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Apple Updates 12-Inch MacBook With Skylake Processors, Faster Graphics, Longer Battery Life, and Rose Gold
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It was a refresh, not a redesign. They did was was typical (update the CPU, memory, SSD, etc.).
From my experience the 1st gen product usually shipped with flaws that were corrected in generation 2, making it a worthy upgrade, version 3 onwards became spec humps on 3-4 year cycles.
Apple has not addressed any Crititism of the 1st gen product and gone straight into a minor spec bump cycle.
a) This dock will not even connect to a MB because there is no Thunderbolt 2 port.
b) It needs to be plugged in. Just what we need in a notebook accessory.
c) $220 to add ports to a machine that costs crazy extra just to be portable.
d) You're adding the bulk of a dock to carry around on top of paying extra for a more portable computer. That just screams idiot at anyone who buys this dock instead on a MBP.
When is a redesign?
When is the macbook air getting a refresh? I may be in the market for one and am waiting for that to be updated.
I don't think you understand what you wrote. Core M is the most cutting edge processor Intel makes at the moment, offering speed similar to full-sized CPU's for the bursty nature that is most modern computing, in a size that allows for smaller, lighter computers, without a fan, and with minimum power consumption. It's thoroughly modern.
Owned one for most of a year, and I'm a touch-typist in the ~98th percentile at typeracer.com. The keyboard is perfectly fine for touch typing so long as you don't pound the keyboard like a madman. Excellent feedback from the keys. I've set many personal best's on this keyboard even if it isn't my absolute favorite I own.
Yep, just like FireWare and Thunderbolt will be ubiquitous. Any year now.
Of course there is no room for dedicated graphics. I was wondering why they chose HD515 instead of 520 or 530.
It's not a choice, Core M chips only have the HD 515 kind of integrated graphics.
A further clarification (that i see when speaking of USB-C):
Yes, it is USB-C port, mechanically, but as its MacBook predecessor, it only supports a USB 3.0 interface (or, equivalently,what is now called USB 3.1, Gen1 spec). That is only a 5Gbps nominal interface.
It could never support Thunderbolt. And definitely not Thunderbolt 2/3. Because that requires USB 3.1, Gen 2 (10Gbps).
It is worse than you imagined.
The 2015 was nice, so I guess this is a bit nicer. Add me to the list of people surprised by no TB3 though.
I guess that's what will differentiate the Pros from the non-Pros? If they really go ahead with the common connector idea though, this is going to really cause some confusion.
I guess that's what will differentiate the Pros from the non-Pros? If they really go ahead with the common connector idea though, this is going to really cause some confusion.
USB-C is going to be huge and Thunderbolt 3 is gaining popularity by the day (e.g., http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-12-9250/pd ; Acer Aspire V Nitro ; and so forth).
With Core M it's hard to say, as it comes down to the thermals. The m7 operates at 3.5 volts in step-down mode vs. 3.8 volts for the m3. Intel uses the same processes for all the chips. The chips are tested for tolerance levels within their basic specs. The "best" chips are binned as m7 and allowed to run at higher speeds, while the other models are held to lower speeds and sold as m3 or m5. So it's possible that an m7 within its tighter tolerances can get better battery life. AnandTech ran some tests and also showed that an m3 in one notebook design can outperform an m7 in a different design (specifically if too much heat builds up).
That's more the case with mobile devices than Macs. The MacBook Air came out in January 2008. It had one USB port in a flip-out hinge design. The second and third updates followed in November 2008 and June 2009. The November 2008 update kept the same basic design and didn't address the design flaws (faulty hinges, etc.) but did address the CPU throttling. June 2009 was even more minor. It didn't get a major redesign until October 2010, nearly 3 years after it was introduced.
With the MacBook, there aren't really any major design flaws. One USB-C port was a deliberate design choice. Given that Mac sales overall are still strong, I'm guessing MacBooks are selling at least as well as Apple expected. I don't expect any major changes next year (perhaps Thunderbolt 3, and there's an outside chance they put a 720p camera in it), though the CPU update to Kaby Lake should be more significant.
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USB 3.1 Gen 2 doesn't give it Thunderbolt 3 support automatically. Thunderbolt is an alternate mode and not part of the USB standard. It just so happens that the chipset that Intel sells to support USB 3.1 Gen 2 adds Thunderbolt 3 support. Apple is using what is built into the standard Core M, which is USB 3.1 Gen 1. Next year it might change, since Intel plans to build USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3 support directly into the CPU package.
One could argue that one usb-C is a design flaw for some, as is not having a thunderbolt. Or a poor iSight camera.
One can also argue the original air had no design flaws for its time. Apple deliberately did not expect you to do cpu intensive tasks etc.
I'd argue given the debates around the one usb-C , the dury is out about it being a design flaw from some peoples point of views.
I love mine, though when people see it, they always say they refused to buy it due to the one port and not wanting to have to carry accessories to use usb devices....
True. As maligned as it is, it runs circles around ARM (which is another reason why we won't see an ARM-based MacBook anytime soon). The main difference is that unlike the 15w designs that require active cooling systems, the Core M can't sustain Turbo Boost speeds for as long. So don't go encoding 4K video with this.
My guess for this year:
MacBook Air will be phased out
MacBook will come in two sizes: 12" and 14"
MacBook Pro will be replaced with new sizes: 14" and 16"
MacBook Air will be phased out
MacBook will come in two sizes: 12" and 14"
MacBook Pro will be replaced with new sizes: 14" and 16"
The CPU throttling and shutting down a core on the most basic tasks, and the hinges failing after 6 months were design flaws of the January 2008 MacBook Air (poor thermal management and a defect, respectively). Not having a built-in DVD drive was not a design flaw. Having one USB-C port is more like the latter. The MacBook isn't intended to have lots of peripherals connected to it.
I did purchase the Apple adapter and signed on to some of the kickstarters that have yet to ship any viable product. After all that, I realize that I really don't plug things into my MacBook all that often (I back up to an external drive as a secondary backup a couple times a month). An Apple adapter is just fine for that. And alternative USB-C hubs from reputable companies like Dell, Microsoft, and OWC are now available.
No surprises there. Still no connectivity and still no keyboard. I just pray they don't spread that poor excuse of a touchscreen keyboard to any other device. If I want no feeling at all I can bang my iPad screen all day. It's for people who want a non-touchscreen iPad in rose gold.
Some are trolling but others seem genuine, I do the same when MS does something 'odd'.
I could see complaints to this a mile off but it will be interesting to see if the MBP update does offer everything the MB currently does not what the complaints will be (aside from price we can tick that one right now).
I've had my rMB since last April. This has never been an issue. I use it throughout the day, then plug it in for a few hours in the evening, while I use my iMac, iPhone and iPad around the house. I unplug the MacBook late at night, and it's ready to go for the next day. So very much like the overnight charging cycle Apple expects people to use with the Watch. One daily plug-in becomes a habit, and there's no need for them to add more than a "day" of battery life.
Do you have any examples of this? I don't recall Apple making any big changes on 2nd gen laptops, especially the Air (which seems to be the existing model that has the most direct comparisons to the new retina MacBook). I don't remember every 2nd gen laptop model, though.