Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How happy are you with you Macbook Pro 2016?
- Thread starter esaelias
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I am happy with my 15 inch MBP. I added the Better Touch Tool to be able to launch my favorite applications from the Touch bar. I have mainly had it plugged in, so I can't really comment on battery life at this point. I like being able to charge it from either side. I was never a huge fan of magsafe on my 2011 MBP. I had to replace the power cord a few times because it would get frayed around the magsafe adapter. Also, I never tripped over it and am less likely to do that now that I can plug it on the same side as the power outlet.
The screen is beautiful, especially when compared to my anti-glare 2011 MBP.
I prefer my DASKeyboard over this keyboard, but it isn't the train wreck I was expecting. I am able to type on it without any problems. I do find that I hit the Siri button which is up in the right corner of the touch bar on occasion, so I moved it and it is no longer an issue. I type a lot on the screen of my iPad, so maybe it is easier for me to adapt than others.
The 16GB limit isn't a problem for my normal needs. I did purchase Final Cut, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. This is the busy time of year at work, so I haven't felt like shooting or editing video, but that should start soon. I have run Photoshop on it and edited some RAW files (from a Canon 5D Mark III) and that has not been a problem.
I also want to mention that I like the smaller size and lighter weight. I know a lot of people on this forum would prefer a heavy brick if it meant they could get 32GB of RAM, but I use it a lot on my lap, so I appreciate any weight they can shave off. I also like the USB-C, though I would have preferred one regular USB 3.0 port. The fact that I can get an adapter and use each port for any of my needs now and in the future gives it versatility you can't get with other ports. Also, the performance of Thunderbolt 3 is off the charts, so I am looking forward to new devices that can take advantage of those speeds.
I am happy with it right now, but these are just first impressions. I plan to push it harder in the next month or so with video editing and more Photoshop, but for my needs (so far) it works great. As some have mentioned, the price is high, but I got it as a gift, so I can't really complain about the price.
The screen is beautiful, especially when compared to my anti-glare 2011 MBP.
I prefer my DASKeyboard over this keyboard, but it isn't the train wreck I was expecting. I am able to type on it without any problems. I do find that I hit the Siri button which is up in the right corner of the touch bar on occasion, so I moved it and it is no longer an issue. I type a lot on the screen of my iPad, so maybe it is easier for me to adapt than others.
The 16GB limit isn't a problem for my normal needs. I did purchase Final Cut, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. This is the busy time of year at work, so I haven't felt like shooting or editing video, but that should start soon. I have run Photoshop on it and edited some RAW files (from a Canon 5D Mark III) and that has not been a problem.
I also want to mention that I like the smaller size and lighter weight. I know a lot of people on this forum would prefer a heavy brick if it meant they could get 32GB of RAM, but I use it a lot on my lap, so I appreciate any weight they can shave off. I also like the USB-C, though I would have preferred one regular USB 3.0 port. The fact that I can get an adapter and use each port for any of my needs now and in the future gives it versatility you can't get with other ports. Also, the performance of Thunderbolt 3 is off the charts, so I am looking forward to new devices that can take advantage of those speeds.
I am happy with it right now, but these are just first impressions. I plan to push it harder in the next month or so with video editing and more Photoshop, but for my needs (so far) it works great. As some have mentioned, the price is high, but I got it as a gift, so I can't really complain about the price.
I'm happy with my 15" with 460 graphics, most of the time. Had terrible battery life but after resetting the PRAM and SMC, I've been getting close to 10 hours doing word, powerpoint and youtube running in the background and watching about 3 hours worth of Modern Family.
There are just little things that are not Apple-refined.. For example, the keyboard. My "b" key is double registering and is rather annoying. The laptop also freezes up, but have to say hasn't happened since updating to 10.12.3. I also do miss my Magsafe. I've already tripped over the charging cable twice, thankfully the connection loosens up across time and disconnected easily.
The 460 graphics is good enough for my needs / wants. It handles the occasional Overwatch night well with a consistent 70 fps on display capped setting. No throttling even after 3 hours of gaming. I can see the 16GB of RAM getting tight in the future as I do a lot of multitasking and constantly am using about 11GBs.
There are just little things that are not Apple-refined.. For example, the keyboard. My "b" key is double registering and is rather annoying. The laptop also freezes up, but have to say hasn't happened since updating to 10.12.3. I also do miss my Magsafe. I've already tripped over the charging cable twice, thankfully the connection loosens up across time and disconnected easily.
The 460 graphics is good enough for my needs / wants. It handles the occasional Overwatch night well with a consistent 70 fps on display capped setting. No throttling even after 3 hours of gaming. I can see the 16GB of RAM getting tight in the future as I do a lot of multitasking and constantly am using about 11GBs.
Only had mine a few days (13" TB, 3.1 i5, 16GB, 1TB) but so far I love it - it's light, well built and very fast (faster than the Surface Book it's replacing). It also looks absolutely gorgeous in Space Grey 
I absolutely love the keyboard and trackpad (I've been using an rMB and have an iMac with the Magic Keyboard so have got used to short travel keyboards)
I went for the 13" because I don't need discrete graphics and portability is important to me
I can really see the sense of the USB-C ports - they take up virtually no space and offer complete flexibility over what each port's used for
I absolutely love the keyboard and trackpad (I've been using an rMB and have an iMac with the Magic Keyboard so have got used to short travel keyboards)
I went for the 13" because I don't need discrete graphics and portability is important to me
I can really see the sense of the USB-C ports - they take up virtually no space and offer complete flexibility over what each port's used for
Very happy with mine (Specs in sig, owned since Mid-November)! Very fast & snappy, love the keyboard, display is beautiful, battery is great, thinner and lighter is just icing on the cake. Only dongle I've needed is Apple's DigitalAV Adapter (combining HDMI & USB-A) which I don't consider a big deal. Quite glad I didn't cave and pickup a 2015 13" during summer.
Couldn't agree more with the happy folks on here, and I hope the unhappy folks found some sort of solace! Mine runs like a dream, although the trackpad does give me the occasional mistake (it may happen once every couple of days). Getting used to the new OS has been the hardest thing to overcome.
I'm liking mine but just a couple annoyances.
I don't like the new keyboard, for some reason it's very hard to find the arrow keys when not looking. Speaking of which, my down arrow key (the one I use the most) works about 60% of the time, which from what I read might mean I need to replace my whole machine
The battery life isn't what I hoped for (or anywhere near the claimed performance), but that isn't new for Macbooks.
Other than that I'm pretty happy with it, the screen is gorgeous. I don't use the touchbar AT ALL.
I don't like the new keyboard, for some reason it's very hard to find the arrow keys when not looking. Speaking of which, my down arrow key (the one I use the most) works about 60% of the time, which from what I read might mean I need to replace my whole machine
The battery life isn't what I hoped for (or anywhere near the claimed performance), but that isn't new for Macbooks.
Other than that I'm pretty happy with it, the screen is gorgeous. I don't use the touchbar AT ALL.
I've been using my 13'' TB MBP for about a week now. I opted for the 3.3 GHZ & 16GB ram model. I was coming from a late 2014 base model MBP, which I passed on to my wife. Overall, I would say that I am quite happy with my purchase thus far. Do I feel that it was worth the $2,299 US price tag? No, I do not. While the screen is absolutely gorgeous, probably the best & most color accurate display I have ever used. I would like to not even factor that into the justification of a Mac purchase, simply because we have grown accustomed to gorgeous displays on Apple products. Honestly we really haven't been let down thus far in that aspect. How about sound quality & the controversial 2nd gen butterfly keyboard? The sound on the 13'' is greatly improved in my opinion. Regardless of whether I have music playing, watching a video on YouTube, or watching something on Netflix.. The sound, increased bass, & overall clarity really feels like it fills the room. In my opinion Apple nailed it here. Onto the keyboard.. For me personally this was one of my biggest worries when I hit the order button. Especially after talking with other MacRumor members here and after watching dozens of videos online. It was really a mixed bag.. Some people love it, some people hate it.. Me? It grew on me within the first hour of me going through the paces and getting everything set up on it. I am a fast typer anyway, so I don't feel it made me a fast or worse typer at the end of the day. I really do like it, and would now prefer it personally to the older models. Beforehand I definitely believed the keyboard on the other MBP models was one of the best & most accurate I have ever used. Along with the trackpad. Which brings me to that. I love the increased size of it! I really do. I have plenty of room for gestures, regardless of where my hands might be resting, whether I am sitting at my desk using Numbers, or laying in bed chatting with you fine folks. I haven't had ANY accidental inputs from it while typing or scrolling. Battery life? When I am home, I generally keep it plugged in anyway, from being out and about or at work with it though, it has easily lasted me all day and then some. I don't think I am getting Apples advertised 10 hours but I am getting pretty darn close to it. Now granted I keep the brightness to a minimum when running on battery, same with the backlighting. I have not watched Netflix or really any video related projects while running on battery either. Simply browsing or document & Numbers/Keynote type work. Overall, quite satisfied with the battery life that I have been getting. Last but not least? Yep! This Touch Bar panel... Oh Apple! What are we going to do with you guys...? I am not really sure how to take this thing quite yet.. It needs more time to evolve (if that even happens.) Has it made my life easier? No, absolutely not.. Does it have some useful techniques? Yes, it does. I do like the photo and video editing options right there, I do like using it in mail, & I have used it briefly in Pages, Numbers, & Keynote. It does have some useful features to it. However, it definitely isn't a game changer by any means. I have been an Apple user forever, so like many of you, I am quite accustomed already to the shortcuts we know & love. THOSE make my life easier and a more efficient worker. Not this Touch Bar. I do believe it has potential though, pending developers incorporate it into their apps, and that Apple doesn't leave it high and dry in future Mac updates. I just don't see that happening though. Does it justify the cost upgrade? Absolutely not.. (Sorry Apple, it's not that impressive.) If this post runs on, I apologize. I am quite happy with this machine, even with the $2,299 price tag. I haven't fully put it through the ringer yet in terms of video editing or things like that. The things I have done though, has been quite fluid & incredibly fast. I would definitely recommend if you're coming from an older MBP & are overdue for an upgrade. However, if your machine isn't on it's last leg. I'd say hold off just a bit and see what Apple does later this year, or if you can catch a sale price.
I think his Return key is broken. Time for a repair.
Only had mine a few days (13" TB, 3.1 i5, 16GB, 1TB) but so far I love it - it's light, well built and very fast (faster than the Surface Book it's replacing). It also looks absolutely gorgeous in Space Grey
I absolutely love the keyboard and trackpad (I've been using an rMB and have an iMac with the Magic Keyboard so have got used to short travel keyboards)
I went for the 13" because I don't need discrete graphics and portability is important to me
I can really see the sense of the USB-C ports - they take up virtually no space and offer complete flexibility over what each port's used for
I'm curious how warm is your MacBook on idle or, just using simple apps like safari, MS Word, etc.? I have read on this forum that many people have returned their BTO 3.3ghz machines for the 2.9ghz base cpu due to excessive heat. What is your experience with the 3.1?
Thanks!
I'm really happy to use my MacBook Pro. The keyboard is absolutely amazing. I like the Touch Bar and I'm waiting for new Dell mouse to try Photoshop (I don't like photoshopping on trackpad).
This screen is gorgeous, there is no comparison to my Asus K-series pc laptop with TN display. But, for gaming the Asus is winner, for work and learn Swift - MacBook is winner. Can't wait to try this Photoshop on this machine.
BTW the Microsoft Office looks lovely on Mac OS. I still don't like iWork.
macOS is the best OS, but the best office pack is MS Office.
I can say that I really enjoy this MacBook and Asus K combo. They both suit perfect to my needs, but if I can be honest with you, the user experience is much better on the MacBook Pro. I forgot how good is using macOs daily. My recent laptop with OS X was MacBook White with Core 2 Duo and x3100 Intel's graphics card. Now I have MacBook Pro + iPhone 6s Plus and I really can recommend this products.
I don't know why Microsoft still can't do lovely interface like Apple did with macOS.
Windows 10 looks much better than Vista or XP, but it's still worse than any OS X for the last 10 years.
This screen is gorgeous, there is no comparison to my Asus K-series pc laptop with TN display. But, for gaming the Asus is winner, for work and learn Swift - MacBook is winner. Can't wait to try this Photoshop on this machine.
BTW the Microsoft Office looks lovely on Mac OS. I still don't like iWork.
macOS is the best OS, but the best office pack is MS Office.
I can say that I really enjoy this MacBook and Asus K combo. They both suit perfect to my needs, but if I can be honest with you, the user experience is much better on the MacBook Pro. I forgot how good is using macOs daily. My recent laptop with OS X was MacBook White with Core 2 Duo and x3100 Intel's graphics card. Now I have MacBook Pro + iPhone 6s Plus and I really can recommend this products.
I don't know why Microsoft still can't do lovely interface like Apple did with macOS.
Windows 10 looks much better than Vista or XP, but it's still worse than any OS X for the last 10 years.
I found a way to get out of my 2016 and into a 2015 and I won't look back. My 2015 connected to my monitor via DisplayPort works just fine. The machine sleeps and wakes without crashing. Something that my 2016 simply didn't know how to do. My bluetooth mouse doesn't randomly disconnect, and my battery life is longer. The only thing I miss is the size of the trackpad, and having to get used to the older style keyboard again.
Some of the problems I could have lived with if there had been an inkling of a software update to fix them. But, you know Apple - God forbid they tell us anything. Sure, the 5k UltraFine might have needed some shielding here or there, but that doesn't excuse the 4k UltraFine problems, or the other random crashing, right?
I'm not bitter, I just wanted it to work like every other Apple device I have owned since 1996 has.
Some of the problems I could have lived with if there had been an inkling of a software update to fix them. But, you know Apple - God forbid they tell us anything. Sure, the 5k UltraFine might have needed some shielding here or there, but that doesn't excuse the 4k UltraFine problems, or the other random crashing, right?
I'm not bitter, I just wanted it to work like every other Apple device I have owned since 1996 has.
I used it for 10+ hours yesterday with a fusion VM running all the time doing some heavy Windows development and it got slightly warm but nowhere what I would describe as hot and the fans barely kicked in
I've only had mine for 3 days but am really happy so far. my screen has a really odd pink to green tone but other than that it seems fine. i should probably avoid this forum until my return period is over tho since everyone nitpicking the damn thing tends to ruin the new toy effect quicker than i'd want it to be.
im very happy with my new MacBook Pro touch bar 13", I did the 512gb, 2.9 model. I'm using it for college soon, doing beginner coding classes. Pretty sure it'll be okay, also basic paper writing, presentations, keynote etc. Also aside from school, Ill be taking photos with a canon t3i *(hobby), youtube, Netflix, chatting. so I didn't need the high end or max out the laptop specs. Maybe when I graduate and get a job, in 4-5 years, ill probably get a new one and spec that out. Probably more worth it then. ☺️
Plus I love the touch bar functions and the screen graphics. Pretty. I came from a black MacBook, lol. So this is a big upgrade for me.
Plus I love the touch bar functions and the screen graphics. Pretty. I came from a black MacBook, lol. So this is a big upgrade for me.
I gave it a try (max spec 13 inch tMBP) and returned to Apple after 2 weeks. ATM I have dell XPS 2016 and the previous gen MBP, both in my opinion are far superior to the new version. Component-by-component breakdown:
+++ build quality - no flex or anything, awesome
+++ screen - superbright and nice looking, obviously better than the previous gen. Also seems to be even less reflective, which I appreciate a lot.
--- speakers - mine were blown out after trying to install windows through bootcamp, so no idea
--- battery life - pretty much roll a D6 and add 2, extremely inconsistent. Chrome seems to be the battery killer for some reason, even though both dell XPS & MBP 2015 easily manage around 7-8 hours with it running.
? keyboard - was nice until theletter "a" got stuck one week in.
- touchbar - almost entirely useless, I haven't had a singe moment when I thought "Oh wow, I wish I had the touchbar earlier", also (I'm guessing) it is another battery killer along witch chrome
-- specs, cpu, gpu - a complete joke, for the price I am paying windows hardware just blows it out of the water. Compared to the previous generation, the speed increase is almost negligible.
--- port selection - abysmal, there is absolutely no reason not to leave at least one USB 3 port, as well as killing the HDMI and SD card slot for no reason at all.
Conclusion:
If you want a new MBP, either
1) buy a 2015 version, it's cheaper and far superior in 80% of the cases
or
2) wait for a 2nd gen tMBP and see if Apple manages to fix at least some of the issues
+++ build quality - no flex or anything, awesome
+++ screen - superbright and nice looking, obviously better than the previous gen. Also seems to be even less reflective, which I appreciate a lot.
--- speakers - mine were blown out after trying to install windows through bootcamp, so no idea
--- battery life - pretty much roll a D6 and add 2, extremely inconsistent. Chrome seems to be the battery killer for some reason, even though both dell XPS & MBP 2015 easily manage around 7-8 hours with it running.
? keyboard - was nice until theletter "a" got stuck one week in.
- touchbar - almost entirely useless, I haven't had a singe moment when I thought "Oh wow, I wish I had the touchbar earlier", also (I'm guessing) it is another battery killer along witch chrome
-- specs, cpu, gpu - a complete joke, for the price I am paying windows hardware just blows it out of the water. Compared to the previous generation, the speed increase is almost negligible.
--- port selection - abysmal, there is absolutely no reason not to leave at least one USB 3 port, as well as killing the HDMI and SD card slot for no reason at all.
Conclusion:
If you want a new MBP, either
1) buy a 2015 version, it's cheaper and far superior in 80% of the cases
or
2) wait for a 2nd gen tMBP and see if Apple manages to fix at least some of the issues
I'd imagine those that read it got the gist of it. That's all that matters. I do appreciate your input though.
Still really love mine. A really great computer, love everything about it. I think it will be a solid investment, as I don't plan on upgrading for a while.
I love how it feels, performance is really good, I love USB-C ports, I love the keyboard, trackpad is awesome, screen is amazing, touchbar is cool and the size of the computer is quite an improvement. Only real downside: it IS really expensive.
A great computer.
[doublepost=1487932441][/doublepost]
While I can agree that the 2015 offers a better value for the money, and is a very, very good laptop, I don't see how it's superior in anything compared to 2016, let alone 80%. In fact, it is worse in almost every way (still great, though).
If you got a 2015. one - it's a good choice, maybe even a smarter choice, but let's not get unrealistic here. The new MBP is faster (faster GPU, RAM, SSD, CPU doesn't throttle as much - so faster), it is lighter, it is smaller, it has a better and brighter screen, has better battery life for the most part, it has a better build, it has a better trackpad and - for a lot of people - a better keyboard.
[doublepost=1487932553][/doublepost]
In fact, there are a lot of reasons. You don't have to agree with them, though. I prefer the USB-C ports to the old ones.
I love how it feels, performance is really good, I love USB-C ports, I love the keyboard, trackpad is awesome, screen is amazing, touchbar is cool and the size of the computer is quite an improvement. Only real downside: it IS really expensive.
A great computer.
[doublepost=1487932441][/doublepost]
While I can agree that the 2015 offers a better value for the money, and is a very, very good laptop, I don't see how it's superior in anything compared to 2016, let alone 80%. In fact, it is worse in almost every way (still great, though).
If you got a 2015. one - it's a good choice, maybe even a smarter choice, but let's not get unrealistic here. The new MBP is faster (faster GPU, RAM, SSD, CPU doesn't throttle as much - so faster), it is lighter, it is smaller, it has a better and brighter screen, has better battery life for the most part, it has a better build, it has a better trackpad and - for a lot of people - a better keyboard.
[doublepost=1487932553][/doublepost]
In fact, there are a lot of reasons. You don't have to agree with them, though. I prefer the USB-C ports to the old ones.
I picked up a 15" 2.9/16GB/1TB/460 less than two weeks ago. I use the machine for FCPX and Motion - with Safari and email. I was coming from a late 2013 build of a 15" MBP with the Nvidia card that was working overtime rendering 4K videos with 3D title cards and transitions.
It was difficult to get used to the keyboard and I was also skeptical to its performance - specifically in relation to the 2013 MBP. But, with after using it for almost two weeks - I'm convinced its much faster than the 2013 MBP. The display is crisper. I'm not too concerned about the speaker - hardly use it. Carrying around dongles is a bit annoying - but after getting a Samsung T3 for external storage and experiencing how fast it transfers files using USB-C - I can sign up for dongle carrying until everyone else catches up.
I'm also a big fan of the Space Grey color.
I'm trying to figure out what to do with the 2013 MBP. The sellyourmac quote was pretty low :/
It was difficult to get used to the keyboard and I was also skeptical to its performance - specifically in relation to the 2013 MBP. But, with after using it for almost two weeks - I'm convinced its much faster than the 2013 MBP. The display is crisper. I'm not too concerned about the speaker - hardly use it. Carrying around dongles is a bit annoying - but after getting a Samsung T3 for external storage and experiencing how fast it transfers files using USB-C - I can sign up for dongle carrying until everyone else catches up.
I'm also a big fan of the Space Grey color.
I'm trying to figure out what to do with the 2013 MBP. The sellyourmac quote was pretty low :/