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How are you guys liking your Macbook thus far?

N

NJRonbo

macrumors 68040
Original poster
WWDC is next week.

I don't expect any refreshes on the Macbook.

There will most likely be a new Macbook Pro announced. Speculation is not available till the fall.

I currently own the latest 13" Macbook Pro.

While waiting for the new 2016 model, I am thinking of going with the Macbook in the interim.

Just want something lighter to travel with. I will leave my Macbook Pro at home.

I realize this is a less powerful notebook. I plan on getting the basic model for $1,200 with 8GB of ram.

Just a quick inquiry to see how you guys like the Macbook for everyday use like reading mail, browsing, and light Photoshop work?

Thanks in advance
 
To answer your question, the MacBook handles the tasks you listed just fine. However, I'm not sure if it's wise to spend $1200 on a MacBook just to use it for a few months, especially since you already have the latest 13" MBP. Why not just wait for the refresh and then decide what to get?
 
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Hellhammer,

That's the issue.

However, according to the leaks, the upcoming 2016 rMP will not be as thin and light as the Macbook.

I am still going to buy the 2016 rMP regardless.
 
Of course it's not going to be as thin and light because the MacBook would have no purpose then. It's going to be bigger than the MacBook for sure, but also more powerful. If you're going to buy the 2016 rMBP anyway, what would you use the MacBook for? Having two laptops, especially very portable ones, just doesn't make any sense because you can't find use for both.
 
Hellhammer,

Actually I could find use for both.

I want the lightest laptop possible to carry around with me in a single sleeve when I travel or go to work.

The Macbook fits that bill perfectly.

As for the Pro, being it's noticeably heavier, I would leave that at home and use it within my household.

I'm just looking for something super light and compact to travel with that I only need for browsing and email.

The Pro would be my home base computer. The Macbook my travel.

Hope that makes more sense.
 
I'm not sure why you are even asking 🙂

Seems you have already made up your mind, have little or no other choices in the Apple line up and do not mind the expense, so just get and enjoy, it may well surprise you how competent a laptop it is
 
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Steve,

I have made up my choice, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. The price dropped $50 today on B&H photo. I can get it tax free, which helps.

I suppose I am looking for someone to say that the Macbook is a vastly inferior laptop to the Pro models for even basic needs.....

....however, the more I have read on this forum since posting my original question, the more confidence I get that I won't receive a negative reply.
 
I'm really happy with it - MacBook with an upgrade to the M7 1.3GHz and 512GB SSD (Space Grey) and I'm very happy with how things are having moved from a MacBook Pro. As long as you don't treat it as a desktop replacement then you shouldn't expect any problems.
 
l should have mentioned I am getting the base model with m3 processor and 256GB storage.
 
where is it said:
I'd say the MacBook is a vastly underrated laptop.

I think if you got one and used it on your travels you'd find yourself using it around the home more and more.

Before you know it, your MacBook Pro will start to attract dust.
Click to expand...
Agreed I think he will enjoy it so much that the new 2016MBP could be put on the back burner considering he has a stay at home 2015MBP that no one see's 🙂
 
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I admired the rMB for the longest time but felt it made more sense to save some money and go with the ASUS UX305CA which comes with an M3. The performance on the ASUS was fine but I missed the backlit keyboard, OS X and the smaller size of the rMB. I ended up selling the UX305CA after a month or so and bought a 2015 rMB and love it. I have owned a ton of different laptops and the rMB is my favorite by far. My 15" rMBP is rarely used now as the rMB is so portable. Some people have trouble adapting to the keyboard but I had no problem at all. In the end, I'm sorry I took as long as I did to buy the rMB.
 
12 months in with a 1.2 rMB, no complaints, KB takes some time to adjust, one of Apple`s better contemporary products.

Q-6
 
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@NJRonbo

i move from latest 13" mbpr to 2016 rMB(base model core m3) just a couple days ago as my daily driver. my experience so far is not too noticeable as just from browsing, mail, and watching video. this rMB handle more than fine! i hook up this rMB to 27" monitor and temperature surprisingly at 40° - 43° C with the same tasks. i feel this butterfly keyboard is better. and i type a little bit faster. so don't hesitate 🙂 and hope this help
 
macnewbieee said:
@NJRonbo

i move from latest 13" mbpr to 2016 rMB(base model core m3) just a couple days ago as my daily driver. my experience so far is not too noticeable as just from browsing, mail, and watching video. this rMB handle more than fine! i hook up this rMB to 27" monitor and temperature surprisingly at 40° - 43° C with the same tasks. i feel this butterfly keyboard is better. and i type a little bit faster. so don't hesitate 🙂 and hope this help
Click to expand...

These responses have helped immensely. Thank You all.
 
I went from a 2012 13in Macbook Air to a 2016 rMB. I think the difference in screen quality alone is well worth it. It too maybe an hour to get used to the new keyboard design. I have one adapter that I've used once to help me transfer some files from my old Air. Because I travel and only do casual computing (web, iTunes, iMessage, email...), this is more than acceptable. Two emphatic thumbs up!
 
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Over the last few years I went from 15" rMBP to 13" MBA to 13" rMBP and now 12" MB, I'm glad I went with MB, it's so portable and when putting it in my backpack I don't even notice it's there, which helps, I'm not the most physically fit person so not getting tired when carrying it helps.

The portability means I don't stay confined to one spot as often, it's so much easier for me to move around and get stuff done, the lack of ports don't really bother me, half of the time it's connected to my monitor (which also has 4x USB ports, so I have no issues connecting drives and stuff if needed).

As for the screen size, going from 1680x1050 to 1440x900 effective resolution was slightly annoying at first, but after few days, it doesn't bother me and I'm still as productive as before.
 
I'm coming from a 2013(?) 13" Macbook pro i7 (with SSD upgrade), now have a 12" M5.

It's a great computer! Perfect size and weight. Keyboard needs some getting used to.

Performance wise, can handle everything I need. I don't notice much of a performance difference from my old macbook pro. It can handle my photoshop editing (usually a max size of 2048x2048 with 50+ layers), I was able to use final cut (never tried rendering, just if I could open, make quick edits etc.). I have all the same programs open as before, Excel, Slack, Skype, Photoshop, Calendar, chrome (with 5+ tabs at all times), mail, messages, evernote, and more. No hiccups.

Sure it can't play games, and will probably suck with larger photoshop projects or final cut projects. But it's a great computer for me, no complaints!

That being said, If Monday Apple announces a new Retina Macbook Air this may be going back 🙂.
 
Performance-wise I have absolutely no complaint. However, I hate the new keyboard. My keys keep getting stuck and it's really a pain to write on it from times to times. Usually, the problem goes away in a day or two regarding the one key. But then it's just another key the day after. That's just besides the space bar, which is stuck almost all the time and I have to hammer the key to make a space.

When I look it up online, I see it's a common problem and people experience it over and over again, even though getting their laptop replaced.

Honestly, I would prefer a somewhat slow computer with a bulletproof keyboard. This just drives me nuts on a daily basis.
 
I am the OP of this thread. I thank all of you for your feedback.

Thought you would like to know I purchased the Macbook and just posted this review on Amazon:



To begin with, I am an owner of a 2015 Macbook Pro. It's loaded as far as processor and memory are concerned with an i7 processor and 16GB of memory. Very powerful laptop that has served my needs quite well.

When the new Macbook was announced last year, I was somewhat intrigued -- mostly by its design. I like to travel, and even the Macbook Pro is a bit too heavy for my tastes. The reason I bought an iPad Pro this year was simply for its portability. However, the iPad is no laptop. I really wanted something ultra-thin and ultra-light.

My biggest fear was how much slower a Macbook would be compared to the Pro. However, when I convinced myself that I only wanted to use it primarily for browsing and email (as well as working on this forum), I decided to the pull the plug.

This week I bought a space-grey Macbook. I just set it up this morning.

As the subject header clearly states.....WOW!!

First, this thing is unbelievably thin and light. I have never experienced a laptop like this before. I am sitting here typing with it on my lap and there's hardly any weight to it. The butterfly keys -- the one thing I thought I would have the most problems with -- are very easy to become accustomed to and I can type at full speed without any spelling errors.

I bought the basic model from B&H Photo, which is on sale this week for the same price as Amazon (but I saved tax). It is the most basic Intel dual-core m3 model available. Only 8GB of ram.

What surprises me the most is how responsive this laptop is with these unbelievably paltry specs. I mean, as far as launching apps and bouncing around the Internet, this Macbook is just as spry as the Pro. No, I am not saying the Macbook is just as fast as the Pro, but it's not slow enough that one would really notice the difference.

I have quite a few apps auto-loading when I start the Macbook. Looking at my iStats bar, there is absolutely no strain on the memory. So, even with 8GB of ram, I can have quite a few programs running at once.

Even going from the 13" Macbook Pro screen down to 12" made no difference at all to me. I optimized space in the display settings.

I communicate on several Mac Internet forums. Someone on one of the forums told me something to the effect: "You will love the Macbook so much that you will put the older Macbook Pro on the back burner." That person was correct. I much more prefer typing and working on this new Macbook than the Pro model. It doesn't get hot on my lap. It's not heavy. And really, I love the responsiveness of the butterfly keys. Oh, and Space Grey is a remarkable color.

This really is a remarkable little laptop. I am going to take it everywhere with me.
 
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NJRonbo said:
Someone on one of the forums told me something to the effect: "You will love the Macbook so much that you will put the older Macbook Pro on the back burner." That person was correct.
Click to expand...

That was meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, told ya so 😛🙂

Enjoy
 
You were so correct, Steve. I am solely using my Macbook and just staring at my huge brick of a Macbook Pro lying on the floor beside me.
 
macnewbieee said:
@NJRonbo

i move from latest 13" mbpr to 2016 rMB(base model core m3) just a couple days ago as my daily driver. my experience so far is not too noticeable as just from browsing, mail, and watching video. this rMB handle more than fine! i hook up this rMB to 27" monitor and temperature surprisingly at 40° - 43° C with the same tasks. i feel this butterfly keyboard is better. and i type a little bit faster. so don't hesitate 🙂 and hope this help
Click to expand...
I also think the new keyboard is better and I type faster as well.
Bilemshious said:
I went from a 2012 13in Macbook Air to a 2016 rMB. I think the difference in screen quality alone is well worth it. It too maybe an hour to get used to the new keyboard design. I have one adapter that I've used once to help me transfer some files from my old Air. Because I travel and only do casual computing (web, iTunes, iMessage, email...), this is more than acceptable. Two emphatic thumbs up!
Click to expand...
Same here, went from 2012 MBA to 2016 MB. Couldn't be happier.
Macbook14in said:
But does the screen feel too small after you've been using 13.3" Macbook Air for a long time?
Click to expand...
Not for me.
Dane95 said:
Performance-wise I have absolutely no complaint. However, I hate the new keyboard. My keys keep getting stuck and it's really a pain to write on it from times to times. Usually, the problem goes away in a day or two regarding the one key. But then it's just another key the day after. That's just besides the space bar, which is stuck almost all the time and I have to hammer the key to make a space.

When I look it up online, I see it's a common problem and people experience it over and over again, even though getting their laptop replaced.

Honestly, I would prefer a somewhat slow computer with a bulletproof keyboard. This just drives me nuts on a daily basis.
Click to expand...
Ya done got a dud. From what I have read, some of 2015 models had these problems. My 2016 is flawless. I'd take it back for a new one or warranty work.
 
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