Biting into a sharper, sweeter apple

THE LAST edition of the MacBook Pro was impressive enough, but its new reincarnation, the 15-inch MacBook Pro has managed to ramp that perfection up a scale with a faster processor, larger memory and better security features.
The new model I got to test, which is not yet available in Thailand, has been configured with 6-core 8th generation Intel Core i9 2.9 GHz processor, 32 GB 2,400 MHz DDR4 working memory or RAM and a very fast 2 terabytes of SSD (Solid State Drive) storage.
It was also the first computer with Core i9 that I had ever tried and the super fast CPU, large memory and fast and large storage resulted in much faster performance.

With two additional processor cores, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro can get through workloads even faster because most pro software is designed to scale well with cores. The underlying code of most pro software is written in multiple threads that can be processed in parallel. So, with more cores to do the processing work, multi-thread workloads can reduce computing times a lot.
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is the first Mac notebook computer to use Core i9, which features Intel’s Thermal Velocity Boost capability enabling the processor to opportunistically turbo up to 4.8 GHz when workloads and system thermals allow.
And with 32 GB DDR4 memory, you will experience better performance when using multiple pro apps simultaneously. Memory-intensive tasks will see a boost in performance. For example, when you apply effects to large projects in Adobe Photoshop, the task will be done up to 2.8 times faster quicker than with 16GB memory.
The new MacBook Pro has super-fast SSD storage with sequential read speeds of up to 3.2GB per second. And 2TB is a lot of memory for storing graphic works.
Video conversion and photo editing were completed fast during the test and the business applications were the fastest I had ever experience.
Measured with Wolffram Mathematica: CPU Benchmark, the new 15-inch MacBook with 6-core processor is 55 per cent faster than 15-inch MacBook Pro with quad-core CPU.
The new MacBook Pro features the custom Apple T2 chip that first debuted in the iMacPro. That chip brings security features like secure booth and encrypted storage, consolidates the system management controller, and audio and SSD controllers, manages the Touch ID, Touch Bar, the camera image signal and the ambient light sensor and also enables Siri personal assistant to receive voice commands. 
The Apple T2 chip has a dedicated hardware encryption engine built into it for encrypting the data on the SSD so only your MacBook can read it. FileVault on MacBook Pro also extends this encryption to add your personal user key to ensure only your credentials can unlock your data.
And the new MacBook Pro now supports a secure boot process to ensure that only operating system software trusted by Apple loads at start up.
The T2 chip allows you to give voice commands to Hey Siri. For example, you can say “Hey Siri, activate the screen saver” as you walk away from your desk. Or you can say “Hey Siri, play some jazz”.
Like the previous MacBook Pro, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro also provides the security and convenience of Touch ID on the keyboard. The Touch ID, which is a fingerprint reader, is integrated with the power button at the end of the Touch Bar. The surface is a laser-cut sapphire crystal surrounded by a black, stainless steel border. Integrated with the button is a capacitive single-touch sensor.

The Touch ID uses sophisticated algorithms to recognise your fingerprint, thanks to a dedicated processor called the Secure Enclave, which is located on the T2 chip.
You can enrol your fingerprint when you’re setting your Mac or you can add your fingerprint later, then use your fingerprint to unlock it instead of typing user password.
Best of all, you can also quickly and securely authorise Apple Pay purchases on the web in Safari with Touch ID.
The new MacBook Pro retains the Touch Bar, which was introduced in the previous MacBook Pro to provide a dimension of interactivity to the keyboard in lieu of conventional function keys.
The Touch Bar is actually a Retina-resolution strip of glass with Multi-Touch capabilities. It has 2170x60-pixels resolution that can display millions of colours. It is located at the top of the keyboard where the function row used to be.
The Touch Bar can still display function keys but it has a lot of more uses because it is designed to dynamically adapt to the application you are using by providing app controls when and where you need them.
For example, the Touch Bar can provide formatting shortcuts, easy access to emojis, iTunes playing control and volume controls.
I loved this concept of a Touch Bar because it helped me discover useful functionality within the apps I use frequently to speed up common tasks.
The Touch Bar functionality is integrated throughout macOS and in apps such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and Final Cut Pro X. Third-party apps have also adopted the Touch Bar functionality. They include Evernote, Microsoft Office, Spotify, Adobe Photoshop and Final Draft.
Among other things, the Touch Bar provides the Control Strip that shows familiar system controls like display brightness, keyboard backlight, media controls, system volume and Siri.
And when you use Safari browser, for example, the Touch Bar will provide tab thumbnails to switch between your open tabs. When you tap the search field or open a new tab, the Touch Bar shows your favourite pages.
When you use Photos app, you can slide your finger along the middle of the Touch Bar to browse your library. You can even rotate or edit a photo on the Touch Bar. For example, in Crop mode, you can use the alignment wheel to straighten your photo.
The new MacBook Pro comes with a beautiful Retina display with True Tone technology. The display is very bright with 500 nits of brightness and it supports P3 wide colour. 
Apple says the Retina display of the new MacBook Pro comes with the True Tone technology used in iPhone and iPad Pro. So the new Pro will now automatically shift the whitepoint of the display and the Touch Bar to match the colour temperature in the room, resulting in a more natural and comfortable viewing experience. The display has 2880x1800 pixels.
Another thing I love about the MacBook Pro is its keyboard, which delivers a quiet, comfortable and precise typing experience. The keyboard features a butterfly mechanism, which provides four times more key stability than a traditional scissor mechanism. Best of all, every key is individually illuminated with low-power LEDs, so I could conveniently type in low-light conditions.
Like the previous MacBook Pro, the new Mac notebook comes with four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports and abandons other ports, such as Thunderbolt 2 or full-size USB ports that are larger in size. Apple says there are now over 300 Thunderbolt 3 accessories and peripherals in the market so the ports will be very useful.

Every Thunderbolt 3 port is versatile and fast and supports charging, data transfer and video output. It’s also compatible with USB-C peripherals.
You can charge your MacBook Pro with any one of four Thunderbolt 3 ports - two on the right side and two others on the left side of the MacBook Pro.
And the Thunderbolt 3 ports have twice the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 2. The Thunderbolt 3 has a bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps. And when you connect USB-C devices, you’ll enjoy USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
You can even connect two 5K displays to your MacBook Pro to get a whole new level of workspace.
The graphic engine of the new MacBook Pro is AMD Radeon Pro 560X with 4 GB of video memory. You can also upgrade the graphics performance with an optional and external module, Blackmagic eGPU that features a Radeon Pro 580 graphics processor and provides up to 2.8x faster graphics.
Two options of new 15-inch MacBook Pro are available on www.Apple.com/th. The option with Core i7 2.2 GHz, 16 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD retails for Bt85,900 and the option with Core i7 2.6 GHz, 16GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD for Bt100,900. They are available in silver and space grey. Blackmagic eGPU is available at www.Apple.com for US$699.
 

>> OS: macOS High Sierra
>> Processor: 2.9 GHz |6-core Intel Core i9
>> Memory: 32 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 RAM
>> Storage: 2TB SSD
>> Graphics: Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
>> Display: 15.4-inch |500-nit LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology with 2880x1800 pixels, P3, True Tone technology
>> Camera: 720p FaceTime HD camera
>> Wireless: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
>> Charging and expansion: 4 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
>> Battery: Built-in 83.6-watt lithium-polymer battery; up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing
>> Dimensions: 34.93x24.07x1.55cm (WxDxH)
>> Weight: 1.83kg |(vary according to configuration)
>> In the box: 15-inch MacBook Pro, 87W USB-C Power Adapter, USB-C Charge Cable (2M)