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Should I Get 2017 Base Model no TB Macbook Pro...

O

otherguy5

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 2, 2015
95
7
..or should I wait?

Are there any news of them updating this line? I was considering the MBA, until people spoke about the screen brightness.
 
I would wait it out for a week or so until there's a good deal of reports on the MBA.

I wouldn't be concerned about the brightness unless you plan to use it outdoors all the time. My MBPro is 400 NITS according to laptop mag (https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/laptops/apple-macbook-pro-13-inch-retina-2015) and I'm typically using it on 3 or 4 dots, so around 25%-30%.

So for inside use, the brightness would be the least of my worries. I know people always need something to worry about though, so I'd worry about the T2 chip, the wifi, the SSD performance, and the overall system performance.
 
Don't get the MBA it has an inferior cpu its a re branded Core M5 chip with a fan the 2015 MBA out performs the new MBA in many ways.
 
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The nTB will be fine... As an added bonus to getting a machine with the gen 2 KB, you get 4 years of KB coverage... This could be important as the gen 3 KB are having the same issues but are not covered by Apple extended warranty...

I just snagged a tricked out nTB from Best Buy during their early Black Friday sale.. i7 / 16 / 512... The best part? No gimmicky Touch Bar!
 
Howard2k said:
in which ways specifically?
Click to expand...

For one the graphics card is worse than the 3 year old intel HD 6000 graphics card, you get about half the FPS on the 2018 version.

When you do CPU intensive task the clock speed on the new MBA lowers and the fans kick in much quicker to cool off the mobile M5 than they do on the older MBA which holds a true i5 processor
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raqball said:
The nTB will be fine... As an added bonus to getting a machine with the gen 2 KB, you get 4 years of KB coverage... This could be important as the gen 3 KB are having the same issues but are not covered by Apple extended warranty...

I just snagged a tricked out nTB from Best Buy during their early Black Friday sale.. i7 / 16 / 512... The best part? No gimmicky Touch Bar!
Click to expand...
How much did you snag that beauty for?
 
Airboy1466 said:
For one the graphics card is worse than the 3 year old intel HD 6000 graphics card, you get about half the FPS on the 2018 version.

When you do CPU intensive task the clock speed on the new MBA lowers and the fans kick in much quicker to cool off the mobile M5 than they do on the older MBA which holds a true i5 processor
Click to expand...

The reviews I’ve seen have shown it’s faster than the MBA. Where are you seeing these results?

CPU, Memory, SSD, all faster. Wifi is either the same if it’s Wave 1 or it’s actually double the previous MBA if it’s Wave 2.

It’s not a crazy amount faster, but I’m not seeing reviews showing that the old MBA is a faster machine. Well, not from reputable sites.
 
I think I'm settled getting a refurbished Macbook Pro 2017, no touchbar. My main concern now is the news of the defective logic board and SSD. And yes, the keyboard as well; but I'm planning to use a keyboard cover that should be as effective —if not more so— than the silicone cover they put under the keys for the 3rd gen.
 
Howard2k said:
The reviews I’ve seen have shown it’s faster than the MBA. Where are you seeing these results?

CPU, Memory, SSD, all faster. Wifi is either the same if it’s Wave 1 or it’s actually double the previous MBA if it’s Wave 2.

It’s not a crazy amount faster, but I’m not seeing reviews showing that the old MBA is a faster machine. Well, not from reputable sites.
Click to expand...
On paper yes it is faster I personally tested one in real world use my girlfriend went out and got one as she needed a new laptop for school, on paper all of those things are much faster but in real world usage it doesn't correlate and the things it is faster in its only minimal. On initiation it seems as if the new MBA is faster but then that petty core m5 starts to bottle neck but hopefully the reports are true that apple is gonna release a core i7( true i5 *cough*) in the new MBA and delete the none touch bar pro from line-up next week
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otherguy5 said:
I think I'm settled getting a refurbished Macbook Pro 2017, no touchbar. My main concern now is the news of the defective logic board and SSD. And yes, the keyboard as well; but I'm planning to use a keyboard cover that should be as effective —if not more so— than the silicone cover they put under the keys for the 3rd gen.
Click to expand...
my experience from key board covers are they make things worse actually because now the dust gets trapped between the keyboard cover and the keys leading only the crevices between the keys for it to escape.
 
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Airboy1466 said:
He got a lot more bang for his buck a maxed out 13 inch 2 less cores but 256GB more SSD space and a higher base clock speed along with a more portable machine.
Click to expand...
He purchased the nTB MBP 13, which has the 7th generation dual core i7. The 2018 MBP 15 I mentioned has the six core 8th generation i7.
 
TazExprez said:
He purchased the nTB MBP 13, which has the 7th generation dual core i7. The 2018 MBP 15 I mentioned has the six core 8th generation i7.
Click to expand...

Sorry but I am not a spec warrior... What I got for ----> me is more than sufficient and I didn't want the gimmicky Touch Bar..

If you like the TB then by all means purchased base on specs.... I don't like the TB nor do I make purchasing decisions based on specs alone.. I wanted 13".........
 
Well............

Day 3 with the new machine and arrrrrrrrr............ The KB already has issues! Spacebar registers double spaces OR does not register the input at all. I was typing out a document this morning and the entire document looked like a hot mess when I checked it. Numerous instance where space was not registered and just as many as a double space....

Have not noticed any e key issues but the spacebar is going to be problematic.... Box er up and head to Best Buy later to exchange or refund...

Arrrrrrrrr......................
 
raqball said:
Well............

Day 3 with the new machine and arrrrrrrrr............ The KB already has issues! Spacebar registers double spaces OR does not register the input at all. I was typing out a document this morning and the entire document looked like a hot mess when I checked it. Numerous instance where space was not registered and just as many as a double space....

Have not noticed any e key issues but the spacebar is going to be problematic.... Box er up and head to Best Buy later to exchange or refund...

Arrrrrrrrr......................
Click to expand...


That's frustrating. That's the nTB right?
 
TazExprez said:
That one uses the 2nd generation keyboard. You should probably try the 2018 TB models because these use the 3rd generation keyboard.
Click to expand...
3rd gen KB are just as prone to failure... Long thread on it here in the Pro area..
 
Last edited:
raqball said:
Well............

Day 3 with the new machine and arrrrrrrrr............ The KB already has issues! Spacebar registers double spaces OR does not register the input at all. I was typing out a document this morning and the entire document looked like a hot mess when I checked it. Numerous instance where space was not registered and just as many as a double space....

Have not noticed any e key issues but the spacebar is going to be problematic.... Box er up and head to Best Buy later to exchange or refund...

Arrrrrrrrr......................
Click to expand...

Do you know or suspect the cause? Is it dust particles stuck in the keyboard, or is it the actual keyboard itself that's causing the malfunction do you think?

I've gotten one of those thing keyboard covers, in hopes to avoid this.
 
otherguy5 said:
Do you know or suspect the cause? Is it dust particles stuck in the keyboard, or is it the actual keyboard itself that's causing the malfunction do you think?

I've gotten one of those thing keyboard covers, in hopes to avoid this.
Click to expand...

I do not think it's dust... I tired blowing some air on it and no dice... I am not sure if it's a standard gen 2 KB failure or just a manufacturing defect.. I'll lean towards a defect out the box at this point and not the general failure we see as all the other keys were fine...

I went to BB to exchange it and they didn't have another in stock in the same config. They wanted to order me one but I passed and returned it for a refund. Went to the Apple Store down the street and no dice either on a similar config in stock... They had nTB's in stock but not in a config I wanted...

I seriously considered just getting a Surface Book 2 but I already have a Win 10 machine (Surface Laptop 2) and wanted to get back into MacOS as well....

Ended up buying a 2018 with TB................... Not a fan of the TB but they had a i5 / 16 / 512 in stock so I snagged it... Guess I'll be adding Apple Care to this since the 3rd gen KB are not covered under Apple 4-year KB warranty...

Just got home with it and am downloading Mojave now...

Now I need to play with the TB and see if there is a way to just show the FN keys 24/7.....
 
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