12" Macbook review, after having used every single laptop in Apple's lineup since 2006

[zhenya]

Different Q: does anyone here use the rMB as their ONLY Mac? If not, what else do you use, such as an iMac or a Mac Pro? Personally, I do not see why anyone would use a rMB as their only Mac that they possess.

Effectively. I have an iMac from 2008 that still acts as a media server from the basement, but it doesn't really do a whole lot else, and is outclassed in every way by this new 12" fanless device - faster cpu, more RAM, faster and bigger SSD, more pixels, better graphics.

Why can't you see how we would use this as our only Mac?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Different Q: does anyone here use the rMB as their ONLY Mac? If not, what else do you use, such as an iMac or a Mac Pro? Personally, I do not see why anyone would use a rMB as their only Mac that they possess.

Not me - Would never work as it just isn't suited to so many heavy CPU tasks.

I personally use a 4k hack as my main machine, but would happily also use a nMP or iMac 5k too.

 

[old-wiz]

I tried the rMB in the Apple store. The only issue I had with it was the screen hinge seems flimsy - typing on the keyboard causes the screen to shake, which is annoying when you are trying to read as you type.

 

[zhenya]

Hinge is anything but flimsy on mine. I suspect the display model you tried had been abused.

Press reviews also noted this - that the hinge is perfectly weighted to allow it to be opened one-handed without being loose.

 

[riviera74]

DO I sound that old school or do a lot of people simply believe in Apple's vision of the next great laptop?

While it is true that the rMB is very good at multiple notebook tasks and is more ultra portable than ANY notebook currently in existence, I personally am less than convinced that the rMB should be one's ONLY Mac. An iMac and an rMB I understand: the iMac for real work and the rMB for ultra portability. Can the rMB really be so good that it can replace the rMB Pro? The MBA may well be on its last legs, but the MB Pro is still meant for meaningful work in a portable package. Even though the trend is away from the desktop and marching to mobile every single day, sometimes there is still no substitute for raw power and big screens.

Can USB-C handle all the responsibilities of multiple ports? Sure. Will all the peripherals play nice together? I do not know that for sure. Seriously, can a rMB really handle doing a presentation while using HDMI to a projector AND use a wired Ethernet connection to download what is required? (Working wireless is not everywhere just yet!) Can the rMB truly replace first the MBA and then the rMB Pro, and ultimately the likes of the Mac Mini and iMac? Can the rMB truly handle heavy-duty work that requires a lot of CPU cycles, such as anything Adobe or coding or high-end games?

 

[MH01]

!! Sorry, this was supposed to be in another thread. !!

"Oh just use a USB-C hub!" = another box to carry about. Somewhat defeating the purpose of a 1kg machine."

Hm, so let's say that we have MacBook Pro with all those great ports and on the other hand we've got MacBook Retina with the original adapter from Apple (small and light). But we're missing something, don't we? CABLES. You'll have to carry HDMI,ThunderBolt (adapter), USB cables as well. So how this somewhat doesn't defeating the purpose of the portable computer? And don't tell me that you are counting on people that they will have spare cables. The new MacBook is ultra portable computer for some tasks. I've read many reviews and it seems that new MacBook is powerful than you think. If you are a graphic designer or any other person who needs heavier computing you'll probably buy MacBook Pro ( but I've read that some people even use it for some graphic designing without any problem ) and for us others there is a great ultra portable, light and thin MacBook By the way I have never used an SD card slot for transffering photos from my EOS camera.

Me too cause my EOS cameras tend to have CF cards......

 

[JTBing]

Seriously, can a rMB really handle doing a presentation while using HDMI to a projector AND use a wired Ethernet connection to download what is required? (Working wireless is not everywhere just yet!) Can the rMB truly replace first the MBA and then the rMB Pro, and ultimately the likes of the Mac Mini and iMac? Can the rMB truly handle heavy-duty work that requires a lot of CPU cycles, such as anything Adobe or coding or high-end games?

Yes, it definitely could handle a presentation like that.

I think the big question comes down to what you consider "meaningful" work. Certainly, I wouldn't use a rMB as my sole machine if I routinely edited 4k videos, or if I were editing batches of hundreds of photos (although the rMB handles most photoshop/lightroom edits just fine) . Coders are using the rMB successfully, if these forums are any indication.

However, the vast majority of working professionals aren't doing things that demanding on their systems. For most people, this system really can accomplish most of their necessary tasks quite easily. Once more people realize that they don't really need i7 processors for their work computers, this type of portable machine really will become the future. In my humble opinion, at least.

 

[riviera74]

Yes, it definitely could handle a presentation like that.

I think the big question comes down to what you consider "meaningful" work. Certainly, I wouldn't use a rMB as my sole machine if I routinely edited 4k videos, or if I were editing batches of hundreds of photos (although the rMB handles most photoshop/lightroom edits just fine) . Coders are using the rMB successfully, if these forums are any indication.

However, the vast majority of working professionals aren't doing things that demanding on their systems. For most people, this system really can accomplish most of their necessary tasks quite easily. Once more people realize that they don't really need i7 processors for their work computers, this type of portable machine really will become the future. In my humble opinion, at least.

OK. I ask that because I have had doubts that the rMB is that powerful considering that it has a Core M processor that is designed as a marvel of power-efficient computing. Can you type on the rMB for a really long time with minimal discomfort given the lack of travel for each key? It may look tiring if one were to type a LOT of code or a really long paper for class and/or a business report.

 

[tbirdparis]

Apart from the fact that the very zippy PCI flash storage contributes to a pleasant working experience on the machine, the CPU itself is turning out to be less of a slouch than the numbers suggest. I've said this before, but I still have my 2010 i7 MacBook Pro which was the top of the line custom model you could get in 2010. The geekbench numbers of my rMB (the 1.3 model) are significantly higher, which OK fine isn't such a huge achievement given I'm comparing to a machine from 2010.. But that was the fastest MacBook _Pro_ you could get at the time, so for me at least this puts some perspective on how the rMB actually runs things. Indeed it's way better than my old MBP because of the PCI storage - whenever I go back to do something on my MBP, it feels like a snail in comparison.

As for the keyboard, yep it's fair to think it could be fatiguing - this is something people are coming to different conclusions about. I also already wrote about this in another thread, my experience has been the opposite but it took me a while to get there. In summary, I found that for quite some time I was typing with my hands in a very tense way which made me tired quickly. For me it turns out that it was an instinctive reaction to keep my hands "levitated" above the keys because the shallow travel makes you feel like if you rest your hands on the keyboard you will accidentally press keys. But then I realised that this isn't the case - I have big hands and even for me, the keys are resistant enough to not depress unless you really mean to. So I just tried relaxing my hands on the keyboard like I normally would on any other keyboard. Once I got used to that, all the fatigue went away and it became a really nice, normal experience. And fast too. Now after some time, when I use a regular chiclet Mac keyboard (which is often) either on my old MBP or with my iMac, I notice more and more how the keys are a bit wobbly in how they operate - something I never even was close to noticing before. I still don't have any trouble using the chiclet keyboards as I used to, but it's just weird and revealing in a way to notice that what used to be _the_ gold standard of a keyboard for myself for years now feels a little hinky..

 

[Dayv]

Different Q: does anyone here use the rMB as their ONLY Mac? If not, what else do you use, such as an iMac or a Mac Pro? Personally, I do not see why anyone would use a rMB as their only Mac that they possess.

I use it as my only Mac for personal use. I have a separate, work-issued MBP that I use for work only, whether at the office or working from home.

I think I could probably work off of the MB as well if I wanted to, but I use a relatively processor-intensive (and proprietary) Java app at work that might be a deal breaker. I've considered testing it on the MB, but I've been avoiding putting any plugins on the MB at all -- life is nicer without unreliable, resource hogging, security-reducing add-ons like Flash and Java.

The most frequent need I have for USB-A on the MB is to import CDs with a SuperDrive, but I know I'm in the minority of people in that I still collect CDs.

 

[dyn]

Can you type on the rMB for a really long time with minimal discomfort given the lack of travel for each key? It may look tiring if one were to type a LOT of code or a really long paper for class and/or a business report.

What would you define as "typing a lot"? I can see that it might be good enough for on the road but that you'll be at a proper desk when doing real work and thus have access to an external keyboard for example.

 

[audirs5]

How is this when it comes to converting movies to MP4's and stuff..

I have a 2013 Air, love it. But when it comes to certain task heavy items, it screws me over. Just works too hard. I'm thinking of making my next machine a 15inch pro and keeping my air for travels and stuff. I don't replace my laptops every year, and I might still keep this one for another year or so. Only time I ever noticed an issue was when I updated the O.S and its got noticeably slower. Had to go back down to the older o.s

 

[Queen6]

How is this when it comes to converting movies to MP4's and stuff..

I have a 2013 Air, love it. But when it comes to certain task heavy items, it screws me over. Just works too hard. I'm thinking of making my next machine a 15inch pro and keeping my air for travels and stuff. I don't replace my laptops every year, and I might still keep this one for another year or so. Only time I ever noticed an issue was when I updated the O.S and its got noticeably slower. Had to go back down to the older o.s

Better to look at a 13" or 15" rMBP HandBrake and the likes is not the new rMB`s strong suit. The Retina MacBook can convert video, however it will be very slow compared to "actively" cooled portable Mac`s

Q-6

 

[knightmare456]

How is this when it comes to converting movies to MP4's and stuff.

I've not had the need to convert a file to MP4 for a while, now that i use apps like Movist/VLC and Plex, but I used to convert files every day a year or 2 back on a 2012 rMBP and remember it being quite speedy. I've just converted a couple of 1 and 2 GB MKV files to MP4 just to test it out on my base model rMB and it took ages, so I wouldn't recommend it for you.

That's the first roadblock I've ran into using the rMB so far though.

 

[Dayv]

How is this when it comes to converting movies to MP4's and stuff..

Do you have to do this quite frequently, or does it just make you impatient on those occasions you need to?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

DO I sound that old school or do a lot of people simply believe in Apple's vision of the next great laptop?

While it is true that the rMB is very good at multiple notebook tasks and is more ultra portable than ANY notebook currently in existence, I personally am less than convinced that the rMB should be one's ONLY Mac.

I really think you underestimate how many people only need a computer for email, Word and internet browsing.

 

[majkom]

I do consider buying rMB as my only mac, but, I am not sure it will handle my usage, can anyone confirm/deny it?
- safari (multiple tabs) - should be OK
- iTunes - just playing music - should be OK
- Word/Excell or iWork - should be OK
- Heroes of the storm/starcraft 2 - I feel this is too much for rMB
- iphote - import and some photo adjustments - ??
- pixelmator/photoshop - soma basic work with photos - ??

 

[MLVC]

I really think you underestimate how many people only need a computer for email, Word and internet browsing.

It all just depends on what you need it for. I ordered a rMB (haven't received it yet) as a companion for my iMac. So I need it to be portable (and the rMB is the most portable one out there), but I don't really need it to be able to handle a lot. I have my iMac for that (through Back to my Mac if needed). I wouldn't want the rMB as my only computer, but if you only do the basics like email, word and surfing on it, it's perfect.

 

[unixunderground]

I do consider buying rMB as my only mac, but, I am not sure it will handle my usage, can anyone confirm/deny it?
- safari (multiple tabs) - should be OK
- iTunes - just playing music - should be OK
- Word/Excell or iWork - should be OK
- Heroes of the storm/starcraft 2 - I feel this is too much for rMB
- iphote - import and some photo adjustments - ??
- pixelmator/photoshop - soma basic work with photos - ??

- Safari will work
- Itunes too
- I use word and excel everyday, no issues
- I have played starcraft 2 and it is playable at a decent framerate, though obviously not at native retina resolution.
- iPhoto no longer exists, Apple Photos works just fine.
- Pixelmator and Photoshop work just fine for basic adjustments. Though at a pro level with lots of layers etc you may experience some slowdowns.

 

[alphaninjacat]

The Retina MacBook! The Retina SlowBook!

As far as being buttery smooth while running two VMs using VMware? This is false, unless someone considers buttery slow smooth without stutter good. And I me slow!

The applications (iTunes, Calendar, ETC) open quite slow the first time they start up (Just reboot and see). I'm blown away anyone would consider this thing fast or useable for anything other than basic stuff. Maybe a new owner trying to justify a new purchase

Apple seems to be focus on profits verses quality/specs/performance.

 

[unixunderground]

The Retina MacBook! The Retina SlowBook!

As far as being buttery smooth while running two VMs using VMware? This is false, unless someone considers buttery slow smooth without stutter good. And I me slow!

The applications (iTunes, Calendar, ETC) open quite slow the first time they start up (Just reboot and see). I'm blown away anyone would consider this thing fast or useable for anything other than basic stuff. Maybe a new owner trying to justify a new purchase

Apple seems to be focus on profits verses quality/specs/performance.

Granted I wasn't running the most resource-intensive applications on the VMs, but yes, they were actually running very smoothly.

And sure, the rMB isn't for everyone as of right now, but for a subset of people even today's version can really be the ideal machine. If not most really, provided they don't need ports on a regular basis and substantial local processing power.

Apple seems to have focused on pushing innovation on this release, at a cost for sure, but I still find being an early adopter to be worth it, judging by how much better my experience has been with it.

Though, as always, YMMV

 

[alphaninjacat]

Granted I wasn't running the most resource-intensive applications on the VM, but yes, they were actually running very smoothly.

And sure, the rMB isn't for everyone as of right now, but for a subset of people even today's version can really be the ideal machine. If not most really, provided they don't need ports on a regular basis and substantial local processing power.

Apple seems to have focused on pushing innovation on this release, at a cost for sure, but I still find being an early adopter to be worth it, judging by how much better my experience has been with it.

Though, as always, YMMV

Running two VMs and several Applications may seem buttery smooth, but that butter is slowly moving.

As for ports! Tell that too the millions of people who use flash drives and portable mouse's while traveling. Well they could spend extra for a dock, but then that is just another thing to curry around. Everyone I know has at-least one flash drive or portable hard drive and a smart phone.


I agree with the invasion part. Apple definitely is pushing new and innovative ways to make a bigger profit. But, after all, that's what a business usually does...

 

[JTBing]

Running two VMs and several Applications may seem buttery smooth, but that butter is slowly moving.

As for ports! Tell that too the millions of people who use flash drives and portable mouse's while traveling. Well they could spend extra for a dock, but then that is just another thing to curry around. Everyone I know has at-least one flash drive or portable hard drive and a smart phone.


I agree with the invasion part. Apple definitely is pushing new and innovative ways to make a bigger profit. But, after all, that's what a business usually does...

If you aren't mainly concerned with portability and form factor combined with maximum efficiency, then this computer probably isn't for you.

If you're carrying around hard drives, mice, and external screens with you everywhere you go, then you aren't mainly concerned with portability.

If you don't actually carry around a screen and hard drive everywhere you go, like millions of others, then buy this computer. When you get to your desk, plug in a single cable to instantly connect to both.

P.S. I'm not sure what you think the port is to be used for on the computer, but you can plug in a mouse. Or a hard drive. Or a flash drive. You don't even have to have the computer constantly plugged in!! If you really need to carry one around with you... There's nothing stopping you.

 

[alphaninjacat]

If you aren't mainly concerned with portability and form factor combined with maximum efficiency, then this computer probably isn't for you.

If you're carrying around hard drives, mice, and external screens with you everywhere you go, then you aren't mainly concerned with portability.

If you don't actually carry around a screen and hard drive everywhere you go, like millions of others, then buy this computer. When you get to your desk, plug in a single cable to instantly connect to both.

P.S. I'm not sure what you think the port is to be used for on the computer, but you can plug in a mouse. Or a hard drive. Or a flash drive. You don't even have to have the computer constantly plugged in!! If you really need to carry one around with you... There's nothing stopping you.

Millions of people carry flash drives around and quite a few curry portable hard drives. You cannot plug in a hard drive and smart phone at the same time without a doc. Most people will by the low storage option do to cost and max it out quick and rely on external storage options other than cloud server storage.

The Retina MacBook serves little to no purpose other than to increase profit margins. It's small and lightweight, but underpowered. Retina MacBook is Apple's netbook!

 

[JTBing]

Millions of people carry flash drives around and quite a few curry portable hard drives. You cannot plug in a hard drive and smart phone at the same time without a doc. Most people will by the low storage option do to cost and max it out quick and rely on external storage options other than cloud server storage.

The Retina MacBook serves little to no purpose other than to increase profit margins. It's small and lightweight, but underpowered. Retina MacBook is Apple's netbook!

If you're actually traveling around and plugging both your phone and a hard drive into your portable computer at the same time, you have no reason to complain about the problems with portability that a single adapter brings.

If you're still arguing that the computer is underpowered, contrary to the testimony of reviewers and users, then you will lose whatever credibility you still have after choosing the username "alphaninjacat."

Do you need some help with spelling?