With M1 should be fairly easy to fix the 12” MacBook: no more massive thermal and space constraints, no need for bigger batteries. Throw in the new magic keyboard and you got a perfectly good 12” laptop.
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Apple Surveys 12-Inch MacBook Users for Opinions on Size, Features, and More
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I've wondered whether the demise of the 12 inch MacBook was at least partly about the lack of evolution in the intel processors they could use in it, and the Apple M processors not being ready at that time either. Perhaps when the M1X/M2 arrives, the 12 inch Macbook could be reborn, adopting the M1. Might be all you need in a tiny laptop like that. It was a really beautiful Mac (apart from the butterfly keyboard), one of my favorites ever.
I think that would be a mistake for Apple.
The "x" series chips are usually a bit more powerful than the chip it's tacked onto, for example using an A12 in an iPhone, then a few months later putting an A12x in an iPad. It's needed because it drives a bigger screen etc.
Putting an M1x in a MacBook Pro and an M2 in a MacBook Air would send the wrong signals. They'd be saying, "Here's the MBP with the M1x - it's our most powerful laptop! Yeah, it's got last year's chip inside it but we added a few extra cores!" People would see the cheaper MacBook Air with a newer chip - the M2 - and go for that, saving $300 in the process. Later, the M2x would be more powerful than the M2, and they'd put that in the next version of the MBP, then almost immediately release a cheaper laptop with an M3. It makes no sense to me.
Also, the MBPs are rumoured to be a redesign, so it's more likely they'll differentiate the old version from the new ones by using the new M2 chip instead. The MBAs are also due a redesign, but would Apple really put their most powerful chip in ONLY the MBA?
My predictions, based on your ideas are:
- 12 inch MacBook with M1 or M1x (the M1 has been proven fine for an MBP 13@, so would be a belter in an MB)
- 14 inch MacBook Air with M2 (or M1x if Apple want to show it's more powerful than the MB but not as powerful as the MBP)
- 14 inch MacBook Pro M2 (newest chip for their pro models)
- 16 inch MacBook Pro M2 (newest chip for their pro models)
12”, 14” and 16” would be the perfect combo of laptop sizes.
12” ultra portable fanless M1.
14” for general all purpose
16” to fill with goodies
12” ultra portable fanless M1.
14” for general all purpose
16” to fill with goodies
Apple's wasting their time... Steve Jobs famously said, "Some people say, 'Give customers what they want.' But that's not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they're going to want before they do." Basically, Apple's ethos in short form is "the customer doesn't know what they want." Lol
Your post would be a lot more fair had other competing companies making computers constantly came out with revolutionary and innovative computers. That's not happening at all. All they do is the same rehash of their previous with yet more emphasis on the latest Intel processor.
The fact that many people (especially here) constantly say how great Apple's products were in the very early days and wish Apple would bring them back, then Apple actually does make the effort to says they are listening to their customers much more than just "recycling old ideas for the lack of new ones". Like I said your post isn't fair, but if you have some new innovative ideas in laptop, tablet and desktop computers that Apple is missing out on I'm certain the forum would love to hear it from you.
I found it odd that the 12" MacBook wasn't called the air given its weight and footprint when compared to the MacBook Air of its time. I was working at an AASP while it was still around and it was a hard sale when comparing to Pros/Air, hardly anyone seemed interested. I personally liked that it came in Rose Gold, and I would use one as a portable if I needed something past an iPad. Given M1 performance, even a 'lite' version of Apple Silicon would be welcome over the Intel Celeron in base 12" MacBook.
I've absolutely no need to plug anything in except for power on this kind of device.
Do you have a problem with other people enjoying things that you hate?
The 12" MacBook with Retina display was, if I recall correctly, Apple's first fanless MacBook? I really appreciated its silent operation, even if it suffered from one USB-C port, the abysmal butterfly keyboard and underwhelming configuration options.
Since Fall of 2020 I've been using a fanless M1 MacBook Air predominantly. Though at the moment I am typing from an older Intel based MacBook Pro, and the fan noise, though not as loud as my 11" 2011 MacBook Air, is still annoying me.
Fanless, silent computers, are really wonderful, the paragon of computer engineering. Leave cooling, to HVAC systems.
Since Fall of 2020 I've been using a fanless M1 MacBook Air predominantly. Though at the moment I am typing from an older Intel based MacBook Pro, and the fan noise, though not as loud as my 11" 2011 MacBook Air, is still annoying me.
Fanless, silent computers, are really wonderful, the paragon of computer engineering. Leave cooling, to HVAC systems.
The 12” was presented as the next step for MacBooks but the Air proved to be too popular to kill even with that trash LED display from last generation. That’s why they introduced the Air redesign to satisfy the fans and then killed the 12”. Of course the price was higher for the smaller display, but I don’t think the 13” Air was intended to stay.
Maybe if the next 12” is cheaper than the 14” with that big enough difference in screen size, they won’t cannibalize each other again.
People forgot or did not realize the amount of "design firsts" the 12" MacBook introduced - caused by the need for miniaturization.
- first ever fanless Mac
- first ever Mac to use USB-C
- first ever non-moving trackpad with force-feedback on any Mac
- first compact yet full booming sound system incorporating the WiFi antennas as sound ducts on any Mac
- first butterfly keyboard on any Mac
- first Mac with tapered, terraced batteries to provide maximum energy storage in a tiny, tapered space
There as not been a Mac laptop in a long time which had this many "design firsts" in a single new model.
That is why I feel Apple has become "complacent" in recent years. Outside the Task Bar, not much seems new design-wise in their laptops recently...
Or perhaps it was the other way around. Jonathan Ive really outdid himself on the 12" MacBook, perhaps his most favorite product.
Yet Apple never knew what to do with it, how to market it, without cannibalizing its own sales of iPad Pros or MacBook Pros, which probably had preferable, higher margins.
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That's exactly what I think.
Apple blew their laptop strategy by not naming the 12" MacBook the '12" MacBook Air', opening with it a series of 'Air' models at various sizes and configurations.
I am certain Apple wanted to get rid of the "Air" moniker and focus on 'MacBook' and 'MacBook Pro' names again - but failed to understand what the 12" MacBook was, that it is not an entry priced iBook replacement for the masses. They never understood the product. Shame Jonathan Ive could not teach Apple better what this model really was...
It could have had its place as the extra-small albeit premium high-end travel model of the 'Air' model category.
With all the "design firsts" and high-tech it incorporated, it could never be the cheap entry-level model most people expected it to be.
This is why I bought the 12” at the time, it really was a cool little machine. So rare though to see Apple fail with such a high-profile product. They can set it right this time around.
Do you think they can set it right? I hope they will, but I am concerned...
Putting out a 12" MacBook with M1 that uses the same new, boxy case design as the MacBook Pro (supposedly) - just with weaker specs - is that going to cut it as a 12" MacBook replacement? It would likely be bulkier and probably heavier than the old 12" MacBook. Just to get manufacturing costs down by not using so many high-end parts.
As a result it will likely be more like a 12" iBook instead.
Would a 12" 'iBook' be a useful 12" MacBook replacement? Likely not.
Well, other than the high-end machines these low-end models will not have a fan. Next, the smaller screen is paired with a smaller battery. Maybe new screen tech with lower power consumption. The high integration of chips results in an impossibly small motherboard. The power of M1 or the next gen means high-performance for all models, not as much difference as there used to be with Intel.
Design-wise a boxy design can be very slim, looking at my 6.1mm iPad Air. I don’t think that will be the issue.
So hypothetically there is a recipe available to make a worthy 12” follow-up, even positioned as a cheaper alternative to the 14” model.
my 11" is still running el capitan. i refuse to upgrade. they will need to pry adobe cs6 from my cold dead hands! lol
At least Photoshop CS6 works fine in 10.14.6 Mojave on my 12" MacBook.
I need to make sure to launch it with a US keyboard setting though... but other than that I have not found any issues.
Don't know about any other Adobe CS6 products.
I bought one in 2015 and while it hasn't been smooth running (on it's third battery under warranty) and the USB-C port needed replacing. BUT I absolutely loved my machine. Sure the Intel-M was not the fastest but it was the perfect travelling companion. Only recently replaced as a daily driver for a much heavier M1 MacBook Air. And call me controversial but I actually didn't mind the butterfly keyboard travel.
I never owned the 2015 model, but had/have the 2016 and 2017 models.
The 2016 model hat a slightly improved butterfly keyboard, a core m5 / m7 processor and an SSD with twice the speed of the 2015 model.
The latter two made it seem quite a bit faster compared to the 2015 model, especially with the much faster SSD.
Therefore I never felt the 12" MacBook was "underpowered". It was just fine.
Though users of the 2015 model may think otherwise, which I can understand.
The 2017 model had a core i5 / i7 processor which again were a bit faster. But mostly the yet again improved butterfly keyboard was noticeably better than on the 2016 model. You can feel the difference. It is still not a great keyboard but while I sometimes mistyped on the 2016 model, this happens rarely on the 2017 model. This last version of the butterfly keyboard is adequate I would say.
Shame Apple killed the 12" MacBook, the moment they finally got it right...
[This felt like the Newton 2100 all over again ... Apple finally gets it right - then kills the product.]
The 2016 model hat a slightly improved butterfly keyboard, a core m5 / m7 processor and an SSD with twice the speed of the 2015 model.
The latter two made it seem quite a bit faster compared to the 2015 model, especially with the much faster SSD.
Therefore I never felt the 12" MacBook was "underpowered". It was just fine.
Though users of the 2015 model may think otherwise, which I can understand.
The 2017 model had a core i5 / i7 processor which again were a bit faster. But mostly the yet again improved butterfly keyboard was noticeably better than on the 2016 model. You can feel the difference. It is still not a great keyboard but while I sometimes mistyped on the 2016 model, this happens rarely on the 2017 model. This last version of the butterfly keyboard is adequate I would say.
Shame Apple killed the 12" MacBook, the moment they finally got it right...
[This felt like the Newton 2100 all over again ... Apple finally gets it right - then kills the product.]
Ok, but the current 13.3 m1 MacBook Air is also tapered, and has great battery life. So why not the same shaped battery for the MacBook 12 but smaller and thinner?
it would reduce battery life, but also a smaller display that will compensate a little bit for that. So a smaller and slightly thinner MacBook Air 12 inch with slightly reduced battery life would suffice, right?
I loved my 2015 12" RMB, it had great portability and the thinness and lightweight profile was a true joy but the major downside was the chip powering it and the single USB-C port. Give that thing an M1 (or better) SoC and at least 2x USB-C ports and it could be a great entry level laptop for Apple as long as it's competitively priced.
The problem is the MacBook Air exists that basically does the aforementioned things but I do think the price tag is a tad high. It also has a slightly larger screen...
The problem is the MacBook Air exists that basically does the aforementioned things but I do think the price tag is a tad high. It also has a slightly larger screen...
From what I understood from the technical details, that "smaller and thinner" part was exactly the reason why the 12" MacBook was more expensive than the 13" MacBook Air.
These batteries are not priced linearly in regards to thinness. 1/2 the thickness does not mean 1/2 the price, sadly.
It might in fact even mean twice the price, as that terraced tapering was not necessary in the more voluminous Air.
Again, it comes down to the same question as before:
Would people be willing to pay more for a 12" MacBook than for a 13" MacBook Air?!?
Apple could not market and answer that question properly the first time around. Will they the second time?
Or will Apple "dumb down" the specs and instead turn a new 12" MacBook into an "iBook" sort of machine in order to save costs? But then how useful will it be with half the RAM and storage of a MacBook Air for the same price?
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All valid and accurate. I always thought that the 12" rMB was marketed poorly nor fitted well into Apple's line up. The 12" rMB worked for me as a business portable, yet it lacked a lot features it's PC counterparts offered (ports & docking). For me it was the portability & battery life, with the latter tapering off far faster than any other Mac I've owned or used making the notebook redundant just past the two year point.
My current business portable is the M1 MBP as the active cooling, brighter display and larger battery capacity sell it over the Air. As for the 12" category I think that Apple is far happier to sell iPad Pro's knowing full well that the user will likely also need a Mac. I always thought that Apple would be the one to lead the 2in1 market with their version of Surface, as all the pieces were in place. Ironic that Microsoft of all took the lead.
Unfortunately Apple has become a money making machine and has forgotten or too scared to really innovate, hence why they recycle & reuse ideas with the least risk and with that I doubt we'll see 12" Mac anytime soon. More likely Apple will shrink the Air's chassis, equally it will remain entry level not premium.
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