Watch: Hands-on with Apple's entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with USB-C

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited November 2016
Priced at $1,499, Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with dual USB-C ports offers an entry-point to the company's thinner, lighter and more powerful professional-grade notebook. Here are AppleInsider's initial hands-on impressions with the revamped MacBook Pro.





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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    schlack
  • Reply 2 of 23
    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    There will be no comparison to a $500 PC, as the adage is absolutely true that you get what you pay for. Maybe look at the good side of what Apple has done for you - the new higher priced, and to those that see the lack of old USB and card reader as a negative, rMBP's will likely have a positive effect on the price of the previous generation rMBP's. So perhaps you can sell your old MBP's and pay less for the updated version?
    williamhnolamacguyurahara
  • Reply 3 of 23
    I really wish you could get this model without the Air class processor. I really want to get the best i7 processor I can get in a 13 inch size, but the touch bar doesn't appeal to me at all, nor does paying for it. :(
  • Reply 4 of 23
    schlackschlack Posts: 719member
    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    Totally. I expected 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD as a base config at an $1800/$2400 price point, even accounting for the Apple premium. Apple, you could have had my money, I was ready to insta-buy before the reveal.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    main problem vs the air is one less usb port, not the best experience for people upgrading to a pro which Jobs traditionally filled with IO possibilities. In that audio comparison on my end the 15" sounded fuller and more bass!
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 6 of 23
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    why in gods name would you be comparing the MBP to a crappy netbook or whatever? that's like comparing a Lexus to a Ford Focus (is that right? i'm not a car guy).
    urahara
  • Reply 7 of 23
    Well done video, as usual. Thanks.
  • Reply 8 of 23
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Enjoyed the video. Thank you.

    The good news, to me anyway, re battery life is for light to medium use the battery life looks to be on par with MBA. Ars reported 16 hours!!! of battery life in their web browsing tests. So that's awesome.

    The bad news is price. The entry MBP here without Touch Bar is €1,749. The proc benchmarks of the 2.2 Ghz MBA (my model) are largely equal to this machine. I just wished Apple pushed the new machine a bit harder as a replacement MBA and priced it at the same €1,499 as the high-end Air and killed that model Air. That would allow Apple to convince us this is the new Air for some.

    Right now the lineup is a bit messy and a bit confusing. I would have liked to see the 128 GB MBA lowered €1,099 (from €1,179). The 256 GB MB start at €1,299 (from €1,499) and this 256 GB MBP start at €1,499. In my book they'd still be considered pricey, but it'd be a lot easier to swallow and would make the new machines a lot more tempting. 

    Retina should be a feature, not an excuse to try to price gouge. Same goes to the large trackpad and the fast SSD: selling points.
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 9 of 23
    Can you guys check what the USB-C ports can output to charge an iPad Pro 12.9? And if it does charge as fast as the 29w USB-C PSU is able to, have a look to see how it's doing it. Is it that the cable is able to carry more amps, or that USB-C is able to negotiate a higher voltage with the iPad Pro?
  • Reply 10 of 23
    polish said:
    Can you guys check what the USB-C ports can output to charge an iPad Pro 12.9? And if it does charge as fast as the 29w USB-C PSU is able to, have a look to see how it's doing it. Is it that the cable is able to carry more amps, or that USB-C is able to negotiate a higher voltage with the iPad Pro?
    From: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207256

    "MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) can power one device that uses up to 15 watts and one device that use up to 7.5 watts."



  • Reply 11 of 23
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,324member
    AppleInsider,

    Thank you for the video, especially for comments about the keyboard.  

    Sadly, you only focused on the GOOD and did not touch on the BAD.  You made no mention of how the loss of the SD card slot will negatively impact photographers and people who like tiny always-in SD cards for storage.  You did not mention how many dongles will be required for current MBP owners who are mulling an "upgrade" to this new model.  You did not mention that while the headphone jack exists on the new models, it lacks optical out.  You did not mention that if a PRO user needs 32GB of RAM, they cannot get it on any model of the new MBP.  You did not mention the fact the Apple Pencil still cannot be used even on the massive new trackpad.  You did not run a CPU test nor did you tell us the CPU is last year's Skylake at today's prices.  You did not mention Phil Schiller's "there's a move to WIFI" defense of why so much was removed, despite the fact Apple still hasn't created a truly wireless environment that can only come once wireless charging is available.  And why even put 4 TB3 ports on the machine at all if "there's a move to WIFI"?  You did not mention the fact that the machines are more expensive while at the same time removing hardware features that MBP buyers expect to be present in higher priced "pro" machines.  And while of lesser importance, perhaps, you did not mention the lack of a startup chime or lack of a glowing logo on back or mention that by skimming down the size and weight meant reducing the battery size (which means no battery life improvement over past models).  You also failed to comment on the fact Apple hyped these Macs as being as ground breaking as the iMac as per their surprising use of the "Hello Again" phrase -- a phrase that increased expectations considerably among the very PRO users who are the target buyer for these Macs.

    We love Apple.  We love Appleinsider.  But the new MBP's leave out a lot.  Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good.

    Thank you.
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 12 of 23
    jdw said:
    AppleInsider,

    We love Apple.  We love Appleinsider.  But the new MBP's leave out a lot.  Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good.

    Thank you.
    If you want an invite to the next keynote you cannot bad mouth Apple  o:)
    jdw
  • Reply 13 of 23
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member
    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    why in gods name would you be comparing the MBP to a crappy netbook or whatever? that's like comparing a Lexus to a Ford Focus (is that right? i'm not a car guy).
    Because for $500-$600 you don't get a netbook. You can get a corei5 with 8gb etc that isn't half bad.  The Ford Focus is better than some Lexi in many respects for that matter.   It's not that I think a $500 Windows machine would be as good. It wouldn't be. But it's not terrible either.  I don't expect Apple to undercut the competition - the Apple advantages are worth money. But they ought try a little harder to get their excellent machines in more hands.  As it is, I passed on the machine I swore I'd buy and got the 2016 MacBook. It's just not worth it to spend another $600 for my daughter's homework machine. Crap, for that $600 I can buy a Windows laptop too and still have money left over to buy all the freaking dongles we need now. (MacBook arrived today)
  • Reply 14 of 23
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member

    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    There will be no comparison to a $500 PC, as the adage is absolutely true that you get what you pay for. Maybe look at the good side of what Apple has done for you - the new higher priced, and to those that see the lack of old USB and card reader as a negative, rMBP's will likely have a positive effect on the price of the previous generation rMBP's. So perhaps you can sell your old MBP's and pay less for the updated version?
    That's a good way to think about it. Anyhow, I'm keeping my current rMBP (my older dAughter has the other one) and pleasantly surprised at the resale value of a 2010 MBA 11.  The MacBook arrived today and my younger daughter is thrilled. 
  • Reply 15 of 23
    polish said:
    Can you guys check what the USB-C ports can output to charge an iPad Pro 12.9? And if it does charge as fast as the 29w USB-C PSU is able to, have a look to see how it's doing it. Is it that the cable is able to carry more amps, or that USB-C is able to negotiate a higher voltage with the iPad Pro?
    From: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207256

    "MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) can power one device that uses up to 15 watts and one device that use up to 7.5 watts."



    Thanks, but I'm not sure that relates to Thunderbolt:Lightning (which at 5v would imply 3A). It could be the maximum for Thunderbolt:Thunderbolt at 18v, which would be under 1A. There's a suggestion the iPad Pro can handle 29w at 14.5V, which is 2A, but it's all speculation unless someone can connect an iPad Pro 12.9 and check what it is drawing. Of course unplugging the MBP charger and using it for the iPad Pro would have the best charging effect, but without powering the MBP.
  • Reply 16 of 23
    williamh said:
    How does it compare to a $500 Windows laptop with similar specs?  I know the screen won't be as good.  It won't be as light.  It will be running Windows.  FFS, I have about just about everything Apple makes in my house: I'm willing to pay a premium for Apple quality, security, etc. but they got the pricing on this wrong.

    (iMac 27", Macbook Air 11", Macbook Pro (2), Watch (2) Time Capsule, iPhone 7 (2), iPhone 6+, iPhone 6s, iPad Mini, iPad Mini3, iPad2, iPad Air2 - perhaps I've forgotten something? Sold the old AppleTV a few weeks ago)  
    The $500 PC laptop might die in 2 years, or in my case useless in 2 years due to a slowing down from Windows OS. (not sure what caused it but Windows always slow itself down every six months) while the Mac will feel like the day you purchased it 6 years from now (my MBA is 5 years old now and it still feel just as fast as the day I bought, one thing I had never experienced in my Windows days).

    YMMV.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    jdw said:
    AppleInsider,

    We love Apple.  We love Appleinsider.  But the new MBP's leave out a lot.  Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good.

    Thank you.
    If you want an invite to the next keynote you cannot bad mouth Apple  o:)
    Do you have anything to back up this claim, since I just saw Nilay Patel at the Hello Again keynote?
  • Reply 18 of 23
    When you pay for a Mac, you aren't just paying for the components as they sit inside the chassis for that moment in time. 

    Hang on on to a Mac for close to a decade and you'll find out why you paid what you did for it. 
  • Reply 19 of 23
    matrix077 said:
    jdw said:
    AppleInsider,

    We love Apple.  We love Appleinsider.  But the new MBP's leave out a lot.  Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good.

    Thank you.
    If you want an invite to the next keynote you cannot bad mouth Apple  o
    Do you have anything to back up this claim, since I just saw Nilay Patel at the Hello Again keynote?


    Pretty sure he was was at least partly being facetious. 
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 20 of 23
    jdw said:
    AppleInsider,

    Thank you for the video, especially for comments about the keyboard.  

    Sadly, you only focused on the GOOD and did not touch on the BAD.  You made no mention of how the loss of the SD card slot will negatively impact photographers and people who like tiny always-in SD cards for storage.  You did not mention how many dongles will be required for current MBP owners who are mulling an "upgrade" to this new model.  You did not mention that while the headphone jack exists on the new models, it lacks optical out.  You did not mention that if a PRO user needs 32GB of RAM, they cannot get it on any model of the new MBP.  You did not mention the fact the Apple Pencil still cannot be used even on the massive new trackpad.  You did not run a CPU test nor did you tell us the CPU is last year's Skylake at today's prices.  You did not mention Phil Schiller's "there's a move to WIFI" defense of why so much was removed, despite the fact Apple still hasn't created a truly wireless environment that can only come once wireless charging is available.  And why even put 4 TB3 ports on the machine at all if "there's a move to WIFI"?  You did not mention the fact that the machines are more expensive while at the same time removing hardware features that MBP buyers expect to be present in higher priced "pro" machines.  And while of lesser importance, perhaps, you did not mention the lack of a startup chime or lack of a glowing logo on back or mention that by skimming down the size and weight meant reducing the battery size (which means no battery life improvement over past models).  You also failed to comment on the fact Apple hyped these Macs as being as ground breaking as the iMac as per their surprising use of the "Hello Again" phrase -- a phrase that increased expectations considerably among the very PRO users who are the target buyer for these Macs.

    We love Apple.  We love Appleinsider.  But the new MBP's leave out a lot.  Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good.

    Thank you.
    "Please don't just sing to the choir.  Present all facts, bad and good."...

    Good idea, but then it wouldn't be Apple Insider (would be more like MacRumors, Verge, etc)... this is the place for 
    folks with their entire savings and future banked in AAPL stock and must push it forward regardless of facts more blindly than a Trump supporter
    logic2.6
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