Apple Updates 12-Inch MacBook With Skylake Processors, Faster Graphics, Longer Battery Life, and Rose Gold

[dampfnudel]

I don't expect to see the rMB ever get more ports. A also don't think the MB Air will ever get a retina display. If it did, it would kill battery life and drive the price up. The MBA is a perfect entry level laptop that is affordable.

You don't believe in technological progress? A Retina display should be standard on every MacBook at this point. Battery life should be alright. As for the price going up, well maybe Apple should cut us some slack and keep prices "reasonable". Just saying...
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What was it you were expecting? Apple has never made a major redesign to a notebook after one year. They have always been spec updates. This has the fastest RAM that Skylake-M supports, adds a faster SSD controller, and a typical Intel processor boost. Apple MIGHT have been able to squeeze a Thunderbolt 3 controller in there (at the cost of some of the boost in battery life), but there never was going to be a second USB port in this year's model (and probably never will be, as Apple is more likely to add wireless charging than a second USB port at some point in the future).

I do expect an extra USB-C port on a larger 14" rMB. If not, Apple's just being cruel. Actually, Apple is being cruel allowing a 480p webcam to remain. That's ridiculous.

 

[KPOM]

You don't believe in technological progress? A Retina display should be standard on every MacBook at this point. Battery life should be alright. As for the price going up, well maybe Apple should cut us some slack and keep prices "reasonable". Just saying...
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I do expect an extra USB-C port on a larger 14" rMB. If not, Apple's just being cruel.

Apple's past practice when discontinuing a line is to keep it around with minimal or no upgrades. We aren't going to see a Retina Macbook Air, particularly if the Retina MacBook Pro is going to get a redesign and fall at or below 3lbs this summer (which is the expectation).

 

[iTom17]

Wireless world for content delivery fine. For content creation, not so much.

Good point actually. But that's why I mentioned that the 12-inch MacBook isn't really meant for 'power users'; those who need the extra power (for content creation in this case).

 

[435713]

Should be like this IMO.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...305ca_ehm1_13_3_zenbook_ux305ca_notebook.html

 

[Thunderhawks]

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.

Well, this idiot bought one (and will buy another one) for his 15.4 MBP 2014, which doesn't have enough USB ports or FIREWIRE, which I am still using.

Also, this idiot was talking about MBPs about the lack of ports etc., not about this new 12" inch with regard to the OWC dock.

But , reading comprehension is not that easy , I understand!

 

[rdlink]

I don't doubt the science of battery charging, but you then have to apply it to the real world and life, where things get murky. It is here I find the mantra's around charging patterns to fail. What formula do you use to measure the inconvenience of being in a coffee shop with a dead battery and no plugs free or having to sit at a smaller table where there is one?

I know someone who charges their phone in the evening and unplugs it when full, before sleeping, so as not to overcharge overnight. He starts the day with significantly less than full charge, having wasted it in his sleep, and it doesn't always last the day when he needs it. I plug mine in when I go to bed, it's full in the morning and lasts the day.

I am not advocating that there is need to be dogmatic about plugging your device in or not. But it is possible to plan ahead.

There is nothing at all wrong with plugging in a half charged laptop if you think you'll need it unplugged where there are no outlets later on, or don't want to carry you charger to the coffee shop, etc. But I was referring to the practice of and complaints by people who think they must have an umbilical connected to their laptop at all times.

Like you, I typically plug my iPhone in when I go to bed, and unplug it when I leave for work the next morning. But I have also put a fully charged iPhone on my bedside when I go to bed at night and woken up with it sitting at around 98%.

Finally, there is a significant difference in laptops vs iPhones, IMO. I have never had an iPhone long enough to see any significant change in battery life. However, my MBA's battery was getting pretty short lived a couple of years ago when Apple replaced it under warranty. It was likely getting close to its rated cycle life anyway. But keeping it plugged in all of the time certainly didn't help it.
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I disagree. I keep my Air plugged in all the time. After 4 years the battery has only 184 cycles and 91% health. Check to see the cycle count of your MBA battery and its health.

Keeping the battery plugged in all the time is not bad as you think. Macs have a smart charge circuitry. When the charger is plugged in all the time, but the battery is fully charged, charging stops all together and only starts if the battery level drops to a certain value.

Tell that to Apple, who specifically tells you the opposite. And my MBA battery was toast in less than three years.

 

[dampfnudel]

Apple's past practice when discontinuing a line is to keep it around with minimal or no upgrades. We aren't going to see a Retina Macbook Air, particularly if the Retina MacBook Pro is going to get a redesign and fall at or below 3lbs this summer (which is the expectation).

Some people have waited a long time for Apple to release a new redesign that merges the portability of the Air with the display quality and improved performance (to a point perhaps) of the Pro.

 

[nia820]

Love the rose gold color. But the one port is a deal breaker for me. Especially since it charges through that port as well. If you need to use the usb c for an external device and the battery low then you're just screwed.

 

[izzyfanto]

What was it you were expecting? Apple has never made a major redesign to a notebook after one year. They have always been spec updates. This has the fastest RAM that Skylake-M supports, adds a faster SSD controller, and a typical Intel processor boost. Apple MIGHT have been able to squeeze a Thunderbolt 3 controller in there (at the cost of some of the boost in battery life), but there never was going to be a second USB port in this year's model (and probably never will be, as Apple is more likely to add wireless charging than a second USB port at some point in the future).

Fair question. Less $ & 2 ports would be reasonable considering the competition. For $300 less one can buy an ultrabook(any brand) with an i5 and more than one port.

Maybe I'm confused why they can't essentially make the MBA with retina. Is that too much too ask in 2016? That's a serious, not sarcastic, question.

 

[aristobrat]

Maybe I'm confused why they can't essentially make the MBA with retina. Is that too much too ask in 2016? That's a serious, not sarcastic, question.

It's not like they can realistically add a retina display without impacting both the battery life and weight of the Air, right?

Think that's going to go over well for the people whose primary love of the Air is both the weight and battery life?

They essentially needed a new line for this, which is what they did with the retina MacBooks.

Now if they'd just come out with the 13" or 14" retina MacBook model with the extra ports and a non-M processor, I think some folks in this thread might actually be happy for a minute or two.

Still a chance for that to happen at WWDC?

As for less $$$, I wouldn't count on that. Apple's never been as cheap as the competition. I wouldn't expect that to change any time soon.

 

[Cole Slaw]

Welcome to last year.

But seriously, no. It helps to think things through a little. As it turns out, the MacBook needs to weigh a certain amount for MagSafe's primary purpose to apply. Once you get down to 2 lbs or less, it is not as effective at preventing a yank. So you can see why it was an easy decision to move on from MagSafe.

So would it not be possible to have a weaker magnet in a MagSafe connector made for a retina MacBook, so that it separates with less force (because the rMB is lighter)?

 

[garirry]

Still a single USB-C port (FFS!)
Intel HD Graphics 515
480p FaceTime camera (is this some sort of sick joke?)
No DDR4 RAM

This is a refresh, not a re-design.
Why is that bad?
I agree.
Why is that even necessary?

Then again, what should I expect. People here expect some new revolutionary product every year. They're disappointed, hate on Apple, and never learn. Life is good.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Nice article http://mashable.com/2016/04/19/macbook-2016-sucks/#IyC.AoftOiqc

 

[aristobrat]

Actually, Apple is being cruel allowing a 480p webcam to remain. That's ridiculous.

It's cruel if there is a better quality webcam that will fit in a lid as thin as the retina MacBook. iFixit didn't call Apple out for having missed an obviously better camera to fit that location, so who knows.

 

[Mac 128]

I do expect an extra USB-C port on a larger 14" rMB. If not, Apple's just being cruel. Actually, Apple is being cruel allowing a 480p webcam to remain. That's ridiculous.

I can get on board with that. I'm just not sure Apple will.

Do we really think there will be a 14" rMB?

Looking at what Apple is doing with the iPad and iPhone, that sounds like a "Pro" Mac to me. It seems like the Airs are on their way out. Why invest the money to re-engineer them, when they've already delivered the rMB and are likely re-engineering the Pros? I mean they aren't going to put a Retina display and USB-C TB3 into an Air and charge the same price for it. So what's the desire to hold onto it?

If Apple can deliver a smaller/lighter/thinner re-engineered 12" Pro, with all the ports of the Air, then that should suffice. That's when the price on the rMB drops, as the Airs continue to depreciate. On;y the 14" Pro has all the ports.

If you want a Retina display, you pay the price for it. Otherwise get the old Air or wait a year or two for the prices to drop again.

Again, not what I think they should do, but what I wouldn't be surprised to see them do.

 

[cdarlington1]

I've had generation 1 since they came out. Love it. I've never plugged anything into the usb-c port except the power cable. I just haven't needed to. Bought this as my "iPad with a keyboard." I own many other macs so it hasn't been an issue.

 

[aristobrat]

Nice article http://mashable.com/2016/04/19/macbook-2016-sucks/#IyC.AoftOiqc

Awesome article. Tech elite (who ends the article with "I want the smallest, most powerful device possible.") wants to rip Apple because this rMB spec bump won't allow him to replace his high-end 2014 13" retina MacBook Pro.

He lost me at "I intended to slam Apple for going with a low-powered Intel Core M processor, but I decided against it", when his explanation made it seem like he just now figured out why Apple uses Intel Core M in these machines. :wow:

If he was old enough to write back in 2008 when the original Air came out, I'm sure he would have written the exact same opinion piece. Because honestly, virtually all of these complaints about the rMB (and this spec bump) are total Groundhog Day from 2008 MacRumors.

 

[KPOM]

Fair question. Less $ & 2 ports would be reasonable considering the competition. For $300 less one can buy an ultrabook(any brand) with an i5 and more than one port.

Maybe I'm confused why they can't essentially make the MBA with retina. Is that too much too ask in 2016? That's a serious, not sarcastic, question.

They probably don't want to make one. It would be too close to the rMBP in performance and weight if they are to maintain the battery life that people expect from that line.

 

[RadioGaGa1984]

One of the worst things you could do to your battery (phone, laptop, iPad) is to constantly plug and plug it; and that's exactly what a single port does for this one.

Wonder how bad the battery will be after a year or so of use

Proof? Because I highly doubt you have any.

 

[citysnaps]

I've finally figured out that new Apple Products are driven by their out of date inventory of parts.
Tim Cook doesn't want to write off anything (take any loses).
He challenges the engineers to build products like the 2015 Macbook to consume those inventories of mediocre parts.
Tim is turning potential losses into profits. Consumers get mediocre products with 3 year old tech, but love it for some reason.

Inventories?

It's clear you know absolutely nothing about modern high-volume manufacturing.

 

[Cartossin]

Barf, Core-M = Dinosaur

You realize It's got 2 skylake cores... and only uses a peak of 5 watts... and it's 14nm. These are pretty new chips.

 

[KPOM]

Nice article http://mashable.com/2016/04/19/macbook-2016-sucks/#IyC.AoftOiqc

Talk about formulaic troll bait:
- "First, I own lots of Apple products"
- "For the love of Steve Jobs..."
- "Why all the dongles?"
- "Why so expensive?"

I get the biggest kick out of the Steve Jobs comments. As if he never removed an "overpriced, underpowered" Mac with too few ports out of a manila envelope in 2008... The MacBook is exactly the notebook that Steve Jobs would approve.
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I can get on board with that. I'm just not sure Apple will.

Do we really think there will be a 14" rMB?

Looking at what Apple is doing with the iPad and iPhone, that sounds like a "Pro" Mac to me. It seems like the Airs are on their way out. Why invest the money to re-engineer them, when they've already delivered the rMB and are likely re-engineering the Pros? I mean they aren't going to put a Retina display and USB-C TB3 into an Air and charge the same price for it. So what's the desire to hold onto it?

It might be a Pro. Skylake 15W chips are getting pretty powerful, and would let Apple preserve battery life without making it too heavy. So a 3lb 14" MacBook Pro with a 15W processor and TB3 is very much a possibility.

 

[citysnaps]

I'm sorry, this is a truly pathetic update.
No way Jobs would have released an update like this.

Ooooh... A pathetic update...

Funny what you say about Jobs as his updates to the first MB Air were just like this. Hope you aren't too crushed now that you know that.

 

[KPOM]

I'm sorry, this is a truly pathetic update.
No way Jobs would have released an update like this.

Yes, a faster processor, significantly faster SSD controller, and 11% more battery life. No way would Steve Jobs do something like this. Instead he did upgrades like the June 2009 MacBook Air, that basically did nothing. Or how about in October 2010 when Apple completely redesigned the MacBook Air and still used the aging Core 2 Duo when the rest of the world had moved onto the first generation Core i5/i7 chips?

 

[izzyfanto]

They probably don't want to make one. It would be too close to the rMBP in performance and weight if they are to maintain the battery life that people expect from that line.

Yeah true, but it seems like the XPS 13 is comparable to a hypothetical rMBA. And mid tier it's only $1k.

I guess it's confusing to me why people on all across the tech forums defend the one port with the argument that there's not enough room. I genuinely don't understand.

Also, if they lowered the price, it'd make it a lot more appealing to people.