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

[tigres]

Suspected as much, a garbage computer in a golden shell.

This is a bad release apple, and be prepared for comparatives to the likes of netbooks and ASUS garbage.

too bad.
Oh, and nice one port too; slick /s

 

[racer1441]

With MB, the pro is now far too heavy and the Air has a terrible screen. We don't need ports anymore because everything we do is wireless. Etc.

Glad you are the arbiter of all things for all people.

Some people want a light machine for what they do, others want plenty for ports to do their preferred work. Everyone can get what they want.

I'm really starting to think most of the negative comments are from people who cannot afford the new macbook and a jealous of people who will be buying one.

 

[scottsjack]

(Seriously. When have I last plugged in more than one thing at once? A year or more? Wireless is the future. If you want the past, pick a different Mac.)

Just the opposite here. Right now my 2012 MBP is sitting on my desk. Plugged in to it are Ethernet, the charger and a USB3 cable connected to Time Machine #2. For me connectivity is very important.

 

[KPOM]

Same as Macbook Air in 2008.

This is the future, today.

Exactly. It's priced as a niche product because it will have niche appeal. Eventually it will be the new base model, but in 2-3 years.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'm not sure it's a marketting issue though to be honest. I think Apple's PR and Marketting is still in full swing like it always was and is actually still their darling gem.

I think they're just hitting doubles instead of homeruns. (A baseball metaphor now that season has started).

It's not a bad laptop. By any stretch of the imagination. It's not a bad smartwatch by any stretch of the imagination. But when Apple has been hitting cleanup over the last two decades, and then suddenly only hits doubles, you have to wonder if they still have the batting strength.

were people honestly clamouring for .5lb lighter laptop? and were they honestly willing to sacrifice 30-40% of the performance for a slightly marginal difference? 2mm thickness isn't going to suddenly save your backpack space. .5lb isn't suddenly going to break your back.

so advertising this as the "greatest revolution in laptos" or in the watches case "This will change your life" is questionable and sets up serious expectations. Then to deliver products that don't clearly differentiate themselves, and to do it at far higher prices than market expectations, You're not going to get raving reviews.

if the MacBook were to be released today with the MBA pricing, this story would be different. But it's not. this is a more expensive laptop for less of a laptop.

When Apple dropped the CD drive from the Mac Pro's, they were able to save considerable size and weight. There was sa dramatic difference in the devices before and after. sure it sucked for all those CD/DVD users, but there was a siginficant reason for removing it. That clear and decisive reason is NOT here.

Well said (er written). I guess I'd rather believe it's the loss of Cotton & Jobs influence than to think the batters have lost their strength. Unfortunately, I think you are right but I'm going to look past these "doubles" and hope for some better swings in the next batch of "next big things."

I just really can't imagine how Apple could pick from whom they share pre-release models of both products and this is the best reviews they can get... especially with the reputation of getting chopped off such a list if they are not pleased with what is said in such reviews. It's there where maybe the Cotton influence might have had more pull/punch... or, at least, I'd rather think that than believe the home runs might be over.

 

[tigres]

Just the opposite here. Right now my 2012 MBP is sitting on my desk. Plugged in to it are Ethernet, the charger and a USB3 cable connected to Time Machine #2. For me connectivity is very important.

Yep, at work (daily) with MBA plugged into 24' ACD.

 

[billystlyes]

Great... A $1300 Chromebook with one port.... where does the line start?

 

[Rogifan]

And we knew about this right from the start, it was never going to be a speed demon by any stretch; to close the loop, those who fell in love with it will still get one, those who hated its presumed shortcomings will keep hatin'.

Exactly. None of these reviews surprise me. It's just rinse and repeat of 2008 MBA reviews. Though Intel should probably be worried that Apple's A8X comes close to matching the performance of Core M.

 

[26139]

Hmm..

Some people think that's what computers are for.

I'd change some to most.

 

[darcyf]

Because what it's meant to be constitutes a poor buy compared to other existing options, and because people are disappointed that apple went this route instead of making the MacBook Air a truly excellent option for 99% of buyers.

A poor buy for you.

The MacBook contains several new technologies and designs that cannot just be wedged into a MacBook Air. This is a completely new product with a different set of features than the Air.

Wanting the MacBook to be the MacBook Air is not a valid argument against the merits of this MacBook.

 

[26139]

Huh?

I was really interested in this MacBook. But at this rate, it is so underpowered and overpriced that the forthcoming Surface 3 has just become more interesting now.

If you're stuck between a Surface 3 and a Macbook you're probably not in Apple's target market.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Finally, someone who gets it and Apple's design philosophy!

Most others are as breathless as they were when the 2008 MacBook Air was introduced with one port, 2 GB of RAM, and an 80 GB spinning disk - for $1,800. I remember that time well with all those sporting squinty-eyed sneers barely able to contain themselves bleating out predictions of doom.

Déjà vu, all over again...

Where are these breathless people that fit "most"? Are you "most" people?

And this implication that this is just repeating the original Air would also imply that the mighty minds of Apple did not learn from that one's shortcomings, getting it right by adjusting price and strengthening it's horses and connectivity in latter generations. Rather than do that again, why not just go ahead and get to the more desirable (latter generation) Air equivalent?

 

[tillsbury]

Hop in a time machine and go back a few months before we knew the Watch or the MB was coming. Post those gripes against iPhone or MBA or rMBP and you would be skewered. Did iPhones, MBA and rMBP change recently to become so problematic? Of course not.

Error, no, they didn't change. Since June 2012 all old displays were horribly pixellated. The MBA, while a lovely machine generally, was never on my radar to buy because of the screen quality, even though I've needed a new small laptop for a good while now. I always found it a pain to get my iPhone 5 out of my pocket to see who was calling or messaging, and still do with the 6.

The rMB and watch are very specific solutions to very valid requirements. They're not perfect by any means, of course. But they're easily good enough to buy.

 

[KPOM]

Not surprising given the specs, this is not a 1,500 dollar laptop even if it is priced that way.

Actually, I think this is a case of the reviewers not getting it, except perhaps Snell and Joanna Stern. This is exactly like the MacBook Air in 2008. It's not the mainstream notebook. It's the cutting edge, and intended for the same niche that bought the MacBook Air back then. The Core M performance shouldn't surprise them. When the Skylake processor gets inserted in this next year, it will be significantly better from a performance standpoint.

I'd have been more interested in seeing comparisons of the base processor to the 1.3GHz to see how well or poor a job Apple did with the thermals. That has historically been a weak point. AnandTech did a great story yesterday about how the slower Core M's often outperform the higher speed rated ones because of thermals.

As for the price, go look up the HP Elitebook 1020. Only Asus is selling the Core M for dirt cheap, and they are probably losing money on it.

 

[Rogifan]

The reviews generally seem both reasonable and about as expected. Can't ask for much more that.

I agree that it will follow the arc of the MBA - it will get better and better as time goes on. In the meantime, if you like it, buy it. And if you don't like it, don't buy it. Easy.

This is basically people throwing temper tantrums because Apple didn't throw a retina display in the Air and call it a day. But once you throw retina in the 13" Air how much different is it than the 13" Pro? And since people are complaining so much about Apple's obsession with thinness just get a 13" rMBP then. Has all the ports you need plus mag safe and includes the new trackpad. Problem solved.

 

[26139]

Huh?

Just the opposite here. Right now my 2012 MBP is sitting on my desk. Plugged in to it are Ethernet, the charger and a USB3 cable connected to Time Machine #2. For me connectivity is very important.

If wired tech is important to you, why not buy an iMac?

 

[wiz329]

I'm not sure I understand all of the criticism here, which pretty much boils down to:

- Underpowered, sacrifices power for "thinness"
- Not enough ports.

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what everyone said when the first Macbook Air came out.

- Underpowered (which it certainly was until the 2011 rev)
- Not enough "connectivity" (no optical drive, not enough ports)

I wouldn't buy this as a first generation product, just like I would never have paid $1699 for the first Macbook Air. But let's just recognize this for what it is -- it's a niche laptop that is pushing the edge of technology. It's not for everyone.

JUST LIKE THE MACBOOK AIR USED TO BE.

 

[Rogifan]

In the Steve Jobs era, we had both form and function at the same time. Under Ken Cook / Jony Ive, it seems we have one or the other, but not both. This is as true for iOS as for the new Macbook. Absolutely beautiful, at the expense of usability.

Perhaps part of the true genius of Steve Jobs was keeping people like Jony Ive in line, helping them remember the mission.

Dan

Didn't the 2008 MBA happen on Steve's watch?

 

[mashinhead]

The thin thing that Apple is doing is not appealing any longer when sacrificing performance.

The inherent problem is that they are GREATLY sacrificing performance for something that isn't even a problem anymore.

When the macbook air came out do you remember how big laptops were? That just isn't true today. Even the largest laptop is thin.

They just repackaged a 4 year old computer and are selling it to you as innovation at a premium with the only selling point being something you can get on any computer, which is how thin it is.

 

[LordVic]

Well said (er written). I guess I'd rather believe it's the loss of Cotton & Jobs influence than to think the batters have lost their strength. Unfortunately, I think you are right but I'm going to look past these "doubles" and hope for some better swings in the next batch of "next big things."

I just really can't imagine how Apple could pick from whom they share pre-release models of both products and this is the best reviews they can get... especially with the reputation of getting chopped off such a list if they are not pleased with what is said in such reviews. It's there where maybe the Cotton influence might have had more pull/punch... or, at least, I'd rather think that than believe the home runs might be over.

thats just it. with most of the reviewers giving these mediocre reviews, Apple can't just flip around and cut them all off. if it were one or two, it'll likely happen (I believe theVerge a few years back under Topalski got cut off), but most of them? this is the troubling thing.

Again, baseball metaphor. Hitting a double isn't a bad thing. it's still a very good hit, advances baserunners and puts you in scoring position.

by no means is this laptop a bad laptop. it's a very good suitable laptop for a plethora of uses.

Its just not the laptop people were looking for.

 

[MarkusL]

It reminds me of the 2009 iPod Shuffle with no buttons…

Image

It reminds me of the Macbook Wheel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8gF0KTfMrQ

 

[26139]

yep

I'm not sure I understand all of the criticism here, which pretty much boils down to:

- Underpowered, sacrifices power for "thinness"
- Not enough ports.

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what everyone said when the first Macbook Air came out.

- Underpowered (which it certainly was until the 2011 rev)
- Not enough "connectivity" (no optical drive, not enough ports)

I wouldn't buy this as a first generation product, just like I would never have paid $1699 for the first Macbook Air. But let's just recognize this for what it is -- it's a niche laptop that is pushing the edge of technology. It's not for everyone.

JUST LIKE THE MACBOOK AIR USED TO BE.

I hated the first few MBAs.

Then I bought a 2012 11".

Holy ****, it was awesome, thought I eventually needed more screen real estate.

Have to start somewhere.

 

[Rogifan]

My opinion is that in the Steve Jobs era, the compromises were almost always masterful. In the Cook/Ive era, they have rarely been masterful.

What was masterful about the 2008 MBA or the buttonless iPod shuffle or the fat Nano? And do you really think only two people make decisions at Apple?

 

[IbisDoc]

An underpowered first generation Apple notebook. I'm just shocked by this news.

Epic. Fail.

 

[26139]

No!

Didn't the 2008 MBA happen on Steve's watch?

Nothing bad ever happened under Steve's watch. He gave us the new iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, and transitioned from powerbooks and ibooks to MBP and MBA/MB.

He was infallible and always correct.