From the Forums: Retina MacBook Opinions and Discussion

[MacRumors]

Apple's recently announced 12-inch Retina MacBook has been met with both praise and criticism ahead of its upcoming release on April 10. The new MacBook, positioned at the lower end of Apple's notebook lineup, paves the way for the future with an ultra-thin design, one USB-C port, redesigned keyboard with an all-new butterfly mechanism, Force Touch trackpad, fanless architecture and all-day battery life.

At the same time, the new MacBook has been criticized for having an Intel Core M processor, a system-on-a-chip that Intel typically markets for use in mobile devices. The single USB-C port, which combines power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA connections into one, is also an area of concern for some, especially given that costly adapters must be used to connect many external devices and peripherals to the notebook.

Look no further than this parody of an Apple engineer talking about the Retina MacBook on YouTube, where it has amassed over 5 million views since being uploaded in early March. The video pokes fun at the Retina MacBook for, among other reasons, having one port and a 480p front-facing camera. Rest assured, the parody's creator Armando Ferreira is an Apple fan that owns an iPad and a few MacBooks himself.

While waiting for Apple to lift its embargo for large tech publications to publish their in-depth Retina MacBook reviews, we've sifted through the MacRumors forums and highlighted some of the more interesting discussions about the notebook. Read ahead for a roundup of opinions and noteworthy comments about the Retina MacBook, and be sure to join the conversation within the discussion forums.

Forum Discussion Threads


Who Else Changed Their Mind? "When Apple announced the new MacBook, I was very excited and was seriously planning on getting one April 10th even after I've seen the price tags and specs. However, two days ago it all of a sudden hit me that I should not get the new MacBook. Even though I can afford one. I've started contemplating. I think it's not worth it at all for the price Apple is asking for it."
12" MacBook -- Disappointment and Hope: A number of users offer their opinions about the pros and cons of the new MacBook, emphasizing how the notebook paves the way for the future but requires making compromises in the present. Apple has a history of heading in bold new directions with past products such as the original iMac, MacBook Air and iPhone, so this is not unchartered water for the world's most valuable company.
USB-C Accessories: Belkin announced a new line of USB-C cables and USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet adapter for the new MacBook last month, while LaCie announced the first USB-C external hard drive. This discussion thread is a valuable resource that highlights a number of other USB-C accessories from HydraDock, MonoPrice, Google and other accessory makers and vendors.
Retina MacBook Benchmarked: We posted an early 64-bit Geekbench benchmark of the Retina MacBook that places the notebook in line with the 2011 MacBook Air in terms of CPU performance, and this full Geekbench 3 report offers a more in-depth look at the notebook's single-core and multi-core scores based on integer, floating point and memory performance.
Performance Difference Between CPUs: A side-by-side comparison of the performance differences between the three Intel processor options available for the Retina MacBook. The discussion thread includes speculation that the entry-level CPU may generate the most heat inside the fanless notebook and contains other interesting information about the trio of processor options. Apple recently confirmed build-to-order pricing for the 1.3GHz processor.
Retina MacBook vs. Surface 3: Microsoft is marketing its new Surface 3 tablet as a potential laptop replacement, so it naturally has been compared with the Retina MacBook. The discussion touches upon a number of factors, including price point, physical design, processors, operating systems, battery life, multipurpose functionality and more. Realistically, the Surface Pro 3 is the more suitable device for drawing comparisons.
The Can't List -- Reasons Not to Buy Retina MacBook: A forum user shares eighteen different reasons not to buy the Retina MacBook, including a lack of ports, planned obsolescence, the need for multiple adapters, a 480p FaceTime camera, no SD card slot and, in his opinion, the notebook's expensive price tag. Some other users are quick to counter that Apple's new MacBook is not designed for everyone, arguing that refreshed MacBook Airs and Pros are still available.
Software for Retina MacBook: A forum user shares a list of software that he plans to install on his Retina MacBook when it becomes available, including Matlab, Parallels, OrCAD Schematic Capture and PCB Layout Tools (Windows), Freescale Symphony Studio (Windows), Microsoft Office, Microchip MPLAB (Windows), XCode, Handbrake and Windows 7. Other users list software such as Chrome, Scrivener, Pages, Notability, OneNote, Skype, Moom, Caffeine, Dropbox, OneDrive, Reeder, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, 1Password, VLC and Logic Pro X.
Who's Buying a Retina MacBook Without Trying It? This popular discussion thread within the forums involves users that plan on purchasing the Retina MacBook without trying it out first at an Apple Store. Many users claim they will be pre-ordering the new MacBook on April 10 and having it shipped to their home under the assurance of Apple's standard 14-day return policy.
Retina MacBook Cases: A list of cases and accessories for the new MacBook.
Visit our MacBook section within the forums to keep up with the latest discussions.

Article Link: From the Forums: Retina MacBook Opinions and Discussion

 

[nutmac]

For me, I can sum up MacBook as "it's probably NOT suitable as my only Mac, but could be great as a second one." I had the same response when I saw the original 2008 MacBook Air. I wanted it instantly. Then as the dust settled, I was glad that I waited for 2010 MacBook Air.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Perfect for my needs. If you don't like the new rMB, don't buy one.

Will order 1 gold and 1 space gray for in-store pickup on the 10th. Can't wait to enjoy my new Macs in a few days.

 

[rekhyt]

It's tempting, but... I really want to see what the redesigned MacBook Pro (2015) will look like.

If I'm so impressed by the new MacBook 12" now, then I think I'm going to be absolutely astounded when the MacBook Pro 14" comes out.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

It's tempting, but... I really want to see what the redesigned MacBook Pro (2015) will look like.

If I'm so impressed by the new MacBook 12" now, then I think I'm going to be absolutely astounded when the MacBook Pro 14" comes out.

What makes you think they will redesign the Pro line in 2015?

 

[applegigs]

I was in the market of getting an MB but such disappointing specs.. After coming from an late 2012 MBP... Gonna hold up for 2-3 months more and get hopefully the refreshed rMBP 15

 

[TMRJIJ]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that this MacBook caters to users who just browse the Internet and email themselves their documents? Nobody is forcing you buy this model, and the MacBook Pro still has some ports.

 

[nutmac]

If I'm so impressed by the new MacBook 12" now, then I think I'm going to be absolutely astounded when the MacBook Pro 14" comes out.

I don't think Apple will be merging 13" and 15" MBPs into 14" form factor. And I suspect 15" MBP will be a spec bump with Broadwell and Torce Touch trackpad. The real significant update may be its Skylake successor with Thunderbolt 3.

 

[nagromme]

People HATE products meant for other people's needs.

They want a world that contains one single computer model, one single phone, one single car in a single color, one single app for each purpose (and none for purposes they don't personally need).

Any choice or variety beyond that gets them extremely riled up

 

[oneMadRssn]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that this MacBook caters to users who just browse the Internet and email themselves their documents? Nobody is forcing you buy this model, and the MacBook Pro still has some ports.

People HATE products meant for other people's needs.

They want a world that contains one single computer model, one single phone, one single car in a single color, one single app for each purpose (and none for purposes they don't personally need).

Any choice or variety beyond that gets them extremely riled up

I suspect the reason there has been so much animosity towards this Macbook (a bit from me as well) is because they were hoping for a different product. Most people were hoping for a redesigned Macbook Air with a Retina display, but same class of CPU, same ports, same battery life.

Instead, Apple releases a dilemma - it's asking people to sacrifice ports and much more cash for a retina display, lower weight, and thinness. Plus, adding insult to injury, Apple has removed an very popular and well regarded feature - magsafe. To say nothing of the lower battery life rating. I don't blame people for being pissed at this dilemma.

Before the choice between MBA and MBP was relatively simple. Now for people with aging MBAs, the choice between rMB and MBA is not only tough, but it's forces a sacrifice: retina or ports - one of those has to go if you want a slim and light mac, can't have both.

 

[macduke]

The MacBook Air became dramatically better after a few revisions. I expect the same here. I'd love to have one of these but can't justify it yet. My dream setup would be to drop my 2012 15" rMBP and get this (or an iPad Pro?) and a 5K iMac. I might get the next update to the 5K iMac if they can improve some of the lag issues I've seen. I bought the first gen rMBP and the UI lag can be annoying. I don't want to drop $3000 on another machine that lags.

 

[FuNGi]

Perfect for my needs. If you don't like the new rMB, don't buy one.

Will order 1 gold and 1 space gray for in-store pickup on the 10th. Can't wait to enjoy my new Macs in a few days.

Really? You don't say. Oh wait. You do say. Again and again and again. Gold watch too right? Cool story.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Really? You don't say. Oh wait. You do say. Again and again and again. Gold watch too right? Cool story.

Correct. Super excited.

 

[michael_aos]

Apple stuff:

Me:
32GB iPhone 4s
128GB iPad Air w/cellular
32GB / 512GB 6-core Mac Pro (Late 2013)

Her:
64GB iPhone 5s
64GB iPad mini w/cellular & 3rd-party keyboard

Shared:
13" MacBook Air (2011) - dual-core 1.8Ghz Core i7, 4GB / 256GB
Mac mini (Late 2012) - quad-core 2.6Ghz Core i7, 16GB, ~1.1TB Fusion
--

We seldom use the MacBook Air. We (probably mostly me) thought we'd use it around the house, in the backyard, traveling, maybe a little in the office, etc.

We wind up grabbing our iPad's most of the time instead.

I'm still kind of tempted by the new MacBook. Viewing it as an "improved iPad", rather than a low-end laptop.
--

 

[QCassidy352]

I suspect the reason there has been so much animosity towards this Macbook (a bit from me as well) is because they were hoping for a different product. Most people were hoping for a redesigned Macbook Air with a Retina display, but same class of CPU, same ports, same battery life.

Instead, Apple releases a dilemma - it's asking people to sacrifice ports and much more cash for a retina display, lower weight, and thinness. Plus, adding insult to injury, Apple has removed an very popular and well regarded feature - magsafe. To say nothing of the lower battery life rating. I don't blame people for being pissed at this dilemma.

This is exactly right. The Air is and has been a terrific ultraportable with only one serious drawback - a subpar screen. Instead of updating the air with a retina screen or even a 1080 ips screen, which would have made it an almost perfect ultraportable, they introduced a new line with its own flaws while not addressing the glaring flaw of the air line. So two flawed lines when they could've had one excellent one.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

This is exactly right. The Air is and has been a terrific ultraportable with only one serious drawback - a subpar screen. Instead of updating the air with a retina screen or even a 1080 ips screen, which would have made it an almost perfect ultraportable, they introduced a new line with its own flaws while not addressing the glaring flaw of the air line. So two flawed lines when they could've had one excellent one.

What flaws do you see in the rMB?

 

[hasansalim70]

It's not a flagship......it wasn't meant to be

I’m sure many others like me were excited when Apple announced this amazing product. However many people are talking down about this product even though it hasn’t been released yet! After all, a 480p camera, a processor that’s used on smartphones, one port and to top it off, barely any power. Definitely doesn’t sound like the big bad boy in the yard to me. However something that we all need to be reminded of is that Apple does NOT want this to be their flagship product. Apple was NEVER and is NEVER going to attempt to make this product the “big bad boy in the yard”. Talking down on this product is like complaining that a Toyota Corolla doesn’t have a V12 twin turbo engine, so it looks like crap next to a Bugatti Veyron. Of course it dose! It wasn’t made for that! It was made to be in competition such as the Microsoft Surface.

I’m very happy that Apple made the decision to make this product; it gives the general consumer more options and completes the Apple notebook collection by adding a great low tier product choice that Apple currently offers.

I defiantly would not recommend this as a first or only mac. However, this would make an excellent 2nd portable and convenient mac, especially if you have an immobile Apple product at home or your place work such as a Mac Pro and or iMac. However as good as the product is, at the end of the day, for many consumers it comes down to the price. I feel the price is outrageous for what is being offered. Apple will lose many potential sales due to their pricing strategy on this particular product. This product should be no more then $999 at full retail value for the entry-level model.

All in all, a solid product for what it was made to do, but is it worth paying the price on the tag?

 

[oneMadRssn]

What flaws do you see in the rMB?

As someone who is one for 1 gold and 1 space gray one (as you have bragged in every MB thread), you clearly don't care about the flaws.

However, try to see it through the eyes of someone with an ~5 year old Mac laptop that is looking to upgrade. They're probably coming from a 13" cMBP or a MBA, circa 2010 (the two Mac laptop lines without discreet graphics, considered most portable back then). Most importantly, they want it to fit into their existing workflow without disruption, then improve their workflow. They're hoping to be able to use their existing accessories: various thunderbolt to hdmi/dvi/vga adapters, mouse, external hard drive, thumbdrive, etc. until those accessories are no longer needed. They also want a retina display. They want improved battery life. The ones coming from a cMBP want it to be lighter.

As it stands now, neither the rMB nor the MBA fulfills their wants.

 

[931069]

And why?

Perfect for my needs. If you don't like the new rMB, don't buy one.

Will order 1 gold and 1 space gray for in-store pickup on the 10th. Can't wait to enjoy my new Macs in a few days.

Why do you want 2? what a waste.

----------

Really? You don't say. Oh wait. You do say. Again and again and again. Gold watch too right? Cool story.

Yeah it's annoying.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

Why do you want 2? what a waste.

One for each hand my friend.

---------------

Anyways, I believe people [MacRumors] should see this just like the MacBook Air. It was slow, underspecced, and costed $2k at launch. Fast-forward to 2015, the base version costs under $900.
So, this will very likely be the same. For me it's pretty obvious I'd never purchase this computer, since it is a tad underspecced for the price, and brings few ports (even though I rarely use the ones I have in my rMBP, you never know when you might need them). However, I'm pretty sure things are going to change a bit in two years' time. Just like it did with the MBA.

 

[casperes1996]

Am I the only one who looked at the listed software in the software thread and thought... What? What the piss are these people thinking?! Running parallels and Logic Pro X on this?!?! And Handbrake? If this is your Logic and Handbrake machine... You're doing it wrong.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

As someone who is one for 1 gold and 1 space gray one (as you have bragged in every MB thread), you clearly don't care about the flaws.

However, try to see it through the eyes of someone with an ~5 year old Mac laptop that is looking to upgrade. They're probably coming from a 13" cMBP or a MBA, circa 2010 (the two Mac laptop lines without discreet graphics, considered most portable back then). Most importantly, they want it to fit into their existing workflow without disruption, then improve their workflow. They're hoping to be able to use their existing accessories: various thunderbolt to hdmi/dvi/vga adapters, mouse, external hard drive, thumbdrive, etc. until those accessories are no longer needed. They also want a retina display. They want improved battery life. The ones coming from a cMBP want it to be lighter.

As it stands now, neither the rMB nor the MBA fulfills their wants.

Someone would actually keep a Mac for 5 years?

Simple. The consumer should purchase a different Mac instead of this machine if it's not suitable / adequate for their needs.

 

[Mildredop]

Macrumors story = forum responses = story about forum responses = forum responses about story about forum responses...

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Why do you want 2? what a waste.

----------

Gold for home use.
Space gray for the office.

My $2,805.17 gift cards should just about cover the cost.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Why is it so hard for people to understand that this MacBook caters to users who just browse the Internet and email themselves their documents?

If these are the people buying MacBooks, they could do the same with an iPad. Or even a 2010 MacBook. It's hard to understand because it's an obscene amount of money. Your very argument has validated that this machine is for light computer use only. You get more power, better battery life, and better value from a MacBook Air. You get much more power, more ports, better value, and a Retina display with the Retina MacBook Pro.

It's hard for people to understand because it's a difficult computer to understand. This feels more like an engineering excercise than the future of laptops. The MacBook Air was a vision of the future, albeit it too was insanely overpriced and underpowered when it was first announced. The MacBook just seems ... impractical. Removing Maglock to optimise thinness is to me an example of form over function.