I received my Space Grey 15" Macbook Pro this morning and after spending the day with it these are my initial thoughts/impressions.
-Full specs 2.9Ghz/2TB SSD/16GB ram/Radeon 460 dGPU
-Upgraded from a 2012 15" MBP 2.6Ghz/1TB SSD/16GB ram/GT 650M 1GB
Design: Space Grey looks fantastic in person, especially for people that have gotten bored with the same old silver option. The entire laptop is extremely thin compared to previous MBPs yet the computer is silent during light normal day to day tasks.
Keyboard: The keyboard is not as bad as some have made it out to be. It will take some getting used to but it has good tactile feel to it, it does not feel muted like previous macbook keyboards. I will miss the travel of prior MBP keyboards but overall it's not a bad keyboard and I think most will get used to it after a few weeks. The two added benefits of the keys being a lower profile is no LED light bleeds out from under the keys like previous models, and the keys are a lot easier to clean without worrying about debris getting under them.
Trackpad: I love the size of the new trackpad. I've already used it in photoshop today and photo editors will absolutely love the extra room while editing. I will miss the more mechanical click of my previous MBP but overall I feel the size is a good trade off.
Battery: It seems on par with previous Macbook Pros. I'm usually the type to unplug/plug in throughout the day and so far it doesn't seem to be performing better or worse.
Screen: The screen has gorgeous color and contrast and is very bright. Even at full brightness it doesn't lose contrast or detail which is another plus for video and photo editors.
Performance: So far I've done some video editing/rendering and some light gaming. When the computer is under heavy load you will hear the fans kick on but it is not in anyway louder than my previous MBPs. That is a pleasant surprise to me considering how much thinner the computer is and how much smaller the fans must be. It also runs slightly cooler than my previous MBPs and does not get uncomfortably hot if you are using it on your lap.
Speakers: They are definitely louder than previous MBPs and have way more low end bass. Side by side my 2012 seems to have a little more clarity on the highs but overall the speakers are improved.
TouchBar: The only app I have used that incorporates it in some way is FCP and I actually really like the way they implemented it. It works very smoothly when editing and I do feel like it adds a level of productivity that I didn't have prior to having the touchbar. During normal day to day tasks I do not feel like it adds anything to the computer but it also doesn't take anything away from it either. It really is going to be up to software developers to make it useful but even if most don't it is still nice to be able to arrange your own shortcuts as you want them. Also touch ID works perfectly as advertised for quickly signing.
Ports: So far I've purchased 2 aukley USB C to USB A adapters, an aukley USB C SD card reader, 2 USB C to USB A cables, and all of them work flawlessly. I don't see the lack of other ports being a daily hindrance once you have the few adapters you need. If carrying small adapters really bothers you just wait a year or so and most accessories will be switched over to USB C anyway. The only port that I really miss is MagSafe, not only because it was a safety feature but because it made unplugging/plugging the computer in a breeze. Maybe apple just spoiled us with MagSafe but now it does feel more finicky to charge the computer when it used to just snap into place. I do have hope that some third party companies will design a MagSafe adapter but even if they do it will most likely be an eyesore sticking out of the side of the computer.
So those are my overall day one impressions. I hope they help out anyone that is on the fence about ordering one. If anyone has any questions about hardware or features feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them.
-Full specs 2.9Ghz/2TB SSD/16GB ram/Radeon 460 dGPU
-Upgraded from a 2012 15" MBP 2.6Ghz/1TB SSD/16GB ram/GT 650M 1GB
Design: Space Grey looks fantastic in person, especially for people that have gotten bored with the same old silver option. The entire laptop is extremely thin compared to previous MBPs yet the computer is silent during light normal day to day tasks.
Keyboard: The keyboard is not as bad as some have made it out to be. It will take some getting used to but it has good tactile feel to it, it does not feel muted like previous macbook keyboards. I will miss the travel of prior MBP keyboards but overall it's not a bad keyboard and I think most will get used to it after a few weeks. The two added benefits of the keys being a lower profile is no LED light bleeds out from under the keys like previous models, and the keys are a lot easier to clean without worrying about debris getting under them.
Trackpad: I love the size of the new trackpad. I've already used it in photoshop today and photo editors will absolutely love the extra room while editing. I will miss the more mechanical click of my previous MBP but overall I feel the size is a good trade off.
Battery: It seems on par with previous Macbook Pros. I'm usually the type to unplug/plug in throughout the day and so far it doesn't seem to be performing better or worse.
Screen: The screen has gorgeous color and contrast and is very bright. Even at full brightness it doesn't lose contrast or detail which is another plus for video and photo editors.
Performance: So far I've done some video editing/rendering and some light gaming. When the computer is under heavy load you will hear the fans kick on but it is not in anyway louder than my previous MBPs. That is a pleasant surprise to me considering how much thinner the computer is and how much smaller the fans must be. It also runs slightly cooler than my previous MBPs and does not get uncomfortably hot if you are using it on your lap.
Speakers: They are definitely louder than previous MBPs and have way more low end bass. Side by side my 2012 seems to have a little more clarity on the highs but overall the speakers are improved.
TouchBar: The only app I have used that incorporates it in some way is FCP and I actually really like the way they implemented it. It works very smoothly when editing and I do feel like it adds a level of productivity that I didn't have prior to having the touchbar. During normal day to day tasks I do not feel like it adds anything to the computer but it also doesn't take anything away from it either. It really is going to be up to software developers to make it useful but even if most don't it is still nice to be able to arrange your own shortcuts as you want them. Also touch ID works perfectly as advertised for quickly signing.
Ports: So far I've purchased 2 aukley USB C to USB A adapters, an aukley USB C SD card reader, 2 USB C to USB A cables, and all of them work flawlessly. I don't see the lack of other ports being a daily hindrance once you have the few adapters you need. If carrying small adapters really bothers you just wait a year or so and most accessories will be switched over to USB C anyway. The only port that I really miss is MagSafe, not only because it was a safety feature but because it made unplugging/plugging the computer in a breeze. Maybe apple just spoiled us with MagSafe but now it does feel more finicky to charge the computer when it used to just snap into place. I do have hope that some third party companies will design a MagSafe adapter but even if they do it will most likely be an eyesore sticking out of the side of the computer.
So those are my overall day one impressions. I hope they help out anyone that is on the fence about ordering one. If anyone has any questions about hardware or features feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them.
Benchmarks
Geekbench 4
![geekbench.jpg]( "geekbench.jpg")
AJA read/write speeds
![Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 12.24.02 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 12.24.02 PM.png")
Cinebench
![Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 12.43.19 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2016-11-15 at 12.43.19 PM.png")
Geekbench 4
AJA read/write speeds
Cinebench
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