Apple Says Original 12-Inch MacBook Now Obsolete

[loby]

I still use the 12" MacBook 2015 for travel and general use. If they would put a M3 (even m2) in it with an updated keyboard with one more USB-C (thunderbolt)...

How could it not sell Tim....a lot

 

[2ilent8cho]

Apple, just stick an Apple Silicon chip in it, no redesign needed, job done. For those who need a desktop class OS but the portability of an iPad.

Loved my 12" MacBook when I owned one, but sold it to upgrade to an M1 MacBook couple of years ago.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

I wanted one when they first came out.

 

[Kiwamu]

Well, since Apple said it's obsolete, I'm gonna put it in the trash. So long and thanks for all the fish.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Apple already has a thin, sub-12" computer with M-series chip available today:

Also includes a touch screen at no extra cost.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

How could any of these still exist since they depend on that one USB-C port? Within 6 months, the port should have been damaged, jiggly and/or stuffed with lint... requiring repairs that cost more than the whole device new.

Based on all of the "iPhone going USB-C" pessimist posts, I presumed that all USB-C Macs and iPads never made it 6 months due to the same, "rampant" problems with USB-C. Curiously, somehow my own Apple stuff has had no such problems, but clearly, mine must be exceptions and not the rule.

 

[deebinem]

That things existence was so confusing

I didn't think it was too out of place for the experiment and sizing but lord it was WAAAAAY too overpriced

 

[coffeemilktea]

For all its flaws, that thing was easily one of the best-looking laptops I've seen and I wish Apple would bring it back. 🥲

 

[dandeco]

I owned two, also owned a first gen 11” and currently own and use the M1 Air. Portability is awesome but performance is key… Before M1 that was just always an issue unfortunately.

Yep, this was why I initially planned for my next Mac laptop to be a 13" MacBook Pro of some kind. Then the M1 MacBook Air and Pro came out, and since the M1 Air was only a little less powerful than the M1 MacBook Pro (Especially with the 8-core graphics and 16 GB of RAM) yet cost considerably less, I ended up buying that, and was blown away by its' speed and power. It's like a quad-core (or maybe eight-core) i7 or i9 Mac that uses a lot less energy!

I wonder how long it'll be now before the electronics recycling/reselling company I work for gets any of those 12-inch MacBooks to recycle or resell?

 

[Saturn007]

"... 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD." Some MacBook's today still come with the same SSD storage and RAM specs, 8 years later.

“Can't innovate, my #&$§!”

 

[kiranmk2]

I remember thinking that this machine was going to the be end of the MacBook Air... wrong. I think that this was one of the first machines that Apple realized Intel could no longer provide what they needed in a machine, this would have been amazing with Apple Silicon.

This product was heavily let down by Intel. If you can remember back then Intel was supposed to providing Skylake at the back end of 2015 and then CannonLake in 2016 which would have moved to 10 nm and enabled the 12" MB to fly. As we all know, Intel got stick at 14 nm for years and the node shrinkages which should have lead to improved battery life and performance in the 12" MB never came to pass leading to it's cancellation. No doubt it provided Apple some extra reasons to really look at replacing Intel with Apple Silicon - I can imagine how much money would have gone down the drain designing this product, only to be let down by a key supplier's issues.

That being said, I remember that the Broadwell chips in the 2015 model were pretty poor and it wasn't until SkyLake (2016 revision) that the performance really became acceptable.

 

[SoldOnApple]

Hunk of junk. I bought a refurbished one from Apple and the battery was dead in months, only works on charge cable. Also the keyboard feels like a sponge, have to press hard and only every tenth key registers. Otherwise it was great, but no battery and crap keyboard are dealbreakers.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Thankfully after 8 years we've had such a big advancement

Through the years, the 8GB of memory has become faster and faster, and the 256GB SSD has become faster then slower!

Big advancement, indeed.

 

[Rank Sarpac]

Worked for Apple retail when this was sold in stores. I don’t think a single person ever bought one, not from me anyway. It was SUCH a hard sell at the price point, that boiled down to, “Only get this if you value portability over literally every other feature. Otherwise get an Air or Pro.”
But if they priced this form factor at $999 or less with an M-series chip nowadays? I think it could print money.

 

[transpo1]

That’s very sad. MacBook 12” was the perfect size for so many people.

The design was futuristic and ahead of its time. 🥲

View attachment 2225773

Bring it back named as the “MacBook SE”

 

[transpo1]

Apple already has a thin, sub-12" computer with M-series chip available today:

View attachment 2225799

Also includes a touch screen at no extra cost.

I have both the 12” MacBook and the 11” iPP and the iPad with Magic Keyboard is heavier and thicker.

Apple needs a new ultra thin laptop.

 

[Student of Life]

That’s very sad. MacBook 12” was the perfect size for so many people.

The design was futuristic and ahead of its time. 🥲

View attachment 2225773

Those bezels are a nightmare. Keep the same size but make the screen more modern, minimize the bezels as much as possible and you can almost fir a 13 inch screen in the same size.

 

[aespana]

Actually writing this on a Macbook 12" 2017. Really love the design and the size. Sadly the performance was never good but well, for light use is still nice.

Nice little machine with a really good speaker

 

[diggy33]

Bring it back, with  silicon!

I'd even go so far as to say, alternatively, bring it back with  silicon + an early 2000s-style translucent polycarbonate case.
Bring the price down low, and sell to schools as a Chromebook antidote, or Mac-fans as a secondary Mac.

I support this idea

 

[kellen]

Update the processor and keyboard, keep the ultra small form factor and I am a buyer.

 

[deevey]

Insta-buy if they stuck an M series into one.

90% of my work is done on the desktop and when I'm mobile, I like ultra-mobile. The white 12" G4 was my favorite laptop of all time, tough as nails, simple to repair and great performace.

I'm surprised that they didnt ditch the "Air' branding on the current crop of Macbooks. Perhaps they are intending to bring back the Macbook line, a cheap 12" would be awesome even it had processors that were a generation behind the Air/Pro to keep costs down (like the standard iPad).

Apple already has a thin, sub-12" computer with M-series chip available today:

View attachment 2225799

Also includes a touch screen at no extra cost.

I have an 11" M2 Pro. Sorry, but nope - not nearly the same thing regardless of the keyboard and trackpad. Unless your work is purely office based or maybe freehand graphics you cant beat MacOS.

Certain tasks are just too clumsy on iPads, others it excels at, but a replacement for a small laptop it ain't.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I installed Windows 10 on mine and it still works. I originally put Ubuntu Linux on it but whenever you closed it the keyboard and mouse would stop working and you had to use an external keyboard and mouse. It works ok if you run something simple like Microsoft Office. It is amazing it runs an Intel CPU without a fan and is usable.

 

[tehabe]

I wonder if Apple thinks the iPod Pro 12" is the successor of the MacBook 12"

 

[thmsnt]

Bring it back with M3!!

And an OLED with ProMotion!

 

[Seanm87]

I remember this laptop being absolutely derided when it came out, now everyone wants it back. Strange.