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Macbook=Air+$100+Retina-ComputePower-Ports

M

macbook123

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 11, 2006
1,869
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All I really wanted is a laptop as powerful as the existing Airs, that retains magsafe, USB, and Thunderbolt connectors, but a screen that is IPS and higher resolution.

I didn't need it to be even thinner than the current Air's. I didn't want it to be crippled in performance just so it doesn't need a fan and can be thinner.

This product I'm envisioning is clearly doable. All they had to do is replace the 11" screen with what's in the new 12" "Macbook" (what a strange naming convention btw, now the non-Air is the ueber-Air or what?), as they have similar footprint.

Am I really the only one wanting that?
 
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macbook123 said:
All I really wanted is an equally powerful laptop with magsafe and USB plugs but a screen that is IPS and higher resolution.

I didn't need it to be even thinner than the current Air's. I didn't want it to be crippled in performance just so it doesn't need a fan and can be thinner. I don't need more than 12 hours of battery life either.

This product I'm envisioning is clearly doable. All they had to do is replace the screen.

Am I the only one wanting that?
Click to expand...

What you are wanting is the 13" retina MacBook Pro.
 
I'd agree except for the difference in weight (11" Air weighs 1.2 pounds less than the 13" RMBP) and thickness. I'm not asking for the power of the MBP, since I do any heavy lifting on clusters. All I'm asking for is something usable. The new "Macbook" seems like a gimmick. It really doesn't have any advantages over the 11" Air, except for the screen (which would have fit in the 11" Air since it has these giant bezels) and a negligible 0.35 pounds of weight savings.

Once you realize this it should be obvious that this is a bizarre move by Apple, to get rid of all ports and much power for 0.35 lbs savings in weight.
 
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itsOver9000 said:
What you are wanting is the 13" retina MacBook Pro.
Click to expand...

No, I want what macbook123 wants also, and it's not a MBP, unless they make a 12" ultra-thin 2lb MBP. It's basically the 11" MBA with a retina screen. Not at all the same as the MBP. The 13" MBP is unquestionably larger and heavier.
 
macbook123 said:
All I really wanted is a laptop as powerful as the existing Airs, that retains magsafe, USB, and Thunderbolt connectors, but a screen that is IPS and higher resolution.

I didn't need it to be even thinner than the current Air's. I didn't want it to be crippled in performance just so it doesn't need a fan and can be thinner.

This product I'm envisioning is clearly doable. All they had to do is replace the 11" screen with what's in the new 12" "Macbook" (what a strange naming convention btw, now the non-Air is the ueber-Air or what?), as they have similar footprint.

Am I really the only one wanting that?
Click to expand...

The new core-m is no slouch
 
flur said:
Reviews of the chip say otherwise. Though we haven't seen it in Apple's hands - maybe they can pull the rabbit out of the hat.
Click to expand...

well people want to get an M, then try hardcore gaming on it.. That's not what it's made for. The Yoga Pro 3 is actually super fast, for daily tasks, movies, and some light photo editing. People expect something expensive to operate like a beast, when it's optimized for battery life and quietness.
 
deepen03 said:
well people want to get an M, then try hardcore gaming on it.. That's not what it's made for. The Yoga Pro 3 is actually super fast, for daily tasks, movies, and some light photo editing. People expect something expensive to operate like a beast, when it's optimized for battery life and quietness.
Click to expand...

I was talking about benchmarks.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-m-5y70-broadwell-tested-benchmarked/

I run a VM, lightroom, and photoshop on my 2012 i7 11" MBA and it has no issues doing it all. If it can't do that, it's not an upgrade from the 11" MBA as Apple wants us to believe, it's a downgrade.
 
flur said:
I was talking about benchmarks.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-m-5y70-broadwell-tested-benchmarked/

I run a VM, lightroom, and photoshop on my 2012 i7 11" MBA and it has no issues doing it all. If it can't do that, it's not an upgrade from the 11" MBA as Apple wants us to believe, it's a downgrade.
Click to expand...

where exactly did apple claim it's an upgrade from an 11" MBA? meanwhile...i'd wait & see how this plays out, ie how photoshop and other processor-intensive apps actually behave on this thing (altho, as a logic X user, i see that a different macbook is more likely in my own future...)
 
fisherking said:
where exactly did apple claim it's an upgrade from an 11" MBA? meanwhile...i'd wait & see how this plays out, ie how photoshop and other processor-intensive apps actually behave on this thing (altho, as a logic X user, i see that a different macbook is more likely in my own future...)
Click to expand...

He said, "It's the future of computers", or some such. I'm not sure low-end processors are the future of anything.

And I *am* waiting to see how it plays out. As I said upthread, maybe Apple will pull a rabbit out of a hat. But current benchmarks make running a VM sound unlikely.

I suspect a different macbook is in my own future also. I was really hoping for this one though.
 
It weighs the same. It has the same battery life. It has the same footprint as the 11" Air.

It ditches power and ports for a better screen. The logic behind such a tradeoff is not transparent because there is no reason not to just upgrade the screen.

It is much more expensive than the Air, so understandable that people are confused why they couldn't just get a real upgrade to their Airs in the form of a 2015 display.
 
fisherking said:
where exactly did apple claim it's an upgrade from an 11" MBA? meanwhile...i'd wait & see how this plays out, ie how photoshop and other processor-intensive apps actually behave on this thing (altho, as a logic X user, i see that a different macbook is more likely in my own future...)
Click to expand...

How do you justify the dramatically increased price (compared to 11.6" Air) if it's not an upgrade? The only thing it has going for it is the screen. Weight, battery life, footprint are the same. Oh it's a even thinner, but who cares?
 
macbook123 said:
How do you justify the dramatically increased price (compared to 11.6" Air) if it's not an upgrade? The only thing it has going for it is the screen. Weight, battery life, footprint are the same. Oh it's a even thinner, but who cares?
Click to expand...

Dramatically increased price ?

It's $100 more than a 11"6 with 8Gb RAM and 256Gb disk. It's the same price as the 13" with 8Gb and 256Gb.

And no, it's not an upgrade, it's a new line.
 
flur said:
He said, "It's the future of computers", or some such. I'm not sure low-end processors are the future of anything
Click to expand...


This could be a direct quote of one of the critics of the initial MacBook Air in 2008. 7 years later, we see how it turned out.

----------
Traverse said:
I see the new MacBook as an interesting alternative to an iPad.
Click to expand...

I sort of already considered the 11 inch MBA to be very akin to an iPad. I had an 11 inch for a while and an iPad and I always used the MBA instead. I think this type of usage (it was my secondary computer) is Apple's idea for this device.

I still see plenty of purpose for MBP machines for a long time to come, but I think, in a way, this is Apple's direct response to where they're headed going forward. Many Windows machines are focusing on tablet/laptop combos, or at least some sort of touch input, however here Apple is clearly sticking to their guns by refusing to include touch input in its laptops. Even with all the success Apple has had from touch input, they only slightly modified with how you interact with the device with the haptic feedback on the trackpad.

It's very interesting to see how Apple sees our devices going forward: it's a very different approach than the Surface or many other devices. With continued growth and success among its MacBooks and iDevice lines, Apple still very clearly sees a divide between work/play, so to speak, with its devices. At least in my life, I have very specific use cases for things, so I totally see eye-to-eye with Apple on this. I totally see the purpose for the rMB, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.
 
macbook = ipad pro running on Intel - touch screen + non detachable keyboard

It would be much better if it had a touch screen and a detachable keyboard. But since Apple criticised others for touch screen laptops, they won't be making one soon.
This is the answer from Apple for touch screen ultrabooks and other hybrid devices, I think. I'm not sure how this will compete, but the price point is ridiculous for the package we are getting.
 
Trey M said:
It's very interesting to see how Apple sees our devices going forward: it's a very different approach than the Surface or many other devices. With continued growth and success among its MacBooks and iDevice lines, Apple still very clearly sees a divide between work/play, so to speak, with its devices. At least in my life, I have very specific use cases for things, so I totally see eye-to-eye with Apple on this. I totally see the purpose for the rMB, and I can't wait to get my hands on one.
Click to expand...

Of course. Apple makes more money by selling people an iPad and a laptop. I'm skeptical Apple will ever release a hybrid iOS/OS X device for that reason. Not that I'd necessary want them to release such a device.. I wasn't too impressed with the Surface I was able to use for a couple days. Seemed like too much of a compromise between a laptop and a tablet. I much prefer Apple's strategy of having the different devices work better together, rather than have one device try to do it all.
 
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