The logic behind the new MacBook lineup: it’s simpler than you think.
The new Apple MacBook Pro has been available for less than a week, and consumers, as well as critics, are split between those who love the new laptops, and those who did not agree with Apple’s decisions on a few key features.
While some comments may be justified, some “issues” have been most definitely blown out of proportion.
A “year-old” CPU
Some commenters have been pointing out that Apple has decided against Kaby Lake, in favor of Skylake, to power its new MacBook Pro, indicating that Apple used a “year-old” CPU in its brand new laptops. Intel’s 6th generation Skylake CPU was announced in August 2015, with Lenovo being the very first manufacturer to release a line a Skylake-powered laptops. With that said, Skylake is anything but “old”, as its successor, Kaby Lake, has yet to be delivered to manufacturers.
Also, Skylake is the first CPU that supports security features like storage of biometric and passwords data, hardware encryption, and native support for USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3, allowing for the new MacBook Pro to boast as many as four Thunderbolt 3 ports. Speaking of which...
Is it 2015 all over again?
When the 12 inch MacBook Retina was initially released in 2015, Apple decided to integrate only one USB Type-C port, and nothing else, to both power the laptop, and connect it to other devices. Naturally, pundits went to town with the news, criticizing Apple for pushing consumers to buy expensive adapters, in order to take advantage of the one port.
The truth of the matter is that most users won’t even care, because aside from charging the 12 inch MacBook, which boasts a battery life of over 10 hours, most users going for a 12 inch MacBook, will buy it for tasks that don’t really require any tethering to peripherals like external drives, or phones, while those who do, have plenty of affordable options, with plenty more coming from crowdfunding websites like KickStarter and IndieGoGo.
Speaking of the new MacBook Pro’s four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the decision to do away with any other port but Thunderbolt 3 is commendable.
The MacBook Pro is designed for professional users, and it’s a very powerful laptop capable of driving multiple 5K displays, and connect and use full-size Pegasus servers. Such devices require ports capable of handling not only the current, but also the bandwidth necessary to communicate with and control these peripherals.
HDMI and DisplayPort may be powerful enough for 4K and UHD, but when it comes with multiple 5K monitors, as well as professional production equipment, having a port that can handle up to 100W of electricity, on a laptop, is nothing short of miraculous.
The Escape Key
Technically, Apple has not eliminated the Escape key. It moved it to the TouchBar, exactly where it should be.
For those who really want a physical Esc key, the solution requires a few simple steps to remap it to another key. Simply open System Preferences, click on Modifier Keys, and click the dropdown box next to the Esc key to choose an alternative.
MagSafe connector
Objectively, the MagSafe connector stopped being great the moment cheap MagSafe knock-offs entered the market and laptops started blowing up and set people’s homes on fire. Need we remind of the recent Amazon’s blunder, when 90% of Apple chargers and cables sold on Amazon turned out to be fake, untested, and potentially life-threatening?
By “forcing” consumers to power their MacBooks using Thunderbolt 3 cables, rather than external wall chargers, if a fake cable is plugged in, the laptop will simply not use that cable at all.
On the other hand, a fake charger’s internal controller can be manufactured in such way as to fool a MacBook’s MagSafe connector and controller within, to use it, along with all the dangerous side effects of an untested product.
Price Check
It’s true: the new MacBook Pro is an expensive machine, and rightfully so, because it is the best laptop you can get for the price, and according to the specs required by a production environment.
Apple’s lineup includes far more affordable options for students and consumers on a budget, including the MacBook Air, which is still a great option if money is the object.
Moving up the quality ladder, the 12 inch MacBook Retina is still within range of a large chunk of consumers, starting at $300 on top of the MacBook Air, with a beautiful Retina display, and the ability to connect to a 5K external display.
The argument that the MacBook Pro is too expensive is flawed, because the price of technology is not a perceived value like a Starbucks latte. Consumers don’t buy laptops because of the brand. People buy laptops so they can do more, and be productive. The ability to do video editing requires hardware that is way above what’s required to watch Netflix and browse the Web.
Ready to shop?
If you are looking for the perfect MacBook, PortableOne has you covered with a great selection of Apple MacBooks, as well as the newly unveiled 13 inch and 15 inch MacBook Pro with TouchBar.