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MacBook Review Roundup: Major Design Appeal, but Too Many Key Compromises

StoneJack said:
It has much more processing power than old notebooks of last decade and thousand times more if you count old Powerbooks of 1990s - and they were extremely useful. I did quite a work on them back then. Its now much more powerful, got great display you could't even dream about. With adapter, you can use wide array of any USB devices and hook an external display: nothing to worry about, truly and its as useful as any of the great Macs before.
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How can you even compare a current machine with notebooks from the last decade ? Those old notebooks were useful back then. When they were new, not now. This one, though, is weaker than anything else the very same day it is going on the shelves. It is also insanely expensive for what if offers (add to this the price of the adapters that might needed since apple includes nothing).

Using a weak core M cpu is a huge step backwards.
Having worse battery is also a step backwards.
Leaving it without ports is a step backwards as well.
The retina display could be used in any other laptop line.

So, all these weaknesses for what ?

People think this laptop belongs to the future ? That's just fine. Call me in 5 years and I might buy it (as long as it will no longer be as underpowered as a tablet). But why would anyone pay so much money for this now ?

I'd agree with the point "if you don't need it, just ignore it" if it wasn't for the fact that apple seems to drop the ball too frequently lately. It is more and more clear that they've started to steer things towards a "lifestyle" / "trendy" direction. They do not seem so willing to make real computers anymore, rather than contributing to "thin" fashion.

The product pipeline from the Steve era is empty. And this new pipeline really doesn't look good. :(
 
bkkcanuck said:
You're all wrong ... it is TimBits.... :cool:
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It's whatever-bits I want 'em to be.

Anger_Mad.gif


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uid15 said:
That's not an English language reference, sorry.
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Sure it is. Says so right there at the top.
 
AliMacs said:
Tim: Hey Jony, I want you to come by my office say, 3 o'clock April 10 (tomorrow's apple watch opening day). Do you think you have some time?

Ive: sure Tim, let me reschedule that meeting with Phil on how to market to everyone who buys an rMB why they will need TWO adapters.

Tim: Yes, regarding that issue, can you get Angela on speaker call as well after our meeting, i'll tell you when we meet.

Ive: What's this about, I'm starting to get a sense you are concerned about something?

Tim: yes, Jony, it's just bothering me when i lay down to sleep at night. In fact, my apple watch actually notifies me that I am not sleeping well at night...

Ive: What's the problem - why don't we talk now?

Tim: (standing in the hallway; pulls Jony to an empty office): Jony, I don't know how to put it to you in a way that won't hurt our relationship...

Ive: (flummoxed by the look on Tim's face): Tim, we can talk about anything. You know after Jobs' departure, we have been hand holding and we are in this journey together...

Tim: I'll get right to the point - Have you see the reviews regarding the rMB? Have you seen the reviews regarding the apple watch? I'll let the apple watch go for now...but the issues with the new rMB really have me concerned. In fact, when you brought it to me 8 months ago and I said yes, eureka, this is it! I wasn't so sure before launch day and in fact during the keynote, I tried my best to praise this device and pretend its as great as the MBAir.

Ive: (looking at Tim without even blinking once): Tim, you signed off on this project from the moment I showed you. Look at that interview from one of the employees who was laughing hysterically. Did you base your concerns on that particular video or is this something personal?

Tim: I've seen that video and I don't care if that employee is 95% correct, it will make us rich no doubt - my concern is you shouldn't of made it so thin. I mean i have to run this by Phil to somehow have him spin this off magically to people so they will buy adapters. I know this quarters profits will skyrocket on just the adapters alone but I'm concerned with the future of these laptops. They are just too thin...

Ive: This is rich, Tim. Coming from a typical bean counter like yourself, you should be on bended kneed sucking me off right now if it weren't for my genius of making the new rMB require extra adapters to do the most basic things, you'd be looking at a declining profit margin at apple. I swear to Jobs' right before he left us, he told me specifically to be balls deep in any design I come up with. Now I get this crap from you?!

Tim: Jony, alright, I'll wait until you are calm and we can continue this topic. In the mean time, meet with Phil we really need his help to sell more adapters. Didn't you tell me we will remove the headphone jack from the next iPad AIR?

Ive: That's correct, we will remove the headphone jack on the next iPad air and in order to charge the device while we use the headphone, we will require an adapter. Phil is writing up the marketing script for that one right now.

Tim: Good grief (while chuckling), at this rate, we will probably make more money selling adapters than we do apps.

Ive: Well, you worry about how to get those chinamen to produce more iPhones. I will continue to produce thinner laptops because I'm the man for this job. as for that apple watch, samsung's COO texted me; he said was it ok to copy that watch design. I said what do you think? You didn't ask me when you made that S6.

Tim: (laughing out loud): Jony, i know you are not happy about Samsung stealing the design but seriously, how was it possible they made it thinner than your iPhone 6 design?!

Ive: (turns away and walks down the hallway)...
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Were you touched inappropirately as a child or something? This is meant to be a tech forum, not a blog for your twisted thoughts.
 
jcmeyer5 said:
I hate to say it, but the comparison to a Chrome Book is dead on... Other than the $1000+ you'd save going with a Chrome Book.
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I'm sorry, but the only Chromebook with a "retina" screen is The Pixel which comes with a $1K price-tag. And only limited Google Apps.
 
maflynn said:
What does this computer give you that the current MBA doesn't?
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For me, more portability, larger screen estate, retina display, Force Touch trackpad, and equal battery life to the 11" MBA.
 
Last edited:
Apples week isn't it?

Reviews unsurprisingly of the new MacBook are poor, reviews of the Apple watch are what's the point of it and hooow much? And iOS 8 update releases with, unsurprisingly, more bugs..

Pretty impressive for a corporation worth so much, although I suspect it may lose some of that value by the end of today, which no doubt it will regain by next week.
 
apolloa said:
Apples week isn't it?

Reviews unsurprisingly of the new MacBook are poor, reviews of the Apple watch are what's the point of it and hooow much? And iOS 8 update releases with, unsurprisingly, more bugs..

Pretty impressive for a corporation worth so much, although I suspect it may lose some of that value by the end of today, which no doubt it will regain by next week.
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I guess you and I are not reading the same reviews. In fact you are not really reading the reviews that you are commenting on are you?
 
Wanna know how much crappier keyboards are in 2015? Go into your junk closet and try out the keyboard your old 2002 powerbook that you never got rid of.
 
MacVidCards said:
Apple keeps moving into the disposable toy market. But EXPENSIVE disposable toys. There is no rational excuse for the single USB-C port. Kind of funny reading all the apologists trying though.

Apple needs to get back to making the BEST machines it can make, not just the trendiest.
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"toy" is harsh, but i think apple is interested in taking laptops to an ipad like "information appliance" experience.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
The problem here is that relative to it's price, one can get a much cheaper Air or a cheaper rMBP, both of which offer far more in many specs and benefits that used :rolleyes: to matter to laptop buyers.
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You can definitely argue about better specs/benefits, but re: Price - As has been said a bunch of times - you need to compare (literal :p ) Apples to Apples. 11" Air with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is $100 cheaper than rMB. 13" Air (w/8GB RAM and 256 SSD) is the *same* price. So it's not "much cheaper".

HobeSoundDarryl said:
If you want more power or built-in popular ports or only have light computing needs or care about price, every other alternative mobile computer from Apple may be a better alternative... from iPad or iPad with Keyboard to Air or rMBP. Nothing wrong with that (they're all Apple goodies).
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Yes, if you want Power and Ports - this is definitely not for you. And Apple has covered the whole market with the various other options they offer. This is them covering the segment that wants to pay for the newest, lightest, prettiest screen - a market they didn't cover before (versus the 1080p+ ultraportables from other companies).
 
Neepman said:
Wanna know how much crappier keyboards are in 2015? Go into your junk closet and try out the keyboard your old 2002 powerbook that you never got rid of.
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I never really got over losing the feel of my IBM PC original keyboard... now that was a real keyboard... though it weighed a tonne and in an office full of them it created a lot of background sound.... If you can type up to 120 words per minute on a keyboard, it cannot be all bad.... that is what it is used for.... the only constant in life is change.... but for most people .... they cannot stand change... and if you are autistic.... even worse :p
 
I still want to try the keyboard, but I'll probably wait for the next version before seriously considering it. I received a 2015 13" MBA last week from work and I'm having a hard time justifying the spend (that would come out of my pocket), especially when Apple can't be bothered to include a USB adapter.

At this point I'd rather spend my money on an updated 27" Cinema Display and maybe a new iPad.
 
Mac Rumors loves to go negative with it's headlines

POSTED HEADLINE:
MacBook Review Roundup: Major Design Appeal, but Too Many Key Compromises

A REAL JOURNALIST HEADLINE:
MacBook Review Roundup: Major Design Appeal, but Many Key Compromises

It's subtle but very different.
 
jcmeyer5 said:
How exactly is expensive, underpowered, and lacking features "ahead of its time?" Because it's thin and doesn't have a fan? They can only get away with that because the darn thing is, as you said, expensive, underpowered, and lacking features.
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Yep... exactly what was said about the MBA.

Its portability and overall intention as a product and its uses is what's ahead of time.
 
SSD-GUY said:
Were you touched inappropirately as a child or something? This is meant to be a tech forum, not a blog for your twisted thoughts.
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Twisted would be OK if they were even a _little_ bit humorous. That was just long, painfully unfunny and tedious. :confused:
 
"Hey Jony, bet you can't make it thinner while keeping it at the same price."

"Yeah? Give me a year, Phil"

^ The bar wagers Apple higher-ups have ever release.
 
fyrefly said:
I'm sorry, but the only Chromebook with a "retina" screen is The Pixel which comes with a $1K price-tag. And only limited Google Apps.
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limited but its certainly not only limited to google apps.

i find it strange that apparently the masses only do emails, browse and fb when it comes to the macbook but when the thread is about a chromebook or a surface its quite different.
 
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