They went the other direction for the 2018 model - my work MBP has a death grip on my non-Apple USB-C cables and I have to use excessive force to remove them.
Yep. I find myself unable to use my personal MBP 2015 after using the 2018 MBP for work. The feel is just so much better. The reliability is the issue(though I haven’t faced any issues yet).
I am just flabbergasted.
Apple is ruining the MacBook brand with every update they release. My 2017 MBP keyboard is ready for the mandatory replacement. The power brick has no 'ears' and the cable no clip for safe transport any more. USB C only means I always have a bunch of adapters dangling from my laptop that make it look like a bad attempt at adding some 'cyberpunk' feel to it.
And now they finally upgrade the MBP hardware and then this?!
I did use the new 2017 MBP for few months as my trusty, old type 2016 MBPr developed keyboard/trackpad connector issue after 2 years of constant use. The company I work for had to pay for changing the upper part of MBPr just because of that connector issue which rendered keyboard and trackpad completely broken.
After I got back to the old type keyboard, it feels a lot more mushy, has longer traveling distances, feels bulkier but is quieter.
The 2017 MBP has issues with dust and bread crumbs but otherwise it felt better after getting used to it and getting back to the old felt awkward. A little bit same the same with the Magic Touchbar and getting back to normal function key row.
Also the old MBPr feels heavy and awkward (but more robust built) compared to the new one, which is a lot more easier to carry aroung and pick up from a bag, but the robustness doesn't protect from stupid connector issues which may render the keyboard and trackpad useless...
I feel divided about the connector issue now that I got USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables + the mandatory USB-C hub with ethernet, memory card reader, HDMI and USB A ports. It's cool to be able to plug USB-A cables directly but then I miss the versatility of USB-C and the ease of having bunch of same connectors around the laptop and without minding what port to use with charger. On the other hand I miss the Magsafe 2 charging port which is a lot more robust as a connector compared to USB-C. The connector issue will fade away when the external devices you're using are getting USB-C ports as well. The connector issue is kind of "iMac supports only USB and Firewire instead of SCSI, LocalTalk, ADB etc) but these transition periods are annoying and frustrating.
I have the MacBook Pro 2017 edition and this is by far the worst upgrade I've experienced for such a high-end, luxury item.
It's all USB-C. Virtually nobody else supports USB-C, not even Apple.
Oh, you want HDMI? €100 please.
I also have an iPhone 8 which is on the Lightning connector. The audio jack is gone and guess what, there's no Lightning connector on the MacBook, so you'll need 2 pairs of headsets or an adapter.
The glowing logo is gone. And the Touch Bar is a clusterfuck. In an ironic touch, the default Touch Bar setup shows the Siri button at all times. I guess if you have multiple clusterfucks you make them link to one another.
I still have the 2015 at home. I think that was the best MacBook Pro made thus far and looking at the differences I'm now contemplating a move to a Linux laptop — not the same polish, but it won't be this expensive either and I won't feel bad about supporting a company that's getting increasingly hostile towards work laptops and touch typists.
Same. I've used Apple MBP's steady since 2011. Ever since 2017 it's been a complete mess. I can't stand the new keyboard, nor do I understand their reasoning at all : feels like the decision was 100% grounded in aesthetics, as if shaving off 2mm in thickness is worth a permanently inferior user experience when actually using the machine.
The only substantial difference between my 2011 MBP and 2018 MBP for what I use it for (browsing the web, the lightest of computation) is that the 2018 model has really sharp edges that make me hate carrying it around. For my heavier workloads even the latest, top-of-the-line MBP is completely inadequate.
I had the 2016 MBP, bought just when it came out, and now the same (long story...), but built in 2020. The ports on the new one seem much more stable - one has to plug it in, and then on the last millimetre there is increased friction really holding it tight. I don't think the ports on my old machine had that feature, and yes, they were very fragile - I'd basically kick off the Time Machine backup on an external drive and leave the room, hoping that it finishes!
The ports on the new one seem more stable, though. Maybe they've iterated and improved it - think about how much time they had to optimise USB A.
They still sell the 2015 new, it's a bit hidden, but available. We bought one a few months ago for a dev, after his second MBP had failing USB-C ports.
The new MBP seems like such a weird step back. Sound is worse, keyboard is arguably worse, unnecessarily reductive (and often faulty) ports, gimmicky touch bar, no more magsafe, etc.
It’d be interesting to see the results of a survey on this I think, I and I know many of my peers are of the exact opposite opinion. I like the move to usb-c, I like the new keyboard, I don’t mind (but also don’t really use) the Touch Bar but I can’t live without Touch ID at this point. The big trackpad is magical to me, and the thickness and weight of the 13” is just right. I have an older MBP as well, 2013 maybe, and it’s lovely too but it feels like an old truck next to my sleek sports car that is my 2016 MBP.
I for one would be sad if they went back on some of the supposedly bold moves they’ve pulled, to be honest. The only thing I wish is that they’d kill that silly lightning connector for the phones so I could have usb-c goodness there too!
I guess that’s just design for ya – it’s often divisive, especially if decisive.
Okay, but on the flip side I used the 2017 MBP for a year with no problems whatsoever. It's hard to figure out realistically how much of a problem this is for them.
Yeah I dislike the bigger trackpad. There’s nowhere to comfortable rest my hands on it. At work they gave me a 2018 MBP and after 2 weeks of suffering I returned it for a 2015 version.
I have a slightly earlier MBP and I'll keep it till it dies. I have some neuropathy in my fingers, a souvenir of neck surgery, and I mostly type on mechanical keyboards (all hail Cherry MX Blue!). I have tried the new MBPs in the Apple store and I simply cannot use them. There is too little feedback for my damaged hands. I'm sad that my current MBP is probably my last Apple notebook. Their current obsession with thinness is ruining their hardware.
It may be unpopular, but I agree. I held off as long as I could, but finally ended up with a 2017 MBP. It works fine. I like the keyboard feel. It is a bit noisy though, and I worry about failures, but good so far. USB-C means I plug less into the computer than I used to. The dongle situation is a bit overblown. My 2014 MBP already had special cables for mini-display port and a dongle for gigabit ethernet.
I am annoyed that Apple cannot seem to just do simple upgrades though. Not every release has to be some out of this world new design.
Honestly this whole situation is so frustrating as a user.
I now have a 2017 MBP and every day I try to hate it a little less but it's hard work. I miss the old keyboard. Touch Bar is gimmicky and I'd be happier without it. Only USB-C is idiotic. No more Magsafe stil kills me. The old trackpad was better.
For years I just wanted a better Macbook Air (ie upgraded display and specs). The 13" MBA was about perfect IMHO. Reasonably cheap and a great form factor. Yet even Apple succumbed to the fatal disease of "adding value" by changing a winning formula. Force Touch lack discovery and is terrible (this is particularly the case for the phones).
Sadly, the alternative (non-Apple laptops) is just so much worse. I have a Dell XPS 15 and it's fine I guess but it's STILL much worse than MBP/OSX.
I bought the 2018 MacBook Pro shortly after its release and I'm pleased with my purchase. I don't really like the keyboard, but I spend the vast majority of my time at a desk with an external keyboard and mouse anyway. My laptop is basically a desktop that I lug to and from work everyday. USB-C has been great for me because it means that I can have 1 hub that handles power, my external monitor, network, and all of my other peripherals. I tell people it's like having a docking station that works 100% of the time.
I don't like the keyboard because I find that I accidentally repeat keystrokes on it a lot. Maybe I just need more practice or lighter fingers. I also have to admit that I don't like to eat around it for fear of spilling crumbs on the keyboard. I've always been pretty tidy around my laptops, but I've never been this worried. It's not a deal breaker for me (obviously), but I hope they fix the keyboard's issues in the next version.
My employer has a shiny new 2017 MBP for me that I have yet to touch because there are SO MANY issues with both the hardware (the need for four different dongles and no escape key) to the security issues to the fact a lot of core software still doesn't work solidly. I'm sticking with the 2015 MBP they gave me before.
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