If a Last update iPhone proved to be very controversial, then laptops MacBook Pro received the most significant update in the entire history of the line's existence. And it's not just a significantly redesigned case, a new set of connectors and improved performance, but also an innovative control: the Touch Bar with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Like any other product, the new 2016 MacBook Pro has its pros and cons. What impressions did a professional Apple laptop leave after three months of use, further in the MacDigger article.
The hallmark of any MacBook is its design. Whether you are a Mac or PC fan, it's hard to deny that appearance and the build quality of the MacBook is at a level unattainable for many manufacturers. When it comes to design, Apple has always been flawless.
The new MacBook Pro is radically redesigned from previous models. We can say that Apple made a hybrid of the old MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook. The screen resolution has not changed compared to the previous generation, but its quality has significantly increased and when directly compared with its predecessor, the difference immediately catches the eye. Higher maximum brightness, saturation and contrast of the panel. You can now use your MacBook Pro outdoors in bright sunlight.
The 2016 MacBook Pro has an updated keyboard mechanism so key travel is barely felt, which feels awkward at first. But once you get used to it, the rest computer keyboards seem terrible to you.
As before, the laptop's all-metal chassis looks flawless, but it's not too scratch-resistant. Over time, marks may appear on it, so it's better to get a case.
A feature of the new generation of MacBook is the huge touchpad. Traditionally, the trackpad in Apple laptops is unrivaled, but the need to increase it to this size is questionable. The touchpad is really big, comparable to the iPhone 7 Plus. This does not have any additional benefits. The fact is that before the touchpad did not seem small at all, and there is no feeling that increasing it gives any significant increase in the comfort of use.
But the main complaint may be the transition to USB-C. At first, this can really be a problem, and Apple should at least leave the memory card slot. But if you think that you will have to carry a bunch of adapters, then you are wrong. In most cases, a single adapter with "classic" USB ports and an SD card slot is sufficient. In addition, there are devices for wireless data transmission on the market. For example, MobiLite Wireless Pro with built-in battery. It allows you to transfer data wirelessly from any device.
Apple is striving to establish the USB-C format as the only and universal format, and in principle, there is a chance to force a universal transition to it. Accordingly, if today for the owners of MacBook Pro 2016 and MacBook 12 ″ connecting a USB drive becomes a headache, then after a while the same torment will be experienced, on the contrary, by owners of laptops with old connectors, because the industry will gradually switch to USB-C ...
There are only two weaknesses in this concept. First, for some reason, Apple is not switching to USB-C in iPhones and iPads, although most of its competitors are already using USB-C in smartphones and tablets. And secondly, even if this universal introduction of USB-C as the main and universal format ever takes place, it will clearly not happen in the next two years. This means that by the time the "happy future" arrives, the current "bugs" will already be morally obsolete.
I am pleased with the ability to charge the MacBook Pro from external battery but the proprietary MagSafe port is missing. Moreover, the 15-inch model draws 85W, so the usual portable charging it will not charge while in use. The 13-inch MacBook Pro uses 65W, so you can use the gadget and charge the battery.
What I love about it are the stereo speakers to the left and right of the keyboard. They give quite a good and loud sound, as far as is possible in principle in such a form factor.
On the web, you can often find complaints about the weak autonomy of new MacBooks. Unfortunately, real time autonomous work really far from Apple's claimed 10 hours. When performing complex tasks such as video editing, a 15-inch laptop "lives" for 1-2 hours, with normal use - 3-4. Things are a little better with the 13-inch model, which lasts 5-6 hours of battery life, but that's not even close to 10 hours.
The advantage of the new MacBook is definitely performance that surpasses all expectations. Despite the fact that the laptop does not have the latest hardware, the MacBook Pro 2016 performs better than the top-end Windows machines. There are no problems with editing 4K video when it comes to Final Cut Pro.
Upsetting the limit random access memory 16 GB, which is especially felt when editing large videos. The laptop supports connecting an external 5K display via USB-C. The Mac transmits the image and charges the battery at the same time, but the overall impressions of such a bundle are mixed. In normal tasks, everything works fine, but under significant loads, performance may not be enough.
As for the Touch Bar, you can doubt as much as you want it in terms of everyday use, but this is an innovation that can justify an update and immediately sets the MacBook Pro 2016 apart from all other models. It is logical to assume that other manufacturers will also start experimenting in this direction.
The Touch Bar is an attempt to come up with another control besides the touchpad and keyboard. But at the same time it is also a rethinking of the keyboard, because the Touch Bar replaces the top row of keys and can simulate them.
Although, with all the innovation, the Touch Bar is a rather controversial solution, it is unlikely that it can significantly increase performance and greatly facilitate interaction with a laptop. If you set the goal of learning how to use it at 100% and unleash the potential of the Touch Bar, you will be able to find optimal scenarios where the touchpad is really much more convenient than the usual methods of interacting with a laptop. But to say that after using the MacBook Pro 2016 it will be difficult to return to a regular MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar.
The last thing worth noting is the fingerprint scanner. Well, in fact: in top-end tablets, which most use as toys, there is a fingerprint scanner, and in professional laptops, where the user has important documents, projects, an email archive and other things that should never fall into the wrong hands, a fingerprint sensor still new. But now Apple is likely to build it into every laptop, which means the rest of the vendors will have to too. Again, this is a big plus for all users - even those who would never buy a MacBook.
Technically, the Touch ID sensor is not part of the touchpad, but is located to the right of it. It is very convenient to use the fingerprint scanner for quick authorization and online shopping.
The most important question - is this laptop worth buying? The answer depends on budget and personal preference. Apple relied on the thickness and dimensions, innovation and "wow factor", which presented the user with a difficult choice: it seems that logically, you need to buy the latest model, if you have money, the more so cool it is, but if a laptop is taken to make money with its help, then doubt creeps in about the advisability of such a decision.
It is clear that Apple laptops have always been expensive, especially the top ones, but buying the classic MacBook Pro Retina 15 ″, we clearly understood what we would get: a top device for all occasions, absolutely understandable and predictable. MacBook Pro 2016 is something new, an experiment, and here everyone must decide for himself: whether he is ready to spend money on this experiment and get used to the peculiarities of the novelty, or is it better to wait until the innovations that Apple has implemented here become the standard de facto.
Replaced the row of physical keys at the top of the keyboard. The panel is a full MultiTouch Retina display that is an additional toolbar for active application that the user is currently working with. In this article, we offer 15 tips to make using the Touch Bar simple and efficient.
In contact with
How to display function keys F1, F2, etc.
To bring up the function keys F1, F2, etc., simply press and hold the Fn button located at the bottom left of the keyboard.
Always show function keys in specific applications
With some applications, it may be necessary to always display the function keys. Users can configure this function by themselves. To do this, go to " System settings » → « Keyboard» → « Keyboard shortcuts", choose " Function Keys"And click the icon" + ", to add desired application... Now at startup of this application the function keys will always be displayed by default. Pressing and holding the Fn key on the Touch Bar brings up the Control Strip (the right side of the Touch Bar showing the various macOS switches).
Quick adjustments to volume and display brightness
To adjust the volume or brightness of the screen, simply press, hold, and change the position of the slider in the Control Strip.
Customize the Control Strip on the Touch Bar
Open " System settings» → « Keyboard"And select the option" Customize Control Strip". The icons in the Control Strip begin to wiggle. In this mode, you can drag (delete, replace) selected switch icons from your MacBook Pro display to the Control Strip.
Accessing the advanced features of the Control Strip
Click the chevron (arrow) button to the left of the Control Strip interface to access an expanded list of system functions and controls.
Configuring the Expanded Control Strip
Pressing the chevron button (arrows) in the process of configuring the Control Strip will allow you to access a more complete list of system functions.
Place the required tools of the selected application on the Touch Bar
To place the required tools for a specific application on the Touch Bar, launch the application whose tools you would like to place in the Touch Bar and go to the “ View» → « Customize Touch Bar". It should be noted that not all applications have this capability.
How to customize the Control Strip while changing app preferences
When changing app settings, you can quickly jump to adjusting the Control Strip with a simple tap on the interface.
Escape key
The Escape key is located in the upper left corner of the TPC, but its location is slightly different from the physical buttons below it. However, for MacBook Pro owners accustomed to blind typing, there is no need to worry - Escape key presses will register even if your finger is not fully in contact with the button.
Sleep mode
The Touch Bar backlight dims after 60 seconds of inactivity and turns off completely after 75 seconds to conserve battery power. To return it to working condition, you can touch either the panel, keyboard, or trackpad.
Trackpad + Touch Bar
macOS lets you work with a trackpad and Touch Bar at the same time. For example, you can add an object to Pixelmator and change its color or size at the same time.
Ability to take screenshots of the Touch Bar
With the release of macOS 10.12.2, users have the ability to take screenshots of the Touch Bar (). The functionality is available to owners of MacBook Pro running macOS 10.12.2 or later.
While describing the design, we paid a lot of attention to the main innovation of the model: the Touch Bar above the keyboard. But it is important that this is not only a hardware, but also a software solution. Moreover, the effectiveness of its use directly depends on the software and settings. In this article, we decided to consider the Touch Bar in all aspects and talk about the bar in terms of its application in various use cases.
To start - general information... So, the Touch Bar is an OLED touch panel found in the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models from 2016. Touch Resolution Bar - 2170 × 60. The panel replaces the top row of keys and can display various information - depending on running application, custom settings and actions.
Needless to say, the bar can only function fully in the macOS Sierra environment and only if the particular application is optimized for use with the Touch Bar. Of course, all pre-installed macOS applications have this optimization, but third-party developers can use its functionality. In particular, we'll take a look at how this is implemented in Microsoft Office.
In order to take screenshots from the Touch Bar, you need to install the current beta version of macOS Sierra. Anyone can do this by registering in the Apple program, but you need to be prepared for the fact that the MacBook Pro will be rapidly discharged.
To the right of the Touch Bar is the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. It is physically separate from the Touch Bar and is not part of it, but when we open the laptop lid, the Touch Bar says "Unlock with Touch ID" and an arrow pointing to Touch ID.
As we noted in the first article, the 2016 MacBook Pro is Apple's first laptop with a fingerprint reader. And support for it first appeared in macOS Sierra. Below we will show you how to use this feature on your MacBook.
Touch ID
So, when you first turn on and initial setup MacBook we are asked to add a fingerprint.
The procedure is the same as for iPhone / iPad. We put our finger on the scanner several times, and the screen shows how the gray grooves are filled with red.
After the fingerprint is added, you can add another finger, and also specify what types of operations Touch ID can be used for. Apart from unlocking a Mac, it can be used with Apple Pay and confirmation of purchases in iTunes Store and the Mac App Store.
Touch Bar: Standard Options
Now let's get back to the Touch Bar itself. We have already seen what the panel demonstrates before unlocking the computer. And here is what we see by default after unlocking. The screenshot shows the right side. On the left is only the Esc button, between it and the one shown in the screenshot is a black space. The original screenshot is available by clicking.
So, on the right is the Siri call button. Since the Sierra version, Siri is supported in macOS, and Apple immediately decided to make its launch as visual as possible. Moreover, during operation, you often accidentally press this button, because previously there was a volume up button in this place. And it turns out that we are deliberately pushed to use Siri, willy-nilly.
The rest of the icons do not need comments. Except for the arrow. If you touch it, it will open a row of touch buttons, identical to what we see in the top row of a traditional MacBook keyboard. Here is a screenshot, divided into two halves: at the top - the left part, at the bottom - right.
The decision seems to be quite controversial, firstly, to make this view not the main one, but accessible only after touching the small arrow (hit it again!), And secondly, to leave the Siri call icon in this row. However, if desired, all this can be customized. How exactly - we will tell you further.
Touch Bar in apps
Now let's take a look at how the Touch Bar works in applications. To reiterate, if the app is not optimized for the Touch Bar, the bar will display what is shown above all the time. However, in the case of its preinstalled apps, Apple naturally made sure that each one actually took advantage of the Touch Bar. Take Safari, for example. The screenshots below show fragments of the Touch Bar screenshots, but the original screenshot is available by clicking.
As we can see, thumbnails are displayed here open tabs... You can navigate between them by simply swiping your finger. Conveniently? Perhaps. On the other hand, not to say that it is very visual - painfully tiny miniatures, and they do not always allow you to understand where which site is. And switching between tabs in the usual ways is not at all difficult. But this is definitely a spectacular opportunity.
Another useful feature of this panel in Safari is "search" and "open a new tab".
The panel can also change depending on what is open in the browser. For example, if a video is playing there, a video navigation bar appears.
And here we come to understanding the main quality of the Touch Bar: it is full variability, that is, in one application there can be an infinite number of Touch Bar options. It all depends solely on the imagination of the developers. The main question is that the functionality of the panel complements, and does not duplicate, and so easily accessible application options.
A good option is in the "Calendar". There, using the Touch Bar, you can easily switch between different weeks.
Less well done in the text editors Pages and Word. The problem is that, for example, to mark a piece of text in italics is much more convenient just with the mouse, because we select this piece with the mouse. It turns out that in order to use the Touch Bar, we first need to make some gesture with the mouse, then drop it, press the button on the Touch Bar, then grab the mouse again.
In general, despite the fact that the capabilities of the Touch Bar in text editors are very broad, in fact, it turns out that you need to either retrain and get used to completely new movements during work, or simply perceive the Touch Bar as some kind of optional addition, which we may be , someday we will use it purely for fun, but for now we will do it the old fashioned way - with a mouse and a keyboard.
This applies not only to text editors, but also to most other applications. For example, QuickTime Player.
Yes, we see a pause button, but in order to pause the video playback, just press the spacebar on the keyboard.
And this is the main problem of the Touch Bar concept and the main challenge for developers: how to make using the Touch Bar intuitive and easier than the usual keyboard shortcuts and mouse commands? It is clear that a lot here depends on Apple itself, because it is necessary to give an example to third-party developers, to show that the Touch Bar can be really used intelligently. And there are such examples. We have already given several examples and we can give more.
Let's say Pages has popup word suggestions. This is exactly the option that is impossible or at least impractical without touch screen, and the Touch Bar is just right for its implementation.
Customizing the Touch Bar
Touch Bar can be customized for yourself, and not only as a whole, but also for each application separately. Access to general settings can be accessed through Settings / Keyboard.
Notice that there is now a Customize Control Strip button. This is exactly what you need for Touch settings Bar. At the top, you can also specify what should be displayed by default on the panel.
The Control Strip are the standard icons on the right side of the Touch Bar. The extended Control Strip opens when you click on the arrow. But if you don't want to do this regularly, you can set the expanded Control Strip to show immediately.
So, click "Customize Control Strip" and see a window with icons, and above them - the inscription: "Drag frequently used objects to the Touch Bar at the bottom of the screen." Actually, from this it is already clear how exactly we can replace any icon on the Touch Bar with another. We just take the one we need with the mouse and drag it down to the edge of the screen, after which it "jumps" to the Touch Bar and there it trembles, like on iOS after a long press.
The selection here is quite large. Including useful things. For example, Screenshot, Sleep, Launchpad, Show Desktop, Do Not Disturb ... So don't miss the opportunity to create the optimal set.
Thus, outside of the applications, we have two levels of customization of the Touch Bar: the first level - what is displayed by default, the second level - what is the composition of the Control Strip (normal and extended options). But besides this, you can customize the composition of the Touch Bar icons in individual applications. For example, below is how this is done in Safari. In the "View" menu we see the line: "Customize the Touch Bar".
Click on it - and we see a window similar to the Control Strip settings window, but with a set of icons directly for the browser. Well, then we proceed according to the familiar scheme: we drag the necessary icons with the mouse and pin them in the right place in the Touch Bar.
Therefore, software developers must take care not only of the fact of using the Touch Bar, but also of the options for customizing the bar within their application and the choice of additional icons. That is, on the one hand, there should be a clear relationship between the user's actions and the icons that appear on the Touch Bar, and on the other hand, the initial set can be adjusted by the user.
conclusions
The Touch Bar is one of the major innovations in recent years. This is a very interesting and promising solution that can significantly expand the user's interaction with a laptop and facilitate a number of tasks. Hypothetically. In practice, a lot depends on how the Touch Bar functionality is implemented in a particular application and how easy or difficult it is for the user to customize it for himself and start using it in real life.
The Touch Bar is not really useful yet. And it would be rash to expect your productivity to increase if you upgrade from the previous generation MacBook Pro to a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. And if you consider that most third-party software vendors have not yet optimized their applications for the Touch Bar, all the more there is no illusion. But at the same time, the idea itself seems very promising, its implementation is as competent as it can be in real conditions, and the prospects are impressive, given that Apple has repeatedly demonstrated how it can convince the entire industry of the need to implement those or other innovations. Will it work this time?
The Apple MacBook Pro (Late 2016) deserves our Original Design award for groundbreaking Touch Bar and deeply integrating this hardware element into laptop software.
Fair, not overpriced or understated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without "asterisks", it is clear and detailed, where it is technically possible - the most accurate, final.
With the availability of spare parts, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs take much less time. The website lists the approximate duration of any repairs.
Warranty and liability
Any repairs must be guaranteed. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.
Half of the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and a warehouse with proven spare parts of current models so that you do not have to waste extra time.
Free diagnostics
This is very important and has already become a good form for service center... Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you shouldn't pay a dime for it, even if you don't repair the device as a result.
Repair in service and delivery
A good service appreciates your time and therefore offers free shipping. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of the service center: correctly and according to technology, it can only be done at a prepared place.
Convenient schedule
If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient so that you can be in time before and after work. Good service works both on weekends and on holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00
The reputation of professionals consists of several points
Age and experience of the company
Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years, and it has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the SC are being restored.
We are trusted and transferred by other service centers for difficult cases.
How many masters in directions
If several engineers are always waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken over immediately.
2. You are handing over your Macbook to a Mac repair expert. He knows all the secrets of these devices
Technical literacy
If you ask a question, a specialist must answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you have an idea of what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, the description tells you what happened and how to fix the problem.
Apple is scolded for lack of innovation, Apple is scolded for innovation ... Well, the absolute success that has been following the company for many years must have some drawbacks. Close attention from the public, including the critics, who, as they say, are "always ready" is one of them.
And, nevertheless, the "apple" giant lives under a lucky star and even its mistakes (and they, whatever one may say - oh, horror - happen to Apple) the company magically manages to present with such confidence that it is right that one involuntarily thinks - and what, maybe, it really is better? However, the American company owes its success not only to the luck and ability to present itself. Add to the above points - advanced hardware, perfect design, stable operating systems ... and, of course, notorious innovations and ... get the magic of Apple.
However, the magic does not apply to everyone. Indeed, this company can be either loved or hated. And, since it's hard to find fault with hardware, design and platforms, critics cling to innovation or lack thereof. If Apple innovations are secondary and / or are in some way a variation of competitors' innovations, critics say - "Well, it already happened", "Too small", "Apple is not the same", etc. Well, in the case when the innovation is uniquely declared - “Well, this is not so customary! How inconvenient, ay-ay! " Agree, there is not enough objectivity in such assessments. No, of course, innovations are unusual, this is their essence in general, another question - with what sign is this unusual?
In this review, we will try to deal with this issue regarding the latest of Apple's unique innovations - the Touch Bar on the Macbook Pro. Well, let's also talk about other characteristics of the laptop.
Since the TouchBar is completely new, you have to start from the very beginning. What is it and why is it needed ...
Concept
Look at the top row of your keyboard. What is there? Basically, the keys that the average user uses very rarely (well, unless he knows the art of "hot" combinations). And so Apple engineers decided - damn it, why do we need a number of unnecessary keys and removed it.
How was it removed? At all? No, of course, instead of the practically uncompressible F1-F12, Page U, Page Down, etc., which usually occupy the top row of the keyboard, they created a thing called the Touch Bar, designed to rethink computer control.
But this is logical!
However, it is Apple that says to rethink, but we would say - to finally make management logical. Open any program. For example, Word and start working in it. Now you have typed the text and now you want to format it. All formatting tools are located at the top of the document, and to "poke" one of them, you move your hand down and find the trackpad, now using it to control the cursor, the hand "goes" up again and, finally, the desired tool is clicked.
So what happens. You want the instrument on top, but the hand goes first down to the trackpad and only then up. Is it logical? No, not really. It's just that everyone is used to this scheme.
Now imagine you have a Macbook Pro with Touch Bar. To edit the text, of course, you can use the above scheme, because nobody canceled the trackpad. Or you can do it more logically. You need a tool from above, and you lead your hand up to the touch bar and choose what you need through it. And here's the paradox - it's so logical, but the force of habit says the opposite.
What is it?
Well, now, in fact, about the main thing, which is the Touch Bar and how to manage it.
The Touch Bar is a "piece" of the touchpad - narrow and long - it takes up about the same space as the top row of keyboard buttons. How do you manage it? Well, of course, "poke" your finger as in any touch panel.
When you turn on the Macbook on the Touch Bar, you will see the inscription - "Unlock with Touch ID" and an arrow pointing to the right, pointing to the button, which has a built-in fingerprint scanner (we will talk about it in more detail below). After unlocking, the panel is transformed - the Esc button will appear on the left, a group of brightness and volume controls, a Siri shortcut key, and a small arrow on which tap will open access to other classic mac OS functions on the right.
If you go into applications, the Touch Bar will be supplemented with new options - they are distributed between Esc and other controls. When editing text in Pages or Word, you will see buttons that allow you to make the text bold, underlined, enter numbering, highlight a fragment with color; and if you go to Safari, the Touch Bar will allow you to quickly switch between tabs, access address bar, go to frequently visited sites. Not only that, the bar will change depending on the content you are working with - for example, when playing a video, the Touch Bar can be used, for example, to rewind.
However, such "goodies" await the user only when working with applications adapted from the touch bar, and there are still few of them. If the developer has not yet implemented support for this Apple innovation, then when working with his program on the Touch Bar, only the classic options that we voiced above will be displayed - volume control, Esc, etc.
Subtleties of customization
The location of the classic options is adjustable. If you want to change something on the panel, you need to go to the "Settings" menu, then select "Keyboard" and - voila! Enjoy the tremendous customization options for the Touch Bar! In just one click, you can add the desired button or remove the unnecessary one.
Customizing Touch Bar capabilities within apps is also supported. But you need to look for the corresponding item in the application menu. For example, in Safari, you need to click View, then Customize Touch Bar.
User experience: do you quickly get used to good things?
So, at first glance, you see, the Touch Bar looks like a very useful thing. And, I must say, users of Apple laptops have noted before that thanks to the support of the trackpad for multitouch gestures, they practically do not remember the mouse. What will they say now that the Touch Bar has appeared and has further reduced the need to interact with the mouse?
There is no unequivocal opinion here. Owners of a Macbook with Touch Bar split into two camps. In the first, everyone is happy, happy with progress and are exploring opportunities with might and main. new feature quickly reaching positive results. In the second, they are buzzing about how uncomfortable things have become. However, in our opinion, this is only a question of the relationship with innovation in principle and inquisitiveness of the mind.
Here's a very striking example. Volume control circuit. Previously, in order to quickly add or subtract the sound, you had to press the corresponding button several times, now the button has become touch-sensitive and when you press it, a special slider appears, which controls the sound level.
One journalist wrote in his review that this wildly annoys him, because where there used to be a couple of blind actions, now it is difficult to navigate blindly, because first you need to call the slider, then "catch" the current level and take it to the desired side.
And here is another review and another journalist who decided - and what will happen if you press the adjustment button and hold your finger. And here's what - a slider will appear and you can control it without taking your finger off, simply by sliding it to the left or right. That is, the movement turns out to be only one, and blindly it is simply performed. Eureka!
And, in fact, this one example can describe the whole concept and all the perception of the Touch Bar. The mood itself is important here, the desire to develop along with progress, and if you are on this wave - great, the Touch Bar will open up a lot of new opportunities for you. Otherwise - alas and ah, because the Touch Bar is an innovation that requires some effort. And if now you are unhappy with her (you never know the device was first bought, and only then you decided to read the review on it), spend a couple of days actively mastering it and, most likely, you will change your anger to mercy.
What else is new?
Agree, it would be strange, having blabbed a lot about the main innovation of the new Apple Macbook Pro laptop, not to say a word about its other innovations and parameters. So now let's talk about them.
All That Glitters Is Not Gold
The design of Apple laptops has remained largely unchanged since the first Macbook. No, of course, some innovations were introduced, but in general, the design initially turned out to be so successful that its main trump cards were an all-metal aluminum case in a noble gray and the neat "apple" on the lid, which glowed in the dark, remained unchanged all this time. But here comes the Macbook Pro with the Touch Bar and - oh, horror - the "bullseye" decreases in size and stops glowing. Why Apple deprived the new MacBook of such a cute feature is unclear, but the company's fans were unanimously upset.
However, this is not the only change in the design of the new Macbook Pro - it was given a new mechanism for attaching the lid and screen, the locations of the speakers were changed - they are now located on the front panel, but the ventilation holes, on the contrary, have been moved to the back cover. And also - the body has become thinner and it is impressive. Pro-series for its parameters was already very thin, but here - and "hardware" pumped over (about it a little later) and the case became even thinner. Bravo, Apple!
Butterflies in the stomach
And here's another great news - the keyboard and touchpad, which have always been comfortable with Macbooks, have become even more convenient.
As for the keyboard, the "butterfly" mechanism continues to be improved here, which Apple recently switched to in its laptops. Key travel is crisp but short. At first it’s unusual, but after a couple of hours from the printing process, you start to catch a downright aesthetic pleasure. Fingers not so much knock as they slide across the keyboard, text is typed with a “light movement of the hand” and much faster than on classic keyboards.
The touchpad, which was already huge, became even larger. Of course, it has become more convenient to work, especially those who often work in graphic editors... In short, Apple has worked hard on the controls on this Macbook!
Break for tar
However, let's stop pouring honey for a minute - because it's time to discuss the Macbook Pro connectors with the Touch Bar.
Apple has never been too much for a large number of ports, but in Lately the desire to make fewer "holes" turned into some kind of manic thought. The hero of our review has only four USB ports and one classic audio jack. Everything! For a laptop, this is downright disastrously small, and in order to fully work with peripherals, you need to have a bunch of adapters. Inconvenient! And then anyone will agree - it is better to have a "leaky" Macbook, but without a garden with adapters, than supposedly elegant according to Apple with a minimum of ports and constant hassle of how to connect this or that device.
And you know what's the funniest thing? Let's say you are doing well with your wealth, you own a Macbook Pro with Touch Bar and a flagship Apple-smartphone iPhone 7, which, as everyone remembers, was deprived of the standard audio jack. You listen to music on your iPhone from the headphones that came with your smartphone, but now suddenly want to plug them into your laptop. It won't work! IPhone Headphones 7 end with a Ligthning connector, while the Macbook Pro with Touch Bar does not. And, yes, you understood everything correctly - there are either other headphones, or - an adapter! Curtain.
And again honey ...
Well, unfortunately, the strange "port" policy of Apple can only be understood and forgiven, as they say, because the company is not going to go from the path of reducing connectors. On the contrary, it is worth preparing for the fact that every year there will be even fewer of them. Fortunately, there will be no more tar, only good news.
Let's talk about the display ... It's not the first time we've seen the Macbook Pro Retina. However, the laptop with the Touch Bar does not just have an ultra-clear retina display, in comparison with the previous indicators, the picture is, in principle, improved on all fronts. The most important innovation is an expanded color gamut - the display now displays even more shades, which will surely delight designers.
As for screen sizes, the hero of our review is presented in two models of Apple Macbook Pro with Touch Bar 13 and 15 inches. Which one to buy, it's up to you, the Macbook Pro 13-inch Touch Bar, of course, is lighter and more compact, you can even carry it under your armpit and will be comfortable. However, there will be no hassle with a 15-inch device either, it just needs a slightly different approach. For example, you can buy a case for the Macbook Pro 15 inch Touch Bar in the form of a case and put there not only a laptop, but also all documents.
Faster than your thoughts ...
Depending on the price, the user can get a Macbook Pro with Touch Bar with an i5 or i7 processor in different modifications, 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 128/256/512 GB or 1 TB of internal memory. However, rest assured, even in the simplest assembly, the laptop will simply fly. This is what Apple promises, as many reviewers and real users write in their reviews.
This device is really always ready to work - it comes out of standby mode in an instant. For example, you are at home, quietly having dinner, and suddenly - an ingenious working concept came to your mind and you urgently need to issue it, otherwise both thought and inspiration will go away. And so you run up to the Macbook, open it and that's it - by the time you opened the lid, it is already awake and ready for quick work... And this is really cool! Any applications, no matter how heavy they are, are instantly launched.
Now let's get back to Touch ID - we promised to talk about it when we talked about the Touch Bar. The hero of our review is the first Macbook with a fingerprint scanner. When you turn on the device for the first time, the scanner is offered to be configured, so that it can then be used to unlock the laptop. There is nothing unusual here, everything is like on the iPhone and iPad - you can add several fingers, each must be applied the n-th number of times until the system completely calculates and memorizes the fingerprint. The scanner works clearly and quickly, no problem.
... and sometimes louder
Macbook Pro with Touch Bar sounds really cool. Even unexpectedly cool, so cool that I would like to advise manufacturers of "music" notebooks to take a master class from Apple engineers. There is volume, depth, and gorgeous panoramic sound, which especially “plays” in instrumental and calm compositions. And separately it is worth mentioning the loudness - its range is more than sufficient - enough, even to annoy the neighbors.
Enough for a long time?
And finally, another important point is autonomy. And this is a very controversial point. On the one hand, Apple announced 10 hours of battery life in office and entertainment mode. On the other hand, the battery capacity was reduced by 30% (!) Compared to the previous model - something had to be sacrificed to make the case thinner. However, at the presentation they noted that the decrease in capacity will be compensated for by new energy saving technologies.
What's in practice? The authors of tests and reviews cannot come to a consensus, but in most cases the hero of our review does not pull 10 hours, but it does not work less than 8 hours. And, whatever one may say, even such a figure for an ultra-thin and super powerful laptop with an ultra-clear screen is a very good figure.
To summarize: how much is the revolution for the people?
And now about the "bad" numbers - the prices for the Macbook Pro with Touch Bar. Of course, no one expects an Apple product to be budget-friendly, especially when it comes to the most sophisticated device in the line of laptops.
The minimum configuration for a Macbook Pro with Touch Bar will cost 102,990 rubles (this is the price of the official website), the maximum configuration for Russia is 207,990 rubles. However, for some reason, a version with a terabyte drive is not available at the moment. So 207,990 is not the limit. And, yes, Macbook Pro with Touch Bar in currently the most expensive Apple laptop, but the point is not in the innovative panel, or rather, not only in it, but also in the fact that the hero of our review, we emphasize once again, today is the newest and most advanced laptop of the "apple" giant.
In general, one can argue a lot about the fact that Apple is asking too much for its products, but if you can still argue about the company's smartphones and tablets, then the situation with the Macbook is as simple as possible. Does the Macbook Pro have competitors? Not. Even leaving the Touch Bar aside, you will not find a model on the market that would so successfully combine excellent design, advanced hardware, an excellent screen and ... further down the list.
However, within the framework of this review it is important to answer not so much the question of whether it is worth buying a Macbook Pro, but rather whether it is worth buying a Macbook Pro with Touch Bar. And here it is necessary to take into account at least three features - the "bull's-eye" will no longer light up, from the ports you will have only the audio-connector and USB, and, of course, you will have a Touch Bar. Want to keep up with progress? Buy! Today, the Touch Bar is scolded by everyone, and tomorrow such assistants will appear among competitors. But if, nevertheless, you want to work in the old fashioned way - take a look at other Macbook Pros that are available today in the official sale on the Apple website - there are devices in the model range that are not significantly inferior in hardware to the hero of our review.
