Apple’s new MacBook Pro is the first MacBook Consumer Reports won’t recommend

Extreme Tech ^ | 12/23/2016 | Joel Hruska

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Apple’s new MacBook Pro isn’t having an easy time in the market. It’s been panned for its reliance on dongles, criticized for using older Intel chips, and a significant number of users have reported decidedly substandard battery life when using the system. Apple has responded to these complaints by cutting dongle prices and removing the “Time Remaining” indicator on the laptop’s battery, neither of which constitutes an actual solution. Now, Consumer Reports has refused to recommend the MacBook Pro for the first time ever. The reason? Battery life.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

At a 50% premium this would be considered unacceptable. At a greater than 50% this is a scam.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Why didn’t you post this?

[MrEdd]

While I am not a fan of iPple, I wouldn’t trust Consumer Reports as the magazine stands to day to competently compare toothpicks.

[SES1066]

Just got mine, battery life so far good, really like the touch bar and touch-id. Voice-over is a bit iffy in my testing but that is part of the leaning curve (I hope)!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

There have been a lot of comments about the battery life. They already made one fix to not show remaining time so it wasn’t so obvious.

It may be software, or hardware, but it’s pretty silly.

[arl295]

Apple gear has always been 3 year old technology packaged in a shiny case at 3x markup

iDiots buy it, I wish I thought of it first lol

[Swordmaker]

Why didn’t you post this?

Besides the fact I was working today, I figured you or some other anti-Apple Hate Brigade member would. . . but more importantly is this sentence from Consumers Reports own article:

"They then tried testing under Chrome instead of Safari and saw much better results, even though Chrome has a reputation for being a battery hog."

In other words, the battery results are dependent on the SOFTWARE, not the HARDWARE being used. Apple is prepping a new version of Safari. Other reviews of the new MacBook Pro have posted more reasonable tests.

PS, I don't post every Apple article. Thanks for doing it.

[Swordmaker]

Consumer Reports doesn't like the battery life on the new MacBook Pro while running Safari so they did not recommend it. . . And feign that this is the first time they have not recommended an Apple computer. It isn't. — PING!

Thanks to ImJustAnotherOkie for the Posting and heads up.

Consumer Reports Doesn't Recommend
Apple MacBook Pro Over Battery Issues
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me

[Dr. Sivana]

While I am not a fan of iPple, I wouldn’t trust Consumer Reports as the magazine stands to day to competently compare toothpicks.
They are okay on toothpicks (Diamond brand). They are awful on electronics.

I remember back in the early '80s they decided that the best choice for a home video game unit was the Bally Astrocade (this was the era of Atari VCS/2600, Mattel Intellivision, Coleco ColecoVision, Emerson Arcadia, Magnavox Odyssey, GCE Vectrex). CR had NO consideration at all for the long-term commitment the manufacturer had for the product or future software releases. The Astrocade was orphaned only a few months later.

[Swordmaker]

There have been a lot of comments about the battery life. They already made one fix to not show remaining time so it wasn’t so obvious.

It may be software, or hardware, but it’s pretty silly.

There I agree with you.

[Drew68]

Just got mine, battery life so far good, really like the touch bar and touch-id. Voice-over is a bit iffy in my testing but that is part of the leaning curve (I hope)!

I'm waiting for my 2009 MacBook Pro to die, or at least refuse to update to the latest OS. So far no luck. I can't even get a key to fall off. This thing is a tank.

[palmer]

Dammit, mines a 2014. I’m gonna have to wait at least 5 more years to get a new one?

[CodeToad]

CR is a joke of a mag. They’ve never been agnostic.

Fact is, the best computer products I know have routinely not been given the best review by CR. Never in my 30+ year career have I or anyone I know used CR as a basis for product selection.

[CodeToad]

For this crappy article, and I am not fan of Apple, I give it the Certified Not News stamp.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Well there have been a ton of complaints. Granted usability subjective but...

I just thought I’d post it and watch all the Apple Fans. Apple has no game.

[Hugin]

I don’t know what a “dongle” is, but it sounds vaguely pornographic.

[Defiant]

Actually, if you had a USB port, you’d love a big dongle.

[George from New England]

A dongle is a hardware peripheral with the only intent being to allow operation of software on said machine. Its goal is to prevent software piracy. i.e. the software won’t run if it can’t find the hardware dongle on the port somewhere.

[Clay+Iron_Times]

2006 MBP 17 core 2 duo here. Replaced drive with solid state last year which improved performance however can no longer upgrade OS X. Outdated iTunes version no longer sees my phone. It’s a must now to get a new one. Lasted 10 years on December 11 this year.

[TexasGator]

“really like the touch bar and touch-id.”

What about Touch-screen?