Review & Everything leading up to buying my new 2018 15" MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar

[iggibar]

I'm going to split this into multiple posts: Deciding what to buy, initial experience, in-depth review after a week of use.

DECIDING WHAT TO BUY.

After endless frustrations with ChromeBooks at work, I decided to bring in my Asus ROG. I had bought this new not too long ago, and it's fast, and only used it maybe 3 times a month. I figured this was a great way to put the Asus to work. I was wrong. Though the Asus was good for using one in a blue moon, the backwards setup of Windows frustrated me way too much for daily work use when I'm used to using Apple computers on the daily.

I couldn't use my other 13" or 15" MacBook Pros because I have given them to my parents, and they crammed them with their personal stuff.

So I thought it was time to get a new computer...again.

I looked at the notebook lineup from Apple, and narrowed it down to the 13" and 15" MBP.
In a much needed conversation between Pigoo3 and I, we discussed the merits of each notebook.

I wanted the 15", but was hesitant because of new redesign rumors. Thought it might be better to get the 13" as a stop gap until the new redesigns.

My mind is literally scattered as to which route to take, but there are a few things that I know I need for sure:

• Needs to be 16gb of ram. 8gb chokes down with my work.
• Better graphics(dedicated GPU) is preferred.
• Price to performance comparison.
• HD size is not important as long as it has ~256gb.

Other thoughts:

• $2k is the most I want to spend, not including tax.
• I love the 15" look and screen size, and the better graphics with 4gb of ram. I know the 15" will go above and beyond in performing for work and any other personal needs.
• The 12/13" will be better for carrying around.
• Best Buy seems to have the best deals. Right under $2k for a 15" MBP with everything I need. Putting a 12"MB/13"MBP with those similar ram requirements at a price I don't know if I want to spend.

So, I like the 12/13" if it's closer to $1k, but the $2k 15" has everything I want.
I would prefer to pay closer to $1k, but everything I want is at $2k.

Where do I compromise?

As far as new models. I'm sure you know...there's always gonna be something new around the corner. Can't let rumors of something new cause paralysis of what to do now. On the other hand...if you absolutely-positively want to have the latest & greatest...then the thing to do is buy something immediately after somehing new is released (assuming it's affordable). Then nothing new will come out for a while.

Now if you have/want to get something right now...and spend as little money as possible...then:

- Shop eBay for something used (recent or current models).
- Check out the Apple refurb area.

By all means...if a 15" is what you want...then get it. Don't spend 50% of your budget ($1000) on a 13" now that you won't be happy with...and then spend $2000 later on a 15". Then you end up spending $3000 total instead of $2000 now.

After a few other messages, I pretty much had made up my mind. The decision was made with the help of my Mac Pro. I wanted the continuity and feeling of power to flow and be unnoticeable from 3.0GHz 10-Core 64gb ram Mac Pro 6.1(my daily machine) to my next purchase. The 13" MBP can't do that. Only the 15" MBP can.

At the end of the same day I talked to Nick, I went to Apple to play around a bit. Looked to see how low I can get their price on a 15" MBP space gray touch bar, but the best they could do is take 200 off. So I looked up which Best Buy had the MBP available and bought it from them while saving $400!

It's the base model 15" MBP w/TB.
I opened it neatly to preserve the wrap...like always.

 

[iggibar]

INITIAL EXPERIENCE

These photos were taken today, a week after initial purchase.

Just some quick initial experience comments-

• Using it brings an level of relaxing happiness
• The fit and finish of this MBP is superb.
• It feels like it's one solid chunk of metal.
• I literally went through every notebook at Best Buy to compare what the current gen laptops are like. Almost all manufacturers are really upping their game build and quality wise, but the MBP line is still one of the best IMO.
• Compared to my old 13" and 15" MBP, the strength of this 15" MBP is crazy considering it's a lot thinner. There's almost no warping when grabbing it from one corner.
• The touch bar is something new that might take getting used to.
• The screen is phenomenal!
• The Space Gray color makes me do a double take. I love it...but afraid to scratch it hahaha
• I hate not having magsafe charging connection.
• Apple is really skimping on cables with such an expensive purchase. Those cheap b....
• The Trackpad....it's HUGE! It's useful for such a pixel dense screen.

I put an iBlason case on it the same day. I would recommend this case for anyone. Slim fit and provides great grip! Not really interested in linking to someone's sales though, so research it if interested.




I'm still not completely used to the touch bar yet. I forget it's there, and when I do realize it's there, I notice what interesting features I'm missing out on.

 

[iggibar]

IN-DEPTH REVIEW

Screen: The screen quality is fantastic! The colors are not fighting and contrasting against each other in unnatural ways like in some other laptops. It looks very natural no matter what I'm looking at thanks to True Tone tech found on this MBP. There are some reliability issues that were brought up due to a new screen cable design, but Apple seems to have 'fixed' it by extending the flex cable. Hopefully that issue doesn't come to this MBP.

Keyboard: Seems like every review I see on the new MacBook Pros can't do anything else except complain about the keyboard. Setting aside the issues of the keys jamming if dirt and other things get under the butterfly mechanism, I don't really understand why people hate the keyboard so much. The same people who hate it for being loud, love mechanical keyboard...which are the loudest keyboards of all! I type a lot at work, and long press keys really strain my hands. I can type and move so fast on this keyboard, I love it! The key strokes are quick and consistent, while the keys are sturdily held in place, without jiggling around. Though I like the keys and how they work, the problem of stuff getting underneath and jamming them is something I don't want to experience.

Battery: I haven't really had a chance to experience this in great depth, but so far, I'm surprised by how long the battery lasts under normal use. Depending on the condition, you can easily get the battery to last a day if that was your concern. Using automatic graphics switching allows for the battery to last the longest. I really hate that Apple changed the charging port, and that they no longer include a charging brick extension. The MagSafe connection was something that I always loved about MacBooks, and I still want it.

Touch Bar: Truth be told, I didn't really understand its capabilities that much before using it daily. I forget it's there sometimes. Every now and then, my fingers will touch part of the bar and click something I don't want. This is a habit I've had from resting my fingers on the F keys when thinking about something I'm about to write. That's the only issue I have. Everything else is great! Not being accustomed to having the Touch Bar, I forget to look down to see what options it gives me. When I do, I realize it allows for quick access to commands and options that make things so easy. Because I type a lot, one of my favorite uses for the TB is the suggestion of future words in a sentence. There are plenty of gimmicky things, but overall, it's awesome to have!

Finger Print Sensor: This thing is stupid. Your finger print is used within sessions where you've already entered your main password. I wish it was used on everything that relates to your Apple or account linked to your computer and settings.

Trackpad: It's large! My pinky used to be the support for my hand while resting, and it's taking a little bit of time to get used to moving my pinky away from the trackpad. Other than that, it's your typical trackpad...the best in the business. It's smooth! Gesture commands are easy on the larger surface. There's not much else to say.

Inputs: 4 USB-C / Thunderbolt ports are enough for my needs. I have a few USB-C hubs that work great on it. I'm just glad they didn't remove the audio jack LOL.



Conclusion: I'm happy I bought this MBP. I get a happy felling every time I use it. What a far difference compared to the frustration of ChromeBook and Windows I had. 15" MBPs are not cheap, but if this one lasts as long as my first 15" MBP lasts, I will be very happy. Work is already frustrating, might as well use a device that you enjoy Can't seem to come up with anything else, but if I do, I will update this thread.

 

[IWT]

Well done and good for you.

Your photos and In-Depth Review will come in handy for others considering their purchase options.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Ian

 

[iggibar]

There's two things I forgot to mention.

SPEAKERS: The speakers on this 15" MacBook Pro are fantastic! No matter what volume I set media at, it always sounds crisp, clean, no distortion, and the vocal clarity is a joy! It was honestly an aspect that I had forgotten to look when comparing everything, but it is a very good quality speaker set to listen to! I was at my hotel when I was watching Netflix, and I preferred the audio from the MBP vs output to the TV. It's good, and what's cool, in my opinion, is that there is no branding to signify that they tried and put some sort of effort into making a good sounding system. Kudos to Apple on this part.

APPLE STORE EXPERIENCE: I was in the Apple store looking at the 12" MacBook, 13" MBP, and 15" MBP. An Apple sales rep came up and asked if he could help. I said yes.
Before I get into the details, just know that I expect and believe sales people at Apple should know the products they sell like the back of their hands. There's not that many, unlike big box stores. This isn't Best Buy, or some other tech store that hires random people. One of my questions dealt with HDMI adapter conversions, and whether the ThunderBolt 3(same connection style as USB-C) required passive or active HDMI adapters. With a blank look on his face, he corrected me told me it's USB-C, not Thunderbolt 3. I looked at him like "whatttt???" in surprise. He literally didn't know the difference, and it really annoyed me because Apple was one of the first to start using it. You can have USB-C, but not have ThunderBolt 3 capabilities. While having ThunderBolt 3 means you have USB-C. All I needed to know what did ThunderBolt 3 require passive or active adapters to output to multiple HDMI displays. It was a good question, but they made it seem like I was asking a stupid question that was out of this world. This was actually what caused me to leave the store and go back to Best Buy and not care about wanting to buy it from Apple.

 

[IWT]

@iggibar

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Apple Store.

Although this really has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to mention that on my one and only visit to Cleveland (10 days), I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I was there on a professional basis (medical conference) and on my own. The local people were hospitable, friendly, kind; and took me to bars & restaurants lakeside.

I also spent some time in the Cleveland Clinic - as a visiting medic - where the welcome was generous.

Visitors to the US don't generally go to Cleveland, I guess; but for me, it was a great city.

I may now be banned for being way off topic joke

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

I used to visit Cleveland every other month for a week back in the 80's. I liked it a lot. It was recovering from the rust belt days and was rebuilding the city center at the time, but the people were friendly and the town was optimistic. I can't remember where it was, exactly, but there was a restaurant there with a tree growing through the dining room that had the most amazing caramel sticky buns ever! You could have as many as you wanted, but they only came to the table once...newbies never believed how good they could be, so they tended to go small, but those who had been there before knew to load up!

 

[iggibar]

I've started noticing a problem. The keyboard's keys touch the screen when the screen is down. It leaves an imprint on the screen when opened. I reallllyyy hate a dirty screen. It's not really noticeable when the screen wakes up, but knowing its there drives me nuts.

What I'm curious about is is anyone having this issue, and would placing a thin microfiber wipe pad on top of the keyboard when closing the screen cause issues to either the screen or keyboard. I wouldn’t the keyboard to be semi pressed in due to the tight clearance issue.

 

[ferrarr]

Wasn't there a tissue paper inside there when you got it new?

 

[iggibar]

Yes, but I wouldn't exactly call it tissue paper. It's just really thin paper. A microfiber wipe would be nice to also use to wipe the screen.

 

[MacInWin]

But would be thicker. And that might put its own kind of imprint on the screen. Might be better to stick with the thin paper that Apple used.