airports, on airplanes, everywhere except where I need one for my day-to-day work. On the new MacBook Pro.
  • And a month ago they didn't know that and still shipped USB-A to lightning cable with iPhone 7?!
  • I agree with the commenter, you sell a thousand dollar phone for a three thousand dollar laptop and I can't even connect the two without paying more money, Apple should offer a trade in for anyone with a 6s or 7 phone, one USB A cable for a new USB C/ lightning cable. I have been a fanboy since the Apple IIc and I am really disappointed buy this laptop. It's the Pro all over again, dongle and cable he'll. It wouldn't have killed them to put a USB A/3.1 port on this device.
  • I am looking at spending over $5000 CAD too for a new MacBook Pro, external adapter box, and monitor. I am disappointed at the cost and features that I feel I don't need, but I need the equipment to earn a living. I hope the Thunderbolt/USB-C is adopted in the long run, but yes, the interim is a dongle mess.
  • The interim unfortunately will happen with any company that moves over to a new port or standard. It's annoying but USB-C will be adopted properly soon
  • Except other companies recognize your investment in the past and at least give you 1 generation to adapt.
  • The word "adapt" is in the word adapter, hence why adapters exist, to adapt your old cables to the new ones
  • Well said.
  • Welcome. One quick point of correction. You're mistaken that ports are being changed for "thinness" sake. For example, you posit that Apple removed the legacy 3.5 mm port in the iPhone 7 to make it thinner. The iPhone 7 isn't thinner. It's the same thickness as the 6s. Apple made it clear that it wanted that space to include other things, such as a larger battery, larger Taptic engine, and better water resistance. Apple also is trying to migrate to a wireless future. As far as MagSafe, while there are those who didn't like it and are glad it was removed, I hope Apple finds a way to bring it back, but clearly removing it had nothing to do with thinness as the new laptops could still easily accommodate it.
  • MagSafe was good and bad, though that's the nature of magnets. Great for stopping accidents from happening, but it also meant that with the littlest of force it could disconnect. Some way of choosing to have it on the new MacBooks would be great
  • i think apple has no more macbook for students because there are not so many students they can afford a 1400$ laptop. maybe apple does not want to target the younger generation. a lot will end up with a chromebook and from there make up there mind.
    i have a macbook air and love it because of the ports USB and SD card reader but apple try to make it thinner and thinner for what coast? some people just want a good mac with enough power to work on there gopro videos and watch some movies when traveling. even the macbook is not for me because lack of ports. can not charge or transfer my iphone data on it. apple is his own enemy with not giving us things we want.
  • Why can't you transfer your iphone data on the Macbook? There is wifi, you no longer need a cable for that. And I bet your iPhone is a 4K capable one... You shoot beautiful 4K videos but cannot watch them because you reject the 4K capable Macbook...
  • well the first time you need to plug it inside before you can transfer data or? i always put it on my dock beside my iMAC.
  • Think about what you are saying. Apple is all about targeting the younger generation. Most of their ad campaigns are targeting younger people, not those in your age group. It might open your eyes to walk onto any college campus and see what most students are using. Maybe that's why you don't get it, and why you can't understand that Apple continues to own most of the profits despite your railing against them.
  • I agree. When I went to University there were so many people with Macs, and iPhones too. Apple products seem to be very popular in student culture
  • At least your honest Rene. I can't help but feel let down after yesterday's announcement. Thinner and touch bar. It beyond that, nothing really exciting or groundbreaking. It's a little concerning that Microsoft seems to be doing a lot more right than Apple as of late, at least in the computer areas. Oh and the removal of the lighted logo sucks. Sent from the iMore App
  • Microsoft just tries to undo the damage it created five years ago starting that "convertibles" frenzy. Don't feel let down and don't worry so much about thinness. The real thin one is the Retina Macbook because people wanted full OS X power in the footprint of an iPad. And Apple replied with another breakthrough in mobile computing: a laptop full Intel, full OS X without fans. Touch Bar is a serious commitment, not an "Intel Inside" hologram, but you may qualify it as "TouchID Inside" hologram ;-) Beyond that, nothing really exciting or groundbreaking, but this is their business to issue an update, they had to do that. Still they issued an update more surprising than an incremental one. Thunderbolt 3 is not nothing...
  • My Mid-2013 MacBook Air is still very fast and I don't store much on it (I use google drive). I can't imagine ever shelling out $1,500 for a MacBook Pro. I also love the edge of the MacBook Air, especially in the bed or at my desk. I'm also not sold on the gimmicky looking bar. I still think Apple makes the best computers, period.
  • I also loathe thunderbolt. Not a single USB port?
  • As you said so well on top, not everyone needs Macbook Pro nor Thunderbolt. But in this age of 4K video, where even the simplest iPhone SE is capable of, one cannot blame Apple for implementing Thunderbolt 3 in the Pro line to drive more than one 4K monitor. Retina Macbook has USB-C, not Thunderbolt.
  • "You can charge over either USB-C port, and connect to any Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C peripheral, but for anything else you'll need an adapter dongle." Simply not true. Just use an appropriate cable. Want to connect your iPhone 7? use a USB-C to Lightening cable. No dongle required.
  • Sure and spend an extra $35 after you already paid a ton. Most companies give you a cable that works with the most prevalent hardware, since they may not make computers. Apple really has no excuse here since they do both and boast about interoperability.
  • I've never been given any cables with any computer apart from charging. Of course, if you mean the charging lead for the iPhone then I would think that iPhone owners that don't have the new MacBooks vastly outnumber those that do which means Apple are supplying the cable for the prevalent hardware.
  • The touch pad I think is the most interesting of the features. Since I see things like microsoft surface trying to make digs at Apple for the whole 2 in 1 "advantage" Sent from the iMore App
  • I don't have any questions for you. All I want to say is that I really want one of those new Macs! Sent from the iMore App
  • I've never been so disappointed. I'm so glad I grabbed a late 2014 MBPr 13". Ridiculous price less useful ports. Sent from the iMore App
  • The ports are just as useful… yeah you need adapters now but when manufacturers move to USB-C soon you won't
  • Why are you disappointed? You don't need the new Macbooks, yours is already good, which will prevent you from buying a new one a couple of years more...
  • I like the idea behind the one size fits all ports but it is true that the transition to USB-c is might be weird without Apple providing some kind of adapter in the box.
  • Apple dropped the "Pro" from MacBook Pro.
    Now it's just a MacBook with steroids. Sent from the iMore App
  • What are you talking about? It's still a Pro machine
  • No. It really isn’t.
    Mind you, Pro machine might mean one trick pony in which case you may be correct.
    To me a pro machine is one that not only performs well but has a myriad of compatibility and versatility. That Macbook/MacPro/Mac Mini that in most cases you can’t add RAM to, upgrade drives on etc. etc. it’s just an appliance.
  • I really don't know why all are telling it's boring...
    It's an performance with all this good features.
    Same as they talking bout iPhone 7!!!
    But iPhone 7 got the best hardware plus best software ... Sent from the iMore App
  • Space Gray looks great! Is there any chance that these will eventually be available in the matte black from the iPhone 7? Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Doesn't look like it, the colors have already been decided as you can see on Apple's website
  • Simplemente me encanta Sent from the iMore App
  • ¡A mí también! :)
  • I was very excited about the new MacBook pro and I planned on ordering one the second it became available.
    However, I heard that it is a similar keyboard to the MacBook 12 inch. The macbook's keyboard absolutely sucks.
    I own one, and I hate the key board. Worst keyboard I ever used. Now apple wants to adopt this on other models?! Common!
  • It's the second generation of the new keyboard, so you might want to try it out first before you make up your mind.
  • i was listen to a podcast and a lot people do not like the butterfly keyboard. even if you have all the money in the world you can not get the macbook you like.
  • As I said, wait until you have a chance to use the second generation of it.
  • Kingsweb, I have both and while, I don't love the MacBook 12 keyboard, I think it's ok. The new MBP 13 keyboard is a little better. I'm not sure if it has actually has more physical travel, but it's feedback is better and as a touch typist, I have a better accuracy rate on it. I think it is personal preference and how open you are to change. I like a old style mechanical keyboard, but for long sprints of typing, I find the smaller amount of travel less fatiguing.
  • Hope we do not see a review because not sure if I can read it. Because anything Apple does is so good. When I read the review from the iPhone i felt like why would someone tell everything is amazing when I fact it is not. MacBook is not bad but it is enough for such a price tag? That is how the review should end no matter how you feel about it. Sent from the iMore App
  • The iPhone 7 is great, the screen could have been improved but apart from that I didn't see any other negatives to it
  • I'm thinking this machine is the only option I have for staying with MacBooks as a 2012 MBA owner. The touch bar would nice but ultimately it's not like there's anything that I can't do in some other way without it. 2 ports isn't really enough as they'll always have power and an external display connected to them for me but I'll just have to suck it up and get a dongle..
    These machines are definitely over-priced and yet I don't know what else comes close in terms of quality. At work I've got a new HP Elitebook; it looks a bit like a MacBook but the touchpad is temperamental and the keyboard only registers key presses when it wants to.
    Not sure whether to go for the i5 or i7 processor at the moment. Would like to see some benchmarks to see if it's worth paying for i7. My MBA (2012) does have an i7, but I assume that even the i5 in the new machine given 4 years of progress should be a chunk faster
  • Oh, man. Suddenly I want the 15". That screen!
  • I don't care about ports (two are more than enough for me). I don't care about lack of touch bar (a wonderful gimmick but still a gimmick). This is a great machine, but the price is outrageously ridiculous. I am a big Apple fan. You can call me fanboy if you wish. But this time Apple has to fail, because they have lost connection with the real world. This base model should be priced at $1299 (€1499 in Europe).
  • Excellent article, do you think we will see any apps that will allow Touch ID access without touch bar? I'm more excited about the lager trackpad than the new
    touch bar.
    Thanks
  • How would you use Touch ID without the Touch Bar when the Touch Bar is what incorporates Touch ID?
  • l don't know what this obsession is with thinness since I have no problem carrying my Air around. But it's too expensive. Guess I will set this one out.
  • Apple's obsession with thinness is just one of the things that makes Apple, Apple. For them it's an exciting challenge to see how thin they can make a machine using incredibly intricate manufacturing techniques and small chips, whilst removing obsolete hardware such as the optical drive. I think Apple does it more for their own pleasure rather than providing a benefit to customers, but to anyone who appreciates light and thin computers then it will benefit them too
  • Their obsession with thinness enabled them to develop a MacBook Air that you get to carry around all day without breaking your back.
  • I'm intrigued by the new direction. I agree with those who lament the loss of magsafe - it has saved my and my wife's computers from a fall on several occasions. I've now seen several people saying that the touch bar is just the beginning of the changes that are coming, and I'm really curious as to what those engineers and designers have in mind (especially given that Apple is very much not unifying iOS and macOS). I even wonder what Apple thinks laptops are *for* now that tablets and phones are powerful enough to accomplish some pretty serious work. Also, selfishly, I'm hoping they quickly move to release a Magic Keyboard with touch bar for my iMac at work!
  • Their laptops are still the only devices which have proper development applications on them, such as Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Xcode, Atom text editor. You can't run a web server on an iPad (as far as I know) either. If you're just doing office work or possibly graphics design, you could use the iPad, but any development further than that requires a Mac
  • Wow,now you have to pay more,not just a little more,but way more & you can't even plug your iPhone into this MacBook! I wonder what Steve Jobs would think of this idea. Wasn't he all about keeping it simple for the consumer,so that everything just works smoothly? Well in my opinion this is just making it way more complicated & costly. For all the portability gained with these thinner laptops,I now have the inconvenience of having to carry more cables & adaptors around with me. Sorry,but I'm not happy with the new iteration of the MacBook & will express my displeasure by buying something else. I get that a lot of thought went into the creation of these devices,but I don't think a priority was how does the consumer want to use this device & that right there is the difference. Steve Jobs gave us great devices,but he was also prepared to learn from us,how we used & wanted to use these devices. From what he learnt,he would make them better & if he told us how something should work,it was because he truly believed it himself & believed we would love it too. Now Apple is just telling us how they think we r going to be using these devices,wether we like it or not. That's not cool! Sent from the iMore App
  • Going to USB-C is a good change, yes it means adapters _for now_, though soon many USB-C accessories and devices will be released so adapters won't be needed anymore
  • Never had a Macbook before so I think this perfect!
  • *former Microsoft user* Microsoft has surpassed Apple in hardware innovation. These are just the same laptops but with improved (but not fully up-to-date) specs for truly terrible prices. The touch bar is redundant and gimicky, pointlessly dividing the user’s focus a fourth way (between touchpad, keyboard, touchbar, and screen), making the user focus more on the base than the screen for input, ultimately cutting productivity (they could have made the screen touch-sensitive to correct this). The keyboard is shallower, making accuracy more difficult. The batteries are smaller to fit the smaller chassis, notwithstanding software improvements to reportedly keep up battery-life (though they could have kept the former laptop size and increased the battery-life). Dongles shipped with the most recent iPhones (and I assume other Apple products) are incompatible - and there are too few ports anyway (not even an SD card slot), already making these MacBooks so-called ‘DongleBooks’. Even the extremely beneficial and inventive MagSafe is gone. All this for thinness and lightness, which, practically-speaking, are no longer impressive, but impede actual user productivity. Nor are these ‘pro’ laptops anymore: they’re more like dilettantish and ‘cool’ handbag products than the practical workhorses they’ve until now been reputed to be. Apple has lost both its sense of detail and the larger picture for hardware - and, infuriatingly, except for the 2015 MBP update and the iPhone SE (a refresh of the iPhone 5 of a few years earlier), there hasn’t been a single piece of new Apple hardware in the last two years that I’ve wanted to buy. I’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t end up being Apple’s biggest mistake in recent years. refresh The only things keeping me from returning to Microsoft is Windows 10 and its incomplete hardware ecosystem. The Surface Book is gorgeous; but Windows phones are buggy and unreliable and have too few features (more and more unlike the desktop version), and Windows is, overall, less intuitive anyway. This is a frustrating middle-ground on which to be, where everyone is reluctantly waiting for Microsoft to finally make Apple look dated and ‘sexless’. With the Surface Studio, but for Windows 10 itself, they nearly have. Panos Panay and the other Microsoft leadership, however, are not Steve Jobs - though the same is now obviously true, with respect to almost all of their recent hardware, of Tim Cook and Apple’s leadership. But Satya Nadella has at least made Microsoft more viable, and there seems to be increasingly more potential for Microsoft, whereas Apple is seemingly in decline of real tech novelty and pragmatism. Not gonna lie, this is a very unhappy tech boy.
  • I agree. I live in both worlds, but am starting to question my devotion to Apple. I use Win10 and once you get used to it, it's pretty good. How it adapts to compatibility to Android may very well decide my future phone and tablet decisions leading the way for my departure from Apple. Right now interoperability is the thing keeping me in Apple's camp, but I'm getting tired of Apple's willingness to throw my money in the toilet, ie Aperture, Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro, Thunderbolt ports, SD ports, USB ports, internal upgradability and so on. FireWire was the only time Apple seemed to recognize a transition period was needed to phase out the port. I had a wad of cash sitting waiting for at least a spec refresh, who wants to pay the Apple Tax for specs 3 years old, CPU, GPU. Now I'm soul searching whether or not to just go back to Microsoft, at least I have a wide range of hardware to pick from, and about $1000 to spend on software I've wanted to get. Really disappointed with Apple's baby and bath water approach to its customers.
  • Sorry if I'm repeating myself, Microsoft is just striving to undo the damage they created under Steve Ballmer's management by starting that "convertibles" frenzy that rolled the computing industry several years back. Surface Studio is just a good old PC, not groundbreaking, as digital drawing canvases exist since more than two decades. Both Surface Studio and Surface Book are already Apple patents dating from 2010 and 2012. By the way we can't deny Microsoft's honesty in that they don't fool their buyers by putting a "desktop RAM" into the Surface Book, like many other PC makers do with their 32GB notebooks. Microsoft and Apple are just two drivers going on the same technology highway in different vehicles. Good products from Microsoft will make Apple users just happy. We use their Windows on our bootcamped Macs.
  • I'm not ready to class the Touch Bar as a gimmick yet, from what I've read and seen it looks like it could be incredibly useful, but I will wait to see how people find it after a few months of usage. There also needs to be good application support too
  • I like others lament the loss of magsafe, saved my old Macbook Pro a few times and I thought it was brilliant idea. In addition Phil Schiller stated they don't design for price but for user experience, how is that possible when folks can no longer connect a USB thumb drive, use USB storage, pull photos off an SD card? That to me is the space where the Personal Computer still lives. Were I in the market, I would be all over that refurb store just so my "user experience" is better. Touch bar is clever, but to price yourself completely out of the Student marketplace is really unwise. This however will not last, Apple always prices their newest designs high then lower the prices in a year or two.
  • I've got to give it to Apple, their design team in fantastic. Such a gorgeous looking thing. :D
    However, their I/O team needs to all be fired. LOL
  • Using purely USB-C on the MacBook is a good step forward, but the iPhone 7 should be using USB-C as well and should have had a USB-C charging cable in preparation for the release of these Macs
  • Yes this totally needs a parallel and serial port. Wait it's not 1992 - it's surprising it has more than 1 port - it's 2016.
  • Exactly, I can't fathom why you'd want big ugly old ports on a new slim Mac, especially when USB-C can do what these other ports did
  • Plugging the iPhone to the new Thunderbolt 3 Macbooks and to the Retina Macbook: Actually you don't have to. There is iCloud Backup for those who don't want to pay for USB-C to Lightning cable. So these users are not left without solution thanks to iCloud Backup. If you prefer cabled USB connection instead you have to buy the USB-C to Lightning cable from Apple to sync your iPhone via USB. There is only one instance which imposes a cabled connection of your iPhone to the new Macs: recording the iPhone screen in Quicktime Player X on the Mac. Gamers need this to record their iOS gameplay to push to YouTube in order to collect advertising monies. You need to buy a USB-C to Lightning cable to record the iOS screen in Quicktime Player X on the Mac (not tested since the new Macbook Pro is not available to me yet. This issue deserves a separate article in iMore). For more information see Apple's support document "Connect with Thunderbolt 3 on your late-2016 MacBook Pro":
    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207256
  • You can also transfer files via AirDrop, which has improved a lot as of Sierra/iOS 10
  • Picked up my 13" MacBook Pro Retina 256 gig. about 7 months ago from Apple directly. I knew they were coming out with a refreshed/redesigned one at some point this year. But couldn't wait... had to get a new laptop. I was honestly hoping I wouldn't end up getting mad at myself and being somewhat jealous of the new models. Well, all I can say is that I am very happy I got what I got, when I got it! I love my MacBook and after seeing the new one, have absolutely no regrets and zero bad feelings about it. I suspect I would be a bit upset if I were into graphics or what one might call a true "power user"... but I simply use my laptop for my everyday business needs.... MS Word, PowerPoint, emails, messages, web surfing, etc. I would have little to no use for the "touch bar" and the loss of the USB ports, memory card, etc. would not be a good thing. I suspect I will have this MacBook for many years to come. After all, I have an 11 year old iMac that continues to work like it was brand new!
  • No MagSafe and USB c only, sad day for me, I'll probably go for an old spec 13 or 15 inch refurb for my next upgrade then Razer will get my cash, as much as I love OS X I feel they've dropped the ball on i/o this time, MagSafe has saved me too many times to mention.
  • When your USB-C or TB 3 cable breaks, your loss is only a few bucks. But if your MagSafe cable breaks, your loss is $79.00, you need to replace the whole adapter.
  • Hmm, how about this, MagSafe keeps your Mac on desk, USB-C results on Mac in pieces on floor, oops and another $2300 CAD gone.
  • Griffin sells a nagsafe usb-c cable.
  • while MagSafe was nice and undoubtedly saved many a computer...how about just being more careful in your surroundings and take some responsibility for that?
  • I am the owner of a MBP 17" Mid 2010 model and a newer MacBook Air which my wife uses but I sure will hate when my 17" MBP gives up the ghost and I don't know if I will replace it or not with another because Apple is moving in a direction that I personally am concerned about. I may buy another Apple Mac but with Windows 10 I actually purchased a Windows 2 in 1 laptop computer and in fact am using it as I type this in so there is something to be said about small platforms but having both I still have to say that I prefer the Mac with the OSX applications to even Windows 10 programs but the difference isn't as much as it used to be years ago and now I don't know that Apple is moving that far ahead. I still prefer Apple but I believe that Microsoft and Windows is making far more progress than Apple in the last few years and quite soon, if things don't change, then they will surely catch Apple.
  • "catch Apple" in what respect? There are already more people using Windows devices than Macs, so Microsoft is already "winning" in that regard, however in the graphics/music industry, Macs are a standard and that isn't going to change any time soon
  • I just get the imac several month ago..But really love the new macbook pro with touch bar.
  • This MacBook Pro will be my next NoteBook, Thank you for the great review :)
  • double the sized tracked, and we have speaker grills back. Those with smallish hands may get "lost"
  • I can't see why it'd be any more difficult to use with small hands, you don't need to move your finger all the way along the trackpad to move the mouse, you go as far as you can reach then go back and move your finger in the same direction again. There are only benefits to a larger trackpad, for everyone
  • Touch bar! hahaha lmao! Sure let me take my hand off the mouse or pad to touch dumb button on the touch bar... Dumb ***** lol
  • The Touch Bar looks great, I don't know what you're smoking, but most likely you're just one of the many trolls on here. By the way, you can still use the Touch Bar without taking your hand off the mouse or trackpad, you have two hands, remember?
  • Did you see the price of the 15 inch?, for that kind of money I would rather have the Surface Studio, Microsoft is the innovator now and Apple has fallen so far behind in every category they may never catch up and they have balls charging those HIGH prices yet being behind everyone else, Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave.
  • The surface studio starts at 3K with a i5 processor and 8 gb of ram. the surface book with performance base starts at the same price as the macbook pro 15 inch
  • I don't see how Microsoft are innovating any more than Apple. If you're talking about the touch-screen computer combination, there are still plenty of applications on Windows not supported for touch-screen, which makes the Surface experience with touch-screen somewhat limited, whereas you can buy an iPad and be safe in knowing that all the applications designed for the iPad work perfectly fine with the touch screen
  • Wanna be really disappointed? Go to apple store.
    Close all programs on the new $1499 MBP and the older $1299 MBP.
    Reboot both at the exact same time. Spoiler: the older one boots faster by 5-6 seconds.
    After that fresh reboot, pick any intensive program like iMovie, Garageband, Final cut pro etc.
    Launch that fav program at the same time on both.
    The $1299 wins every single test.
    the new MBP can have a faster hard drive, but when you take away 700Mhz in Proc speed, you cripple that fancy new hard drive.
    I also put the new $1499 up against the 13" MBA. Yes the new $1499 did beat that one, but it wasn't by much.
    It didn't perform $FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS better.
    I am sure the touchbar version will be faster, but at EIGHTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! before the $100 in dongles needed to make it useful, who cares.
  • This IS THE AIR - it's not the pro. The pro isn't out yet. It's using the air level chip.
  • the difference in performance between skylake and bradwell is not much at all. furthermore you have to remember that the CPU in this model is a 15w CPU vs the 28w CPU found in last years macbook pro.
    These new macbook pros are very expensive. I believe that is partly due to the new design and all the work than went into it to get it to become this small and compact in addition to the new hardware. On the other hand this is not the first time we have seen something like this. The first version of a refresh is pretty expensive but then reduces in price over time.
  • Dongles won't cost you $100, that's a ridiculous exaggeration to express your hatred for dongles. USB-C is a next generation port, which has been put on the next generation MacBook Pro quite rightly so. The dongles are only temporary during the transition period to USB-C
  • Why not a lightning port for audio.
  • Yum, red coffee....
  • It wouldn't be a Rene article without a picture of coffee. He must REALLY love it.
  • Who doesn't like a good cup of coffee?
  • Color accuracy at its finest Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • 'Color accuracy at its finest'
    Or...it could be a Raspberry mocha, the color of the raspberry syrup will make the beverage look reddish in appearance.
  • This low end 13" is a totally pointless device. The 12" is better in every way that counts; thinner, lighter, silent, cheaper - only 1" smaller screen and 20% slower (almost nobody is CPU bound anymore so that isn't an issue). A thinner, lighter, cheaper, quieter laptop - is just a better laptop. Increasing the weight & bulk by 50% for minor gains makes zero sense. The 12" is magical and more than fast enough for most tasks (I edit video & run Visual Studio in a VM on one and it doesn't break a sweat). A single port should not be an issue - anyone that has things permanently plugged into their Mac is probably doing it wrong - and if not should get a quad core 15" not this 13". Quickly & rarely plugging a dongle in isn't a big deal (and you'll probably have to do that on the 13" anyway). (I haven't plugged anything besides power & a monitor into my Mac for 4 years - why would I?). A thinner lighter quieter machine can be used more places, is better for your back, and is just a far better computing experience. Get a 12" - it will change you life for the better.
  • nilco100, Do you actually own both.? I do, and find there is a point to the 13". It is significantly more powerful, no UI lags, brighter display with a better color space, much better speakers, better keyboard, better camera, and virtually silent (there is obviously a fan, but in a quiet room it is nearly silent.) I do find uses for the second port, but I agree that I managed without problem for 18 months on the 12". Of course it weighs more and is physically larger. The 12" is great to use on a flight and a great pick up and go machine for quick trips out.
  • I got rid of my 12" (it's slow) and picked up one of these new MBP's and glad I did.
  • It is not a replacement for a MacBook Air. You cannot call something that costs 50% MORE(!!!) a replacement for anything else. This is an entry level MacBook Pro, period. Apple wants people who previously used MB Airs to buy the MacBook, since it's more than capable of handling what 98% of Air users did anyway.
  • That space grey and trackpad look so good. Can't wait to upgrade in a couple years.
  • Can anyone please comment on the "default for display" resolution for the new 2016 13" MBP vs. the old early 2015 13" MBP? It seems like on the new one the default is 1440 x 900 where as the old one is 1280 x 800. I enjoy using the "default for display" setting as it seems like this is the resolution that produces the sharpest "retina" display. Both screen are supposed to be 227 ppi according to the specs but is the new MBP better than the old one resolution wise because its default is 1440 x 900 vs. 1280 x 800?
  • My clients don't want me shooting work with a smartphone. So, the iPhone will not make me abandon a DSLR anytime soon. I don't
    know how you derive your equipment budgets, but this is a $1500 entry level machine with no advantages over the last version. Minimal reduction in with dent matter. Missing ports matter. And, this particular machine does not give parity to the ports it has.
  • The article has nothing to do with the iPhone, it's about the MacBook. The machine does have advantages over the last version, I'll read from the Apple website but if you don't think this is true then you can report Apple for false advertising: Up to 130% faster graphics, 67% brighter display, Up to 17% thinner, Touch Bar, Touch ID, 100% faster storage, brighter screen with more contrast, louder speakers, bigger trackpad. Generally improved hardware plus the new Thunderbolt USB-C ports which are much faster. There are no ports missing, they've been replaced with the new standard which you would expect from a new machine. You can still use your current devices, you just need a cheap adapter. Soon there will be an abundance of USB-C devices and accessories so adapters won't be needed anymore. If you want to be stuck in the past, then sure, cradle your old Mac for as long you can, but eventually you'll have to move with the times
  • "More of a pro MacBook than a MacBook Pro." best describes the device.
  • I dont understand all the hate for the entry level $1499.99 model personally I don't want the touch bar and the 13 inch size is nice and portable if you really want power and ports I would assume a pc is the way to go not Mac. however I had just got the new Asus 15 inch with the 950m and i7 7th gen. I have always been a pc guy but when I seen this new MacBook Pro I really loved the way it felt and looked the screen is beautiful. long story short if your not playing games this thing is plenty fast runs very smooth and battery life is great we all know apple over charges for everything they sale so acting like $1500 is some crazy number its not your paying for that name. but this is a very well put together computer and feels very premium
  • Regardless of "Phil the Shill's" best efforts to convince us all to the contrary, the MacBook Pros are a disappointment. While it is understandable that Apple has focused heavily on their cash cow ... the phone, they've waited so long to upgrade Macs that the rest of the companies who MUST make money on computers (Dell, HP and Lenovo) have figured out how to compete and build a decent computer. That just was not true even four or five years ago. Compare a currently sale priced QHD Lenovo Yoga 910 with 16 gb of memory, a 512 gb SSD and a newer generation i7 which is priced at $800 less than even the lesser MacBook Pro with similar specs (and an older processor for the Mac). Even though the Mac's SSD is much faster and some key Mac software is typically better tuned to Mac hardware that's a huge price difference. I've owned Macs, iPhones, and iPads for years but that is an enormous gap to justify. I've waited over four years to upgrade and I currently remain on the fence. As long as I have an OS upgrade path I might as well either continue to wait or seriously consider the alternatives. Finally, I would note that I did go to two different Apple stores to try the MacBook Pro keyboard ... which I'm not in love with. However, what was striking was the complete lack of attention the new machines were getting in a store with a lot of people shopping. No waiting either time and no one showing any interest in the new machine at all while I was in either store.
  • "Apple still hasn't evolved macOS to be touch-friendly and still doesn't believe multitouch belongs at a distance, and vertically, on a laptop screen." So Apple doesn't believe multitouch belongs at a distance and vertically on a laptop screen. So why in the heck are they selling the iPad Pro as the perfect laptop replacement?!?!? I have an iPad Pro 12.9" and love it, but it is not a device that could replace a laptop in every situation. For 1, iOS is way too walled off. 2nd, the iPad Pro would need more RAM. Apple's refusal to make a 2 in 1 device is starting to look more and more foolish with every quality Window's 2 in 1 that comes out. macOS isn't touch friendly? SO MAKE IT. Or at least add Apple Pencil compatibility. For work I do not want to carry around a laptop and a tablet. I was 1 device that can do everything I need. The Surface Book can do that. The Dell XPS line can do that. Samsung's new 2 in 1 can do that. Their only downfall is runnjng Windows. But with every improvement in Windows 10 a Windows 2 in 1 is starting to look more promising. Since Apple only does a major MacBook Pro refresh every 5+ years it looks like a 2 in 1 Apple device is a long ways off. Before it was released I thought I would get another MacBook Pro to hold me over, but the price of the 15" is ridiculous and RAM being maxed out at 16 GB makes it even more so. Apple is alienating the pro users that need to use their devices to create the apps that have driven a lot of their iOS device success. If those Pro users start switching to Windows devices it will be a lot harder for them to create for Apple devices. Apple may view the Mac line as not important since it makes up far less in revenue than iPhones, but I would argue that the Mac line is responsible for much of iOS' success. Lastly, Apple should have called the new MacBook Pro something else. It is not deserving of the Pro name.
  • I think the new MacBook Pro is cool. But I am not going to upgrade I am sticking with my rMBP until 2018. I just bought my rMBP on May 15, 2016. I don't think the new MBP is not worth the upgrade yet!