Apple hasn’t largely changed the MacBook Pro since the redesigned model of 2016 which also introduced the Touch Bar. However, the last three years have been very bad for the Mac as a whole.
Very soon, it was realized that the chassis of the 2016 MacBook Pro design was not good at cooling the machine. The relatively new butterfly keyboard which was introduced alongside the 2015 12” MacBook also brought over to the MacBook Pro suffered from major quality issues.
The much hyped Touch Bar falls short
The Touch Bar which was sold by Apple as a revolutionary new way of input seldom receives any love. Apple touted the Touch Bar as a major new input mechanism after having perfected the mouse with the first Macintosh in 1984 and the touch on the iPhone. However, the Touch Bar fell short of the hype and as a result, the majority of the users wish that Apple would just bring back the function buttons instead.
The current generation MacBook Pro models are far better than the problematic models that were sold between 2016 and 2019. Apple ditched the butterfly keyboard starting with the 16” MacBook Pro which replaced the previous generation 15” MacBook Pro. The 16” MacBook Pro is also slightly thicker and heavier compared to the 15” MacBook Pro and as a result, is able to manage heat properly throughout the system.
The 13” MacBook Pro also received the removal of butterfly keyboard treatment. Earlier this year, Apple updated the 13” MacBook Pro in May with an updated Magic Keyboard which offers more travel and is less prone to failure. The MacBook Air also received the same update but it continued to suffer from major heat issues.
The MacBook Air and the 13” MacBook Pro base model now use Apple’s M1 chip which does not generate much heat. The major problem with the MacBook Pro models is the Touch Bar. Apple really needs to improve the Touch Bar or remove the touch strip in favour of a full-fledged touchscreen.
The M1 MacBook Air now packs a lot of performance with a fanless design for a price tag of $999 (USD). Of course, the M1 MacBook Pro is slightly better because it packs a fan but the Touch Bar is a major annoyance.
