Stop whining about the performance

[Meister]

Is this a bad thing? This computer is perfect for many, in particular older people that just want a good quality, good looking laptop for day to day tasks, and they've got the cash to buy it. There is also a massively aging population (especially in the uk). Why should everything that apple makes have to be for power users?

For some, an ipad is more than enough computing power, but the form factor is unattractive as a primary machine: holding up an ipad for extended periods can be uncomfortable, screen could be a bit bigger, using touch screen as a keyboard is not ideal.

A keyboard case would correct much of this, but for those that can afford it (a lot of people), this is an excellent product.

For others, well there are other products, and once the rmbp slims down a bit (inevitably), the air will go and the power users will get a powerful, mega-slim laptop with retina screen.

I don't disagree with. It's just that the iPhone and iPad already replaced most peoples computing needs. The new macbook is a niche product for a wealthy few who, for some reason need a keyboard but don't really need the battery life and portablity of an iPad. I don't think that this new macbook line will be a long lived product.

 

[lowendlinux]

Your post is from the viewpoint of a mainstream consumer.
The Mac Pro is mainly TB based and my rmbp has two tb docks.
Good luck trying to work with broadcast grade video through one ****ing usb-c port.

People aren't trying to get broadcast grade video through the MB that's not what it's for.

 

[Meister]

People aren't trying to get broadcast grade video through the MB that's not what it's for.

I know that. I am just making a point that usb-c doesn't replace thunderbolt.

 

[lowendlinux]

I know that. I am just making a point that usb-c doesn't replace thunderbolt.

Who cares? Nothing people will be doing on this laptop will require TB it's be absolutely extraneous.

 

[Serban]

I don't disagree with. It's just that the iPhone and iPad already replaced most peoples computing needs. The new macbook is a niche product for a wealthy few who, for some reason need a keyboard but don't really need the battery life and portablity of an iPad. I don't think that this new macbook line will be a long lived product.

Neeh, the macbook air will be gone in 2 years. This light thin in 2 years will be more performant and with at least 12 h battery life will kill ipad mini and ipad 9.7" sales

 

[redheeler]

I don't disagree with. It's just that the iPhone and iPad already replaced most peoples computing needs. The new macbook is a niche product for a wealthy few who, for some reason need a keyboard but don't really need the battery life and portablity of an iPad. I don't think that this new macbook line will be a long lived product.

The price will come down on the rMB, just like what happened to the original MBA, but right now it's for prospective MBA buyers that have a little extra money to burn in exchange for a Retina display, new color options, and a few other bonuses.

Also, keep in mind that a physical keyboard is not the only selling point over iPads, as I mentioned in my earlier post. A bigger display with a full desktop OS and more advanced software, not to mention that some people simply prefer the versatility of a laptop.

 

[The Phazer]

I always dismiss performance remarks.

Because it's already 'fast'. And yes, so much faster than people really need. It's the comparing that tech people like to do between other machines.

And it's running OS X which is the best operating system in the world. It's very snappy and refined at the moment imo.

I have a 2011 13 inch air and with a good internet connection (which I have) this thing is never slow at anything. It's almost maxed out in space as well, doesn't matter. So I could imagine how good Apple's newest computer will perform in todays world.

Everything suggests this machine will perform significantly worse than a 2011 Macbook Air though.

 

[Meister]

Also, keep in mind that a physical keyboard is not the only selling point over iPads, as I mentioned in my earlier post. A bigger display with a full desktop OS and more advanced software,...

Eventually iOS will run desktop apps. This will happen very soon. The next generation prefers the obvious advantages of touch screens and touch keyboards. I've been using the iPad as a laptop replacement for over 4 years now and the keyboard is better in many ways. This new macbook is a bastard child for people who overslept the iPhone/iPad revolution. In a few years it will be completely replaced by an iPad Pro. Macs and MacBooks on the other hand serve a different purpose. They cannot be replaced.

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... not to mention that some people simply prefer the versatility of a laptop.

What do you mean by that?

 

[PDFierro]

I don't disagree with. It's just that the iPhone and iPad already replaced most peoples computing needs. The new macbook is a niche product for a wealthy few who, for some reason need a keyboard but don't really need the battery life and portablity of an iPad. I don't think that this new macbook line will be a long lived product.

Some of us are actually going to use this MacBook to get work done. And if anything, the MacBook line is the future.

 

[AppleWarMachine]

if you don't like it then buy an Air or Pro

 

[bjet767]

Meister:

"In a few years it will be completely replaced by an iPad Pro. "

Almost but NO it will not.

Apple has very strict rules on certain subjects for development and one of them is file management. In OSX files can be managed in all sorts of ways from folder to folder, that is not true in iOS. Apple rules and they have backed them up which limit how a document is opened and made available in iOS.

The iPad will provide for many the only device they need to produce documents and some media, but full blown almost unlimited access and process will remain in the OSX court. At least for the next five years. But that's eternity in computing circles.

Personally if the 12.9" iPad pro comes out soon without a major change in iOS all one gets is more screen size and readability. If the multi-view ability happens then the 12.9" pro has a unique feature.

 

[ryanbates]

Do you think this thing will be able to handle Adobe products like Lightroom, Photoshop, Audition?

 

[macbook123]

People need to remember that the Macbook is only 0.35 pounds lighter than the 11.6" Air. 158 grams, about the weight of an iPhone. The Macbook is NOT an improvement in portability for all realistic intends and purposes.

Putting a nice 13" IPS screen in the 11.6" Air would have left it at the same weight and footprint (those giant bezels...). There is no technological reason not to do that. Instead they get rid of much of the performance and all of the ports. And increase the price. For a 158 gram reduction in weight. It really does border on insanity.

 

[pmau]

Why? They wanted to introduce a new concept of a macbook without deprecating the old models. And this is what they did. USB-C will be the new power supply cord, Thunderbold will stay for the Pro lineup.

That's really all that happened. Introduce a new concept without removing existing products that are cheap to produce.

The new logic board and the battery design costs money. It will appear in future iPhones and probably home automation appliances.

You look at this MacBook and think it's insane. Apple thinks "Where can wee try this new technologies without the risk of failure".

If they introduced shaped batteries and USB-C and force touch on the next iPhone without an intermediate product, THAT would be insane.

It's a concept that you only need to buy if you think it's amazing to use.

 

[KittyKatta]

Why? They wanted to introduce a new concept of a macbook without deprecating the old models. And this is what they did. USB-C will be the new power supply cord, Thunderbold will stay for the Pro lineup.

That's really all that happened. Introduce a new concept without removing existing products that are cheap to produce

Actually, history tells us otherwise.

People aren't "whining" when discussing apples future, they're simply expressing their view based on Apples track records. What we see in today's MacBook will affect what happens in tomorrow's MacBook Pro

Today's MacBook Pro has been squeezed so thin that non-standard SSD became the ONLY option, 2nd Bay drives are gone, integrated GPUs became the norm, battery indicators disappeared, ports were reduced and almost everything is soldered.

So to dismiss the opinions of actual thinking users as "whiners" is ridiculous when they tend to have a better track record for Apples future than the excuse makers and sycophants.

 

[maclook]

I have a 2011 13 inch air and with a good internet connection (which I have) this thing is never slow at anything. It's almost maxed out in space as well, doesn't matter. So I could imagine how good Apple's newest computer will perform in todays world.

Everything suggests this machine will perform significantly worse than a 2011 Macbook Air though.

I have the same model as HellasLEAF and agree with everything he said. The machine can handle everything i throw at it. If it struggles, it'll just complete the cpu-intensive tasks a little slower but it won't freeze or totally collapse like my work Windows PC does.
This is my first time seeing someone say that the new MB will perform significantly worse than a 2011 MBA. I'm content with my MBA's performance so if the rMB can match or outperform my 2011 MBA, I'm definitely upgrading. Can't wait till the reviews and benchmarks come out.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

Yes, seriously. Media creation periphials are usually connected via thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is way more powerfull than usb-c. Why didn't they just drop the keyboard, give it a touch display and call it iPad Pro? Right now it is the bastard child of an iPad and a macbook. It's like they made this for people who don't know about computers, think they need a laptop but should really just get an iPad in the first place.

Smiles. Well put, Meister.
The "bastard child" is far from being a "heir apparent to the throne", especially if you look at the price, functionality and real value ratio.

People need to remember that the Macbook is only 0.35 pounds lighter than the 11.6" Air. 158 grams, about the weight of an iPhone. The Macbook is NOT an improvement in portability for all realistic intends and purposes.

Putting a nice 13" IPS screen in the 11.6" Air would have left it at the same weight and footprint (those giant bezels...). There is no technological reason not to do that. Instead they get rid of much of the performance and all of the ports. And increase the price. For a 158 gram reduction in weight. It really does border on insanity.

These are extremely important arguments and nobody mentioned them so far.
Most probably the novelty, the chic and the chance to get a MacBook that matches the colour of the iPhone 6 (gold or space grey for instance) is more important.

 

[greg99]

I'm content with my MBA's performance so if the rMB can match or outperform my 2011 MBA, I'm definitely upgrading. Can't wait till the reviews and benchmarks come out.

I'm just a newbie, but threads like this are silly.

First, nobody posting here has run benchmarks on the rMB, so we have no way to meaningfully compare it to anything - we're all just guessing.

Second, even if we did, everyone's mileage varies. For instance, my maxed out mid-2011 MBA *does* lag if I'm running Outlook with my ~10GB exchange box, Chrome with more than 1 or 2 tabs, Word and Excel. If I add on a VM to access my firm's resources, it lags *hard*.

I love my MBA, but I would not purchase something of similar performance again, based upon my needs. It doesn't mean that maclook is wrong, but my needs are more substantial. I had hoped that Apple was going to announce a full rMBA with the performance of at least the current MBA, which I think would have been sufficient for my needs. T'was not to be, so I'm probably looking at an rMBP.

This isn't whining about performance, just wishing for what was rumored to have been, because it's what I needed. Shame on me for listening to the rumors.

It's entirely possible and reasonable to have discussions about performance shortfalls when compared to a user's needs without them constituting whining.

Greg

 

[redheeler]

Eventually iOS will run desktop apps. This will happen very soon. The next generation prefers the obvious advantages of touch screens and touch keyboards.

Pure speculation. On the contrary, Apple has been trying to keep their desktop and mobile platforms separate for a long time and for obvious reasons as well. I don't see this changing anytime soon.

 

[Meister]

Pure speculation.

That's why this page is called macrumors.com

 

[shenan1982]

I don't think its fair to say that thunderbolt is dead.

I don't think it's fair to say it ever had much of a life to begin with.

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Your post is from the viewpoint of a mainstream consumer.
The Mac Pro is mainly TB based and my rmbp has two tb docks.
Good luck trying to work with broadcast grade video through one ****ing usb-c port.

Most people who work with broadcast video aren't doing it on a 15" or 13" laptop.

Apple isn't targeting the "Pro" with the new Macbook, and they make no indication of trying to.

 

[Traverse]

Unless your working with lots of HD video, VMs, or photo software like LR and PS, I think specs are overblown.

The only caveat is some webrows can punish a low spec system, but there are a lot of factos at play there.

Except for very casual users, the MB isn't meant to replace your main system, it's a portable complement to people that have desktops or large laptops.

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Yes, seriously. Media creation periphials are usually connected via thunderbolt. Thunderbolt is way more powerfull than usb-c. Why didn't they just drop the keyboard, give it a touch display and call it iPad Pro? Right now it is the bastard child of an iPad and a macbook. It's like they made this for people who don't know about computers, think they need a laptop but should really just get an iPad in the first place.

This isn't a media creation machine.

This is a casual device for users who need a portable system to complement their main system. I'm thinking of it as an iPad replacement to take to school since the rMBP 15" is kind of large to carry around everywhere and its docked to external monitors and speakers all the time.

I'm not sure I want to give up the tablet form factor though. I'm tired of my iPad 3. It's either a new MacBook or an iPad Air 3.

 

[AllergyDoc]

I'm getting one--assuming I like the feel of the keyboard--and since I really only use my laptop to do Web surfing, email, and writing with Scrivener, it should work very well for me, CoreM or no. A two pound laptop with retina display... just what I wanted.

For writing with Scrivener, you're so right.

 

[shenan1982]

Everything suggests this machine will perform significantly worse than a 2011 Macbook Air though.

You're absolutely delusional.

I'm beginning to wonder if the negativity is just bitterness.

You whined when Apple put 4GB RAM into the Air. You whined when Apple didn't put retina in the air. You whined as to why we have fans in the macbook Airs... you whined because of the thick bezel. You whined because Apple didn't make the bezel black.

The FACT is the laptop already is hugely popular and is going to be a big hit. Look through the threads, more than 2\3 want it or think it's great in every poll on here.

 

[EightyTwenty]

A few remarks after reading here:

* It has only one port to prevent more power usage.
* The resolution is lower compared to windows laptops to push less pixels
* It has no 16GB RAM option because RAM draws power

I think it is exactly what Apple wanted: A great concept for future products that need LESS power. All the oversized laptops and phones people carry around are not useable with todays battery technology.

The idea is to get your work done with less options to screw up.
You cannot connect a USB harddrive, you cannot charge your phone without using the adapter and the power supply.

I think it's great. I applaud Apple for having a vision.
You can still buy MacBookPro that fit all of your high workloads.

But I will use that machine to administer servers, program a little and read webpages with documentation.

I think it will be a great laptop considering that you can always have your "real" workload on Amazon AWS or similar.

The only problem is the price for the bigger model. It gets so close to the Retina MacBooks if you consider a second power adapter and an HDMI, USB Adapter.

Well, that is certainly an interesting way to spin things.

"They made it crappy on purpose!"