The CAN'T-List of the new MacBook. Reasons not to buy

[Dr Charter]

4. "can't run an external HDD and charge simultaneously -> battery dies during file transfer, files are f*"

I know there aren't many USB-C drives out right now but isn't an obvious solution a drive with two ports (one as a pass through for charging) or a drive that doubles as a battery pack? Or how about a hub you could put on your desk? I know everyone's use cases are different but I don't always have a drive plugged into my laptop and rarely even charge it during the day. Even on my 15" rMBP, a full charge easily gets me through the workday.

All of the fuss about this laptop reminds me of the outrage about the lack of an optical drive in the first Air.

 

[hans1972]

It seems to me that you are reading a specification list like you were an Android user.

You pay for a high-resolution screen with a full keyboard, a fantastic trackpad in a very small package and the low weight.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Alright. Ive read what some of you have to say and im going to provide my input as its all criticism which is good but there are some good and bad things on this system.

Firstly, lets start with the pros,

I think the trackpad design is amazing. I personally own a Macbook 3,1 and i like having having a separate button from the trackpad. I hate the current ones where i click it down shifting the cursor. The fact that the new trackpad doesnt click but gives me that feeling in my opinion is neat. i cannot wait to try it out.

The new keyboard. If this design really does reduce the shift of keys I believe its amazing.

The layout of the motherboard- Coming from my standpoint where i launch a simple youtube video or get on facebook and my fans blast because of flash, i know how annoying fans and batteries can get. For Intel to come out with a CPU that creates little to no heat eliminating the need for a heat sink is in my opinion astonishing. Back in the 90's most CPus had a small heat sink of nothing at all. My parents first 386 had a tiny heatsink and to the touch it was warm but not burning. So for Intel to do this and apple to take this and create it i think it amazing.

Finally the weight and dimensions. For machines to get this small and yet just as powerful is something of amazement. We complain now about 5 pound laptops yet the first portables where 20 pounds if not more.

HOWEVER, as a few of you pointed out it does have some things we do not like, so the Cons-

USB C- As an owner of a few Imac G3's and my Macbook 3,1 ive always hated that apple only has 2 USB plugs on these systems. As my main apple and windows Machine i do a lot with External hard drives, internal hard drives connected to a SATA TO USB when servicing computers and i found i had to switch to a bluetooth mouse because i needed the USB. Being a computer technician ive seen many USB plugs on both Laptops and desktops damaged due to wear and tear or even trying to plug a USB incorrectly into it. So having one USB i think to apple is a little sad.

The adapters- we had the same issues when the iphone 5 was released. All our gadgets became obsolete and many claimed apple should have given us the $35 dollar adapter free for anyone who upgraded. I find apple is veering away from simplicity from the customers side to simplicity to their side in making $$. Anyone who buys this computer for more then just a browsing machine to replace their netbook will need this. Not only did apple only provide one usb for everything but they wont even provide the adapter with the purchase.

The new Intel M chip. As ive mentioned i still use a macbook 3,1 running an Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.2Ghz with a 4Mb L2 Cache. For a Core 2 Duo thats a decently fast chip. Now im not entirely sure what exact model Of Intel M the macbook will have but ive read up that it features a L3 2mb Cache. Although its a higher cache its half of my old timer and runs at a clock speed at 1.3 Ghz i believe. In the terms of speed the INtel M is situated between the intel ATom and Pentium series in performance. To me thats sad that apple would use such a chip. Its a slower chip. Steve jobs had high prices for decent specked machines. But a machine thats lower on the scale then a PENTIUM?

FINALLY- The price. When my macbook was new in December 2007, I paid $1499 for it. It had almost the same CPU chip as the next model Macbook pro just a smaller MUCH smaller video card and only 1gb of ram versus 2. This model Ships starting at $1549. WOW and you still have to haul out another $79 for the adapter. The macbooks where always the lower end machines. Then why is it priced $500 more then the Macbook air? Because of its design. But at least with the Air you get an i5, 2 USBs and a SEPERATE power jack.

So i say to apple. Give us 2 USBs plus a power jack offer a better CPU and lower the price! like come on. Let me know what you think of my opinion.

Apple used to sell one notebook. Now they have several for many different needs.

Oh, apparently you forgot about Jobs and the first Air.

 

[shenan1982]

God I miss the down-vote.

Me too. This was an utterly useless post. MacRumors is turning into a venting place, and it's getting quite annoying. I don't understand the logic in people feeling the need to trash a product. I don't like the new $14,000 Hyundai car that came out this year, but I don't go on HyundaiForums.com and talk about the car being worthless because it doesn't have backup camera and all the features of their mid or top level products. It's amazing that intelligent people don't understand basic product marketing and realize that this is not a pro product, and it's not trying to be... I should go into the Mac pro forum and talk about how ridiculous a $3500 laptop is because all those ports on it that are wasting space and how silly it is for Apple to have released it... but I don't because I realize I'm not the market segment for it.

But congrats to the OP on taking the time to make a list of why the laptop doesn't work for him. I guess it would have been quicker for him to say "The laptop doesn't suit my personal needs, even though I see in the forums that 72% of MR users are excited for its release" LOL

 

[Robstevo]

$1800 AUD ~ $1380 USD today. So, not much a difference. The AUD is worth only about $0.77 USD.

I'm not really comparing dollar to au dollar though , I'm comparing the fact the new Mac book is as expensive as the new 13inch macbook pro despite having cheaper parts or lack of parts.

Besides do apple pay the manufactures in dollars or Yuan? If its yuan I don't see why everything needs to be compared to the strong us dollar. They don't manufacture in america , only design and its not like they are bringing all there money back to the us.

 

[mtneer]

.....

Besides do apple pay the manufactures in dollars or Yuan? If its yuan I don't see why everything needs to be compared to the strong us dollar. They don't manufacture in america , only design and its not like they are bringing all there money back to the us.

Apple is a US based company and it makes sense for them to manage all their accounting in their home currency. But more likely, Apple is also listed in the US Stock Markets and they may legally have to present their financials to the US SEC and to auditors in USD.

 

[ParanoidDroid]

I guess it would have been quicker for him to say "The laptop doesn't suit my personal needs, even though I see in the forums that 72% of MR users are excited for its release" LOL

Can you please elaborate how you came to that "72% excitement" conclusion?

 

[Clix Pix]

It seems to me that you are reading a specification list like you were an Android user.

You pay for a high-resolution screen with a full keyboard, a fantastic trackpad in a very small package and the low weight.

The part that I bolded is I think the crux of the matter here. This guy's screen name/user name suggests very strongly that, yes, he is an Android user......

 

[shenan1982]

Can you please elaborate how you came to that "72% excitement" conclusion?

Look at the surveys on here. Several people have created "Are you buying?" and "Are you excited?" and other opinion surveys, and the results are all very positive. And if that is how the highly-savvy MR community feels, you can be assured the general public is even more positive.

But of course, the naysayers who feel the need to create a thread of can't-list are more obvious on here because it takes up space. It baffles me people have the time to do this. I get it, you're upset Apple didn't target your demo when creating THIS product, but each product has a demographic, and if this isn't yours, so be it.

 

[ParanoidDroid]

Look at the surveys on here. Several people have created "Are you buying?" and "Are you excited?" and other opinion surveys, and the results are all very positive. And if that is how the highly-savvy MR community feels, you can be assured the general public is even more positive.

But of course, the naysayers who feel the need to create a thread of can't-list are more obvious on here because it takes up space. It baffles me people have the time to do this. I get it, you're upset Apple didn't target your demo when creating THIS product, but each product has a demographic, and if this isn't yours, so be it.

I don't know what kind of pages you visit through the day, but if you check social media and other Mac-related forums you'll realize that the overall reactions are not very positive. Folks on photo forums are outraged due to the lack of SD card slot for example.

If your statement was solely based on this poll: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1854294/ then I have to note that 162 votes are not very representative.

 

[fisherking]

I don't know what kind of pages you visit through the day, but if you check social media and other Mac-related forums you'll realize that the overall reactions are not very positive. Folks on photo forums are outraged due to the lack of SD card slot for example.

If your statement was solely based on this poll: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1854294/ then I have to note that 162 votes are not very representative.

but what percentage of the macuser base are we talking about? not everyone posts about the latest mac, and stresses about it. and, based on the forums, more people show up to gripe than to rave. most people live real lives, they don't (as i do, lol), spend time on mac forums. or post detailed complaints about missing SD slots. they get on with life, buy what they choose, and adapt to the technologies that move the world forward (whether we want to be moved or not).

why not wait and SEE? how the mac does in benchmarks, what users report...and how it seems when YOU sit down and try it out?

 

[iRun26.2]

4. "can't run an external HDD and charge simultaneously -> battery dies during file transfer, files are f*"

I know there aren't many USB-C drives out right now but isn't an obvious solution a drive with two ports (one as a pass through for charging) or a drive that doubles as a battery pack? Or how about a hub you could put on your desk? I know everyone's use cases are different but I don't always have a drive plugged into my laptop and rarely even charge it during the day. Even on my 15" rMBP, a full charge easily gets me through the workday.

All of the fuss about this laptop reminds me of the outrage about the lack of an optical drive in the first Air.

And I bought one of the first generation MBAs. I then learned that, yes, I really didn't need an optical drive that much anyway.

 

[ParanoidDroid]

most people live real lives, they don't (as i do, lol), spend time on mac forums. or post detailed complaints about missing SD slots. they get on with life, buy what they choose, and adapt to the technologies that move the world forward (whether we want to be moved or not). :cool

You can't really say that in 2015, most people live indeed their lives online nowadays and comment on everything.

The second statement is even more shocking: users have to adapt whether they want or not?

So, you are denoting all users as brainless zombies? According to you, we're all just submissive beings, dominated by a few omnipresent tech corporations, and willingly accept any usability sadism brought upon us – i.e. one USB-port?

That sounds very much like "1984"!

P.S. The 480p front camera is a technology which actually moves the world backwards.

 

[sportsfrk214]

I love the concept of USB-C. I dream of a day where every single wire that needs to be plugged into my computer can be plugged into the exact same port using the exact same connector. Unfortunately, I think Apple dropped the ball by only including 1 USB-C port. That makes this computer a deal breaker for me. 2 USB-C's and this laptop would be pretty much perfect.

 

[fisherking]

You can't really say that in 2015, most people live indeed their lives online nowadays and comment on everything.

The second statement is even more shocking: users have to adapt whether they want or not?

So, you are denoting all users as brainless zombies? According to you, we're all just submissive beings, dominated by a few omnipresent tech corporations, and willingly accept any usability sadism brought upon us – i.e. one USB-port?

That sounds very much like "1984"!

P.S. The 480p front camera is a technology which actually moves the world backwards.

i'm saying exactly what i said. MOST people don't live on mac forums. and apple has always gone where it chooses to go (ie removing the optical drive, firewire, etc).

apple has a long-term vision, and will move forward to meet that vision...and we can go with it or not. things change, and we adapt.

we adapt, because we're NOT zombies; and there are choices: we can buy a macbook pro, or a dell. we can buy an apple watch...or not. we can make the choice that's right for us, rather than whining about ANY corporation not giving us individually exactly what we want.

 

[Jobsian]

[*] can't have a nice FaceTime/Skype call, because your front camera is 480p

This is a positive for me, dunno about anyone else but when I saw this I felt immense relief, sd cameras make me look better.

 

[CarbonFibra]

it's a bit too early for me

i want a bigger screen, higher resolution, and more ports.
once we get those things, i'll jump on the mac

 

[Robstevo]

Apple is a US based company and it makes sense for them to manage all their accounting in their home currency. But more likely, Apple is also listed in the US Stock Markets and they may legally have to present their financials to the US SEC and to auditors in USD.

The thing is though apple is a global company who operates in many different currencies. They don't send there money back to the us for tax reasons. In Europe all their money goes to Ireland. Everything in manufactured in China. Why should a product that is created in China, ships from china and is sold in Australia , via Australian dollars , be effected by the Us dollar?

Not questioning what your aaying, but just want someone to tell me the information to expand my knowledge. Thanks.

 

[Serban]

When i talk to the Apple employees the mag safe and idea of it was useless here because while with the others macbooks it is a better way to charge through mag safe, because of the weight when you accidentally pass through the charging cable, the macbook stay in place and the mag safe is removed.
Here they tested and in the same exact scenario even the laptop was drag
And instead to make a little mag safe they prefer to make it with standard future USB-C

The macbooks pro will get even the 15" that force touch and the keyboard butterfly mechanism but they will keep the same height of travel of the keys

 

[Meister]

It's basically an iPad running OS X on an Intel CPU.

And that is why there are two other laptop lineups to choose from.

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I was reading through your list and agreeing with you all the way down, then I read 'its basically an iPad running OSX', now i want it

The new macbook is one of the rare items I do not feel the urge to buy.
It just wasn't designed for people with me in mind at all.
But I will get an watch

 

[Serban]

The new macbook is closet to a jewel not a laptop, like a ring you can't do too much with it but it looks and feels nice

 

[saback]

Oh yes! Another clunky box, which I have to carry around. But what if you don't want to plug in anything additional... what if you just want to have your laptop and the camera with you. CAN you do that, no you CAN'T. Besides, show me an USB-C memory card reader, which I can order right now! CAN you please provide a shop link?

You can always buy an iMac

 

[shenan1982]

I don't know what kind of pages you visit through the day, but if you check social media and other Mac-related forums you'll realize that the overall reactions are not very positive. Folks on photo forums are outraged due to the lack of SD card slot for example.

If your statement was solely based on this poll: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1854294/ then I have to note that 162 votes are not very representative.

People don't post to say how amazing it is... people post to whine about trivial things like you. No, nobody is outraged. At least not the consumers the laptop is targeted to.

 

[maflynn]

I don't think you need a "list" of reasons not to buy, but rather figure out what is the best tool for the job. If its not a good fit for you, move on - simple

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I guess you've never heard of memory card readers......that's all you need as far as photos go. Plug USB3 memory card reader into the machine's USB-C port and download all the images off your card on to the computer, and boom, you're done.

There are no USB-C SD Card readers yet are there?

At the moment it would be USB SD card reader -> USB to USB-C adapter -> USB-C on Macbook.

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As a fairly serious photographer, it's interesting to me that every camera I own, from DSLR to compact, going back about three years, excepting my two Leica's, can transfer over WiFi natively - and at speeds that make the transfer rate of the SD card the limiting factor.

The SD card I current have in my rMBP is getting about 85MB/s read speeds. No way you are getting that on WiFi from a camera. You need some better cards.

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I am extremely interested in it and it may be my first Mac purchase since 2011* (I think it's overpriced, but I am mulling it over).
[/SIZE]

Even if it suits your requirements on paper now, I'd not buy a 1st gen Apple product

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I think the trackpad design is amazing. I personally own a Macbook 3,1 and i like having having a separate button from the trackpad. I hate the current ones where i click it down shifting the cursor. The fact that the new trackpad doesnt click but gives me that feeling in my opinion is neat. i cannot wait to try it out.

First thing I do on any Mac is enable tap to click.