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

[snorkelman]

What I think is really telling is that the complainers clearly REALLY want this device, which certainly says something.

They won't consider a MBP, they want THIS machine, just slightly...more...like...the MBP. It's very confusing that they need to redesign one product clearly not meant to be a port laden high end power house, when Apple already offers the machine they want.

Except this machine would be ideal for my uses with two USB ports - it ticks every other box; weight, form factor, RAM, screen size and resolution

I don't need anything that a MBP pro has to offer over this machine other than a port to plug the thing in when necessary while (depending on where I am/what I'm doing) still having access to a wired ethernet controller or a sentinel USB dongle at same time.

Instead its lug around an MBP as I have done for past few years or go back to the macbook Air; both of which are heavier, bulkier, have a larger footprint and a slew of completely superfluous features for the job I have them do

It's the so near but so far that I find frustrating (and I suspect a number of other folks too)

In the past I've generally been quite happy to buy a new shiny apple box every twelve months and pass the old one on but not now; little point in buying another one and retiring the old one if the only replacement options are no better fit than the one I already have I'll just hold on to the current one till it eventually gets so beaten up it just has to be replaced (or hell freezes over and they offer a 2 port ultra-lightweight machine)

 

[zhenya]

Except this machine would be ideal for my uses with two USB ports - it ticks every other box; weight, form factor, RAM, screen size and resolution

I don't need anything that a MBP pro has to offer over this machine other than a port to plug the thing in when necessary while (depending on where I am/what I'm doing) still having access to a wired ethernet controller or a sentinel USB dongle at same time.

Instead its lug around an MBP as I have done for past few years or go back to the macbook Air; both of which are heavier, bulkier, have a larger footprint and a slew of completely superfluous features for the job I have them do

It's the so near but so far that I find frustrating (and I suspect a number of other folks too)

In the past I've generally been quite happy to buy a new shiny apple box every twelve months and pass the old one on but not now; little point in buying another one and retiring the old one if the only replacement options are no better fit than the one I already have I'll just hold on to the current one till it eventually gets so beaten up it just has to be replaced (or hell freezes over and they offer a 2 port ultra-lightweight machine)

So what's the problem with carrying a 1oz dongle in a bag to allow you to use the machine you want?

 

[navaira]

So what's the problem with carrying a 1oz dongle in a bag to allow you to use the machine you want?

I think the problem is essentially "so here's my super-thin, super-light Macbook! Isn't it gorgeous? Now wait a minute so I can connect the plastic brick and actually use it the way I want".

 

[zhenya]

I think the problem is essentially "so here's my super-thin, super-light Macbook! Isn't it gorgeous? Now wait a minute so I can connect the plastic brick and actually use it the way I want".

Makes a lot more sense to me than carrying the weight of those 'adapters' 100% of the time as built-ins when I might use them 1% of the time.

 

[toke lahti]

So what's the problem with carrying a 1oz dongle in a bag to allow you to use the machine you want?

If the port was inside, its volume might be about one hundredth of the volume of external port(=dongle=hub) and you can't forget to take it with mb. Also the cost would be similar. A very nice idea would be to duct tape that hub under the mb, so you would get the keyboard to a bit nicer angle and the screen a bit higher...

 

[zhenya]

If the port was inside, its volume might be about one hundredth of the volume of external port(=dongle=hub) and you can't forget to take it with mb. Also the cost would be similar. A very nice idea would be to duct tape that hub under the mb, so you would get the keyboard to a bit nicer angle and the screen a bit higher...

Fortunately for you every other laptop in Apple's line includes the ports built in!

 

[anthonymaw]

I have used one of these. It's more like an iPad with a permanent accessory keyboard and runs OSX instead of iOS. Just like iPad only has Lightning charger/connector the USB C is a single port for everything. But yeah with "innovations" like this I can see why Apple stock is tanking.

 

[zhenya]

I have used one of these. It's more like an iPad with a permanent accessory keyboard and runs OSX instead of iOS. Just like iPad only has Lightning charger/connector the USB C is a single port for everything. But yeah with "innovations" like this I can see why Apple stock is tanking.

Right, I mean Apple should stick to building 13-15" 2.5-4lb laptops like every other manufacturer on earth with declining market share.

The Macbook is actually something unique in the laptop space, something that nobody else is doing. It's quintessentially Apple.

 

[Mw0103]

No it's not. Try downloading photos off a card reader, to an external HDD but can't because your Macbook needs to be charged. One port for power and all reading/writing capabilities is one of the stupidest decisions Apple has made. They're about to do the same with the iPhone 7. One port for headphones and charging.
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Apple made a stupid design decision when someone advocates people look to other machines, or an older Macbook, to do rudimentary tasks, like, ya know, charging your Macbook and working off an external HDD.

Well, there are adapters that will allow you to run all of that through the one port while charging. This is exactly like saying it is a stupid design decision not to include an optical drive, or a floppy drive, or a parallel port, or ... any tech on its way out. Wired external HDD and SD cards are a diminishing use-case. It's not as if Apple broke the formatting so you couldn't read that media even with the adapters.

 

[Mac 128]

Except this machine would be ideal for my uses with two USB ports - it ticks every other box; weight, form factor, RAM, screen size and resolution

I don't need anything that a MBP pro has to offer over this machine other than a port to plug the thing in when necessary while (depending on where I am/what I'm doing) still having access to a wired ethernet controller or a sentinel USB dongle at same time.

Instead its lug around an MBP as I have done for past few years or go back to the macbook Air; both of which are heavier, bulkier, have a larger footprint and a slew of completely superfluous features for the job I have them do

It's the so near but so far that I find frustrating (and I suspect a number of other folks too)

In the past I've generally been quite happy to buy a new shiny apple box every twelve months and pass the old one on but not now; little point in buying another one and retiring the old one if the only replacement options are no better fit than the one I already have I'll just hold on to the current one till it eventually gets so beaten up it just has to be replaced (or hell freezes over and they offer a 2 port ultra-lightweight machine)

Problem solved:

http://www.amazon.com/Proporta-Char...3&sr=8-12&keywords=usb-c+pass+through+adapter

 

[anthony11]

Plot twist: it has complete MacBook Pro internals and performance with MacBook form factor...

I wish!

Even with this update I still don't understand the product positioning. Why would one buy this instead of an Air?? Aside from my wife liking the pink?

 

[\-V-/]

Even with this update I still don't understand the product positioning. Why would one buy this instead of an Air?? Aside from my wife liking the pink?

Thinner, lighter, and a retina screen that doesn't look washed out. The Air has the worst screen of any of their products by far. One of the worst displays in a Mac in years.

 

[recoil80]

Even with this update I still don't understand the product positioning. Why would one buy this instead of an Air?? Aside from my wife liking the pink?

For the retina display.
I'd buy the rMBP rather than the Macbook, but for sure I'd never get a MBA now with its measly display

 

[navaira]

Even with this update I still don't understand the product positioning. Why would one buy this instead of an Air?? Aside from my wife liking the pink?

I bought an 8 GB i5 13" Air on Black Friday sales. I'd say that when a 14" rMB I'd get one, but I know very well that I'd need to sell a kidney first and I'm still using those. I'll probably be able to afford the 2016 model around 2019.

 

[PlainviewX]

Sounds like you bought a product that doesn't suit your needs. Why did you do something foolish like that?

Ahem. http://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Type-...UTF8&qid=1461260097&sr=8-4&keywords=usb-c+hub

Although I suggest that if this is something you need to do while out and about on a daily basis, you bought the wrong machine. That's fine. They still make other devices to suit you. Just leave my MacBook alone.

I didn't buy the machine. I wouldn't buy it. It's an awful design. It's basically an email and internet machine. I bought a MBPr for a few years prior, a real working laptop, not one that is gimped as a design machine.
[doublepost=1461338175][/doublepost]

Well, there are adapters that will allow you to run all of that through the one port while charging. This is exactly like saying it is a stupid design decision not to include an optical drive, or a floppy drive, or a parallel port, or ... any tech on its way out. Wired external HDD and SD cards are a diminishing use-case. It's not as if Apple broke the formatting so you couldn't read that media even with the adapters.

Not even close to the same. Having one port for something that requires charging/power is idiotic. It's easily one of the stupidest designs Apple has ever come up it. Unfortunately it's being carried over to other products.

 

[zhenya]

I didn't buy the machine. I wouldn't buy it. It's an awful design. It's basically an email and internet machine. I bought a MBPr for a few years prior, a real working laptop, not one that is gimped as a design machine.

Because of course only your definition of 'work' applies to the rest of the world!!

 

[NT1440]

I didn't buy the machine. I wouldn't buy it. It's an awful design. It's basically an email and internet machine. I bought a MBPr for a few years prior, a real working laptop, not one that is gimped as a design machine.

Congrats on knowing how to buy what you need.

 

[Mac 128]

Having one port for something that requires charging/power is idiotic. It's easily one of the stupidest designs Apple has ever come up it. Unfortunately it's being carried over to other products.

You're saying only Apple includes one port for data and charging/power, and no other manufacturer ever did that before Apple or since?

I'd say it's rather convenient. Is it a bad idea not to have redundancies for such a port in some cases? Sure. And hopefully Apple replaces the headphone jack with a multifunction port should they actually drop it from the iPhone as rumored, to rectify that problem. Likewise, if they add a "smart port" to the iPhone, or other wireless charging solution. But the idea in general is pretty universal, and would make a lot of devices I use daily a lot less convenient.

 

[Stutterer]

Just ordered my upgrade in Space Grey.

Same here.
[doublepost=1461350342][/doublepost]

And updated exactly like I predicted. Never expected anything other than a Skylake update with no other major changes. Still a fantastic super-portable.

Agree. Just ordered mine.

 

[617aircav]

For the retina display.
I'd buy the rMBP rather than the Macbook, but for sure I'd never get a MBA now with its measly display

The airs screen is so outdated. I bought my air in 2012 and I can't believe it still has the same screen resolution. Note even 1080.

 

[Totti]

Im still rocking last years in SG. I use it as my daily (Lightroom, Photoshop, Email, Word processing). It does grind up something when working with RAWS (Especially HDR work) but even though it is an underperformer i do still have a soft spot for it

 

[fruitninja]

When can we expect the new models (the 2016 MacBook and the baseline 8GB Air, too) to hit Amazon?

 

[navaira]

I quietly wonder if this is Cook getting rid of inventory and they simply sold out most 13" 4GB models first. If anybody gets the 8 GB 13", can you check production date?

 

[Tech198]

No guesses for which color would sell out first...

one port, solves two problems.... (but not at the same time)

But here's the thing... would you rather have two USB ports on the Mac, or one USB-C port with a dongle for extra USB ports that branches out ?

 

[heywally]

I tried one of these out and will be returning it but only because the screen isn't quite as big as I wanted.

Coming from a MacAir 13", thought this might be large enough but it just wasn't. Which means, unless they announce a 15" MacBook soon, I will be holding out for the new MBP 15" and hope its body weight is a little less than the current one.

This is a great little machine though, amazing looking display, quite zippy, new keyboard doesn't bother me and neither does the one port (but I prefer the magnetic power cable connect) and needing to have an adapter (but I don't have that USB need very often.) Runs much cooler than my MacAir, even without a fan and is so wonderfully lightweight.

Yes it is too expensive (it's an Apple product) but there is excellent support and I don't have to deal with Windows. Those two things along with the quality, justify the pricing.