12-Inch Retina MacBook Receives Mixed Reviews From Early Adopters

[MacRumors]

Just a few weeks after the 12-inch Retina MacBook became available to order online, a number of early adopters have shared mixed opinions about the notebook within the MacRumors discussion forums. Overall, many users agree that the new MacBook has major design appeal but with too many key compromises, as mentioned by several well-known tech pundits and websites in our review roundup of the notebook.

A handful of users within the discussion forums claimed that they regretfully returned their new MacBooks shortly after receiving one because of those compromises, including the frustration of looking for and purchasing USB-C adapters that are needed to connect various Digital AV, VGA or USB devices, peripherals and cables to the single USB-C port on the ultra-slim notebook. The new keyboard and slow performance were also areas of concern for some users. Some responses have been slightly edited for clarity.

MacRumors forum member Audiopablo:

"Took mine back. It was really a wow factor. So light, so beautiful. But in the end, it just wasn't for me. After spending a day trying to hunt down USB-C adapters in Apple stores (weren't available at Best Buy, where I bought mine), I got to thinking about what I loved and what I didn't.

Could I type on my lap with it? Sure and watch the screen jiggle on my soft legs. Turns out a 13" or even 15" model with weight is more stable for me personally. [...] Ports is an issue for a user like me. I knew that going in, but I was going to be patient with it. It finally got to me.

But that doesn't mean it isn't for you. I wouldn't mind one instead of the iPads we have, but I'll wait until the price comes down. It just didn't feel like a step into the future for me. It felt like like some steps back from my 13" Retina MacBook Pro or 15" MacBook Pro. Gone were the Apple touches I felt were worth the premium. I know I'll catch flack for this, but it felt like an iPad running OS X with a great trackpad and great keyboard for light typing. But then I started trying to touch the screen."

MacRumors forum member Newellj:

"With some regret I returned my Retina MacBook over the weekend. The two reasons I ultimately returned it were that the keyboard didn't agree with me and, after some practical thinking, I realized that there were going to be issues managing using two laptops concurrently.

The keyboard -- I expected to like it or at least to be neutral and get used to it. In the end, to my surprise, it turned out to be a lot harder to type accurately on the new keyboard than my Retina MacBook Pro or my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. This is totally YMMV (your mileage may vary) territory.

The other thing that pushed me over the line when I was thinking about returning it was managing two laptops (in addition to my Mac Mini). Not so much keeping files current, but license management issues. Most of the programs I use a lot are limited to two installations, and keeping track of what is activated on which laptop presented possibilities like taking one of them on a trip having forgotten to deactivate/sign out on the other one, which could be a real problem."

Not all early adopters of the new MacBook have been disappointed, however, with many other users pleased with the notebook's ultra-thin and lightweight design, high-resolution Retina display, fanless architecture, all-day battery life, Force Touch trackpad, redesigned keyboard with butterfly mechanism, portability and more. Some users also found the notebook's performance to be good enough for everyday tasks.

MacRumors forum member Maclee2010:

"It is a staggeringly great little machine.

Virtually no heat coming from it and silent operation.
Runs a long time on a single charge.
It looks fantastic and is the most fun notebook I have ever used.
It handles everything I have thrown at it like any MacBook I have owned.
The trackpad has some really neat new tricks and feels great.
It sits very comfortable on my laptop lap cushion.
The keyboard looks amazing at night and feels great, I type faster.
I am more productive as I love using this notebook.
The performance is great for 98% of everything most users will do.
It's easy to take anywhere you need to go, light as a feather, packs down nice.
The screen is super sharp and makes my late 2013 13" rMBP screen look fuzzy.
12" is just right, not to big and not to small.
Makes the 13" Retina MBP look very outdated.
Single port is just fine, if you need many ports to use your computer today, you are doing it all wrong. I do all my backups and any necessary restorations wirelessly. I use the cloud, not just Apple, but multiple clouds.

Ultimately, the new MacBook, positioned at the lower end of Apple's notebook lineup, paves the way for the future with its innovative new design and features. If Apple can manage to combine the performance of a MacBook Air with the feature set of the 12-inch MacBook, with a matching or lower than $1,299 entry-level price point, the notebook will be an even more attractive product for prospective buyers in the future.

Article Link: 12-Inch Retina MacBook Receives Mixed Reviews From Early Adopters

 

[DavidTheExpert]

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.

 

[TouchMint.com]

They do a lot with a little bit I still feel like it's going to need a few versions to come into its own (like the air).

 

[tentales]

All we wanted was a Macbook Air with Retina display. Apple over-designed this one.

 

[WhackyNinja]

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.

 

[Crosscreek]

I think the price is playing a major factor compared to what you can buy a MacBook Pro for as compared to performance.

 

[sampaul]

Here is my opinion on why I don't wanna buy this Macbook:

1) Not enough ports. Yes I do understand what Apple is trying to do, but I like multiple ports.

2) Way too pricey for the kind of performance it delivers. My iPhone probably has a similar processing speed as this guy.

3) There is no glowing Apple logo at the back. A deal-breaker for me

 

[ttss6]

This Macbook reminds me a lot of the first Macbook Air. It served more as a proof of concept of what the laptop would become, but at the expense of speed and ports

 

[mattopotamus]

All we wanted was a Macbook Air with Retina display. Apple over-designed this one.

Indeed! This is going to be a very controversial news topic

 

[zubikov]

Any previous mac hardware could have had its cost justified since it added a new configuration, killer feature (retina screen), better battery life, fastest SSD, etc. Sure, there were always cheaper options. But pound for pound macbooks were always best in class and had their cost justified at the end of the day.

This is the first time a laptop is released with a processor that's as powerful as the ones 5 years ago. It had all its ports removed. It weighs 1 pound lighter than a perfectly good MBA, which is already very light for those who care. In short, it adds nothing and costs $1500. I still have no idea why you'd get this fashion accessory when you could get a real, powerful laptop with the retina 13" MBP.

 

[Mike Oxard]

Struggling to manage two laptops isn't really a fair criticism of the rMB.

 

[Michael Scrip]

To everyone who mentions the Retina Macbook Pro...

Isn't the Retina Macbook Pro about 75% heavier than this new Macbook?

You know Apple values thin and light... and they price accordingly!

 

[dugbug]

I really like mine.

 

[atlatnesiti]

Struggling to manage two laptops isn't really a fair criticism of the rMB.

Mine is shipping in "only" 5 weeks
Still love it

 

[KPOM]

All we wanted was a Macbook Air with Retina display. Apple over-designed this one.

There already is one. It's called the 13" MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

The new MacBook is definitely the right direction. People made the very same complaints about the original MacBook Air. Within a few years, Apple dropped the price, added a USB port, and took it mainstream. I'm guessing they will do the same with the MacBook in a year or two.

 

[macduke]

After briefly using one the other day, I really feel like the biggest compromise is the keyboard and let me explain why. Most people who buy a machine like this don't need the fastest machine out there, or many ports—but the primary benefit of buying something like this over an iPad Air 2 is having a built-in keyboard for sitting down to get work done, in addition advanced multitasking and professional apps. Having gone from the old keyboard to the chiclet keyboard back around 2009, that transition was different but not this severe. I'm usually not sensitive to differences in keyboards like some people are, but this keyboard just feels weird. Maybe with a lot of time I could get used to it, but I feel like something like this would be much better matched with an iPad Pro Smart Cover. It would be there if you need it, and provide a faster typing experience than a touch keyboard, but it shouldn't be used full-time on a Mac. Or maybe I'm completely wrong, and this thing is supposed to be used like a tablet that just happens to not have a touch screen that comes in a laptop form factor. I don't know. I really like the idea of it, but it's going to be a few years until it matures. I think what I really need instead is an iPad Pro that has a keyboard Smart Cover and pressure sensitive drawing stylus paired with some more professional apps for photo editing and drawing.

 

[KPOM]

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.

You can get a USB adapter for $19, or about half that from Amazon.

Go back to 2008 and read the threads about the MacBook Air vs. the polycarb MacBook. It's exactly the same. We all know how that turned out. The MacBook Air went mainstream 2 years later. So will this. For now, it's a niche machine that isn't for everyone. You'll love it or hate it. As a fan of the original MacBook Air, I'm in the former category.

 

[knemonic]

I'm very happy with it, all the changes I liked, took a min to get used to the keyboard but I'm fine now. My guess is lost of the unhappy ones don't have a primary machine, I use an iMac for the big stuff and this on the road.

 

[cicalinarrot]

I think about it as the Power Mac Cube of Apple laptops.

 

[seatton]

Here is my opinion on why I don't wanna buy this Macbook:

1) Not enough ports. Yes I do understand what Apple is trying to do, but I like multiple ports.

2) Way too pricey for the kind of performance it delivers. My iPhone probably has a similar processing speed as this guy.

3) There is no glowing Apple logo at the back. A deal-breaker for me

I did not realize that it had no glowing logo. I don't want it anymore. I guess my Apple Watch might be faster than this laptop

 

[mikeyhd]

At a minimum one port for charging and 1 others USB port.

But I'm more in the port galore camp, I rather have tons of port and not have to carry adapter along

 

[coolfactor]

I agree that a laptop can be "too light" to feel stable when typing. The MacBook Air is just about right for me. The screen could be lighter, but I would still want the slightly heavier base for that stability.

 

[dmylrea]

I need a normal USB port for flash drives, wireless mouse/keyboards, and other EVERYDAY items. For those that use this as a big tablet and never plug anything in...great. Apple should have made the iPad 12 with a single port, but I think most people really DO need to be able to easily plug things in NOW (not in 2 years when USB-C finally catches on).

 

[KPOM]

After briefly using one the other day, I really feel like the biggest compromise is the keyboard and let me explain why. Most people who buy a machine like this don't need the fastest machine out there, or many ports—but the primary benefit of buying something like this over an iPad Air 2 is having a built-in keyboard for sitting down to get work done, in addition advanced multitasking and professional apps.

I agree that the keyboard takes some getting used to, but I think most people will be able to do that. It takes more than briefly using it. The trick is learning to type with less pressure. If you use too much pressure, I can see how it can fatigue your wrists. Remember that key travel has gradually been going down over the years. Early notebooks resembled desktop keyboards. Apple made the chicklet-style keyboard mainstream, and everyone got used to it. Now they are trying to replace it.

 

[coolfactor]

3) There is no glowing Apple logo at the back. A deal-breaker for me

You'll probably need to get used to this. I think this is a deliberate change made by Apple to stir things up. Change for change's sake.

I hope that I'm wrong and there was a technical reason for the removal of the glowing logo.