Actual MBP 2016 users, please tell me the truth!

[aevan]

It's very much focused on superficial appearance. It's not aimed at people who appreciate art; it's aimed at people who make a point of being seen appreciating art. That's a significant distinction.

You're just trying to put a negative spin on it - turning it into vanity. I could say the same thing, that Omega watches are not intended for people who appreciate art, but want to be seen with them.

I rarely pull out my credentials, but as someone with masters in Architecture, and a great admirerer of classical art as well as modern design, as someone who formed his taste on minimalistic works of Tadao Ando and Mies van der Rohe, I can tell you the new MacBook Pro is very much intended for people who appreciate art and beautiful design. In fact, even though there are some solid-built and ok looking laptops out there, Apple MacBooks are the only laptops that are intended for such people.

And it's not just superficial - the build, the feel of the hinge, the subtle click of the keyboard, heck, even the "MacBook Pro" lettering (I am yet to see any other computer that has anything written on them that doesn't take away from the look) - it's just class all the way.

I understand you prefer internal upgradeability, but this is a beautiful, classy design, minimalistic at its best. The Dells and Razors of this world just don't compare - and you can either appreciate that or not.

 

[kapps]

I'll post a more thorough review of my 2.7/1TB/460 MBP later but I've been using it for the past couple days and I have zero issues. Nice machine.

 

[sziehr]

The Leica of computers. We always wanted Apple to be a well crafted luxury brand, not just a niche brand. Now it has achieved that.

They just need to stop releasing a new OS every year - it presents a problem because rebuilding an OS so frequently means new bugs become more frequent too. Apple should stick to one OS for a few years and keep refining it. It's easy to add the new features to a mature OS.

This has been the same drum beat for IOS. I think the best new features released come in the .3 or .4 update like night shift They feature did not break things. The feature brought bug fixes. So yeah I am ready for a longer DEV cycle.

 

[vmac556]

had my 2016 15mbp for about a month, perfect machine so far (I work in IT), the only "issue" I have is sometimes when I plug it in to charge, it doesnt make the audible noise, it seems like it is on and off

I wish the touch bar would stay on, I dont like tapping it to turn it on, then tapping it again to pause
I do like the keyboard, but I havnt gotten used to the down arrow key for some reason

 

[mickeydean]

I'll post a more thorough review of my 2.7/1TB/460 MBP later but I've been using it for the past couple days and I have zero issues. Nice machine.

I like being able to mute the speakers or to change the brightness, how is that with the touchbar compared to a 2012-2015 era retina MBP?

 

[BenTrovato]

I like being able to mute the speakers or to change the brightness, how is that with the touchbar compared to a 2012-2015 era retina MBP?

At first you'll miss the physical keys. After a week, the new process becomes normal. I don't think it's better or worse, just a different way of doing it.

 

[whatnobeer]

Love it. I didn't have to pay for it, so that maybe effects my opinion, but it's a huge upgrade on my 2012 air. Similar size and weight, a load more power and the keyboard is awesome. Really nothing like the macbook 12" keyboards. Even by boss, who generally hates super short travel keyboards thinks its awesome.

 

[symphara]

Apple aren't trying to compete with PCs anymore. They don't need to with the money they bank. They are trying to sell to the same crowd who like to eat well, dress well, appreciate art. People who care about their carbon footprint. People who don't like disposable goods and cheap knock offs. People who recycle and think about the planet's resources. So it's a modern, forward thinking device that preaches sustainability.

This is the most pretentious ******** I've read on this forum. You're of course wrong about people buying Apple because they care about their carbon footprint or recycling: you'd buy upgradable if you cared about that. But you're half-right: Apple did identify that social signaling is really important to some people - and they're willing to pay a premium for it - and why not cash in on it? After all it's immoral not to part a fool from his money.

The luxury comment is spot on. I was always surprised how people are perfectly fine with spending small fortunes on watches or clothes, but consider computers as something purely utilitarian. Yes, these are luxury computers that hit all the right spots - if you're looking for that sort of thing. If you just want a tool, there are options that offer greater value.

The problem is that what Apple offers is just not better than the competition, and in many ways their products are worse. I think part of it is intentional stinting: every time when there's a conflict between Apple forcing the user down a path that makes them more money, and giving the user the freedom to choose, they pick the former.

In fact, whatever you can do on a Mac, you can do equally well (as in, equally fast) on Windows, except it's going to be cheaper and you have a lot more hardware options, so you can buy much faster hardware. Similar story for iOS: on Android you can do the same stuff - and more, given the flexibility of the OS - but with fewer clicks, swipes and taps.

Apple isn't selling the Porsche equivalent of computing. They're selling Volkswagens with faked emissions and shiny paints, and everyone knows this particular emperor has no clothes, except for a few true believers.

At least they aren't actually asking Porsche prices. They're asking +400-500$ on top, which is the pretentiousness tax.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

This is the most pretentious ******** I've read on this forum.

I don't really care if you disagree

The rest of the crap you posted was hardly a refutation because people say the same nonsense about Leicas and Porsches. If you can't afford them or can't appreciate the work and design that went into crafting them...move on and be happy with whatever makes you happy. Pissing your pants all over the internet isn't going to change anything and you'll still look like a wally even if are anonymous.

 

[Salaryman Ryan]

Although this generation have Macbook Pros have fantastic build quality that may last longer then usual (this has yet to be seen though), it being non upgradable with everything soldered on make this laptop technically disposable. In that light, I'm not sure if sustainability is a priority at Apple.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Although this generation have Macbook Pros have fantastic build quality that may last longer then usual (this has yet to be seen though), it being non upgradable with everything soldered on make this laptop technically disposable. In that light, I'm not sure if sustainability is a priority at Apple.

I'm with you. I love upgradable parts. But every upgradable component increases landfill waste. You buy a memory stick or GPU, you dump the older component. We don't tend to notice the kids in Africa who have to sift through all the toxic crap we send them. Or landfills that pollute deep ground water. We don't notice them because we pass on our waste to middle parties such as second hand buyers and the trash collectors. We wash our hands of the guilt. But the waste always ends up in the same places eventually.

Ideally we should have one single logic board component that lasts many years and is easily recycled 'locally'. We should be aiming for this and supporting companies who are going in that direction.

 

[Jaekae]

Curious as to your thoughts on the Esc key being mapped to the touch bar. I just couldn't get used to it as a developer for how often I use that key across IDEs and the terminal. Force touch on the touch bar would be a great addition, in my opinion.

If you dont use caps lock often its possible to change that one into esc as primary function and as caps as secondary (shift or option i think)

 

[Jolly-boo]

I've only had mine for a short period but I've had no particular deal breaking issues here. It's a lovely machine.

Palm rejection is perfect; I don't have big hands either if that helps. The keyboard is a little odd. I feel like keys are hard to press, but I'll get used to it. The screen is gorgeous, as is the overall build of the machine.

I haven't used the touch bar much except for the obvious reasons such as volume and brightness, and I'm also not the photographer or video editor user, but I do see several uses for it already. At the moment, I am not gonna say its an essential tool, for me at least, but honestly, it really does not take anything away either. I did not use the FN key except from what the Mac Os had mapped onto them; even then I used only half of them (two of the keys on my 2nd gen iMac keyboard are just blank). I'm glad I bought the touch bar version. It will evolve.

And as for the biggest controversy: battery. I've had excellent battery. The first day was rough, but after a good night's sleep, all's well. Watched a 2 hour movie on the TV. Dropped to 84%. Did light safari stuff. Perfectly reasonable.

But other people do have battery issues, and in that regard Apple should have done more of whatever they do before release. It's not a disaster but they err in a few areas.

 

[aevan]

The problem is that what Apple offers is just not better than the competition, and in many ways their products are worse. I think part of it is intentional stinting: every time when there's a conflict between Apple forcing the user down a path that makes them more money, and giving the user the freedom to choose, they pick the former.

In fact, whatever you can do on a Mac, you can do equally well (as in, equally fast) on Windows, except it's going to be cheaper and you have a lot more hardware options, so you can buy much faster hardware. Similar story for iOS: on Android you can do the same stuff - and more, given the flexibility of the OS - but with fewer clicks, swipes and taps.

Apple isn't selling the Porsche equivalent of computing. They're selling Volkswagens with faked emissions and shiny paints, and everyone knows this particular emperor has no clothes, except for a few true believers.

At least they aren't actually asking Porsche prices. They're asking +400-500$ on top, which is the pretentiousness tax.

Some people like pizza, and they cannot understand why someone would go to a restaurant to pay a lot more money for sushi, when you can get a pizza with fish, or you can get a pizza with just vegetables, or different kinds of cheese. You can get a large pizza if you want to eat a lot - and pay much less than for some overpriced, overhyped sushi. My local pizzeria offers a pizza with small cheeseburgers on the edge - if you're into that sort of thing. But you can also make a healthy pizza, with salmon and low-fat cheese and vegetables. There's pizza for everyone, for every taste, preference or need. And the best part? It's much, much cheaper. You can literally get the same nutrific value from the pizza, for a lot less money. Heck, in some cases you can get MORE.

And yet people who love sushi just can't see pizza as a replacement. There is something in how all the components work togeather to form that perfect taste, how wasabi spikes that taste with sharp sensations and how gari cleanses the palate between eating different pieces of sushi. Then, there is the design of sushi. How it looks, how simple and yet ellegant every piece looks, and how they combine into a little work of art - like an ikebana.

There are people who think a pizza can look just as great (even though sushi lovers know it can't), and a lot of people who think it doesn't matter how food looks like at all - because it's there to sustain us, not as a decoration. But people who like sushi know it's not just food, it's an experience. It's almost like a performance carried out for them.

Android, Windows, iOS, macOS.... You're either a pizza guy, or a sushi guy, what can I tell you.

 

[Ovedius]

Some people like pizza, and they cannot understand why someone would go to a restaurant to pay a lot more money for sushi, when you can get a pizza with fish, or you can get a pizza with just vegetables, or different kinds of cheese. You can get a large pizza if you want to eat a lot - and pay much less than for some overpriced, overhyped sushi. My local pizzeria offers a pizza with small cheeseburgers on the edge - if you're into that sort of thing. But you can also make a healthy pizza, with salmon and low-fat cheese and vegetables. There's pizza for everyone, for every taste, preference or need. And the best part? It's much, much cheaper. You can literally get the same nutrific value from the pizza, for a lot less money. Heck, in some cases you can get MORE.

And yet people who love sushi just can't see pizza as a replacement. There is something in how all the components work togeather to form that perfect taste, how wasabi spikes that taste with sharp sensations and how gari cleanses the palate between eating different pieces of sushi. Then, there is the design of sushi. How it looks, how simple and yet ellegant every piece looks, and how they combine into a little work of art - like an ikebana.

There are people who think a pizza can look just as great (even though sushi lovers know it can't), and a lot of people who think it doesn't matter how food looks like at all - because it's there to sustain us, not as a decoration. But people who like sushi know it's not just food, it's an experience. It's almost like a performance carried out for them.

Android, Windows, iOS, macOS.... You're either a pizza guy, or a sushi guy, what can I tell you.

Given the choice, seven times out of ten I'd choose pizza. -maybe even four out of five.
Yet I won't buy any other computer for my self than a Mac and won't buy any other phone than an iPhone.
So...

Man I really hate these "some people like ******, some people like *upper class *****" metaphors.

 

[agaskew]

Its become a hipster's toy. This is a deliberate strategy by Apple.

 

[Jaekae]

Given the choice, seven times out of ten I'd choose pizza. -maybe even four out of five.
Yet I won't buy any other computer for my self than a Mac and won't buy any other phone than an iPhone.
So...

Man I really hate these "some people like ******, some people like *upper class *****" metaphors.

Exactly, i dont buy mac as a luxury item, i just like the quality since its something i use everyday, also that it keep high resale value which makes up for the lack of upgradability. Better sell whole computer and get a "upgrade" on everything after 3 years, than buying a windows laptop now and throw all money in the garbage. After 3 years a dell is almost worthless in value. Over time a mac is cheaper than windows laptops. Maby higher starting price, but you lose more money in the long run on windows laptops..

 

[aevan]

Given the choice, seven times out of ten I'd choose pizza. -maybe even four out of five.
Yet I won't buy any other computer for my self than a Mac and won't buy any other phone than an iPhone.
So...

Man I really hate these "some people like ******, some people like *upper class *****" metaphors.

It's hard to find a good metaphor. And it's ok to choose pizza, as long as you respect the fact that some people prefer sushi. And I don't think pizza is **** in my example. I love pizza. But I also don't think sushi is overpriced. It's also not for everyone and I never look down on people who say they don't like it, just as I don't look down on people who use Dells or HPs or Windows. The problem is, those people sometimes look at me and think I'm crazy or a fool to give that much money for a Mac - just as I have friends who like to say things like "for that money, I can get twice as much food" when I mention I love sushi.
[doublepost=1482669287][/doublepost]

Its become a hipster's toy. This is a deliberate strategy by Apple.

And Omega is just an overpriced watch for snobs, while Leicas are overpriced cameras for upstart photographers.

Right.

 

[azamk87]

Bought the baseline non TB in Space Grey (2.0 Ghz , 256 , 8GB). Love it!

The screen, keyboard, speakers are brilliant - the second gen butterfly keyboard is particularly impressive and much more precise than the old school Apple laptops. Wasn't a huge fan of the keyboard on the 12" MacBook but this one is much much better.

Build quality is second to none and one area no other manufacturer has even come close to. Not a flaw in sight and despite being as thin as it is, it feels really solid in the hand.

Space Grey looks stellar.

Not only is it lighter than my 2014 rMBP but also runs a lot cooler and quieter. Currently Apple charges the same for the 2016 and 2015 rMBP with 256GB SSD. I actually got mine cheaper than what I paid for my 2014 rMBP!

Battery life is about the same as the previous gen - wish they had improved this though.

Obviously not perfect - sometimes mission control lags and the log in screen usually shows 5% lower battery than when you're actually logged in to Sierra. Hopefully these quirks get fixed up with a software update.

Having USB C hasn't been an issue - I have one hub with 3 USB A ports and an SD card reader which covers all my needs. However very cheap of Apple to not include adapters straight out the box. Acer with their Swift 7 does this and it's a nice gesture. I do think they should have left the SD Card slot though - there is absolutely no sense in getting rid of it since there are no better methods currently or anywhere in the future for this. Wi Fi transfer with cameras is just too slow and unreliable.

Overall I'm quite pleased with the 2016 MacBook Pro.

 

[Mannaerts]

Went for the 13" base model as i didn't see myself using the touch bar, which i do find really impressive and classy however.

No issues at all here using Safari, PS4 remote play app and iTunes and i have 8h on a full charge according to the battery indicator (didn't update haha) so i'm quitte happy.
Gonna install Lightroom and Chrome later to really test the battery drainers

 

[kinster]

I've got the 15" 2.9ghz 1TB 460 and can say that the machine is "okay".

 

[Chuzwuzzin]

Its become a hipster's toy. This is a deliberate strategy by Apple.

Agreed! I love to identify with hipsters - much better than identifying with IT nerds

FWIW I'm posting from my new 15" MBP and it is an utterly beautiful machine - a pleasure to use.

 

[kinster]

Its become a hipster's toy. This is a deliberate strategy by Apple.

Become? It always has been since the first iMac came out.

 

[ihatetoregister]

I have one and my company paid for it.
It's a piece of crap which is not worth its money, and the only reason I keep dwelling here is to warn people against it.

I have a fully maxed out 13", which costs more than 4100 dollars with adapters.

Keyboard is awful, absence of magsafe is awful, last gen CPU is disappointing, price bump is terrible, and a lot of cheap moves like not including the power extension cable or a lightning port or anything else than usb-c.

But hey, in 3-4 years you'll look cool with no adapters for usb-c peripherals everywhere. Until then you look like an idiot, also you won't get 4k at 60hz because screw you, apparently.

You will not feel any difference in weight or size I can guarantee that.

Frankly, get the 2015 one if you're paying with your money, and consider leaving Apple entirely as a computer platform.
[doublepost=1482672294][/doublepost]OP : I forgot, but the battery is crap. I get 3h30 of use with what I'm doing (running an almost idle server, running Node, text editor and browser).

I have never owned a MacBook Pro before so it seems to make more sense for me to get the 2016 version, since for 256GB it's the same price for the 2015 version - not many noticed that the base model of 2015 MBP starts at 128GB, hence the price bump.

LOL.
OP please also consider that : many people here will tell you it's amazing no matter what. No matter how bad it is they will defend it.

Here you have the person I quote, who in all seriousness say the price bump is ok because SSD is bigger, while not accounting for the fact that almost 2 years separate the two iterations and a 256GB today costs probably less than a 126GB in early 2015.

I've also heard or read things like "Yeah it 's ok to not include power extension cable, I don't use it that much anyway" or "Apple is unifying the experience by removing the battery indicator" (not said in a sarcastic tone, like for real they defend them) and other absurdity justifying whatever Apple is doing, no matter how crappy and idiotic.

I'll mention the plus side on the MBP 2016 : It's pretty (really pretty in space grey) so you'll live the hype.
And... that's it. Oh, it's also better in terms of power.

 

[kis]

The Leica of computers. We always wanted Apple to be a well crafted luxury brand, not just a niche brand. Now it has achieved that.

Oh coooooome on, not you again. That's a big fat slap in the face for any Leica shooter, my self included. Leica cameras are absolute niche products, aimed at a very small group of highly dedicated users that demand absolute perfection in both form and the functions they expect / need. The tMBPs couldn't be further from this - they don't include the necessary functionality (sub-par keyboard, missing ports, not enough speed) that the most demanding users (and they're marketed at exactly those) require. They're just expensive. If you think that's what Leica is all about, you have absolutely no idea whatsoever.
[doublepost=1482673645][/doublepost]

The impression I get browsing these (and other) forums is that the 2016 MBP is a complete disaster

I have the base 2.7ghz tMBP. It's not a disaster, but it's also the first Mac I wouldn't recommend to anyone at that price point. Apple has made too many compromises with these computers - the keyboard is the worst they've ever put in a "pro" laptop, the missing ports are annoying, the battery life is sub-par, the touchbar is nice to look at but also mostly superfluous, the performance is mid-tier and the prices are eye-watering. I wouldn't buy it unless you absolutely can't live with a Windows computer and you absolutely need the low weight for a 15" laptop (that's really the only thing it has going for it that I like).