Joanna Stern on the New MacBook Pros

Joanna Stern:

The new models even defy our expectations on power and pricing. Not only are they missing the newest Intel chipset, they don’t even fit in the standard Apple-nomics model where hot new products slot in at last year’s pricing. The old MacBook Pro models remain on shelves for $1,300 and up, right next to the three new pricier Pro models.

What we’re left with are two great sets of laptops with different sets of compromises.

Confused? It’s OK to be. After hours of testing, my advice is see where the new MacBook Pro is better, the same and, yes, worse than the old MacBook Pro, then decide what matters to you.

Very good take, as usual.

The biggest hardware advancement isn’t the Touch Bar, it’s the fingerprint sensor. Tapping the shiny black square is much speedier than punching in passwords. Why this isn’t available on all of Apple’s MacBook laptops — especially the entry-level, 13-inch, no Touch Bar Pro — is baffling.

Not baffling at all: with Apple you have to pay for the awesome new stuff. I think Touch ID (combined with the secure enclave) is at least half the value of the entire Touch Bar.

★ Tuesday, 15 November 2016