Kaby Lake processors, improved graphics: is that enough to make the 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro a pro laptop?
It’s always an event when Apple launches a MacBook, but in 2017 the then new MacBook Pro simply offered an internal spec improvement rather than radical design overhaul.
There are two size options in the 13-inch and the 15-inch models. As we said in our preview of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 15-inch model is more deserving of the name ‘Pro’ than it’s smaller sibling. However, is it truly a pro machine?
The Pro status of Apple’s 15-inch MacBook depends on what sort of ‘pro’ you are. Traditionally creative pros would have turned to the Mac for their needs, be it design work, editing photos, working with video and animation, or other jobs that require decent graphic capabilities.
Other MacBook Pro users might include gamers, programmers, and office workers who need a capable Mac with a larger screen than the 13-inches offered by the other Mac laptops.
We will be considering all these users as we evaluate the 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro. Is the new MacBook Pro going to answer their requirements or would they be better off with a different Mac, or dare we say, a PC or Linux machine.
The two changes to the MacBook Pro models launched at WWDC in June 2017 are the Kaby Lake processors and the improved graphics. Do those updates combine to make this a five star machine?
Price and availability
The 2017 MacBook Pro is no longer officially on sale, but you may find secondhand or refurbished models available. At retail it was an expensive computer:
2.8GHz Kaby Lake i7 quad-core processor, Touch Bar, 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, Radeon Pro 555, £2,349/$2,399
2.9GHz Kaby Lake i7 quad-core processor, Touch Bar, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, Radeon Pro 560, £2,699/$2,799
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