Apple’s new touchscreen MacBook Pro brings plenty of welcome upgrades, but one of the best things about this week’s launch is what the company decided not to change.
Apple’s decision to keep the old Macs around feels like a welcome glitch in the system
Was I aching for a touchscreen Mac? Not particularly. But I can see how useful it might be for a great deal of users, and I’m happy that their day has finally come. Or will come, starting November 6.
But I’ve been aching for a new Mac. Though my 2023 M2 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro is still a great machine, its 16GB of RAM is starting to feel a bit cramped. Past me knew this was a mistake.
With the prospect of a revamped MacBook Pro just around the corner, I spent the past few weeks excited about the possibility of biting the bullet and splurging for a new one, even though there had been very conflicting rumors about which chips it would pack.
Although in my heart of hearts I had acquiesced to the idea that the new touchscreen MacBook Pro would get the same chips as the current non-touchscreen line, I was also holding on to the hope that Apple would throw in some performance gains to sweeten the rumored $400 premium deal it would carry.
Right? Right?
Well, no.
Performance-wise, the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is identical to the non-touchscreen models, though there is a case to be made that its redesigned thermal system could make it run faster despite using the same chip, though the changes appear to be aimed more at keeping the display cool than improving heat dissipation. Time, and reviews, will tell.
Which makes Apple’s decision to keep the non-touchscreen M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro for sale all that more welcome and unexpected.
Even when Apple introduced the Touch Bar back in 2016, the only non-Touch Bar option left was the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro. If you wanted a more powerful Mac or a 15-inch model, you had to get with the program and pony up the extra $300 for the 13-inch model with Touch Bar, or $400 for the redesigned 15-inch model.
Yes, there is plenty new with the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. Tandem OLED display, improved thermal performance, thinner, lighter design, slimmer bezels, redesigned audio system, Dynamic Island (debatable for some, I know), and even the return of the glowing Apple logo (woo!) on the lid are all welcome additions. Oh yeah, and “it has touch as well.”
Put all of that together, and the $400 premium is arguably not that unreasonable.
But if, like me, these improvements feel secondary to the performance boost you’re prioritizing for this particular upgrade, getting those same specs for effectively $400 less (or using those $400 for better specs!) feels like a pretty great deal for all parties involved, future me included.
Will future me have preferred that I wait for the M7 generation? Possibly. But then again, waiting for the perfect moment to upgrade is what got me into this situation in the first place, recent price hikes and all.
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