Early Benchmarks Put Retina MacBook CPU Performance in Range of 2011 MacBook Air

[KPOM]

How can Apple be ahead of Intel, where Intel is the dependency? Intel is not forcing apple to launch this new MB, Apple can wait....

How big was the difference between the first and second gen? I got the second one.

They wanted to release a super-thin notebook with a fanless design. The only compatible Intel processors are the Core M processors. With all the delays to Broadwell, much improved Skylake processors are waiting in the wings.

My point is that, for better or for worse, the new MacBook is a lot like the original MacBook Air. Those who can wait until October or November might well be rewarded with a fairly significantly improved MacBook. But if you want something this light, whether from Asus, or HP, or Lenovo, you are getting a Core M processor that has comparable performance to the 2011 Sandy Bridge processors, albeit at much lower power draws.

 

[the Helix]

At this rate, the forthcoming Surface 3 becomes more attractive.

 

[evangw]

I have a 2011 MBA and was considering upgrading solely due to the decreased weight, better battery life, smaller form factor, and retina display. So, I guess I'm their target audience.

(I have an iMac and a PC workstation too, and am buying one of these new MacBooks the moment they go on sale.)

 

[Mildredop]

Is the whole CPU thing a bit like the megapixel race in digital cameras?

Does there come a point where most people (other than truly heavy users) just don't need all the CPU?

So by holding back and having a less powerful CPU, other areas are improved (portability, battery life etc) which are more important to the average user?

I don't care if my Mac take 2 seconds or 4 seconds to do something, but I do care if the battery lasts 5 hours or 8 hours, or if it's half the weight etc.

 

[KPOM]

The Air doesn't have retina because Apple does not wish it. Same with Force Touch. The weight... Really? THAT is actually the selling point vs the Air?

They eliminate functionality, reduce performance, throw in some gimmicky touch pad and display tech that is 3 years old (in the MBP line)... but hey, it weighs under a pound less!

If you want a powerful notebook, Apple sells the rMBP. If you cram a retina screen into the MacBook Air, there's really very little difference between it and the Pro.

My guess is that the MacBook will ultimately replace the MacBook Air. The technology isn't there yet, so they are positioning it as a pricey niche machine, much like the original MacBook Air. The 15" rMBP will likely get Force Touch when it is refreshed. My guess is that the MacBook Airs will not. Like the original MacBook after the late-2010 MacBook Air was released, the current MacBook Airs will get only minor refreshes, if at all, until the MacBook is powerful enough to take over as the "base" model. That might not happen with Skylake, but perhaps with its successor.

It took 2.5 years for the MacBook Air to supplant the polycarbonate MacBook. It may be a similar timeline for the new MacBook to supplant the MacBook Air.

 

[LordVic]

Yes. Among other near-fatal problems, move your head just a bit and the gamma goes way out of whack.

how can something go "out of whack" when it was never "in whack" in the first place

I cannot stand TN displays. the light bleed always bugs my eyes.

I was editting a photo I took at the zoo in lightroom. needed some touchup, was trying to make these white jellyfish appear to "glow" on a black surface.

spent an hour or so doing it on the MBA (cause i wasn't home and only brought the Air with me). was completely satisfied. fired it over to my phone.

OHGODWHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it looked nothing like what it should have. you could see glass reflections everywhere that weren't visible on the MBA display. The "glow" wasn't even there, and was a byproduct of the display and not the changes I made.

I had to completely trash al the work I had done to the photo, and wait till I got home and did it on a combination of my desktop and my Surface Pro. which had near identical outcomes when I was finished.

it boggles my mind, why in all these yars, despite advances everyone else has made on their ultrabooks, Apple has never, once, upgraded the display.

 

[bkkcanuck]

So, realizing that it's hard to evaluate a system that no one has had a chance to use yet, what's your guess on the clock upgrades - worthwhile, or wasted money?

Clock upgrades for most people are a waste of money - given the rest of the components being the same.

 

[hans1972]

just further my over-all opinion

One size doesn't fit all for computers.

and choice is always better than no choice.

And those who value CPU performance have always had choices: Macbook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro.

Those of us who value weight, ultra portability and a great screen now finally have a great choice, the new Macbook.

 

[KPOM]

Is the whole CPU thing a bit like the megapixel race in digital cameras?

Does there come a point where most people (other than truly heavy users) just don't need all the CPU?

So by holding back and having a less powerful CPU, other areas are improved (portability, battery life etc) which are more important to the average user?

I don't care if my Mac take 2 seconds or 4 seconds to do something, but I do care if the battery lasts 5 hours or 8 hours, or if it's half the weight etc.

Yes, and that's why PC sales in general have slowed over the past few years. For what the average person, including the average business user does, CPUs have been "adequate" for a decade now. Intel shifted its focus the last few generations to reducing power consumption and improving graphics performance. They are shifting a bit toward improving performance in the next generation, but we may never see anything as dramatic as the performance improvements we saw in the late 1990s to mid-2000s. The jump from Core 2 to the original Core i3/i5/i7 was the last big jump. Everything else has been incremental.

 

[Wahlstrm]

I want one

Not the most impressive geek bench score

But I think this might still be good enough for my needs on-the-go.

I used the 2007 as my main machine for a few years but the 4GB of ram and the move from 10 to 20mpix camera really slowed things down. SSD would have helped since the old spinner in that machine got about 50MB/s on a good day.. But SSDs did not really exist in 2007

I moved on to the 2011 13" with an SSD and 8GB of ram and that worked fine except for anything needing the horrible Intel3000 GPU and huge batch processes of 1000+ images. That took hours.. (I have a QC Mini for that stuff now).

The 12" Macbook CPU sits in the middle but with faster storage, faster ram and a much better GPU than the 2011 MBP.

Battery/weight/portability/screen is just awesome^2 compared to the other two.

Just need to find a USB-c adapter for my mem-card reader..

 

[Mildredop]

Yes, and that's why PC sales in general have slowed over the past few years. For what the average person, including the average business user does, CPUs have been "adequate" for a decade now. Intel shifted its focus the last few generations to reducing power consumption and improving graphics performance. They are shifting a bit toward improving performance in the next generation, but we may never see anything as dramatic as the performance improvements we saw in the late 1990s to mid-2000s. The jump from Core 2 to the original Core i3/i5/i7 was the last big jump. Everything else has been incremental.

So, is this CPU being compared to the 2011 air and the iPad a moot point?

 

[bkkcanuck]

At this rate, the forthcoming Surface 3 becomes more attractive.

Surface 3 will be attractive to some people, but it is more of a tablet than a "laptop". The single core performance will be around 40% of the macbook and all 4 cores will be around 80% of the macbooks 2 cores.

The base model with 2GB of memory will probably be a waste of money - so minimum you would chose the "top of the line" for $599 (which will have half the storage / slower SSD). Then you will add in the keyboard which will bring it up to $720ish.

If you want a tablet with a pen, it is probably the best device for you.

 

[Dayv]

Faster processor and better graphics than my 2009 13" MBP, far lighter, retina display... Still sounds like a good buy to me.

 

[KPOM]

I had to completely trash al the work I had done to the photo, and wait till I got home and did it on a combination of my desktop and my Surface Pro. which had near identical outcomes when I was finished.

it boggles my mind, why in all these yars, despite advances everyone else has made on their ultrabooks, Apple has never, once, upgraded the display.

Because the MacBook Air has become Apple's entry-level notebook. It is nearing the end of its life, and will likely be phased out in the future as Intel's 5W processors improve in performance. My guess is that the MacBook Air has one, maybe 2 refreshes left, which will be limited to the processor and maybe SSD, but that all future focus will be on the MacBook, particularly after the more powerful Skylake and Cannonlake chips come out.

 

[CE3]

Is the whole CPU thing a bit like the megapixel race in digital cameras?

Does there come a point where most people (other than truly heavy users) just don't need all the CPU?

So by holding back and having a less powerful CPU, other areas are improved (portability, battery life etc) which are more important to the average user?

I don't care if my Mac take 2 seconds or 4 seconds to do something, but I do care if the battery lasts 5 hours or 8 hours, or if it's half the weight etc.

How much more portable is this thing really? Most laptops are portable and lightweight now. I agree that the design of this MacBook looks very sleek, but at the end of the day it's a very average laptop at a very above average price.

 

[newellj]

Clock upgrades for most people are a waste of money - given the rest of the components being the same.

Thanks. I think I'll stop at Best Buy and use my 10% coupon.

how can something go "out of whack" when it was never "in whack" in the first place

I cannot stand TN displays. the light bleed always bugs my eyes.

I was editting a photo I took at the zoo in lightroom. needed some touchup, was trying to make these white jellyfish appear to "glow" on a black surface.

spent an hour or so doing it on the MBA (cause i wasn't home and only brought the Air with me). was completely satisfied. fired it over to my phone.

OHGODWHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it looked nothing like what it should have. you could see glass reflections everywhere that weren't visible on the MBA display. The "glow" wasn't even there, and was a byproduct of the display and not the changes I made.

I had to completely trash al the work I had done to the photo, and wait till I got home and did it on a combination of my desktop and my Surface Pro. which had near identical outcomes when I was finished.

it boggles my mind, why in all these yars, despite advances everyone else has made on their ultrabooks, Apple has never, once, upgraded the display.

Agree, a total mystery. Although the people suggesting that Apple could just pop a retina display into the MBA line without other changes are misinformed. Either that or they're happy to take a giant step backwards in battery runtime.

 

[TechZeke]

You can run 3 virtual machines with Windows 7 fine on this machine! And then 8Gb RAM and 256Gb SSD will be of great use!

Good luck running 3 virtual machines on an iPad level Processor.

If my iPad Air 2 can handle 3 virtual machines just by adding some RAM, Apple really needs to step up iOS for more multitasking.

 

[rdlink]

Why?

storage isn't everyones #1 concern.

Apple also charges $200 for this upgrade, where the competition is doing for less.

if you can compare CPU to CPU, screen to screen, storage to storage, and make a logic decision based upon your own needs, than you can very well include the storage options as a comparison feature.

what you're basically saying is that it doesn't matter that the Pro is faster in every single metric, because it's got 128gb less storage.

Question then, why doesn't Apple also offer the rMB in a 128gb option and drop the base price $200?

No. What I'm saying is that the OP's statement and implication that the computers were the same price, and somehow made the Macbook a useless computer was wrong.

We can agree that most users of computers (I'd say over 90%) these days, especially laptops will never, ever use all of the processing power that is afforded to them, no?

Just like storage isn't everything, neither is processing power. But I can tell you from many years of experience that the vast majority of users will run out of space on a 128GB drive long before they bump up against the processor.

Look, the rMP is not for me. I don't want it simply because it has a 12 inch screen, and no mag safe connector. But there is a large segment of the population who will have a legitimate need for this machine, and will need a 256GB storage option before they'd ever need a more powerful proc.

 

[newellj]

How much more portable is this thing really? Most laptops are portable and lightweight now. I agree that the design of this MacBook looks very sleek, but at the end of the day it's a very average laptop at a very above average price.

Depends on how much and how you carry it around. I recently tried ditching my rMBP for an 11" MBA and it made a huge difference, but I walk four miles a day and take a commuter train to work, then carry the computer around to meetings in the office. The slightly >1 pound difference was very noticeable.

For price, look around at roughly similar subnotes. It's competitive with the SP3, Yoga 3 and a few others if you equip them roughly similarly.

 

[bkkcanuck]

How much more portable is this thing really? Most laptops these days are portable and lightweight. I agree that the design of this looks very sleek, but at the end of the day it's a very average laptop at a very above average price. Which seems to be what Apple does best these days.

Depends on use. The more bulky the computer, the more bulky the bag. If your battery lasts less than a day, then you are likely to carry a more bulky bag with the charger during the day.

For something with the bulk of the new macbook and a full day charge (fingers crossed) -- you can just slip it into an iPad type case or in your purse and forget everything else. It would hardly be noticeable.

I was on the road for 3 years straight at times had to carry two laptops (work issued and customer issued) -- one was bad, two would be crippling. If I go away on work I would pack heavier and leave the heavier bag and charger at the hotel and carry only the macbook in a light sleeve....

The macbook would have been able to handle everything I needed (email, word, coding, reading, videos etc.)..... Being light and thin (without bulk) really does matter.

 

[djgamble]

For all intensive purposes it means the CPU will speed up when you need it, and the rest of the time run in a more energy efficient mode.

For all intents and purposes mate sorry... pet hate of mine when people grt that wrong.

 

[KPOM]

So, is this CPU being compared to the 2011 air and the iPad a moot point?

For many users, probably. All the comparisons to the iPad Air 2 are meaningless anyway, since the ARM processors use an entirely different processor architecture incompatible with OS X. Apple would have to rewrite OS X or build an emulation layer (like it did with Rosetta in 2005) to run OS X on the A8X or forthcoming A9, and it would not be pretty. x64 is a 64-bit add-on to a bloated 35-year old x86 architecture. It just wouldn't work well since the Intel processors are too complicated.

 

[gnasher729]

So many years in this forum and I still can't get over the people defending Apple at all costs, no matter how wrong the company is. Heck, they can start killing whales and a lot of you are going to find excuses and reasons why it is a good thing.

Here's the difference: I have been many years in this forum, and I totally accept that there will always be people who attack Apple or its products or its users at all cost, no matter how stupid the attack is. For example, attacking one out of five very different Apple laptop models because it is different from the other four. As if anyone would have been served by adding a copy of one of the four existing products.

Your reference to "killing whales" is just plain stupid. It's what I referred to: In this case, you are attacking Apple users in the most stupid way possible. Again, here is the difference: I'm not defending Apple for killing whales. They are not killing whales. However, I am indeed attacking you for making the most unreasonable claim about Apple users, and you _did_ indeed make that unreasonable claim.

 

[newellj]

For all intents and purposes mate sorry... pet hate of mine when people grt that wrong.

Actually, reading his post, he might have meant intensive?

 

[bkkcanuck]

For all intents and purposes mate sorry... pet hate of mine when people grt that wrong.

Brain and fingers sometimes aren't on the same wavelength.