In addition to the new 13" and 15" Touch Bar-equipped models, a third new 13" MacBook Pro has also been introduced, which is even slimmer, even lighter, but features only two thunderbolt ports, and a traditional function key array. Obvious uses including scrubbing through a video timeline in Final Cut Pro, and quick text formatting and email flagging in Apple's Mail app. The Touch Bar is fully customizable, and its default functions change depending on the application. Much anticipated (and leaked), this is a touch-sensitive display strip, that effectively replaces the traditional function keys which have been a feature of consumer computing for more than 40 years.
The big news, however, is the addition of a 'Touch Bar'. Their new 'force touch' trackpads are twice as large as the previous-generation, and the keyboards have been redesigned, with a slimmer butterfly switch design, that Apple claims will offer superior tactile feel to the similar switches in the 12" MacBook. It's no surprise that the two new flagship MacBook Pro models are slimmer and lighter than their predecessors, but the ergonomic changes are more fundamental than that. The long-awaited new flagship 13" and 15" MacBook Pros bring performance boosts compared to the previous generation, revamped ergonomics, and a new 'Touch Bar', aimed at making the machines more versatile for creative professionals. On the 25th anniversary of the first PowerBook, Apple has announced three new MacBook Pro models.