Would be really interesting to see what numbers you're pulling after Apple's patch and without Volta. Also, whether you're still happy with the temps.
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What I like about the 2018 MBP
- Thread starter maflynn
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Would be really interesting to see what numbers you're pulling after Apple's patch and without Volta. Also, whether you're still happy with the temps.
Wow... a positive post about the MBP. As a 2017 MBP 13' TB owner... you've made my day. Keyboard took a bit of getting used to for us as well, but we like it now. That said, I still revert to my external Bluetooth keyboards a lot so I can pound away as hard as I want for hours and hours. Thanks for the writeup!
- From another happy MBP owner.
- From another happy MBP owner.
* It's a powerful machine that doesn't look like a teenage gamer's wet dream.
* Amazing IO Performance
* Amazing IO Performance
Asside from the throttling issue that has been covered elsewhere and has been made better with the latest update, I'm very happy with this machine. I love how thin and light it is compared to by 2015 MacBook Pro. When I first picked it up, I thought it was so thin that I was going to bend it lol. I love the machine, and I actually really like the keyboard. I find it the easiest keyboard to type on that Apple has ever made.
Dear Apple: can we please get a tbMBP style external keyboard with a Touch Bar?
The only thing I miss is the built in SD card slot. Everything else I can pretty much live without, but the SD card is the only thing I really need. Oh well, at least I got an adapter for it.
Dear Apple: can we please get a tbMBP style external keyboard with a Touch Bar?
The only thing I miss is the built in SD card slot. Everything else I can pretty much live without, but the SD card is the only thing I really need. Oh well, at least I got an adapter for it.
I've picked up the notorious i9 spec and I'm delighted so far.
Granted I don't do any sort of intensive video rendering, but for my needs its looks to work an absolute charm. Could I have gotten a cheaper version that'll equally suffice? Perhaps. Do I regret it? Not at all
. If I was concerned with getting the most bang out of my buck I wouldn't have bothered with Apple anyway, but I definitely echo the whole 'it just works' mantra.
Granted I don't do any sort of intensive video rendering, but for my needs its looks to work an absolute charm. Could I have gotten a cheaper version that'll equally suffice? Perhaps. Do I regret it? Not at all
. If I was concerned with getting the most bang out of my buck I wouldn't have bothered with Apple anyway, but I definitely echo the whole 'it just works' mantra.
Think its the casing design that appeals to me - I would genuinely say the most gorgeous computer made to date, and really, really very portable - a big improvement over the last gen (15" model). The better speakers and finally adequate cooling (I feel vindicated in pointing out these machines are better cooled than any preceding model after today's software update) are also nice touches.
ITs not a gamers machine by any stretch of the imagination. I was getting some really great numbers on 3dmark with my Razer, now that's a gamers machine, but in a very classy design.
Good to get your thoughts and impressions! I know you've always advocated for the 15", and I think you've mentioned that you rarely travel with it, right?
I'm currently at a crossroads between the 13" and 15" myself. I plan to get the same configuration either way (16/512) and I really have no need for a dGPU, but I think the extra screen real estate would be good for me when I need to have multiple windows open like emails, word, excel, etc. I don't need to travel much for work so it would basically just be me bringing it to and from work, and bringing it with me when I fly home for vacation.
I think I'm leaning towards the 15", but I'm having difficulties locking down my choice, haha.
I'm currently at a crossroads between the 13" and 15" myself. I plan to get the same configuration either way (16/512) and I really have no need for a dGPU, but I think the extra screen real estate would be good for me when I need to have multiple windows open like emails, word, excel, etc. I don't need to travel much for work so it would basically just be me bringing it to and from work, and bringing it with me when I fly home for vacation.
I think I'm leaning towards the 15", but I'm having difficulties locking down my choice, haha.
As someone who had the same dilemma and ultimately opted for the 15 I can tell you - you won’t regret it
. My work laptop is the 2017 13’ mbp and after picking up my new beauty it’s hard to go back to it.
Haha, good to know. I'm currently on a 2016 13" and I really appreciate its small footprint and portability, but I do think that I might need that bigger screen. I tried using the 1680x1050 resolution for a while, but text is just a bit too small and my eyes get fatigued pretty quickly. Thus, I've begrudgingly gone back to 1440x900.As someone who had the same dilemma and ultimately opted for the 15 I can tell you - you won’t regret it
My work laptop is the 2017 13’ mbp and after picking up my new beauty it’s hard to go back to it.
Do you ever use the 15" not at a desk, like on your lap or anything like that? How does that work out for you? Is it too heavy/cumbersome after a while...?
Well I've only had my new MBP a day, but from experience with my other 15 inch laptop (Dell XPS 15), its never really been an issue for me. They're light enough to lug around and never felt cumbersome (and bear in mind the XPS 15 is a slightly heavier laptop). I don't particularly like working on my lap irrespective of the laptop size, but I do actually prefer a 15 inch laptop since it tends to sit more stable on my lap compared to a smaller device, which I find can awkwardly sink in between my thighs.
I'm not a travel warrior, but I do travel often. I'm out and about now, and I'm using my MBP right now. I'm on the battery and so far its battery performance is stellar. While not pushing my machine by any stretch, I've been ban going away for about an hour and its only decreased 8 percent.
I have no qualms about traveling with the 15", and I'd say the MBP is probably one of the better 15" machines to travel given the weight and size
That is kind of sad that you need to go to a Bluetooth keyboard. What happens when you type the same way on the MPB keyboard?
Yeah, I don't necessarily have my laptops on my lap a ton, but there are occasions where I do do that (like right now actually!) and I've seen people in other threads mention that the 15" can be fairly uncomfortable to leave on your lap for extended periods of time. I've not used a 15" MacBook for at least 3 years now (I owned a refurbished 2011 15" for a time) so my memory of using that as my daily driver is hazy at best.
Awesome! Do you bring the charger along with you? Laptop bag or sleeve? (I'd assume bag if you answered yes to bringing the charger.)
I will sometimes have to run between my office and our front office at work, but I don't imagine that will be too bad. The larger footprint might cause some issues if I'm using it at the front office, but of course it won't be an issue in my own office or back at home.
I think with all this info, I'm now about 80/20 on the 15" over the 13". Gonna see if I can get some hands-on with the machines over the weekend before I make my final decision, but I think I'm starting to lock it down. Thanks!
I do have the charger, because I expect to be at this site for 4+ hours, and I didn't want to take a chance. Most of the other times, I don't but since this a more extended visit, and the first time I'm using this outside of my home office I wanted to play it safe.
I have a very old Waterfield Design attache, it works wonderfully but I think its time to get a new carrying case.
Oh, it's not sad! I use a Logitech K810 and K811 at home and work respectively. This keyboard has the ability to connect to 3 Bluetooth devices. So the K810 - Work computer, iPad, Macbook Pro. K811 - Macbook Pro, iPad, and work laptop.
So just out of habit, I use a bluetooth keyboard and have my devices up beside each other. My Macbook Pro sits next to my work computer at work right now, then at home, my work laptop sits next to my Macbook Pro.
Great keyboards, a little expensive, but they are great.
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Well, non-replaceable keyboards that can be destroyed by a grain of sand and major throttling problems are not a good look on a ~$3000 laptop. Hopefully, the new "gasket" fixes the keyboard problems, and it looks as if the worst of the throttling issue was a straight-out firmware bug that has now been fixed. Still, Apple doesn't get too many brownie points for fixing problems that should never have happened to a company that are so quick to boast about their design prowess.
However, I think - if you rule out the usual "OMG apple is doomed steve would never have allowed this fire tim cook send jony ive to the salt mines" level of post, a lot of the real complaints come down to the lack of choice. If you're prepared to use windows you can choose a slightly bigger laptop with the cooling to support sustained high clock speeds, meatier GPUs, more ports, keyboards with a bit of travel etc. You don't have to go for a "MacBook Killer" like a Razer/XPS/Spectre that is aimed at the same niche and likely to suffer the same limitations - gaming laptops and mobile workstations are available. Or, on the desktop, its not "27" 5k all-in-one or the highway" - there's a diversity of micro-PCs, mini-PCs, mini-towers through to big make-love-and-travel floor-standing water cooled workstations and the ultimate flexibility of build-your-own.
Apple can't compete with quite that level of choice but the level of choice in their range is currently at an all-time low with no 17" laptop, effectively dead Mac Mini and Mac Pro and (at the other end of the scale) the rather outdated Air.
With the keyboard and throttling platforms unresolved, the current MBP would be a lemon. If those have now been adequately addressed then its a rather nice ultrabook - if you want an ultrabook and don't care about legacy ports or the soldered-in SSD (which seems like an inevitable consequence of the T2 architecture unless they put the whole T2 subsystem on a daughterboard).
I agree the negativity becomes quite old after a while. If Apple had not fixed the i9 issue and if someone's unit had caught on fire, there would have been rage there, too. Now that the throttle up issue is over, hopefully everyone can at least try and be happy. Life is so short. There are larger things in life than a computer.
I love the new keyboard. I actually think it’s a perfect balance between the squishier feel from pre-2016 and the newer, shallower style. It’s quiet, feels like it has just the right amount of movement, and so far appears to be free of dust problems.
I appreciate this thread.
There are people that love Mac, and people that love Windows. You can complain that you can get a higher spec PC for half the money of the Mac you are purchasing, but then you aren't getting a Mac. If I wanted the higher specs at the bargain basement price.....I would buy it. I was down that road for years and years. My PC's fastest days were the day I purchased them. Then I load on Norton's Antivirus software, run anti-malware, firewalls, and resubscribing annually, Then the almost daily security updates and bugfixes. When everyone in the house had Windows laptops, the weekly update times were hours. I don't miss the remnants of long deleted programs remaining in the registry, still contributing to be a resource hog on the processor along with the other processes running in the background taking up valuable processing speed. After the first year it would be sluggish. I'd have to try to troubleshoot what was making my computer so slow, more hours. I got a MacBook Pro for myself about 10 years ago, and haven't looked back. I had that first MacBook for 5 years. It was just as fast the day I sold it as the day I bought it. I talked my wife into getting one when she was due, she loves it. Does what she wants it to do, and does it well. She will have that MacBook for at least 10 years. We got one for my son for his graduation, and just got one for my daughter for her birthday. Everybody is happy with their computing. Computer issues at my house are interestingly at a minimum compared to my Windows days. This is a Mac Enthusiast forum, isn't it?
Now off the soap box......Last week, I bought my 2018 13" MacBook Pro i7 with 16GB RAM and 1TB Drive, and I plan to own this for at least 5 years. I didn't NOT like my 2017, everything was great on it, but I love the quad core and the speed I have been getting with it. I like the True Tone on my iPad Pro, but hate it on my iPhone X. I didn't know how I would take to it on a MacBook, but it has definitely been easier on my eyes so far. Hey Siri is not a big deal for me, I've never really done a lot with Siri on the MacBook. I am in the camp that likes the keyboard. I didn't have a problem with it on the 2017, and I feel it is slightly better on the 2018. Quieter is always better, but the slightly more tactile feel of each keyboard press is my upside.
I use mine for work. During the day, I do word processing, Excel Spreadsheets, email, internet, and I do all that a lot. I keep my screen at 60-70%. I have been finding battery life to be great. I don't judge this off benchmarks and geek bench scores. Nothing scientific about it. I work mobile all day. If I get through that full 8 hour day on battery life with at least 60% juice left on the battery, I am happy. When I get home and do my video edits, I keep it plugged in. The renders zip through so much quicker than my Dual Cores before this. So far this MacBook Pro has been handling everything I throw at it without a hiccup. Not that my Dual Core suffered, but twice the speed is very noticeable. So, another happy camper with a 2018 MacBook Pro.
There are people that love Mac, and people that love Windows. You can complain that you can get a higher spec PC for half the money of the Mac you are purchasing, but then you aren't getting a Mac. If I wanted the higher specs at the bargain basement price.....I would buy it. I was down that road for years and years. My PC's fastest days were the day I purchased them. Then I load on Norton's Antivirus software, run anti-malware, firewalls, and resubscribing annually, Then the almost daily security updates and bugfixes. When everyone in the house had Windows laptops, the weekly update times were hours. I don't miss the remnants of long deleted programs remaining in the registry, still contributing to be a resource hog on the processor along with the other processes running in the background taking up valuable processing speed. After the first year it would be sluggish. I'd have to try to troubleshoot what was making my computer so slow, more hours. I got a MacBook Pro for myself about 10 years ago, and haven't looked back. I had that first MacBook for 5 years. It was just as fast the day I sold it as the day I bought it. I talked my wife into getting one when she was due, she loves it. Does what she wants it to do, and does it well. She will have that MacBook for at least 10 years. We got one for my son for his graduation, and just got one for my daughter for her birthday. Everybody is happy with their computing. Computer issues at my house are interestingly at a minimum compared to my Windows days. This is a Mac Enthusiast forum, isn't it?
Now off the soap box......Last week, I bought my 2018 13" MacBook Pro i7 with 16GB RAM and 1TB Drive, and I plan to own this for at least 5 years. I didn't NOT like my 2017, everything was great on it, but I love the quad core and the speed I have been getting with it. I like the True Tone on my iPad Pro, but hate it on my iPhone X. I didn't know how I would take to it on a MacBook, but it has definitely been easier on my eyes so far. Hey Siri is not a big deal for me, I've never really done a lot with Siri on the MacBook. I am in the camp that likes the keyboard. I didn't have a problem with it on the 2017, and I feel it is slightly better on the 2018. Quieter is always better, but the slightly more tactile feel of each keyboard press is my upside.
I use mine for work. During the day, I do word processing, Excel Spreadsheets, email, internet, and I do all that a lot. I keep my screen at 60-70%. I have been finding battery life to be great. I don't judge this off benchmarks and geek bench scores. Nothing scientific about it. I work mobile all day. If I get through that full 8 hour day on battery life with at least 60% juice left on the battery, I am happy. When I get home and do my video edits, I keep it plugged in. The renders zip through so much quicker than my Dual Cores before this. So far this MacBook Pro has been handling everything I throw at it without a hiccup. Not that my Dual Core suffered, but twice the speed is very noticeable. So, another happy camper with a 2018 MacBook Pro.
So the keyboard is not your favorite but it will suffice. You have to mitigate the throttling issue with third party software, and life isn't perfect so you are willing to spend thousands on a computer that amplifies that philosophy. Good luck to you. It fascinates me what some people will do to justify their reasoning and their attitudes.
It fascinates me that some people will join a forum to bag on Apple products to justify why they can't? buy said products. So many 2017, 2018 accounts (such as yours) with mostly anti-Apple posts, it's amazing. I guess if I was jealous enough, with nothing better to do with my time, I could spend countless hours bagging on a product I don't own too.
I used to be Anti-Apple too, but at least I did so on a droid forum... lol. Then I actually had enough $ to buy Apple products and ... now, I'm a permanent customer.
I am heavily invested in Apple products. I have multiple laptops, desktops, appleTV's, iPads, and iPhones. Just bought another iPad Pro. My frustration stems from the issues that people are so eager to brush aside in support of their products. I feel Apple could do better. Especially when the prices of their products, quality, and features are demanding a premium. I am in the market for a new laptop, but refuse to "settle". Not anti anything.
It would be like having someone paint your house and paying top dollar for a poor job. Then being satisfied with the poor quality and try to rationalize it by saying "Well they painted most of it" don't complain.
Love Ranger Rovers and have owned several. I love to talk about them but would not buy another one. Too many problems. My son's 2014 Ranger Rover Sport is already having problems with the air suspension. If I complain about the quality of something it does not mean I am "Anti" anything. Just means I expect better from a product. If I used your rational, I should only complain about Range Rovers on a Ford or Chevy forum.
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Whatever floats your boat. I have heard a lot of bad things about Range Rovers, yet I see a lot of them on the road. As humans we are fallible and what we produce will also be fallible, sadly. Profit is king. However, it has become way too popular here on macrumors to bag on Apple in the last few years. We agree Apple could be doing better. It is my opinion Apple does a pretty good job hence why it gets my business. It is a free country and forum so you are free to do what you wish.