Apple's new MacBook Pros replace function keys with Touch Bar

Right after Microsoft announced a new all-in-one PC and Surface Book, Apple unveiled a line of MacBook Pros. For the first time in 17 months, Apple has updated its MacBook Pro computers and this time they come with a Touch Bar at the top, replacing the row formerly occupied by function keys. The escape key was also on this row, but people who miss it are able to customize the Touch Bar to have any keys they want easily accessible.

The mini touch display is the most innovative part of the new laptops, which are also thinner and lighter than before. The touch display adapts to fit what users are doing on the screen. They can pull up different options on the Touch Bar that allows them to do tasks such as flip through photos and emojis. It can also be a scroll that changes the volume or brightness.

Like some of Apple's previous innovations, the new line is a design choice that is likely much more enjoyable to use than it sounds. Early "first look" reviews suggest as much. Even so, Apple is facing steep competition. Although Apple might have wanted to outshine Microsoft's event, it has not really achieved that. The Surface Studio has a lot of hype around it and the updated Surface Book with a bigger battery is still a very unique two-in-one laptop/tablet hybrid, a category that has been doing better than traditional laptops.

Apple is also betting consumers will appreciate other design changes. To achieve the current thinness of the MacBook Pros, the keyboard now uses keys similar to those on the 12in MacBook. This means very shallow travel and has proven a divisive design choice as some people do not mind shallow keys but others find them less comfortable to type on. On the other hand, Apple has doubled the size of the trackpad, which should be a welcome choice for a company known for making the best trackpads in the business.

MacBooks are also getting more expensive. Apple has discontinued the 11in MacBook Air, the company's cheapest laptop, for consumers (it will still be available to education markets). The new 13in MacBook Pro starts at $1,499, but that base model does not come with the Touch Bar. The average base price for Apple's laptops is now$1,600, which is $300 more expensive than it used to be, according to the Wall Street Journal. Part of the reason for this, it is believed, is because Apple wants the iPad Pro to replace basic laptops. This puts Apple in an even tougher competitive position because Microsoft has been pushing the Surface Pro line as the real "tablet that can replace your laptop."

While Apple's innovations can inspire other companies, many China makers are invested in the success of Microsoft's strategy. Windows 10 works well on a wide range of hardware. If the Universal Windows Platform catches on with developers, China hardware will become even more valuable as the quality is often much better per dollar than what competitors offer.