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

scottsjack said:
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.
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I have a similar setup. I plan on leaving my MBP on my desk, hooked up as you described, and the new Macbook is what will be coming along with me when I leave my office. I can always log into the MBP remotely, should I need something with more power, which would be rare.

I really don't see using my 15" rMBP on my desk and using the new Macbook when on the go as any different than using my computer tower on my desk and my (more bulky) laptop when on the go, like many of us did 10-15 years ago.
 
neuropsychguy said:
I won't buy one because it doesn't fit my needs. The MacBook certainly has limitations but most people won't care. Most people who use computers really don't know a GHz from a GB.
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Here's the thing though: those "most people" to which you are referring will be able to see a MB Air near this one for a LOT less cost than this one. So then they have to become educated on retina vs. non-retina and/or value "thinnest & lightest" enough to rationalize paying up for this one over the Air. So they have to ask questions to become smarter computer buyers during which they will probably find out the cheaper one is also much more powerful and more flexible in terms of utility.

And those "most people" need to buy into this "everything wireless" mentality and have that setup back at home or add the functional price to go there and/or added price to buy dongles to hook up what they have at home further separates the price of this vs. that thin Air for sale nearby.

I won't dare try to speak for "most people" but I suspect they WILL CARE about the dramatic price differences. Price is something even a computer moron can understand. Further, I'd agree with others who have said the Air became so popular not because it was "thinnest & lightest" but because Apple dramatically cut the price. It is the cheapest laptop in Apple's lineup. Which version of iDevices outsells the others 16GB vs. 64GB vs. 128GB? Why?
 
KPOM said:
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
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Using the 2008 as an example, the consumer didn't get it either, since Apple had to cut the price.

I do think reviewers get it, and they're pointing out the short comings of the computer.
 
scottsjack said:
It's hard to take an iMac to Starbuck's.
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this guy tells you you don't know what you're talking about
starbuck_full-thumb-615x352-75430.png



:p:D:D
 
LordVic said:
Time will tell

but the Original MBA wasn't the resoundign sucecss it is today until the 2010/2011 product year where they dropped the price to start at 999 and they put in the i5 generation CPU. before that it was an oddity that few people were buying.

I think that is what will happen here too. in a year or two from now, there will be a 4gb/128gb model that starts at $999 with a more reobust CoreM or i5 CPU in it and it will replace the MBA and sell fantastically.

but right now? I think it's a "wait and see" product
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History shows what will happen. So instead of people throwing a temper tantrum if the need a new machine get a 13" rMBP or wait for the 15" equivalent. People keep complaining about Apple's obsession with thinness so those machines should be right up their alley - the ports and power they need.
 
scottsjack said:
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.
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2012, non-fancy-retina, 13" MBP:
Power, Ethernet, a USB cable to my iPad to charge it (and synched it today, and updated it with that cable yesterday), and a USB memory stick with all of my "important" files on it that I work with between multiple machines. Later on I'll hook up a 1TB USB3 drive and manually copy over the iTunes albums I bought today, because Apple can't seen to get iTunes to stop losing music that I buy and load from my own CDs. I don't do anything wirelessly. Apple can't get that right, either, since Yosemite, though I only have trouble with that with the wireless system on the college campus where I work.
 
dan1000 said:
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.
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1. Yes, we called it RDF, reality distortion field.
2. Compromises are compromises, regardless of who presented it. Ivy has influenced almost all products through Apple's history, it did not change under Cook. Jobs made sure Ivy continues to have the same creative power even after Job is gone. The first MBA that Jobs "masterfully" presented were crap with a lot of compromises, it took a few iterations to get it right. Just like it will with Macbook, a 7nm Core M, DDR4, better display/battery technologies, and more USB-C ports in a few years will turn it into a beast like the way the latest MBA is.
3. I think you're just becoming immune to RDF just like many older Mac vets here. As you get older and attuned to Apple's BS, you actually start to increase your skepticism about Apple. Mine started while Jobs was still alive.
4. You're also assuming that Jobs didn't approve anything that Ive/Cook is doing here. Remember that Apple is still operating on a Jobs-approved 5 year plan.
5. What you can work around back in 2010 isn't what you can work around in 2015. The smaller everything gets, the more compromises you WILL have to make.
 
wiz329 said:
I'm pretty sure this is exactly what everyone said when the first Macbook Air came out.
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And they were right. The first MacBook Air was a fail - too expensive, too slow, too little connectivity. It wasn't reviewed terribly well, and it didn't sell well. It was when they dropped the price quite a bit and brought the power and connectivity up quite a bit at the same time (2010 model IIRC) that it became the success you see today.

So how does all of that prove that criticism of the CURRENT rMB is wrong?
 
Rogifan said:
History shows what will happen. So instead of people throwing a temper tantrum if the need a new machine get a 13" rMBP or wait for the 15" equivalent. People keep complaining about Apple's obsession with thinness so those machines should be right up their alley - the ports and power they need.
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I truly think this will be a fantastic future product. the real clincher will be a 2nd USB-C port on the other side and a more affordable option.

But today, right now, as this laptop stands. its basically a "prototype" device. Similar to the launch of the 2008 MBA. expensive for what you get, but a real nice device overall that showcases what Could be the next iteration
 
John marts said:
It amazes me that for $400 less you can get a MBA that is nearly as thin, nearly as light, has a better keyboard, better battery life, actually has ports that are more than handy, and is substantially more powerful and faster.
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$1,299 = 12" MacBook w/ 256GB SSD + 8GB RAM

vs

$1,199 = 11" MBA w/ 256GB SSD + 8GB RAM
$1,299 = 13" MBA w/ 256GB SSD + 8GB RAM

The 11" Air is $100 less.
The 13" Air is $000 less.

The Airs are nearly as thin/light, have better keyboards/battery life, ports that are handy, more power, etc, but they're not $400 cheaper when you spec them out with the same amount of RAM and SSD.
 
darcyf said:
Why do people keep reviewing and discussing this thing in terms of what it's not meant to be?

It's not a video editing or photo editing machine. It's not a MacBook Pro. It's not for power users. And the price doesn't determine that.

It's a thin and light laptop with a beautiful display for people with basic needs, which as it tunes out is most people. Read: not tech reviewers and not macrumors readers.

Try discussing the MacBook in terms of who it's actually for and what it's actually designed to do and you might start to see its merits.

Or you can keep trying to pound a square peg into a round hole and blaming the peg for not being round enough.

Your call.
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Yeah, how dare people expect to run stuff on a computer that costs more money than computers that can run those programs easily. 1200+ dollars for a "basic needs" computer? And you're defending that?! Hahahaha
 
In 2008, you could not have talked me into an expensive, underpowered MacBook Air that had few ports, dropped the optical drive, and was not as powerful as the other laptop options Apple had.

In 2015, I have bought my *second* 2014 MBA (one was on sale last year; one was a refurb today, in fact) -- both gifts. The MBA has definitely improved and is a great machine. Secondly, the MBA is why my 2013 MBP is nice and light. :)

So, do *I* think this first MacBook is worth it? Not at all. Do I hope it's a learning experience that trickles down the "cool features?" Absolutely.

And for those that are complaining, the MBAs and MBPs are still here for you to get your power and ports for the price we all deem acceptable.
 
avanpelt said:
That new keyboard was a solution that was looking for a problem that doesn't exist. I have not heard or read a single pundit (even the staunch Apple defenders) who said that the new keyboard felt amazing from the get go. Many of them said it grew on them the longer they tried it out; but that is essentially damning with faint praise.
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A new keyboard takes people a while to get acclimated to (and some probably never do). What a revelation. Seriously product reviews need to be rethought.

http://www.aboveavalon.com/notes/2015/4/8/product-reviews-are-broken
 
I think the the new mac book is a nice re-and-well-thought computer, how it should've been, not like system that requires water cooling system. Its a nice fanless design, one less (a few i guess) moving parts. And as time goes by you will have faster processors one day, when power/heat is balanced enough to use fanless solid design.

In other words to say this, computer industries pushed it way too much and came out with processors that heats up, enough to requires cooling system, in some cases water!

I mean, look at how iPad is going, 6th iPad iteration, powerful, 64bit, still fanless.
 
Mackinjosh said:
Yeah, how dare people expect to run stuff on a computer that costs more money than computers that can run those programs easily. 1200+ dollars for a "basic needs" computer? And you're defending that?! Hahahaha
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Money does not always equal power in the tech world.

Sometimes things are smaller, built with different materials, and/or have nicer screens.

If you want a computer that can "run those programs easily", why not get another computer?
 
26139 said:
Methinks us "power" users and reviewers are doing non-techies a disadvantage by comparing what it does to our needs, not the audience it was likely built for.
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Try to define that audience though. Often we're spinning these "light computing" needs (email, FB, light browsing, maybe Word & Excel)... all of which can be done well on an iPad or iPad + Keyboard for MUCH cheaper than this device and THAT is a much thinner & lighter "portless" device too

Counter: "But I need OS X" For what exactly? As you move up the power chain in OS X beyond light computing, the horsepower of this device starts coming into question, especially since much less money can buy an Air or the same money can buy a Pro to deliver the exact same OS X experience in stronger hardware.

Counter: "But I need retina" See iPad + Keyboard

"But I need retina + OS X" See rMBP

"But I need thinnest & lightest, retina and OS X" Air + iPad?

"But I need thinnest & lightest, retina, OS X, laptop only, in gold, and I don't care about the pricing" Ding!
 
LordVic said:
Time will tell

but the Original MBA wasn't the resoundign sucecss it is today until the 2010/2011 product year where they dropped the price to start at 999 and they put in the i5 generation CPU. before that it was an oddity that few people were buying.

I think that is what will happen here too. in a year or two from now, there will be a 4gb/128gb model that starts at $999 with a more reobust CoreM or i5 CPU in it and it will replace the MBA and sell fantastically.

but right now? I think it's a "wait and see" product
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Agreed. It's an expensive "beta." Get the feedback and then give people the MacBook they really want. Some people have money to drop on that. I'm not one of them.
 
HUh?

maflynn said:
Using the 2008 as an example, the consumer didn't get it either, since Apple had to cut the price.

I do think reviewers get it, and they're pointing out the short comings of the computer.
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You honestly think Apple charged less or equal for more computer in response to the sales numbers? Really?

You don't think that improving technology allowed them to offer more computer for the price?
 
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