12-Inch Retina MacBook Receives Mixed Reviews From Early Adopters

[69Mustang]

Have people forgetten that the MBA was $1799 when it first launched? Did anyone really expect this to launch at $999? In what universe?

In the universe where this laptop is positioned at the bottom of Apple's mac lineup. A better question to ask if Apple remembers the MBA was $1799 when it first launched. The MBA didn't take off until price and functionality improved. I mean would you rather get a fewer sales at $1299 or exponentially more at $999?

 

[KPOM]

But. I do think a proper Retina Macbook Air would have hit the sweet spot. Maybe keep this one in the lab until the time was right for it to come out. Right now, it just seems too compromised as a real useful machine for its price point.

We have to remember, there was literally nothing like the Macbook Air when it first came out. Yes it was pricey, but in that form factor there was nothing like it.


Remember, there weren't iPads at the time, and there weren't "Ultrabooks" either.

I have grown more and more fond of my Surface Pro 3. It seems like there might have been an opportunity for Apple to make a truly affordable Macbook by going the Atom route like MS did with the Surface (non-pro) 3. Maybe something a little cheaper but still well built. The Atom and the Core M are hugely apart in performance terms.

It would have captured the spirit of the older Macbooks.

People are already calling this a "netbook," which it isn't. Can you imagine if they used an Atom?

Skylake will bring a massive improvement in the CPU and GPU. I think by Rev 2 or 3 of this the MacBook is mainstream and at the $999 or $1099 price point.

 

[carrrrrlos]

When I picked up a new MacBook Air a couple of weeks ago, even the guy at the Genius Bar recommend the new Air over the new MacBook.
It is a beautiful design, but it gets in the way of function.

 

[TEBnewyork]

The one problem I have with this thing is (besides the need to buy a $80 adapter just to use your USB) the price.

This Macbook is certainly not worth the $1299 for what it does. I can get the current gen Macbook Pro for the same price and I dont need to buy an adapter for my USB and it can do 3x as much. Just saying.

Sorry you only need $80 adapter if you want the multi-port adapter. USB can be bought for $10.

 

[The Phazer]

The 13"rMBP is essentially the Retina MacBook Air. It actually has a smaller footprint than the 13" MBA. Why is this so hard to grasp? Apple couldn't add a Retina display to the Air without making the battery thicker, in which case they'd have ended up pretty much where the 13" rMBP is today.

There's not an 11 inch Pro, and the idea that they can power a retina screen on the rMB with a smaller battery than the current Air but couldn't do so on a new Air is very silly.

 

[Jungo]

awesome but 12" = TOO small -

my 15" retina only has 22 days left on apple care - ... I want an update 15" but no word in three years. - perhaps a WWDC . - or do I just buy it again.

 

[Taipan]

The limitations of the single port are pretty obvious beforehand, so I don't understand why people buy it and then return it because of those.

 

[iOrbit]

i cannot believe people bought this product and returned it because they couldn't get on without the typical legacy pc options like USB etc.

this product is an amazing achievement, i like it and i don't even own one. but based on the reviews it sounds excellent to me. it also surprises me that people bought one of these to do heavy work on it, like video editing, photoshop etc. bizarre.

clearly, this product combines the efficiency of a tablet, with the prowess of a full OS / Desktop experience.

iPad sucks now, it was great at first when it had a place where it did things better than laptops and phones. NOW that has changed. Phones are better, bigger, and closer to small tablets. and Macs are Thinner, Lighter and lasting longer than ever. where does the iPad come in? its true colours that were always known to us really show now - its a large iPod touch. probably apple will fix this quite soon, maybe even in WWDC. its biggest problem is software, its too much of an infant.

this MacBook however, solves half of this problem. its an excellent compromise between both worlds - portability, and true desktop class computing (software wise). Clearly people didn't get that, or simply - they thought they would try to use it to be something more. in the years to come, it will probably be on par with the MacBook Air. which will leave a new problem - how does the air differentiate from this? it might be Power under the hood.

but last thing i wanted to say - about the iPad -

if apple create a version of iOS tailored for that screen size, and bring in more gesture technology that fits with the tablet size, and keep ramping up the hardware.. then it can have a place again. I still use an iPad 2. I want a new iPad that is actually better tablet, not simply improvements.

iPad is desperately in need of reinvigoration. i believe it can happen if they;

create iOS to be a true multi tasking OS, make much better use of the real estate of that display instead of these over sized large icons. Why not take some notes from what has been done with mac? Make the "Home Screen" the "LaunchPad" that it is on mac. let that be the way of browsing the apps. but why not make it go away and make a whole new use for that screen? More RAM will be needed amongst other things.. come on apple.. step up on that ram.

Hardware wise..

apple.. stop obsessing over thinness now. put back more battery, and add some more ports.. Maybe USB-C on iPad would be good. it might help popularise that technology as well.

create some decent in-house accessory that can turn this tablet into a decent laptop.. make a keyboard with extra battery.

lets not be lazy about iOS.

 

[TEBnewyork]

When I picked up a new MacBook Air a couple of weeks ago, even the guy at the Genius Bar recommend the new Air over the new MacBook.
It is a beautiful design, but it gets in the way of function.

I keep laughing at this...I have a 13" Air and a 13" MBP....the pro is now smaller than the air just weighs 1/2 pound more.

 

[KPOM]

In the universe where this laptop is positioned at the bottom of Apple's mac lineup. A better question to ask if Apple remembers the MBA was $1799 when it first launched. The MBA didn't take off until price and functionality improved. I mean would you rather get a fewer sales at $1299 or exponentially more at $999?

But Apple isn't ready yet to make this mainstream, just as they weren't ready to make the original MacBook Air mainstream in 2008. Too many people still need the extra ports. So they are pushing the envelope with a machine intended for road warriors and early adopters. Once they recoup their R&D and gotten greater acceptance of USB-C they will make this mainstream.

 

[thekeyring]

I don't understand why people are moaning about this laptop's lack of ports. The iPad has only one port.

If you need to plug in lots of things, get a 13" MacBook Pro. It's so thin that people on here predicted Apple would ditch the "Air" and "Pro" names and just have one lineup.

 

[DerekAndonian]

The one problem I have with this thing is (besides the need to buy a $80 adapter just to use your USB) the price.

This Macbook is certainly not worth the $1299 for what it does. I can get the current gen Macbook Pro for the same price and I dont need to buy an adapter for my USB and it can do 3x as much. Just saying.

I was thinking the same thing. I mentioned in another thread that if Apple had something like this that was positioned as the portable version of the Mac Mini, I'd be all over it. But as it is, it's hard to take it seriously when there are far more capable machines in the same price range.

 

[bluush]

I agree about the keyboard. I tried so, so hard to grow to love it, or even like it.. but I simply couldn't. It never felt right, it never felt like my fingers were 'home' and free to type the longwinded kind of emails I like to write. It always felt off to me. My big worry now is that the next generation of Macbook Pros will also adopt this new keyboard style. If they do.... well I really don't even want to start thinking about that.

 

[nevermind13]

I like the rMB. But i also like my rMBP. It is a little bit heavier, but it has all the ports i need without the use of adapters.

If they have built the rMB with "normal" USB or both (USB-C and USB 3.0) it would fit many needs.

The new rMBP 13" is the real deal for me.

 

[KPOM]

awesome but 12" = TOO small -

my 15" retina only has 22 days left on apple care - ... I want an update 15" but no word in three years. - perhaps a WWDC . - or do I just buy it again.

Probably this summer or early fall when the new Intel chips are ready.

 

[Michael Goff]

I don't understand why people are moaning about this laptop's lack of ports. The iPad has only one port.

If you need to plug in lots of things, get a 13" MacBook Pro. It's so thin that people on here predicted Apple would ditch the "Air" and "Pro" names and just have one lineup.

Wait, your explanation for why one port is okay on this is because one port is okay on something that is less than half the price?

 

[kodos]

People are already calling this a "netbook," which it isn't. Can you imagine if they used an Atom?

Skylake will bring a massive improvement in the CPU and GPU. I think by Rev 2 or 3 of this the MacBook is mainstream and at the $999 or $1099 price point.

I think the Netbook attack only stings because of its price. If Apple engineered a beautiful < $1000 Atom based computer and called it Macbook, not Air and not Pro - I think people would understand where it fit in the line. But this is my own personal opinion of course, and I am only a programmer - not a marketer

I think it would have been hugely attractive to my family, but then again they probably think iPad fits in that price point, and not Macs. Which is a shame, because my children are outgrowing iPads as my son is interested in programming, etc.

 

[JoeyEatWorld]

I got the lower end model last week and I am really enjoying it. I really only use the laptop for low/medium processing tasks so it works out well for me. The one port is not an issue either as I use AirPlay with Apple TV and DropBox for all my file transfers. The keyboard is not so bad once you get used to it, and the new track pad is great. I guess I just must be in the small niche of users who this works well for.

My only problem is when using the laptop on my lap I find it almost too light and thin. There is benefit to having a nice weight in your lap.

 

[deputy_doofy]

Echoing the sentiment of the first MBA... I remember the unveiling. It was so cool to look at. $1799???? For an underpowered laptop that could fit in an envelope? I really thought it would become a collector's item and disappear like the cube. Fast forward 6-7 years and I have purchased two 2014 MBAs -- one for my son and one for my girlfriend. I find them to be really nice machines and don't choke until they have to do Handbrake stuff. lol

Not only are the MBAs today great, but I got the two MBAs for less than $1600 (which is far less than I pay for my MacBook Pros).

So, I suspect the MacBook is a test of things. New tech. New ideas. Let's see what works and what doesn't. It kind of sucks to be the "beta tester" for most of us and yet, some people seem to love it.

Finally, the new MacBooks are nice. They're nice to look at. Nice to hold. Nice to use (from what little I did at the Apple store). The force touch track pad is really good. And the keyboard will definitely take some getting used to, assuming that never changes.

I look forward to Apple taking what they've learned and applying it to my 2017 or 2018 MBP.

 

[KPOM]

There's not an 11 inch Pro, and the idea that they can power a retina screen on the rMB with a smaller battery than the current Air but couldn't do so on a new Air is very silly.

The reason they can do it is that the Core M uses 5 watts while the MacBook Air processor uses 15 watts. That difference is enough to power a household CFL or LED light bulb. They would need to use a thicker battery to achieve the same battery life as the MacBook. My guess is that most people who use the 11.6" MacBook Air aren't "power users" and so Apple decided that the Core M was the future for that purpose. But the Haswell Core M is still pricey and not ready for mass adoption. Hence the positioning of the MacBook as a niche device for now.

 

[jmarti62]

Fantastic Machine

I was very skeptical regarding the processing power of the Macbook before purchasing one. I did my research on the Intel Core M and how differently it behaves than current processors I know. When receiving my MacBook I was pleased to find out that it was indeed powerful enough to cover my needs. I purchased the 1.2GHz/512GB configuration and I couldn't be happier. I came from a 2012 15 inch Retina Macbook Pro. Though I knew going in this machine wasn't going to be as powerful as my last Mac, the portability and design were more than worth it. I use my MacBook at work everyday to edit CAD files and it handles it well (along with the obvious use of email, web browsing, messaging, etc). I have noticed the Retina UI lag on it though, but I also noticed it on the 15 inch Retina MacBook Pro. Also, having one USB-C port has potential buyers turning away for lack of ports. I think of it as a challenge. A challenge to live wirelessly instead of docking my MacBook at my desk all day. Now, I load reference CAD files, emails, notes, and reminders on my iPad next to my MacBook (think second monitor). It's an extremely clean and organized look (Space Gray everything!)

 

[crsh1976]

The 13"rMBP is essentially the Retina MacBook Air. It actually has a smaller footprint than the 13" MBA. Why is this so hard to grasp? Apple couldn't add a Retina display to the Air without making the battery thicker, in which case they'd have ended up pretty much where the 13" rMBP is today.

What's so hard to grasp that extreme thinness is pointless past a certain point? When your notebook is so light that anything tips it over sure sounds like a major pain for those trying to get work done.

 

[KPOM]

You do know the newest MBA has a superior GPU, right? That matters a lot as more and more things are being pushed to that instead of straight CPU.

Yes, but it also uses 3 times the electricity. The HD5300 outperforms the HD3000 in the 2011 MacBook Air that people here pretend the MacBook is comparable to. It just goes to show how little Intel has focused on CPU performance the past few generations.

 

[H2SO4]

I'm not surprised that the reviews are mixed. It seems like an incredible little machine. It's powerful and it's sexy. But they really compromised on a lot of important features.

Not so sure I’d call it mixed as many people understand the term.
Mixed to me means a range of opinions where no one particular opinion comes to the fore.
MR said, (and I quote), “Overall, many users agree that the new MacBook has major design appeal but with too many key compromises”.
They’ve used the word ‘Overall’ which suggests to me that most people liked how it looked but ultimately thought it was a fail.

 

[KPOM]

What's so hard to grasp that extreme thinness is pointless past a certain point? When your notebook is so light that anything tips it over sure sounds like a major pain for those trying to get work done.

It's not pointless. I have been carrying around the MacBook in the inner padded pocket of a messenger bag for the past week, with my work notebook in its pouch in the main compartment. I could never have done that with my rMBP, and even the MBA would have been a stretch (the 11.6" would have worked but it has a 16:9 screen of inferior quality). If this were my only notebook it would be even better, but as it is I'll be able to travel with my Mac a lot more than I used to (or actually as much as I used to when I had the 11.6" MBA).

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Not so sure I’d call it mixed as many people understand the term.
Mixed to me means a range of opinions where no one particular opinion comes to the fore.
MR said, (and I quote), “Overall, many users agree that the new MacBook has major design appeal but with too many key compromises”.
They’ve used the word ‘Overall’ which suggests to me that most people liked how it looked but ultimately thought it was a fail.

The opinions are mixed. People like me who know what we are buying like it. People expecting a MacBook Pro in miniature form don't.