So I had a Macbook Pro 2012 model before this model and the computer has stood the test of time. It still works fine to this day, but its finally starting to really show its age in speed and workflow. I have been waiting for an 8th gen Intel refresh on either the Macbook Pro or the Imac in order to finally upgrade. When they released the Macbook Pro's a few weeks ago I figured I would give the Macbook a shot. I've had a few days to kind of play around with it and here are my honest thoughts. Its a beautiful machine. This thing chews through anything I throw at it. I am primarily a photographer so Lightroom is the ultimate test for me and it passed with flying colors. I am very happy with the overall performance of the laptop, in short its a performance Beast. BUT..here's where the Macbook starts to become an issue for me. I like to plug my laptop into monitors when I'm working at home. And with apple's choice to go completely USB-C it causes alot of issues with my current setup. I have 2 27 inch monitors, an older Cinema Display and a Thunderbolt Display. The Cinema won't connect because its not thunderbolt 2 and the Thunderbolt does not look good for some reason. The thunderbolt display also cant charge the Macbook itself requiring the cable and the monitor to eat up 2 of the 4 USB-C ports. Forcing me to maybe consider looking into a new monitor, but apple doesn't make them anymore so I have to look to an LG or replacement brand. There's no Audio Jack cable so I can't plug the computer into my desktop speakers. And I literally have had to buy an adapter for everything, I had to buy an Adapter just to be able to use my Anker 10USB Adapter. It's very odd to me that Apple would choose to get rid of such basic things. No SD Card reader either. These are very small and minuscule things that probably could have still remained in the design of the computer. It's even basic things like not even being able to connect a USB mouse to the laptop without an adapter. I know that these problems are probably nothing new or surprising to people that reviewed or have had the touch bar USB-C models for me, but its really crazy to me that Apple made this decision. I see no real benefit to them doing this and it makes the computer alot less functional. I am going to see if I can get a decent monitor setup going otherwise I may have to consider returning this and waiting for the Imac 8th gen refresh to hopefully happen later this year. At least that model will have an SD card reader and an Audio jack lol.

Please note that three stars is my lowest score for a product that is intact and working. This is roughly equivalent to a lot of the one star reviews you may have seen. Yes, the product works and is manufactured well. But the unnecessarily thin design has unacceptable disadvantages. Cooling is compromised, so performance is throttled. Ports are gone, so you're living in dongle land. The battery life obviously could be much better if the chasis we're 50% thicker. And most importantly, the keyboard is reduced to almost imperceptible travel. It's so sensitive that you can't even touch your fingers to the keys while they're waiting to type another letter. It's marketed as a PRO laptop. The PRO model is not supposed to be the thinnest or lightest in a company's lineup. It's supposed to give up some of that in favor of usability and power. Things like a wide array of ports, a battery that lasts all day and more, and cooling that is good enough to allow the CPU and GPU to run full speed for minutes at a time, repeatedly. Full speed doesn't just mean 100% utilization; it means 100% of that processor's rated throughput - ie no throttling. I don't expect any laptop to sustain that for hours with no break, but an expensive "Pro" laptop should be able to sustain it for several minutes with no trouble, and do that over and over throughout the work day. But the compromise in this "ProAir" MacBook that is simply not acceptable for me is the keyboard. I've used microwave ovens with better keys than this thing has. If you haven't had the chance to try one yet, unroll two sheets of aluminum foil on a cushion, one on top of the other. Hold your hands over them and pretend to type. Every time a finger contacts the foil and you didn't mean to type that key, head over to the backspace key. And if you contact the foil again on the way there, backspace some more when you get there. This computer's keyboard doesn't feel exactly like that, of course, but it feels every bit as good as that. And we haven't even started on the key repeat issues I learned about when I googled it. People who keep this computer and use it every day must have some very important reason to stick with it, because it's drawbacks are enormous! And this is coming from someone who has avoided Windows for decades, but needs to run Adobe software. I'm not at all happy to be on a Windows laptop, but at least it's a high-quality machine with full-fledged professional features, that is comfortable and productive to use all day.

Where do I start with this review. I have been a Mac user since 1986 when I bought a used Mac (84). I have been a user of Mac and Windows every since. I am an MCP and I own a computer company that does IT work for local businesses in my area. I have about 30 years of IT management experience so I like to at least think that I know about what I am talking about. :) Now, here is the reality of this machine. This is the best laptop I have ever owned, Mac, or PC, ever, PERIOD. It isn't even close. Yes, there are windows laptops that are less expensive. Yes, they have more power, yes they may have more ports, yes they may have 4k screens. To me, it doesn't matter. The ecosystem that Apple has built with the way their products work together, along with the style, power, and battery life of these machines makes them the ones to beat. Now the keyboard may look the same, but it really does feel different, and it is quieter. I don't know if it is going to hold up the test of time, but I am praying it does. I have AppleCare just in case. I would encourage everyone to get AppleCare as replacing the keyboard out of warranty will se you back about $400. People say that the Touch Bar is a gimmick, but I actually find it useful in some apps. I cannot say how nice it is to have a 16:10 format screen still in 2018, but it is. The machine is silent unless under load, and runs cool unless very stressed. If you are a Adobe Premier user, then I would buy a Windows machine, but if you are a Final Cut user, or may be, then this is the machine for you to edit with. It is crazy fast thanks to the optimization of FCP and the speed of the SSD. 3GB a second speeds on the SSD is just disgusting. Really disgusting. I still think the trackpad is oversized for no logical reason (wish I could use an Apple Pencil with it) and I am ready for Mojave other than that this machine is perfect to me. Again to ME. I don't care about having to use dongles. I don't mind the 720p camera, so to me this is just the best laptop on the market today. What would make it perfect? A little more keyboard travel. An Nvidia card instead of the AMD. 1080P Webcamera. An SD card reader built in. Light up the Apple logo again.

Don’t let the title fool you, this is a great machine - I’m a graphic designer working in multiple Creative Cloud apps daily. From Photoshop to Illustrator to Premiere Pro and more, this machine handles these apps like a champ. The SSD in here is the fastest I’ve ever seen (even faster than my NVMe drives in a PC) and makes working with large files (that fit on it) a breeze. The screen is beautiful and keyboard slightly quieter from the 2016 model but only barely. The Touch Bar is... meh, it’s there. I usually run with the lid closed so it’s uselss to me 95% of the time. There’s really not much, from a hardware perspective, to complain about in how this machine is built. That said... since 2016 and Apple’s move to only Thunderbolt 3 ports, getting this machine into my professional workflow has been nothing short of a compromise. New cables were needed to connect my two 4K displays (could have got adapters but the cables are less unsightly, even then... would still need the adapters), one port is used to charge, leaving me only with a single port to plug in USB or Thunderbolt drives, SD Card readers, Ethernet adapters, etc. To make full use of my equipment I needed a external dock to accommodate those things, so that’s even more money on top of things. Still wish they would make it about 1/8” thicker and just give us two RAM slots and access to the SSD but that may be asking too much of the current day Apple design team. If your setup is less complex, or your IO needs aren’t as stringent, you will be fine. That all said, I made it work in the end (with a few hundred dollars in new accessories) and it’s so far been a great machine to get work done on.

After a few weeks with the laptop, I can report that I enjoy this machine. Here's what I like: 1. Touch Bar. Quick login with fingerprint reader. It allows me to quickly get to websites in safari. Ability to configure what appears in it. Quickly getting to emoji. How it saves space by collapsing and making room for more buttons. Support it in applications like Final Cut, Email, Calendar, etc. can be helpful for shortcuts. Good idea. 2. Keyboard. I don't think it's as bad as reported. 3. Size. Not too heavy. It's thin. 4. Screen. Bright and clear. A nice size. 5. Performance. Ever since Apple did the processor update, it's performed well and it's definitely an upgrade over my 2012 machine. 6. Ports. It's nice to have ports that allow you to use your power or plug in devices on any side and any location on the laptop. Could reduce amount of damaged cables due to stress and bending especially when your power cord is plugged in to an outlet on the opposite side. 7. Battery Life. Lasts a good long time even when doing Final Cut and Motion projects. 8. Operating System. It's really makes using the machine a good experience. Here's what could use improvement: 1. Touch Bar. For some things, it doesn't make sense to pull your hands from typing position to reach up to the bar. Maybe making a bar just above the trackpad somehow? 2. Ports. Have to buy all new adapters and cables. No SD Card slot although a multi-purpose dock is a great solution...maybe even better than putting multiple ports on the laptop. This way when new types of connectors (ports) are made, you can just buy a new dock with those on it. I am happy with my purchase and had to really think about the things that I think need improvement.

This laptop is replacing 2012 13 inch Retina display MacBook Pro which is going great after being used 8 plus hours daily, had to replace battery last year. Everything is great about this laptop except the price, it is too high in my opinion, it should have least 1 tb drive at this price point. This is apple theme lately to provide less then premium content at premium price. Once one pass this price shock, things are better. Screen is good keyboard is better than last year model, daughter has 2017 13 inch mbp. Time will tell how long it will last. Setting up is done by importing Everything from backup, this is best thing I like about Mac OS X, absolutely no time wasted. every app, shortcut in place. In new machine. This is work laptop so any time not spent is time gain. I keep laptop for very long time, even though Apple MacBook Pro are super expensive in long term it is cheaper, with no extra money needed to buy other softwares It will be used mainly office suite and web based application so extra power of graphic card may be over kill. Even with multiple apps open free memory is around 10 GB Which is great. Touch Bar and Touch ID is plus, nice to have feature. I used to buy at apple store, I have stopped buying at apple store now because Best Buy is best place to buy apple products, the prices are always better and quality service. Save yourself money by buying apple product at Best Buy. In last three years I have updated most of my Macs all purchased at Best Buy.

I upgraded from a 2011 13" i5 MacBook Pro and took it about as far as it would go into 2018. Developing in Xcode and running Final Cut Pro X was just taking way to long. I've been using the new 15" machine for a few weeks now and here is what I think. The machine is configured with a512GB SSD, 16GB RAM, and a 560X graphics card Pros: * The machine is very light and thin. * Great battery life when doing development in Xcode or browsing the web etc. * Screen is beautiful * The touch bar is actually awesome, provided the app you are using supports it. * The laptop is fast, which it better be, since it's a i7 w/ 16GB and an SSD * USB-C. I actually like the USB-C ports because I an left handed and plug the power into the right side. Cons: * Not upgradable, but that's the tradeoff for the size and weight of the laptop. You have to get what you think you will need for the long term. * power brick does not come with a extension cord * Price, it's a lot of money and considering you have to upgrade it all at the time of purchase, but I reasonably expect to keep it 5 to 8 years. * The need to purchase several USB-C adapters to work with existing devices. * Keyboard. It is softer than older MacBook Pros and other Apple keyboard products. It's not bad, just different. There are plenty of aftermarket USB-C cords, connectors, and adapters and you will likely need a few of them to attach an external monitor or other devices. There are even mag-safe to USB-C power adapters available so that you can use existing power adapters you may have.

I am admittedly a tech snob. To me the best technology is like fashion is to fashionistas.....it's important not only how it performs, but how it looks. I tried to compromise on my next system upgrade and bought the Dell XPS-15 9570 with the 4k touch screen and 8th generation 6 core processor because it was $700 cheaper. But then I got a smoking deal using price match and bought the MacBook Pro 15 (which is what I really wanted from the start). I performed side by side comparisons, boot speed, program launches, responsiveness of system, touchpad, etc. All the elements that I exercise on a daily basis in using my laptop. I even made a spreadsheet comparing the different metrics that were important to me. And in the end, the MacBook won hands down. It wasn't even close. Take that, combined with the sleek sexy feel and look (yes, sexy....I told you I was a Tech Snob) of the Pro, toss in this will be my work companion for the next 6-7 years......Well, needless to say I returned the Dell. Not that it was a bad machine, just wasn't the one I wanted to take to the Prom. I could talk about how software is not optimized for 4K displays, and blurry letters from programs, finger smudges on the touchscreen.....but in the end it was beauty + power + performance = MacBook Pro. I still smile every time I pull it out of my bag and use it. As the commercial says.....smile & joy......Priceless. To me, it's worth the extra cost.