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2016 MacBook Review Roundup: SSD Performance is Much Improved, Lack of Ports and 480p Camera Are Still Negatives
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Do you mean like the lifespan of the MacBook Air? Which started out under Steve Jobs leadership in 2008 with one port, slow cpu, poor performance, poor storage, 2 GB of slow RAM, poor camera, more expensive, etc. It was called a "flop."
Look how the MacBook Air has been incrementally improved over the years. Just like the original iPhone since launch. The retina MB will be no different, the Watch, too.
That would put it into ASUS X305 territory. That notebook is priced in just that range and uses the same chips. However, it has a lower resolution screen and is heavier, and I'm sure ASUS isn't making Apple margins on it. Given the component prices, it is unrealistic now for it to be price much less than it is, knowing Apple's way of doing business. My guess is that it is eventually priced around $999 or $1099.
I'd argue that they did not cut corners at all. It's an engineering marvel judging by the teardowns and component analyses. Looking at the notebooks that come the closest to your ideal, we see the Dell XPS 13 and the new HP Spectre. But, impressive as they are, each has its own compromises. The Dell is considerably heavier, and the HP is heavier (though lighter than the Dell) and has a lower-resolution screen. On the plus side, both have more ports and use the Skylake-U processors. Apple has place greater emphasis on the size and display than on the processor and ports. My guess is that we'll see rMBPs with Skylake-U chips in June. The MacBook Air is going to fade away, but hopefully we'll have 13" rMBP models that are a bit lighter and thinner than the current model. Then we can stop hearing complaints about how overpriced the rMB is.
Yup. and that original MBA was a flop till the redesign which saw it add a 2nd USB port. Magsafe, Thunderbolt and a vastly upgraded CPU, with flash storage.
And I have a feeling the rMB will remain a very small niche product until it's price can be brought down to where the MBA's price point was when it took off (999 USD for the lowest spec'd model)
Sure we will. That will happen over time just like how the MacBook Air was incrementally improved. That's the way Apple works.
The January 2008 MBA was more of a proof of concept. I liked it, though. The November 2008 revision was a significant improvement, similar to the 2016 rMB vs. the 2015 rMB. Remember, also, that the original MBA was actually more expensive than the rMB. It started at $1799 and the 64GB SSD model was $2999. By November the 128GB SSD model was down to $2499.
My guess is that the rMB is selling very well. Otherwise, we'd have seen a spec bump to the MacBook Air. We'll probably see a significantly revised rMPB in 2016 (perhaps as early as June).
I want one really badly.
this is the iPad killer in my opinion
Just needs another extra hour of battery and I'd bite
this is the iPad killer in my opinion
Just needs another extra hour of battery and I'd bite
No, I'm talking about the Lifespan from a consumer standpoint. I wouldn't dare spend this much on something that is such a poor performer compared to even other Macs. It won't get the long-term support that a faster MBP will.
It will likely go through the Air route and the price will lower every few years. The MacBook Air was not $899 when it first unveiled.
Just buy the MacBook Pro. Same price, without all the issues of the MacBook. Really, the only thing the MacBook has on it is it's smaller size, and I actually prefer 13" to 12."
I got last years model because I needed a better display then the Air 13 inch and have no need for more then one port (one is too many for me actually)
It is the perfect laptop for me, and if needed ports or something else I have other options such as the Pro, or the Air (which I had for 3 years). Its great to have options that meet my needs
We all know what happened the last time the chip manufacturer was the problem. I've been saying it for years now, the days are numbered for x86 on Macs, and maybe even PCs as Windows is up and running on ARM. I fully expect to see ARM-based Macs by 2018 unless Intel makes some crazy breakthroughs.
The MacBook Air sold fine for a first get product. Hardly a flop. BTW, it came with MagSafe and a SSD option. Two USB ports did not come until 2011, three years later.
What do you think is a signficant upgrade in the 2016 rMB v 2015 rMB? Virtually everything except the CPU and SSD speed are identical. Same port layout that people are complaining about. Same webcam. Literally this is an identical machine to the r2015 except for Intel's work that went into performance improvements. We still need a thorough analysis on that performance, and to see fi Apple / Intel managed to fix the Throttling issue that the 2015 model suffered heavily from.
I'm not going to consider the rMB to have had a significant improvement till these things have been remedied.
as for "selling well". its impossible to know. Apple doesn't break down their Laptop / computer sales by model. And so far the channel numbers that have been released for the Laptop / Pre-Built computers industry has shown Apple's sales to be stagnant. In fact at this point last year, Apple had already sold 100,000 more computers than they have this year, showing that their sales have declined a little from 2015 overall in the PC industry (But in fairness, just about every PC manufacturer, except maybe Dell has seen a decrease")
2016 Harley-Davidson model review roundup: faster, but lack of 4 wheels still a negative
how exactly would removing all ports improve anything for you?
So... you agree that the RMB is a mediocre product with a lot of room for improvement. (Same goes for the Watch.)
And yet it is still overpriced and lacking... Jeez. I actually miss my overpriced $999 white MacBook now.
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$800, I could see. $1200? Lol. No. Makes about as much sense as paying DoorDash $7 to deliver you a $1 taco. I don't know who pays for these crazy things.
More like: "2016 Harley Davidson e-bicycle review roundup: More powerful, but lack of a trailer hitch still a negative."
It seems to me that most people who feel the way you do, are not the target audience of this product. I don't even need the single port, except for charging. I am very small, microscopic segment of the market, but I use a Mac for iMessage, Profile Manager (web based), and Safari. Keep it as small and light as possible. Apple makes two other Laptops that fit your needs better, you just need to accept that.
So... You agree with this member because every product Apple makes gets revisions generation after generation. According to your logic, everything is mediocre.
Get it through your head, that not everyone has the same usage patterns and need as you do