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Do you like the new MacBook?

  • Yes I love it; it is amazing!!!

    Votes: 58 35.4%
  • It's cool

    Votes: 58 35.4%
  • Meh

    Votes: 18 11.0%
  • I dunno

    Votes: 4 2.4%
  • Nah I don't really like it

    Votes: 21 12.8%
  • OMG I HATE IT IT IS WORST PIECE OF CARP EVR!1!!!11!

    Votes: 5 3.0%

  • Total voters
    164

poiihy

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 22, 2014
2,303
64
Didn't find any poll so I made one. :)


Too bad I can't add more than one poll, nor can I edit it. Hopefully polls in XenForo will be better.
 
Didn't find any poll so I made one. :)


Too bad I can't add more than one poll, nor can I edit it. Hopefully polls in XenForo will be better.

There should be an option that says "No, but I'm still getting it." #Sigh I guess I'm Jony Ive's Target audience.... Do not appreciate the 1.3 M processor, but technology has its limits... I'm a "thin" junkie... The new Macbook makes the Air look thick like the pro :3.
 
I like the new Macbook because it is portable and lightweight like the iPad but it's actually a desktop (laptop) and runs OS X and you can do so much more with it.
 
I think it's a very cool computer, but not something I need. My late-2013 rMBP will serve me nicely for another 3 years.
 
I know its not for me, but to be honest I really don't get who this is for:

Power Users/Media Pros:
+ Retina Screen
- Less Power (Intel M)
- No SD Slot
- One Port (Many Dongles)

Students:
+ More Portable
- Much more Expensive than MBA options

Travellers:
+ Thin and Light
- 480p FaceTime Camera
- Despite all the battery hype, its still the same 9hrs as the Air
- One Port (Many Dongles) means more bulk to carry and lose


It definitely looks good and the color options are nice. But the lack of MagSafe, Downgraded keyboard, Less Power and expensive Dongles doesn't really make it clear what the target user is.
 
Last edited:
Travellers:
+ Thin and Light
- 480p FaceTime Camera
- Despite all the battery hype, its still the same 9hrs as the Air
- One Port (Many Dongles) means more bulk to carry and lose

Travellers aren't going to be hauling their entire office with them. They haul only the Mac and charger, and maybe headphones.
 
Students:
- Much more Expensive than MBA options

Travellers:
+ Thin and Light

Students: If they have a Mac, an extra 10% in cost isn't going to be a deal killer, and many have MBP, which make the cost argument a moot point. Plus, if a student has a $1000+ mac and not a PC, they likely aren't as cost conscious as someone with a $399 PC

Travelers: I travel internationally 30% of the month, and your PRO is the one thing that matters above all else. You forgot retina screen on a thin and light, something also coveted.

You forgot the most important demographic of all Apple users for THIS product... MY MOM. She bought an Air so she should have a laptop on the coffee table to check her email, login to Facebook, download music\movies, maybe check out a menu at a local restaurant, and do a little online shopping. I'd say that's 75% of the Macbook Air's consumer base... which this laptop hits the nail on the head.

Just because you're a power user, the average user is not... and making statements like non-HD camera being a con, you'll get support on here because most of us are very tech-savvy, the average Mac user is not technically-minded, they want an aesthetically pleasing computer that's easy to use. In fact, studies have shown that the most common response to why someone bought a mac was because they thought it looked better, and they thought it was cooler.

----------

Travellers aren't going to be hauling their entire office with them. They haul only the Mac and charger, and maybe headphones.

No kidding. I'm a road warrior, 30% of my month is international. Here's my priority list:

#1 - Thinnest\lightest possible without sacrificing a full Operating System

#2 - Battery longevity

#3 - High-res screen

Before yesterday, I had 2 out of the 3 boxes checked with my 11" Air. I'm so excited to be able to check the third and final most important thing for me in a travel computer.

Anyone who says this computer isn't spectacular doesn't travel internationally frequently. Try taking a Macbook Pro on a trip a few times overseas, and you'll quickly appreciate the thin\light ultrabooks.
 
Anyone else notice from the hands on videos that the Apple logo on the case no longer illuminates :eek:

This goes with the thin\light. The thinner the screen, the more critical the support\protection mechanism becomes. When the device is so slim, it's not practical to add a weakness to the design.
 
Travellers aren't going to be hauling their entire office with them. They haul only the Mac and charger, and maybe headphones.

When I travel, and won't be near my office for a while, I bring whatever I need so I don't get stuck; if I need an adapter just so I can plug in something as basic as a USB drive, well that's annoying.
 
Even though I wouldn't want one since it won't fit my lifestyle, I appreciate its simple form. It would do wonders for traveling purposes. As a student, I could see the new MacBook being useful to me. It could become popular models for students due to its thin and light design.

However, it's a bit expensive for me. And I would want a 15 inch screen.
 
I think its a step in the right direction, Although I don't understand why they just didn't update the macbook airs with the thinner design.

It also has huge flaws like a 480P Front facing camera, Just one connection which is terrible, They should have put a Min of 2, one for mainly power and one for accessories. It will be such a pain when your on the road and need a bulky hub that hands off just to power it up and another for any hardrives etc.

I'm also a bit pissed off they are charging 80 *************** bucks for an adapter to make it useful in terms of using it with Hard drives etc

They should have at least including a basic adapter for a display port/hdmi and Usb 3 since it is first gen.
 
It doesn't work for me in my current situation but I can see situations where it would be an excellent choice. I wish it had 2 usb-c ports so that carrying an adapter wouldn't be necessary in most cases.
 
Travellers aren't going to be hauling their entire office with them. They haul only the Mac and charger, and maybe headphones.

I would say most travelers or anyone will carry a usb drive/hard drive, not only for work but media consumption. The fact you can't charge the laptop at the same time as plugging in a Usb drive/Hard drive (which is basic usage almost every does) for me screams out as a pain in the arse and a step backwards.
 
I would say most travelers or anyone will carry a usb drive/hard drive, not only for work but media consumption. The fact you can't charge the laptop at the same time as plugging in a Usb drive/Hard drive (which is basic usage almost every does) for me screams out as a pain in the arse and a step backwards.

No you can charge the laptop at the same time as having a USB device plugged in. You'd need an adapter like that $79 adapter thing.
Remember, this new Macbook uses the universal USB-C connector, so any company can make a charger or hub for it. The MagSafe is proprietary so nobody can make anything for it. I bet there will soon be a dock that both charges the machine and gives you ports to plug in.
 
I know its not for me, but to be honest I really don't get who this is for:

Power Users/Media Pros:
+ Retina Screen
- Less Power (Intel M)
- No SD Slot
- One Port (Many Dongles)

Students:
+ More Portable
- Much more Expensive than MBA options

Travellers:
+ Thin and Light
- 480p FaceTime Camera
- Despite all the battery hype, its still the same 9hrs as the Air
- One Port (Many Dongles) means more bulk to carry and lose


It definitely looks good and the color options are nice. But the lack of MagSafe, Downgraded keyboard, Less Power and expensive Dongles doesn't really make it clear what the target user is.

Because we don't all fit nicely in one neat category, and our + and - are not necessarily the same as yours. I totally agree with the "My Mom" argument above (and in general, casual users). Mine is a Windows girl, but she has an iPad, which she loves and which replaced her Samsung tablet, and still uses my dad's (15" bulky plastic) laptop to run her rental house business. And every time she has to, she moans at it and hates it. She always said she would love my Air if she didn't have to learn OSX.

And then you have me. I'm what you would call a "power user" with an iMac and a MBA. The MBA is my secondary computer and really doesn't do any heavy lifting. I was also going to upgrade it anyway.

+ Retina screen
+ Thinner and Lighter
+ Battery life (compared to my current MBA)
+ New trackpad
+ Form factor (16:10 instead of 16:9)

All of these are what makes the price difference with a 2015 MBA worth it - I would have gotten a 11" with 8Gb and 256Gb disk, so we're talking $100 here.

Only potential negative :

- The processor - I may or may not upgrade to the 1.3, depending on the price and, most importantly, the reviews.

What doesn't matter to me :

. One port. I'm one of those rare persons who never use them.
. No SD slot. What's that thing again ? I already don't have one. Nobody with a 11" have one.
. The price. Because it's only $100 more and I already had the money saved up for a new one.
. The camera. I never use it either, not on the MBA.

One thing I had to think about :

. Screen real estate. I tend to run my retina screens scaled anyway.

So while I agree it IS probably wise to wait for Gen2, and that it's probably not for most people yet, it's not that bad, for people, like me, who value (some of) its advantages more than its drawbacks.

But it irks me to see everybody conveniently compare it with the base models of the Air (4Gb RAM and 128Gb SSD). Use the same config when you can (RAM and SSD) and you get a very different results. If you want to compare it with another base model, the rMBP is fair game, not so much the Airs.

----------

Also, my vote : It's cool. It's certainely amazing from an engineering point of view, but some choices they had to make cost it its last star. It's an amzing glimpse into the future of Apple's computers, and the direction they're going.

Give it a couple years, and I bet it will really be amazing. Looks to me like it's on the same path as the MBA was.
 
No you can charge the laptop at the same time as having a USB device plugged in. You'd need an adapter like that $79 adapter thing.
Remember, this new Macbook uses the universal USB-C connector, so any company can make a charger or hub for it. The MagSafe is proprietary so nobody can make anything for it. I bet there will soon be a dock that both charges the machine and gives you ports to plug in.

I know that, And I think it it's a pain in the arse. next year I'm sure they will magically include two Usb3.1 Type c ports and call it a revaluation. Carrying around multiple adapters just so you can do **** doesn't scream out as a beautiful product to me.
 
Travellers aren't going to be hauling their entire office with them. They haul only the Mac and charger, and maybe headphones.

Not arguing, but what sort of travelers are you referring to because for my view on "Travelers" then I think of Business/Vacation Travelers. And (based on personal experience and our workforce) their needs look like this:

MagSafe: Charging

USB/Thunderbolt:
- External Storage
- Lightning Cable for Phone Charging/Photo Transfer
- Ethernet Adapter (Not Every Hotel has Wifi

SD Card Reader:
- Photo transfer from actual camera

FaceTime:
- Visual Contact with Family


Again, not arguing but if a travelers ONLY needs for a computer is the most basic of computer for internet/movies/headphones then it would seem an iPad would be a better option than a whole computer.
 
Put me down for DON'T LIKE.

Not gonna repeat what's already said, I don't like the aesthetic. Thought I liked a bezel-less display but it turn out I like a little bezel to match he rest of the casing. The extra large keyboard and the more square corners makes it looking like a run-of-the-mill PC. Without the lighted logo, am going to wonder, is that a Mac or a Lenovo?
 
No kidding. I'm a road warrior, 30% of my month is international. Here's my priority list:

#1 - Thinnest\lightest possible without sacrificing a full Operating System

#2 - Battery longevity

#3 - High-res screen

Before yesterday, I had 2 out of the 3 boxes checked with my 11" Air. I'm so excited to be able to check the third and final most important thing for me in a travel computer.

Anyone who says this computer isn't spectacular doesn't travel internationally frequently. Try taking a Macbook Pro on a trip a few times overseas, and you'll quickly appreciate the thin\light ultrabooks.

I hesitate to talk to you since you seem so angry and defensive about a computer, but do you actually travel without external hard drives or a camera or lightning cable? And why are you comparing the travel weight of the new MacBook to the Pro rather than an Air?

I didnt mean to offend you by calling out the dongles but with a single port for charging AND everything then it would seem that the $79 charging dongle would be an essential for any traveler.
 
I hesitate to talk to you since you seem so angry and defensive about a computer, but do you actually travel without external hard drives or a camera or lightning cable? And why are you comparing the travel weight of the new MacBook to the Pro rather than an Air?

I didnt mean to offend you by calling out the dongles but with a single port for charging AND everything then it would seem that the $79 charging dongle would be an essential for any traveler.

I can answer for me. First, I agree with the majority that one port is a problem for most people. But it's not a dealbreaker for some of us. I personally do not carry external storage most of the time when I travel. On the rare occasions I do have my external drive with me, I usually don't work from it, and I can always copy from it to the laptop (but then I don't watch movies from the external disk). Nor do I use my laptop to charge my phone.

At worst, I would need the $19 USB adapter. That would solve the transfer problem (a photo transfer from a camera of phone can be done without charging the laptop at the same time).

That said, the $79 price tag on the adapters and the lack of different adapters are the real scandal here. I think the minimum should be to have one that allows charging + 1 USB port.
 
I have an iPad which is great for lightness but it doesn't cut it when I need to do some work based tasks. I'm in the market for new laptop but I'm not a power user, so the pro is a bit overkill for me, but at the same time I really want a retina screen. My work is mainly web based applications and I'll be doing general web browsing and watching videos.

I do not use cameras, and I'm not a heavy gamer. I don't need to use dongles, printers, use external displays and any other port related issues. Those negatives are not that relevant to me.

I'm not sure about the keyboard, by all accounts it seems to take some getting used to so I'll need to try them out and read lots of reviews before I decide on purchasing. There is of course also the price....

I'm sure there are many others like me, the demographic that will fit this laptop nicely.
 
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