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MacBook Air versus MacBook 2015
- Thread starter biscuitsxluv
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I'm not claiming it's this easy and simple. I'm just correcting that the MBA is indeed thinner at the point of the camera. I understand that that's not the entire equation.
But at the end of the day, Apple put in a camera with a resolution they had on a camera Apple launched back in 1994, that's lower than a resolution Apple launched on a cheaper Macbook, in a thinner area, 3 years ago.
Now again, I understand the concept of trade-offs. My point is that it's symbolic of something larger, that Apple puts form over function a little too much, and that it's another example that Apple is pursuing thinness to a crazy extent. And they do this for business reasons, while their users would be overall best suited with a laptop that's more powerful than the MBA, not more expensive than the MBA, with a nicer screen than the MBA, with the battery life of the MBA. Instead they chose less performance, less battery, less ports, less travel, crappier camera.
Anyway if you think the MB was the greatest Apple could have done in 2015, that's completely fine. I disagree and I think we both will have good arguments to do so. At the end of the day it's a personal preference.
Completely agree, but let's just say I don't think anyone will be surprised if they do add a 2nd USB-C port next year and a higher res camera, despite there not being any space.
As for your point on the keyboard being offset, that's true. Note though that in the teardown it's offset enough to make room for a 2nd USB-C port. Note also that a big chunk of the laptop is filled with layered batteries which flow over part of the board that the current USB-C port is connected to, a technology which allows different shapes and sizes of battery meaning there is extra flexibility concerning where the USB-C port can go.
I understand it's not simple, but would you honestly be surprised to see a 2nd port come out next year? I wouldn't in the least.
Good point.
I agree, but I hope you agree that they didn't put in 480p because it was enough, and nobody cares about more than 480p (again, we had this resolution on cameras in the early 90s more than 2 decades ago.) So following the notion that the cameras are cheap, and that a higher res camera is not a completely unimportant aspect of a laptop, it follows that there was an engineering decision where it was a tradeoff, and the 720p or higher had to go. And that's my point, that this is symbolic of Apple not building the best it can and making it pretty, but building the prettiest first and then seeing what performance fits in there. Look at the new iMac 5K, thermal throtteling the CPU and turning on the fan delayed. That's indicative of trying to do something pretty, but performance taking a 2nd priority.
Now to some extent that's okay, if you want performance you get the Pro line. I understand and definitely appreciate that. But at some point one can go overboard with this. Many people have complained about a thinness craze for years, and I think the MB is a bit symbolic with an older camera, a single port, a CPU that many call a mobile CPU (it's not, but it's relatively weak) etc. I would much rather have seen an actual upgrade of the MBA: a bit thinner, but not like this, with fewer ports, but not like this, with the new tech of layered batteries, magnetic touchpad, butterfly keys and usb-c to accommodate a slightly thinner design with smaller bezels. That'd have been much more impressive. They had the engineering in house to make that happen, but they went ultra-thin and compromised on performance imo. And they left renewing the Air line a wasted opportunity. It's not seen a significant change in years and it's not really interesting compared to the 2013 or 2014 version. Anyway that's just my opinion.
Fair enough - I don't really know whether it's the best they could do at this time.
Tech is such a moving target - still. Until someone proves Moore's Law wrong, it's always going to be a question of putting a pin in the calendar and saying "it ships here - what can we deliver?"Like I said in my original post on the subject, they could add a 2nd port where the headphone jack currently is, and offer an adapter for headphones, perhaps in-box.
I don't follow your point about the batteries flowing over anything. The only teardown picture we have doesn't show anything to do with ports, except a rectangle on the motherboard where the port might connect via a cable. The batteries look like they line up with the keyboard to me.
I'm still convinced that Apple can't put ports alongside the keyboard. It's simply too big of a coincidence that the keyboard is offset the exact amount necessary to put the port right above it.
It's just a question of priorities. Apple clearly did their best to make the smallest/thinnest/lightest ("prettiest") laptop they could. They didn't have to redesign the keyboard, trackpad, and batteries, but they did, all in service of an engineering goal that you don't seem to approve of, but it's still an engineering goal.
I am on the same page as you personally. Thinner and lighter than my 11" MBA is not important to me either. I would like something a little more narrow but then we get into the same ports vs. keyboard problem.
Maybe at some point Apple will make a 12" rMBP with similar footprint to the 12" rMB but thicker and thus with a more powerful processor and more ports and so forth. I'd be very interested in a laptop like that.
I don't understand some of these terminology! 
IMO the new Macbook is a niche product with that ridiculous single port, which is even used for charging. 480p webcam is also a head-scratcher. Even the CMBP has the 720p. It sort of reminds me of the first generation Macbook Air which was very expensive but really sexy.
I predict that in a year or so Apple will introduce a more practical model to replace the 2nd gen Air.
I predict that in a year or so Apple will introduce a more practical model to replace the 2nd gen Air.
After looking at the benchmark scores, I think the MB is more of a netbook for basic needs. Am I wrong?
Considering it is benchmarking similar to reasonably high end computers from just a few years ago, computers that are similar to or faster than the computer that most of the world uses today, I would say you are wrong.
The typical netbook (which nobody really sells anymore) had an Intel Atom N270 or similar with a single-core Geekbench score of around ~360. This was considered slow but good enough for basic web browsing and so forth.
The new MB has a Geekbench score that's more than 5 times higher. It can run any software you want at respectable speeds.
Please. Apple has some of the best engineers in the world working for them. You mean to tell me Asus found a way to make a thinner laptop than the new Macbook and still managed to put multiple ports on it but Apple couldn't? They intentionally gimped this machine.
To the topic at hand. I think the MBA is actually the better value over the rMB. It has a larger display, much better CPU, a better GPU and multiple ports for $300 less. The only thing the rMB beats it in is resolution and RAM.
Show me the Asus laptop that solves this problem, i.e., a thin laptop with basically no border at the sides of the keyboard and ports alongside the keyboard.
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Plus smaller, lighter, thinner, quieter, and can be charged via USB.
Never said it was along the keyboard. I said thinner then the Macbook and still features multiple ports.
Yes, of course, it has huge borders around the keyboard. It's a much bigger laptop. Of course they can put more ports in it, just like MacBook Airs have more ports. It's not like Asus has figured out anything that Apple hasn't.
Take a look at the 2015 Samsung ATIV 9. Almost exactly the same dimensions and weight as the Macbook, full size keyboard, and it still manages to fit 2 type-A USB ports, one micro-HDMI port, as well as an SD-Card reader.
Another way of saying this is: Whenever the fan in your actively cooled Mac comes on, you know you're doing something where the Macbook won't be able to keep up because it has to throttle down to avoid overheating.
Will it actually be able to charge from a standard type-A USB port at 5V? If yes, how long will it take to charge then?
They are exactly the same price when they are spec'd similarly.
The 12" MB with 1.2GHz- 8GB SDRAM and 512GB drive =$1599
The 13" MBA with 1.6GHz - 8GB SDRAM and 512GB drive = $1599
I am struggling which to select. I don't need the 512GB drive so I will special order one.
No, it's not nearly the same dimensions. Look at the overhang at the sides of the keyboard. It's as wide as a USB-A connector. That's why they're able to put connectors all around the keyboard, because there's no conflict for physical space inside the chassis.
The entire point I've been making right from the outset is that the new MacBook has essentially no border on the sides of the keyboard, which means there can't be any ports at the sides of the keyboard, which explains the lack of ports.
All of you guys posting example after example of laptops with borders around the keyboard only proves my point more and more, instead of refuting it like you apparently think you're doing.
So? The case width is almost exactly the same, and it's still a fullsize keyboard. I don't know why the keyboard has to be edge-to-edge on the Macbook. Seems the key spacing is larger than it needs to be. It doesn't look very good either IMO (kind of unbalanced next to the bezeled screen).
And what exactly is the purpose of that? Keyboards are not like screens where bigger is always better. If that is indeed what kept Apple from adding ports, it seems they simply made a bad design choice.
It's not like Apple had a choice. A full-size keyboard is one that has key centers spaced 19mm apart. That's a well-understood standard. Nobody cares if you think the "key spacing" on the MacBook is too much or too little--it's standard and it's not a design decision on Apple's part.
I can't find the dimensions of the Samsung keyboard because whenever I look up the laptop I get last year's model or some model with a bigger screen. They really need to come up with better product names. But if they also have a full-size keyboard, it means their laptop is about one inch wider than a 2015 MacBook from the looks of it.
Thank you for emphasizing this. Of course the MBA is cheaper when you compare the model with 4GB of Ram and 128GB of storage.
I would NOT get the rMB as my sole machine because my computing needs are greater than that, but it will be a great secondary system.
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And I see in your signature that you have a retina iMac and a 15" rMBP. That's great if it works for you, but with a powerhouse desktop at home I'd want my mobile computer to be portability first.
A 15" rMBP with a high-end desktop seems like excessive power, but that's just my opinion. I have no idea what you do on your portable.
The new MacBook is great for people who don't use it much.
My old 11" MacBook Air sits on my desk connected to a 24" monitor, 90% of the time. I use it all day, every day. When I need to throw it in a bag and go to a meeting, it's great, so lightweight.
I'd love to have a retina screen. The 2015 MacBook Air supports an external 24" 4K monitor, which is basically a retina display. The MacBook doesn't. It would be nice to have it on both, but it's pretty obvious which one I'll be buying next...
My old 11" MacBook Air sits on my desk connected to a 24" monitor, 90% of the time. I use it all day, every day. When I need to throw it in a bag and go to a meeting, it's great, so lightweight.
I'd love to have a retina screen. The 2015 MacBook Air supports an external 24" 4K monitor, which is basically a retina display. The MacBook doesn't. It would be nice to have it on both, but it's pretty obvious which one I'll be buying next...
Air advantages: CPU power, GPU power, ports, HD FaceTime camera, MagSafe, battery life (13" only)
MacBook advantages: retina display, force touch trackpad, about .3/.9lbs lighter (11" / 13"), slightly thinner, newer
Keyboard comparison is a bit of an unknown right now.
To me, it's not a close call which offers more. But to each their own.
MacBook advantages: retina display, force touch trackpad, about .3/.9lbs lighter (11" / 13"), slightly thinner, newer
Keyboard comparison is a bit of an unknown right now.
To me, it's not a close call which offers more. But to each their own.