It’s a birthday present, and the Surface Pro only included one (lame) USB 3.0 port so here it is: despite fuming over Apple’s whims, I’m typing this on a 13 inch Macbook Pro without touch bar. It’s the base 2.3 Ghz Kaby Lake model with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. To me, this is the configuration that made the most sense.
The good:
- It looks great, especially compared to the Dell XPS and Surface Pro, both of which I seriously considered.
- The 2 USB C ports are fine (and file transfers blazingly quick) until they’re not, which is just when you wanted to plug something important in but forgot the damned dongle.
- USB C really is the future – my 23.8 inch QHD Lenovo USB C monitor plays really nicely with the Macbook (and includes a 4 port USB-A 3.1 hub).
- The screen is great.
- Both the keyboard and trackpad are fine for me, but I could see how they might be polarizing.
- Battery life can be solidly good (but not exceptional).
The bad:
- Battery life can be short – it really depends on what you’re doing and how (screen brightness, peripherals, etc) you’re doing it.
- Only 2 USB C ports – and that’s even though the touch bar model gets 4; nasty marketing techniques on part of Apple.
- Pricey – not much else to be said here.
Overall, it’s been a move without regrets. I regularly switch between Windows and Mac OS anyway, and the Macbook Pro works great for me both as a stationary device in the office and on the move. Windows laptops are still no match for Macs on the road when you take all factors into account – think usability, trackpads, build quality and longevity.