Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The retina MacBook issues are well-documented in this forum by myself and others. The original MBA in 2008 had some of the same failings, and that model's flag wavers were quickly dumping those systems when the later revisions, which solved the original's shortcomings, were announced. I advise people to not be in possession of a 2015 rMB when the next version is released. It won't be pretty when you realize the difference and the fact you've missed the opportunity to unload a flawed product.

Expect a new on in the next 6 months.

I would agree with you if the MBA had never existed but you seem to assume Apple has learnt nothing in 7 years of producing the MBA and other Mac's. Your opinion of flaws has equally been countered by many and most understand the compromise and design considerations of the rMB.

I can only assume and presume rightly or otherwise you feel safe from the world of Apple changes and upgrades that seem to occur every year as your own MBA is 5 years old and it's depreciation value is not as excessive as those that own relatively new laptops. If anything the most risky Mac would be the MBA to own in 2015/2016 we are all waiting for it to die slowly or morph into something new

Furthermore if it was not for those early adopters there would be no 2nd generation and progression of product lines for those that like to wait

Thanks for your concerns but it's a given with consumer electronics, cars, boats etc if you buy new.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
The retina MacBook issues are well-documented in this forum by myself and others.

Just to clarify for those who take your word for gospel, you own a previously-owned refurbished 2012 Mac Mini purchased a year ago and a previously-owned refurbished MacBook Pro purchased in May and have zero experience with the Retina MacBook.

But please feel free to continue to post in this forum as if you're the expert.

BJ
 
The sum total of my experience with the rMB lies in having bought one for my wife at Christmas and moved files from her aging MBA. I have used an 11" MBA as a go-with machine (and an occasional desktop replacement) since 2011.

The lower-end rMB feels, to my mind anyway, rather like a toy. As others have noted, it bears a striking similarity to the original MBA (been there, bought that!) and I found the lack of ports decidedly inconvenient.

I would love to replace my 11" MBA with a rMB. The problem lies in the inability to pair the rMB with my TBD. Since I write literally all day long, I'm not sure the keyboard will agree with me long-term. However, I'd switch for the screen improvement alone were it a viable occasional desktop replacement. If the next-gen release brings a TB port, I'd be quite content.
 
i don't know what "documented issues" there have been with the rmb. i have another thread about trouble i had with the keys, but that was promptly fixed, and it was never a serious problem anyhow. i never owned the original mba, but i've owned several that were wonderful experiences. they tended to improve over time, as the rmb will undoubtedly do, but the first generation of this is excellent.

i don't see it as a toy, and as someone who types all day on it as well (writer / researcher), the keyboard has been great.

the lack of ports hasn't been a big issue for me, but i could see why it might bother others, and i doubt anyone would complain about having a few more. i'm ok either way.
 
The retina MacBook issues are well-documented in this forum by myself and others. The original MBA in 2008 had some of the same failings, and that model's flag wavers were quickly dumping those systems when the later revisions, which solved the original's shortcomings, were announced. I advise people to not be in possession of a 2015 rMB when the next version is released. It won't be pretty when you realize the difference and the fact you've missed the opportunity to unload a flawed product.

Expect a new on in the next 6 months.
Again you are completely wrong, the 2015 MB is a much more complete laptop than the original Air upon release. The MB is an almost perfect laptop for its intended market and doesn't have any major issues, or any small issues come to think of it. I am chuffed to bits with mine and shall not be trading it in when the second generation comes along.

I think its time you actually bought one of these yourself then you might stop posting incorrect information, or is it just jealousy. You seem intent on slagging off Apples best product to date. There must be a reason you keep coming on this forum to slag it off, if it is not the laptop for you why don't you visit another forum for a laptop you do like, you never know you might actually be of some help to somebody then.
 
i don't see it as a toy, and as someone who types all day on it as well (writer / researcher), the keyboard has been great.

I occasionally hit 200wpm, and the only keyboard I've found to sustain speeds in that range is the little Apple bluetooth. So I probably wouldn't be using the rMB keyboard "all day" in any case. I do like the way it feels initially, but I need more time (and use!) with the machine to offer a balanced point of view.
 
i don't know what "documented issues" there have been with the rmb. i have another thread about trouble i had with the keys, but that was promptly fixed, and it was never a serious problem anyhow. i never owned the original mba, but i've owned several that were wonderful experiences. they tended to improve over time, as the rmb will undoubtedly do, but the first generation of this is excellent.

i don't see it as a toy, and as someone who types all day on it as well (writer / researcher), the keyboard has been great.

the lack of ports hasn't been a big issue for me, but i could see why it might bother others, and i doubt anyone would complain about having a few more. i'm ok either way.

Documented issues = anyone who wants to moan or bitch and of course those unlucky ones who have a rMB with a production defect and a few that have tried and found it does not suit them

No single laptop will suit everyone's personal needs, why some think these are defects is beyond me, the obvious choice is vote with your wallet or not :D
 
I would love to replace my 11" MBA with a rMB. The problem lies in the inability to pair the rMB with my TBD. Since I write literally all day long, I'm not sure the keyboard will agree with me long-term. However, I'd switch for the screen improvement alone were it a viable occasional desktop replacement. If the next-gen release brings a TB port, I'd be quite content.

To me this is typical of Apple there always seems some little block or hook to make you get another device to make your system complete or convenient

I really enjoyed the 4 MBA's I have owned but no way could I go back to them now, although I understand your KB concerns but this is outweighed by the screen IMO
 
The sum total of my experience with the rMB lies in having bought one for my wife at Christmas and moved files from her aging MBA. I have used an 11" MBA as a go-with machine (and an occasional desktop replacement) since 2011.

The lower-end rMB feels, to my mind anyway, rather like a toy. As others have noted, it bears a striking similarity to the original MBA (been there, bought that!) and I found the lack of ports decidedly inconvenient.

I would love to replace my 11" MBA with a rMB. The problem lies in the inability to pair the rMB with my TBD. Since I write literally all day long, I'm not sure the keyboard will agree with me long-term. However, I'd switch for the screen improvement alone were it a viable occasional desktop replacement. If the next-gen release brings a TB port, I'd be quite content.

It`s entirely possible that the next generation will have TB3 over USB C, equally Apple will need to shrink down the Logic Board further to allow for the the inclusion of Intel`s Alpine Ridge TB3 controller. Personally I believe it`s likely given the nature & role of the rMB.

I currently own the 1.2 rMB, TB3 over USB C, an additional hour plus of battery and I would be very tempted to upgrade to the 2016 model, equally I am very pleased with my current rMB having no complaint.

Q-6
 
I really enjoyed the 4 MBA's I have owned but no way could I go back to them now, although I understand your KB concerns but this is outweighed by the screen IMO

I'm with you there! Once I finished setting up my wife's rMB, I went back to my 11" MBA, which - until now - has always been "good enough." I'm not sure what happened to my eyesight during those couple of hours I spent with my SO's rMB, but the MBA ain't "good enough" now.

I have a QC 15" rMBP that I take on long trips. I take the 11" MBA on day trips when I know I'll need more than my iPhone or iPad. I wish I could find a single Apple laptop that would take the place of both the rMBP and MBA. Unfortunately, the trade-offs are just too great.
 
I'm with you there! Once I finished setting up my wife's rMB, I went back to my 11" MBA, which - until now - has always been "good enough." I'm not sure what happened to my eyesight during those couple of hours I spent with my SO's rMB, but the MBA ain't "good enough" now.

I have a QC 15" rMBP that I take on long trips. I take the 11" MBA on day trips when I know I'll need more than my iPhone or iPad. I wish I could find a single Apple laptop that would take the place of both the rMBP and MBA. Unfortunately, the trade-offs are just too great.

The nearest you will find to that will be something like the Vaio Canvas but that's saying good bye to OSX, but hell of a laptop and pen/tablet to boot :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
i don't type faster than 100 wpm on my best days (nevermind that i don't think fast enough when writing to churn out research at such speeds), and i have never met anyone who comes even close to 200, so it would be a sight to behold. i imagine only a few people in the world can do that, and they might have keyboard needs quite different than those of us who are sub-100.

i loved a lot of things about my last 11" mba, but i couldn't tolerate the fuzzy screen, and moved from it to a gorgeous 15" MBP. for me, there is no going back. the mb is much better for my needs (portable) and i am glad there is finally a beautiful screen in the mac lineup with a small footprint.
 
I'm hanging onto my 11" MBA for the time being, but I suspect it will find its way to one of the resellers soon enough. I am traveling with my 15" rMBP more and more often; since the 13" rMBP seems a dead end (the processor lag gets me with CC apps) there may just not be a more portable solution for the present.

My mom typed 180wpm consistently. I've hit 200 but it's not sustainable. Watching my mom type was quite something! Her grandfather could send and receive telegraph messages simultaneously (back in the day) so maybe there was something in the bloodline.
 
Again you are completely wrong, the 2015 MB is a much more complete laptop than the original Air upon release. The MB is an almost perfect laptop for its intended market and doesn't have any major issues, or any small issues come to think of it. I am chuffed to bits with mine and shall not be trading it in when the second generation comes along.

I think its time you actually bought one of these yourself then you might stop posting incorrect information, or is it just jealousy. You seem intent on slagging off Apples best product to date. There must be a reason you keep coming on this forum to slag it off, if it is not the laptop for you why don't you visit another forum for a laptop you do like, you never know you might actually be of some help to somebody then.

+1

Just arrived in Hong Kong after a 16 hour flight, the MacBook was an absolute champ today, doing what it's supposed to be doing:

1. So easy to pack, the small power brick and power cord are about 60% smaller and lighter than any previous notebook I've owned, the HDMI adapter is nice and flat and light too, really reduces bulk and weight in my carryon.

2. So lightweight, I had to check twice just to make sure I didn't forget it once in the limo.

3. Through TSA, once again was able to leave it in my backpack without removing it, the x-ray scanner sees it like an iPad not a notebook. Really great bonus, getting through the scanners it's one less thing to worry about.

4. In the business class lounge, lots of admiring stares as I checked email, watched some sports highlights from my Slingbox, and reviewed a few spreadsheets. Out of the 15 notebooks I saw, 7 were Apple's, I had the only RMB.

5. Once onboard, it's so thin it easily fits in the seatback pocket in front of me alongside my iPad, no need to keep my notebook in the overhead bin and wait for the all-clear to drag it back down. Very convenient, none of that up-down-up-down dance to do, no need to squish a backpack under my feet and take up legroom.

6. In flight, the 8+ hours of battery is a dream, airplane mode and 50% backlight does the trick, and there is zero reason to stress over a working power outlet in the seat like the guy sitting next to me with his ASUS. He couldn't stop asking me questions about the RMB, couldn't believe the size or that it could run Windows, jealous that I didn't need to plug it in at all. Watched 2 movies and binged a whole season of Entourage, still had battery left to spare.

7. Now here at the hotel, the fast boot-up time connects me to wi-fi less than 30 seconds after removing it from my backpack and setting it on the desk. Another iOS-like bonus we don't talk about much.

8. I forgot how good the speakers are, usually using this at work and rarely for music. But in the hotel room, sounds like I brought an expensive Bluetooth speaker with me when I didn't need to.

9. About to Skype with the wife and kids at the dinner table, the retina display is so lifelike it's as if I'm there with them.

10. For the next 2 weeks as I'm traveling around Hong Kong and China, I can carry my RMB everywhere without worrying about power consumption or weight. Where for decades I would often leave my notebook behind in the hotel or constantly dread carrying it around all day, the RMB is an afterthought, it's so thin and light it makes this a non-issue.

These are the reasons that the 12" Retina MacBook is a dream device. Those who don't understand it never will because they are caught up in the processor horsepower wars and don't live in our world where portability and convenience is everything.

BJ
 
3. Through TSA, once again was able to leave it in my backpack without removing it, the x-ray scanner sees it like an iPad not a notebook. Really great bonus, getting through the scanners it's one less thing to worry about.

Hong Kong is one of my favorite cites, enjoy!

Did you have the MB in a bag along with an iPad or was it by itself when you went through security?
 
Hong Kong is one of my favorite cites, enjoy!

Did you have the MB in a bag along with an iPad or was it by itself when you went through security?

Thanks, it's got to be my 30th trip over here so no longer the thrill it once was but I appreciate Hong Kong as one of the world's most interesting cities, no question.

The RMB was in the same bag with the iPad, the iPad has it's Smart Cover and the RMB was in its neoprene Incase sleeve.

BJ
 
Being able to go through TSA without removing your rMB from the bag is, in my view, a bonus of giant proportions. Some years ago, the TSA 'exempted' the 11" MBA, but left individual airports with the right to require that it come out as well. I'm not sure how the scanner 'sees' the rMB as an iPad, but if that's the case, that's a big plus for me.
 
Being able to go through TSA without removing your rMB from the bag is, in my view, a bonus of giant proportions. Some years ago, the TSA 'exempted' the 11" MBA, but left individual airports with the right to require that it come out as well. I'm not sure how the scanner 'sees' the rMB as an iPad, but if that's the case, that's a big plus for me.

Yes, it is a huge plus for those who work on getting through airports efficiently.

I'm guessing here, but an iPad and a RMB have a similar size and profile so I don't think the RMB is technically on some 'exempt' list the staff reviewing the scanners as the containers go through must see it as if we have 2 Tablets in our backpacks. There is less of a "this is a notebook" signature for the RMB on x-ray as it looks more tablet-like, no fans, no hard drives, no big round speakers, etc.

BJ
 
+1

Just arrived in Hong Kong after a 16 hour flight, the MacBook was an absolute champ today, doing what it's supposed to be doing:

1. So easy to pack, the small power brick and power cord are about 60% smaller and lighter than any previous notebook I've owned, the HDMI adapter is nice and flat and light too, really reduces bulk and weight in my carryon.

2. So lightweight, I had to check twice just to make sure I didn't forget it once in the limo.

3. Through TSA, once again was able to leave it in my backpack without removing it, the x-ray scanner sees it like an iPad not a notebook. Really great bonus, getting through the scanners it's one less thing to worry about.

4. In the business class lounge, lots of admiring stares as I checked email, watched some sports highlights from my Slingbox, and reviewed a few spreadsheets. Out of the 15 notebooks I saw, 7 were Apple's, I had the only RMB.

5. Once onboard, it's so thin it easily fits in the seatback pocket in front of me alongside my iPad, no need to keep my notebook in the overhead bin and wait for the all-clear to drag it back down. Very convenient, none of that up-down-up-down dance to do, no need to squish a backpack under my feet and take up legroom.

6. In flight, the 8+ hours of battery is a dream, airplane mode and 50% backlight does the trick, and there is zero reason to stress over a working power outlet in the seat like the guy sitting next to me with his ASUS. He couldn't stop asking me questions about the RMB, couldn't believe the size or that it could run Windows, jealous that I didn't need to plug it in at all. Watched 2 movies and binged a whole season of Entourage, still had battery left to spare.

7. Now here at the hotel, the fast boot-up time connects me to wi-fi less than 30 seconds after removing it from my backpack and setting it on the desk. Another iOS-like bonus we don't talk about much.

8. I forgot how good the speakers are, usually using this at work and rarely for music. But in the hotel room, sounds like I brought an expensive Bluetooth speaker with me when I didn't need to.

9. About to Skype with the wife and kids at the dinner table, the retina display is so lifelike it's as if I'm there with them.

10. For the next 2 weeks as I'm traveling around Hong Kong and China, I can carry my RMB everywhere without worrying about power consumption or weight. Where for decades I would often leave my notebook behind in the hotel or constantly dread carrying it around all day, the RMB is an afterthought, it's so thin and light it makes this a non-issue.

These are the reasons that the 12" Retina MacBook is a dream device. Those who don't understand it never will because they are caught up in the processor horsepower wars and don't live in our world where portability and convenience is everything.

BJ

If using a computer on the drop down tray while squashed into the middle seat of the seat row that doesn't recline at the back of cattle class, is your desire, then I think you should have gotten a MBA 11". At least then using that computer would allow you to have a high resolution camera for FaceTime instead of the low resolution pixelated one in the rMB.
 
I'm guessing here, but an iPad and a RMB have a similar size and profile so I don't think the RMB is technically on some 'exempt' list the staff reviewing the scanners as the containers go through must see it as if we have 2 Tablets in our backpacks. There is less of a "this is a notebook" signature for the RMB on x-ray as it looks more tablet-like, no fans, no hard drives, no big round speakers, etc.

BJ

Technically, the TSA lets devices less than 13" remain inside a bag in non-Pre-Check lanes, though they can subject anything to additional screening. The rMB is actually noticeably smaller then the iPad Pro. At non-Pre-Check airports, I've usually taken my iPad Pro out. I may try leaving it in there the next time to see what happens.

Thanks, it's got to be my 30th trip over here so no longer the thrill it once was but I appreciate Hong Kong as one of the world's most interesting cities, no question.

The RMB was in the same bag with the iPad, the iPad has it's Smart Cover and the RMB was in its neoprene Incase sleeve.

BJ
If you've made 30 trips, I'm surprised you haven't signed up for Global Entry. That would give you TSA Pre-Check benefits, as well as a separate kiosk for re-entry to the US.
 
Technically, the TSA lets devices less than 13" remain inside a bag in non-Pre-Check lanes, though they can subject anything to additional screening.

The key word: Technically. I've found that TSA's official pronouncements mean very little to the folks manning the screening lanes in major airports. They do whatever they want. If you leave an 11" MBA in your bag, as I've done, the odds are very, very good that the bag will be pulled out, the laptop removed, and subjected to "additional screening," all while the individual at the end of the lane lectures you on how "remove your laptop from your bag" means just that.

I'm not trying to hijack the OP's thread, but the time for this sort of stuff has come and gone. My considered opinion is that most TSA employees could not get a job anywhere else. They seem to enjoy refusing to think "outside the box."
 
If using a computer on the drop down tray while squashed into the middle seat of the seat row that doesn't recline at the back of cattle class, is your desire, then I think you should have gotten a MBA 11". At least then using that computer would allow you to have a high resolution camera for FaceTime instead of the low resolution pixelated one in the rMB.

In business class on most aircraft a seatback pocket exists into which one can comfortably place an iPad and a RMB.

You own a previously-owned refurbished 2012 Mac Mini purchased a year ago and a previously-owned refurbished MacBook Pro purchased in May and have zero experience with the Retina MacBook.

BJ
[doublepost=1452051296][/doublepost]
If you've made 30 trips, I'm surprised you haven't signed up for Global Entry. That would give you TSA Pre-Check benefits, as well as a separate kiosk for re-entry to the US.

I am both TSA-Pre and Global Entry. TSA-Pre is a US standard, not international. And Global Entry is strictly for "entry" not exit. The airline my company chose for international travel is not one of the TSA-Pre partner airlines so at the airport, I cruise through as TSA-Pre on domestic flights, still have to remove my shoes for international flights.

BJ
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.