MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
Apple unveiled the first new MacBook Pro laptops since 2014 last week, but the reaction was probably not what the firm was hoping as many were upset about the changes.
Thousands of users have flocked to Reddit since Thursday's MacBook launch to mock the sky-high prices and lack of connectivity options, while we too have made plain the problems we have with Apple's devices, not least the ridiculous cost.
As such, there may be many out there who, having set their pennies aside for a brand new MacBook Pro, find themselves wondering whether they may be better of splashing their cash elsewhere.
With that in mind, we've rounded up seven of the best alternatives to Apple's MacBook Pro.
Dell XPS 13
Dell upgraded its popular XPS 13 laptop in September, kitting out the machine with Intel's 7th-Generation processors and a new MacBook-esque 'rose gold' colour option.
The Dell XPS 13 doesn't offer the 'Touch Bar' smarts of Apple's new MacBook Pro, but it does have an edge-less 13.3in display that the firm says fits inside an 11in frame, and it trumps Apple's new laptops with a claimed 22-hour battery life.
The Dell XPS 13 can be configured with an Intel Core i3-7100U CPU, Core i5-7200U CPU or a Core i7-7500U CPU with a choice of 4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Storage options range from a 128GB SATA drive to a 1TB PCI-e SSD.
The Dell XPS 13 is available to pick up at Currys from £1,049.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
Microsoft Surface Book
Microsoft's newer, souped-up Surface Book hasn't yet been released in the UK, but the firm's last-generation model still gives the MacBook a run for its money.
The laptop, which is Microsoft's first, has a 13.5in 3000x2000 display, Surface Pen support and a Lenovo Yoga-style hinge. At launch, Microsoft touted the machine as the "most powerful" laptop yet, thanks to the second Nvidia GeForce GPU that sits inside the Surface Book's keyboard. This keyboard is removable, and the tablet component switches to the integrated GPU when the screen is detached.
The Surface Book comes with Intel innards, a premium MacBook-style metal design, a glass trackpad, Windows 10 Pro, 8MP and 5MP cameras, a full-sized SD card reader, a mini DisplayPort and up to 1TB of flash storage.
The Surface Book is available at the Microsoft Store from £1,439.10.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
Acer Swift 7
The Acer Swift 7 arrived last month as one of the first Kaby Lake-powered laptops, and it's also the thinnest ever made at just 9.98mm.
Acer manages to pack a lot into that 1.1kg shell, including a 7th-generation Core i5-7300U processor, up to 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, a 13.3in IPS Full HD panel and a battery that will last a claimed nine hours. MacBook defectors might not be so pleased to hear that the laptop comes with two USB-C ports.
However, Acer has made the premium Ultrabook available with a gold and black colour scheme in a bid to win over MacBook users.
The Acer Swift 7 is available to pick up at Littlewoods for £1,279.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
HP Spectre x360
No doubt pre-empting Apple's MacBook launch, HP unveiled a new version of the Spectre x360 convertible last month with a slimmer design, Kaby Lake processors and a beefier battery.
This isn't yet available in the UK, but HP's previous-gen Spectre x360 still gives Apple a run for its money in the specs stakes. At the Spectre's forefront is a 13.3in QHD touchscreen housed in a brushed aluminium case offering all the flexible smarts of Lenovo's Yoga and Microsoft's Surface Book laptops.
Despite the laptop's skinny frame, it trumps the MacBook in the connectivity stakes with a mini-DisplayPort, SD card reader, full-size HDMI port and three USB 3.0 ports.
The HP Spectre x360 can be picked up at HP's online shop from £999.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
Samsung Galaxy TabPro S
Samsung no longer releases PCs in the UK, but claims that its Galaxy TabPro S tablet is the perfect laptop replacement.
Much like the Surface Pro 4, the Windows 10-powered Galaxy TabPro S has a foldable keyboard cover add-on and support for stylus input that aims to appeal to consumers and professionals.
On the specs side, you'll find a 12in 2,160x1440 resolution AMOLED display, and the makeshift laptop uses an Intel Core M processor alongside 4GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. There's also a 5,200mAh battery which Samsung claims will offer 10.5 hours of life and can be charged to full in 2.5 hours.
The Galaxy TabPro S has a dual 5MP camera set-up, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 and a choice of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is available at Currys from £699.99.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
Lenovo Yoga Book
Apple claims innovation with its Retina Touch Bar and lack of ports, but Lenovo has gone one step further with the keyboard-less Yoga Book.
The streamlined laptop ditches traditional keys for what Lenovo describes as the Halo Keyboard, which essentially acts as a touchscreen alternative. Unlike Microsoft's Touch Covers that appeared on the Surface, Lenovo's effort provides haptic feedback to more accurately recreate the sensation of typing. There's also a touchpad below the space bar for the tablet to be used more like a laptop.
The keyboard transforms into a drawing area when not in use, and can then be written or doodled on using the supplied Real Pen stylus.
The Lenovo Yoga Book has an Intel Atom x5-Z8550 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. In terms of connectivity, the Yoga Book opts for microUSB over USB-C, and there are slots for microSD and mini HDMI.
The Lenovo Yoga Book is available to buy at Currys from £549.99.
MacBook Pro 2016: 7 rivals to Apple's latest laptop
Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, Dell and Lenovo all offer alternatives to pricey new devices
MacBook
If you're not ready to give up macOS yet, Apple's 12in MacBook could be a (slightly) more affordable alternative to the pricey MacBook Pros.
While also lacking USB ports, Apple's MacBook is the firm's lightest model ever at 2lbs (0.9kg) and 13.1mm at its thickest point. This makes it 20 per cent skinnier than the 11in MacBook Air, which is 17.1mm thick.
The MacBook, available in four colours (above), comes with Intel's fanless Core M processor, Apple's 'Force Touch' trackpad, a Surface-rivalling 2340x1440 Retina display which Apple claims has over three million pixels, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.