The new MacBook Pro is a great laptop, and delivers what many people, especially pro users, were hoping for. I am disappointed for several reasons, and I suppose the MacBook Pro is not for me.
I obviously like the fact that it has top-notch performance, but I think the 120Hz MiniLED display is by far the best thing about it. The fact that it has a good webcam, a great sound system, and a full-sized keyboard, are also great for me.
But there are at least two things I did not like about it:
I shall come to the conclusion that I am no pro user and that I should not look to buy these models. And indeed I am not: these days, I mainly use the computer to browse the web and to run Microsoft Office apps. I do not edit videos or photos, and I do not need all this CPU and GPU power for productivity.
But the MacBook Air, which would be the obvious choice, is not what I want either. It is a small laptop, while I certainly benefit from a larger screen for multi-tasking, as I think 13-inch is too small for that. It is not so light, as there are other laptops which are even lighter. It has a very fast processor, but still it does not fully compensate for the lacking performance of Microsoft Office on Mac compared to it running on Windows PCs.
Should Apple decide to release a thin and light, less beefy, 16-inch laptop with a 120Hz MiniLED display, for a compatible price tag, I would consider it. But my next laptop will probably be a Windows PC. Far less powerful, but also far more convenient for me.
I obviously like the fact that it has top-notch performance, but I think the 120Hz MiniLED display is by far the best thing about it. The fact that it has a good webcam, a great sound system, and a full-sized keyboard, are also great for me.
But there are at least two things I did not like about it:
- The weight. The 14-inch model weighs 1.6kg and the 16-inch weighs 2.2kg. The new MacBook Pros are heavier than the previous models. I want a laptop that is thin and light so I can carry around all day. This laptop does not fulfill this requirement.
- The price. The 14-inch model is more expensive at $1999. The 16-inch model costs $2499 which is a great considering Apple's recent history of raising prices for every novelty. But here in Brazil the 14-inch model starts at $5000 and the 16-inch at about $6000. I am not buying a laptop at these prices, no matter what they offer. The big problem with Apple raising prices in the U.S. is that they become unbearable when you add all Brazilian taxes.
I shall come to the conclusion that I am no pro user and that I should not look to buy these models. And indeed I am not: these days, I mainly use the computer to browse the web and to run Microsoft Office apps. I do not edit videos or photos, and I do not need all this CPU and GPU power for productivity.
But the MacBook Air, which would be the obvious choice, is not what I want either. It is a small laptop, while I certainly benefit from a larger screen for multi-tasking, as I think 13-inch is too small for that. It is not so light, as there are other laptops which are even lighter. It has a very fast processor, but still it does not fully compensate for the lacking performance of Microsoft Office on Mac compared to it running on Windows PCs.
Should Apple decide to release a thin and light, less beefy, 16-inch laptop with a 120Hz MiniLED display, for a compatible price tag, I would consider it. But my next laptop will probably be a Windows PC. Far less powerful, but also far more convenient for me.
