Apple has updated its line of MacBook Pros. The newest versions include a few updates, a thinner and lighter design, and something that has the Internet buzzing - the removal of the iconic MacBook startup chime.
If your old MacBook isn’t working like it used to, you might need an upgrade (and the newest additions to the MacBook lineup might be just what you are looking for).
The New Stuff
Apple has gone with a completely new design this time around. Like other companies that are creating lightweight laptops, Apple’s newest MacBooks are thinner and lighter than ever before. This is a great thing if you tend to lug your laptop around with you everywhere you go. Aside from a thinner design, Apple has moved a few things around.
One of the things that you’ll notice right away is a new touchbar at the top of the keyboard where the function keys used to reside. The touchbar acts like a smaller computer and is designed to work with various functions depending on what application you are using. If you’re sending an email (for example), you can use the touchbar to compose, read, scan, etc.
Another great feature is a much larger trackpad. If you use your laptop a lot, you’ll appreciate this new feature. Apple has also made the screen much brighter than it once was, which greatly adds to the appeal of the MacBook (especially for designers and people that work visually).
Key Changes
The newest MacBooks have keys that are much wider and set a bit further apart than they used to be. This allows people that type a lot to have more space to do so. If you got tired of crampy fingers with the older MacBook, you’ll like the newer keyboard layout. The keys are also more stable, which means that typing goes a lot quicker - writers, take note.
Apple also threw some new speakers into the MacBook Pro, but most people won’t really use the speakers, probably. If you do listen to tunes on your laptop, you’ll notice a better overall bass and better sound coming from either side of the keyboard.
The Guts
So what’s inside the new MacBook Pros that will entice you to pay for a brand new laptop? Apple has sunk faster SSDs, Thunderbolt 3 support, Skylake processors, high-speed memory, AMD graphics (15-inch), and better overall thermal architecture into the newest laptops. If you go for the 15-inch MacBook Pro you’ll get 16GB of memory, a 2.6GHz or 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, a Radeon Pro 450 o4 455, and 256Gb or 512GB of flash storage.
The 13-inch version has an Intel Core i5 processor, INtel Iris Graphics, 256GB or 512GB of flash storage, 8GB of memory, and the same basic design as the 15-inch. As far as pricing goes, don’t expect these laptops to be cheap.
The 13-inch will retail for $1799 and the 15-inch will start at $2399. You can get both machines in either silver or a muted gray. Both are available for sale now in North America.