All evidence points to strong sales for Apple’s controversial MacBook Pro with Touch Bar released in 2016. However, the tech giant has dropped to fifth place (tired with Acer) among the “Best & Worst Laptop Brands” for 2017, as determined by Laptop Magazine.
Lenovo knocked Apple out of its long-held top position. Until this year, Apple had held the top spot since 2010. Asus and Dell take second and third place, while HP came in fourth.
Laptop Magazine says Apple has “disappointed creative professionals with its latest wares while also abandoning mainstream shoppers on budgets.” Here’s the publications critiques of the latest portable Macs:
“For starters, the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar didn’t impress us that much in our review. The Touch Bar itself is fairly innovative, but it feels like a tease when you can reach out and touch the entire screen on more versatile, Windows-powered convertibles like the HP Spectre x360 and XPS 13 2-in-1.”
“Apple ditched both traditional USB ports and SD Card slots in favor of Thunderbolt 3. As a result, MacBook Pro owners need to carry around awkward dongles to connect their phones, cameras and other peripherals.”
“Apple also dropped the ball in the value department. The company got rid of the 11-inch Air (pictured above), which was Apple’s most affordable laptop, at $899, leaving the ancient $999 13-inch MacBook Air as the most affordable system in the MacBook lineup. However, the 13-inch Air feels like leftovers that have been left out on the counter for over two years, complete with a 5th Generation Intel Core chip. (We’re now on 7th Gen, people.)”
