Tech

Is the New MacBook Pro for You? Students With High Computing Needs, Read This

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The new MacBook Pro is lighter and now comes in a new color: Space Gray. They also replaced the function keys with this flashy new Touch Bar and it still comes in 13- and 15-inch variations but some people expected a lot more from Apple's powerful laptop line.

So, what's new with the 2016 version?

Only USB-C

This is perhaps one of the biggest turn-offs with this generation of MacBook Pros. The entry level model (13-inch) has 2 USB-C ports and 4 on the higher level models. This means that you would need to get adapters to connect all your other devices to the Mac.

The shift will definitely set the industry standards and this is also Apple's way of being decisive about letting go of the past and embracing the future. If it's any consolation, the USB-C ports works with the Thunderbolt and they still kept the audio jack.

Goodbye function keys. Hello, Touch Bar.

For this upgrade, Apple decided to let go of one more thing: the functions keys, the entire first row including the Esc key much to coders and power users' surprise.

They are now replaced with virtual strip called Touch Bar. The Touch Bar can be customized and the keys change based on the apps you have open. Apart from this, the new model also has a bigger trackpad.

Speed and memory limits are a let down

Many Apple fans are not at all impressed that the New MacBook Pro's memory and speed did not meet their next-level expectations.

In fact, the processors hardly got an upgrade. However, test results from the app Geekbench 4 shows that while there is minimal improvement (10-17%) on the latest models processor speeds, the graphics processors' power is twice as fast than their 2012 counterparts.

Another let down for power users is the RAM which only has a 16 gigabyte capacity. RAM basically allows you to have many apps up and running and makes it faster for you to switch from one app to another. What dismays coders and engineers is the possibility of running apps in the future that would require a bigger RAM that would require closing other important and critical apps.

Verdict: wait for the early adopters

If you're not ready to deal with USB-C or a missing set of function keys, there's really no need to rush to the nearest Apple store. Professional Mac users have different opinions on what they see as advantages and disadvantages of this new MacBooks.

While some view it as powerful enough for professional engineers, coders and heavy graphics user, still consider the price and if you really need it. There's no need to rush, a number of people have already bought them, just wait for some reviews first and see what they think.

These laptops retail between $1,500- $2,800. If you really don't require that much computing power, check out other models like the MacBook Air, the 12-inch MacBook or even other brands that offers basic browsing and computing capacities.

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