The release of the new MacBook Pro was well welcomed considering the the old model was in need of some major upgrades. We saw Apple take some “courage” when they removed the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack on their new iPhone 7, so we knew that some major things were going to happen with the new MacBook Pro. And they did. With that, let us look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the new MacBook Pro.

Starting off with the good is a new design. The new MacBook Pro is thinner, lighter, and has a smaller footprint than the model before even though the screens are the same sizes, 13 inches and 15 inches. However, that smaller size comes with some serious trade offs which will be talked about later on in this article. Personally, I love the new design; it’s sleek and light and it comes in a new color, Space Gray (by the way, Space Gray looks amazing). As always, people have their own beliefs on looks, so results may vary.

The new hardware inside is a welcomed change. The processor is upgraded to a 6th generation Intel Core CPU, although the latest 7th generation would have been nice. The GPU(s) also received an upgrade. The 13 inch models have new Intel Iris Graphics and the 15 inch models have new AMD Radeon Pro 450 and 455 graphics. Storage on both models has been upgraded to faster PCI – E storage, too. Lastly, the screens have been upgraded. They retain the same resolution as last year, however, the screens are noticeably brighter and they produce a wider color gamut.

This next upgrade can be good, bad, or ugly for some people. The Touch Bar. For me, it’s just kind of there. Granted, I do not have a new MacBook Pro, but I’ve seen it in person. For others it can be a big help with programs such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop. It adapts to what app the user is using and creates shortcuts. Right now, it is early to tell how useful it will be, but that is how all first generation tech is; it is a cool idea and I hope it works out in the end. Oh, and it can be used as a emoji keyboard, so yay.

Now it is time for the bad. To start off are the ports, or lack thereof. The new MacBook Pro has been upgraded to USB – Type C Thunderbolt 3 ports. On the MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar there are 2 of these ports and for the MacBook Pro(s) with a Touch Bar there are 4. The previous model had 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports, 2 USB – Type B ports, a HDMI port, and a SD card reader. Not to mention a MagSafe 2 charging port (RIP). Wow, there are a lot of ports gone that were super helpful for a “Pro” user. It is so early in the life span of USB – Type C that the technology just isn’t there yet. Could you argue that Apple is trying to future proof their products, yes; however, the tech world isn’t ready yet for a magic port. Consumers buying and using the new MacBook Pro will be living the #Donglelife.

Now the ugly. There have been rumors that the new MacBook Pro has terrible battery life. Apple has claimed that it can last 10 hours on a single charge. Not so fast, some users have reported that they are getting 3 to 6 hours of battery life with the new MacBook Pro which is way off what is advertised. The cause of this is still unclear; it is possible that the dGPU is always on which would dramatically affect battery life, and it is also possible the new battery size because of the smaller overall size could affect battery life. If these rumors are true, Apple needs to get on that. Next, some buyers have been experiencing problems with the display. For example, a user reported that while transcoding a video, the display began to glitch and then the MacBook crashed. Other users have reported brightly colored flickering and screen tearing. For a near $2,000 and higher laptop these things should not be happening. Again, these are rumors so take them with a grain of salt.

With all this being said, is the new MacBook Pro worth the upgrade? Well if you are a person that is currently using a 2 or 3 year old MacBook Pro then the answer is no. However, if you are a person who can actually use the “Pro” capabilities of this laptop and do not currently own a professional computer then I would say maybe. For me, I’m sticking with my older MacBook Pro. If you are going to buy this, just remember the good, the bad, and the ugly.