With so many Mac computers available on the market today, it can be difficult to decide whether you want a sleek, minimalist MacBook Air or the powerhouse 15-inch MacBook Pro. Both the new models have been redesigned and are now thinner and lighter than their predecessors, with a bigger and better Retina display, faster SSD storage, more powerful graphics and a smart, useful Touch Bar.
Apple has also dropped legacy ports in favor of USB-C, a move that will require a truckload of adapters (but one that is widely being adopted by other high-end laptops). But it's not all good news: If you are heavily dependent on traditional connections, this year's MacBook Pro will force you to carry around a lot of dongles, which can be inconvenient and frustrating.
If you do want to make the switch, though, you'll find that the 2016 Pros are much more powerful than their predecessors thanks to Intel's new Skylake processor architecture, which is up to 13 percent faster in some tasks. And for those who do need a dedicated GPU, this year's models include discrete Radeon Pro graphics, which are up to 130 percent faster than their predecessors in 3D graphics rendering and can power down when not in use.
The new models are now available to preorder online and in stores, with shipping estimates starting at June 12. The Air is still on sale, but it won't receive an update next year — so if you need an inexpensive and reliable computer for everyday computing duties, the older models may be the best choice.