Today is officially the launch day for the MacBook Pro. Customers around the globe who placed orders after Monday's event will receive their devices today. Although we've seen some reviews on the new MacBook Pro models via media sites, first impressions of everyday users are now available.
The MacRumors forums, Reddit and MacRumors are filled with new owners of MacBook Pros 14- and 16-inch. Their opinions are valuable for anyone who is still contemplating a purchase or for those in the process of purchasing their MacBook Pros.
James C, a MacRumors reader, received a 16 inch M1 Pro model with 16GB memory. This is likely to be a very popular configuration. He ran benchmarks comparing the M1 MacBook Air to a 2014 iMac and a 2016 MacBook Pro. These results can be useful to those upgrading from an older model and looking for potential gains.
Rkuda, a MacRumors reader, highlighted the functionality of the Menu Bar when using full-screen apps on the new models. The Menu Bar used to appear on older Macs when you clicked up towards it. But, with the MacBook Pro models, this doesn't happen.
Cool video by Rkuda demonstrating improved menu behavior on the MacBook Pro's full screen. "I hated it when my cursor was too close to the top screen. It would shift up and down to show me the menubar." - Rkudahttps://t.co/qa5rotGHDD pic.twitter.com/HQcLTYfMOx MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) October 26, 2021
It's huge, but I was surprised at how much weight it weighed. It is much easier than many people make it seem. The 14 is the best option if portability is a top priority. Although the 16 is portable, I prefer the 16 because it is more mobile and has an optimized workstation for video production. I will take the extra weight and less portability in exchange for a larger screen, a better battery and more.
MacRumors forum members have been discussing the differences in weight between the new and older machines. GrindedDown provided a great overview and stated that the weight of the new machines is much more manageable than one might believe.
A number of readers have been discussing ProMotion, the mini-LED displays that are available on the new MacBook Pro models. Kylo83 stated that the ProMotion feature on the new MacBook Pro models is "really bad" and that scrolling in Safari is slower than on his 16-inch older machine.
Just bought the 16 M1 Max model. The pro motion is terrible. It's great for ui tasks like scrolling pages, but not safari. Also, the speakers aren't as loud as my older 16" i9 and they don't sound as good. I was expecting a significant change in brightness, but this is minor.
Others have reported that Safari lag is a problem. This bug could be fixed in the future. Other MacBook Pro owners also have no complaints about the ProMotion and display.
LFC2020, a MacRumors reader, was among the first to receive the new machines in Australia. He said that ProMotion on the MacBook Pro isn't as obvious as on the iPhone or the iPad and that the mini-LED screen on the iPad Pro is "not as good". He said the battery life is excellent and overall it's a fantastic machine.
Prism, a MacRumors reader, upgraded from a 2020 MacBook Air equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor to the new 14-inch model. She said the new model is "simply day and night" in terms of responsiveness, display, feel, and look.
Coming from a 2020 MBA Intel i5 I can say that the responsiveness, display, feel, and look are all simply amazing. The build quality of the "tank" is amazing. I also love the contrast with the black keyboard, and the apple logo. I'm also grateful that I didn't buy the M1 MBA and MBP last year. I would have felt awful right now. I'm happy to be in my element. This machine has everything I wanted. Jonny Ive will not be missed.
Reddit user the-cats pajamas stated that the display is the most striking feature of the new MacBook Pro.
Display is by far the most impressive. I have an LG C8 LED TV, and this TV easily beats it in terms of colours and contrast. The 2012 60hz display feels almost lagging when you use the mouse. My main usage is in installing software so I don’t have much to speak about performance. However, the user experience has been smooth and responsive so far.
Have you got a new MacBook Pro yet? We'd love to hear your first impressions and thoughts in the comments section below.
