[cicero19]

I purchased the new 13" MBP with touchbar when it came out. As my first Apple laptop, I have to say it has changed my life and the way I use other devices.

I will admit the touchbar is a tad gimmicky. There are a few things I would change and I am waiting on many apps to upgrade to include some touchbar functionality (chrome canary currently supports touchbar contextual buttons). One thing that is kind of annoying about it is the Siri button - I’ve accidently clicked it more than meaningfully. This being said, I don’t regret the upgrade over the traditional model and I would recommend it. I think the argument of having to look down at the keyboard is a bit ridiculous.

The dongle situation is not even really an issue either. I bought two USB 3 -> C adapters and keep one at home and one in my bag. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve used them. I do think Apple could have AT LEAST included one of these with the purchase. The Apple TV airplay integration is so good you can stream action movies without lag, obviating the need for an HDMI or other video output. For the smaller and lighter profile, this tradeoff is justified.

Battery life is pretty good. It could be better but I can go a day of heavy use with two charges (ie. charging mid-day).

The large trackpad and force touch is a joy to use and the keyboard is remarkably clicky despite its low-profile. All in all, its a great machine and the additional functionality will come as apps slowly upgrade to support the touchbar.