It also uses Force Touch, which means clicks are simulated by a haptic feedback motor under the keyboard. The touchpad works seamlessly with macOS, with no delay at all between gestures and the action being relayed on-screen. Apple has done decent work on palm-rejection tech, too, so even if your palms rest on the touchpad, it shouldn’t register an input. I never once bounced off the side or had to reposition my digits.įrankly, it feels almost too big, but since the size of the trackpad isn’t compromising any other part of this machine’s physical build, it’s a fine addition. There’s effectively limitless room for your fingers to swipe, tap and gesture. Measuring in at roughly 13.5cm wide and 8.5cm deep, it’s the biggest touchpad I’ve ever used. The most obvious change is the trackpad: it’s huge. A simple USB Type-C to USB or Ethernet adapter would have been a welcome addition to the package.Īpple has overhauled both the keyboard and touchpad on the MacBook Pro 2016. I can live with the change, but I can’t live with Apple’s refusal to include any adapters in the box. Most laptops these days have one or none. Nobody can deny it’s an impressive piece of tech and having two on a laptop is actually pretty rare. It can send and receive huge amounts of power and up to 40GB/secs of data, meaning it can hook up to high-end storage arrays and monitors directly. Let’s not forget, however, that Thunderbolt 3 is an amazing standard. If you opt for third-party hardware, my advice is to pick a reputable brand there are all manner of no-name accessories out there that might damage your new machine.
I won’t go through the full list of adapters and docks available, but if you’re buying from Apple – and you purchase a couple of them – then you’ll likely end up adding between £40-100 to your bill. Of the two included ports, one is likely to always be occupied for charging, unless you buy an external dock. Whatever the justification, unless you’re starting afresh, you’ll have to spend extra cash on adapters while you make the transition. While all its rivals now include one Thunderbolt port alongside a couple of regular, old-fashioned USB ports and an SD card reader, Apple has ditched the lot and expects you to deal with it. Apple has done that Apple thing of completely embracing a new connection format without a graceful transition period. In terms of connections, the laptop includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports that double up as USB Type-C 3.1 ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The lid itself is thin, too, and this is likely the reason Apple has ditched the famous, light-up Apple logo for a tinted mirror in the same shape. Related: Intel Core i processors explainedĬlosed, the MacBook Pro still looks significantly smaller than your average 13.3-inch laptop – Apple has achieved this by trimming the fat around the bezel. That machine also has a smaller footprint thanks to its tiny bezel. The Dell XPS 13 takes that honour, with its equivalent, non-touchscreen model weighing in at only 1.2kg. The MacBook Pro is incredibly light at just 1.37kg, although it’s far from the lightest in its class. However, greater choice is always a good thing. To the delight of my colleagues Apple sent in the new, Space Grey option for review, but my personal preference is still for the classic, lighter-coloured design. The unibody design, machined from a single piece of aluminium, is as attractive as ever. This is the most beautiful laptop on the market today and sets a new standard for other manufacturers.