The new Apple MacBook Pro 2016 is out -- Prepare yourself for the Era of Dongles

Apple had announced the latest MacBook Pro this morning, and I have to say I am kind of disappointed with the latest model.

I have started using Mac since 2011. The MacBook Air 13 used to be my main laptop while dealing with all the schoolwork, and I had already purchased a lot of software that only runs on OSX. So when it stopped working a month ago, I urged to seek for a replacement. I was told to wait since Apple might update its MacBook Pro 15 product line very soon in the coming month. So I set up a virtual machine, bearing its low-performance and trying to get all my work done until the day I can get an inspiring and eye-catching New MacBook Pro.

So here it comes. Just like most of the people, I said "wow!" when I saw how the Touch Bar works, and I was impressed by how it can do. Everything looks great. The new MacBook Pro is slimmer, lighter, comes with Space Gray color, and the Touch ID is also a great add-on. However, when it comes to keyboard and I/O port, I can hardly believe that I was looking at a product that is targeting professional users. I don't want to comment too much on the new keyboard before I try, but I have a lot of words to say about the I/O port.

Four USB type-C and one headphone jack, this is all you get.

Macbook Pro offers 4 USB type-C ports, that's great, wasn't it? But the trade off was no standard USB, no SD card reader. No HDMI, no MagSafe, thank God the 3.5mm jack survived. How could you even call it a "Pro" after all these most used I/O ports were removed? So are you forcing all the user to bring an adapter with them? Imagine a professor who came to a class and found that he forgot to bring the adapter with him, so what can he do? Most of the meeting room and classroom provide both VGA and HDMI connections. However, it is impossible for them to provide a USB type-C adapter. Or maybe you are a student who just got an external hard drive with 200GB of video clips, and you found you do not have an appropriate adapter to connect it to your computer. There is a reason why the 12-inch removed all I/O port because it was designed for light use, for travelers, for people who are willing to sacrifice the connectivity for portability. And the laptop is so slim that neither the HDMI or a standard USB port can fit. However, as a model facing professionals or daily use, removing all connectivity and asking users to use an adapter (an expensive adapter) is not a way to go. I understand that the ports were removed to make the New MacBook Pro slimmer, but at least for the 15-inch model, Apple should still be able to fit the SD card reader, standard USB, and HDMI ports into.

Welcome to the Era of Dongles

Some people say that Apple is doing down, I disagree with them. I believe Apple is still producing outstanding products, and they still have the vision of leading and changing how people interact with technology. However, some decisions they made had an enormous impact on the overall user experience. The removal of the 3.5mm jack on iPhone 7 forced the user to either bring the adapter with them or to use a Bluetooth headphone (spend more money). The removal of the standard USB port, HDMI port, and SD card reader also force the user to purchase an adapter (spend more money). The abandon of the Thunderbolt port also means that most of the older adapters cannot be used anymore (Again, need to spend more money). The Magsafe, which was advertised that it prevents the situation if some people accidentally step on the charge cable and drag the whole laptop to the ground, was also removed.

I am the person who is always interested in the latest technology, and I am willing to spend a little more for the latest product since it usually comes with more features. However, I have no interests in the New MacBook Pro. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is a poorly designed laptop, it is just that it does not meet my need. The Trackpad is powerful, but I also use the mouse a lot while doing design work, I used to connect to an external hard drive to store all my data, and I often need to hook my laptop to either an external display or projector. So it seems that I am not the target user of the New MacBook Pro. But who knows, I might change my mind after reading some reviews or if I can find a good adapter.

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Here is a short review of the New MacBook Pro 13 without Touch Bar version. (In the photo, the gray one is the New MacBook Pro, the pink one is the 12 inch MacBook, and the silver one is MacBook Pro 2015)

So I went to Apple store and tried the New MacBook Pro. Sadly they only have the basic model, the 13-inch one without the Touch Bar, but well, I still played with it for a while and tried to compare it with 2015 models.

Thickness
Just like All Apple products, the finish was incredible. My first impression was that it is unbelievable slim. MacBook Pro 2015 is already very slim, but 2016 model is even slimmer. If you put it side by side with the 12 inch MacBook, you should notice that they are nearly the same in height and is significantly slimmer than the 2015 models. Also, the 2016 model has a narrower frame, so it is slightly smaller than the 2015 model. No wonder they took out all the ports, the New MacBook could barely fit USB type-c and 3.5mm jack not to say standard USB and HDMI port. So again, it is the trade off between portability and connectivity.

MacBook (left) v.s. MacBook Pro 2016 (right)

MacBook Pro 2016 (left) v.s. MacBook Pro 2015 (right)

Trackpad
2016 model features a significant larger trackpad as shown in the side by side image, I am not sure how it will actually benefit the user since I am already used to the old trackpad, and it is not the first time manufacturer trying to enlarge the touchpad. But since Mac users rely heavily on the Trackpad, users might find it useful?

MacBook Pro 2016 (left) v.s. MacBook Pro 2015 (right)

MacBook (left) v.s. MacBook Pro 2016 (right)

Keyboard
Sadly 2016 models adapted the keyboard that uses in 12-inch MacBook. Although Apple stated that the keyboard had been enhanced, after tried it for a while, I would say that it is only slightly, very slightly better than the 12 inch MacBook. And you cannot compare it with 2015 MacBook Pro or even MacBook Air. The key travel is really short, so your finger is likely to hit the metal plate. Since it is not a very pleasant experience, for people who type a lot, you should try it before buy.

MacBook Pro 2016

MacBook