From a '10 iMac to '18 MBP... Impressions Thus Far

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I know what you're probably thinking... a 2010 iMac? Really? It was my daily driver and, truth be told, there was nothing technically wrong with it - but I felt like I deserved a new machine.

So now I have a lovely new 13" MacBook Pro, 256/16gb. Here are my impressions so far.

• It is silent during low-level (web, email, music etc) activity. If I'm not mistaken, I believe the fans may actually turn off, as even when I hold the machine to my ear, it doesn't make a sound and there are no vibrations. When it does need to cool, the fans kick-in about once every 10-minutes, and even then it is extremely quiet. Under heavy loads, the fans are still quiet and have a pleasant tone. As you can tell, I'm not used to this... 'luxury'.
• The screen, whilst the best looking I've ever set eyes on, does not fill me with confidence when it comes to durability. It is a very thin panel, and I find it difficult to wipe the glass clear without creating 'puddles' in the LCD. The anti-reflective coating is excellent.
• The speakers are quite incredible. They can go to a very loud volume, and have excellent hi's in particular.
• Read/write speeds are ridiculous. Even when using a traditional HDD, I was able to copy 17gb to another drive - an SSD - in under 3-minutes. I had to do a double take! When copying data only on SSD, it happens in a flash.
• The Touch Bar didn't serve any purpose to me in its default form, so I changed the preference to 'Expanded Control Strip' and now love it. In case you don't know what this is, it replicates all the functions that are assigned to the F-keys (i.e. backlight, volume etc), only instead of presenting them as F-keys, each function has its own unique button and they stay there no matter what. So you don't get muddled in all the new menus.
• Touch ID is surprisingly good. It works in a variety of means, such as logging into the computer, websites, apps and even when installing things.
• The keyboard, as I expected, did take a little time to get used to, but it was worth persevering with as the key require less pressure to register input. I've found it less tiring during long typing sessions. But you do have to learn to type 'lightly'; since the keys bottom-out easily, you can actually feel fatigue quicker without altering your style.
• I love the big trackpad. I know this has been a source of debate as some have said it may even be too large, but it has flawless palm rejection and I've really enjoyed the ability to put my finger anywhere on it to control the cursor.
• The FaceTime camera is absolutely awful. Not what I expected from something this expensive.

So not a comprehensive list, but just things that have really stuck out to me. If you have any questions then fire away

 

[estabya]

Thank you for your thorough reflection on the new machine. And congrats! I've been considering picking up a 13" now that they are quad-core, and I find a lot of value in honest assessments like this that list the pros and cons for individual users and use cases.

The keyboard, as I expected, did take a little time to get used to, but it was worth persevering with as the key require less pressure to register input. I've found it less tiring during long typing sessions. But you do have to learn to type 'lightly'; since the keys bottom-out easily, you can actually feel fatigue quicker without altering your style.

This is something that definitely took me a while to get used to on my 2016 rMB. Coming from a 2014 rMBP, my fingers would quickly tire even during a relatively short coding or typing session. Once I got more accustomed to the keyboard and started typing more lightly, this problem has gone away.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

No problem, I'm glad it was helpful.

I held out for the quad-core myself, and I'm glad that I did. My initial fear was that the chassis would run very hot and noisy on a regular basis, but it's actually been the complete opposite. Idle temps sit around 35-degrees, light productivity around 45-degrees. And again, these are with the fans either off or just barely ticking over. Under load I expect them to whirl up often, so I'm not too bothered there.

Something else I've considered is that the 2019 MacBook Pros could be even more expensive again, particularly if they adopt new screen technologies (OLED, higher refresh rates), as well as Face ID. We'll have to wait and see...

 

[iMacDragon]

Have to agree, the camera is.. pretty crappy for the price of laptop, though I'm guessing it is the best sensor they can get into the thinness of the lid..