Why are people recommending the 2017 MacBook Pro without touchbar? It has last year’s processor and the faulty keyboard. I would like to upgrade but the 2017 Pro is not even an option, and I have no use for the touchbar and will not pay extra for it. The MacBook Air 2018 is just not powerful enough. I guess I will hold on to the 2015 MBP for another year or two.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
First 2018 MacBook Air Benchmark Shows Moderate Gains Over 2017 MacBook Air and MacBook
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Remember in a lot of cases people are paying for the overall better experience. In the past at least (I haven't looked recently), $600-$800 PC laptops had HORRIBLE touchpads and keyboards.
[doublepost=1541163373][/doublepost]
It's maddening that they didn't offer the quad core chip in the macbook escape. It may have to do with that model having only a single fan instead of dual fans of the mbp touchbar, though.
At Apple, we believe that you don't need a fast computer. What we believe you need, is an expensive computer. That's right, the new MacBook Glue, made of 80% glue. That's up to 37% more glue than before!
It also comes with, you guessed it, one full year of warranty included in the price. That's right! For one whole year, you get to use this computer without worrying about it breaking. That's a whole year. This means that you only have to spend $1200 every year in order to keep owning a computer that works. Well, unless next year's model costs more, which it probably will because why wouldn't it?
The new MacBook Glue. Now with only 1 USB port if your charger is plugged in, and it also requires adapters to do anything.
And now, it also has our incredible T2 chip, which is great because it means only we can repair your computer, for roughly the price of buying a new one. Well, at least until we declare it obsolete next year. After that, no one can repair it.
At Apple, we believe in simplicity:
New feature: It still has a headphone jack!
It also comes with, you guessed it, one full year of warranty included in the price. That's right! For one whole year, you get to use this computer without worrying about it breaking. That's a whole year. This means that you only have to spend $1200 every year in order to keep owning a computer that works. Well, unless next year's model costs more, which it probably will because why wouldn't it?
The new MacBook Glue. Now with only 1 USB port if your charger is plugged in, and it also requires adapters to do anything.
And now, it also has our incredible T2 chip, which is great because it means only we can repair your computer, for roughly the price of buying a new one. Well, at least until we declare it obsolete next year. After that, no one can repair it.
At Apple, we believe in simplicity:
Need a new battery? Buy a new computer.
A key on your keyboard got some dust underneath? Buy a new computer.
The screen stopped working for no reason? Buy a new computer.
Repairs have never been simpler! World-class customer service, woohoo!A key on your keyboard got some dust underneath? Buy a new computer.
The screen stopped working for no reason? Buy a new computer.
New feature: It still has a headphone jack!
Last edited:
Same thoughts. On top of this the Macbook Air is closer in size(dimensions and weight) to the 13" Macbook Pro than it is to the 12" Macbook
The Macbook should be the Air.
Ehh... I bought a 2017 MBA last year, brand new (still sealed in box), for only $700 from a reputable 3rd party seller on eBay. Deals in this range have been going on for quite some time, and more will likely pop up now that there's a new model out. I'd say if you can find one for less than that, you definitely have a case that it would be a better buy for a lot of people (at least a better value proposition).
But is the 2017 worth $999? No freaking way. This new one isn't a speed demon, but it has so many improvements, it's easily worth a good $400 or $500 more than the 2017 model in my opinion. The screen alone is a massive upgrade that is worth at least $250, not to mention any "under the hood" performance improvements.
Exactly! Before I got my 2013 MBP, I was buying a cheaper, non Apple laptop every year. The main reason I ended up splurging and paying double the usual price for my MBP at the time, was the keyboard and touch pad. They were such an improvement over anything I had before and after 5 years I still have it, so it's actually saved me money in the long run
. I spend an average of 10 hours a day on it, and while I'm essentially a casual user in the tasks I need my machine to perform, I have zero problem paying a premium for certain features I consider essential. Granted, I'm sure a lot has changed in the past 5 years but I have no regrets having paid that extra money and switching to Apple at the time. I'm currently looking to finally upgrade only because I'm getting to the point that I need more storage and would also love something lighter too. Again, I don't need a super duper super computer but I will absolutely pay what I need for the things that are important to me, even if it's just a better keyboard or touchpad etc.
This! The problems is with most people on the forum they seem to be talking about the new Air not having enough power, the Air isn’t about pure power, that’s what the MacBook Pro is for! The compromise of the Air is the battery life, the new Air has 12 hours for wireless web and 13 hours for video playback, the MacBook Pro doesn’t and neither does the 12 MacBook. That’s what some people need.
The old Air was a popular machine, go to most colleges and universities and you will see students with the MacBook Air, battery life is very important to students, along with weight. This new Air is lighter and thinner than the old one, also the Retina display and so on.
Most people are not going to care that the Retina display is not the same as the MacBook Pro, most wont even notice. Most people won’t that use an Air won’t notice about the specs either.
The same thing happened when the 12” MacBook was announced, people on these forums said it was underpowered, yet there are people who use Photoshop and even some Final Cut Pro on it, i think the same will happen here.
I know it's somewhat an apples-to-oranges comparison, but after seeing the iPad Pro benchmarks, I'm just dying to see an A1XX-powered Macbook.
Yes, I've got one sitting here. Specs read... 13 inch, 2017, 1.8 Core i5, 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, Graphics 6000 1536 MB. Model identifier is 7,2.
I appreciate helpful comments like this one that put options into perspective.
I guess I fall somewhere in between. I have a mid-2011 MBA and have been waiting years for a decent update that included a sufficient amount of SSD storage (I installed a 1 TB SSD in my current MBA and needed at least that amount going forward). I am not a "casual user" and although I use the MBA as my primary business computer (which I take around the world), I do not need a MBP to run my applications. So yeah, I ordered a maxed out MBA which will set me back $2500 but after using my mid-2011 for 7 years, I definitely got my money's worth and hope to do the same with this model.
No.
It's a massive improvement in screen, size, disk speed, build, security and sound. It is also moderately faster. It will run great for the people it's intended for, now with a beautiful display and refreshed looks, way more secure with T2 and TouchID. A very big upgrade and a good laptop.
Not at all worthy of an "ouch".
The "original" MacBook Air was a super-expensive executive toy that sold because it was spectacularly thinner and lighter than anything else while still being fairly powerful and having a near-full-sized keyboard (c.f. Sony Vaios, netbooks etc.) - the classic MacBook Air that people are mourning here (and the one that that sold by the truckload) was a major re-design that came out a year or two later and started sub-$1000, replacing the then entry-level Macbook. By then, the Air wasn't quite so unique as the PC industry had jumped on the "ultrabook" bandwagon.
Sorry, but the new Air is just too expensive and should start at $999. The only thing going for it at the moment is that the non-TB MacBook Pro hasn't been updated this year and still has the old dust-prone keyboard which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.
As for the currency devaluing - how come the MacBook Air has gone up in price, while the entry-level iPad has gone down in price (while the spec has gone up vastly, including the addition of retina displays)?
2010 iPad: $499 (Non-retina, 16GB)
2012 iPad: $499 (Retina display - no price increase)
2013 iPad: $499 (iPad air)
2018 iPad: $329 (now with 32GB storage)
(Prices from Everymac.com)
2012 iPad: $499 (Retina display - no price increase)
2013 iPad: $499 (iPad air)
2018 iPad: $329 (now with 32GB storage)
(Prices from Everymac.com)
Or, to look at it another way, a 12.9" iPad Pro plus keyboard/folio costs about the same as a new MacBook Air and (if we are to believe the benchmarks) completely thrashes it on performance. (256GB Air: $1400, 256GB 12.9" iPad + folio kb: $1350).
Now, one explanation is that the whole industry decided that the future was mobile and ploughed money into mobile technology development, which has outstripped traditional computers - but we're talking about the Air here which should be able to benefit from tablet technology.
The more sinister explanation is that Apple are deliberately running down the Mac in favour of the iPad because they can make more money out of iOS users by selling them services and getting a slice of all software sales.
Exactly, not everything is about raw power, simply because not everyone needs that power. It's like owning a race car that's capable of going over one hundred miles an hour but never pushing it.
I plan to upgrade from a 2012 Retina 15" in a few weeks. Based on my research you defo don't want the Air as it's basically half the performance of an i5 13" Pro. If you have a Pro, stick to a Pro. It's a good investment.
[doublepost=1541167874][/doublepost]
There are loads of casual users who will prefer a Macbook Air to a Windows machine. And then you have the students. For students it's a great device, and even for lighter software development will do just fine. The new Air will sell, will sell very well.
I'm not really up on this keyboard thing everyone is complaining about, but I've used the 15" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar quite a bit and can't tell the difference between that and my older MacBook Pro. That said, I don't really notice switching to my iMac keyboard either, so perhaps I'm just not sensitive enough.
I was recommending the Pro over the Air because it offers better performance for virtually the same money, but that doesn't mean now is the best time to buy. If you can, you are much better off waiting for Apple to upgrade the Pro and go for the updated version. The problem is they will probably increase the price as well.
I know the difference between x86 and ARM.
My point was not to brag about scores, but admire how fast Apples mobile chipsets are.
I don't think it's a fair comparison. If you price up a 13" windows laptop with an SSD and a full HD screen I doubt you'll find anything less than £800 maybe not less than £1000 I haven't checked recently. But usually when you price like for like, Apple are expensive but not that expensive.
Plus, it doesn't matter to everyone but the quality of the chassis, weight battery life means it is a premium product. There are usually a lot of little quality things that add up. ID touch etc.
Then if you factor in OS upgrades at around the £100-135 mark for Windows, plus all the other software thrown in.
So, yes i agree you are right it's not a bottom end, low grade price, but they aren't in that market.
Benchmarks are benchmarks, whether they are sustained or not. I wasn’t bragging about my geekbench scores. I was more admiring Apple on how well their mobile chipsets are.
If you could fan cool A12 or A12X then would it still throttle??
I don't know why so many negative comments about the keyboard. Yes, I've had my share of problems too but you can fix a sticky key in a few seconds just by flipping the machine upside down and tapping the key. Maybe some people don't like them fair enough, but once you get used to them they are fine and the old, long travel keys feel odd.
[doublepost=1541169037][/doublepost]Why always so many negative comments here? No matter what is released the average comment is disappointed. I get the feeling some people won't be happy until Apple release a machine that comes with a magic wand.
I am a huge fan of sarcasm but here's a bit unnecessary. Let's see why...
The MBA is not the fastest computer, but it's a fast computer and all the tasks it is intended for will perform quickly. There are a few scenarios only where you need a more powerful machine and for that you have the MBP.
It's not expensive. It's people not having enough money maybe, but that's not Apple's fault. Having said that, of course price matters. But on that, please check all the similar Windows notebooks. You'll see the prices even higher in some cases.
And the fact that everything is glued together? Well, over half of our technology these days is. Do I like it? No, but it's also not an Apple issue.
I think the target audience for the MBA does not really need over 2 USB ports.
Apple does NOT declare any of their devices obsolete within a year. In fact they just just extended that period of repairability by authorised service to devices from as old as 2011, so check your facts first.
Windows laptops have come on massively in recent years. Old mid priced ones were big and heavy with obsolete DVD writers, crappy 1366x768 screens, mechanical HDDs and poor trackpads
Now the £500-600 mid range almost always have 1080p screens (often touch enabled), nice big trackpads (maybe not Mac level but very usable), SSDs and quad core CPUs
That Apple are putting dual core Y series CPU in the air when they could easily have put a quad core 15w chip in, is nuts. I can only think they don’t want to make the base MBP look bad value - to which I say why the hell didn’t that get a quad core earlier in the year!?
Macs are still built better than most windows laptops and OS X Is nice. But they’re getting outperformed at much lower prices so they need to be really careful about eroding value
Yeah, I'm going back and forth here. I know what my use-cases are: mostly web browsing, writing, keynote, and email. Battery life is a paramount concern for me more than pure power. I'm still 99% fine in most scenarios with my 2012 MBA, but the keyboard is failing a bit (space bar only works on one side, and some of they keys are a little wonky), the apple logo has burned through and is constantly slightly visible on the other (read: my) side of the screen, keynote sometimes hangs a bit on larger files, and the battery needs replacing.
So I could fix all of that for $500 or so, or I can spend another grand and get a nicer screen, more power, a 3X faster hard drive, and TB3. Or I can spend another $1500 and get a lot more than that, most of which I won't need, but some of which I would use (I dabble in music, and would like to run Acid Pro again.)
So it's a tough call, because realistically the MBA fulfills all of my needs and more - especially the largest and most paramount concern of battery life. But for just a little bit more, I can get some of my wants as well.