Stuff - UK (2020-01)

01

03

04

05

02

LONG-TERM TEST

DAY 11

I’ve tried a bit of gaming today. It’s

fine, but you’re probably still better

off with the cheaper machines

and greater range of titles offered

by Windows.

For everything else, from photo

editing to video encoding, this

Pro impresses. There’s some

occasional warmth around the

keyboard, and the Touch Bar does

get uncomfortable at one point,

otherwise heat and fan noise

remain pleasingly absent.

DAY 14

This isn’t a revolution. What it

represents is Apple taking its

MacBook line into the future,

but in a way that ensures we’re

all willingly along for the ride.

Sure, some people are going to

bleat that this 16in model doesn’t

look much different from its

predecessor, and even that it’s

a shade heavier. The thing is, all

this fades away when you start

using it. The keyboard is better.

The screen is superb. The speakers

are great. It only rarely gets warm.

Even the battery lasts longer.

Of course, you pay for all that.

This is a wallet-thumping piece

of kit, with the clue being in the

name – because here, ‘Pro’ still

means something.

DAY 03

Working from home, it’s time

to try some tunes. What’s most

surprising with the Pro is that the

speakers aren’t just really good

for a laptop – they’re really good

full stop. Flipping back and forth

between the built-in speakers and

Ruark’s MR1 Mk2 desktops, the

Mac’s aren’t obviously worse, just

thinner in the low end. They offer

an astonishing soundstage with

real separation and height.

That’s down to a six-speaker

system with back-to-back

drivers... and the same’s true for

the new ‘studio quality’ three-mic

array. It’d be a stretch to imagine

Adele singing into it, but it’s easily

good enough for a podcast or

blasting out vocal demos in Logic

Pro (apologies to the neighbours).

DAY 05

Delving into the stats, CPU speed

and single-core performance are

broadly on a par with this Mac’s

predecessor. The GPU is way up

with radically improved thermal

architecture, plus you can spec

a bank-account-mugging 64GB

RAM and 8TB storage.

Apple’s own apps all deliver, with

only one hiccup in Logic Pro when

I chuck a few too many virtual

synths into the mix.

STUFF SAYS

A top upgrade

for creative

pros that bodes

well for the rest

of the MacBook

line in 2020

+++++

01 A stellar display, as we’ve

come to expect

02 Plenty of raw power and

a longer-lasting battery

03 Improved keyboard and

surprisingly great speakers

04 The FaceTime camera is

fuzzy old 720p

05 If you skimp on the specs

to save a few quid now,

there’s no way to upgrade

the RAM later

Donut of Truth™

Display 16in
3072x1920 LED
Processor Intel
Core i7/i9
RAM 16/32/64GB
GPU AMD Radeon
Pro 5300M/
5500M with
4/8GB RAM
Storage 512GB/
1/2/4/8TB SSD
Connectivity 4x
Thunderbolt 3
(USB-C); 3.5mm
headphone port,
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
OS macOS
Catalina
Battery life
Up to 11 hours
Dimensions
358x246x16mm,
2.0kg

Tech specs