Hello, Do you think it's reasonable to write-off the latest USB-C MacBooks due to the bad press they are getting and instead consider/compare the Macbook Air and pre-USB-C Macbook Pro?
Apple is still selling some models of the Air and pre-USB-C MacBook Pro, so they will be supported for some years to come. USB-A devices are going to be around for a while, too. If they'll do the job for you, and you're worried about the price, they're certainly worth considering, especially as 2nd hand/refurb.
The underlying problem with the new MBP is a conflict between the "it works for me - stop hating Apple" and the "no, actually, I've looked at it
doesn't work for me - stop worshiping Apple" camps. So, the only thing to do is to do the research and decide if it works for
you.
First thing to do with the new MacBook Pros is get into a store and try out the keyboard - its a love/hate thing and totally subjective. Give it a chance - I was surprised to find that I quite liked it, but if you hate it then, unless you plan to use the laptop exclusively in 'desktop replacement mode' with an external keyboard, that's kinda end of argument. Also, see what you think of the huge touchpad - I'm not 100% convinced that bigger is better and found, for example, that I couldn't use it accurately with my thumbs (I think this was related to the reported palm-rejection problems).
Then you need to sit down and work out your "dongle bill" - what cables, adapters, power supplies, docks, new peripherals etc. you will actually need to support your daily needs "in the manner to which you have become accustomed". Again, this depends on your circumstances - I had a nasty shock because I "commute" (just) my laptop between desks at home and work
and need to connect to projectors, USB sticks etc. on the road, so it was either buy 2 of everything and 3 of some things, or have to carry a whole more gubbins around than currently. Other people just need a $20 lightning cable and done.
Then its a case of how much grunt you need: the new non-touchbar MBP seems like a credible (if somewhat more expensive) replacement for the Air. Just ignore the "Pro" on the label and it makes sense.... provided you can live with the limited ports: just two that have to serve for power/external display/USB. If you're happy with Air-level 15W processor choices then the fact that these ports can do 40Gbps thunderbolt is probably kinda irrelevant: you can still only plug in 2 things without a dock/multi-port adapter. Again - this isn't a problem for everybody.
As for the touchbar model - if you need the higher-power or quad core processors then, I'd say, at least wait until the dust has settled and we know if the screen glitches, speaker blow-outs and palm-rejection and battery life issues are software-fixable teething problems or something deeper. That said - even on paper, the CPU and GPU are only marginally better than the previous generation (an improvement that can easily be wiped out by the different default display mode and extra thermal throttling) and which ever way you cut it the battery capacity
is 20% less than the previous model so while the most egregious battery problems may be fixable, the battery
won't last as long as the old one on operations that max out the CPU/GPU.
It will also be worth waiting to see if Apple's new, higher, prices result in more discounts and deals being offered than in the past. Deals/discounts (apart from student/edu) have never been that common on current-model Apple hardware, but with other manufacturers its common for the "list price" to be higher than the "street price". I was vaguely surprised to see Black Friday discounts on brand new models (that were supposedly outselling hot cakes).
