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2016 Touchbar 15" First Thoughts

T

torquer

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 16, 2014
147
80
2016 Macbook Pro 15" w/Touchbar
2.6GHz/512GB/16GB/R460

Just a couple of quick thoughts:

  • Space gray is really subtle. I'd really have preferred space black like my iPhone 7 Plus but it is nice to have another color option. At first glance its not really that much darker than silver
  • The keyboard is surprisingly loud and clicky sounding. Having recently had the 2nd gen rMB 12", this keyboard is definitely an improvement though I don't type quite as fast or as accurately yet. The LED backlighting is so much better compared to the older MBPs
  • Performance as compared to my 2015 15" doesn't seem much different so far, though I really don't do anything particularly taxing
  • TouchID is already saving me a lot of time by not having to enter my password every time it comes back from sleep
  • The display is notably brighter and the bezels are definitely smaller
  • The speakers are vastly improved
  • Touchbar is cool but its more of a novelty so far. I'm not quite used to it
  • Battery life estimates are way better than my previous macbooks (14 hours???)
 
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Nice feedback, thanks; I'm on the fence of getting the exact same model. Is the keyboard that loud? Even if you type carefully (Compared to the rMB12" / Old MBP)? I read about it somewhere too...
 
torquer said:
2016 Macbook Pro 15" w/Touchbar
2.6GHz/512GB/16GB/R460

Just a couple of quick thoughts:

  • Space gray is really subtle. I'd really have preferred space black like my iPhone 7 Plus but it is nice to have another color option. At first glance its not really that much darker than silver
  • The keyboard is surprisingly loud and clicky sounding. Having recently had the 2nd gen rMB 12", this keyboard is definitely an improvement though I don't type quite as fast or as accurately yet. The LED backlighting is so much better compared to the older MBPs
  • Performance as compared to my 2015 15" doesn't seem much different so far, though I really don't do anything particularly taxing
  • TouchID is already saving me a lot of time by not having to enter my password every time it comes back from sleep
  • The display is notably brighter and the bezels are definitely smaller
  • The speakers are vastly improved
  • Touchbar is cool but its more of a novelty so far. I'm not quite used to it
  • Battery life estimates are way better than my previous macbooks (14 hours???)
Click to expand...
Just wondering, does the touchID button still function to put the computer to sleep? I'm pretty used to pressing the power button to put it to sleep currently.
 
I don't use 1Password so I can't comment on that. I haven't run any benchmarks either.

The keyboard is definitely loud. It has a dull muddled sound though. Its noticeably louder than the retina 12" as well. Its hard to describe but its a dull heavy sound. Not metallic, not particularly clicky. Almost like what you'd think a mechanical keyboard would sound like under water.

The touchpad is comically large. So far no palm recognition issues. Annoyed that it can't be set to silent mode like previous Macs though it is quieter than those touchpads on "normal" mode.
[doublepost=1479178471][/doublepost]
monkeydax said:
Just wondering, does the touchID button still function to put the computer to sleep? I'm pretty used to pressing the power button to put it to sleep currently.
Click to expand...

Nope. It doesn't do jack if you press it while the laptop is on. Gotta close the lid to sleep or choose it from the Apple menu. It will power off the laptop if you hold it for 5 seconds though
 
torquer said:
Nope. It doesn't do jack if you press it while the laptop is on. Gotta close the lid to sleep or choose it from the Apple menu. It will power off the laptop if you hold it for 5 seconds though
Click to expand...

Hmm that's interesting. Seems like a bummer that that feature is now lost with the new Touch ID. Not many of us need that quick switching function when you press the power button...
[doublepost=1479178774][/doublepost]On the other hand, it's used to power on the MBP when it's off and the lid is already open?
 
monkeydax said:
Hmm that's interesting. Seems like a bummer that that feature is now lost with the new Touch ID. Not many of us need that quick switching function when you press the power button...
[doublepost=1479178774][/doublepost]On the other hand, it's used to power on the MBP when it's off and the lid is already open?
Click to expand...

If I leave the lid open and the laptop goes to sleep, pressing the touch ID button will wake it up. Pressing it once its awake does nothing.

I have not tried running the terminal commands to disable the "wake on open" feature to see if that changes how the touchid button works
 
torquer said:
If I leave the lid open and the laptop goes to sleep, pressing the touch ID button will wake it up. Pressing it once its awake does nothing.

I have not tried running the terminal commands to disable the "wake on open" feature to see if that changes how the touchid button works
Click to expand...
That could be something interesting to try when you have the time. Thanks for the information on that!
 
eiprol said:
Nice feedback, thanks; I'm on the fence of getting the exact same model. Is the keyboard that loud? Even if you type carefully (Compared to the rMB12" / Old MBP)? I read about it somewhere too...
Click to expand...
I tested the new model in the Apple Store today. And as far as the keyboard sound is concerned, I didn't think it was any louder than my late 2011 MBP keyboard. It is noticeable, especially if you are one that prefers silence when using a Mac.
 
BasicGreatGuy said:
Do you use 1Password? If so, does it appear to be working well with the new Mac?
Click to expand...

I got mine today and I use 1Password. It works just fine. When you would normally be prompted to enter the master password a pop up still appears and you just press your finger and thats it. It doesn't do anything fancy like make a 1Password icon appear when you want to auto-fill. There are also screenshots of their touch bar integration but so far the only thing I have seen is an add-new plus icon when the program is open. I'm not disappointed.

One thing I noticed was you still have to enter your master password periodically. The least often setting is every 2 weeks, so that's what I picked. Still much better than 10 times per day.
 
Stanfield said:
I got mine today and I use 1Password. It works just fine. When you would normally be prompted to enter the master password a pop up still appears and you just press your finger and thats it. It doesn't do anything fancy like make a 1Password icon appear when you want to auto-fill. There are also screenshots of their touch bar integration but so far the only thing I have seen is an add-new plus icon when the program is open. I'm not disappointed.

One thing I noticed was you still have to enter your master password periodically. The least often setting is every 2 weeks, so that's what I picked. Still much better than 10 times per day.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback. I really like 1Password. They have really rocked their app in the past 2 years.
 
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BasicGreatGuy said:
Thanks for the feedback. I really like 1Password. They have really rocked their app in the past 2 years.
Click to expand...
Agreed. This has prompted me to consider making my master password more complex. It's pretty good but if I don't have to enter it constantly on my phone or my computer it could stand to be larger.
[doublepost=1479182513][/doublepost]While using it have you noticed the palm detection going off when you aren't expecting it? I seem to be somehow triggering palm detection with how I rest my hands near the monstrous trackpad. It's quite jarring when the trackpad doesn't give the haptic feedback. It suddenly feels broken even though the machine has done it intentionally. I can't replicate it intentionally but it has happened at least 30 times today.
 
I have a long way to go in setting mine up as I decided to do a clean install – I'm coming from a 2008 Mac Pro, which was itself migrated from a PowerPC-based Mac Pro. So, years and years of cruft. Clean install is painful though.

But my initial impression on the keyboard is that it's total crap. Loud, incredibly loud. I can't imagine using this in an open-plan office without everyone side-eyeing me. But the worst part is the feel. Almost no key travel. I'm already starting to feel sore hands from using it. This thing is not ergonomic. The designers forgot that the primary function of a keyboard is to type and be comfortable for the user, not to look nice and be thin.

In fact I'm so pissed at this keyboard that I might be returning it.

I also just got a hard crash while transferring files from my MP (Belkin USB-C to Ethernet). Crash report gave me a CATERR, which when I looked it up seems to be when the CPU reports a "catastrophic" error. Great.

Touch Bar, I honestly haven't felt the need to use it yet in the few things I've actually done on it so far, but that's of course muscle memory. Touch ID seems cool, though when you reboot you can't use it to log in. When macOS brings up an auth password dialog box, you can use Touch ID there, but it's a bit weird because unlike iOS it still shows the password text field. That UX needs some improvement.
 
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petsounds said:
I have a long way to go in setting mine up as I decided to do a clean install – I'm coming from a 2008 Mac Pro, which was itself migrated from a PowerPC-based Mac Pro. So, years and years of cruft. Clean install is painful though.

But my initial impression on the keyboard is that it's total crap. Loud, incredibly loud. I can't imagine using this in an open-plan office without everyone side-eyeing me. But the worst part is the feel. Almost no key travel. I'm already starting to feel sore hands from using it. This thing is not ergonomic. The designers forgot that the primary function of a keyboard is to type and be comfortable for the user, not to look nice and be thin.

In fact I'm so pissed at this keyboard that I might be returning it.

I also just got a hard crash while transferring files from my MP (Belkin USB-C to Ethernet). Crash report gave me a CATERR, which when I looked it up seems to be when the CPU reports a "catastrophic" error. Great.

Touch Bar, I honestly haven't felt the need to use it yet in the few things I've actually done on it so far, but that's of course muscle memory. Touch ID seems cool, though when you reboot you can't use it to log in. When macOS brings up an auth password dialog box, you can use Touch ID there, but it's a bit weird because unlike iOS it still shows the password text field. That UX needs some improvement.
Click to expand...


I bought a 12" MB in the spring to hold me over after I ruined my MBP and it has the same type of keyboard. I can tell you right now it doesn't get any better. This keyboard is an upgrade for me (so far) as it has more travel than the MB, but it sucks compared to almost everything else like you said.

Be aware that if you get any type of dust or debris in the keyboard the key will stop working pretty fast, which is extremely annoying. The key will just stop moving. It's not like I'm eating Doritos on my computer either, it's relatively clean. But dust and whatever gets in there and then a bad experience gets much worse pretty quick. And I wouldn't try pulling up a key on your own, there are broken keyboards all over youtube. Invest in a case of compressed air cans and blow it out every couple of days. Apple even has a support page just for this.
 
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People don't type any more so who cares the keyboard blows. It's all about selfies and inspirational yoga chick pics to collect Facebook likes.
 
bopajuice said:
Can't help but wonder if you don't use a "pro" notebook for "anything particularly taxing" why would you spend so much on a laptop?
Click to expand...

I have owned literally dozens of laptops over the years. After much trial, error, heartache, and tears I have found that they all seem to fail in one of these areas:

1. Keyboard
2. Trackpad
3. Display
4. Battery Life
5. WiFi compatibility/performance

Ultimately Macs achieve all of these things well. Being mostly a PC guy I ran Bootcamp for years until they brought iMessage integration. Since I do a lot of communicating over text message, this brought me over to OSX and I've stuck with it. I've had Macbook Airs, both generations of Macbook (retina), 13" MBPs of various generations, and this is my second 15". For what I currently do at work, I want a quad core. When hooked up to my 3440x1440 display, I want a dGPU. I upgraded from a mid 2015 15" because I wanted the latest and because it is noticeably lighter/thinner
 
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Stanfield said:
I bought a 12" MB in the spring to hold me over after I ruined my MBP and it has the same type of keyboard. I can tell you right now it doesn't get any better. This keyboard is an upgrade for me (so far) as it has more travel than the MB, but it sucks compared to almost everything else like you said.

Be aware that if you get any type of dust or debris in the keyboard the key will stop working pretty fast, which is extremely annoying. The key will just stop moving. It's not like I'm eating Doritos on my computer either, it's relatively clean. But dust and whatever gets in there and then a bad experience gets much worse pretty quick. And I wouldn't try pulling up a key on your own, there are broken keyboards all over youtube. Invest in a case of compressed air cans and blow it out every couple of days. Apple even has a support page just for this.
Click to expand...

Ouch, that sounds pretty bad. This kind of stuff is exactly why I didn't want a MacBook for my main machine, but I felt I had no choice since the Mac Pro seems dead. The thing is Apple has always had pretty good keyboards, but this new keyboard feels more in line with their mice – pretty to look at, but absolutely dreadful to use.

I also keep inadvertently touching the trackpad on the left side. No idea why they wanted to make it that big.
 
Stanfield said:
I bought a 12" MB in the spring to hold me over after I ruined my MBP and it has the same type of keyboard. I can tell you right now it doesn't get any better. .
Click to expand...

I have the 12 and the keyboard is horrible and one key is dead, just like you said. I don't type much any more (probably because it's too painful, due to crap keyboard), so this new model is perfect of me :)

It's good to see Apple actively fighting writing and writers. Scum.
 
This feedback echoes the what tech reviews have pointed to about the keyboard. A noisy keyboard with no real key travel makes you wonder what is going on at Apple.

petsounds said:
But my initial impression on the keyboard is that it's total crap. Loud, incredibly loud. I can't imagine using this in an open-plan office without everyone side-eyeing me. But the worst part is the feel. Almost no key travel. I'm already starting to feel sore hands from using it. This thing is not ergonomic. The designers forgot that the primary function of a keyboard is to type and be comfortable for the user, not to look nice and be thin.
Click to expand...
 
Stanfield said:
And I wouldn't try pulling up a key on your own, there are broken keyboards all over youtube. Invest in a case of compressed air cans and blow it out every couple of days. Apple even has a support page just for this.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this.
 
I can't believe I'm spending all this money when I know damn well it's probably garbage :D

I think if Apple told me to lie down in busy traffic i'd probably think about it.
 
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