The new MacBook Pros with Touch Bar aren't cheap — prices start at $1,800 for the 13-inch model and $2,400 for the 15-inch laptop — and that could affect enterprise adoption. Alexander thinks many organizations will either opt for more affordable MacBooks, a product line that IHS expects Apple to refresh in 2017, or go with new 13-inch MacBook Pros without Touch Bars, which start at $1,500.
Due to their high prices, some enterprises will relegate them to specific subsets of their users, according to Baker says. "Broad adoption in the enterprise is unlikely as a result," he says. Alexander agrees and suggests business adoption of the higher-end MacBook Pros will likely occur in niche environments where the enhanced capabilities can be put to specific uses.
[Related: IBM says Macs save up to $543 per user]
With the exception of Touch ID, which Apple coupled with the Touch Bar to let users unlock their computers with a fingerprint, the MacBook Pro doesn't have any new must-have features for enterprises, according to Moorhead.
Many Apple watchers, including Moorhead, also hope Apple will soon refresh its desktop computers. "There is absolutely demand for a stationary device if Apple wants to meet all the needs of the enterprise," he says. IHS says it hasn't seen any supply chain activity that indicates new desktop Macs will be released in the near term, but Alexander does expect an eventual update. Apple's path forward on desktop Macs could simply mirror the demand it sees for those computers, which has been on the decline for many years, she says.