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2018 MacBook Pro Experiences

N

Nbd1790

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 2, 2017
353
279
New York
Not sure if this thread exists somewhere in the forums (if it does, please post the link in this forum and disregard)

Curious to know what has been going on with these devices. I purchased a 2018 15 inch model at the end of last year only because a friend offered his generous Employee discount that had to be used by the end of December last year (ballpark 30% off a brand new laptop) I didn't really need a new laptop as my 2013 model is running just fine for what I use it for, and I haven't really used the new laptop all that much aside from setting it up, installing sound banks and doing some light audio work at home (even when I use it, its primarily docked into a home studio setup so the keyboard doesn't see much use aside from typing a few emails)

I basically purchased this model for under $3000 (original cost about $4000) and I'm debating flipping it for what it cost me or making a small profit to hold out for a 2019 or 2020 model if it's experiencing the more common issues known with the 2016 and 2017 models. If you have a 2018 model (of any configuration) feel free to chime in. Would love to know what goes on for people that use this as their primary workhorse on a daily basis.
 
I upgraded from a 2015 13inch MBP to a 2018 15inch MBP (16GB ram, 500GB ssd, 560X 4GB video). Besides the usually struggles (USB-C, LOUD keyboard, etc), I am happy with it. It's far faster and I love the extra screen size for Photoshop and FCPX. I have only had it for a month, but it looks like I will be liking it for the long run. I HATE the sound of the keyboard, and the touch bar seems gimmicky to me. I wrapped it in a Twelve South BookBook and it's kind of a cool way to go. I HATE that I have to use dongles to get HDMI and SD card access. How this is "Pro" is beyond me. I guess I have gone kicking and complaining into the future.

Best Buy had a $500 discount and I just couldn't pass it up. That's better than my friend's Apple discount. I would have moved up to the 1TB ssd, but the discount did not work on that model.
 
I am pretty happy with my 2018 15" Macbook pro. Upgraded from 2015 15" Macbook Pro. Held onto both for a month or two to make sure I liked the 2018 enough to make it my daily driver. After about a week or so I quit using 2015 completely. Eventually sold it for a nice amount.

No real issues with the 2018. Had to buy dongles, but that was only $30 or so. I like the new screen a lot and find the touchbar controls for screen brightness and sound much better and easier to use. Trackpad is comically large, but seems to work great and my initial concern about accidentally triggering clicks with my palms were unfounded. Keyboard is different, but feels better and is quieter than the 2016 and 2017 models that I tried at the Apple store, and has a more positive feel that the 2015 KB.

Regarding flipping your model according to Kuo, https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/08/kuo-6k-display-q2-q3-2019-new-macbook-pro-2021/, we may not see major upgrades to the MBP line until 2021.
 
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Pretty much happy with mine. I too had the occasional misfire of the palm on the track pad, but overall the experience is ok. Is it worth the $4,000 I paid?!? Not sure from a cost-production to overall user experience perspective.

I actually like the touch-bar...but would like to see more customization per apps, especially with FCPX and Logic. Total Touch screen (Microsoft) for Pro work gets tiring on the wrists, hands and the arms especially. I think Apple got it right with their viewpoint on this over all touch screens direction. Good start (my opinion) with the touch bar concept and idea to think different on the subject and direction...but will see how it develops.

Apple locks you in with MacOS, so if you don’t want to use Windows, then you have to pay the Apple tax.

Sad now a-days....before you would tell people, “Use Apple...the experience is the best!” for Pro work especially. Now..you tell people, “If you don’t want to use Windows, then MacOS is your better option...”

From a “Pro” experience... “ok”. Hardware & Software after many years of struggling now has caught-up with my demands personally, so no complaints.

But...having to constantly upgrade accessories if you purchase a new Apple computer gets a little too much, especially hassling with dongle nightmares. This concept is NOT Pro, but more so an attempt to expand the macbook pro line for the larger younger market to increase sales (Cook) and be lighter (Ive) in the back-pack. Understandable, but from overall “function” is not Pro thinking. Don’t get me wrong. I like the lighter, not balky, thin idea....But...too much over compensating this approach over function, lessens the Pro experience. A happy medium for “Pro” for function would come with no complaints.

Hopefully as heard that Apple is talking a lot with the Pro market to better understand our needs is a good step. We will see with the “new” mac pro.

So, all that said (on my break from Pro work), my experience now is probably 60-40. 60% satisfied as compared to a 85% or higher rating from the past...
 
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Like mine, have it hooked up in a vertical stand to a 4k monitor at home, in the bag for uni and jobs. I haven't given it much of a rest since I got it. No drama's for me (I did buy apple care incase) I upgraded from 2012 so a fair jump.
 
I'm quite pleased w/ mine. It's a good, overpriced machine. I will probably buy the next gen model years from now depending on how long this one lasts. I'm still rockin' my 2012 rmbp 15" for 7 years w/o a single issue and I'm really hoping I can get that kind of longevity out of this machine as well.
 
Glad to hear that people are getting along fine with these new models. Typically the forums are filled with complaints (even if the level of satisfaction isn't exactly the same as with older models)

Thanks James for the estimation of the major design overhaul article. There has been a lot of speculation about Apple pushing the overhaul for this year or next due to the complaints. Although I must say I would be tempted to purchase a 15 inch model with a physical set of function keys similar to the configuration seen on the new MacBook Air. The Touch Bar has froze on me a few times, which required me to force restart the laptop (especially when an application is in full screen). Basically my biggest gripe with the machine is not having a physical ESC key (I deal with live performances in a few different aspects and this is a MAJOR issue for me)
 
I prefer to give it a month but I am cautiously optimistic about the performance and battery life of the late 2018 15" Touch Bar MBP. The concerns I have are mirrored above in the dongle department. My biggest fear is the keyboard. I have not purchased AppleCare but will do so in the coming weeks to make sure to have this costly repair covered.

Coming from a mid 2008 A1286 Unibody MBP with Core 2 Duo to i7 6Core is one thing but going from Lion to Mojave is a whole new game. Really its like the dark ages on Lion. Of course moving files over is easy enough but getting office and other software updated is a bit more complicated.

The Touch Bar is interesting as I like the spell check feature, even as I type this. More mainstream software support.

Only time will tell, but I do most of my work via RDP into windows servers and VM vSphere. I do map to Windows AD via SMB for file and printer sharing. So far no issue there. In truth, I was up and running in about 10 minutes once I located my ethernet dongle and unpacked the Mac.

I have heard of heat issues, keyboard issues, DOA Touch Bars, touch pad over sensitivity. I would agree that the keyboard seems fragile like. The older one was much much better. The Wacom tablet, I mean, the touch pad is so far ok.

Overall I like it. I will let a few months go by and let you all know.
 
jandrso said:
My biggest fear is the keyboard. I have not purchased AppleCare but will do so in the coming weeks to make sure to have this costly repair covered.
Click to expand...
Note that your model (as of now) has a 4-year warranty on the keyboard -- with or without AppleCare. So it's not necessary to buy AppleCare if that is your only reason to.
 
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