Upgrading to a 16-inch MacBook Pro
All I really wanted was an updated version of my 2012 Retina MacBook Pro that was faster and had a larger display (preferably matte).
It’s definitely faster. Here’s how long it takes to build SpamSieve on my different Macs:
| Mac | Processor | Build Time |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro (Retina, 2012) | 2.6 GHz 4-Core i7 | 144s |
| MacBook Air (11-inch, 2015) | 1.6 GHz 2-Core i5 | 160s |
| iMac (27-inch, 2017) | 4.2 GHz 4-Core i7 | 68s |
| MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) | 2.3 GHz 8-Core i9 | 64s* |
The * is because macOS 10.15.3 included a change that increased the time to 67s.
And the display is larger. It’s not, alas, anywhere close to the old 17-inch models, but it is a definite improvement over the 15.4-inch displays, without making the computer any bigger. The new display also has much better color and brightness. Putting the two Macs side-by-side, the difference is striking. (The other surprising thing is that the color of the case is much darker, even though it was described as “silver.”) Unlike the 2012 display, there doesn’t seem to be any image retention. There is, alas, a similar amount of glare.
USB-C charging is a wash. It’s sometimes nice to be able to charge from either side, and I like being able to travel with a compact power adapter. On the other hand, plugging in the USB-C connector is much less pleasant, and I miss the protection of MagSafe.
Most of the rest of the changes are drawbacks for me:
The biggest issue is the trackpad. It’s huge, and after almost six months I’m still not used to it. I’m not able to type without sometimes touching the trackpad with my hands. The palm rejection doesn’t work consistently, so I frequently get accidental input, i.e. the insertion point jumps to a random location while I’m typing. Also, the trackpad sometimes gets stuck in a mode where the button is down or left-clicks are misinterpreted as right-clicks. I can open contextual menus but can’t drag and drop. This seems to be triggered by my other palm touching the trackpad but persists after I lift up that hand.
The Touch Bar is more annoying than I expected, and I plan not to buy another Mac that includes one. I gave it a try for a few weeks, trying to see if there were any cases where I preferred using the Touch Bar controls. There were none, and I missed having direct access to the function keys. The next step was to configure it to look like regular function keys, but that was a regression as well. The glow is distracting, as is the flash when I press the fn key.
It’s frustrating that, if I want to show the function keys by default, there’s no way to access both app controls and the mini control strip. I need access to brightness and sound, so that means I can’t use app controls at all. Why is there no button on the control strip to see app actions?
The worst part is that I can’t feel the keys. Sometimes I press a key accidentally; sometimes I try to press one and am not sure whether I actually did. Sometimes the Touch Bar stops responding or goes blank.
The keyboard is OK, surely an improvement over the butterfly design, but less comfortable than previous scissor models. It just feels shallow and hard. I hope that it remains reliable.
I’ve always had great experiences with Touch ID on iPhones, but the Touch ID key on the MacBook Pro barely works. Even right after setting it up, it recognizes my finger at best half the time. At that rate, keeping Touch ID enabled is worse than not using it at all, because each time it fails I have to go to the trackpad to click a button to bring up a password prompt. Without Touch ID, I would have simply kept my fingers on the keyboard, typed the password, and pressed Return. I’ve tried retraining and using other fingers, without any improvement.
Since this is not my primary Mac, the reduced number of ports is not a problem. However, only having USB-C means that I need to carry a variety of extra cables and adapters with me.
The included charging cable is gross, sticky, and leaves a film on my hands, like the AirPods Pro. I replaced it with an Amazon one, which is also more flexible.
The metal, particularly in the back between the keyboard and the display, gets really hot. The bottom front, where you lift the display, still has very sharp corners, which once caught on my hand and drew blood.
Previously:
- How to Restart the Touch Bar
- Bar None 1.0
- Vanishing MacBook Pro Ports
- Taika Waititi on MacBook Keyboards
- The 16-inch MacBook Pro
- The Best Laptop Ever Made
- The Impossible Dream of USB-C
- What’s Wrong With the Touch Bar
- New MacBook Pros and the State of the Mac
- Longevity of the Retina MacBook Pro
- Retina MacBook Pro Upgrade
