3 MacBook Pros Focus On Productivity — But Are They For Business?

The revamped MacBook Pro line of laptops has arrived with 13 and 15-inch models almost four years after the last noteworthy upgrade. And this time around there are more changes, both inside and outside.

A Look at the New 2016 MacBook Pros

Externally, they are smaller with the 13-inch coming in at 14.9 mm thick and 3 lbs, while the 15-inch is slightly bigger at 4 lbs and 15.4 mm.

The first noticeable difference is the absence of the function keys on the top part of the keyboard, which has been replaced with the Touch Bar. It is a strip of OLED touchscreen panel with different functions that adapt depending on the app you are using. For MS Office users, this will mean better access to the tools they need right away. It also has an integrated iOS-style Touch ID fingerprint scanner to unlock the device and switch users.

The displays have native resolution of 2560×1600 for the 13-inch Pro and 2880×1800 for the 15-inch model. The processors are Intel’s Core i5 and i7, with 8 to 16 GB of RAM and internal SSD storage of up to 2 TB. As for battery power, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) claims up to 10 hours with wireless web and iTunes movie playback usage.

Price

The 13-inch and 15-inch models with Touch Bar start at $1799 and $2399 respectively and go all the way up to $1999 and $2799. There is also a 13-inch version that is slimmer, doesn’t have the Touch Bar and comes with only two Thunderbolt ports starting at $1499.

Small Business Use

Apple computers are not known for being budget friendly, but for creatives and power users, they can justify the price. As Apple continues to blur the lines between iOS and Mac with every new device and OS upgrade, the functionalities the company introduces will address the needs of many small businesses. So the price will be well worth it.

Images: Apple