Apple MacBook Pro MLH12LL/A 13-inch Laptop with Touch Bar, 2.9GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 256GB, Retina Display, Space Gray (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
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EPEAT addresses the sustainability impacts of electronic products. An EPEAT registered product must meet required criteria and can meet optional criteria. The criteria depend on the type of product and can include energy efficiency, reduction of fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases), and end of life management. Products meeting 50% - 75% optional criteria are “Silver” and those meeting more than 75% are “Gold”.
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Customers like the sound quality, quality and appearance of the laptop. For example, they mention that the speakers do sound fairly good, the screen is vivid and the touch bar is wonderful. They are also satisfied with value. That said, some complain about the ports and disagree on battery life and performance.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
95 customers mention88 positive7 negative
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the laptop. They mention that it is an outstanding, very nice in quality, and impressed with the design and features of the machine. They also say that the computer is perfect, robust, and durable. Customers also say it is reliable and a work of art to be admired daily.
"...As I said in the title, this is the best laptop & best MacBook that I have ever used...." Read more
"...In the real world this is a package that just hums along, quick, powerful, so well thought out that it almost makes work fun again...." Read more
"Obviously, this laptop is amazing. I'm still getting used to the Touchbar. Very fast and the quality that I expect from Apple...." Read more
"...Oh well. Bottom line, 4 out of 5 stars for a truly excellent and fun-to-use laptop that feels like you spent a lot of money. Worth the upgrade?..." Read more
50 customers mention44 positive6 negative
Customers like the appearance of the laptop. They say the display is beautiful, remarkable, vivid, and lively. They also say the laptop is sleek and gives off a subtle yet classy vibe. Customers also mention that the retina screen is amazing, especially with photos.
"...And yes, the screen is gorgeous and the colors are richer; for a work machine, this is not the most important thing for me--except for how sharp..." Read more
"...Pros:- It's fast, it's beautiful and it Just Works™.- The Touch Bar is pretty neat (I'm still getting used to it)-..." Read more
"...Side-by-side with the old retina and it's clear where the colors are better and the brightness is finally where I like it...." Read more
"...The screen is so crisp and the zoom feature makes this a non-issue. Now I take it everywhere, because it is just the right size...." Read more
40 customers mention30 positive10 negative
Customers like the touch bar on the notebook computer. They mention that it's wonderful, responsive, and explicit about what constitutes a click. Some appreciate the larger touch pad and the good palm rejection while typing.
"...soft keys into my use of the keyboard, but I can say that I love the addition of TouchID...." Read more
"...The Touch Bar is awesome - customizable and handy. Love the larger touchpad too...." Read more
"...Palm rejection is good while typing, I haven't had any problems there...." Read more
"...The Touchbar is also a really great tool...." Read more
32 customers mention24 positive8 negative
Customers like the value of the notebook computer. They say it's worth the purchase and worth buying the adapter.
"...Is it really worth the retail price, which is quite high for even the base model?..." Read more
"...Apple computers are not cheap, but to me, they are worth every penny. If you have the need for portability, I would definitely recommend this model...." Read more
"...4 stars because the price is hard to justify, but I am really happy I bought this instead of a surface...." Read more
16 customers mention13 positive3 negative
Customers like the sound quality of the laptop. They say the speakers are incredible, loud, and have a decent amount of bass. Some mention that the laptop is very quiet and that the speakers hum along.
"...In the real world this is a package that just hums along, quick, powerful, so well thought out that it almost makes work fun again...." Read more
"...The speakers are incredible one of the best speakers I have heard on a laptop of this form factor...." Read more
"...I personally don't care.-The speakers do sound fairly good (they were hyped during the release), but they are not an important consideration..." Read more
"...as satisfying as my Apple Wireless Keyboard on my Mac Pro, but it's fairly quiet while still offering a solid click feel and accuracy...." Read more
68 customers mention43 positive25 negative
Customers are mixed about the performance of the notebook computer. Some mention that it works well, while others say that it has had several issues and is defective. The USB-C ports are better than expected, and the machine is awesome. However, some customers also say that the computer is slow with low quality hardware, and has had issues with connectivity. Overall, the opinions are mixed, and it's recommended to read the reviews carefully before making a purchase.
"...The USB-C ports? Better than expected - they plug in without any "up"'or "downside" and you can plug power into any port on either..." Read more
"...Totally shady! The screen is DEFECTIVE - and as far as the "scratch" I think this was either a totally different machine as they never..." Read more
"...Then I forgot about it and now I really like it. It's far more exact feeling and the feedback is just fine...." Read more
"...C ports takes a little getting use to, but I really enjoy it now it works so well and the fact that USB C is reversible makes it even more appealing...." Read more
24 customers mention9 positive15 negative
Customers are mixed about the battery life of the laptop. Some mention that it's superb, while others say that it deteriorates quickly.
"...My only caveat would be that the battery life isn't amazing. It certainly isn't bad but its not amazing...." Read more
"...I use it and not only does it run very well on it, but it doesn't drain the battery terribly which exceeding my expectations by far...." Read more
"...It’s the perfect size for me to write on. The battery does seem to drain a little faster than I would expect, but it charges really fast so that does..." Read more
"...The computers battery life was sporadic, some days 11 hours some days 3 hours (doing same activities on computer which was web development)...." Read more
20 customers mention5 positive15 negative
Customers are dissatisfied with the ports on the laptop. For example, they mention that it only has USB-C ports and that it requires an adapter to use USB. Some complain that there are not that many cable connectors to connect to USB-3/2 or so many other.
"...There are not that many cable connectors/adapters to connect to USB-3/2 or so many other types of connectors that are out there including hdmi...." Read more
"...It's only got two ports, but that's really all you need. I bought the Aukey USB C hub to go with it (link below) and now it's pretty much perfect...." Read more
A good Macbook Air replacement that should have been released a year earlier
I wanted the base model specifically (13" without the touch bar) because 1) I don't want to be a touch bar pioneer, and 2) this model has better battery life than the 13" touch bar version (10% larger battery, 15 watt cpu vs 28 watt cpu, single fan instead of dual fans, no touch bar to power). Also, I like my physical escape key.I do app dev, some web dev, and Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign/Audition work. So far this laptop has been great, just as snappy as my 2013 15" rMBP. That being said, this machine is not ideal for running VMs, gaming (except perhaps light gaming), heavy video editing, or 3d work. If you are planning on any of those things, look elsewhere.I can't help but feel like this laptop came out a year too late. Apple is starting to play catch-up in a lot of respects, rather than setting a higher bar and pushing the envelope further. I don't see myself hanging onto this laptop for 3+ years like I did my last Macbook Pro, and I am certainly keeping my eye on other devices like the eventual Surface Book 2.Pros:-Very snappy-Gorgeous display (and bright, I rarely need full brightness on this thing)-Keyboard (I like it). This was actually a big concern of mine as I didn't care for the 12" Macbook keyboard I tried in the stores a while back. But this keybosard grew on me after a few hours of use, and now I like it. To me, the keys feel noticeably better than those on the 12" Macbooks. Apparently the keys have 0.55mm of travel, which is next to nothing, but they do feel punchy and responsive.-Very lightweight @ 3 lbs-Good battery life: I get about 8 hours on average-Very quiet: I can barely hear the fan when it's going. This is a big change from my 2013 15" rMPB which constantly sounded like a jet engine.Cons:-Should have been released a year ago, or at least earlier this year (2016). I would have felt better about the price point, especially now that we have Kaby Lake processors coming soon.-Ports, ports.. I will mostly miss MagSafe (looking forward to some creative USB-C magnetic mid-cable or charger-side solutions). I will be needing a few USB-C cables/dongles, but I can see where technology is going and I get it. I do wish Apple had left a USB-A port, or included a dongle, or something to appease the "Pro" crowd.-Minor detail, but I prefer half-height left and right arrow keys on the keyboard. Easier to quickly find the arrows that way. I'm guessing they did away with that for visual symmetry.Other mentions:-The larger trackpad is nice I guess, but in practical terms I don't know if the larger size creates any added benefit for me (Apple Pencil support would have been nice). Maybe I'm so used to the old size that I am having trouble taking advantage of the larger size. Palm rejection is good while typing, I haven't had any problems there.-Some folk were peeved about the removal of the illuminated Apple logo on the back of the screen. I personally don't care.-The speakers do sound fairly good (they were hyped during the release), but they are not an important consideration for me.
A 2014 model 13" Retina MacBook Pro has been my primary laptop for several years. I also kept a 2012 15" MBP for the extra processing & graphics power and a slim & lightweight 13" Air for travel. The 13" MBP is an excellent laptop and was the best combination of size, power & usability.
The 2016 MBP w/TouchBar packs the power of my previous 15" into a package that is barely larger or heavier than the 13" MBP. Being a huge fan of MBP touchpads for years, I absolutely love the oversized touchpad on the 2016 models. With the 13", I never imagined that I needed or wanted a larger touchpad, but it immediately became one of my favorite features of the new 15". Most of the criticism of the 2016 MBP's has been about the keyboard and specifically the decreased key travel. It is noticeable & feels a little bit odd at first, but my experience was that I barely noticed it after a couple of days. For me, it is more noticeable if you are reaching to the keyboard from an odd angle & your hands are not in the proper position for typing. It is still an excellent keyboard, as is typical on all modern MacBook Pro's.
The display on the 15" is beautiful, as Apple's (MBP) Retina displays have been for years, but the superior color gamut on the 2016 is noticeable. Several colleagues have commented on the display.
The TouchBar was not a major factor for me & I am only slowly beginning to incorporate the 'context sensitive' soft keys into my use of the keyboard, but I can say that I love the addition of TouchID. It is incredibly convenient both for unlocking the computer & for password verification and/or purchases online. Likewise the 'missing' ports.. Okay, so I had to go out and purchase a few USB-C adapters, and I really do wish that there was still a built in SD card port, but I use SD cards less & less and USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapters are cheap, and let you continue to use your existing USB adapters. Seriously... this is not a big deal.
I hate to see the MagSafe connector go, and I really miss the orange/green LED to tell when it is fully charged, but I can't say that I'd prefer a thicker laptop just to keep the MagSafe. In this vein, it is disappointing that the half-dozen or so MagSafe adapters I already own are no longer compatible, particularly given the cost of a "spare" USB-C adapter, but I'm also not one of these folks who needs a spare adapter in every place I ever use my laptop. These MBP's get around 10 hours of battery life. I use my laptops to work, not to watch movies & such, so I may use it for half that in a given day & I rarely, if ever see the battery indicator at less than 50% charge.
As I said in the title, this is the best laptop & best MacBook that I have ever used. Is it really worth the retail price, which is quite high for even the base model? I don't know & won't argue the point, but in my case at least... I will sell at least 2 other MacBooks that this one has replaced which will offset a good portion of it. I have no regrets on the purchase/upgrade at all.
Long time Apple products user, this laptop is so much better than I expected. A few points that might be useful for your consideration:
I actually delayed purchase because in the store those super thin, super light MacBooks make the Pro feel heavy. But then I realized the pro was just a very little heavier from the top of the line Air I am retiring. For a small amount of weight I get tremendously more power.
The USB-C ports? Better than expected - they plug in without any "up"'or "downside" and you can plug power into any port on either side. I travel a lot so plugging in in either side helps in those hotels more than I expected. Yes I have to have some adapters--but I needed those, for example for an HDMI or VGA projector connection, anyway.
The keyboard is magical, and it is hard to explain why. The keys are responsive for sure, but they are set into the casing so low, and the surface of the keys are slick enough, that your fingers can slide across the keys in a strangely fluid way of typing.
The touch bar? Was sure this was sort of a gimmic--not at all! Turns out it is a fantastic way to control so many different aspects of the computer. It is nothing less than a star-trek like instrument panel that changes based on the context of what you are doing. Being able to make purchases or unlock authorization requests with a quick fingerprint is surprisingly quick, easy and truly useful.
Memory? After doing a lot of research online I discovered that given the speed of solid state drives, swap files are not all that different on SSDs than how larger amounts of working memory are used to avoid using swap files. While there are admittedly differences between the memory in SSDs and the chips on the CPU board, researchers are showing that more memory beyond even just 8 Gigs (what I purchased), offers little gain. So I spent the dollars on a larger SSD (512) than more working memory.
I also researched the i5 vs i7 chip options, but stayed with the i5 once I discovered that both support only 4 cores in these machines. (You need a desktop version of the i7 to get the 8 core power -- or the 15" Laptop)
And yes, the screen is gorgeous and the colors are richer; for a work machine, this is not the most important thing for me--except for how sharp text appears on the screen. My eyes do appreciate the clarity very much.
I do a lot of business related writing, powerpoints, endless amounts of email, and I also fire up Lightroom and Photoshop and other more demanding apps - wonderfully responsive with all of these. Again it's the fast SSD that is making most of the real world difference, I believe.
And that super large track pad basically means that you never have to reach to, or adjust to where the track pad is; rather, it is always just there--wherever your hands are on the keypad.
And the sound!! Truly amazing speakers!
Another small thing that turns out to matter--having a machine that turns on as you lift the lid (and in my case authorizes access with my Apple Watch) makes for an amazingly seemless experience--it feels as if it is anticipating what you want to be doing...
So, now I am only frustrated because I waited to purchase. Many of the old specs seem to matter so much less now. In the real world this is a package that just hums along, quick, powerful, so well thought out that it almost makes work fun again.
The mac is ok, perfect conditions. I just have unconfirmed because I can't get apple care because the guarantee has expired. So definitely is a problem.
4.0 out of 5 stars
perfect conditions. I just have unconfirmed because I can't ...
Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2018
The mac is ok, perfect conditions. I just have unconfirmed because I can't get apple care because the guarantee has expired. So definitely is a problem.