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

I generally love my new macbook and it works very well in every department the average buyer is likely to want it to work. There are a few dissapointments I have after buying it, but they are minor, and likely to upset very few buyers. Pros: *It's Apple. If you're in the ecosystem a macbook is the way to go. This new design is beautiful and very lightweight. I've become a bit spoiled having such a portable laptop. To think, cellphones we're as heavy as this 20+ years ago! *USB C: USB C is amazing and is the "port of the future" if I may say so. However, this can also be a con as I will mention later. Benefits include a psychofast 10 Gbps R/W speed and a 100% future proofing for the way all tech is likely to go. *Top Hardware (For a apple...): Okay, so we all like apple for the great UI and speeds you usually get, and this computer is no different. In terms of the hardware, it can hold up to similar integrated small PC designs (See "Surface Laptop") for the GB/RAM per $ value. The great SSD, 2100 MHz ram, and stunning display will never dissapoint. I was worried 8 gb would not be enough, but the ram swaps so efficiently and at high enough speeds with this new generation hardware that I have had literally zero bottlenecks with the infamous spinny mac rainbow. Thats with many pdfs and 30+ tabs open (I am a student so I use a lot of memory up too: Spotify, apple music, youtube, school stuff, pdfs, etc). *Storage space: I got the 256 GB model and I have no problems with this amount of space. I would say that needing more space in this day and age is HIGHLY unlikely if youre just a little savvy. With the super fast ports supplied with this computer hooking up external storage is a snap. Not to mention, Apps can be run on externals in OSX if you do a little work with it and cloud services are a another solution to most user's storage needs. The Google Chromebooks have shown that a lot of storage is not needed on a laptop these days and apple's offering of a 128 gb version confirms this trend. *Speakers! I have never heard speakers that sound as good in any other laptop. My Girlfriend has a Lenovo Y70 with specially designed speakers and they are not as good as this laptop (I am a proverbial audiophile). Definitely an under-rated feature of this laptop. * Trackpad: It's amazing, thought it was weird for awhile and now when I use other trackpads I have the hought in my head that every laptop should have a trackpad like this. In my opinion, this trackpad is better then previous generation macbooks and then any PC. Essentially, The entire trackpad is a button with no "hotspots," so it gives you a lot of leeway. No more aiming your clicks and therefore no having to look at the mousepad. *Did I mention the trackpad? Oh yeah, it's AWESOME CONS: *USB/Wifi Interference. Okay, so a little problem Apple likely hasn't told you about is when an external hard drive or usb stick is plugged into the computer the WIFI will not work, when it is a 2.4 GHz signal, (5 GHz wifi works supposedly, but I wouldn't know since my router doesn't work on that band). Bluetooth also has issues along with WIFI. This was a big dissapointment to me. I do not know if this is an issue with apple hardware specifically or most laptops nowadays, but I do know that it happens even when running Windows on my MBP with bootcamp. Very dissapointed with this and I do hope a solution is found where externals and wifi/bluetooth can coexist peacefully. *DONGLES/USB C: I bought a dongle shortly after making my purhcase only to have it fall out of my bag and get run over by a car a few weeks later. Needless to say it is a bit of an inconvenience to have to have dongles with you everywhere you go. However, USB c WILL eclipse the other standards as both a data transfer and charging standard. Dell, HP, Windows, and google have all adopted the standard in many of their products and it's only a matter of time before dongles become less needed. That being said, an hdmi port would have been nice, but the laptop is so thin I doubt they could have fit it without thickening the body (advantage of USB C), so I'm waiting on the day that TVs have Thunderbolt 3 usb c ports on the back (fingers crossed). If you like being an "early adopter" you will love USB C, if you dont care about being on the future end of tech and hate dongles, perhaps look to the macbook air or 2015 MBP, both worthy apple offerings with no USB C. *Keyboard: The keyboard is nice, it really is, but I'm sometimes left feeling a lil defending it against PC people with thick and non-clicky keys. It feels like I'm typing on a space ship or something. Beyond the feel, the issues from the 2016 MBP are of concern (google "2016 MBP keyboard issues") and I do hope no problems arise with mine. Dirt can easily get stuck underneath and a few keys have temporarily gotten sticky with a particulate of salt or sand (nothing a pin couldn't get out). To be fair, I have had similar with other laptops that have lower keyboards, but I am scared of this issue and would recommend purchasing apple care as a safeguard against any issues that may arise (A purchase I begrudgingly made at my dad's advising). Finally, A note about the.... TOUCHBAR! At first I thought what I think many think, it's kind of a gimmick. However, after a few months spent with it I find myself using it daily and it's extra options it offers are very helpful. The colors backlit in it are cool, but excessive in my opinion. Having a colored in touchbar doesn't do anything for me, but I suppose it looks nice. The touchbar is nice, but I do feel that it is Apple's way of trying to desperately keep their "think differently" image after getting their innovative butt kicked by Microsoft and the Surface Pro. Overall it is a great laptop and I would recommend it to anyone with a cautionary note about the ports, keyboard, and external drive interference. All-in-all however, PCs have their fair share of problems and this laptop is so great I forget how lucky I am to have such a nice device in my possession.

Pros: + Great performance + Great display + Great build quality + Great battery life + Apple ecosystem Cons: - Price - USB-C Ports Mixed: ? Touchbar Overall: I bought this laptop for school and it's been amazing so far. It's light, powerful, and well-designed. The display is crisp and colorful. You can really notice a difference using this machine. Apple invests a lot of craftsmanship and technical expertise into their flagship products and it shows. Performance has been fantastic for me. I'm not much of a gamer and I wouldn't recommend this machine if you're just planning to game on it. However, most games run pretty well on it. The price means you won't get the best specs for the price, but you're not just paying for specs. You're also paying for the clean build quality, the sleek form factor, and Apple's ecosystem. You'll be hard pressed to find another machine this powerful that weighs just 3lbs, gives you 10 hours of battery life, and provides a comparable user experience. All of the ports are USB-C, which means you'll need to get adapters if you want to use USB or HDMI. Apple's definitely looking towards the future with this design choice, but it's still a pain since widespread USB-C adoption will take some time and, right now, most of your accessories will be using USB or some other connector that's not USB-C compatible. Not a huge fan of the Touchbar. I use the escape key a lot and not having that tactile feedback was somewhat disappointing. I haven't used the Touchbar itself that much except for volume and brightness control, which it does a great job at. It's a mixed bag for me. The Siri button can be extremely helpful if you have a quick question or somewhat annoying if you accidentally hit it while reaching for delete. As a CS student, it's an excellent choice since you can develop for almost any platform without resorting to virtual machines. I'd recommend this laptop for anyone who's majoring in CS or really any engineering field. The price premium was definitely worth it for me.

First, this is my fourth MacBook Pro going back 6+ years. I waited to for the 2017 version to upgrade from my 2015 MBP due to early reviews on the 2016 battery life and after using this, I have to say I am disappointed in the device as it has gotten tangibly worse in several areas and I don't think better in any. Here are my key points: 1. Keyboard - The new low-travel Butterfly keyboard is just not as nice of a keyboard to type on and I make noticeably more mistakes because of the need to press slightly harder. Also, with pressing harder, the keyboard is louder. Others complain about the same thing. Just a less pleasing keyboard to use than the 2015 MBP. 2. Touchpad - This was always the strength of the MB with other devices coming close, but never equaling the quality of the touchpad. With the new MBP, the touchpad is bigger and I don't see the added value in the size. But my issue is not that directly, it is that like the keyboard, there are more "errors" with the touchpad because the palm rejection is not perfect and your palm naturally hits it more. More frequently than it should occur, I find two-finger scrolling will stop and it is because my palm is hitting the bottom right hand corner of the touchpad. 3. TouchBar - Lot of discussion on this and maybe over time it will have more value with app support, but I am not a fan. The Touchbar is just not in your field of view and I don't see the value of any of the buttons currently pushed to it. I think they really missed on this. Battery is good with the 2017, I am getting around 8 hours which is acceptable and in line with my prior MBP. I also did not comment on the port situation which is one of the most complained about areas. I am fine with the USB-C ports as they do add value in charging, connectivity, etc. My only complaint with the ports is the design inconsistency for Apple (iPhones cannot plug into MB, iPhone headphones cannot plug into MB), which has not been common in the past. An ok device, but honestly, this is the first MB I have gotten where I liked it less than my prior.

Have moved to Mac a decade ago. have been using 15 inch map for last 7 years, i was on the fence thinking getting one without touch bar, to future proof I got the touch bar version, it gives a bit faster processor and extra ports, as I am planning to use it for 5-7 years it is worth it in my opinion. It would be nice if is included in 2nd level 13 inch mbp with 256 GB storage, with sale it is close to that price. I think there should be dedicated graphic card at this price range but apple has its way, nothing people could do about it. if you have not bought newer apple laptop you will have a shock how small and light these new laptops are, my wife's 2012 Retina display 13 inch feel so heavy compare to this machine. absence of USB ports and sd card slot is so overblown, I would have rather a smallest and lighter laptop and have an adapter for card and usb. it is not an issue for me, for under $50 I bought the adapters which works with USB, HDMI, SD card and usb 3 portable drives. since most of the stuff is in cloud it is not even an issue to be honest. I hardly use usb disks anymore. Screen is fantastic as many professional reviews will confirm. Keyboard will take some time to get used to, most people will hate/unlike it first and then get used to it. if you need slim Macs this is one compromise apple made and until there is a design problem this KB is staying. Trackpad is fantastic as expected, the larger size is not an issue, speakers are revelation, how good it sounds it has deeper bass, all from such small area. I have not tried playing any games on it and never have any intention of playing games, it will be mainly use for photo and normal word-processing and browsing. if you are contemplating between mbp with or without touch bar go for touch bar, bite the bullet and future proof yourself. the Touch ID alone with faster processor and extra port worth the extra cost.

I haven't always been an apple fan, but after some time with an iPad I decided if I was going to get a computer it would be an apple. After purchasing my MacBook Pro 13 3.1 ghz touch bar I instantly fell in love with it. It was so easy to set up, I never had to adjust any settings to make it work right, it just worked right after I signed in with my Apple ID. I use my computer primarily for school and it runs fast and reliable which is what I need. As much as I use to love windows, I can never see myself going back to a pc. I was even reluctant to get Microsoft office, but since I get it for free I did install it. NOW as far as hardware goes I am absolutely amazed. The touch bar is extremely useful, as sometimes I cant spell the words I attempt to type, it pops them up with correct spelling and I just tap to fill in whatever I was trying to type. A lot of new computers have touch screens, it seems the touch bar compensates for the usefulness of a touch screen without the added effort of having to clean fingerprints all of the time. The physical durability of the computer is amazing. I am in love with the solid state drive. I have accidentally dropped the computer against a table and into the floor and I really did expect it to be broken, but it turned out to work just fine with a small dent in the corner. There are just few nicks on the corners of my computer from the falls, but the computer continues to work great. Another noteworthy feature is the extremely loud and clear speakers which are amazing for such a small device. Overall the 2017 MacBook Pro 13 3.1 ghz is probably the best purchase I have made.

I waited for around a month or so before reviewing this laptop. There are features that take a little getting used to, but once you start using it, you realize how carefully the ergonomics has been taken into account. Here are the reasons I love the new Pros and a couple of small issues: What I like: 1. The 2017 version has an combination of processor, extremely fast SSD and as good an integrated graphics card as possible. I have had zero issues with performance with any application. 2. The heat distribution is amazing. The laptop runs very silent and generally cool. 3. While I was initially ambivalent towards the new keyboard and touch bar, I really like them. The track pad as usual for any Mac is first rate. I can type faster and I end up using the touch bar far more frequently than I thought I would. The speakers are excellent as well. Unlocking with Touch ID is way better than any other fingerprint sensor I have used on a laptop. Every company issues laptop used to have one, but they were clunky. 4. The design and build quality is amazing. I don't think pictures do it justice. It is not the thinness or lightness that makes the difference - it's the great balance when you use it - either on my lap or on a desk. 5. The screen is amazing! Not just the resolution but the color, contrast and accuracy are top notch. A couple of things I wish Apple had done differently... 1. All laptops still need to have at least one USB and HDMI port. Without those you need.a dongle that is extra. This is the biggest gripe I have. 2. The battery life is nowhere close to a MacBook Air. Typically Apple underreports battery life - in my experience an Apple laptop with stated 10 hours battery life does better than a Windows laptop with the same stated battery life in actual day-to-day usage. With this Macbook unfortuntately, unless you turn the screen brightness way down you'll only get 8 hours are most. I can go a typical workday without a charger but not much more. Overall, this is a great laptop and has all the hallmarks of an Apple product. Great attention to detail and top notch build quality. It isn't the best spec/price ratio product, but it is better than anything else I have seen. I seriously considered the new SurfaceBook but the usability of the Pro was just better.

I have been an avid user of the 2017 MBP w/touch bar for the past week. I upgraded from the 2015 MBP. So far I am greatly enjoying the computer and highly recommend it to others. I'm not good at writing reviews, but here are the pros, cons and non-issues: Pros: + Touch Bar - I didn't know how much use I'd get out of it, but I quite enjoy it. It's a nice touch to have on your computer, if you are willing to pay the additional price. + Low Profile Keys - The low profile keys are a nice touch. They might take some getting used to, though. I find they are faster to type on and have a better feel, but feel harder to press than the 2015 keys. + Slim design - Gorgeous redesigned outer body. It looks so much better than the 2015 version. + Faster charging time - Is it just me or does the USBC-3 port seem to charge the computer so much faster than the old magsafe connector? + Fingerprint resistant keys - I keep my fingers, and keyboard clean, but I notice this keyboard seem to be more resistant to fingerprints than the 2015 model. + Loud speakers. Nice acoustics - Probably the loudest speakers on the market in a laptop computer for its size. + Beautiful aesthetics - Really nice, sleek redesign. Looks much better than 2015 and older models. Cons: + Keyboard might take a little getting used to with the low profile keys. But overall I like it. Not An Issue: + Adapters - This is the price of being an early adopter. Soon manufacturers will make USBC-3 compatible accessories. + No SD slot - Not everyone is a professional photographer and needs an SD slot. When I take photos they upload to my cloud and I can download them to the computer if I want. You can always purchase an adapter with an SD card slot if you want. + Large trackpad - I have never had any issues with palm rejection. This is a non-issue for me. I don't rest my palm on the trackpad when typing, only the sides of my thumbs graze the trackpad when typing. I have never had any issues with palm rejection. + Keyboard sound - I rather enjoy the louder clicking sounds of the redesigned keyboard. Some may not like it, but I find it rather soothing. I am taking off 1* for the keyboard. Again I do enjoy it, but it takes a little getting used to. I find it harder to press on the keys, though I do type faster, so it's a trade-off.

So I purchased the 2017 model recently this week due to the sale they were having and immediately realized that the 2018 model was only $250 more. I returned it and figured for that much of a small difference the upgrade in power would be worth it. After getting home today and configuring the computer for about 30 minutes (downloading Office, playing music from Apple Music, stuffing the web, etc) I noticed that the chassis seemed a bit warm. As I reached up to the touch bar it was HOT. Not warm. I did some googling and apparently this is an issue not yet addressed by Apple. This overheating is supposedly causing the CPU to not even work at its fullest capacity and in turn run SLOWER than the 2017 model. What?! I don’t know what Apple plans on doing, but this is something I don’t expect from Apple. This is my 3rd Apple computer and admire their quality and reliability. However, if this isn’t resolved, I’m not sure how I will feel after. So, I’m giving this 3 starts because I really love the speakers, new display and how fast it is (until it gets hot). I have faith that Apple will correct this issue and it won’t be going on for much longer, but until then, it’s not getting the full 5 starts. I plan on updating this review once I get word of a fix and my computer has a chance to see if it corrects the issue. Until then, maybe hold off? Get the 2017 model if you need it now. The overheating is extremely concerning to me.