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I'm at the Apple Store and...
- Thread starter adam9c1
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Vague subject line, I shouldn't have clicked it, but let's see what we get...
Oh look, it's a post in the dedicated MacBook subforum (not the MBA one) trashing the MacBook. Textbook trolling. Reported.
Oh look, it's a post in the dedicated MacBook subforum (not the MBA one) trashing the MacBook. Textbook trolling. Reported.
Exactly, I thought that later on. I believe it will replace the MBA eventually after they'll succeed in replicating the specs, battery, and cost of the device. I think there should also be small adapters which plug into USB-C that don't leave a wire hanging or whatever. And they all should be included.
The fact that it costs a few dollars more on a multi-thousand dollar purchase is not significant. They could have bundled the adapter in with the RMB, they'd have sold just as many. Again, it's an option. It's good for consumers.
The point is that Apple outboarded the ports to make the overall product serve a higher purpose. Instead of dragging around ports you don't need on the road, they get left behind on your desk plugged into clunky peripherals like external hard drives, monitors, keyboards, etc. If you need it, you bring it, only weigh's a few ounces. Big picture, pulling the ports off the RMB made it a world-class travel machine, never been a notebook so capable yet so small.
BJ
You misunderstand the RMB's purpose.
It's is not supposed to be 'better' than any other Apple notebook except in one critical area: Form factor.
Some of us (raises hand) have a fully featured, heavy, bulky, large-screened notebook in our offices and they aren't suitable for travel in any manner. The RMB is a situational second-notebook for someone who values weight and size in hotel rooms, airports, board rooms, etc. I travel 3 months a year, it's perfect for me. Is the RMB over-priced and under-powered? Yup. But it doesn't matter for the audience it's intended to satisfy. We have money and we aren't gaming. We fly business class, check email, run spreadsheets, whip out a Powerpoint, perhaps a little Slingbox, Skype with the kids.
Those who look at the RMB as a sole computer solution aren't understanding it's purpose. It's your second car. It's your weekend convertible.
BJ
I agree the Retina MacBook is following the same pattern as the original MBA, as I have said before on here. Right down to the MacBook Air being replaced just as it replaced the plastic MacBook.
When they got it right is a matter of opinion. I'm typing this on a second-gen MacBook Air (late 2008), a laptop I like even today. The design of this model is very nice, in fact when more ports were added in 2010, the edges were made thicker and the sleek flip-down port door was removed. Although the MagSafe on the bottom can be little annoying.
If your opinion of when they got it right refers to when the power and ports finally better matched the MBP, that would be with the 2011. But, the rMB isn't aimed at the people who need a MBP, is it?
No, I understand the MB's purpose very well. As I mentioned earlier, it reminds me of the original MBA, the one that was released in 2008.
That which you describe has also been - and still is, some of the time - my life, but I want my what you term my "week end convertible" to have the power, reliability and portability that I ask of my main computer, because that is what it is.
My 'week-end convertible' is my sole car - I don't need (or want) any other. But I want something portable, sleek and powerful. For now, the 2013 MBA meets that need perfectly. And, for now, the rMB doesn't.
Except - even as you note yourself in an earlier post - the first Macbook Air was truly underpowered even at the time of release. It had an abysmally slow 4200rpm platter drive and a maximum of 2GB of RAM. Today's Macbook has a state of the art SSD available in sizes as large as anyone else offers in anything like this form factor, and a full 8GB of RAM standard. And the Core-M is fast for the type of tasks anyone who is seriously considering buying one of these is going to be doing. No, you shouldn't buy it if you expect to be able to edit 4k video, game, or transcode video for hours at a time. But seriously, this is a fanless computer. You'd be insane to think otherwise, and that won't change for years yet.
I'll have to second this. I first thought it was a horrible thing, but now that I think about it, when you pay at least 1500$, adding an extra 85$ is no bankruptcy.
The base model did, true. SSDs were still new in 2008 however, and back then nearly all Macs shipped with HDDs, in fact the high-end Air was actually unique for having one. It performed adequately under Leopard/Snow Leopard, but to use Yosemite and keep my sanity I had to swap it out for an aftermarket SSD.
Which was the same amount 13" MBPs shipped with, the only difference was its upgradability and most MBPs been upgraded since.
A couple of important differences. The standard platter drive was not only 4200rpm, but also 1.8" in diameter. Between the smaller platter and the slower rotation speed, these drives are considerably slower than even 5400rpm 2.5" drives of the day. Second, the 2008 Macbook Pro had 2GB RAM standard, but the 2009 had 4GB. 2GB was right on the cusp of having enough memory from the day it was released.
I would buy these comparisons to the original Air if today's Macbook started at 128GB SSD utilizing older technology and maxed out at 4GB of RAM. As it is, the SSD utilizes NVM-e which is absolutely state of the art, and 8GB of RAM is not going to be outdated any time soon as the vast majority of computers sold today still have that or less. And 16GB isn't about to become the standard tomorrow.
Right, I can see it as a secondary laptop. Totally, if money is no object yes I agree 100 %.
This girl was replacing her old computer.
This girl was replacing her old computer.
Chances are it will do everything she needs it to do.
When I walked into the Apple store back in April, I tried out the new rMB and the early 2015 rMBP and the choice was pretty obvious to me. As cool as the slim and light form factor would be, the rMBP is a much more capable computer. It fit my needs better.
The interpretation of price-to-value criteria differs.
It's crystal clear that the rMB is meant for certain strata of a consumer society.
It's crystal clear that the rMB is meant for certain strata of a consumer society.
The old lady did herself a favor by going with the rMB. Her eyes are bad enough because of the age so she wouldn't want to be looking at that horrible $5 panel that Apple put in the MBA.
If the Apple Specialist helping this girl did their job correctly, they listened to what the girl's needs where, and then made a recommendation.
Apple Store employees don't get commissions, spiffs or bonuses for selling, so I don't see any dubious reason why this "Apple lady" would steer the girl to a MacBook if it wasn't a good choice based on what the girl's needs were.
Good post, but again your circumstances aren't what the RMB is designed for.
You want your weekend convertible to be the same thing as your daily minivan and it isn't, can't be. Apple makes the computer you are looking for, one that is as light as it can be for the punch it delivers, it's the 2013 MBA. It doesn't look as good, it's heavier, it's thicker, but that's what you get when you choose function over form here in 2015.
Big picture, what most are reacting to here is Apple's segmentation strategy. I went through these types of arguments over at the BMW forums. People there didn't understand why BMW released a four-door 4 Series when they make a four-door 3 Series and the answer is that in today's luxury market the little differences matter, the nuances some think are redundant are actually critical, and today's consumers want choice and convenience and style and are willing to pay for it.
BJ
Precisely. And the more I think about it, the $85 adapter is actually the reason I bought a MacBook instead of another Windows ultrabook.
See, if Apple had given the RMB the USB/HDMI ports then the RMB would have been thicker and heavier and just like the Air's that I have rejected for the past 5+ years. It's the outboarding of those ports that produced the form factor and weight metrics that tilted the win to Apple and not Sony, Acer, etc.
BJ
Very important sequence in our discussion right there.
Besides the graphic arts power users I know at work who crunch processing power to earn a living, every other person I've encountered with a MacBook of any price/power/configuration is your typical ho-hum notebook user. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Browsing, YouTube, iTunes, Skype, Dropbox, Email and that's it. For those who don't make massive HD movies, aren't into desktop publishing, and use consoles for gaming, the RMB is an extremely capable machine.
The typical notebook user is driving 20 MPH between stop signs in school zones. They don't need a 500 HP Dodge Challenger.
BJ
While the size of the laptop is "somewhat" important to me, it is not so important that I would willingly give up my ports. One day Apple will try to force me to do so but if I had a choice, not going to happen.
What is great is Apple give all of us a full range of choices. More choices is always good!
What is great is Apple give all of us a full range of choices. More choices is always good!
Weird, you just precisely described my 12" rMB in every detail. (a 2015 CTO, admittedly...)
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Do keep in mind: a 13" MBA outfitted to similar specs as a base rMB costs only $100 cheaper, so I don't think the costs down the road for a blinged out rMB will be any different from those we see on either the MBA or the rMBP.
Additionally, IMHO, I think we'll see the rMB line expand similar to how the MBA has. I figure there will be a lower end base 12", probably with 128GB SSD, while a new 14" model with different processor, RAM, and storage options will be made available on the higher end, and possibly with additional ports. I agree in general with your opinion that the rMB is at the same place the MBA was in 2008, but I also think Apple will develop it more quickly to supplant the MBA, which might see an upgrade to Skylake as its last.
rMB every-time over the MBA and yes a simple dongle solves the so called connectivity issue.
I don't see anyone moaning about having to have thunderbolt adapters for ethernet, or VGA on the MBP or MBA
I don't see anyone moaning about having to have thunderbolt adapters for ethernet, or VGA on the MBP or MBA
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