Is the new MacBook Pro really worth the price? Hands-on with Apple’s high-end notebook

Apple’s new MacBook Pro comes with an eye-catching feature, a Touch Bar across the top of the keyboard that replaces the function keys with virtual buttons and sliders that change in context, depending on which program or app you’re using at any given moment.

But starting at $1799 for a 13-inch model with Touch Bar, this is no small investment. So is the new MacBook Pro really worth it? Andru Edwards of Gear Live & Todd Bishop of GeekWire have a new MacBook Pro in-studio for this special GeekWire podcast and video segment to give us their take.

The concept of Touch Bar might strike some as a gimmick — why not just make a full touch screen, Apple? — but Andru has actually been using it, and he like what he’s experienced so far. “It’s pretty cool, and it’s definitely unique, and it gives you controls that you may not have known were there,” he explains.

I point to the vivid icons on the Touch Bar in emoji mode as an example of the feature’s promise. “That really makes you see what the potential is — and I think potential is the key word here, because this just came out,” he said, predicting that additional support from third-party apps will make the value of the Touch Bar more obvious in the future.

It is, without question, a beautiful machine, complete with a oversized Trackpad for easy navigation and multitouch shortcuts. But there’s also the question of the MacBook Pro’s ports, which are limited to four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports. Andru shows us how he manages the situation with a multiport adapter that he carries in his bag.

What do you think, is the new MacBook Pro worth it? Watch the video above, listen below, download the MP3, and weigh in with your comments below.