Quick Answer
For Dave2D, the new touchscreen MacBook Pro’s strongest upgrade is its lower weight. His first impressions praise the OLED display, but touch does little to improve his video-editing workflow. A lighter laptop offers something more immediate: easier carrying without learning a new way to work. That combination could tempt owners of older Apple silicon MacBook Pros whose performance still feels sufficient.
Why weight matters when your Mac is already fast
Dave2D’s The NEW MacBook Pro – First Impressions lands on a familiar problem for Apple: his M2 Max MacBook Pro still does its job well. Another processor upgrade is a difficult sell when the computer you own already feels fast enough.
His reaction suggests a more persuasive pitch. Reduce the burden of carrying the machine, improve the screen, and keep the workflow people already like. The upgrade starts to matter outside a benchmark. That is a different buying question from whether Apple was right to bring touch to the Mac.
A lighter MacBook changes the part you do every day
The old MacBook Pro’s weight became easy to accept as the price of serious performance and cooling. Dave2D’s point is that this trade-off no longer feels quite so inevitable once you pick up the redesigned model.
Apple’s published specifications list the 14-inch OLED model at 1.38 kg with M5 Pro or 1.40 kg with M5 Max. The 16-inch versions are 1.82 kg and 1.84 kg respectively. Match both screen size and chip configuration when comparing those figures with your current Mac.
The useful distinction: occasional input, constant carrying
You might touch the screen only a few times during a working day. You carry the laptop on every commute, trip and walk between meetings. For someone who works in several places, lower weight can improve ownership even when their apps and habits stay exactly the same.
He also notices revised vents, a thinner body and more recessed feet. His proposed explanation for the internal airflow is an inference from the exterior, rather than a teardown finding. The important observation here is how the machine feels to carry; its cooling performance still needs sustained testing.
OLED impresses him. Touchscreen editing does not
The display earns a much warmer response than the input method. Dave2D finds the OLED panel’s dark blacks and lack of blooming especially appealing for photos, video and darker game scenes. For ordinary browsing, he expects the difference to be less obvious to many users.
That separates two upgrades often bundled into one headline. You can value the OLED screen without wanting to reach across the keyboard to operate it.
When he tries video editing by touch, the interaction feels awkward. His familiar mouse and trackpad workflow remains the more efficient choice for him. After repeated reaching, he also notices fatigue in his hand and arm.
Where touch could earn its place
He sees more potential in interactions that use several fingers at once, such as the music-production demonstration, and in manipulating 3D content. Those are reasons to try touch inside a specific app. They do not establish that tapping a screen will make every Mac task faster.
The buying test is practical: try a task you repeat every day, using your usual shortcuts and input devices first. Then try touch. An impressive demonstration becomes valuable when it improves your own work.
Better hardware still leaves fingerprints
Dave2D notices a firmer hinge that reduces wobble while remaining easy to open with one hand. He also describes interface adjustments that enlarge small controls for touch. These details make the feature easier to use, even if they do not change his preferred editing method.
Screen cleanliness is another consideration. Both the glossy and nano-texture demonstration units show visible fingerprints in his footage. Many people had been handling them, making this a demanding environment rather than a controlled comparison of everyday use.
If you are choosing between finishes, do not treat nano-texture as a promise of a spotless touchscreen. Its appeal is managing reflections; our nano-texture versus standard glass guide looks more closely at that choice.
Should an M1 or M2 MacBook Pro owner upgrade?
Dave2D has not said he is replacing his M2 Max. He says the reduction in weight, together with the smaller improvements, makes him consider whether the time has finally come. That is a meaningful distinction: renewed interest is not a purchase recommendation.
The new OLED models retain M5 Pro and M5 Max. Apple lists U.S. starting prices of $2,899 for the 14-inch M5 Pro model and $3,399 for the 16-inch M5 Pro model in its October 28 announcement. A computer that is easier to carry still has to justify a substantial replacement cost.
Our take: identify the friction before paying to remove it
If carrying your current Pro is the daily annoyance: the lighter design deserves an in-person comparison. Pick up the size you would actually buy, rather than judging portability from product photos.
If screen quality affects your work: compare familiar photos or footage on both machines. Decide whether the OLED improvement helps the work you produce.
If your Mac mostly stays at a desk and already handles your workload: the case for replacement is weaker. Occasional touch gestures may not add enough value to change that calculation.
This is the strongest idea in Dave2D’s first look: Apple can make an existing Mac owner interested again by improving the experience around performance. The lighter body and OLED panel may do more to achieve that than the feature attracting the loudest debate.
FAQ
Has Dave2D tested battery life and sustained performance?
Not in this video. It covers launch-event impressions, so it does not establish real-world battery life, long export performance or fan noise under sustained load. Those results matter when deciding whether the lighter design fits demanding mobile work.
Can developers replace an iPhone or iPad with touchscreen Mac testing?
Dave2D raises direct touch interaction as a potential benefit for app developers. That is a possible workflow improvement, not evidence that a Mac replaces testing on physical devices, including their sensors, cameras and device-specific behavior.
Related Reading
- Why Apple Finally Changed Its Mind About Touchscreen Macs
- New Touchscreen MacBook Pro: What Problems Remain?
- MacBook Pro Nano-Texture vs Standard Glass
- Why the OLED MacBook Pro Still Uses M5 Pro Instead of M6
- Is the Touchscreen MacBook Pro Worth the Extra $400?
- M6 iMac vs M6 Mac mini: Comparing a Complete Desktop Setup
Video commentary: Dave2D, The NEW MacBook Pro – First Impressions. Product specifications and U.S. starting prices checked against Apple on October 30, 2026.
