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A happy buyer of the new 13'' tbMBP
- Thread starter NiCk-
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Just got my 13 none touch bar Macbook and I'm also very pleased with its long battery life and portability. I have always thought that Apple's smaller notebooks from its 12 inch Powerbook to the current Macbook Pro very are aesthetically beautiful machines. I can see why Apple uses the image of the 13 tbmbp more in their ads and website then its bigger sibling. The 13 is a gorgeous computer! 
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This might not seem like it's relevant initially, but bear with me. So, back in the day, I was browsing through the forums for some impressions on the Macbook Air (2013) since I was deciding between that and the 13" MBP. I had never purchased an Air before, but after assessing my computer needs, I figured that getting one wouldn't affect me in a negative fashion. Still, I wanted to hear what people thought and even their thoughts on comparing the two. At the time, this forum gave me the impression that the Air was (generally) the better "bang for your buck" buy compared to the MBP, and I ended up purchasing it.
While I still use the Air and it hasn't given me any major issues, it was a noticeably inferior experience compared to my 2008 Unibody MB (still my favorite Mac). I don't regret the purchase, but I sometimes wonder if I would have been happier with the MBP.
What was the point of that story? I wouldn't take what is being said on these forums as the end-all, be-all regarding certain products that Apple releases. Not that there isn't any validity to what they're saying (and honestly, from a logical standpoint, I do agree that the Air was an overall better cost-value purchase, what I later learned however, is that I would have been ok paying the premium to get some things that I regret not getting), but that it simply represents one perspective on things. I also find that these forums are highly susceptible to group think, although that isn't an issue that is unique to this forum.
I have 1 big reservation with the 2016 MBP's (the graphics issues, I've had to deal with this before in other Apple products, I don't want to deal with it again), but I think I'm going to buy it anyway. Thankfully, I have a separate laptop for work and it wouldn't affect my productivity, so even in the worst case scenario, I use it for a year until Applecare is gone and then sell it towards the 2017 model, assuming we get a 2017 model. For me personally, compared to the 2013 Air, the pros vastly outweigh the perceived cons, and the cost issue isn't a deal breaker for me.
While I still use the Air and it hasn't given me any major issues, it was a noticeably inferior experience compared to my 2008 Unibody MB (still my favorite Mac). I don't regret the purchase, but I sometimes wonder if I would have been happier with the MBP.
What was the point of that story? I wouldn't take what is being said on these forums as the end-all, be-all regarding certain products that Apple releases. Not that there isn't any validity to what they're saying (and honestly, from a logical standpoint, I do agree that the Air was an overall better cost-value purchase, what I later learned however, is that I would have been ok paying the premium to get some things that I regret not getting), but that it simply represents one perspective on things. I also find that these forums are highly susceptible to group think, although that isn't an issue that is unique to this forum.
I have 1 big reservation with the 2016 MBP's (the graphics issues, I've had to deal with this before in other Apple products, I don't want to deal with it again), but I think I'm going to buy it anyway. Thankfully, I have a separate laptop for work and it wouldn't affect my productivity, so even in the worst case scenario, I use it for a year until Applecare is gone and then sell it towards the 2017 model, assuming we get a 2017 model. For me personally, compared to the 2013 Air, the pros vastly outweigh the perceived cons, and the cost issue isn't a deal breaker for me.
Coming from a 2013 MBA, I can guarantee that I am super happy with my new 13" tbMBP. Screen is fantastic, speakers are amazing. Everything flies, SSD + CPU makes the laptop a delight to use. Keyboard is a non issue. Touchbar will be fantastic as time passes. No regrets.
PS I also chose the MBA over the MBP 3 years ago, mostly for battery life. Did not jump into the retina MB bandwagon because of lack of performance. New MBP are a perfect balance between performance, portability and battery life IMHO.
I agree, 13" is the BEST! jk. I don't get why ntb owners are so protective of their ntb purchase. Everyone has different needs and I don't need to push the 13 TB on anyone. But I digress. One thing @JohnnyGo touched on that I don't think gets enough play is the trackpad. I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but this is probably the biggest experience changer for me when comparing to WinPC's. For some reason, they just can't get that precision that the MBP has (even older models). I realize some with 15" have had problems with their ginormous trackpads, but the 13" is pretty much perfect in every way. The taptic, the force, the gestures, and again the precision! All of the gestures are intuitive and accurate. I don't know why people don't rave about this. Maybe not enough Windows experiences? This is quickly rising on the list of my favorite things about the MBP.
I too thought about the 15". I have the 13" with tb, and like it, even thought its been a ruff start, I still enjoy the machine. the new 15" weighs about the same as last years 13". my son has a 16 13" and a 15 13", so I'm able to judge the difference. the 13" imho is still the better choice for portability. I'm developing hand issues, so the weight difference makes a key issue for me to keep the 13". unless you want to run 2 5k monitors, either 13" with or without tb are a nice choice.