2016 MacBook Pro With Touch Bar Gets Mixed Reviews: Is The New Microsoft Surface Book Better?


The 2016 MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar came out a couple weeks ago. An opinion piece on the Inquisitr said the Pro is slick, but overpriced.

“As one can see, everything is great about the entry-level MacBook Pro until you realize that the price is $1499 — $200 more than it should be priced. For $1499, one can buy a Dell XPS 13 that has an i7 processor and a better graphics chip. One can also buy a Microsoft Surface Pro 4, which converts to a tablet, with an i7 processor for the same price.”

Now that the 2016 MacBook Pro with the new Touch Bar feature has been released, reviews are very mixed. Jacob Kastrenakes of the Verge certainly has mixed feelings about Apple’s latest high-end notebook.

Some like the new Touch Bar, while others think it is a gimmick. [Image by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]

“I may come off sounding quite critical of the new MacBook Pro, but the truth is that I really do like it. The hardware is incredible, macOS is a joy to use, and I don’t want to give up this screen and keyboard. It’s a fantastic laptop on build alone. But everywhere I look, it feels like this incarnation of the MacBook Pro is shooting for a future it can’t quite reach.”

Kastrenakes adds that in terms of combining thinness with power, battery life, and ports people use, the Pro isn’t quite there — but it’s close. Some commenters after the article think that Apple may be making a mistake with the new Touch Bar MacBook Pro 2016.

“Touch on a laptop is a nifty feature, but not a mandatory one,” says Bill Bergmann.

“So Apple thought a touchscreen where one can interact with the content one already looks at in large usable area, no matter if with finger or pen, makes no sense, and it makes oh so much more sense to instead have a tiny touchscreen somewhere else where one has to look away from the main screen one works on,” sarcastically points out ChiefPotato.

However, CNET calls the new Pro a “second-screen dream machine.”

“The inventive Touch Bar streamlines work and saves clicks, and Apple has improved almost every part of the thinner, lighter MacBook Pro, including a larger touchpad, faster components and a flatter keyboard. iPhone’s Touch ID is handy on the Mac, too.”

However, the review adds that Apple is charging a huge premium for the Touch Bar, which only supports a handful of apps now. Like others, they also don’t like the fact that the absence of a USB-A port means you will be carrying a bag full of dongles to use the four USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pro.

As Gizmodo points out, the 2016 MacBook Pro will disappoint some who want to upgrade the SSD drive. The SSD drive is soldered inside of the new MacBooks. They add that this isn’t just the case with the new Pro; Apple is making many of its new products hard to upgrade, no matter how much you pay for them.

The updated Surface Book is considered a good 2016 MacBook Pro alternative. [Image by Daryl Deino]

Those who are disappointed with the 2016 MacBook Pro certainly have other options, but they would have to switch to a Windows 10 machine. For instance, Microsoft has just updated their bug-filled Surface Book, which looks like it has finally reached its full potential, at least according to the Verge, which notes that not only does the new Surface Book have a much better battery life, but the graphics capabilities have improved as well. Unfortunately, you’ll have to spend over $2,000 for the updated Surface Book. However, it does have the latest Intel i7 processor, whereas the MacBooks have 2015’s i5 processors.

Do you think the 2016 MacBook Pro will end up being a success despite some very mixed reviews (something that is unusual for Apple)? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

[Featured Image by Stephen Lam/Getty Images]

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