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Apple Surveys 12-Inch MacBook Users for Opinions on Size, Features, and More
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imo the 12" macbook was the best laptop ever made.
The 11" iPad is absolutely no successor to the 12" laptop (or any other laptop).
Still have an iBook G4 12”. Still runs those old pangea and bunge games. 
Can’t believe the starting price for this was $1299.
I owned one of the 2015 12" MacBooks. Great little laptop. I loved the light weight and portable size. Made it perfect for when I'd travel around the state or just want to go out to the coffee shop with the full power of a laptop with a real mouse/trackpad and keyboard.
Only complaints I had were that the CPU options were severely underpowered, which would likely be a non-issue if they used the M1 today, and the battery life. By the time the laptop was two years old, it would only last a couple hours on a full charge.
Because of the slow CPU, rather than spend anything to replace the battery, I ended up selling it for a decent price and got a 2018 13" MBP to replace it. Three years later and I've found it to be a great compromise: CPU still feels plenty fast even today, has enough ports to charge and connect other devices at the same time, 13" size is still reasonably portable, and the battery was replaced a couple months ago with the top case due to the keyboard issue finally happening to me, so it lasts hours at least 5 hours without a charge.
I'd definitely consider the MacBook Air if I had to replace this laptop. But my travels have become less frequent and no overnight stays since about 2018 or so. So having the extra mobility and light weight of the 12" MacBook is less necessary than it was for me 5-6 years ago. The 12" was a great little device and I can imagine others are in situation like I was years ago where it's perfect for their needs, so I hope Apple brings it back to round out their laptop lineup.
Only complaints I had were that the CPU options were severely underpowered, which would likely be a non-issue if they used the M1 today, and the battery life. By the time the laptop was two years old, it would only last a couple hours on a full charge.
Because of the slow CPU, rather than spend anything to replace the battery, I ended up selling it for a decent price and got a 2018 13" MBP to replace it. Three years later and I've found it to be a great compromise: CPU still feels plenty fast even today, has enough ports to charge and connect other devices at the same time, 13" size is still reasonably portable, and the battery was replaced a couple months ago with the top case due to the keyboard issue finally happening to me, so it lasts hours at least 5 hours without a charge.
I'd definitely consider the MacBook Air if I had to replace this laptop. But my travels have become less frequent and no overnight stays since about 2018 or so. So having the extra mobility and light weight of the 12" MacBook is less necessary than it was for me 5-6 years ago. The 12" was a great little device and I can imagine others are in situation like I was years ago where it's perfect for their needs, so I hope Apple brings it back to round out their laptop lineup.
I still wish I had gotten one of these. However, I still love my 11” MacBook Air. But, wasn’t the butterfly keyboard horrible ? I have yet to try one out.
Bringing back the 12” might be a good idea now, if they used the Magic Keyboard from the 2020 & later Air, and the M1 chip to solve the previous 12” model’s infamous performance issues.
Many analysts expect the Air will increase to 14”, creating an opening for a 12” “Air Mini.”
I’d give a 12” with Apple silicon a serious look.
Many analysts expect the Air will increase to 14”, creating an opening for a 12” “Air Mini.”
I’d give a 12” with Apple silicon a serious look.
That's kind of like saying you don't see the need for the 13" Macbook Air when the 13" Macbook Pro exits. Sure the form factors are similar and there is overlap in their user bases, but they are built to serve very different purposes.
Compared to the 13" and even 11" MacBook Airs, the 12" MacBook was significantly smaller, lighter, and more compact along with being fan-less and thus silent (at a time when the Air had a fan,) all while having a retina display (at a time when the Air did not.)
I owned one for several years (and my SO still has one) and I can honestly say they were, and still are, great little machines for when you need a full computer with the smallest possible footprint / lowest weight. When I first got mine it was a computer I never wanted to put down, and it was a joy to use anywhere (particularly on the couch and in other places where a larger / heavier laptop can be uncomfortable)
Even today I think there is a lot of demand for a smaller laptop than the 13" Air, and if Apple can produce an iPad with an M1, there's no good reason they can't make another 12" MacBook.
A 12" MacBook Air for $899 would be great, but if the price point is the same or higher as the 13.3" model nobody will buy it. I used to have an 11.6" MacBook Air and later on switched to a 13.3" model. I’m not going back.
I had one of these. It replaced my 13" MBP because I needed light and portable. The biggest ball ache with this was the single port.
Apple were asking me about my M1 Mac mini the other day. A lot of the questions were specifically asking about port count, so fingers crossed there's an update with more ports soon.
Apple were asking me about my M1 Mac mini the other day. A lot of the questions were specifically asking about port count, so fingers crossed there's an update with more ports soon.
It’s the perfect size and weight to carry in a backpack for light usage like Word or email. Nowadays I’d use an iPad, the form factor is similar. MacBook Air is great, but I never considered getting it over the 12” because it was too much of an in-between size to me (15” being the best option).
Had two 12” MacBooks and my brother still uses his. Love the form factor. I also owned the first gen 11” Air which was super slow but very cool because of its size as well. The 12” however had a much more usable aspect ratio.
I’d vote for a 12” MacBook, 14” MacBook and 16” MacBook Pro lineup.
Had two 12” MacBooks and my brother still uses his. Love the form factor. I also owned the first gen 11” Air which was super slow but very cool because of its size as well. The 12” however had a much more usable aspect ratio.
I’d vote for a 12” MacBook, 14” MacBook and 16” MacBook Pro lineup.
Apple is sending surveys to select owners of the now-discontinued 2015 12-inch MacBook, asking them about their opinion on the laptop's size, feature set, and more.
Apple announced the 12-inch MacBook in 2015 as a super-light and thin laptop aimed at customers needing an ultra-portable notebook. The 12-inch MacBook featured a fanless design, an Intel processor and was the first Mac to feature the butterfly keyboard. The laptop started at $1299.
The 12-inch form factor was considerably popular, as customers enjoyed its thin and light design. Apple updated the MacBook in 2016 and 2017 but discontinued it in 2019 following the launch of the redesigned MacBook Air with Retina Display.
The survey sent out to select customers of the 12-inch MacBook was rather generic. It consisted of simple questions asking customers for their opinion on the laptop's size, features, and what they would change about it.
Apple periodically sends out surveys to customers, and just last week sent out surveys to current customers of the iPad mini. Given the 12-inch MacBook has been discontinued, it's hard to assume Apple will reintroduce it into its lineup.
Although, given the survey, Apple may be beginning to realize the market that exists for ultra-thin and portable laptops and could be contemplating working on a Mac notebook tailored for that market demographic. Alternatively, Apple may feel there's no need for a 12-inch MacBook given its current 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro offerings with an added Magic Keyboard accessory.
A report last year suggested that an updated 12-inch MacBook would be one of the first Mac laptops to be announced featuring an Apple silicon chip. That did not come true, and Apple instead updated its 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
(Thanks, Zollotech)
Article Link: Apple Surveys 12-Inch MacBook Users for Opinions on Size, Features, and More
I love my 12inch MacBook with 16gb ram.
A new mini led screen, next Gen keyboard and M1 or later processor would be superb. Battery life is already excellent and with a more efficient screen and better processor it would extend it further.
I would actually pay more for that than a 13inch MacBook Pro.
Survey? WhyTF do they need a survey?
No survey needed. Just Do It.
Jeez, they are lost
No survey needed. Just Do It.
Jeez, they are lost
I think there should be three screen sizes for Apple's laptops: 12, 14 and 16 inches.
Love my 12". One of the best products Apple has ever made design wise.
For me it is perfect for travel, both at client sites and International back when we could do that.
Back home I hook it up to a 27" monitor for email, web etc.
I use other computers when I need more power but this is still my daily device.
Wish list:
Single port (yes I am happy with a dongle when needed)
Much better webcam
Better keyboard (on my 4th keyboard)
Same weight
Same size
Slightly better battery
Better screen
Under $2000 (I don't really mind what I pay IF it is the same size and weight)
For me the Air and Pro are too big for travel. I am happy to pay for something small and light.
For me it is perfect for travel, both at client sites and International back when we could do that.
Back home I hook it up to a 27" monitor for email, web etc.
I use other computers when I need more power but this is still my daily device.
Wish list:
Single port (yes I am happy with a dongle when needed)
Much better webcam
Better keyboard (on my 4th keyboard)
Same weight
Same size
Slightly better battery
Better screen
Under $2000 (I don't really mind what I pay IF it is the same size and weight)
For me the Air and Pro are too big for travel. I am happy to pay for something small and light.
This just proves you didn’t understand the target group.
People working on workstations like Mac Pro still needs to attend meetings and travel.
No need for a portable workstation, but rather a very light and portable computer that in a pinch can open those files.
The MacBook was perfect in that sense. Most MacBook-buyers didn’t care aboit connectivity since it was just charged and then brought along.
I think you’re asking the wrong question. The 13” MacBook Air and 13” MacBook Pro are essentially the same computer—why does Apple offer both? That makes no sense.
I’m still using my 12” MacBook as my personal computer and I LOVE it. But it’s clearly approaching the end of its life, and I’m struggling to find anything I want to replace it with. I’ve even explored a Microsoft Surface specifically because Apple doesn’t offer anything in a similar form factor to what I have now.
An 11” iPad Pro isn’t going to cut it. It may be many things, but a computer it is not—there are too many aspects of iPad OS that simply aren’t sufficient for an iPad to be an only computer.
And that only leaves the MacBook Air, which for reasons just mentioned, might as well be a MacBook Pro—nearly identical form factor and performance, which is far more than I need or want in terms of bulk.
So I’m stuck.
Internaut
macrumors 65816
Even the newest iPads with add-on keyboards aren't equivalent to lightweight laptops. I used an iPad Pro as my walking-around computing device for a year and finally gave up. For me, the biggest headache was adopting workarounds for managing the file system. As for size, I had an 11" MBA that was nearly perfect. A modern version, maybe even lighter with an M-series chip would fit the bill. A smartphone doesn't come close.
Love mine, though it’s getting long in the tooth. Much lighter and more portable than my newer Air. I would buy another one in a heartbeat except for the fact that Apple has gone full-statist with its privacy change and I (we) are selling our Apple products, not buying. Sad.
