I have a 2013 i7 1.7 13" MBA and for what I'm doing on the MB vs the MBA there is nothing that feels slower or laggy on the new MacBook so I guess I wasn't taxing the MBA very hard.
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So, who is the new MacBook really for?
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I have a 2013 i7 1.7 13" MBA and for what I'm doing on the MB vs the MBA there is nothing that feels slower or laggy on the new MacBook so I guess I wasn't taxing the MBA very hard.
Too lightweight? Are you serious? Thats exactly whats awesome about this laptop.
Underpowered? I don't think so. It's fanless, extremely power efficient and 1.3ghz Core M isn't faraway from the Core i5 found in MBA or 13" rMBP.
12" is definitely big enough for laptop use. 17" is way too big and I think 15" is still slightly too big. 12"-14" is perfect size for a laptop.
Yeah. I can totally see why this is an awesome laptop.
So... final verdict. I'm totally gonna get the rMB. Either 1.3Ghz/256Gb 1st generation or wait for 2nd generation and then decide from what ever specifications are available then.
Most of the tasks I do on my MacBook are light. Web browsing, Spotify, YouTube, photos etc.
However, I do quite a lot of work in Photoshop but it won't be a problem for rMB considering how lightweight Photoshop CC 2014 is. Will run easily.
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I respect your opinion, but I personally have no qualms spending 300 dollars for the addition of the retina screen alone. Combine that feature with the compact sizing and there is plenty of potential value for consumers regardless of their casual usage. "Casual" users does not necessarily mean people that seldom use their laptop; their computers could be running 24/7 utilizing all kinds of functions that aren't particularly taxing.
13" rMBP (Late 2013)
http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/2434233
12" rMB 1,3Ghz Core M
http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/2432536
You and my travel buddies, who knock out at least 2 tours a year. They lug cameras, external drives, Macbook Pros/Airs wire, etc,etc and are always looking to lighten the load. For them, it's not the "Main" computer, but a tool to get things done for 3-4 weeks or a weekend jump across a few states.
For them, a 1 or 2lb difference is a big deal on 1 device
In a world where a new Samsung S6 edge or iPhone 6+ with one port and 128GB of memory costs $850 to $1000 in the USA I think a rMB 128GB is a good deal. I agree the lengths some posters go to defend their opinion is entertaining. My rMP via parallels runs windows 8.1 just fine while using Safari and iTunes playing in the background. Without any fans humming away like my work supplied I7 Surface Pro 3. In all of the Macbook Pros I have owned, I usually had power, one USB only for iPhone charging/sync, sometimes TB to Ethernet adapter, rarely HDMI to monitor connected at home. Nothing on the road except charging and iPhone. As USB-C products become available a dock will handle all of that nicely, for now I just picked up the AV adapter that does those things. How is needing three different ports on a laptop to perform the same functions as one USB-C port better? Especially when the port usage is not 100% of time? The 1.5 pound difference between the 13 inch rMBP and rMB plus the design changes in trackpad, keyboard and gorgeous design are added positives for me. I sold my 13 rMBP and haven't missed it at all.
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With my arthritic hands (osteoarthritis on both thumbs), the new Macbook has been a perfect solution. The 13" rMBP, while not heavy, was for me to grip lift and carry. Did not want the Air because of the display. I use the $20 USB-C dongle once in a while, otherwise I need no additional ports. This is perfect for me, regardless of price/value.
If you want to gripe about how much Apple stuff costs, grab a Dell.
If you want to gripe about how much Apple stuff costs, grab a Dell.
I commute by bicycle almost every day and have loved the minimal weight my iPad and keyboard adds to my backpack along with the rest of my *****. The rMB would be for me. So would the 11-inch MBA, but I've held off the past couple of years, waiting for Apple to release something like the rMB.
For people who want it 
The MacBook is for people who want to use and enjoy it.
I don't think I'm a candidate because I love my MBA too much to make a change. I read post here all the time that people should buy MBP. The MBP is a very nice computer but I never wanted one. It was too clunky for me. I'm only one person. Apple markets to many.
If everybody was the same we'd all drive gray Chevrolets.
The MacBook is for people who want to use and enjoy it.
I don't think I'm a candidate because I love my MBA too much to make a change. I read post here all the time that people should buy MBP. The MBP is a very nice computer but I never wanted one. It was too clunky for me. I'm only one person. Apple markets to many.
If everybody was the same we'd all drive gray Chevrolets.
Me.
I'm an Oracle DBA. I can bring our cluster down with just a netbook via VPN and terminal. But I don't even need to do that. I can just log into my work computer, which is a virtual machine, via VMWare Horizon client. When I'm on-call, I can't leave home without a laptop. Carrying this 12" macbook around in a tiny leather portfolio beats the hell out of carrying a full sized laptop bag. (I still have a 2013 Retina Macbook Pro 15") EDIT: I should mention that for 99% of what I do, this laptop is more than capable. I do regular youtube video and such, and I have a 6 core overclocked and liquid cooled workstation at home that I do that stuff on. Laptops like this are meant more to be a secondary computer.
I've not found any problems with this laptop so far. People blow this crap out of proportion. If you're rendering videos, and you buy this laptop: you're buyin the wrong tool for the job. If you do gaming, and you buy this laptop: you're buying the wrong tool for the job. And you know what? It can do both of those things just fine. I install world of warcraft and it ran at default settings at 60-70 fps. It didn't even get hot. Just "very" warm. I installed sony vegas and cut some videos. Doing the editing it's perfectly fine. Even the preview window was great. The only part where you realize it's a core M is when you go to do the final render. For that, you can move it to your main computer to save time, but it'll still render it just fine--just more slowly.
People act like it's miles slower than the air. It's not. Look at benchmarks. It's slower, yes, but not by much.
And really there are only 3 options in your mind!?
Am prob closest to casual albeit am on my MacBook everyday but the rMB is neither priced out of my reach, I don't have an Air (I have a unibody MB but been waiting a coupe, of years on the MBA updating to get rid of the horrible grey screen surround and look more like the MBP screen but it ends up something much nicer comes out
) and actually I can't live without the retina screen having become accustomed to it via the iPhone and iPad. When I got the retina iPad I stopped using the MBto surf or watch TV/films as much.cant wait to get something so light and well designed.
How about this for a use case?
Being disconnected from the grid while camping in order to do photography (astrophotography, or stuff that you have to hike to). Astrophotography in particular tends to require a laptop when working at extreme focal lengths to help stabilize tracking of the mount during long exposures. But running a laptop all night will drain the battery, so something that needs less power from your camping battery will mean you can bring a smaller camping battery, or get more nights from that battery.
But you still want the screen resolution during the day.
Being disconnected from the grid while camping in order to do photography (astrophotography, or stuff that you have to hike to). Astrophotography in particular tends to require a laptop when working at extreme focal lengths to help stabilize tracking of the mount during long exposures. But running a laptop all night will drain the battery, so something that needs less power from your camping battery will mean you can bring a smaller camping battery, or get more nights from that battery.
But you still want the screen resolution during the day.
But wouldn't the odds of anyone needing those capabilities under those circumstances be astronomical?
People seem to really gloss over the size and weight issue. It only barely enters the specs/price discussion, but it makes a huge difference to how it feels to interact with the device.
I've had my new rMB for 1 day so far. I'm working from my apartment, and walking from room to room with the rMB in one hand, using it with the other hand, without a second thought. It's approaching the size and weight of an iPad, but with all the capabilities of OS X. Sure, it's not as fast as a MBA or MBP in the most advanced functions, but it's capable, in the literal sense of the word. I've been using Safari, Skype, Spotify, my NAS admin app, and a VNC app simultaneously with no trouble. I edited some photos and videos from a recent trip with a totally acceptable amount of processing time. Sure, I could do things "faster" with a rMBP, but would I trade this thinness, lightness, and real-world portability for it? No, not after today...
I haven't had a chance to travel with this laptop yet, having just received it, but I'm so looking forward to it. My point is that, even just for home and local use, the ease with which you can carry this from the sofa to the kitchen to the bedroom has been enough to change how I view using a full computer.
In contrast, my 15" MBP (Late 2008) now sits in a Henge Dock, connected to my ethernet switch, my NAS, and my home entertainment center, never to be lugged anywhere again! My wife (web developer) uses a 15" Dell laptop for work, and she couldn't believe the rMB--like, almost couldn't really believe that it was a computer, and not just a cardboard mockup.
I'm tempted to say, you can't put a price on this level of real-world tactile usage. Except that Apple did: $1299 and up. Worth it? For me, definitely. I feel like I got what I paid for: an ultra thin, ultra light OS X computer that I can literally take everywhere--at home and away. What's so hard to see about that?
I've had my new rMB for 1 day so far. I'm working from my apartment, and walking from room to room with the rMB in one hand, using it with the other hand, without a second thought. It's approaching the size and weight of an iPad, but with all the capabilities of OS X. Sure, it's not as fast as a MBA or MBP in the most advanced functions, but it's capable, in the literal sense of the word. I've been using Safari, Skype, Spotify, my NAS admin app, and a VNC app simultaneously with no trouble. I edited some photos and videos from a recent trip with a totally acceptable amount of processing time. Sure, I could do things "faster" with a rMBP, but would I trade this thinness, lightness, and real-world portability for it? No, not after today...
I haven't had a chance to travel with this laptop yet, having just received it, but I'm so looking forward to it. My point is that, even just for home and local use, the ease with which you can carry this from the sofa to the kitchen to the bedroom has been enough to change how I view using a full computer.
In contrast, my 15" MBP (Late 2008) now sits in a Henge Dock, connected to my ethernet switch, my NAS, and my home entertainment center, never to be lugged anywhere again! My wife (web developer) uses a 15" Dell laptop for work, and she couldn't believe the rMB--like, almost couldn't really believe that it was a computer, and not just a cardboard mockup.
I'm tempted to say, you can't put a price on this level of real-world tactile usage. Except that Apple did: $1299 and up. Worth it? For me, definitely. I feel like I got what I paid for: an ultra thin, ultra light OS X computer that I can literally take everywhere--at home and away. What's so hard to see about that?
Surprise surprise.....
MBP vs. MBA. MBP is hardly clunky these days. MBP has a smaller footprint than a MBA. Just weighs 1/2 lb more.
Have a look at the current specs.
Height: 0.11-0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm)
Width: 12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg)3
Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm)
Width: 12.35 inches (31.4 cm)
Depth: 8.62 inches (21.9 cm)
Weight: 3.48 pounds (1.58 kg)2
probably someone has written this already, but I'm not sure if you're aware that the 11" MBA with THE SAME STORAGE AND RAM is ONLY $100 cheaper than the rMB.
So you say: Duh, well you're paying $100 for a crappier processor and camera but a better screen.
And I say: yeah... so what? I don't need the processing power. Most of what I do, and what I will do with my new rMB is writing grants, making simple figures with Illustrator, making presentations, and doing this all while traveling internationally and working at places other than work and home. I hardly ever use ports, so that's a moot issue. I can transfer files when I need via dropbox.
So two points I'd like to make here. 1) could I do this with a much cheaper windows machine? Yeah, but I pay a premium for the build of apple products and OS X and a premium for portability. 2) could i do this with a iPad and a keyboard? No... it's a pain in the butt to add figures to word and powerpoint when you can't easily switch and cut/copy between programs.
But if you seriously have concerns about the pricing for the rMB, you should have the same concerns about the pricing for the MBA since LIKE I SAID, the price points are similar when you compare what you get and what is missing from both.
And don't start saying about the MBP, because with the same RAM and Storage, it's $200 more than the rMB. Yes you get more for your $200, but for the same reason i don't drive a Suburban or Chevy Tahoe (I don't need to have the room to haul or carry 5 other people) I don't need the most powerful laptop $1500 can buy. I drive a small car because I live in a city and don't like to spend money on gas. I have a less powerful BUT SMALL/PORTABLE computer because my needs are portability, not power.