Not convinced. I'd say the best laptop right now is still the 2015 Macbook Pro.
It's not wrong that this was probably one of the best hardware designs and Apple was wrong not to just keep upgrading the processors and memory and churning machines out... but since Apple decided Touchbars and shitty keyboards all for want of a few millimeters that nobody cares about is the way of the future, we're stuck looking elsewhere for hardware.
I have to personally admit that I have seriously contemplated buying one of these 2015 machines refurbed, as my 2012 MBP is on its last legs and I need to replace it... six months ago. I also looked at the machine in this article and really quite liked the hardware, but would never buy it from the company that's building it, which is another market fail.
(And it's also annoying to watch people call the machine in the article a Macbook clone, when it's really closer to being a Chromebook Pixel clone, all the way down to the 3:2 screen; I love the Chromebook Pixel too, but living with Chromebook hardware as a software dev is a high-level annoyance that I wouldn't wish on anyone for their daily driving experience.)
What I liked about the 2017:
- Great screen (the P3 does make a difference).
- Loud speakers (though over a certain percent the chassis would vibrate).
- Slightly smaller footprint.
- Slightly thinner.
- Weighs slightly less.
What I like about the 2015:
- Reliable keyboard.
- Stiffer LCD hinge (less wobbling, don't care about how hard it is to open).
- No branding at the bottom of screen.
- MagSafe power adapter with charging/charged LED status indicator.
- Storage can be self-upgraded.
- No accidental TouchBar taps resulting in play/pause or locking screen.
I would do that; I actually did something similar last month with the (now aged) iPhone 5SE. If you buy Apple Care on it they will support it.. You're not losing anything by having a slightly older CPU realistically.
I’m on the same path as GP, terrified that my MBP 2015 breaks. However, it will be my last mac. I’m fed up with apple’s bs when it comes to their pro laptops.
(edit: spelling)