Touch Bar or Not-to Touchbar ?

[serkan]

Hi all,

Which one would you guys prefer ? They are the same price !!!

MBP NTB

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1294079-REG/apple_z0sw_mll427_bh_13_3_macbook_pro_space.html

Specs :

• 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 Dual-Core
• 16GB of 1866 MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD
• 13.3" 2560 x 1600 Retina Display
• Integrated Intel Iris Graphics 540
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.2
• 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type-C) Ports
• 720p FaceTime HD Camera & Dual Mics
• 3.5mm Headphones Jack | Stereo Speakers
• Supports One 5K or Dual 4K Displays
• macOS Sierra
• 1999 $

MBP TB

https://www.adorama.com/acmlvp2lla3.html?utm_source=rflaid91004 ( 50$ off coupon )

Apple MacBook Pro 13" with Touch Bar, 3.1GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM, Intel Iris Graphics 550, Silver (Late 2016)

Thanx

 

[Sanpete]

Adorama and B&H have different return policies for laptops, I believe, so you may want to consider that. I believe B&H only allows returns for defects.

As for the nTB vs TB, the larger SSD is nice but probably not the biggest difference. The battery life is likely to be better for the nTB. Two more ports for the TB is nice. Of course, only you know whether you like the TB and Touch ID.

Silver is obviously the best color!

 

[serkan]

Adorama and B&H have different return policies for laptops, I believe, so you may want to consider that. I believe B&H only allows returns for defects.

As for the nTB vs TB, the larger SSD is nice but probably not the biggest difference. The battery life is likely to be better for the nTB. Two more ports for the TB is nice. Of course, only you know whether you like the TB and Touch ID.

Silver is obviously the best color!

I didnt know that. Thank you for the info. Let me check their return policies.

Bigger SSD or TB with lower battery, damn , I dont know...

 

[Theophil1971]

Be aware that the non-TB model lacks more than just the touch-bar... It has slower RAM, a slower CPU, and a slower GPU. It has 2 fewer USB-C/TB3 ports, and from what I understand, one of them isn't capable of as much bandwidth as the other.

So - all things considered - if it were me, I wouldn't pay that much for the non-TB model. Given the reductions in power, it honestly really isn't capable of doing a whole lot more than the 12' MacBook. Already the 13-inch pro is much less capable than the 15-inch model. If you need heavy lifting (very large spreadsheets or databases, 4k video editing, etc...) you'll want the 15-inch, in my opinion. The 13-inch is great for mid-level video-editing, photoshop, and every-day spreadsheet stuff. But that non-TB version is pretty underpowered for a "pro", in my opinion.

I'd definitely go with the TB model, between the two that you've linked.

 

[/V\acpower]

Be aware that the non-TB model lacks more than just the touch-bar... It has slower RAM, a slower CPU, and a slower GPU. It has 2 fewer USB-C/TB3 ports, and from what I understand, one of them isn't capable of as much bandwidth as the other.

So - all things considered - if it were me, I wouldn't pay that much for the non-TB model. Given the reductions in power, it honestly really isn't capable of doing a whole lot more than the 12' MacBook. Already the 13-inch pro is much less capable than the 15-inch model. If you need heavy lifting (very large spreadsheets or databases, 4k video editing, etc...) you'll want the 15-inch, in my opinion. The 13-inch is great for mid-level video-editing, photoshop, and every-day spreadsheet stuff. But that non-TB version is pretty underpowered for a "pro", in my opinion.

I'd definitely go with the TB model, between the two that you've linked.

About the USB3 TB ports, it's actually the Touch Bar model that have 2 ports that are slower (in TB mode) than the other 2.

On the Non touch bar model, both TB ports are similar.

About the difference, in real life usage it's more complicated.

Both CPU in "turbo boost mode" perform very similarly.

In a CPU intensive task, both will have very similar performances.

In a CPU AND GPU intensive task, then the non touchbar MBP, with only 1 fan, will have to throttle down the CPU eventually.

However, in real life usage, both will be very similar in term of performance, but there is one aspect that the non touch bar will perform significantly better : battery life. Bigger battery, one less fan, lower CPU wattage, no touch bar to power = better battery life.
[doublepost=1490749631][/doublepost]My opinion : (ok, I have the non touch bar MacBook Pro) is go with the non touch bar one. Similar CPU performance, GPU still decent (for that category), double storage space and more battery life.

 

[ZapNZs]

How do you use your computer, and is this being used alongside another MBP or desktop, or as your standalone system?

I'm not sure how much this will help you or not, as I went for a much lower tier than you are considering...

I went with the base 2.0 i5 and don't regret it. I didn't pay full retail though, and I would not pay full retail for it personally (if I had to pay full retail, I would have purchased a 2015 because I feel both generations have distinct advantages over the other.) I could not personally financially justify the touch bar for my own usage at that point in time, and also because the battery life of the 13-inch touch bar models seem less consistent than the non-touch bar version. I find a good mechanical keyboard and wired mouse to yield more of a functional improvement for me than a touch screen or touch bar. Additionally, I use VMs a lot, and am happy with how the physical function keys allow me to control the VM. With all that said, I can see some areas where the TB could be hugely beneficial. Over the next few years as the TB becomes more refined, it is always possible I could look back and regret not getting it - but, as of today, I have no regrets here.

As you are looking at two versions with the same price, I suppose the big question is if you are going to benefit more from a bigger SSD/better battery life or from a touch bar/slightly faster RAM, CPU & GPU (the gains of which may be somewhat offset by that touch bar). For me, it was the former.

In regards to the 13-inch, I did not personally feel that the i7 upgrade on the nTB model, or the i5/i7 upgrades that the TB models make over the nTB models, were financially justifiable for my personal needs, partly because the 2.0's performance were satisfactory for a dual core mobile computer, and partly because even the highest i7 dual core has laughable multicore performance attributes compared to half decade old+ quad cores in the (now vintage) 15-inch Unibodys. This was also because I am anticipating this system will have a shorter service life than a 15-inch or a workstation - I was also stingy about adding on the upgrades because the 13-inch 2016 can quickly become priced the same as the performance-tier 2015 15-inch refurb, with a CPU that runs circles around the TB-13's i7, a SSD that is twice the size, and a dGPU, and a heavily specced 13 TB quickly approaches the price point of the 15 TB. I could not justify that. I have a hungry rabbit to feed.

Best Buy has open box 2016s currently for as low as $1,130, and to me that is a very fair price and an outstanding value for a computer I've come to like quite a lot. The iGPU on the base 2.0 is outstanding. In benchmark tests, it compares with the Nvidia 750M dGPU on my 2014 15-inch. I'm still not quite clear whether my computer has 20 Gbps or 40 Gbps TB3 ports, but it doesn't really matter since 20 Gbps TB2 is already meeting my needs, so I havent spent much time researching what to me is a moot point (no 5k for me - 2k already looks pretty good and at 1/8th the price!)

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Be aware that the non-TB model lacks more than just the touch-bar... It has slower RAM, a slower CPU, and a slower GPU. It has 2 fewer USB-C/TB3 ports, and from what I understand, one of them isn't capable of as much bandwidth as the other.

So - all things considered - if it were me, I wouldn't pay that much for the non-TB model. Given the reductions in power, it honestly really isn't capable of doing a whole lot more than the 12' MacBook. Already the 13-inch pro is much less capable than the 15-inch model. If you need heavy lifting (very large spreadsheets or databases, 4k video editing, etc...) you'll want the 15-inch, in my opinion. The 13-inch is great for mid-level video-editing, photoshop, and every-day spreadsheet stuff. But that non-TB version is pretty underpowered for a "pro", in my opinion.

I'd definitely go with the TB model, between the two that you've linked.

The non touchbar is better than the previous base 13 inch model in every measurable way what's less Pro about that??

 

[sigomez]

I went with the TB primarily because the price difference when it was time to buy for me was very minimal.

If you are patient and don't mind buying from swappa or amazon you can get some really good deals, I have seen a nTB on swappa go for $1000 and a tb for $1350.