Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The No Touch Bar 13 Macbook Version
- Thread starter Abaganov
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have been using the nTb for almost two weeks now and I love it! There is just one issue that I am having which is when the laptop wakes up from sleep the wifi signal is lost. It still says that it is connected but has no connection. After turning off wifi and turning it on again it works great. Is there a fix for this or is this a hardware problem?
Hey guys! Quick question. In summary, the nTB device has better battery life, less ports, a little slower CPU and GPU, and saves $300.
I heard things that the keyboard on the TB MBP is better. Is that true?
Also, is the wifi truly better on the TB MBP?
Finally, is the SSD faster on the TB MBP? I heard the nTB is around 2000 mbps vs 3500 for the TB MBP.
Thanks again
I heard things that the keyboard on the TB MBP is better. Is that true?
Also, is the wifi truly better on the TB MBP?
Finally, is the SSD faster on the TB MBP? I heard the nTB is around 2000 mbps vs 3500 for the TB MBP.
Thanks again
I've been using a nTB for about 1.5 months now and I still love it. I wish the keyboard was quieter but it's quiet enough if you're using it with a keyboard cover. I've never had a single problem with wifi being dropped. Battery will definitely last a day for sure if you're a college student doing usual tasks. I'm not benefiting much from the reduced weight though.
What I like about the nTB version is that I'm not as distracted when looking at the screen, as I was when I had the TB version, which I sold recently and swapped for the nTB.
Didn't utilize the faster processor and I have an Apple Watch which can unlock the computer, so I won't miss the touchID that much.
Didn't utilize the faster processor and I have an Apple Watch which can unlock the computer, so I won't miss the touchID that much.
Last edited:
I am returning mine because:
1) the up and down arrows work half of the time unless I press really hard. They don't seem to 'register'. Other keys don't have this issue
2) the keys are LOUD. Every key seems to produce a different tone, bit of a tapping concert really. I would have issue with this thing in a quiet environment
3) the screen, speakers and speed of my iPad Pro 9.7 are (unfortunately) better. Who would have thought so as the iPad costs around £600. I was expecting this new nTMBP to trump my iPad Pro in every way.
4) Realised that most Apps are significantly better than their internet version (FB, instagram, twitter, LinkedIn, Skype, BBC News, and many many more). Websites are full of ads whereas Apps seem 'tidier'
So mine is going back today because of issue no 1). For me, the keyboard, is not a finished product and I cannot trust it to last for 5-6 years as it looks already dodgy out of the box. Why the keys feel different and produce a different sound? How can that be even possible? For comparison, my 2010 MBP has identical keys. All same sound, same travel, still works like a charm.
The new one? Almost every key is different.
1) the up and down arrows work half of the time unless I press really hard. They don't seem to 'register'. Other keys don't have this issue
2) the keys are LOUD. Every key seems to produce a different tone, bit of a tapping concert really. I would have issue with this thing in a quiet environment
3) the screen, speakers and speed of my iPad Pro 9.7 are (unfortunately) better. Who would have thought so as the iPad costs around £600. I was expecting this new nTMBP to trump my iPad Pro in every way.
4) Realised that most Apps are significantly better than their internet version (FB, instagram, twitter, LinkedIn, Skype, BBC News, and many many more). Websites are full of ads whereas Apps seem 'tidier'
So mine is going back today because of issue no 1). For me, the keyboard, is not a finished product and I cannot trust it to last for 5-6 years as it looks already dodgy out of the box. Why the keys feel different and produce a different sound? How can that be even possible? For comparison, my 2010 MBP has identical keys. All same sound, same travel, still works like a charm.
The new one? Almost every key is different.
The non-tb is amazing, I've had mine since launch.
My wife even tried to claim mine (she has the 12" rMB), but was gracious enough to let me go buy one for her instead.
....this is a person who doesn't care for tech, and had an ancient, thick HP laptop with missing keys when I met her. Turns
out she thought the rMB "felt cheap" and hated the keyboard all this time - but she absolutely loves the 13 non-tb.
I mean literally - she's never said she loved a laptop before, but she keeps saying "did I say how much I love this computer?"
She got the silver one, which is *very* pretty, and I'm a bit jealous I got space grey.
My wife even tried to claim mine (she has the 12" rMB), but was gracious enough to let me go buy one for her instead.
....this is a person who doesn't care for tech, and had an ancient, thick HP laptop with missing keys when I met her. Turns
out she thought the rMB "felt cheap" and hated the keyboard all this time - but she absolutely loves the 13 non-tb.
I mean literally - she's never said she loved a laptop before, but she keeps saying "did I say how much I love this computer?"
She got the silver one, which is *very* pretty, and I'm a bit jealous I got space grey.
I couldn't wait to get the space grey and always had silver. However, is like to see the silver in person as many people have commented that in the new form factor it's stunning.
Bought mine a week ago and I love the form factor. Coming from the clunky MacBook Pro 2012 with the disc drive it was so dang heavy.
I just had my "e" key fail. It is sunk pretty bad, and I have to press really hard to get it to register. I am hoping they just give me a replacement on the spot as I cannot afford to be without a laptop. If not, I'll buy one to use while they repair mine and return it afterwards.
Just got back from the store (PC World, London). Returned mine.
I am of the opinion that the keyboard is not quite right on this laptop, too many fails. Even if I got a good one (now), I have the feeling that it will only be a matter of time before one of the keys fail. They all sound so different, what's going on? It really sounds like a tap dance when I typed.
I have had mine since launch and it just failed this weekend. Without question I will be extending AppleCare
They just gave me a new one on the spot. The one person said it seems like every other Mac repair is for the new keyboard.
I agree with the TB not worth it crowd. When I grab my new MBP I am going this route as well. The TB is nice but I don't see any real purpose for me. Except maybe in photoshop? Eh, even then not sure. Happy some are happy without the TB. Means I probably will be too.
After a few weeks I'm completely satisfied with this model and I use it for After Effects/Photoshop and all other Adobe products and it's been great so far! Light to carry around. Hooked it up to a projector for a presentation/training with an adapter. Obviously for more screen space and heavier graphic usage I use my iMac but I can do almost all with this little guy.
I'm sticking with the touch bar. I know there are some that don't believe in the battery life, but I've seen enough that said it was fine. I like the features.
Just checking in after six months with my 13" MacBook Pro. No issues thus far and it's definitely a snappy little thing.
Finally picked out a sleeve which I'll be ordering from Amazon this weekend:
And I'll probably pick up a third party power adapter extension for $8ish to stash away should I need it in the future.
Finally picked out a sleeve which I'll be ordering from Amazon this weekend:
And I'll probably pick up a third party power adapter extension for $8ish to stash away should I need it in the future.
I've read contradicting statements on the nTB performance for Lightroom here and over at reddit now.
Some people think it's absolutely fine while others say that the workflow is really slow and tiresome.
I used Lightroom on the TB 15'' 2.7 and I know it's become a slow and laggy mess, but trying it on the nTB MacBook Pro was unbearable.
24MP raw images took several seconds just to open, zooming in and out was slow af.
What's been your impression on the nTB and Lightroom so far?
Some people think it's absolutely fine while others say that the workflow is really slow and tiresome.
I used Lightroom on the TB 15'' 2.7 and I know it's become a slow and laggy mess, but trying it on the nTB MacBook Pro was unbearable.
24MP raw images took several seconds just to open, zooming in and out was slow af.
What's been your impression on the nTB and Lightroom so far?
Tried out D810 RAW files on my MacBook 2015 1.2Ghz, and the files are at 36 megapixels. Quite manageable to edit RAW files, adjustments and filters doesn't bother me speed-wise. I guess a think a MacBook Pro nTB 13" baseline would do an even better job. Exporting always takes time, even on desktops/workstations. I care more about general usage and responsiveness than actual processing like exporting or rendering.
So I bought the nTB 8/256 the weekend before last (29th) and I'm coming up to the end of the returns window. I've found the laptop very capable with my use-case - I run the MS Office suite and a few Safari tabs in parallel.
However, I've found that my memory usage seems to remain constant at around 5GB, with roughly 3GB for apps, 1.5GB for wired and .5GB for compressed. During a little stress testing I found that the laptop likes to keep 1.5GB for caching, and so will start adding to the Swap at about 6.5GB usage. I'm concerned that since I'm already using 5GB with current applications, the remaining 1.5GB really isn't enough headroom - I aim to be using the laptop in five years time!
Is 8GB really enough for most users? I don't need a powerhouse (I also use a Windows desktop), but things just feel a little tight on this laptop.
However, I've found that my memory usage seems to remain constant at around 5GB, with roughly 3GB for apps, 1.5GB for wired and .5GB for compressed. During a little stress testing I found that the laptop likes to keep 1.5GB for caching, and so will start adding to the Swap at about 6.5GB usage. I'm concerned that since I'm already using 5GB with current applications, the remaining 1.5GB really isn't enough headroom - I aim to be using the laptop in five years time!
Is 8GB really enough for most users? I don't need a powerhouse (I also use a Windows desktop), but things just feel a little tight on this laptop.
I just booted into my new 8GB/nTB/256GB, and I really like the screen. The keyboard is a bit loud, but I really prefer typing on it. Feels a lot greater than the MacBook. The touchpad is nice. It feels great. I'm not in awe, but won't go back to the MacBook 12" or 15" MacBook Pro. The form factor has a good balance to it. The weight is a bit heavy, but it sits nice on my lap. Scrolling is great. I haven't indexed or stuff yet, and it is good.
No revolution in the non touch bar, but a very potent evolution.
I ran a few tests on my MacBook 12" before the purchase and never saw its 8GB of memory stress the meters in Activity Monitor. It's green even under processing 36 megapixel RAW files in Photoshop. I wouldn't do large batches of video or RAW files on it, so the 8GB of memory is good enough. After a couple of years, I will replace it with a newer model and 16GB will be the new standard. Future proofing and resale value doesn't bother me. I have lost more money on higher end models than base in all cases. It's better to follow the baseline if you are buying it on your own budget, and of course it is smart to get the company to pay for your commercial needs.
The touch bar is a gimmick. It's fun to use, but not efficient as I type without glancing down on the keyboard.
Would buy again and recommend the baseline computer for any prosumer, as I think most of the users on this forum are, and for those who have adequate jobs, let the company buy you a Mac Pro or MacBook Pro 15". Would never go back to the 2015 models.