The 2016 MacBook Pro comes with a new feature called the Touch Bar: a long slender touchscreen that sits along the top of the keyboard in place of the old function keys. This is a fast machine, of course, but maybe not quite fast enough for some tastes it’s worth reflecting on that maximum spec of 16GB of RAM, which may hold this machine back from a role in genuine pro settings.Īll in all, this is a fast and beautiful laptop but one with some flaws to consider. The tech is in this respect a little further back along the track that 3D Touch is following. Right now it’s fun, but we’re reasonably confident that it will become essential the key will be getting lots of users on machines with Touch Bars.

It’s early days, both for us – we’re only beginning to grasp its capabilities – and for app developers, who will surely come up with reams of clever Touch Bar features. The Touch Bar is lovely to look at and fun to use. These factors together mean typing on the new Pro is a little harder – especially for touch typists, who will struggle to locate keys at first – than on on previous models. The trackpad is huge and wonderful to use but it’s so big that the keyboard has been pushed up to make room, as well as flattened down to make the laptop slimmer.

We’re rather in love with the 2016 MacBook Pro, but as with many love affairs there are irritations.

Cramped and slightly rattly keyboard with almost unusable arrow keys.

2016 macbook pro 13 review