Just a little background. I have been a PC tech since I was in my teens in one capacity or another. Help Desk, Field tech, server tech, fiber tech, network tech and now in ITSM. I started with DOS 3 or 4 and Windows 2.0. I have supported almost all OSs and PCs, Wintel, Mac, Unix, Linux. I had always been a Wintel person until about 5 years ago with my first Mac purchase of a late 2011 MBP 15”. Since then I have been a huge Apple fan and integrated into the Apple ecosystem. I like macs most because I can support Windows, Mac and Linux all on one PC.
I went from the Late 2011 BTO top of the line MBP to the top of the line Late 2016 MBP less 2TB SSD. I absolutely love this thing, from the keyboard to Touch Bar at least for my purposes. There are some issues I have, as nothing is perfect. Keep in mind I am comparing this to my Late 2011 MBP.
Pros:
· Very fast, sexy and a work of Art, a pleasure to look at, even when closed.
· I enjoy using the keyboard, it took about 2 days to get use too, but I now like it much more than the 2011 MBP keyboard.
· The trackpad is fantastic and I have ditched my external mouse, except when playing a game like WOW, which admittedly is about the only game I play, and that occasionally (once or twice a month), so a mouse is handy for that.
· The screen is beautiful, bright and vibrant, not much more I can say about that.
· The touch bar is quite useful for me. I play the guitar and use Garage Band, using it for guitar effects is a breeze with the touch bar as I can change effects and Amp models on the fly. As more apps use the TB, I can see this being a big productivity booster. Can’t wait for apple to update MainStage 3 to use the touch bar.
· The Radeon 460 graphics card is a huge improvement over the 2011 as one would expect being is it quite a few generation newer. Playing WoW on the MBP 2011 at the Ultra settings I got about 5 FPS, with the 2016 I got about 25 FPS and 40+ FPS at High settings, so it’s quite playable. This is not a gaming system, but it’s a nice bonus for me to be able to play WoW at the near highest settings.
· Battery life is OK, I got about 7 hours of mixed use, web surfing, Netflix, music, word and a little WoW, maybe about 1 hour of playing.
· Less things to plug in. Went from all ports being used when in the office. Network, both USB and DisplayPort to HDMI to just 1 small multiport hub (2 USB-A, Network, HDMI and USC-C pass though for power) and only one USB-C pluged into the 1 MBP port. Quite the opposite of dongle hell for me. Just unplug 1 USB-C cable and I am out of the office.
Cons:
· Very expensive, but Apple set the price, so if I don’t like it, I don’t have to buy it. However, if I keep this MBP as long as I have kept the 2011, this is a fantastic purchase. I had never kept a windows Laptop for more than 2 years. Desktops sure, as I could update components, but not Laptops.
· I think it is very rude of Apple not to include a USB-C cable with the purchase of an extra charger. No excuse and is showing a greedy side.
I have not really found anything else I dislike about the new MBP, I realise its only been a week. But then again I am not a power user, however I do use it for both work and play. For my uses, this is a fantastic purchase with no regrets or remorse.
I went from the Late 2011 BTO top of the line MBP to the top of the line Late 2016 MBP less 2TB SSD. I absolutely love this thing, from the keyboard to Touch Bar at least for my purposes. There are some issues I have, as nothing is perfect. Keep in mind I am comparing this to my Late 2011 MBP.
Pros:
· Very fast, sexy and a work of Art, a pleasure to look at, even when closed.
· I enjoy using the keyboard, it took about 2 days to get use too, but I now like it much more than the 2011 MBP keyboard.
· The trackpad is fantastic and I have ditched my external mouse, except when playing a game like WOW, which admittedly is about the only game I play, and that occasionally (once or twice a month), so a mouse is handy for that.
· The screen is beautiful, bright and vibrant, not much more I can say about that.
· The touch bar is quite useful for me. I play the guitar and use Garage Band, using it for guitar effects is a breeze with the touch bar as I can change effects and Amp models on the fly. As more apps use the TB, I can see this being a big productivity booster. Can’t wait for apple to update MainStage 3 to use the touch bar.
· The Radeon 460 graphics card is a huge improvement over the 2011 as one would expect being is it quite a few generation newer. Playing WoW on the MBP 2011 at the Ultra settings I got about 5 FPS, with the 2016 I got about 25 FPS and 40+ FPS at High settings, so it’s quite playable. This is not a gaming system, but it’s a nice bonus for me to be able to play WoW at the near highest settings.
· Battery life is OK, I got about 7 hours of mixed use, web surfing, Netflix, music, word and a little WoW, maybe about 1 hour of playing.
· Less things to plug in. Went from all ports being used when in the office. Network, both USB and DisplayPort to HDMI to just 1 small multiport hub (2 USB-A, Network, HDMI and USC-C pass though for power) and only one USB-C pluged into the 1 MBP port. Quite the opposite of dongle hell for me. Just unplug 1 USB-C cable and I am out of the office.
Cons:
· Very expensive, but Apple set the price, so if I don’t like it, I don’t have to buy it. However, if I keep this MBP as long as I have kept the 2011, this is a fantastic purchase. I had never kept a windows Laptop for more than 2 years. Desktops sure, as I could update components, but not Laptops.
· I think it is very rude of Apple not to include a USB-C cable with the purchase of an extra charger. No excuse and is showing a greedy side.
I have not really found anything else I dislike about the new MBP, I realise its only been a week. But then again I am not a power user, however I do use it for both work and play. For my uses, this is a fantastic purchase with no regrets or remorse.
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