MBP 14" 16" major disappointment

[telo123]

I went with great expectations to the shop today to see the new MBPs. What ugly heavy crap.

The most off putting thing is the thickness and weight of these machines. To make them appear thinner they apparently rounded the corners. Otherwise it would have been obvious what huge technological failure these bricks are. They feel as if I just moved back 15 years in computing history. These MBP are not cool anymore.

There are tons of people who want bigger screens but don't need more computing power and don't want to carry such heavy machines.

Cheers

These are not meant for normal average person. They're meant for professional users who use video editing or anything graphical component and want to use macOS.

That is why the Air exists.

Props to people though, always finding a reason to be unhappy hehe

 

[Fomalhaut]

Nope. The 2021 16” sux for travel. It’s thicker, bulkier and heavier than the 2019 16” which was thicker and heavier than the 2016 16”.

I travel each week and was hoping to replace my 2019 16” Frypan Pro. But the 2021 16” literally didn’t fit in the sleeve for laptops that is built in to my bag!

So I bought the 14” instead. I’m pretty happy with it. Twice the speed of the Intel i9, smaller and lighter. All the things that laptops should be.

The 16” has gone beyond being a portable solution IMO.

Isn't the new MBP16 pretty much the same size as the 2019 MBP16?

2019: 1.62 x 35.79 x 24.59 cm

2021: 1.68 x 35.57 x 24.81 cm

It's 0.6mm thicker, 2.2mm less wide, and 2.2mm deeper.

I guess in a back pack it's the front to back depth that is limited bythe width on the backpack, but does 2.2mm difference really mean it doesn't fit?

I have a messenger-style bag, so it's the width (left to right) that matters, and the new MBP16 is less wide...maybe that's an option for you?

 

[flapflapflap]

I wouldn't have to. On a train, bus or plane I would be pulling out a 12.9" iPad with a Magic Keyboard. Much better for cramped spaces and you can get one with LTE or 5G.

That's a nice option you have. For others, they will travel with just one computing device. I still think the 16 is the better option. Much better value for what you get than the 14. Also, the 14's battery life is comparatively atrocious.

 

[lowkey]

Isn't the new MBP16 pretty much the same size as the 2019 MBP16?

2019: 1.62 x 35.79 x 24.59 cm

2021: 1.68 x 35.57 x 24.81 cm

It's 0.6mm thicker, 2.2mm less wide, and 2.2mm deeper.

I guess in a back pack it's the front to back depth that is limited bythe width on the backpack, but does 2.2mm difference really mean it doesn't fit?

I have a messenger-style bag, so it's the width (left to right) that matters, and the new MBP16 is less wide...maybe that's an option for you?

That’s kind of like saying a van is the same size as car because the bit in the middle is the same height :lol:

The new 16” takes up a lot more volume. It’s the same thickness the entire way across, rather than gently curving to the edges.

And yep. In a neoprene sleeve it’s front edge was too fat to slide into the bag recess.

But I got the 14” so that problem is solved.

 

[Melbourne Park]

That’s kind of like saying a van is the same size as car because the bit in the middle is the same height :lol:

My 2017 MPB 15.5" curved body puts a lot more pressure on the fat part of its body - the area of the top of the notebook, when its closed, on the screen side of the touch pad. I can't pack it in tight either because you get a gap. And that effects how things get compressed in the pack pack. I think notebooks should be perfectly parallel top to bottom, so that the pressure is even on the notebook, and on the contents of one's carry-on.

Another good piece of news about the new models too - their batteries can be replaced without having to replace other items. Not as easily as most notebooks, but at least the batteries are separate entities not overly secured, unlike my MBP.

 

[Pro Apple Silicon]

I can't describe how great it felt to pick up one of these for the first time. I was so impressed with how solid and stable it felt in my hand, compared to the last MacBook Pro that felt like it was going to bend in half while being held.

Great job Apple!

 

[AppliedVisual]

While I didn’t read it all, I didn’t notice anyone mention this: The base of the unit is definitely thicker than the previous generation, while the screen is thinner. Overall is about the same as previous generation when closed, but a bit heavier. When it’s open and being used, it definitely feels thicker and chunkier. Personally I like it. Much better than my 2019 i9 16” that always feels like it’s about to have a meltdown.

 

[u2u2]

These are not meant for normal average person. They're meant for professional users who use video editing or anything graphical component and want to use macOS.

That is why the Air exists.

Props to people though, always finding a reason to be unhappy hehe

Normal average person here who owns an Air, 8/8/16/1 TB.
Handed it over to the better half for a 14" 10/16/16/1 TB (for Zwifting, Air ran too hot).
Might be made for pros but it offers a lot for normal usage. Recommend never putting this side by side with a hand me down M1 Air and the spouse around. It does not end well no matter how nice the Air is... Vastly superior screen, speakers, ports, that an average consumer can benefit from. (Hint, compare screens, speaker, etc in private)
You are right though, complainers gotta complain.

 

[telo123]

Normal average person here who owns an Air, 8/8/16/1 TB.
Handed it over to the better half for a 14" 10/16/16/1 TB (for Zwifting, Air ran too hot).
Might be made for pros but it offers a lot for normal usage. Recommend never putting this side by side with a hand me down M1 Air and the spouse around. It does not end well no matter how nice the Air is... Vastly superior screen, speakers, ports, that an average consumer can benefit from. (Hint, compare screens, speaker, etc in private)
You are right though, complainers gotta complain.

Yeah, I do agree with you. When put side by side, the difference will be made ultra clear. Air will fail in comparison, but then again it comes with the higher price tag. I would buy the Pro anyday because that media consumption would be hella nice, but I’m a broke student ?

The Air is still great though.

 

[Technerd108]

I went with great expectations to the shop today to see the new MBPs. What ugly heavy crap.

The most off putting thing is the thickness and weight of these machines. To make them appear thinner they apparently rounded the corners. Otherwise it would have been obvious what huge technological failure these bricks are. They feel as if I just moved back 15 years in computing history. These MBP are not cool anymore.

There are tons of people who want bigger screens but don't need more computing power and don't want to carry such heavy machines.

Cheers

Seriously?????

These are the best Laptops Apple has ever made. If all you care about are looks and weight then a MacBook Pro is not for you.

I really don't get people saying these are too big and heavy??? Finally Apple has made a MBP worthy of the name and all people can do is complain.

 

[tmoerel]

If your decision to not get the 16" is based on the fact that it does not fit in your current bag/sleeve then you definitely don't need a 16". Perhaps you don't need even the 14".
People who need to screen size and power of a 16" will get a new bag/sleeve if needed!

 

[Melbourne Park]

I wouldn't have to. On a train, bus or plane I would be pulling out a 12.9" iPad with a Magic Keyboard. Much better for cramped spaces and you can get one with LTE or 5G.

On the plane, 5G etc isn't useable. Plus we have phones. But ... the keyboard is bad value. Its benefit is that it holds the iPad up, so you can view it. And then ... the screen is a lot smaller ... its too darn far away. You can overlap a 14" or 16" over the food tray, and its like a picture theatre. The colours great too. Give me the notebook thanks.

 

[osx'r]

I went with great expectations to the shop today to see the new MBPs. What ugly heavy crap.

The most off putting thing is the thickness and weight of these machines. To make them appear thinner they apparently rounded the corners. Otherwise it would have been obvious what huge technological failure these bricks are. They feel as if I just moved back 15 years in computing history. These MBP are not cool anymore.

There are tons of people who want bigger screens but don't need more computing power and don't want to carry such heavy machines.

Cheers

It took a while to come to terms with it, but I have to agree. Here’s my story (warning - it’s a lengthy one).

I’m a prosumer - always wanting the best I can afford, but not a content creator by any means. When the 14”/16” release was announced, and they were seen for the first time, I immediately jumped on a 13” M1 to fill the void I left when I ditched my tricked out i9 w/ 5600m earlier in the year (I did so mostly because it was big, loud and I ended up reverting to my iPad for convenience). I liked the form factor of the 13” MBP, didn’t need all the ports, size and weight were perfect. Plus I am one of those who actually likes the touch bar. So I picked one up a few days before the launch.

Fast forward 48 hours. All the reviews of the M1 Pro/Max started to land. Bigger/better screen, better camera, better speakers, all those extra ports, not to mention all so much more powerful. Such great value for the money! Could this be the end-all, be-all solution I’ve been waiting for? I convinced myself that I needed all that - especially the power, because even those these aren’t gaming machines, I did see myself wanting to game on it from time to time. Plus I’ve always been one to spend the extra money to get as close to the best as I can (for experience and future proofing alike). So I picked up a 14” M1 Pro on launch day, did some comparison testing, and started running tests to see how good the graphics performance was, using standard benchmarking tools like Heaven and SofTR. Yeah - I needed the 14“, and promptly returned the 13”.

It still wasn’t good enough though. I started to go down the rabbit hole of thinking that I wouldn’t be happy unless I had the M1 Max. So I researched ad nauseum.

But at some point something hit me, thanks to subtle reminders scattered throughout the posts in these forums. My favorite Macs of all time were the 2013 MBA and the G4 Powerbook 12”. Neither of those were work horses. They were tight little machines, with good aesthetics, portability, battery life, and afforded the performance that I needed. Comparing this 14” to them, it was ugly, burdened with ports I’ll never use, seemed more frail than the 13”, and frankly, had more power than I needed.

Uncharacteristic to my natural inclination, I ended up downgrading back to the 13” MBP (bumped up a bit to 16GB and 1 TB).

In the end, I have a more portable, longer lasting, and cheaper platform that does what it needs. And like others have said, if there games I can’t run on it, I’ve got a couple of consoles and a gaming PC to scratch that occasional itch.

If you made it to the end, congrats. I can only imagine that to others, this is a pile of meaningless crap and that’s fine. If that’s the way you feel, all I can say is move on to the next post. I just wanted to share my experience and thought process in hopes that it helps at least one other make the right decision for them, versus possibly getting caught up in the flurry of reviews and performance comparisons.

 

[flapflapflap]

It took a while to come to terms with it, but I have to agree. Here’s my story (warning - it’s a lengthy one).

I’m a prosumer - always wanting the best I can afford, but not a content creator by any means. When the 14”/16” release was announced, and they were seen for the first time, I immediately jumped on a 13” M1 to fill the void I left when I ditched my tricked out i9 w/ 5600m earlier in the year (I did so mostly because it was big, loud and I ended up reverting to my iPad for convenience). I liked the form factor of the 13” MBP, didn’t need all the ports, size and weight were perfect. Plus I am one of those who actually likes the touch bar. So I picked one up a few days before the launch.

Fast forward 48 hours. All the reviews of the M1 Pro/Max started to land. Bigger/better screen, better camera, better speakers, all those extra ports, not to mention all so much more powerful. Such great value for the money! Could this be the end-all, be-all solution I’ve been waiting for? I convinced myself that I needed all that - especially the power, because even those these aren’t gaming machines, I did see myself wanting to game on it from time to time. Plus I’ve always been one to spend the extra money to get as close to the best as I can (for experience and future proofing alike). So I picked up a 14” M1 Pro on launch day, did some comparison testing, and started running tests to see how good the graphics performance was, using standard benchmarking tools like Heaven and SofTR. Yeah - I needed the 14“, and promptly returned the 13”.

It still wasn’t good enough though. I started to go down the rabbit hole of thinking that I wouldn’t be happy unless I had the M1 Max. So I researched ad nauseum.

But at some point something hit me, thanks to subtle reminders scattered throughout the posts in these forums. My favorite Macs of all time were the 2013 MBA and the G4 Powerbook 12”. Neither of those were work horses. They were tight little machines, with good aesthetics, portability, battery life, and afforded the performance that I needed. Comparing this 14” to them, it was ugly, burdened with ports I’ll never use, seemed more frail than the 13”, and frankly, had more power than I needed.

Uncharacteristic to my natural inclination, I ended up downgrading back to the 13” MBP (bumped up a bit to 16GB and 1 TB).

In the end, I have a more portable, longer lasting, and cheaper platform that does what it needs. And like others have said, if there games I can’t run on it, I’ve got a couple of consoles and a gaming PC to scratch that occasional itch.

If you made it to the end, congrats. I can only imagine that to others, this is a pile of meaningless crap and that’s fine. If that’s the way you feel, all I can say is move on to the next post. I just wanted to share my experience and thought process in hopes that it helps at least one other make the right decision for them, versus possibly getting caught up in the flurry of reviews and performance comparisons.

Congratulations, you made the right choice IMO. I am a prosumer myself and opted for the 16 but I will be returning it and will happily keep my M1 MBP. I took it to the Apple Store the other day to backup a phone that I needed to have repaired and it was so light to carry, take out and add back in, into my messenger bag. It’s more than enough power and it has amazing battery life. It’s svelte and looks more modern than the 14 and new 16.

 

[fehhkk]

Why does every poster who has an alternative opinion get called a troll on this forum?

This an Apple forum. Not Lenovo or Dell.

 

[Technerd108]

I really don't get it? Prosumer, Power User, Creative User, Pro User and on and on....Does any of it really matter??
I am really tired of people saying too much power for them?? These are great 14" and 16" laptops but I will most likely never need the power. Or Unless your work flow dictates the power these machines have you don't need them????


Like WTF??? If you want a light and thin machine and that is more important than features and performance then why are you even looking at these new MacBook Pro's? If you think the 13.3" M1 MBP is a power machine and that is enough for you then why bother with the 14"?

It is like a bunch of children got toys that were too much for them but they wanted them because they were the best not understanding what they are used for?

I am a power user. I push every machine I have to it's limits and if I like it will keep it a long time or sell it before the value drops off so I can get another power machine.

These new MacBook Pro's were sent from Heaven!! I hear complaints about what these look like or how heavy they are or about the graphics from gamers?? I hear complaints about too much power or I don't need x,y or z? I don't get it? I have been asking Apple to make a notebook for true power users for years!! Finally we have a ProMotion 120hz mini led screen!! This screen is amazing!! Finally we have a big enough battery and a powerful enough and efficient enough processor to do the same intense work plugged in or not for a full work day!! Finally we have a function row with keys. A six speaker system that kicks ass! No other notebook sounds as good!

I understand weight can be an issue and these new MacBooks are not light but they are not crazy heavy for the power they provide. Just about 4-5 years ago performance that we are getting from these MacBooks could only be had by gaming notebooks that were super thick and heavy-sometime having a desktop processor and DGPU and you might get 2 hours of battery life while the processor and DGPU throttle back crazily. Now we are getting a still pretty thin notebook that is lighter than those old machines but is built like a tank.

If Apple had made these thinner and lighter people would be complaining about cheap build quality and compromised performance.

So if you don't like these new MacBooks based on a metric other than appearance or weight I would have more respect for your argument but most of the arguments against these machines miss the point of why they exist in the first place.

I am so incredibly impressed with these new MacBooks. They are simply the best, most powerful and feature rich MBP ever released by Apple and IMHO the best laptop you can get unless you are a gamer-period!!

 

[wilberforce]

I am so incredibly impressed with these new MacBooks. They are simply the best, most powerful and feature rich MBP ever released by Apple and IMHO the best laptop you can get unless you are a gamer-period!!

Absolutely. These are stunningly good machines. Been waiting for a potent SMALL laptop with a good screen for about a decade, and finally have one. Don't care if it has thin edges or not, notch or not.

 

[tis]

This an Apple forum. Not Lenovo or Dell.

Did I say alternative brand? I said alternative opinion.

 

[Alameda]

The butterfly keyboard has been gone, and the “scorching intel chips” had nothing to do with the overall aesthetic. Do you not realize the Air is extremely thin, uses the same keyboard as the Pro models, and doesn’t use an intel chip?

Great post. It made absolutely no sense.

Then buy an Air model instead.
Isn’t that the whole point? There are different models to meet everyone’s wishes?

 

[profH]

Then buy an Air model instead.
Isn’t that the whole point? There are different models to meet everyone’s wishes?

Almost everyone's wishes -- bring us an M1 15" MBA!

 

[MariozPOC]

The new MacBooks are very powerfull machines, they are thicker and heavier. For such a reason I'll keep my MB Air M1 as well.

 

[pi=e=3]

If 5lb is heavy to you, you need to hit the gym because your bones are bound to break under the force of gravity alone soon.

 

[throAU]

My new MacBook Pro 14 is the best portable I have ever used, period.

It's the biggest leap in laptop performance (as an actual laptop, not a portable desktop that needs a 400 watt power brick) I have ever seen in my 25+ years of being involved with PCs and Macs.

I do not say that lightly. The performance, the screen, the speakers, the SILENCE of operation. Fast charge, the battery life. They really truly hit it out of the park with these things. And I'm not even someone working with pro-res.

If I had to list any flaws so far it would be rough edges with macOS Monterey and sometimes needing to wait for rosetta to recompile intel apps on first run. But that's pretty much it so far.