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Which MacBook Pro design is your favorite?

Which design is your favorite?

  • Total voters
    161
R

retta283

Suspended
Original poster
Jun 8, 2018
3,180
3,481
Which of the 4 MBP designs is your favorite and why?
Quick refresh for anyone who forgot:
2006-2008: Aluminum design with multiple parts, same as PowerBook G4
2008-2012: Unibody design with DVD drive and non-retina screen
2012-2016: Retina MBP with Thunderbolt ports
2016-present: USB C MBP

My favorite design has to be the non-retina unibody MBP, looks really slick but retains FW and DVD drive, and has the MBP branding under the screen, easy upgrades
 
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maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,734
The 2012 model, it was the best laptop that I owned. Oddly enough that title for me is quietly being overtaken by a Lenovo Thinkpad. I really wanted to like the latest MBP, but questionable design decisions and corners being cut meant that was never to be :(

I didn't like the idea that the Apple glued the battery in, I think the 2012 was first model to do that, but it did last 5 or 6 years on the original battery.
 
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P

Ploki

macrumors 601
Jan 21, 2008
4,324
1,560
15": 2012-2015
13": 2016-x

i don't like the feel of the USB-C 15", nor the constraints it has due to its design.

On the other hand, i think the USB-C 13" is better portability wise and the design fits the 13" perfectly.

An updated 2012-2015 design for the 15" that would exploit the larger volume for better cooling and perhaps additional M.2 drive, less bezels for native 1680*1050 HiDPI screen would have been perfect!

The 13" i really like the way it is.
 
GoldfishRT

GoldfishRT

macrumors 6502a
Jul 24, 2014
611
350
Somewhere
I love the look of the pre unibody along with the keyboard. Just awesome. They really nailed the color of the finish too.

Obviously the last gen is in my mind the best but I think the current models are by far the nicest looking.
 
S

stevemiller

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2008
2,040
1,586
I don't have a favourite, but I will say my 2008, 2011, and 2013 MacBook pros all felt like they offered the best mix of form and function available at the time.

my 2018 by contrast freezes regularly, I had to purchase BTT to make basic actions like adjusting screen brightness and volume tolerable, and in general the performance boost has felt less substantial in actual use than any of the previous models (and I regularly do 3d and video work). it also cost $1200 more than any of the previous laptops, not including the $800 egpu setup to compensate for the anemic gpu "upgrade" early 2018 adopters were presented.

so yeah... I definitely have a least favourite.
 
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P

Ploki

macrumors 601
Jan 21, 2008
4,324
1,560
stevemiller said:
I don't have a favourite, but I will say my 2008, 2011, and 2013 MacBook pros all felt like they offered the best mix of form and function available at the time.

my 2018 by contrast freezes regularly, I had to purchase BTT to make basic actions like adjusting screen brightness and volume tolerable, and in general the performance boost has felt less substantial in actual use than any of the previous models (and I regularly do 3d and video work). it also cost $1200 more than any of the previous laptops, not including the $800 egpu setup to compensate for the anemic gpu "upgrade" early 2018 adopters were presented.

so yeah... I definitely have a least favourite.
Click to expand...
I felt very similar about the 15". (sans touchbar, because it doesn't bother me)

However the 13" compared to previous years is a god damn rocket, they really nailed it, and the price is much more tolerable than the 15"
 
Cashmonee

Cashmonee

macrumors 65832
May 27, 2006
1,504
1,245
This is a tough one for me. It is definitely either the 2012-2015 or 2016 to present. Pre-2012 were thick and not terribly well put together when you compare it to 2012+. At the time they were amazing, but they did not age well, and were clearly surpassed in 2012.

I ended up voting for the 2016-present because as an overall design, it is by far the best put together, most tightly refined machine Apple has done. Anyone that handles one for any amount of time can see there is a definite increase in the quality of the finish and overall build. Having said that, the 2012-2015 has held up well, and I still do prefer the keyboard feel of that gen. Everything else goes to the 2016+ though. Better connectivity, better trackpad, better screen, better quality, more refined feel.
 
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K

Khaleal

macrumors regular
Aug 24, 2013
186
80
2016-current MacBook Pros are the best looking laptops one can buy, but that comes at a price, the reliability issues that we're facing are results of obsession of slimness and beautiful design.
I'd pick a slightly thicker laptop that "just works" over these laptops any day.
 
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2

2tallyAwesome

macrumors regular
Jan 16, 2007
194
53
Yes, the current laptops LOOK great, but that comes at the expense of functionality. Objectively, I think we can all agree that the keyboards are more problematic, the environment is less stable, connections are more difficult, and the reliability has taken a hit. The design might be beautiful, but as a tool it is a downgrade from the 2015 model.
 
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nouveau_redneck

nouveau_redneck

macrumors 6502a
Sep 16, 2017
551
867
Fishrrman said:
I was just about to write what 2tallyAwesome said... ;)

Best Mac-buying decision I've EVER made (getting the 2015 instead of the 2016).
Click to expand...

I made that same decision in November of 2016. To this day I shudder at that thought that I could have ended up with a 2016.
 
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