The new Apple Macbook Pro is an interesting piece of kit if reviewers are to be believed, but it appears as if even with the Touch Bar, this computer feels lacking. Reviewers agree on one thing: the new Macbook Pro Touch Bar line of computers are great, but the price is the deciding factor.
When Apple announced these new devices, most folks knew it was never going to be a blowout affair where excitement is concerned. This is mainly due to the announcement of the new Surface Book and the Surface Studio by Microsoft. These devices proved that Apple is no longer without competition and can be beaten.
MacBook Pro With Touch Bar First Impressions
Susie Ochs from Macworld had a lot to say about the Touch Bar line of the Macbook Pro, but she finally concluded that these devices are not bad, but the price just doesn't match up with what Apple is offering. Furthermore, the iOS features truly set the new computers apart from the previous versions.
"These new MacBook Pros have a lot going for them. Their biggest weakness, across the whole Touch Bar line, is price. The 13-inch model I tested is $1799 without any upgrades, and the 15-inch is $2,399. Going to 512GB of storage is $200 extra, and 1TB is $600 extra, which also seems like a lot."
Jacob Kastrenakes from The Verge sees the future in these Apple computers. To him they are not quite there yet, but with future updates, Apple could finally achieve what it originally aimed to do. His major gripes seem to be with the price and the fact that the computer requires a lot of dongles for those who are photographers and video editors.
Bear in mind there's no SD card slot here, and that's a problem for some. However, outside of that, Kastrenakes has showered the new Macbook Pro with praises, but not so much when it comes down to the Touch Bar
"[E]verywhere I look, it feels like this incarnation of the MacBook Pro is shooting for a future it can't quite reach. One where it can be impressively thin and powerful enough for the pros. Where it can be super light and have all-day battery life. Where its ports and keyboard morph and adapt perfectly to the needs of every user."
Brian X. Chen from The New York Times is a fan of the new Apple computer, but he's not too keen on fully recommending it to power users and professionals. This is due to the great divide, mainly brought on by the lack of certain ports that will no doubt bring forth a life of dongles.
Interestingly enough, Chen views the Touch Bar as nothing but a gimmick, which is not a good sign for Apple.
"The new MacBook Pros are probably powerful enough for most professionals. But if you consider yourself a power user and are skeptical about the MacBook Pro, you might wait to see whether the initial concerns are borne out after early adopters start using their machines."
At the end of the day, the Apple Macbook Pro with Touch Bar is a powerful laptop, but the Touch Bar and the lack of key ports could turn out to be a major issue going forward.
