Since it was first announced a few weeks ago, Apple's redesigned MacBook Pro version 2016 has been surrounded by controversy.
New MacBook Pro 2016
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro from Apple is elegantly designed and genuinely innovative as always, according to ZDNet. But above all else, this latest update to the MacBook Pro range is expensive, long overdue and comes with only modest improvements.
Even if according to Apple the latest MacBook Pro 2o16 is its best-selling version to date, the professional community has received it with lots of critics. Those power users needing a high-end solution for their photo editing, video editing and coding apps are not content with the redesigned MacBook Pro offered by Apple in 2016.
According to Business Insider, among the most common complaints towards Apple's latest flagship laptop lineup are the lack of power and ports compared to rival computers. While many professional apps are asking for 32 GB of RAM, you can only get up to 16 GB of RAM in the MacBook Pros. The laptop lineup also comes with only one type of port called Thunderbolt 3, making it difficult to use for those who need HDMI ports to connect their external monitors or SD card slots.
Thunderbolt/USB-C
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports on. These can be used to connect accessories using the new USB-C standard and charge the laptop. According to Apple, they are designed to eventually replace the "regular" USB.
But for many professionals, the Thunderbolt 3 could be a big issue, since they often need to use a USB thumbdrive to transfer video to their Mac. With Thunderbolt, they have to use an adapter.
In the video production industry, for instance, professionals are still plugging in USB hard drives and. A SD card reader is also essential for a lot of video and photo professionals when they want to transfer their work to a MacBook Pro.
In order to ease the transition, Apple decided to reduce the USB-C accessories' prices through the end of 2016, after hearing a lot of negative feedback. But most of professionals would rather prefer having a laptop that just works with the accessories they already have.
Conclusion
Using the new Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro 2016 is a cool feature. Replacing the traditional row of Function keys on the keyboard with the touch-sensitive glass panel at 2,170 by 60 pixels resolution, called the Touch Bar, provides context-sensitive controls for individual apps. Most professional users like how the Touch Bar makes it easier to work in various applications.
The Touch Bar is a nice addition, even if it isn't totally necessary for most people. It can be helpful at times but, perhaps, will not become a determining factor for buying the MacBook Pro. A mouse and a keyboard will always be faster than the Touch Bar.
Overall, the MacBook Pro 2016 is fast and powerful enough for professional work. The flagship laptop series from Apple provide very impressive performance. The 2016 version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro is certainly strong enough to handle demanding graphics applications and 4K video-editing. However, it costs way too much, while having strong competition from rivals that offer similar levels of performance for a cheaper price, such as Dell's Precision 15 5000 mobile workstation.
