Friday 28 October 2016

APPLE'S NEW MACBOOK IS A GAME-CHANGER

Despite unveiling the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus little over a month ago, Apple has now released a sleek new MacBook Pro. Last week the Cupertino-based company sent out invitations with the tagline, “Hello again" - a reference to the launch of the first Macintosh which introduced itself onstage take with the words, “Hello, I am Macintosh." And the latest laptop-focused Apple presentation was another milestone in the string of innovations that followed the 1984 event, with several never-seen-before features being added to the new MacBook Pro range.



The Touch Bar
This is the big change. Apple has ditched the laptop’s function keys, replacing them with a retina display Touch Bar. This thin strip, which sits above the keyboard, will display customisable function keys that adapt to the program in use. For example, if using media-centric programs such as Spotify and iTunes the TouchBar will display play, stop and pause keys.

Other useful Touch Bar features include predictive text and emoji options.

As a footnote, the introduction of the Touch Bar has meant that Apple has had to relocate the speaker grills, usually found at the back of the keyboard, to the sides of the keyboard.

And for those who want to avoid paying for the luxury of the Touch Bar, Apple has also launched a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with traditional function keys. The company created this laptop with the intention of it being an upgraded version of the MacBook Air.

Updated keyboard Apple Mac
Although still available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, the new MacBook Pro will be the thinnest and lightest MacBook, and will also include an all-metal design. Helped by the introduction of the flatter Butterfly key mechanism which first arrived on the MacBook in 2015, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro measures at a height of 1.49 centimetres, 31 millimetres shorter than the previous model, whilst the 15-inch Pro stands at 1.55 centimetres in comparison to its predecessor's 2.41 centimetres. These easy-to-type on keys will make for a sleeker body and a much lighter computer perfect for the morning commute.

Touch ID
Placed where the power button traditionally is, Apple has also introduced Touch ID to its new MacBook Pro, allowing you to unlock your laptop with the press of a thumb and also use one-touch payments for your online shopping. Bringing this function to the Mac makes sense given that Apple Pay now works on websites as part of the recently launched macOS Sierra update. Shopping spree much? Read up on the 10 menswear pieces that you need to buy this week.
USB-C ports
Apple is also killing off the traditional USB port. The new MacBook Pro will abandon the usual USB-A in favour of the slimmer and more practical USB-C which can be plugged into sockets in either direction, stopping users from stabbing blindly at sockets to charge and connect their kit. Unfortunately for MacBook Pro customers, they may need to invest in a few adapters.

Trackpad
Apple has also added a new Force Touch trackpad which is twice as large as its predecessor's.

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