Hello all
I was lucky enough to pick up a Space Grey 15 inch TBMPB (2.7/512/16/455) today in London (Stratford) well in advance of my delivery slot of 8-14 December - so I am very happy to say the least!
I will be adding my impressions of the MBP over the next week and I will update this thread as I go for the benefit of anyone who wants a straightforward view on performance. I should mention from the outset that I am pedantic so if I say something is problem free, you can rest assured that it really is.
As I see it:
1. Build quality is perfect - no scratches, sharp edges on the underside vents or issues with the screen whatsoever (no hotspots or light seeping bezels etc). It feels so much more solid than my 2015 MBP, as though it is somehow more dense.
Given the various posts about the power button wobble, I checked this and can confirm that its solid.
2. Speed/performance - I have only conducted light internet browsing and file transfers from USB sticks thus far, but everything is lightning fast as one would expect. I did play a Youtube video and for some reason the pause button on the TB was totally non-responsive but this hasn't yet occurred again.
3. Speakers - they are incredible for a laptop - particularly one this thin - and this thing far outguns the 2015 speakers in terms of volume, clarity and bass. I played Weeknd's Starboy and the bass was really impressive (my girlfriend even commented on this from the next room!).
4. Battery - the estimated battery time shows as 10 hours with the screen dimmed to 50%. If I dim lower I start getting crazy estimations like 12 hours which are to be taken with a pinch of salt.
In light/normal use I am indeed getting around 10 hours of battery life. Today this included Word and Excel use whilst browsing on the net, playing music and then watching a movie. I even installed a few apps. Not bad at all.
5. Keyboard - the keys are far more stable in comparison to the macbook's in that there is no wobble now. There is certainly a difference between the deeper and more traditional 2015 keyboard to that of the shallow 2016 keyboards and it does take some getting used to; this took me all of a couple of hours though and now my typing is lighter fingered. HOWEVER - the keyboard is certainly louder and I do wonder whether I will get disapproving glances in public spaces.
6. Touchpad - the larger pad is welcomed as I feel like I barely need to move my hands to use it. No false clicks/movement due to palm-pad contact yet.
7. Fan/heat - the fan is barely audible unless I stick my ear to the keyboard. When I first ran installations on the machine, the fan kicked in quite a bit but even then it was quiet. The laptop runs very cool indeed. My 2015 MBP was always too warm on my lap but the 2016 model is so cool.
8. Other - I note that when I close the lid the machine doesn't go into standby immediately as it takes around 10 seconds or so. This is odd as my 2015 model was almost instant - depending on what was open of course.
The loss of the charge light on the USB lead is irritating in daily use as I have to open the lid of the Mac just to check on battery. This feels like a step backwards and is not in keeping with the general forward thinking stance of the Mac.
Likewise I miss the Magsafe charger. The USB lead is stiff to insert (ha!) and requires far more attention to connect/disconnect. Being able to unplug the lead from the charging base is welcome however.
EDIT - the above will be edited with new findings as I go. See my comments for new additions.
I was lucky enough to pick up a Space Grey 15 inch TBMPB (2.7/512/16/455) today in London (Stratford) well in advance of my delivery slot of 8-14 December - so I am very happy to say the least!
I will be adding my impressions of the MBP over the next week and I will update this thread as I go for the benefit of anyone who wants a straightforward view on performance. I should mention from the outset that I am pedantic so if I say something is problem free, you can rest assured that it really is.
As I see it:
1. Build quality is perfect - no scratches, sharp edges on the underside vents or issues with the screen whatsoever (no hotspots or light seeping bezels etc). It feels so much more solid than my 2015 MBP, as though it is somehow more dense.
Given the various posts about the power button wobble, I checked this and can confirm that its solid.
2. Speed/performance - I have only conducted light internet browsing and file transfers from USB sticks thus far, but everything is lightning fast as one would expect. I did play a Youtube video and for some reason the pause button on the TB was totally non-responsive but this hasn't yet occurred again.
3. Speakers - they are incredible for a laptop - particularly one this thin - and this thing far outguns the 2015 speakers in terms of volume, clarity and bass. I played Weeknd's Starboy and the bass was really impressive (my girlfriend even commented on this from the next room!).
4. Battery - the estimated battery time shows as 10 hours with the screen dimmed to 50%. If I dim lower I start getting crazy estimations like 12 hours which are to be taken with a pinch of salt.
In light/normal use I am indeed getting around 10 hours of battery life. Today this included Word and Excel use whilst browsing on the net, playing music and then watching a movie. I even installed a few apps. Not bad at all.
5. Keyboard - the keys are far more stable in comparison to the macbook's in that there is no wobble now. There is certainly a difference between the deeper and more traditional 2015 keyboard to that of the shallow 2016 keyboards and it does take some getting used to; this took me all of a couple of hours though and now my typing is lighter fingered. HOWEVER - the keyboard is certainly louder and I do wonder whether I will get disapproving glances in public spaces.
6. Touchpad - the larger pad is welcomed as I feel like I barely need to move my hands to use it. No false clicks/movement due to palm-pad contact yet.
7. Fan/heat - the fan is barely audible unless I stick my ear to the keyboard. When I first ran installations on the machine, the fan kicked in quite a bit but even then it was quiet. The laptop runs very cool indeed. My 2015 MBP was always too warm on my lap but the 2016 model is so cool.
8. Other - I note that when I close the lid the machine doesn't go into standby immediately as it takes around 10 seconds or so. This is odd as my 2015 model was almost instant - depending on what was open of course.
The loss of the charge light on the USB lead is irritating in daily use as I have to open the lid of the Mac just to check on battery. This feels like a step backwards and is not in keeping with the general forward thinking stance of the Mac.
Likewise I miss the Magsafe charger. The USB lead is stiff to insert (ha!) and requires far more attention to connect/disconnect. Being able to unplug the lead from the charging base is welcome however.
EDIT - the above will be edited with new findings as I go. See my comments for new additions.
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