I couldn’t wait any longer.

[Ukagr]

Well fellow 12” MacBook believers. I couldn’t hold out any longer. The rumors came and went, stringing me along but deep down I knew. There will never be another 12” retina MacBook.

You know back in 2015, all I really wanted was an upgraded 11 inch MacBook Air. Same size, weight, chassis, but better screen and Touch ID. This is what was rumored then but we got the 12” retina.

So I bought one in 2017, and it was fantastic. Super portable with a great screen, which is what I need for my use case/job. I could forgive the slow throttling it was perfect for me. But not anymore, apparently I’m asking too much of it here lately and it heats up to almost unbearable temps in the lap and drains the battery quickly.

So I searched for a replacement and nothing out there right now really comes close. I was willing to try iPad Pro but iPadOS can’t replace all my laptop use cases and is actually heavier once pared with keyboard.

Tried to jump to Chromebook. A Samsung galaxy 13.3 4k Chromebook. This device shows that it can be done. Samsung made an updated 12” retina MacBook in this device, all it lacked was the power efficient M1 chip. But alas chromeos let me down with my need for Microsoft 365 integration.

There were a few options left in the windows world but I can’t trust Dell or hp build quality nor the ads that are coming to windows 11.

So my only option is the 13” MacBook Air. And that’s what I settled on. I grabbed the Walmart m1 $699 deal to see if my workflow can work on 8 gb of ram. So far it’s been working wonderfully. The bigger screen is quite a welcomed change and it is so cool to the touch. Battery life is phenomenal and Touch ID is now a necessity, I can’t believe I went so long without it on a laptop.

But the size. When you get used to the sheer almost weightlessness of the 12” this 13” mba fells so heavy. It only .5 pounds more but I guess it’s the weight distribution that makes it feel so much more.

I would have paid a pretty high premium for a m1 12” MacBook. But this is my new normal. I’m a 13” MacBook Air guy now.

 

[mk313]

Sad. I’m also holding out. My 2017 12” is chugging along. But it’s definitely showing its age. I’m still holding out hope that they will produce another small laptop, but realize it’s unlikely.

I’ll probably have to do the same at some point. But meanwhile I’m enjoying the 12” as long as I can.

And I agree about the Touch ID. My wife has it in her MacBook Pro and it’s amazing.

 

[ignatius345]

For quite a few years I used the 11" MacBook Air, which was an excellent little machine.

When the 12" MacBook came out I jumped on it, but it was sadly unusable for me because the keyboard was just horrible to type on.

Now I'm using the 13" M1 Air. It's an excellent Mac, but I would still leap on an ultraportable if they made one. Unfortunately, I suspect Apple considers the iPad to be filling that product slot at this point. And like the OP, I want a real Mac so will stick with whatever the smallest MacBook Air is on an ongoing basis -- unless they put out another ultralight.

 

[loby]

Same with me...I gave in and bought an Air...but...I am typing this on my MacBook 2015 12". LOL

I bought a M2 MacBook Air 13" and it is a wonderful Mac. But, I still go back and use my MacBook 12" just for basic things, for it is just so light, portable and small and I just like the design. The MacBook Air is good (I have no complaints), but an ultra portable would still be ideal for me.

I still believe a M1 12" would be great, but if you think about the design, if it does not have a butterfly keyboard (thin) and Apple will use use the MacBook Air's, so then a 12" would come close to the thickness of the Air. So, I could see Apple say it is not worth their time. It would not sell as much probably for Tim's profits vs. design costs.

I would jump on one in a second..but..we on this forum are probably not as many for Apple's worth.

 

[glhiii]

I also have a new MacBook Air (M2), but lately I've been using my 2017 MacBook (512, 16 RAM, fastest processor) more. I've used it a lot and have had no issues at all with the keyboard. I did have to replace the battery. While the MBA is a good computer, it seems a bit ungainly after using the older MacBook, and for most of my work I favor the machine that is more lithe and easier to carry around. It is also much more esthetically pleasing..

 

[spatlese44]

My wife and I both have a MacBook 12”. For basic office stuff, these are ideal in my experience. Sadly, that day is coming. As others have said, MacBook Air is going to work fine, but it’s not the same thing.