25 years after the Powerbook, Apple's first category-defining notebook, Apple unveiled the MacBook Pro. With each generational update, Apple has redefined what the notebook can do, and tonight as Tim Cook said, Apple did it again. We have among ourselves a new generation of the MacBook Pro. A new design makes the new MacBook Pro the thinnest and lightest MacBook pro ever. The 13-inch Macbook Pro is 23 per cent smaller in volume and weighs half a pound less than the previous version. The 15-inch Pro is just 15.5 mm thin, 14 per cent thinner and 20 per cent smaller in volume than the previous variant and weighs just 4 pounds. And that makes the new MacBooks thinner than even the MacBook air.
The new MacBook Pro comes with an all new ForceTouch track pad which is also two times larger and comes with a capacitive glass surface and its own Taptic engine. The keyboard also comes with a new Butterfly mechanism. As for the Function keys, Apple thinks they are now obsolete and went ahead and replaced them with a customizable mini Retina display. It is multi-touch and responds to gestures. Apple calls it, the Touch Bar.
All system settings are now easily accessible. Brightness volume and playback controls are now just a tap and a slide away. Open Safari and the Touch Bar refreshes to pop up your favorite websites. Open the Photos app, the Touch Bar shows you settings to tweak the photo. Start typing and word suggestions will pop up.
The Touch Bar is a chameleon in disguise. Opening a new app transforms the Touch Bar with application specific shortcuts. Formatting controls, word suggestions based on how you communicate, and even emojis will pop up on the Touch Bar when you are typing.
Use the Touch Bar to scroll through your photos. Rewind and fast forward and preview videos. Edit your photos using radial controls.
The Touch Bar can be customized with your favorite system controls, apps and settings.
As for the display, Apple has upgraded the display on the MacBook Pro with the brightest ever screen seen in the notebooks. It is now 67 per cent brighter, has 67 per cent higher contrast ratio and 25 per cent wider color gamut.
On the inside, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro features a sixth generation Intel Core i7 clocked at 2.6Ghz processor with AMD Polaris Radeon Pro 450 graphics with 4GB VRAM, 16GB of RAM and a superfast 256GB SSD with a speed of 3.1GB/s which can be expanded up to 2TB. The hardware inside is cooled down with a new thermal architecture which Apple claims disposes heat more efficiently and quietly. There is also a new dynamic range, high-fidelity, room-filling speaker.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes with a sixth generation Intel Core i5 clocked at 2.9GHz, Intel Iris Graphics which is two times faster, 8GB of RAM and a new superfast 256GB SSD which is also two times faster than the previous generation.
Apple also unveiled a base model for the 13-inch MacBook Pro that retains the Function keys and comes with sixth-generation Intel i5 processor clocked at 2.0GHz, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. And also, it seems with the 13-inch base model, Apple has rested the 13-inch MacBook Air which has now been rendered redundant after what Apple did to the dimensions of the new MacBook Pro.
However, Apple retained the 12-inch original MacBook in the new lineup.
Beside the Touch Bar is the Touch ID which is integrated into the power button. It is the second generation TouchID sensor made from sapphire crystal. Rest your finger on the TouchID panel and you're in your MacBook in an instant. It is powered by the new Apple T1 Chip which enables contactless payment through Apple Pay straight from the MacBook pro.
The TouchID can also remember and recognize your fingerprint. If someone else who has their fingerprint saved, a tap on the TouchID will quickly switch to his profile, in a snap.
The MacBook comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports that can used for connecting just about anything. The ports also double up as USB Type-C ports which enables charging the MacBook Pro using any of the four ports. You can connect up to two 5K displays. There's HDMI and VGA input/output and USB. Also, the headphone jack has been retained.
Apple wasted no time to show how creators including Photoshop users, FinalCut Pro users, and even DJ apps like the DJ Pro, can embrace the power of the new Touch Bar in the MacBook Pro and frankly, it's exciting how easy it makes handling operations with it. Even Microsoft's Office Suite will offer complete support for the Touch Bar.
The MacBook runs on the new macOS Sierra and offers up to 10 hours of battery life. The new MacBook Pros come in two color variants- Space Grey and Silver. Unfortunately no Jet Black variant.
And this pitches the MacBook Pro directly against the Surface devices, which Microsoft took a lot of pain to position for the creators and designers.
The 13-inch base model costs $1499 (roughly Rs 1,00,250) and will start shipping in the US from tonight. The other 13-inch and the 15-inch MacBook Pro are priced at $1799 (roughly Rs 1,20,350) and $2399 (Rs 1,60,450). The 13-inch and the 15-inch are up for pre-orders starting today and will ship in 2-3 weeks.
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