Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
No, it really is Chrome. Lately it's been making both my Macbook Air and my friend's Macbook Pro whine like crazy with just a few tabs open.

Fortunately I mostly use Safari, but it's still ridiculous. The review should really have mentioned this.

Google`s Chrome is a popular browser with many users, so the inclusion is completely valid. Personally I don't use it or have it installed, equally it should be mention that Chrome is not the best browser for OS X.

Q-6
 
I'm really curious about the heat. I'm still using a late 2008 mbp 15", and I'm looking for something very portable with low heat. If this runs hot, I'll wait..
 
Frankly speaking, the reviews are not going to make any difference to the intended audience. Its a luxurious ultrabook meant for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing, viewing photos and videos etc etc..

Its an extension of iPad Air into the Mac world. Its primarily meant for elite executives and other rich customers to whom it doesn't matter how much they are willing to spend for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing and watching videos...

Majority of the serious laptop users will stay away from this rich kid of Apple till the time the prices drops in the coming 4-6 months on major online portals as there is not much you can do with this laptop except replace it for your iPad with added advantages of a keyboard, storage space and OS X.
 
Frankly speaking, the reviews are not going to make any difference to the intended audience. Its a luxurious ultrabook meant for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing, viewing photos and videos etc etc..

Its an extension of iPad Air into the Mac world. Its primarily meant for elite executives and other rich customers to whom it doesn't matter how much they are willing to spend for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing and watching videos...

Majority of the serious laptop users will stay away from this rich kid of Apple till the time the prices drops in the coming 4-6 months on major online portals as there is not much you can do with this laptop except replace it for your iPad with added advantages of a keyboard, storage space and OS X.

The reviews suggest this is much more capable. Did you even read the review where they made the video with the Macbook? Will it be as fast as a MBP? No, but it can still handle most tasks. Also this "rich kid stuff." If you're not a "rich kid" that can afford this, then you also can't afford the MBP.
 
YES! As I said in another post,these two issue's are deal breakers for me...ill wait for rev B:

engadget: 1.1 Run's hot!

"At one point during my testing, I was typing this review in a Chrome browser tab while streaming music through the Spotify desktop app. I only had three browser tabs and three applications open, and yet the heat coming off the bottom side was so intense that at one point I could feel it through my pant legs"

theverge: Slow!

"Chrome has really become something of a resource hog for me lately. It’s not a problem most of the time, but load up enough tabs, and any computer will start to chug. On my MacBook Air, that happens at around 20 tabs. On the new MacBook, it’s about half that"

Two reviews and the issue was using Chrome. While I enjoy the Chromcast feature from Google, I never use their browser. It's either Firefox or Safari for me. This is a non-issue.
 
Strengthens my positive feelings about the machine. Some of the reviewers were running Logic Pro and saying positive things about it. So definitely for my use (crunching numbers in Numbers, creating fancy financial management reports in Keynote, and using web-based finance, accounting and CRM systems) This thing will be killer. Happy to note that the default resolution is not at 720 vertical like had been assumed, but rather 1280x800. Need at least 800 vertical pixels to make it an improvement over my current 11" MBA as far as productive workspace goes.
 
Frankly speaking, the reviews are not going to make any difference to the intended audience. Its a luxurious ultrabook meant for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing, viewing photos and videos etc etc..

Its an extension of iPad Air into the Mac world. Its primarily meant for elite executives and other rich customers to whom it doesn't matter how much they are willing to spend for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing and watching videos...

Majority of the serious laptop users will stay away from this rich kid of Apple till the time the prices drops in the coming 4-6 months on major online portals as there is not much you can do with this laptop except replace it for your iPad with added advantages of a keyboard, storage space and OS X.

I think you mean executives who use Office, Filemaker, Keynote, etc., all of which will run fine on the Macbook and work much better than their iPad incarnations.

Since when is $1300 a ton of money for a laptop?
 
They've only made me more excited.

According to the Loop:
People who buy the MacBook aren’t buying it for its expandability, but rather for its other features, namely the size. I don’t have a lot of devices I need to connect to the MacBook, so I’d rather have a smaller laptop with a dongle than carry around a heavier laptop with ports I’m not using 90 percent of the time.

And some excerpts from Macworld:
But the Intel processors in Mac laptops have been so powerful for so long that I’m not sure it matters for most users. I fancy myself a bit of a power user, what with my Photoshop and my Logic Pro, and you know what? I was able to edit a multi-track Logic project on the MacBook just fine. Yes, bouncing the final project to disk took longer than it does on my 5K iMac or even my 2014 MacBook Air, but it still exported.

Similarly, although the MacBook is limited to 8GB of RAM, this seemed sufficient for all of my tasks. If you’re someone who can’t use a laptop if it doesn’t have more than 8GB of RAM, there are better options in Apple’s laptop line—specifically, the MacBook Pro.

I never found using the MacBook sluggish. Then again, I didn’t try to play games on it. But again, if you’re trying to play games on the MacBook, you may be missing the point. The integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300 processor is more than enough to drive the Retina display with no lag, and I found Apple’s various interface animations ran smoothly.

Opting for a tiny, thin laptop doesn’t mean you can’t get your work done. It’s a lesson the 11-inch Air taught me, and the MacBook fits that tale well.
 
Well yes, but by accident. I came across a mid 2011 Macbook Air in GOOD condition on CL yesterday, Weds. i7 1.7ghz with 4GB RAM, and a 256SSD. He was asking $600 i got it for $500 cash. I had EVERY intention of getting the new MBR Friday. But saving $800 and a calibrated MBA screen seems to be, really not that bad. And a lot of times i will plug it up to my 23" 1080p monitor. I think i will use this MBA for about a year and wait to see what version 2 brings of the MBR. Saving $800 even leaves me a little play room possible for a 42MM Apple Sport watch :cool:

I mean its VERY beautiful the MPR, but sadly i only lug my MBA around my house nobody ever gets to see it lol. :p
 
I think you mean executives who use Office, Filemaker, Keynote, etc., all of which will run fine on the Macbook and work much better than their iPad incarnations.

Since when is $1300 a ton of money for a laptop?

Yes, $1300 is not a ton of money for a laptop.. But since when did $1300 become cheap for a laptop with the given specifications of the Macbook..

What I am trying to say is that this Macbook is not a mass product unlike a Macbook Air or a Pro. Its meant for a selected audience (for the time being) who can live with its limitations (Core M processor, no ports) and still ready to fork out $1300...
 
Yes, $1300 is not a ton of money for a laptop.. But since when did $1300 become cheap for a laptop with the given specifications of the Macbook..

What I am trying to say is that this Macbook is not a mass product unlike a Macbook Air or a Pro. Its meant for a selected audience (for the time being) who can live with its limitations (Core M processor, no ports) and still ready to fork out $1300...

I'd agree with you on the price but most people probably don't care about the limitations (ports and processor).
 
I'd agree with you on the price but most people probably don't care about the limitations (ports and processor).

Its very clear that this macbook is intended at -
a loyal Mac user who wants the most portable laptop that money can buy. But are you that person? And even if you are, is it worth the $1,299 asking price?

The coming days will surely answer the above questions... But one thing is for sure.. Like always, Apple is showing a futuristic vision for laptops
 
Frankly speaking, the reviews are not going to make any difference to the intended audience. Its a luxurious ultrabook meant for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing, viewing photos and videos etc etc..

Its an extension of iPad Air into the Mac world. Its primarily meant for elite executives and other rich customers to whom it doesn't matter how much they are willing to spend for doing basic stuff like emails, web browsing and watching videos...

Majority of the serious laptop users will stay away from this rich kid of Apple till the time the prices drops in the coming 4-6 months on major online portals as there is not much you can do with this laptop except replace it for your iPad with added advantages of a keyboard, storage space and OS X.

I agree 100% although I am not rich, I travel extensively. Every pound I can shave of my carry bag I notice. I just bought a maxed out 2015 rMBP and while it finally gets me almost zero spinning beachballs while running Parallels, photoshop and a mandatory windows based program for work, I would dearly love to get this new MB. Holding me back is the 12" power adaptor ala iPad, and the need for god knows what for Dongles for presentations (I into just about everything) I was thinking maybe returning the 13" get a little desktop Mac and the MB.

I'm supposed to order the pink for my wife & Daughter (my wife & Daughter thinks the Gold tone color looks pinkish) When she finds out about the AC adaptor, I think she will change her mind. My Daughter won't care though.

Update: Someone sent me a link showing you can extend the AC cord as the block has removable head.

Update 2: Since I have clients with VGA and full size HDMI hook ups, I would also need $160.00 in Dongles!
 
Last edited:
Yes, $1300 is not a ton of money for a laptop.. But since when did $1300 become cheap for a laptop with the given specifications of the Macbook..

What I am trying to say is that this Macbook is not a mass product unlike a Macbook Air or a Pro. Its meant for a selected audience (for the time being) who can live with its limitations (Core M processor, no ports) and still ready to fork out $1300...

Specs are more than processor speed. The Macbook has a much better screen and is smaller and lighter than any Macbook Air, which is what I value more. In my opinion, the Macbook out "specs" any of the other Mac laptops, because I wanted what is essentially an iPad that runs OS X and has a keyboard, so size and weight are the most important spec, for me.
 
Yes, $1300 is not a ton of money for a laptop.. But since when did $1300 become cheap for a laptop with the given specifications of the Macbook..

What I am trying to say is that this Macbook is not a mass product unlike a Macbook Air or a Pro. Its meant for a selected audience (for the time being) who can live with its limitations (Core M processor, no ports) and still ready to fork out $1300...

...which really harks back to 2008, and look how that turned out (but also recognize that it took several years, arguably 2012, to get everything really tuned).

----------

Its very clear that this macbook is intended at -
a loyal Mac user who wants the most portable laptop that money can buy. But are you that person? And even if you are, is it worth the $1,299 asking price?

The coming days will surely answer the above questions... But one thing is for sure.. Like always, Apple is showing a futuristic vision for laptops

Yes. To me, for me, it comes down to whether I am willing to spend $1299 on a secondary machine, with the money representing an investment solely in portability.

Clearly this is a vision statement from Apple, just as the single USB port, lack of an ethernet port, lack of an optical drive and lack of a user-replaceable battery was in 2008. With a little push and pull between Apple and consumers, the concept will get refined.
 
No, it really is Chrome. Lately it's been making both my Macbook Air and my friend's Macbook Pro whine like crazy with just a few tabs open.

Fortunately I mostly use Safari, but it's still ridiculous. The review should really have mentioned this.


this
 
...which really harks back to 2008, and look how that turned out (but also recognize that it took several years, arguably 2012, to get everything really tuned).

----------



Yes. To me, for me, it comes down to whether I am willing to spend $1299 on a secondary machine, with the money representing an investment solely in portability.

Clearly this is a vision statement from Apple, just as the single USB port, lack of an ethernet port, lack of an optical drive and lack of a user-replaceable battery was in 2008. With a little push and pull between Apple and consumers, the concept will get refined.

Agree with you.. Apple is seeing a future where everything (including data, Media and all other informational needs) will be available on cloud. With most most developed cities going wifi in the coming years, who needs ports. Its all a connection between a machine and cloud.

But yes, for this to become reality it will take at least a 2-3 years..
 
OK, I just read all the reviews. I was a bit skeptical about the incoming reviews at first, because the ones for the Apple Watch sort of killed my enthusiasm for it. But...the reviewers for the new MacBook are good.

No, they have not changed my mind. I'm still ordering 1.3/512 tomorrow. From the reviews, this is what I can gather...it's a great Mac, is fast enough for the things that most people will do, but the one thing that seems across the board in all reviews is that it is a first generation and that you should be aware of its limitations. That's fine...I'm sure this thing will be nothing compared to the revisions that come out 2-3 years from now. I've never invested in a first-generation product before, so I'll be looking to use the MacBook as it grows.

Some intel from the reviews that surprised me: speakers are better than on the Air, Best for Retina setting is at 1280x800, and the battery life is slightly below Apple's quoted numbers.

Interesting to note that all the reviews were using the 1.1GHz Core M, I'm going for 1.3 so it will be interesting to see how much better that one is. Some reviews noted that the machine gets a little warm when multitasking. I'm also pleased to see that reviews like the trackpad and note that you do get used to the new keyboard. It could have easily been the opposite with reviews completely slamming the keyboard.

All in all, I'm pleased.
 
Seems like a solid computer to me. I for one wouldn't mind buying the $79 dongle. I mean right now I have to plug in power, and either HDMI on the other side or a thunderbolt on my MacBook Pro 13" to charge and run my 27" display (non-apple display) while the laptop is closed. If I could have all that stuff plugged into a single dongle that runs into the same port and still have a traditional USB for plugging in whatever I would be happy. Then I can unplug one thing and go
 
No, it really is Chrome. Lately it's been making both my Macbook Air and my friend's Macbook Pro whine like crazy with just a few tabs open.

Fortunately I mostly use Safari, but it's still ridiculous. The review should really have mentioned this.

Unfortunately, The Verge always does this. They used a RAM-heavy web browser and complained that it's too slow. With their Apple Watch review, they did something similar and complained.
 
Yes, $1300 is not a ton of money for a laptop.. But since when did $1300 become cheap for a laptop with the given specifications of the Macbook..

What I am trying to say is that this Macbook is not a mass product unlike a Macbook Air or a Pro. Its meant for a selected audience (for the time being) who can live with its limitations (Core M processor, no ports) and still ready to fork out $1300...

Wasn't the original Macbook Air about $2999?
 
Why would the reviews change my mind?

The problem is people are expecting the wrong things from this computer. It's a basic computer designed to be ultra portable. The only other computer that competes is the Macbook Air... and when you look at a retina screen next to a non-retina, it'll blow your mind. You'll never be able to go back to your air again.
 
I'm going into a store on Saturday too see how the keyboard and size fits. If all is good then I will probably end up with one. I've released that I use my iPad more than my rMBP, especially when on the couch or travelling etc and I dont always want my rMBP on my lap when typing out documents and trains especially don't give much room even for a 13" laptop!!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.