Computers are essential to our lives, especially our academic lives. We rely on them to write our English essays, conduct research for our classes and use websites like slader.com for math help. Everyone’s worst fear is probably having their computer crash just when they had finished writing their English essay at 11:59 p.m. and were just about to submit it to turnitin.com. With all the important activities and assignments we complete using our computers, it’s important to purchase computers that are reliable and suitable to our needs. A few new exciting launches offer great choices whether you’re actually looking for a new computer, or would just like an excuse to go computer shopping.
Apple recently launched its highly anticipated updated MacBook Pro. According to their website, the new MacBook is 130 percent faster graphically compared to the old MacBook Pro, has a 67 percent brighter display and is up to 17 percent thinner. The new 13-inch model weighs three pounds and is 14.9 mm thick. The new 15-inch model weighs 4 pounds and is 15.5 mm thick. The new retina display has a 67 percent higher contrast ratio and the improved speakers have 58 percent more volume, up to 2.5x louder bass and 2x the dynamic range of the old model. The keyboard has also been approved to have four times more key stability and the MacBook Pro has up to a two times larger trackpad depending on what size one chooses.
The largest and most exciting improvement by far is the new touch bar, which is replacing the traditional upper part of a keyboard that contains the escape button and other shortcuts. The touch bar changes automatically to match what application the user is on. For example, if you’re on email, the touch bar will display a variety of emojis so you can easily browse through them, or if you’re on a photo editing program, you can use the touch bar to easily adjust the photo’s brightness and other effects. The MacBook Pro also now has a touch ID, making access and purchases easy.
Apple is offering three versions of the new MacBook Pro. They’re offering a 13-inch screen without the touch Bar, a 13-inch size with the touch bar and touch ID and a 15-inch screen with touch Bar and touch ID. Despite slow initial sales, senior vice president Phil Schiller said in an interview with The Independent that sales were going well. In addition the website DigiTimes has cited sources saying that Apple has ordered up to 15 million units for 2016 and will order the same amount for 2017.
The MacBook Pro is not the only great computer on the market however. Other recent releases include the Dell Inspiron 17 7000, which is a 17 inch 2-in-1 laptop, the Asus Transformer 3 Mini and Pro, both of which are 2-in-1 laptops, which feature a detachable cover keyboard and stylus and Lenovo’s ThinkPad T460, which is a 15-inch laptop with over 21 hours of battery life. With multiple computers in the market, their are options for everyone.
Rachel Wei
Features Editor
