A couple of days ago I went back to using my old 2012 MacBook Pro as my 2016 Macbook Pro Touchbar has keyboard issues and is currently being refurbished by Apple.
Going back to older devices can be negative as newer models usually come with new features and improvements that should make older models obsolete.
Instead, my old MacBook Pro makes my new model less useful.
Indeed, Apple has made some dubious changes to its latest MacBook Pros that I would highlight.
Keyboard
Look at those nice, reliable keys. They are quieter and more comfortable than the Butterfly keys on my new model. Apple started using a second version of their Butterfly keyboards, simply called the Butterfly 2, in the 2016 MacBook Pro, and it has caused some controversy. The keys are almost completely flat and they are designed to be pressed more evenly than regular keys. Some loved it, while others hated it.
I actually really like the Butterfly 2 keyboard, but it sounds insanely loud. And not as comfortable to type on as the keys on my old MacBook pro.
With that said, Butterfly 2 is more susceptible to problems. My "g" key started a double click "double click". Sometimes my MacBook Pro wouldn't print my "g" at all. This is incredibly frustrating for someone who has to write. The word "Google" is instead "oogle, ggooggle" or simply "oole".
The Apple Butterfly keyboard may allow thinner laptop designs, but it's not as reliable as the old fashioned keyboards from the MacBook Pro.
Esc key
Why Apple removed the "Esc" key - short for "escape" - from the MacBook Pro Touch Bar is a mystery.
It has been replaced with a touch button in the Touchbar of my 2016 MacBook Pro and all is well. But sometimes you have to touch the touchpad to wake it up so it can open the Esc key, which means you need two taps.
I didn't think it was very important until I returned to the keyboard with a physical Esc key.
MagSafe power connector.
The new USB-C ports allow you to charge your MacBook Pro from the left or right side of the laptop, which is actually very useful. And the cool thing is that it uses the same USB-C standard as USB-C docking stations and adapters, which allow you to connect a wide variety of devices to a single USB-C port.
But the MagSafe charging connector was amazing. Random trips on the charging cable do not pose a risk to your laptop. And it has a small LED indicator to show you when your laptop is charging or fully charged.
Apple's USB-C cable doesn't have such an LED, forcing me to open the laptop to see if it's charged or not. My MacBook Pro is now flying along with the wire to the floor when I accidentally hit it. I tripped on my MacBook Pro USB-C charger and it fell to the floor. Thankfully it wasn't damaged as it was a small drop, but the USB-C connector was slightly damaged.
It just looks like a regression, even if USB-C is inherently better.
Ports. Nice ports for all my needs.
The new macbooks simply do not have them.
The solution, of course, is to buy additional USB-C adapters. But buying an extra adapter that can easily get lost to make new things work with old things is a pretty bad decision.
It wouldn't be too bad if accessories started using USB-C, like USB-C mice, keyboards, monitors, and anything else you can plug into a laptop. But there are a few USB-C accessories to talk about. Even Apple accessories like keyboards and mice don't come with USB-C cables in addition to new laptops.
However, the new MacBook Pros have things I would never give up.
– I have never been able to get back to a fuzzy tired screen from my 2012 MacBook Pro. The Retina display on my 2016 model is just too good to go back to the old display.
– The giant trackpad on my 2016 model makes the trackpad on my 2012 model tiny and cramped.
“The speakers in my 2016 model are amazing.
“This is an incredibly thin and relatively light laptop.
– Fingerprint scanner on the touchpad makes logging in much easier.
“And, of course, the performance of my new model exceeds the performance of my old one. It's great that you can slide through the 20 open tabs of the Chrome browser without any lag. For all the shortcomings of my new macbook model, I could never give up its speed.
article source: businessinsider.com
