Apple - MacBook Pro - 15" Display with Touch Bar - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - AMD Radeon Pro 555X - 256GB SSD (Latest Model) - Space Gray

After nearly one month of ownership and daily use, I am very satisfied with my purchase. If you are looking for cutting edge technology at a fair price, you are looking at the wrong product. The MacBook Pro received a massive performance boost for 2018, but that alone is no reason to spend the $2400+ on a 15" MacBook Pro when you could easily purchase a windows machine with similar or better specs for $1000 less. That does not mean the extra money spent on a MacBook Pro is a waste. What really makes the price worth it is the ecosystem that comes with apple products. While the hardware can be had on a windows machine for much less money, you will certainly miss out on OS-X and the seamless integration of other mainstream Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad. Before I decided to purchase the 2018 15" MacBook Pro, I was a diehard Android/Samsung phone user. I was extremely happy with my Note 8 and was ready to upgrade to the Note 9. My only Apple product was an iPad Mini 4 which was necessary for work (I am a pilot and the only authorized tablets to be used in flight are iPads for my aircraft). After seeing just how well my iPad worked with my new MacBook Pro, I decided it was time to buy an iPhone XS. Since then I have made the switch from my home cloud server that I was using, to a 2TB iCloud subscription that makes transferring files from my Apple devices effortless. I use my MacBook Pro for average things, as well as some programming (python, ruby, swift), and some design work (front end, adobe illustrator, etc). The MacBook Pro is by far the best machine I have used for my programming and design tasks. I look back on all the times I had to find workarounds for my Lenovo and Dell machines to perform simple programming tasks and realize how stupid I was for not switching to Mac earlier. Overall, I am blown away by the ecosystem, and the performance that comes with the 2018 Macbook Pro. The device itself is elegant and refined. There is some discussions ongoing about thermal throttling and keyboard issues that may arise due to dust or debris getting inside the membrane underneath each key. I have yet to experience any of these issues. I have given the MacBook Pro 4 stars instead of 5 due to the potential lingering problems that may pop up in the future. It does appear to be a legitimate concern for most users, and it certainly has been a common issue. I have monitored my CPU temperature while programming, compiling, doing design work, and while benchmarking. I have not seen my MacBook Pro thermal throttle, nor has my performance be substandard during any task. It appears to really only be an issue with the i9 machine while doing heavy 4k rendering and edits. If you are really worried about the keyboard issues purchase Apple Care + within 60 days of your purchase date so that you will be covered for an additional two years of warranty. If you are not too worried about having an issue then purchase your new MacBook Pro with a credit card that provides you with purchase protection. My Visa Signature card offers me an additional year of warranty coverage on my MacBook Pro for free. I would not hesitate to purchase this MacBook Pro again. My only regret was not being an Apple user before I made the purchase.

Previous to this new MacBook Pro I had a 2011 MacBook Pro and 21” Mac, both appeared fast enough. I was so wrong once I started using my new MacBook Pro. I never realized how slow those had become. When opening applications, they are just there. It’s simply amazing. Recently I went through my old 13” laptop to clean things up so it could be used for another purpose, it was so slow and took so long, I could not go back. At first I thought the 15” MacBook Pro would be too large since my other was a 13”. I love it and wonder why I didn’t do this the first time. Besides running my normal programs I beta test software and one item in particular used to take an hour plus to perform. Now it takes four minutes. I’ve also noticed remote access with my iMac is absolutely flawless and just works every time, something my older laptop simply would not do. I’ve heard users complain about the Touch Bar and accidentally hitting it but if you are used to typing, that is not a problem. Originally I was not going to get the Touch Bar, but after using it, I like it and am getting more used to it. Eventually I’ll customize it for various needs. The best part is being able to use Touch ID to log in, instead of my passcode. That and being able to use Siri to open folders, etc. for me as opposed to clicking. It’s so much faster and can be accomplished with “Hey Siri” , click the menu bar, the Siri app, or my preference, from the Touch Bar. In beta testing the only unexpected caveat was due to Apple’s new APFS file structure. It does not allow for third party file recovery or booting from external hard drives. Booting into Recovery Mode will allow you to designate an external hard drive as start up but it’s no longer a simple matter of holding down the option key. As for file recovery, that’s never been a concern of mine since I constantly maintain two different backups, one is Time Machine the other a clone. This is something I’ve done since my first HD20 became corrupt years ago and my dealer said he could repair it. He did, by erasing the entire drive. If it hadn’t been for my wife secretly getting this for me, I would have procrastinated longer. Bottom line, why in the world did I wait so long?

Well, on the political side of things, I don't agree with Apple in the least bit, I'm a republican. Apple should keep to themselves in terms of politics. However, in the computing world, they do things right. As always, I'm mostly happy with their products despite dead pixels, chipping anti-glare coating, uneven backlighting, etc as most other companies have similar issues with. On the software and hardware side of things, Apple is amazing. All their products mostly work seamlessly together and are mostly headache free. I also greatly enjoy the aftermarket support... nearly the best of any company. I'm a student (in healthcare) and gamer. As a student, I will never choose PC over Mac. As a gamer, PC will trump Mac any day of the week...it's very conflicting emotionally for someone who enjoys gaming/entertainment while also needing to be productive as a student. This new MacBook Pro 15" appears to be Apple's most favored and ultimate product beyond its iMac and everything else and it offers. For many years I've debated between gaming and productivity; Microsoft and Apple respectively. I love Mac for how seamless their products work together and how amazing their hardware is. As a full-time student and someone who enjoys entertainment and gaming, Microsoft has been the way to go in terms of pricing. Honestly, you need to pick what you value... Microsoft and Apple both have their strengths and weaknesses. If gaming is most important to you (in terms of budget and limited resources), go with an Alienware gaming laptop (as a mobile student/employee seeking to purchase a laptop), but If you care about convenience/productivity and aftermarket support, then go with Apple if you are whole heartedly set on seamless experience and productivity. As a full-time student, it's disheartening giving up gaming performance because at this point in life, productivity is most important things.... I financially invested in pursuing a career (e.g. tuition, student loans, etc) After School, I'll likely favor Microsoft for entertainment/gaming. However, Apple will likely always be part of my life. They make great products, which is non-negotiable. It's a struggle between life's enjoyments for entertainment (Microsoft OS) and productivity/seamlessness/convenience (Mac OS). My advice to you, Apple is awesome as a company supporting its customers. Their products are great for work, productivity and education (music and entertainment, excluding gaming, as well)... a little gaming now that they offer higher performance in the 13" and 15" laptops with external GPU. If you are pursuing an OS in regards to performance (best bang for the buck), go with Microsoft (Apple is getting their with their pursuits of Virtual Reality (VR), etc. If you want to be a productive student, with a product that is typically rock-solid, but pricey, get the Apple OS; if you are compromising between the two, get the 2018 6-core 15" MacBook Pro... it's amazing for a laptop with a little bit of compromise. It will cost you, but you likely won't regret it. You can get an external GPU to game with in addition to an amazing laptop that holds it's value well that will allow to game and be a productive student or employee... but with a cost... literally , it's expensive. If you spend a lot of hours infant of the screen on a computer, just get the MacBook Pro 15". If gaming is more important to you before productivity and you are considering a laptop, Alienware's are awesome with a keyboard I believe is just as good as Apple's. Pick your poison. It's great having a market with choices. America is awesome... third world issues trying to decide on a best product. I'm happy with my 15" MBP and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my co-workers, family or peers (fellow students pursuing a vocation in healthcare)... I love iTunes (I'm an Apple Music subscriber)... gaming on the go, while also getting my work done on an awesome 15" MBP. I wish you the best in deciding what works best for you.

I migrated from a Late 2016 MacBook Pro 13" to this in December, and could not be happier. It's faster, more powerful and has a better display than my previous MBP. The trackpad is an absolute beast on this laptop and is a pleasure to use. The Touch Bar will take some getting use to, however, the integrated Touch ID sensor works flawlessly. Just going to say it now, you WILL need a dongle. If you've got a ton of stuff that uses older connectors, any one of a number of innovative port expanders/docks/hubs will let you hook everything you need to your MBP with a single cable, and (with the right dock) it'll even charge it simultaneously! It blows my mind that the people who griped about how easy magsafe was to yank loose are now griping about it being gone. It was ANNOYING. Now you can use any of the ports for charging, and the USB-C connector doesn't have an "up side". It's super-simple to reconnect it any time you want, and it won't pop free every time you shift in your seat! The keyboard takes some getting used to but it is more precise than the previous version. I hit keys, it puts letters on the screen, that's fine for me. I've had this laptop as my daily driver for about a month now and battery life has been nothing short of amazing. The last thing I want to touch on is the speakers. Now I'm not sure if the improvement is to be expected coming from a 13" to 15" but man do these speakers on this new MBP sound amazing! Honestly, I actually enjoy listening to the speakers on this laptop as before I would connect my AirPods and listen to my media that way. Overall I could not find anything worth noting that was bad about this device, everything works as it should. Of course we all cringe at the thought of spending the amount of money Apple charges for their laptops or all of their products for that matter. However, I can honestly say that I've never owned an Apple product that didn't live up to their high expectations.

Awesome laptop from Apple. I was initially concerned about it only having USB-C type ports, but having picked up a hyper drive hub and 2 Apple USB-A adaptors I have discovered it's really not an issue, for me anyway. So much is now done wirelessly that I don't even need ports all that often and when I do the accessories I purchased for lees than $200 solve any issues. Also I have discovered an unexpected plus to the USB-C ports also being where you charge it in that you can connect the power cord to which ever side is more convenient at that time. One thing that did annoy me was that Apple does not include the extension cable for the power adaptor anymore and I had to go back to the store and buy it separately. This is a huge upgrade over my previous 13" MacBook Pro, the 15" display it so much larger vs the 13". Also the speakers on this one blow away the ones in my previous laptop in both quality and volume.

I've used PCs all my life and after much debate I decided to take the plunge into a MAC. I am not a fan boy, but I understand why they are so much more expensive than a regular PC laptop. 1. The experience. Internet, APPS, and use. The experience is much better, websites and programs that cater to iOS have a better feel, you can use different gestures to navigate and much more. 2. ease of use, there are more things you can do on a mac that are easier to function than those on a PC, for example, you can take a screen shot of an area , a window, multiple windows, or desktop, instead of getting a screen shot and taking it to paint and cutting it and saving it like on windows. 3. the product feels very nice, it's light, the DISPLAY IS BEAUTIFUL. I have a 4k acer, this mac destroys the screen in terms of beauty. 4. THE BATTERY!!!!!!... OH MY ... BATTERY LIFE , I was on netflix for 7 hours on one charge.. amazing. 5. performance, it's snappy, responsive, and if you have an iphone youll be familiar.

I purchased this item brand new and in store the week of black Friday in order to get the sale price. I set it up right away. For some reason when I am just typing papers, using excel or Chrome (with 5-10 windows open) the area above the touchbar and underneath the laptop get very warm. It is not scolding hot or anything, but it seems a little odd to me that the laptop would be warm at all given that I am not doing anything crazy with it and the performance promised from it. I have all the updates and everything for it. I only use the laptop on a wooden desk surface in a cool room. I purchased this laptop for my MBA classes, to replace an old iMac 2009 and in hopes that it would last me close to a decade like my old mac. This overheating so soon after purchase makes me worried about longevity though. If it weren't for the overheating I would have ranked this around 4.5. I would dock a half star to 1 star for only having USBC ports and no ethernet port. It is really odd to me that I need to buy an additional adapter to charge my new iPhone XS to my new 2018 MacBook Pro w/Touchbar

We were in the market for a new laptop and were unsure on brand, model, or really any details about laptop buying. We had a great experience with the workers at Best Buy and they helped us find the perfect match for us based on our needs! We do a lot of photo editing, which the MacBook Pro has great applications for. We've downloaded several videos and apps on the laptop already and the download speed is so quick! We were also very impressed with the picture quality of the laptop while watching videos! We are comfortable with Apple products already so it made for a smooth transition into using this laptop. It's lightweight enough to not be a burden to travel with, and has a good size screen for still being so compact! The AppleCare option is also a must I would say! It covers almost everything that could possibly go wrong and there is a free battery replacement included in the purchase within the first three years. Overall, we are very happy and very pleased with our choice and the help that we received from the Best Buy team!