Real MBP Review

[enzo thecat]

Op, I'm with you. Love mine and think its a bargain compared to what I paid for my 2010 back in the day. People that don't have one are missing out. I dont think in my life I've ever criticized anything as vehemently as the "experts" here without owning one. I am stunned at the ignorance and prejudice. Ultracrepidaians to the core that actually take their time to post about something they don't have and "wont buy". 4 pages of your thread in just a couple hours. 4 pages of mostly heated rhetoric. Does that tell you something? It does me and thats why I'm driven to interject.

Thanks for taking the time to make and defend the OP . I think the anger is coming out because the envious ones are realizing that this is indeed a massive advancement forward.

When a car is updated, they update the engine one year, then the interior the next year, then the body. They don't just completely revamp the entire thing. Thats how most companies carry out updates. This has the toucher which is completely AWESOME and has outrageous potential. It also has the other advancements you mentioned. What other MBP refresh has been this big of leap forward? Hell my 2010 had 8gb of memory and .5Tb hard drive. That was 6 years ago. From the threads on MR, you'd think that MBs were advancing much more quickly than they actually are.

BTW, I simultaneously used 3 of the USB-C ports at lunch today, one of them with the dongle. I'm beginning to see a method to the madness.

 

[tubeexperience]

Thanks for taking the time to make and defend the OP . I think the anger is coming out because the envious ones are realizing that this is indeed a massive advancement forward.

Ah, no.

Imagine if Subaru release new cars that has worse all-wheel drives that the previous models.

I doubt that the people who "actually take their time to post about something they don't have" do so because of the "massive advancement forward".

 

[chevelleguy3]

Good review!
All I have been seeing is negative reviews and how this new MacBook is the worst that Apple has produced. I purchased the 15" high end model ($2799 stock model) and have only been impressed by it. I didn't feel like waiting for a CTO model so I picked this one up in-stock. I sold my 15" Mid 2015 2.8, 16GB, Radeon R9, 1TB SSD and my 2014 5K 27" 4.0, 32GB, Radeon R9 295x, 1TB SSD and switched to this new one as my only machine and couldn't be happier.

The Touch bar and Touch ID are awesome. It took me a bit to figure out how to configure the Touch bar for each app but once it's setup it's very useful.

I love the keyboard. The old one on the 2015 model was horrible.

The display is awesome and was not that far out of calibration when I used my Spyder5Pro.

Speed and performance - this thing is super quick and very responsive. Ran a BlackMagic Disk speed test and got 2000 read and write. The 2015 model would do 1300-1400.

I thought I would be disappointed with the lack of a variety of ports built in. I purchased most of the adapters and already had some so I can still connect legacy equipment and drives. It's really not that bad because I don't use most of those all the time. I did however purchase a USB-C external hard drive and a dual USB-C/USB 3.0 flash drive for the more frequent use.

Overall, I have had zero issues and am very impressed with this machine. I'm also not your typical user either. I'm an Apple Systems Admin by profession and an amateur photographer as well so I do put my Mac through the ropes.

 

[CaptRB]

Op, I'm with you. Love mine and think its a bargain compared to what I paid for my 2010 back in the day. People that don't have one are missing out. I dont think in my life I've ever criticized anything as vehemently as the "experts" here without owning one. I am stunned at the ignorance and prejudice. Ultracrepidaians to the core that actually take their time to post about something they don't have and "wont buy". 4 pages of your thread in just a couple hours. 4 pages of mostly heated rhetoric. Does that tell you something? It does me and thats why I'm driven to interject.

Thanks for taking the time to make and defend the OP . I think the anger is coming out because the envious ones are realizing that this is indeed a massive advancement forward.

When a car is updated, they update the engine one year, then the interior the next year, then the body. They don't just completely revamp the entire thing. Thats how most companies carry out updates. This has the toucher which is completely AWESOME and has outrageous potential. It also has the other advancements you mentioned. What other MBP refresh has been this big of leap forward? Hell my 2010 had 8gb of memory and .5Tb hard drive. That was 6 years ago. From the threads on MR, you'd think that MBs were advancing much more quickly than they actually are.

BTW, I simultaneously used 3 of the USB-C ports at lunch today, one of them with the dongle. I'm beginning to see a method to the madness.

I'm glad I posted the review because it basically trolled the trolls. My 2015 pro is excellent and plenty fast as is the brand new 13" version I'm using right now. While not the fastest kids on the block there are still a big leap forward overall. Any real user/owner finds that out fast.

I'll admit it. I complained about the dongles at first, but then my buddy got his along with a slick little reader and the quality just overwhelms everything else. The adapters are simply not an issue.

And I'll say this. Not a soul who OWNS this machine has had trouble with the keyboard. Anyone who writes for a living quickly gets how good it is. Oh wait, I just lied. Not a soul I've met in the real world! Online it seems that the keyboard is a big problem. In fact all of the little problems (online) wash away the fast processor, faster SSD, better screen, better sound, better build, touch-bar....oh boy. It's been a LOT of work to find issue with this machine.

But the absolute truth is that this is the best MacBook yet. It has the most advancements yet from any new release of a revamped model. Next year will see processor improvements as well.

But the cry babies will rage on. Boo hoo!


R
[doublepost=1480993395][/doublepost]

Ah, no.

Imagine if Subaru release new cars that has worse all-wheel drives that the previous models.

I doubt that the people who "actually take their time to post about something they don't have" do so because of the "massive advancement forward".

Are you kidding? Of course they do. The "haters" expression exists because of this type of trolling. You'll find it in most product forums. You should have seen it with the Dodge Hellcat. The hate was flying, but the car could not be beat and has gone on to being an auto-Icon in just two years.

Subaru is a GREAT way to compare the new MacBook, because when a recent incarnation of the STI came out with the same kind of HP, fans became upset. They paid little attention to the many advancements to the STI and how much better the car really was.

The new MacBook doesn't have a lot more HP, but it's a lot more refined and professional in operation. It's a better user experience than previous models and perfect for many professional applications.



R.

 

[aioriya]

Well when it comes down to it, my opinion is more valid than yours. I own one. I am using one to type this. I've hardly put it down since I got it over a week ago. I am the authority. You are not. So if my opinion is "blah blah blah" what does that make yours? Go buy one and use it for a couple days. Then I will respect your opinion.

Lol a couple of posts in this thread are hilarious, I honestly cannot tell if they're real or if its just deep trolling... I have a touchbar model and I admit the build quality is great. You won't find a more beautiful looking laptop period. Incredible screen and I actually like the keyboard. I love finally having touch id but I think its baffling its taken so long to finally add this feature to the Mac.

Other than Touch ID, I’m not sold on the touchbar yet and I’ve been forcing myself to use it more but I feel like I don't need it. I do hope maybe in the future I can appreciate its use. As a touch typist I feel its unnatural in my mind to use the touchbar and have to look down at my keyboard. In general I find I'm better off with muscle memory and leveraging an existing keyboard shortcut for speed and consistency.

Battery wise, I’m getting what appears to be the average battery life a lot of people are reporting, 5-6.5 hours of light use. This and the removal of sd card slot are two of my biggest annoyances with this laptop. I have no complaints about performance and I do not plan on using this laptop for gaming.

In summary, I do like it and think its a decent laptop. But objectively speaking, for the price, I would not recommend this laptop over last years model which is still a more compelling option and minus the inconveniences. I do not believe the new features bring enough new value to the table to justify the price.

 

[enzo thecat]

No, you simply do not respect people who disagree with you and lace into them like a petulant child. I did own the damn thing and kept it for a week before returning it, but how would you know this given that you have been presuming s*** the whole thread?

So now you're saying you bought a 2016?!??


This is your post...
"Why on earth would you upgrade from 2015? Wait it out a year or two. I am a first time Mac user and I opted for 2015 because it is far better value. I just wish I had purchased a 2015 model last year instead of hoping Apple would release something worthwhile after such a long wait. I couldn't have imagined the upgrade would be so underwhelming. It sucks even more because the 2015 models are the same price as last year, but it is what it is."

Before I call you a liar, show me one post you made about buying and returning a 2016. I looked at your posting history and everything is bitching about the new one.

I also found a post where you said you bought a refurbished 2015. I don't have time to look through them all. You have pages and pages complaining about the 2016. So show me the post where you bought the 2016.

 

[Macalway]

I just compared my new one to my old late 2013. The physical difference is substantial (or should I say, lack of it).
These things are welterweights. The bottom casing feels very thin, but is actually an advancement in construction, enabling them to decrease weight, like so many industries. A marvel.

 

[motime]

So now you're saying you bought a 2016?!??


This is your post...
"Why on earth would you upgrade from 2015? Wait it out a year or two. I am a first time Mac user and I opted for 2015 because it is far better value. I just wish I had purchased a 2015 model last year instead of hoping Apple would release something worthwhile after such a long wait. I couldn't have imagined the upgrade would be so underwhelming. It sucks even more because the 2015 models are the same price as last year, but it is what it is."

Before I call you a liar, show me one post you made about buying and returning a 2016. I looked at your posting history and everything is bitching about the new one.

I also found a post where you said you bought a refurbished 2015. I don't have time to look through them all. You have pages and pages complaining about the 2016. So show me the post where you bought the 2016.

Wow Sherlock, some nifty investigative work there. How the hell does any of that prove I never bought a 2016 model? I purchased 2 2015 models in fact and returned one due to UI lag issues and I did buy a 2016 13 inch model as it is priced closer to the 2015 models. I took it back because the keyboard sucked even after hours of use. I was set on the 2015 models anyway but just wanted to be sure. Who the hell cares anyway? Waste some more time skimming through my posts if it makes your day.

 

[CaptRB]

So now you're saying you bought a 2016?!??


This is your post...
"Why on earth would you upgrade from 2015? Wait it out a year or two. I am a first time Mac user and I opted for 2015 because it is far better value. I just wish I had purchased a 2015 model last year instead of hoping Apple would release something worthwhile after such a long wait. I couldn't have imagined the upgrade would be so underwhelming. It sucks even more because the 2015 models are the same price as last year, but it is what it is."

Before I call you a liar, show me one post you made about buying and returning a 2016. I looked at your posting history and everything is bitching about the new one.

I also found a post where you said you bought a refurbished 2015. I don't have time to look through them all. You have pages and pages complaining about the 2016. So show me the post where you bought the 2016.

There you have it. Perfect. Caught lying, just as many do. I know this mentality because I see it in forums all of the time. Even if he had a 2016, why wait until NOW to reveal it?

THIS is why I started the thread. It reveals that the haters are little more than petulant children. Perhaps they can't afford this holiday release. Perhaps they don't want to afford it. Maybe they want to find reason not to buy. It's FAR easier and less expensive to rage against it. I've read (seriously) posts where people say the deal-breaker is the lack of USB port!

Better still, they claim last years model is a better option. How? Is it the slower speed and SSD or is the inferior scream and wobbly keyboard. If my 2015 MacBook Pro is that good, then how can the faster, better equipped and nicer 2016 be so bad?

And of course I'm the bad guy for pulling the curtain back and showing who they are.

The lack of logic would reduce Mr. Spock to tears!


Robert
[doublepost=1481000333][/doublepost]

Wow Sherlock, some nifty investigative work there. How the hell does any of that prove I never bought a 2016 model? I purchased 2 2015 models in fact and returned one due to UI lag issues and I did buy a 2016 13 inch model as it is priced closer to the 2015 models. I took it back because the keyboard sucked even after hours of use. I was set on the 2015 models anyway but just wanted to be sure. Who the hell cares anyway? Waste some more time skimming through my posts if it makes your day.

This is just TRAGIC. You're busted. And even if you had one, it sure sounds whacky that you waited until now to mention it. What a shame.

You need a nap.



Robert

 

[thesaint024]

Wow Sherlock, some nifty investigative work there. How the hell does any of that prove I never bought a 2016 model? I purchased 2 2015 models in fact and returned one due to UI lag issues and I did buy a 2016 13 inch model as it is priced closer to the 2015 models. I took it back because the keyboard sucked even after hours of use. I was set on the 2015 models anyway but just wanted to be sure. Who the hell cares anyway? Waste some more time skimming through my posts if it makes your day.

You are making those that have legitimate reasons to express dissatisfaction look really bad. You show up in all the threads bashing and your posts make me cringe. I didn't even have to look you up. I remember you from the photographer thread. You were the one that just wouldn't let it go. You don't have a '16. We're all fine that you bought a '15, REALLY. Go use your new MBP to do something more productive. Go in peace.

Edited by mods

 

[CaptRB]

You are making those that have legitimate reasons to express dissatisfaction look really bad. You show up in all the threads bashing and your posts make me cringe. I didn't even have to look you up. I remember you from the photographer thread. You were the one that just wouldn't let it go. You don't have a '16. We're all fine that you bought a '15, REALLY. Go use your new MBP to do something more productive. Go in peace.

Yeah...and let me be clear, there are some folks that need more than these machines currently offer. But very few of them are on here. There are mostly haters here and their goofy voices drown out the users who are real, and that's not fair at all.

The 2016 TMBP is a very nice computer. Right for everyone? Of course not. But that's as it should be and always will be.

PS: I wonder what folks are running to get so little battery time though?


R.

 

[8692574]

PS: I wonder what folks are running to get so little battery time though?
R.

They are actually using the computer for working ....and more than Facebook / Twitter ...... you know...actual work.

This is why they complain, not because they cannot afford it, but because using them is worse than using the version before it.
Now if all you do is facebook and twitter they are a marvel.......very expensive marvel.

 

[CaptRB]

They are actually using the computer for working ....and more than Facebook / Twitter ...... you know...actual work.

This is why they complain, not because they cannot afford it, but because using them is worse than using the version before it.
Now if all you do is facebook and twitter they are a marvel.......very expensive marvel.

LOL. I'm a pro still life shooter and I run multiple accounts for jewelry designers, as well as light portrait and product photography. My shots and vids have been used at trade shows and boat shows. I'm running Lightroom and PS (mainly) along with retouch and NR plug ins.
Battery life is on par with my MacBook Air for normal use and I got well over 7 hours while doing PP work. That's the same as my 2015 15" except this screen is much better for photography work.

Cheers,


R.

 

[tubeexperience]

To summarize this entire thread: if you dislike the 2016 MacBook Pro, you must be either a hater or a troll.

 

[8692574]

To summarize this entire thread: if you dislike the 2016 MacBook Pro, you must be either a hater or a troll.

Lol .. we can close the thread now

 

[malikkamran]

I don't hate but I am waiting for the shipping of the MacBook Pro

 

[MarcBou]

Good positive review. Thanks.

I just don't trust people whining on internet forums about a machine they don't own, it makes me think, why would I care about somebody who spends his valuable time complaining about a laptop they didn't buy and they are not going to buy? If I was sure I don't want this laptop I'd just get another one that suits my needs and move on with my life.

 

[8692574]

Good positive review. Thanks.

I just don't trust people whining on internet forums about a machine they don't own, it makes me think, why would I care about somebody who spends his valuable time complaining about a laptop they didn't buy and they are not going to buy? If I was sure I don't want this laptop I'd just get another one that suits my needs and move on with my life.

It is trough critics that one grows and improve, without critics and with just praises you will never become what you could really be.

For that reason, I don't trust people praising stuff just because they own them, most of the time they are trying to make themselves feel better, and justify to themselves what they bought!

I prefere critics, wich I don't take as definitive, I go an check myself if those "defects" affect my use scenario, but I am glad someone points them out, I might not have thought about that , and overlooked something that in the long run might be an issue.

People neet to understand the difference between complain and constructive criticism!

 

[cerberusss]

I wish my wife liked Chinese take-out.

I was just eating an apple and almost spit it out...

I think we're all pretty spoiled.

Yep, I just love the new MBP. Of course it's extremely expensive and I wouldn't be able to justify it normally, but it's a business expense for me. Now that I have it, it's amazing. It's like the Rolls Royce of laptops and we get to have it!

And it is pushing a completely new USB-C based ecosystem, with a lot of wonderful stuff. For example, Delta (company that makes lab-grade power supplies) has brought out USB-C chargers under the name Innergie, and look at the reviews it gets:
https://plus.google.com/102612254593917101378/posts/ArRcnu3sZpw?sfc=true

"engineering like a sportscar. IR drop compensation and voltage output is absolutely flat, overload protection is the best I've seen (matching/beating Apple!)"

So already, companies are entering the arena and trying to one-up Apple with their engineering prowess. I think that's amazing.

 

[frankgrimes]

Seems like caps lock and choice of words are lacking on your mbp

but I didn't expect much agree reading the real review title.

 

[MarcBou]

It is trough critics that one grows and improve, without critics and with just praises you will never become what you could really be.

For that reason, I don't trust people praising stuff just because they own them, most of the time they are trying to make themselves feel better, and justify to themselves what they bought!

I prefere critics, wich I don't take as definitive, I go an check myself if those "defects" affect my use scenario, but I am glad someone points them out, I might not have thought about that , and overlooked something that in the long run might be an issue.

People neet to understand the difference between complain and constructive criticism!

I agree with you, I'm not talking about critics from people who owns the machine, that's totally reasonable and necessary, I was just talking about people who hasn't even tried the machine and just complains without testing it (we have a lot of these in this forum). It just doesn't make sense.

 

[motime]

I agree with you, I'm not talking about critics from people who owns the machine, that's totally reasonable and necessary, I was just talking about people who hasn't even tried the machine and just complains without testing it (we have a lot of these in this forum). It just doesn't make sense.

That is a ridiculous argument to begin with. Who needs to try out the new MacBook Pros to criticize the lack of ports? Lack of SD card slot? Or lack of Magsafe? Or the insane price hike? Or the fact that benchmarks demonstrate modest gains to weaker performance on the new CPU/iGPUs? Or the lack of battery life as attested by most users? These are the things most people have been complaining about, and you can't just dismiss such criticism because they haven't tried out the machines for a month. These are the sort of dismissive tactics people resort to when they run out of arguments and just want to keep justifying their irrational purchases.

 

[symphara]

I agree with you, I'm not talking about critics from people who owns the machine, that's totally reasonable and necessary, I was just talking about people who hasn't even tried the machine and just complains without testing it (we have a lot of these in this forum). It just doesn't make sense.

In fairness, it seems that most complaints come from people who do have the new MBP, and have gfx glitches, battery life issues etc.

Also, not having one or not having tried one doesn't make some criticism automatically invalid. I'm still waiting for mine (reordered with AppleCare, I want the 460 but got nervous about the many reports of problems), but I can tell you that:

- I'm not happy about the missing MagSafe - I did order a magnetic USB-C connector to replace it so I'll see how that goes
- I'm not happy about the missing SD card slot. I won't buy another dongle (I hate f***** dongles), I'll just stop using my laptop with SD cards and use the desktop instead. Whichever way I look at this, it's an inconvenience and loss of functionality
- I'm not happy about the 4xUSB-C ports, since I have nothing with USB-C to plug into them, and except for dongles, I won't have anything in the next 2-3 years either. So basically I will be using this laptop the way I've been using my existing laptop, except with dongles. No, I'm not happy about that at all.

I am looking forward to the 2.9GHz 4-core, I think the screen is better, I think the machine is more portable, but let's not fall over ourselves with admiration at what Apple did here. This new MBP is quite a severe compromise and there's plenty of valid criticism to be made about it.

 

[WhiteWhaleHolyGrail]

That is a ridiculous argument to begin with. Who needs to try out the new MacBook Pros to criticize the lack of ports? Or lack of Magsafe? Or the insane price hike? Or the fact that benchmarks demonstrate modest gains to weaker performance on the new CPU/iGPUs? Or the lack of battery life as attested by most users? These are the things most people have been complaining about, and you can't just dismiss such criticism because they haven't tried out the machines for a month. These are the sort of dismissive tactics people resort to when they run out of arguments and just want to keep justifying their irrational purchases.

Forgive me but I'm afraid you're simply ranting here to justify your irrational assessments. You do not have any hands-on experience with the TBMBP and so you're guessing at best whilst hoping the bandwagon you jumped onto is right. Regarding your concerns, pricing is subjective depending on available finance and needs; in any case comparable top-end laptops are priced similarly. As for the reported faults, these vary wildly and are still in the overwhelming minority. For example - I get 10 hours of battery life on my machine without issue.

Do try to form some original opinions based on your own experiences otherwise what's the point of anything?

 

[malikkamran]

In my country base 15 touch bar selling for 4500 dollars should I buy