This is a polarizing subject partly because it is so subjective, and IMO is sometimes enough to turn MacRumors into a contact sport. I'm neither a pure Apple loyalist nor a pure Apple hater. But I do recognize that we are talking about the Ferrari of laptops...the MacBook Pro has become the golden standard here. The reality is that when a product is the benchmark of its respective class, it's going to be analyzed (both positively and negatively) in a scrutinizing way that other products in the same class might not be. Admittedly, I expect Apple to produce products that are both futuristic and currently functional - but this can create its own internal conflict.
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For example, I've been in situations where not having a USB-A port and not having an adapter on me has been quite frustrating. For example, I needed to take a file off a flash drive that was USB-A that someone gave to me while out. I had to find a computer with USB-A, sign in to DropBox, upload the file to my DropBox account, connect the MBP to my cell phone, and download the file from DropBox. Bad planning on my part or not, it was an inconvenience that my older MBP, MBA, and SP3 would not have suffered from, so I can see why this computer doesn't suit everyone's current needs.
On the other hand, the choice to embrace USB-C is understandable, promising a versatile port with considerable capability, and the choice to also embrace TB3 means those with USB interference problems have another option (no differently than with the 2012-2015 model's TB2). In certain regards, the new MacBook Pro renders all iPhones, iPads, and previous MacBook Pros all legacy devices - it could even render the iPhone 8 a legacy device upon release!!! The superiority of USB-C will certainly begin to shine more over time, although we could still be a few years out (one example could be when either a new SATA revision comes about, PCIe storage drops in pricing, or a new affordable interface superior to SATA6 is released, to allow external storage of higher speeds for more practical pricing without needing a RAID0 SATA setup - another could be when more monitor Makers begin adopting USB-C more rapidly, or the eGPU gains momentum.)
The industrial design is spectacular, the speakers are great (if you use them...I usually don't), and when outside I see a considerable difference in the legibility of the screen. The iGPU in the 2016 13-inch NTB is comparable to the dGPU in the 2014 15-inch, and the ability to find the NTB model for prices well below MSRP have been nice. I don't think the system is a good value at $1,499 at a time when most Makers are releasing less expensive devices - I think it is an outstanding value at $1,150-1,250 - that's my personal opinion. The SSD kicks ass. It might kick even more ass when APFS is released. The form factor is nice...I think the size shrink has especially made the portability of the 15-inch model more practical, and many MB Air owners seem very satisfied with the 13-inch.
The somewhat rocky start did not help. The perceptions about battery have remained, and some Users of the 13-inch touchbar model still aren't super satisfied with their system's battery life (although most owners I have spoken to, even those unhappy with the battery, are happy with the computer as a whole.) Those transitioning from the MacBook Air to the 13-inch without touchbar seem somewhat more satisfied with battery. I'm satisfied overall. Apple has, in my opinion, shown incredible commitment to this platform and fixing many of those annoying quirks. Compared to the 2012 retina release, I think this model has had more annoyances and individual QC problems, but fewer fatal flaws (however, the seemingly more frequent QC defects could be related to greater sales volume or more usage of the internet as a whole!) For example, the image retention problem with the 2012 retina was one that no software update corrected and some people exchanged a bad model for another bad one, and the screen flicker stemming from the wifi antenna could also be hugely annoying.
While the data recovery aspect has been complicated through the 13TB/15 NAND soldering, the disposability of the computer hasn't really increased all that much IMO. The disposability factor took a massive leap in 2012 with the soldered RAM and glued battery, and another jump in 2013 with the non-standard PCIe SSD--which, while slightly easier to upgrade than the soldered NAND seen with the 13 and 15 TB models, it isn't that much of a leap going from hard as heck to upgrade to virtually impossible. The reality is that electronic Makers in general are shortening the service life of their consumer devices at baseline tiers, and Apple is one of the many doing this (it's also fully within their right to make this decision, and is, from a business perspective, smart as hell.)
Presumably, the next generation will make some incremental improvements. I could see: enhancements to durability/feedback of the keyboard, further enhancements in palm rejection, battery improvements, greater durability to the electrical plating, and of course the normal spec increases. I could be completely wrong tho, as I'm not psychic.
So, would I call it a dud? No. I wouldn't call it perfect either (which mass-made product ever is?) But I think it's a good overall system (which comes at a time when Windows devices are more competitive than ever - but that doesn't detract from the quality of the MBP as it only increases selection options.) How much you like it compared to what came before it may depend on how you use it. If there are certain aspects of it you really like, you might as well try it - if you hate it, you've got two weeks to return it?
