After a long week, I finally got some time to play with the new 2021 MacBook Pro at the Apple store earlier this evening. During my time there they certainly had a few folks checking them out and potential customers interested in buying one right then and there. But, reception felt reserved among those checking them out, more curiosity than I really need this. The table contained a mix of M1 Air and Pro as well as the new models. Last year I became the proud owner of the MacBook Pro M1 and I can tell you right now, if you bought it and have been happy with it for the past year, you really don’t need to even think about these new MacBook Pro’s unless you are the target audience.
![ECE7CD7F-ECE1-449B-A26B-D55FB344594D.jpeg]( "ECE7CD7F-ECE1-449B-A26B-D55FB344594D.jpeg")
Over the past week, I have observed a number of threads from owners of the new MacBook Pro who come across as buyers remorse than actually needing this as a tool to do work. I can assure you the 2021 MacBook Pro’s is not for me, but watching every YouTube review and unboxing or reading every thread that pops up, would trigger the sensation that you gotta have this too. But its amazing when you go to the store, play with it as I did, feel it, interact with, use the apps, listen the audio, watch the 4K video on the gorgeous Promotion display, I immediately came to the conclusion this is overkill for the common man or woman.
![64A34447-93C0-495A-BC3D-803571F549B6.jpeg]( "64A34447-93C0-495A-BC3D-803571F549B6.jpeg")
The demo units on display were just the M1 Pro models, which could probably suggest the chip shortage might be even affecting whats available in the store. During my time playing with the new MacBook Pro’s I listened in on a customers interest in picking up the 16 inch. I got some really surprising information from the conversation between the store rep and the customer. I was particularly impressed with how realistic the employee was with the customer, asking questions about their type of work, what are they planning on doing with the device and what are they currently using.
![A77086E6-D154-479F-8571-EB6F8B5DDCE4.jpeg]( "A77086E6-D154-479F-8571-EB6F8B5DDCE4.jpeg")
The customer seemed to be in impulse buy mode and wanted to throw as much cash as possible on what would we be a BTO model which was not in the store. He came with all the lyrics: I want 32 GBs (can I get that), I want 1 TB (can I get that), I want the Pro Max (can I get that)? The customers wife, not having a clue about all this seemed bored and out of place. The Apple employee said, unless you are doing a lot of video editing and playing games (I chuckled) would you need the Pro Max.
He asked, so how often do you edit photos? He replied, once per week using an unsure tone. To cut things short, the customer really didn’t know what they wanted, but was insisting on a specced out model. When he realized it was not in store and he would have to order online, the need seem to diminish. The Apple rep asked one last question, what are currently using? He responded, an 11 inch MacBook Air with 256 GBs. The rep continued to engage then asked would you like to place the order for the model he wanted and have it delivered to his home? He said, he would like to pick it up at the store, but the rep said thats not an option. Then he started asking about options to finance it. I didn’t listen much after that, but ultimately, he said he is gonna order it at home, think on it a little bit more.
My conclusion from this is sometimes we need to take a step back, go to the store, play with it a bit and get off that high of wanting to buy immediately after an event. Don’t get me wrong, if money is not an option and you can afford it and you want to treat yourself; go ahead. But, don’t put yourself in debt to have something that obviously will be of minimal use. That customers theory as to why he wanted such a specced out model is because he plans on keeping this for 15 years. Yeah, right!
As for my adventure, I did some ridiculous comparisons, but first, my experience with the 2021 MacBook Pro. Its, ok, I guess and I did spend quality time with it, lifting it up, feeling the aluminum texture, closing and opening the lid. Its naturally heavy, not unbearable heavy (this was the 16 inch by the way). It is a big device, but wouldn’t consider it too big to walk around with it. I airdropped a photo from my phone over to it and played around with it a bit in Affinity Photo editor. I didn’t do any bench marks, YouTube has all the answers to that, this was more of a hands on experience.
I brought a couple older PowerBook G4 devices to the store with me for comparison purposes, because this seemed to be the big talk when persons see the devices. To be honest, they are not that much alike, there is some DNA there, but thats about it. Grandpa in the middle there (Titanium). The 2021 16 inch is slightly bigger that both the 2001 and 2005 PowerBooks in the image below.
![FC6485DC-2267-44BC-BFEF-0EF6DEC59A8E.jpeg]( "FC6485DC-2267-44BC-BFEF-0EF6DEC59A8E.jpeg")
It certainly isn’t the same height or weight as you can see below.
![CEB885BB-77DA-47E4-BC15-DDD52EAEB539.jpeg]( "CEB885BB-77DA-47E4-BC15-DDD52EAEB539.jpeg")
And the port selection is spartan but sane. Magsafe worked pretty much like it did on my 2015 MacBook Pro and its a welcome feature that anyone coming from a 2015 or earlier will appreciate. Unplugging the USB C cable from M1 can be stubborn sometimes. If you bought one of these, I would surely say goodbye to USB C charging even though the option is there. I never really used the SD card reader, but I appreciate having HDMI since its used lot in the environments I work in.
![8456505C-D424-4908-A358-7C7084D2CA3B.jpeg]( "8456505C-D424-4908-A358-7C7084D2CA3B.jpeg")
Below are some more photos I took of the 2021 MacBook Pro and a 2005 Aluminum PowerBook G4. The finishes are definitely different, the older ancestor uses a slightly darker tone while the 2021 is much lighter and vibrant.
![B33DAD88-5D42-4B4D-BB6A-82A2F0490606.jpeg]( "B33DAD88-5D42-4B4D-BB6A-82A2F0490606.jpeg")
We sure have come a long was from days of modem, express card slot, audio in and out and USB 2.0.
![0BA6E73E-AB48-43CB-AD2C-CE328445D5A2.jpeg]( "0BA6E73E-AB48-43CB-AD2C-CE328445D5A2.jpeg")
I’m still disappointed we didn’t see a return of the combo drive (sarcasm). Apple I believed went through the past 20 years of notebook designs and just sprinkled a tiny bit of each generation into the new models. The keyboard and display looks more like the (2008 to 2009) unibody generation, while the deck is much thicker version of the 2012 to 2015 design.
![2DA4558A-D82E-4832-AFA4-8732C48680EA.jpeg]( "2DA4558A-D82E-4832-AFA4-8732C48680EA.jpeg")
Yesterday meets tomorrow.
![BC57FA37-F78D-4CC9-9D11-BB77C357A808.jpeg]( "BC57FA37-F78D-4CC9-9D11-BB77C357A808.jpeg")
But it certainly is still thinner than its ancestors.
The display, OMG the display! You really need the videos to see this thing and you need good 4K video to really have the Pro Motion display pull you in. If you really want a portable laptop with the best display out there, this is it! I swear Macaw was 3D, the skin on its face looked so real, I swear I could touch it!
![97A0104D-03FC-4668-8099-81A13BF84074.jpeg]( "97A0104D-03FC-4668-8099-81A13BF84074.jpeg")
The plummage was so vibrant and radiant its like I was actually looking at these two birds in real life. Apple outdid themselves here. Again, you won’t be disappointed with the display.
![CC42AF84-78A1-4A79-8E49-B79B385A2E9A.jpeg]( "CC42AF84-78A1-4A79-8E49-B79B385A2E9A.jpeg")
I tried playing a trailer, but it didn’t look as good but I think its just because the trailer was 1080p.
![701D1197-7BC2-49D4-B51A-0A1047E95F33.jpeg]( "701D1197-7BC2-49D4-B51A-0A1047E95F33.jpeg")
Audio was difficult to confirm if was really good, but I played Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough and I was surprised how much the bass, mids, highs and lows cut through the loud store. DSTYGE is cabal of various instruments layered with Michael’s voice, which is sharp and beautiful. It really stood out and across clear and enjoyable and didn’t even max it out much. You really don’t need external speakers if you have this.
![51430D9E-6C22-43D5-9FF8-3EBF93BB25C2.jpeg]( "51430D9E-6C22-43D5-9FF8-3EBF93BB25C2.jpeg")
Again, that gorgeous display will sell anyone on this device. Typing was ok, nothing to write home about (no pun). But I personally think its a cross between the M1 MBP and the iPad Smart Keyboard. The good thing is, typed out a paragraph with hardly any errors. As you can see, this is an older version of Word for Office 365 thats running on 2021. Apparently Apple is not into upgrading its subs, but if you want to see how the full screen behaves, with the menu bar, it handles it well and I like it too. The global menu darkens and provides a slick look with focus on the application.
![93F3E545-E8A0-4604-A60B-994506655EC9.jpeg]( "93F3E545-E8A0-4604-A60B-994506655EC9.jpeg")
If you place a window in the Notch area, it automatically will push the app window down. So, there is no way for the Notch to get in the way of your apps. My short time with the device I hardly noticed it.
So, thats might conclusion based on my short time with it. Is it a recommended upgrade? If you are the target audience yes (video editor, photo editor, software developer, STEM). Editing photos once per week, you don’t need this or 14 inch, its overkill. In fact, I think if you have a 2015 to early 2020 Intel MacBook Pro and you just use it for occasional video editing, web browsing (even with lots of tabs), light photo editing, you could easily skip this or consider a cheaper option like last years M1 Pro or Air. But if you want a laptop with a significantly gorgeous display and something that could easily take you to the end of the decade, go for it.
![ACFCAA3F-B4C5-4E04-AB0A-4E72B2D1AFA6.jpeg]( "ACFCAA3F-B4C5-4E04-AB0A-4E72B2D1AFA6.jpeg")
As for me, I’ll keep enjoying my M1 MacBook Pro and wait until 2025 grab one of these with M5 Pro Max Wax.
Over the past week, I have observed a number of threads from owners of the new MacBook Pro who come across as buyers remorse than actually needing this as a tool to do work. I can assure you the 2021 MacBook Pro’s is not for me, but watching every YouTube review and unboxing or reading every thread that pops up, would trigger the sensation that you gotta have this too. But its amazing when you go to the store, play with it as I did, feel it, interact with, use the apps, listen the audio, watch the 4K video on the gorgeous Promotion display, I immediately came to the conclusion this is overkill for the common man or woman.
The demo units on display were just the M1 Pro models, which could probably suggest the chip shortage might be even affecting whats available in the store. During my time playing with the new MacBook Pro’s I listened in on a customers interest in picking up the 16 inch. I got some really surprising information from the conversation between the store rep and the customer. I was particularly impressed with how realistic the employee was with the customer, asking questions about their type of work, what are they planning on doing with the device and what are they currently using.
The customer seemed to be in impulse buy mode and wanted to throw as much cash as possible on what would we be a BTO model which was not in the store. He came with all the lyrics: I want 32 GBs (can I get that), I want 1 TB (can I get that), I want the Pro Max (can I get that)? The customers wife, not having a clue about all this seemed bored and out of place. The Apple employee said, unless you are doing a lot of video editing and playing games (I chuckled) would you need the Pro Max.
He asked, so how often do you edit photos? He replied, once per week using an unsure tone. To cut things short, the customer really didn’t know what they wanted, but was insisting on a specced out model. When he realized it was not in store and he would have to order online, the need seem to diminish. The Apple rep asked one last question, what are currently using? He responded, an 11 inch MacBook Air with 256 GBs. The rep continued to engage then asked would you like to place the order for the model he wanted and have it delivered to his home? He said, he would like to pick it up at the store, but the rep said thats not an option. Then he started asking about options to finance it. I didn’t listen much after that, but ultimately, he said he is gonna order it at home, think on it a little bit more.
My conclusion from this is sometimes we need to take a step back, go to the store, play with it a bit and get off that high of wanting to buy immediately after an event. Don’t get me wrong, if money is not an option and you can afford it and you want to treat yourself; go ahead. But, don’t put yourself in debt to have something that obviously will be of minimal use. That customers theory as to why he wanted such a specced out model is because he plans on keeping this for 15 years. Yeah, right!
As for my adventure, I did some ridiculous comparisons, but first, my experience with the 2021 MacBook Pro. Its, ok, I guess and I did spend quality time with it, lifting it up, feeling the aluminum texture, closing and opening the lid. Its naturally heavy, not unbearable heavy (this was the 16 inch by the way). It is a big device, but wouldn’t consider it too big to walk around with it. I airdropped a photo from my phone over to it and played around with it a bit in Affinity Photo editor. I didn’t do any bench marks, YouTube has all the answers to that, this was more of a hands on experience.
I brought a couple older PowerBook G4 devices to the store with me for comparison purposes, because this seemed to be the big talk when persons see the devices. To be honest, they are not that much alike, there is some DNA there, but thats about it. Grandpa in the middle there (Titanium). The 2021 16 inch is slightly bigger that both the 2001 and 2005 PowerBooks in the image below.
It certainly isn’t the same height or weight as you can see below.
And the port selection is spartan but sane. Magsafe worked pretty much like it did on my 2015 MacBook Pro and its a welcome feature that anyone coming from a 2015 or earlier will appreciate. Unplugging the USB C cable from M1 can be stubborn sometimes. If you bought one of these, I would surely say goodbye to USB C charging even though the option is there. I never really used the SD card reader, but I appreciate having HDMI since its used lot in the environments I work in.
Below are some more photos I took of the 2021 MacBook Pro and a 2005 Aluminum PowerBook G4. The finishes are definitely different, the older ancestor uses a slightly darker tone while the 2021 is much lighter and vibrant.
We sure have come a long was from days of modem, express card slot, audio in and out and USB 2.0.
I’m still disappointed we didn’t see a return of the combo drive (sarcasm). Apple I believed went through the past 20 years of notebook designs and just sprinkled a tiny bit of each generation into the new models. The keyboard and display looks more like the (2008 to 2009) unibody generation, while the deck is much thicker version of the 2012 to 2015 design.
Yesterday meets tomorrow.
But it certainly is still thinner than its ancestors.
The display, OMG the display! You really need the videos to see this thing and you need good 4K video to really have the Pro Motion display pull you in. If you really want a portable laptop with the best display out there, this is it! I swear Macaw was 3D, the skin on its face looked so real, I swear I could touch it!
The plummage was so vibrant and radiant its like I was actually looking at these two birds in real life. Apple outdid themselves here. Again, you won’t be disappointed with the display.
I tried playing a trailer, but it didn’t look as good but I think its just because the trailer was 1080p.
Audio was difficult to confirm if was really good, but I played Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough and I was surprised how much the bass, mids, highs and lows cut through the loud store. DSTYGE is cabal of various instruments layered with Michael’s voice, which is sharp and beautiful. It really stood out and across clear and enjoyable and didn’t even max it out much. You really don’t need external speakers if you have this.
Again, that gorgeous display will sell anyone on this device. Typing was ok, nothing to write home about (no pun). But I personally think its a cross between the M1 MBP and the iPad Smart Keyboard. The good thing is, typed out a paragraph with hardly any errors. As you can see, this is an older version of Word for Office 365 thats running on 2021. Apparently Apple is not into upgrading its subs, but if you want to see how the full screen behaves, with the menu bar, it handles it well and I like it too. The global menu darkens and provides a slick look with focus on the application.
If you place a window in the Notch area, it automatically will push the app window down. So, there is no way for the Notch to get in the way of your apps. My short time with the device I hardly noticed it.
So, thats might conclusion based on my short time with it. Is it a recommended upgrade? If you are the target audience yes (video editor, photo editor, software developer, STEM). Editing photos once per week, you don’t need this or 14 inch, its overkill. In fact, I think if you have a 2015 to early 2020 Intel MacBook Pro and you just use it for occasional video editing, web browsing (even with lots of tabs), light photo editing, you could easily skip this or consider a cheaper option like last years M1 Pro or Air. But if you want a laptop with a significantly gorgeous display and something that could easily take you to the end of the decade, go for it.
As for me, I’ll keep enjoying my M1 MacBook Pro and wait until 2025 grab one of these with M5 Pro Max Wax.
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