Macbook Pro 13in (no touch bar) Review
Before my freshman year of college, I decided to purchase a new Mac laptop for work.
After much debate, I ended up picking the Macbook Pro 13in with Retina display and no touch bar in the silver color.
Overall Pricing, Options and Alternatives
This machine costs around $1300 while the same one with the new touch bar addition would’ve costed me $1800. I didn’t think the touch bar was worth that extra money to my needs for school.
Each of the different types of laptops Apple has to offer currently have similar options when it comes to processor speed, screen size, color and storage.
The laptop comes with different storage options as well as two different shades of grey for color options.
The Macbook Air is a cheaper alternative, but I decided to go for the Macbook because of its thicker design since I was more afraid of breaking the thinner model. Even though the design is thicker, it is still pretty thin and easy to carry around.
I personally bought my laptop on the Apple website and then picked it up in a physical Apple Store myself. This was because I wanted to make sure I had all the features I wanted and that it wouldn’t get damaged in the mail. However, this laptop, like most Apple products, can be purchased from several websites as well as online (BestBuy, Amazon).
Interesting Features
Some features that differ from laptops I’ve had in the past include the backlit keyboard as well as the clickable trackpad.
The keyboard is very helpful while staying up late at night working on assignments. You may have the lights low and still be able to clearly see each letter. This brightness is adjustable as well.
The trackpad took a little bit of getting used to, but now it’s very convienient. Now I can drag a click with just one finger!
Speakers on the laptop are right next to the keyboard which is different, but they get pretty loud and have a nice sound output.
There is also a built-in webcam which is nice to have for things like Skype and FaceTime, but I wouldn’t make a YouTube video with high quality sound and visuals with it.
User Experience
Since I purchased it during the summer of 2017, I have had next to no problems with it. The processor is very quick, visuals are crystal clear, it’s fairly durable and the storage seems infinite to me.
I have only come accross a few small issues. The battery life has seemed to deteriorate over time. When first purchasing, the battery could maybe last me a full day of use. Most days I would only use it partly so I’d go a couple days without charging. Now I put it on charge pretty much once a day if I’m using it daily.
Also, if the battery goes in the computer, you either have to send it in for a professional to change it or get a whole new machine since the battery can’t be easily removed like older Macbooks.
Another little issue I have is the lack of a normal usb port or cd player. The cd player isn’t a huge deal since nobody really uses those anymore and I’ve only run into a little frustrations with that. The lack of a usb is the biggest issue. You have to buy an adapter and try not to forget it in times of need (aka during a presentation).
The Verdict
Overall, this is a really nice laptop. I’m definitely happy with my decision to purchase this machine over the other options Apple has to offer. I would definitely recommend this to someone who will be using it a lot since there is very easy usability.
Apple fans: no need to buy the most expensive fancy machine from Apple. Take the time to compare models on their website in order to choose the machine that meets your needs the closest.
