Apple announced its touchscreen MacBook Pro yesterday. The 14- and 16-inch models have PROLED XDR OLED displays and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips, which arrived in March. The touchscreen is what I want to try. Preorders are open. Deliveries and store availability begin November 6.
My first question is physical: when I touch the screen, will the laptop tip backward? Apple says it redesigned the hinge for greater stability. I need to put my hands on one.
At my desk, my MacBook stays closed in a dock. I use an external monitor, a wireless mouse, and a wireless keyboard. A touchscreen on the closed laptop does nothing for me.
On a plane? At a hotel? Maybe it will be fabulous. Maybe it will suck. I don’t know yet.
A fully configured 16-inch M5 Max with an 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB of memory, 16TB of storage, and nano-texture glass costs $14,549 before tax and AppleCare. Memory and storage upgrades account for $9,000 of that price. This capacity can be useful for large video projects or running local AI models. Cloud-based AI does its processing elsewhere.
Apple’s trade-in program is worth checking if you’re ready to upgrade. The credit depends on your model, its condition and Apple’s inspection.
If you need a new MacBook, go get one. If you don’t, there’s no reason to rush.
Every company needs a Claw strategy. Do you have one?
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.