IRC that A12 was also customized to add desktop features like swap memory not in the regular A chip.
Not with Cook, but he don't have that long time left 😎
It’s just a name, you can’t act like the name actually means anything. The A12Z was hardly a “beefed up” version, it just wasn’t the binned A12X, it literally just had 1 additional GPU core unlocked, that’s it. And the M1 is just an A14X, but Apple decided not to name it A14X and went with M1 instead. But again it’s just a name, doesn’t matter what they name it. They could’ve shipped the exact same chips and instead of calling them A14, M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra, they could’ve just named them A14, A14X, A14XX, A14XXX, and A14XXXX and it wouldn’t have technically mattered. And the A series chip have gotten more powerful since then, way more powerful than the intel chips that use to run macOS. An A17 Pro could easily run macOS and it would still be overkill for majority of consumers.
I remember, reading on this site, a while ago, that Apple surveyed some professionals about a compact laptop, before the refresh of the MacBook Pro line into 14/16 and, for sure, after the MacBook was removed in 2019.
Nothing came out of it, but...
Also, I have read that Apple is probably in the process of designing the new MacBook Pro line up based mainly on the design of the new iPad Pro body, meaning thin, and light. The motherboard now takes so little space compare to all the other components.
Would it be really far fetch to think, that instead of renewing the line of MacBook (which everyone here would hope for, but doubt it ever happens), they would not simply add a new size to the Pro line (12/14/16), while keeping the Air one exactly as it is (13/15)?
Considering how the M# are powerful, and efficient even without fan, and that the pros are ready to spend the necessary money to get what they want, I can see something like this happen in a near future.
Since the new iPad Pro, Air doesn't mean so much "what it is thin and light" as it used to be. It's more of a sub-brand in itself.
There are also that rumor of a foldable laptop with keyboard on a screen with haptic feedback (based on patent filing), but let's not get ahead of ourselves too much here
What do you think?
I see some users here arguing for a low fee, very portable device, but truly I don't believe in this at all. I think ultra-portable is a niche, and one it's worth paying for. Everyone here is passionate enough about the MacBook 12, they would pay a premium if it only had a M1, and nothing else, keeping all the compromises it currently has except being underpowered and efficient (battery life).
Even though I had four or five keyboard replacements on 2016 Pro - I can agree with this. When it worked, it was one of the best and fatigue preventing keyboards for me.
I remember the first time I used my MBP in 2017 in a college class. Absolutely loved every keystroke note and the crisp feel of it… a peer did not approve and when we were packing up to go was staring me out… oops.
I would not say deliberate, as it's a design compromise. In the what, 15 years I'm using them, what you described happen to me maybe 5 times (being generous).
Again overblown by Youtubers.
I'll be gladly paying $1600 if it's available right now. The ultra portability is massive for my day to day use.
Biggest Mistake Apple ever made: Getting rid of the beautiful lighted Apple Logo.
Apple announced the infamous 12-inch Retina MacBook a decade ago today, an experimental new Mac that was as controversial as it was revolutionary.
Apple unveiled the 12-inch MacBook on March 9, 2015, at the "Spring Forward" event in San Francisco, California. The event was primarily focused on the Apple Watch, which was being fully detailed ahead of its launch the following month, so the debut of the brand-new MacBook line took many by surprise. Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the new MacBook as a "reinvention" of the notebook.
The device was extremely controversial due to its underpowered performance, single USB-C port for both charging and data transfer, short battery life, unreliable butterfly keyboard, and high price point ($1,299 starting price in 2015—the same as a MacBook Pro at the time).
However, the 12-inch MacBook offered a glimpse at what was to come in the Mac lineup. It was the first Apple device with a USB-C port, terraced battery, butterfly keyboard, and haptic trackpad. It was also the first MacBook with a design focused on efficiency, a Retina display in a non-Pro model, multiple color options, and without a fan or an illuminated Apple logo.
In 2016, Apple refreshed the 12-inch MacBook to add Intel Skylake Core m3, m5, and m7 processors, improved battery life and faster PCIe storage, and a Rose Gold color option. In 2017, it introduced Intel Kaby Lake Core m3, i5, and i7 processors, and a second-generation butterfly keyboard for slightly better reliability.
It was discontinued upon the introduction of the 2019 MacBook Air. The 12-inch MacBook was functionally replaced by the 2018 MacBook Air, which effectively adopted its design, but with an additional USB-C port, a single fan for active cooling, and a larger display.
What do you think about the 12-inch MacBook a whole decade later? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple Introduced Its Most Controversial MacBook 10 Years Ago Today
Man - watching that video makes me feel sad that I sold mine. And it was not only nice to see a slow-paced video from Apple again, but I also liked how Ive would speak of the „best MacBook yet“ (instead of the „best MacBook ever“, which would be the usual exaggerating marketing speech in so many videos nowadays).
