Apple - MacBook Pro® - 13" Display - Intel Core i5 - 8 GB Memory - 256GB Flash Storage - Silver

I own an older model Mac Pro tower and a newer iMac. I use them for video editing, which is my job. The graphics card on the tower started showing signs of wear. Coupled with it's inability to upgrade to the newest OSX, I decided to take the plunge and invest in a new machine. At first I was going to choose an open box of the slightly older model but at the counter found out it was ineligible for apple care. The sales guy hadn't realized that so said he could take 100 bucks off the price of the newest one plus get a student discount of another $125. It was a good enough deal for me, just had to decide on some specs. Since my tower is still good as a render machine I didn't feel the need to gork over the cash for the 16gb. I wanted the bigger 15" screen but couldn't justify the price difference. I also didn't care too much if i had the new touchbar or not. Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing, but I haven't been longing for it yet. The one thing I did care about was not settling for the base storage, I opted for the 256. That way I can easily fit all my apps plus project files if I know i will be working away from the office or my house. After a wild goose chase across 4 best buy stores to get the space gray, I finally got home with my new MBP and unboxed it. This is the moment I realized about the ports. I will admit - I initially freaked out and wanted to return it immediately. But what does that get me in the long run? After putting some thought into it I found an immediate temporary workaround. I transferred the apps and files I needed right away from my iMac via airdrop. The next day I purchased one USB adapter for immediate needs and when my 5% cash back comes through I will use that to order the Hyperdrive hub. I will also add that the space gray is outstanding and worth the several hours of my life it took to find one in stock. I just don't like the brightness of the silver and wouldn't want to look at it for 8 hours out of my day. First world problem, I know, but if I'm spending that much money, it's got to be worthwhile On to my initial testing with different apps. Final Cut Pro handled the project I pulled up really well, as expected. After Effects rendered out a 4 second animated graphic in 3 minutes and it looks fantastic. Cinema4D is what showed the poorest handling, as expected. This is obviously not a render machine nor would I ever try to use it as one but if I need to bang out a short 3D logo animation while on the go I think it will do ok. After a day of usage, I did not care so much about the smaller screen size. It was actually nice and easy to carry around the house and at work will hook up to a larger display anyways. I love the keyboard, definitely a plus in my book though I know there are mixed opinions. So the system takes up about 36gb and after downloading my musthaves those took up another 19, so long as I don't use this guy for any of my itunes stuff (entirely possible thanks to Spotify), I think I will be ok for awhile with 192gb remaining and utilizing externals. I don't love the small amount, but that's due to my budget and needing it in hand that same day. In short, this is not a complete replacement for any of my pro machines, but it will do in the interim and I have always wanted the laptop option. My office is on the warmer side (probably contributing to my graphics card failure) so to not have to leave a machine there is ideal.

I like it and at the same time don't. Here's why. Pro's: - The screen. When I compare this screen to my last laptop or my monitor it's night and day. It's bright, has accurate colors and the resolution is perfect. - The trackpad. This is the best trackpad I've ever used. Nothing compares to this trackpad. The multitouch gestures are great and are very helpful. I thought that by having a trackpad this large would be nuisannce and that my palm would trigger it all the time. The palm rejection is 100% accurate and having a larger trackpad helps. - MacOS. I own an Apple Watch and an iPhone. Up until this point I've been contempt with Windows laptops. Now since owning a Mac I have to say if you have any apple product you'll want a Mac. Everything is synced. My mail, bookmarks, documents, desktop, messages are all synced and so much more. My Apple Watch even unlocks my Mac. This beats Windows Hello, fingerprints and entering in a password. As soon as I open the lid I'm reaching for the keyboard and it's already unlocked. - It's lightweight & fast. Everything that I've thrown at it (I'm a programmer and video editor) has run it well. It's nice to get a machine that is your all in one machine that is this lightweight. - The battery. It lasts pretty long. At the end of every session that I've be done using it (around 5 hours) I put it on the charger when it was at 40%. Con's: - The keyboard. This is Apple's second generation of it's new laptop keyboard nicknamed the "Butterfly Switches." I could only imagine how terrible the first generation was. The biggest issue with the keyboard is sometimes that caps lock button does not work with a regular press like the other keys. And when you press the other keys it's a major adjustment since the keyboard travel is so low. This will be your least favorite keyboard. - USB C ports. Two are not enough sometimes. Of course you can find products and cables in which in reality you only need one cable. However you are going to find yourself buying a lot of usb c perpherials & devices and then unfortunately finding them not meeting your expectations. The first month of owning this product you will be frustrated with this new standard if you have not already switched since you will be reaching into your wallet more and returning products more. - The cooling system. It's bad. When this machine gets hot it stays hot. The only time I found the fans kicking on is when I render a video and at that point I hope you got some headphones because all you'll hear is the fan. - A minor con but it's sharp. I know that sounds weird saying this but you'll definitely feel like you cut yourself sometimes when you handle this machine. Sure it looks cool but how about some cloth or smoother edges Apple? My current setup: - USB C cable from Apple that charges my MacBook. - USB C to HDMI cable. - USB C to USB A cable that connects to my 3 port USB Hub w/ SD card slot. (Sometimes I go on battery power so I can use the HDMI and USB hub at the same time). - Bluetooth mechanical external keyboard (because the Mac keyboard sucks). - Logitech M720 Mouse. Overall it's not a bad machine if you get the right setup for it. Out of the box though, it's not that great. Would I recommend it to a friend? Only to a friend who does not type as much as I do.

I have known for a while that I wanted to make the jump from Windows to Mac especially with how Windows has pushed updates constantly for Windows 10 (most of them which bricked my laptop). I completed a lot of research on which Macbook I wanted and the specs that I thought would work best for me. I knew that I didn't really need the touchbar, and I knew from previous experience that I did not want a screen under 13inches. Through research between the Air and the Pro, I realized that the Pro would be better for me and I really liked the screen better on the Pro. At first I was apprehensive of the butterfly keyboard and the lack of ports on the Pro; however, with some use, I find that I don't mind the butterfly keys as much as I thought I would; the one thing that bothers me with them is how LOUD they are when typing fast. Further, I also realized how little I actually used the different ports on my old computer; the one I used the most was the USB for an external mouse and I occasionally used the hdmi for projecting to a projector. I ended up replacing my usb mouse with a bluetooth one and I bought the Hyperdrive hub for all my connectivity needs. Top 7 things I really love about the Macbook Pro and OS: 1. Screen: the retina screen is amazing and crystal clear! 2. Battery life: I can go all day without charging my computer and when I do charge, it charges quickly. 3. Imessage: I love being able to text straight from my computer and being able to use the keyboard for longer conversations. 4. OS: Its been a bit of a learning curve switching OS, but I love how its more streamlined and overall simpler to use. 5. Trackpad: this is the first trackpad I have used that I actually like. I still use a mouse for somethings, but I find myself using the trackpad more often now that I am learning more of the gestures. 6. Speed: I love being able to have multiple applications open all at once and it still being able to run. Windows would have frozen had I tried. 7. It just works. I love no longer having to wait around for my computer to boot up or restart because of updates. The Macbook Pro just works when you need it to. Few things I don't like: 1. I wish that Apple had put one of the ports on the other side instead of putting them together. 2. Cut: I wish the cut feature was more streamlined throughout the OS. 3. The keys are loud when typing. 4. I miss the snap windows feature from Windows 10. 5. I have not found a Microsoft Publisher equivalent that I like, yet. Overall, I am happy that I made this purchase and switched to Apple. The biggest question I have is, "Why didn't I switch sooner?"

Switching from the 2013 MacBook Pro 13, the 2017 laptop looks and feels significantly better. I did a lot of research and watched tons of youtube videos before deciding to make my purchased. The colors on the screen pop more compared to the previous generation. Speakers are greatly improved. There is a huge debate about the keyboard and yes it is noticeably louder than the previous generation, but I am with those that love it. The keys do have a shorter depth but they seem to make typing much more accurate because the keys aren't spongy like the previous version. On the previous generation, keys may not register if you have light fingers. The backlight on the keyboard are much more appealing to look at. Battery life is the same and you can expect a full days or two of use with normal usage. I'm not a pro photographer so I can't say how big of an issue it is that the SDXC has been removed. I don't miss any of the ports being removed personally. I did have to purchase a USB 3.0 adapter to connect my CD Drive to install software that I have on CD's but that's a one time thing. For me personally, it's not something I'll have to carry around and if anything, I can just leave it in my backpack. The USB-C connection to charge isn't as bad as people make it out to be, it's actually nice that it's not magnetic. When I had the MagSafe connection, it use to always disconnect by accident with a light tug when using it on my lap. If you have a 2016 MacBook Pro version, you should probably save yourself the money as I don't think the 2017 is a major upgrade from last years. I didn't buy the touch bar one because I feel like it's a gimmick and prefer touch keys anyways. For the cost of the touch bar version, I would rather upgrade the storage and/or processor to i7. Do yourself a favor and get the space gray. The silver looks outdated. If you're using it for college, 128GB version may suffice if you want to save some money. I'd recommend at least the 256GB if you can fit it into your budget.

I have been a Windows user for my whole life. I never thought I would buy a Mac. I have set them up for people, but never used one long enough to understand what the big deal was. After 3 weeks of using my MacBook Pro, I can't see going back. I compared so many laptops over the course of a month or so. Lenovo, Dell, Acer, etc... Then I decided I should at least look at the MacBook Pro. I was sold pretty quickly, but still waited a week to buy it since it was a shift from everything I have known. I am positive I made the right choice though. The keyboard is so smooth and easy to type on. The battery life is amazing. It easily gets me through the day. The screen is beautiful, crisp, clear and accurate. The thing I love and appreciate the most is Sierra though. The OS is so smooth and quick. It took some time to get used to the gestures and shortcuts (I still am), but now I wouldn't want to go back to Windows. The trackpad is also useful and easy to use. The MacBook Pro is not without it's drawbacks, but they are not as bad as I thought they would be. I opted for the 13" non-touchbar Pro so I only have two USB-C ports on the left side. I was concerned about it, but I have not had an issue in the 3 weeks of use. I bought one $20 USB-A adaptor and have only even needed that a couple times. I do store most personal and work data in cloud drives and I don't hook up to other monitors very often. I will get a HDMI adaptor at some point. Another concern was storage. I was used to having 1 TB on my previous laptop. I opted for the 256gb MacBook Pro over the base of 128gb and it seems to be plenty considering my use of cloud storage. What is stored on the SSD drive is loaded very quickly. My final concern was programs and apps, but it turns out most of what I had on Windows I either didn't use as much as I thought, I was able to get on the Mac or I was able to replace with a Mac counterpart for pretty cheap. In my case none of those issues were really issues. I am very happy with the MacBook Pro and can definitely recommend it.

I have been a devout Windows consumer from the beginning. In fact, the last apple computer that I used was the Apple II E... and that was in Elementary school. I never had anything against Apple or Mac, really, but I was always concerned with compatibility issues, so I just stuck with Windows. And then came Windows 10... I dodged it and avoided it for as long as I could because it's basically spyware (apart from being practically unusable), until one day my faithful Asus laptop (Windows 7) finally crashed and something had to give. So I finally bit the bullet and took the plunge... And I can not believe what I have been missing out on for all these years!!! To start with, the build quality on the MacBook Pro (13inch) is freakin amazing! It is without a doubt the most solid-feeling laptop that I have ever seen or held in my hands. Seriously, just pick one up and you will instantly know what I am talking about. I love how thin (and definitely NOT feather-light) and sleek it is, yet there is no sacrifice in speed, power, or battery life. Now that I have adjusted to the keyboard, which is slightly different from my Asus, I simply cannot find enough excuses to use it. Also worthy of note: The trackpad is the first one that I have ever been able to use easily and efficiently. I bought a wireless mouse for it, but I almost never bother using it. For starters the trackpad is HUGE, so there's plenty of space to move the pointer from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner without having to lift your finger. Also, the scroll feature is life-changing... bottom line, go into Best Buy and fiddle with one for 20 minutes - you will never be the same again. As for the OS; I was truly impressed at the ease with which I was able to pick it up; and I am neither easily impressed nor overly tech-savvy. There weren't nearly as many compatibility issues as I feared. I would not hesitate to recommend this machine to anyone - Windows devotee or otherwise. Frankly, it has been a very very long since I have been this thoroughly impressed with anything.

I bought the MacBook Pro because I love my MacBook Air, but wanted the high resolution screen, and the thinner bezel of the new computer. I considered Windows 10 devices at first, but was hesitant to leave the Apple ecosystem. After having it a few weeks though, I realized I didn't like it as much as the Air. The screen is sharper, but I often have my laptop docked at my desk so the extra resolution didn't help behind my 27" monitor. And when I did carry the laptop around I noticed a couple things that I was unhappy with: 1) The aluminum body didn't feel as comfortable to hold as the MBA. The overall shape, while it is smaller than the Air, felt thicker. 2) I absolutely hate the new Apple keyboards. They sacrificed comfort for space, saying that they needed this fancy butterfly mechanism if they wanted the computer this thin. WRONG! There are a number of Windows computers on the market with traditional laptop keys, all while being as thin, and sometimes even thinner than the Mac. I honestly tried, but after a few weeks of trying to like the loud TICK, TICK, TICK, of the keys, I was done. 3) The battery life isn't very good. I read a lot of reviews on a wide variety of laptops, and the MacBook Pro had one of the better battery lifes. But, in use, it didn't work that way. My 2013 MacBook Air continues to operate just as long without a charge as this 2017 Pro. Since returning this MacBook Pro, I've begun to use the Microsoft Surface Book because it's a computer my company sent me. At first I didn't like. It still isn't a thin, svelte computer like the popular ultrabooks are. I do agree with Apple, having a touchscreen and a stylus is a waste. Like the TouchBar on the MacBook, they're more of a gimmick than anything else. But... and this is the most important thing to me, the transition out of the Apple ecosystem isn't that bad. I can still do everything I did on my Mac. The absolute ONLY thing I miss from MacOS is that I cannot send texts from my desktop anymore. Oh well, now I've joined the other 95% of the population. I wouldn't recommend buying this computer. Apple needs to retool their computer line and I, personally, refuse to buy another one until they do. I should add, I didn't purchase this at full retail. I was able to buy this for $1220 (tax included). Despite getting a great price for a brand new Mac, I still returned it and got my money back.

I had my old MacPro for nine years before needing to replace it. I finally invested into a new one, and so far it's been a pretty seamless transition. POSITIVES: The speed is lightening fast, and it seems to have ample storage. The apps all look different from their appearance on my old MacPro, but that's eight years worth of changes of course. It's very lightweight and the battery life seems to work well so far. The picture is very clear, and the sound is far better than my old MacPro. It syncs to iCloud automatically, which is helpful if you have an iPhone, or iPad. Also, it seems like it's a workhorse and no matter how many windows or apps are running, it pretty much stays as quick as if you were only running one single app. Lastly, I like how I can text from the messages app if I'm working and my phone is nearby-- it's a very unique feature that I didn't expect. NEGATIVES: I bought it for many reasons but primarily business use- which it would have been helpful if I knew that there's no Microsoft Publisher out there compatible for Apple products. I never tried using Publisher on my old MacPro because my laptop was too slow at the time, so I used the computers at school and work. Had I known that there's no Microsoft Publisher I could purchase, I wouldn't have gone with another MacPro unfortunately (I'm a diehard Apple user). It would be nice, especially for students/entrepreneur's if it came with a Microsoft Office upgrade at least for compatibility purposes. While the comparable apps are useful, they just aren't exactly the same as Word, Excel, etc. I wish it had a USB port built in. Instead, you have to purchase one separately. Also, I can't find a way to switch the touchpad so that when I scroll upwards, I go upwards (it's a small glitch and I'm pretty sure it's just user error, but I wish it gave you the option). These are the negatives in my opinion, but the biggest being that there's no Publisher to use. If Microsoft or Apple could come up with Publisher compatible with MacPro (or other Apple products), I would have given the rating five stars.