Speed and Memory Limits

Many Apple loyalists have fixated on the memory constraints and underwhelming performance of the new MacBook Pros. The new models have a maximum of 16 gigabytes of RAM — the same limit as the previous MacBook Pro — and roughly the same processor speed as the last professional notebooks. But that’s not the full story.

The new notebooks are much faster in some ways than older models, while other parts are only slightly faster. In speed tests run with the app Geekbench 4, the 15-inch MacBook Pro’s computer processor was only 10 percent to 17 percent faster than the 15-inch model released in 2012. Yet the graphics processor, which is crucial for heavy computing tasks, in the new MacBook Pro is about twice as fast as the one in the older model, and the storage drives are much faster, too.

The RAM limit might irk users who need power. The more RAM you have, the more applications you can open and the more quickly your computer can juggle them. The problem, in theory, is that in a few years if your future apps hog more memory, you won’t be able to add more memory to MacBook Pros because the most they can hold is 16 gigabytes.

Wait for the Early Adopters

Professional Mac users are too divided on the MacBook Pro for me to make a blanket recommendation.

One thing is sure: For casual users or anyone buying their first laptop, who may just want a computer for web browsing and lightweight apps, the MacBook Pro is overkill. A Chromebook, like the $430 Chromebook 13 from Dell, or the $1,000 MacBook Air, Apple’s least expensive notebook computer, are slower and have lower-resolution screens, but they are powerful enough for your needs.

The new MacBook Pros are probably powerful enough for most professionals. But if you consider yourself a power user and are skeptical about the MacBook Pro, you might wait to see whether the initial concerns are borne out after early adopters start using their machines. Plenty have already bought them: Apple said early orders for the new MacBook Pro have been stronger than for past professional notebooks.

On the plus side, these notebooks are fast, with high-resolution screens and responsive keyboards. But the Touch Bar so far feels gimmicky, and not many devices or accessories come with USB-C connectors yet.

The MacBook Pros are also expensive, and some users may end up spending thousands of dollars above the retail price for add-ons like extra storage.