I love the keyboard but...

[AdonisSMU]

I'm not sure I would recommend a rMB to anyone. It feels slower and more unstable IMO. I haven't noticed any battery life issues yet. However, if I had to do this all over again I would've went with a 15" rMBP instead. I love the HUGE display and has more power. I can see that power is a MUST for my needs.

I think this is comparable to the 2008 MBA.

 

[RUGGLES99]

So return it or sell it. Bizarre that when you need a 15" behemoth, you buy the lightest, thinnest least powerful mac laptop, and the whine and complain about it.

 

[AdonisSMU]

So return it or sell it. Bizarre that when you need a 15" behemoth, you buy the lightest, thinnest least powerful mac laptop, and the whine and complain about it.

Im not complaining about it. It just feels less powerful than I expected it to be. Thats all. I thought I could live with it but now Im craving a 15" rMBP.

 

[andy9l]

You wanted the opposite of what you bought, then.

 

[mattopotamus]

It does sound like you bought the exact opposite of what you needed. If you are thinking the 15" pro was more in line with your needs, how did you ever think the new rMB would work?

The eye candy pulled you in

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Sorry, to hear that, AdonisSMU.
Nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to read an honest, unbiased opinion about a product on MR.

 

[AdonisSMU]

You wanted the opposite of what you bought, then.

If I didn't buy this machine I was thinking I would get a 15" rMBP with all the trimmings. My old employer let us use them for work. I thought I could get off cheap and have a sexy new device at the same time. However, when I use Xcode I get the rainbow ball of death or worse simulation mode doesn't work and I have to restart the entire machine. It just feels like it's not powerful enough to run Xcode.

 

[dogslobber]

I'm not sure I would recommend a rMB to anyone. It feels slower and more unstable IMO. I haven't noticed any battery life issues yet. However, if I had to do this all over again I would've went with a 15" rMBP instead. I love the HUGE display and has more power. I can see that power is a MUST for my needs.

I think this is comparable to the 2008 MBA.

For revision 2, Apple need to address the design issues. 1 port doesn't cut it and the cpu is throttled. Your 2008 MBA analogy is a good comparison. Back then a lot of people swore that it was an excellent design but it was flawed. Apple resolved those in subsequent iterations, 2010 specifically, so I'd expect they'll do the same with the 2016 model. Right now, the first generation is like a neutered MBA.

 

[andy9l]

For revision 2, Apple need to address the design issues. 1 port doesn't cut it and the cpu is throttled. Your 2008 MBA analogy is a good comparison. Back then a lot of people swore that it was an excellent design but it was flawed. Apple resolved those in subsequent iterations, 2010 specifically, so I'd expect they'll do the same with the 2016 model. Right now, the first generation is like a neutered MBA.

One port cuts it perfectly, in fact it's one too many for me. If you need more than one, you're doing it wrong.

It's not flawed. It does what it's supposed to do absolutely perfectly. The complainers are those who are not ready for a wireless life, or were expecting MBP power from the CPU.

 

[AdonisSMU]

For revision 2, Apple need to address the design issues. 1 port doesn't cut it and the cpu is throttled. Your 2008 MBA analogy is a good comparison. Back then a lot of people swore that it was an excellent design but it was flawed. Apple resolved those in subsequent iterations, 2010 specifically, so I'd expect they'll do the same with the 2016 model. Right now, the first generation is like a neutered MBA.

The one port I dont mind. Its the power constraints that bother me. I dont use ports except to connect to my display when Im at home.

 

[Max(IT)]

I'm not sure I would recommend a rMB to anyone. It feels slower and more unstable IMO. I haven't noticed any battery life issues yet. However, if I had to do this all over again I would've went with a 15" rMBP instead. I love the HUGE display and has more power. I can see that power is a MUST for my needs.

I think this is comparable to the 2008 MBA.

If you bought a 12" MacBook and today you are saying that a 15" MacBook Pro is a must for your needs, then you have to blame yourself for the poor choice you made.....

Those machines are designed for totally different targets.

For revision 2, Apple need to address the design issues. 1 port doesn't cut it and the cpu is throttled. Your 2008 MBA analogy is a good comparison. Back then a lot of people swore that it was an excellent design but it was flawed. Apple resolved those in subsequent iterations, 2010 specifically, so I'd expect they'll do the same with the 2016 model. Right now, the first generation is like a neutered MBA.

Yep. That's the main reason I choose the MacBook Pro 13" , even if I love the MacBook design.
I think it's a somewhat half baked product.

 

[AdonisSMU]

If you bought a 12" MacBook and today you are saying that a 15" MacBook Pro is a must for your needs, then you have to blame yourself for the poor choice you made.....

Those machines are designed for totally different targets.


Yep. That's the main reason I choose the MacBook Pro 13" , even if I love the MacBook design.
I think it's a somewhat half baked product.

I wouldn't have known that if I didn't try it out for myself. Two weeks really isn't enough time to determine if I think for iOS and Mac development the retina MacBook isn't powerful enough yet. For web development, I would say the retina MacBook is just fine for that use case. Xcode is a real bear. It needs some work IMO. It's missing common features that Atom and Sublime already have built into them.

 

[Max(IT)]

I wouldn't have known that if I didn't try it out for myself. Two weeks really isn't enough time to determine if I think for iOS and Mac development the retina MacBook isn't powerful enough yet. For web development, I would say the retina MacBook is just fine for that use case. Xcode is a real bear. It needs some work IMO. It's missing common features that Atom and Sublime already have built into them.

are you comparing an Atom to the Core M used in the MacBook ??

 

[AdonisSMU]

are you comparing an Atom to the Core M used in the MacBook ??

Text editors. I was stating that Xcode requires more power than some of the other IDE's/Popular Text Editors on the market. One of the major problems is that Xcode is not optimized to work well on a retina MacBook as it stands right now.

 

[dogslobber]

One port cuts it perfectly, in fact it's one too many for me. If you need more than one, you're doing it wrong.

It's not flawed. It does what it's supposed to do absolutely perfectly. The complainers are those who are not ready for a wireless life, or were expecting MBP power from the CPU.

It's emerging that the single port with wire can't even charge via USB your iOS devices at speeds that other Mac laptops do. It's also can't charge the laptop and run an external drive off power at the same time, or similar combination. It is crippled.

The design is flawed and they expect mugs to buy it. This stuff about complainers buying the wrong computer for their needs is a cop out. Apple should be selling a laptop which is usable by the population, not crippled by some whacky notion that there's an advantage to this minimalist ideology. There isn't as is proven with the extreme limitations. Yes, I'm doing something wrong, I'm pointing out that the Macbook is crippled; somebody has to forsake the cheerleaders!

 

[andy9l]

It's emerging that the single port with wire can't even charge via USB your iOS devices at speeds that other Mac laptops do. It's also can't charge the laptop and run an external drive off power at the same time, or similar combination. It is crippled.

The design is flawed and they expect mugs to buy it. This stuff about complainers buying the wrong computer for their needs is a cop out. Apple should be selling a laptop which is usable by the population, not crippled by some whacky notion that there's an advantage to this minimalist ideology. There isn't as is proven with the extreme limitations. Yes, I'm doing something wrong, I'm pointing out that the Macbook is crippled; somebody has to forsake the cheerleaders!

I don't know why that's a problem? My iMac charges my devices slower, too.

Again, if you're using an external drive with this laptop, then you have bought the wrong product. The fact you still use external drives regularly tells me you're not ready for this MacBook yet.

This laptop was always marketed as a supporting product. A more useful iPad, if you will. It does that absolutely brilliantly, I love mine. If you buy this as your primary computer, again, you're doing it wrong and were presumably drawn in by the aesthetics.

The laptop is not crippled. It just doesn't apply to your specific - and niche - use case.

 

[Max(IT)]

Text editors. I was stating that Xcode requires more power than some of the other IDE's/Popular Text Editors on the market. One of the major problems is that Xcode is not optimized to work well on a retina MacBook as it stands right now.

ah ok, lol

BTW I don't think Xcode should be optimized for any specific CPU ...

It's emerging that the single port with wire can't even charge via USB your iOS devices at speeds that other Mac laptops do. It's also can't charge the laptop and run an external drive off power at the same time, or similar combination. It is crippled.

The design is flawed and they expect mugs to buy it. This stuff about complainers buying the wrong computer for their needs is a cop out. Apple should be selling a laptop which is usable by the population, not crippled by some whacky notion that there's an advantage to this minimalist ideology. There isn't as is proven with the extreme limitations. Yes, I'm doing something wrong, I'm pointing out that the Macbook is crippled; somebody has to forsake the cheerleaders!

Well, I'm ok with the minimalist ideology, but agree that with the MacBook they cut too many corners...

 

[AdonisSMU]

ah ok, lol

BTW I don't think Xcode should be optimized for any specific CPU ...


Well, I'm ok with the minimalist ideology, but agree that with the MacBook they cut too many corners...

If it works well in the retina Macbook it'll work well on the more powerful machines and maybe even the iPad Pro...

 

[Max(IT)]

If it works well in the retina Macbook it'll work well on the more powerful machines and maybe even the iPad Pro...

It should work well with every Apple notebook...

 

[maflynn]

For revision 2, Apple need to address the design issues. 1 port doesn't cut it and the cpu is throttled.

I don't see apple altering those two items. They basically put a steak in the ground regarding ports, i.e., they're not needed in this wireless world and secondly they highly promoted the fanless design of the rMB. Any change in either one of those items would represent a failure in Apple's design and I don't think they're wiling to admit that.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I don't see apple altering those two items. They basically put a steak in the ground regarding ports, i.e., they're not needed in this wireless world and secondly they highly promoted the fanless design of the rMB. Any change in either one of those items would represent a failure in Apple's design and I don't think they're wiling to admit that.

The 2008 Macbook Air had only one USB port, and Apple also back then touted it's wonderful portability and wireless capabilities as the reasoning for having only one USB port. And then in 2010 they released an update with 2 USB ports.

Personally, I don't mind having 1 data port - I mind not having a dedicated power plug (especially when the battery life is lackluster by today's standards). Magsafe is awesome, and it needs to return.

I suspect Intel has something to do with it tho. It seems every computer that uses the Core-M processor has uses the USB-C port for charging. Could it be a requirement by Intel to the OEMs, as a way to push USB 3.1 adoption?

 

[maflynn]

The 2008 Macbook Air had only one USB port, and Apple also back then touted it's wonderful portability and wireless capabilities as the reasoning for having only one USB port. And then in 2010 they released an update with 2 USB ports.

Understood but I think in this case Apple made a case for a strategic decision of equipping the MB with a single port. I think the the MBA example you cite was really in a similar vein but they did not so staunchly back up the reasons of a single port. This time imo they're drawing a line in the sand saying this machine is for the wireless world and thus there is no need for more ports.

Don't get me wrong, I think its a horrible decision on their part

 

[oneMadRssn]

Understood but I think in this case Apple made a case for a strategic decision of equipping the MB with a single port. I think the the MBA example you cite was really in a similar vein but they did not so staunchly back up the reasons of a single port. This time imo they're drawing a line in the sand saying this machine is for the wireless world and thus there is no need for more ports.

Don't get me wrong, I think its a horrible decision on their part

Yea, perhaps their messaging is a bit stronger this time around, but I don't think that will stop Apple from listening to feedback and making the changes people want. Afterall, if Apple stuck to their staunch viewpoints and strategic decisions, we wouldn't have 5.5" iPhones, 7" iPods, or the Apple Pencil - to name a few.

It'c not certain they will bring back MagSafe or add another port, but they might and their marketing messaging isn't the thing that will stop them.

 

[whodatrr]

I think that this Ferrari is great, but it does't haul Lumber as well as my previous truck. I think I'm going to return it and but a Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel.

 

[Max(IT)]

I don't see apple altering those two items. They basically put a steak in the ground regarding ports, i.e., they're not needed in this wireless world and secondly they highly promoted the fanless design of the rMB. Any change in either one of those items would represent a failure in Apple's design and I don't think they're wiling to admit that.

As already highlighted, they did in 2008, just to change their mind less than two years later with one of the best product ever (2010 MBAs) ...
I strongly suspect we are going to see a better CPU (for sure) and two USB-C ports in the next revision of MacBook...