With the launch of its new 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar, and subsequent 11-inch MacBook Air discontinuation, Apple appears to be drawing down the thin-and-light series in favor of more affordable pro laptops.
To see how this plays out in real life, AppleInsider has pitted the new entry-level MacBook Pro against 2015’s 13-inch MacBook Air.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The new 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar) is really tempting us want to break our “lightest and smallest for the road” rule.
The problem with Apple products is that they hold up too darn well. I simply can’t justify a new MacBook Pro since my maxed out early 2011 13″ model works so well for my current needs. Heck, I used my 14″ iBook for over nine years and it still works fine within its’ parameters. But I sure would like one of those Touch Bar babies. 😔
Consumers would be better off with 2015 and older Macbook Pros. The speed bumps in the new models aren’t significant enough to justify what you LOSE in usability/expandability.
All the early reports and also bare specs point to the contrary. You’re not going to get a better experience buying older models. You will pay slightly less for something less. USB C might take a bit longer to be everywhere so until then docks and dongles will have to do. Still USB C is very cool. Apple leads the way here again.
Yes, Apple leads the way again by winning the Dongle Wars!
Four USB ports on the touch bar model is hugely useable and expandable going down the road, and by not picking a proprietary port (they should have dumped the lightning port on the phones too to bring everything together – including their new earbuds), the USB C peripherals market is going to take off like wildfire compared to Firewire and others, where that never happened.
Most “pro-ish” users will go for the touch bar I’m sure, and for most users the two ports on the entry model will likely do – or there’s always a port expander that will let you undock from everything with a single cable disconnect.
OK, OK, I give up. I was going to keep using my 2015 Air but the better screen resolution is too much to withstand.