Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

First Impressions of New 12-Inch MacBook: Ridiculously Light, but Thin Keys and Trackpad Take Getting Used To

Looks nice.

I will wait for gen 2 - when they put an sd card slot back in (don't tell me there is no space ) and figured out a MagSafe solution (I think this can be done somehow).

Also I thhink gen 1 will be a bit slow.
But this is the sort of computer I would buy my mom.
 
I wonder how many people will try sticking their iPhone lightning cable into the USB port.

Speaking of which, how will you sync/charge up an iPhone now? Maybe a lighting to USB-C...

What would be great is if they include a USB-A on the power brick. Like what Microsoft does with the Surface Charger.

Another good idea would be to update the portable super drive. Stick some USB-A on the back. An HDMI.. An Ethernet maybe. And power. Then that connects to this new MacBook. That's the thing that can sit on your desk, hide the cables away. And then just the one cable to the suoerdrive dock.
 
Renzatic said:
Probably not. Apple looks like they're going for a little-big selection with all their devices.

Like right now, we have the iPhone 6 and 6+. Since the 6+ kinda overlaps with the iPad Mini, which Apple is all but letting wither on the vine, I'm pretty sure they're going to nix it, and go with the iPad and the rumored iPad Pro. iMacs are the same way. 21" and 27" are your two choices there. A little Macbook, and a bigger Macbook Pro make sense when you consider it alongside everything else.
Click to expand...

I disagree. The 13 inch is just the right size for users who do some photoshop or other graphic apllicafions

I think it is right on the -the smallest screen size that makes sense- mark.

I think this is more a move of unifying the MacBook air sizes.
 
Wow, not even a dedicated usb port. Even moms and pops know how to plug in a thumb drive, and they don't have a port for that? For those that say all can be solved with adaptors, you're idiots. Of course you can come up with all types of adaptor solutions, its just going to be inconvenient and silly. This new macbook is form over function. If you like the form, great. But don't act like there was no sacrifice of function.
 
Judas1 said:
Wow, not even a dedicated usb port. Even moms and pops know how to plug in a thumb drive, and they don't have a port for that? For those that say all can be solved with adaptors, you're idiots. Of course you can come up with all types of adaptor solutions, its just going to be inconvenient and silly. This new macbook is form over function. If you like the form, great. But don't act like there was no sacrifice of function.
Click to expand...

I suppose you could get them this flash drive to go with their new MacBook.

http://www.sandisk.com/products/usb/dualdrive-type-c/
 
Personally I'm fine with the single port, although it would be nice to see the following:

A dock.
Something like the Thunderbolt express docks but available for under £100/$

Overhaul iCloud storage.
I give my clients 8GB USB Sticks full of images, although lately I've been packaging the images up in Dropbox for them to download instead of waiting for something to come in the post. (The obvious problem with this is that it's harder for some people to value a download over a physical product, though that's perhaps for another discussion).
iCloud could be a fantastic way of distributing this kind of product if the interface was made more acceptable for the end user that I'm sharing to. At least Dropbox has a decent viewing platform for images.
But really iCloud is too expensive (see Flickr) and collaboration and sharing doesn't really work very well yet. This is what Apple could do if they really want to step in to the future and wireless/cloud computing.
 
Judas1 said:
Wow, not even a dedicated usb port. Even moms and pops know how to plug in a thumb drive, and they don't have a port for that? For those that say all can be solved with adaptors, you're idiots. Of course you can come up with all types of adaptor solutions, its just going to be inconvenient and silly. This new macbook is form over function. If you like the form, great. But don't act like there was no sacrifice of function.
Click to expand...

The adapter issue is only short-term. As they are a crucial part of the USB 3.1 standard, type-C connectors are practically guaranteed to be everywhere within a few years.

The real problem is having to share that single port with everything else.
 
Last edited:
I'm actually going to consider buying a PC this time. I really thought the 12 inch Macbook would be the one I'd buy but having ONE port for charging, data, HDMI etc etc is just absurd. What's even more mind blowing is that they didn't even throw in a USB adapter to make the damn thing usable.. This is a glorified iPad with a humungous price tag.

This is a big no no for me.
 
the next iphone and ipad will probably have a USB type C port on the charger side.
 
malexandria said:
Jesus, no one is asking for a LOT of ports, but expecting at least a USB Port, HDMI and port to connect to a monitor for a $1,600 computer isn't asking for a lot. God you people really drinking the ***** cool aid on these forums.
Click to expand...

I don't need my laptop to connect to a monitor I have a desktop for that.

planetMitch said:
My question would be why didn't the committee that was working on USB-C make the port be a mag-safe kind of port? What's wrong with that kind of forward thinking? (modest aren't I?)

Sure, they've finally made it omni-directional, but they've thrown away the safety feature of the mag-safe :(
Click to expand...

I don't think the USB committee was planning on companies using the port to power computers.

----

This is actually the first Mac I've liked in a long time. I don't need a desktop replacement I just want in essence a tablet that runs non-mobile OS with a decent keyboard this fits that role well.
 
jmorrison0722 said:
1. Okay, I can accept that...esp since if I were connecting to an external I wouldn't mind using an adapter.

2. Lot of DVD's still being sold and rented. Not so crazy...external superdrive is acceptable but now incompatible without an adapter.

3. Huh?

4. I use a USB mouse, I have a USB printer. Sure, I could go buy an all new printer and bluetooth mouse...but that's just dumb.

5. You're a moron. Not everyone uses their iPhone as their only source of camera. I have a DSLR. Have a GoPro for video. Neither have wireless.
Click to expand...


Then buy the computer that suits you! Apple still sell the MBP line.
 
lowendlinux said:
Tablets and the like yes computers no.
Click to expand...

Tablets don't need anywhere near that much power to charge. In fact most modern laptop chargers don't supply that much (Apple's brick for the 15 Macbook Pro Retina is 85W).

The official USB site even offers this example usage: "A monitor with a supply from the wall can power, or charge, a laptop while still displaying."
 
APlotdevice said:
Tablets don't need anywhere near that much power to charge. In fact most modern laptop chargers don't supply that much (Apple's brick for the 15 Macbook Pro Retina is 85W).

The official USB site even offers this example usage: "A monitor with a supply from the wall can power, or charge, a laptop while still displaying."
Click to expand...

i.e. possible
 
lowendlinux said:
i.e. possible
Click to expand...

Again, the whole reason it supplies that much power is for the sake of laptops. There would be no point if it were only meant for tablets.

Also, keep in mind that magnetic power adapters are actually pretty uncommon in the industry as a whole. Most laptop manufacturers are still using the same round friction connectors they were ten years ago.
 
I don't see how this thing could sell in a sane and rational world but ofcourse it will sell because its apple.

A chromebook is $1200 cheaper and does the same thing. Sure its not made from aluminum but at the end of the day its only about getting work done anyway.
 
surjavarman said:
I don't see how this thing could sell in a sane and rational world but ofcourse it will sell because its apple.

A chromebook is $1200 cheaper and does the same thing. Sure its not made from aluminum but at the end of the day its only about getting work done anyway.
Click to expand...

Are you sure a ChromeBook does the same thing as this MacBook with a full blown OS X?
 
haruhiko said:
Are you sure a ChromeBook does the same thing as this MacBook with a full blown OS X?
Click to expand...
Yes, it can also browse the web and check email which is what most people are going to use this macbook for.

And if the powerusers arent satisfied with that they can always install a full blown GNU/Linux on it.
 
boringwifi said:
Well... I'm gonna stay for WWDC, to know if Apple brings any update for MB or change USB on rMBP for USB-C and bring space gray color '-'
Click to expand...

They've updates the MacBook Airs today, they have also updated the 13" rMBP today. And not just processor updates, the 13" MBA got faster flash storage (as did the 13" rMBP). The 13" rMBP also got a new trackpad. If they wanted to update the 13" rMBP with something else this year, I'd guess they would have waited with the trackpad update for that.
 
TC03 said:
I don't like the force touch thing. Sounds confusing, leaves you guessing what to do (double tap, single tap, force click, too many options). Personally, I prefer touchpads that don't click at all. Just tap on the touchpad. Works flawlessly on my $500 Dell.
Click to expand...

Any reason why the option to just tab on the trackpad (that exists with current trackpads that a physical 'button') wouldn't be there on this trackpad? If you don't like clicking with the current trackpads, you don't have to. I expect the same to be the case with force-touch. If you don't want to use, you don't have to.

----------
Fattytail said:
I'll pass on this one. Cool innovations though. Interesting that they call this a "Macbook". What does that portend for the Air and Pro lines?
Click to expand...

What should they have called it instead? The MacBook Air with retina screen? If they can use a simpler name than that, they better use it.

----------
AdonisSMU said:
I have always loved the trackpad over a traditional mouse. This machine has me. I want it. However, I would've liked a more powerful processor.
Click to expand...
Well, they offer a more powerful processor in the 13" rMBP. More powerful processor needs a thicker machine for cooling and extra battery. So, if that is what you want, that's the tradeoff you have to accept.
 
manu chao said:
Any reason why the option to just tab on the trackpad (that exists with current trackpads that a physical 'button') wouldn't be there on this trackpad? If you don't like clicking with the current trackpads, you don't have to. I expect the same to be the case with force-touch. If you don't want to use, you don't have to.

----------



What should they have called it instead? The MacBook Air with retina screen? If they can use a simpler name than that, they better use it.
Click to expand...

"New Macbook Air" wouldn't have been a surprise (given we had "new iPad" after "iPad 2". Whilst I agree that simpler is better, it does seem daft to reserve the "Air" moniker for a device that is now the *heavier* of the non-Pro lineup...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back