Now that I bit the bullet and bought a base rmb, i'm not sure why there was so much negativity. For whaI I do, its fast, screen and keyboard are great. I'm just not sure what all the excitement is about the trackpad. All a bit overblown.
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The rmb reality
- Thread starter RUGGLES99
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95% people who use MacBooks will just browse safari, use a word processor, load simples apps like iTunes or spotify. With that said, the MacBook more then handles that
the one port is a glaring flaw though, especially with USB-C being nowhere near to common input in 2015, maybe in 3-4 years
the one port is a glaring flaw though, especially with USB-C being nowhere near to common input in 2015, maybe in 3-4 years
Yeah, but it's easy to get caught up in the MacRumor "bubble" where people completely lose perspective of the real world. In the real world, it's gotten excellent overall reviews and they sell like hotcakes and people who buy them for their intended usage seem to love it. I just took a vacation last week and it was awesome on the plane and around the hotel room.
Regarding the trackpad, it's just the "gee whiz" factor that it feels like a physical "button" when it's 98% an illusion. I tried it out with all my friends, and everyone would have sworn the trackpad was actually moving downward like a physical button. Once the novelty of that's worn off, yeah, you're just left with a typically great Apple trackpad. ;-)
If you mean force touch then yep it's currently not all that useful, although that said I've gotten used to using it for a couple of things. But in general though, I think people are more talking about just how accurate and easy to use the trackpad is, especially being able to initiate a click by pressing anywhere. Every laptop I've owned till now, the trackpad was just what I used when I absolutely had to, I would always without fail have a bluetooth mouse with me at all times. This is the first trackpad that I've gotten comfortable enough to use that I haven't bothered pairing a mouse.
I think the price is the key negative point. If it was cheaper, I think people wouldn't complain as much about it.
I keep hearing about the price but when you configure a MBA or rMBP with the same 8 GB RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB SSD the prices are very comparable.
I agree about the price. It's way too high. It's what kept me from buying until I got a deal of $1149 no tax free shipping, so I went for it. Its a very nice machine. But I got my 2014 11" mba new from best buy for $720. it's also a great little computer, but just missing a better screen.
Do you think it's way too high because you can get a MBA 11" for cheaper? Or do you think it's way too high because you think it represents a poor value for what it is?
Weren't you the one posting all the negativity?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-macbook-or-11-6-mba.1902900/#post-21628213
The negativity is more over Apple applying what it has done to the rMB to other laptops, like the Macbook Pro Retina.
I could not stand using a rMB, however I know that it is a good laptop for many others. However I believe that port removal + insane thinness at the compromise of performance is not what should happen for the Macbook Pro.
I could not stand using a rMB, however I know that it is a good laptop for many others. However I believe that port removal + insane thinness at the compromise of performance is not what should happen for the Macbook Pro.
Some can and do consider the entry price high, equally as is the base specification, with the addition of multiple new technologies/hardware never previously released in an Apple portable. In many respects when you look at the new Retina MacBook analytically the pricing is relatively fair for an Apple product.
Q-6
No the OP as bagging the rMB over the Air all over the forum. I have both a 1.2/512 rMB and a week old 15" 16/512 MBPr. I found the 12" too small as my main office computer but as a on the lap portable its way better.
Moving files around, non wireless backup, charging while copying large files, projecting your screen while charging, copying files off an SD card etc. Yes you can buy an adaptor, but that semi defeats the purpose and is messy.
Thus why the rMB is for those who value ultra portability over almost everything else.
But how often do you do those things on the move? I do those things back at my desk, and so I have the multi-port adapter and a USB hub for that. I like having only one port, it's clean, tidy and helps the rMB achieve the form factor it does.
It really depends if you do those things at other locations than your desk - i.e., at a desk away from home or away from your office.
if you do, then you need to carry a bunch of adapters/hub/etc. around with you.
Some people do that a lot. Some people don't.
I don't see a situation where you would need to carry a bunch of adapters around with you.
In the examples given:
- Moving large files (copying/non-wireless back up/ etc) around & needing to charge: charger & multi-port adapter
- Projecting & charging - charger & multi-port adapter
- Copying off an SD card - USB-C -> USB adapter & SD card reader
I also question how many people would need to do that. If you need to be able to do something that requires lots of ports then the rMB isn't designed for you. It's aimed at people who want an ultra-portable laptop and who are happy to compromise on the spec for that portability.
If ain't right for you or you don't like it - don't buy it.
A fairly common thing I sometimes need to do is plug a serial cable into a router and read or write config from a USB stick.
1 USB port = fail.
Look, the rMB is a nice device, but some people do have real world needs that it does not cater to.
And that's fine, its why the Pro exists.
Exactly.
Just that some people can't seem to see that even some basic workloads (such as the above, that's nothing particularly taxing) can require more than 1 port.
But none of that is needed for those 95% use cases you yourself listed? Backup sure, but that can also be done wireless, even automated.
I actually find the one port an advantage.
I sit down plug one cable in and I'm docked. Nice and simple
That's been my bone of contention, for what it is (an upgraded MBA), I think the rMB is over priced. I also don't like the single port, but again that's taken into context of paying a premium price and you then need to buy more equipment (dongles) if you wish to use that port other then charging the laptop
As mentioned though, if you are doing that away from your desk, you are already carrying a bunch of extra accessories around. One more small one is going to break the camels back though?
I love the digital AV adapter - although it should be even better than it is. At my desk it's a single cable to plug in and I'm 'docked.' On the road, it comes with me, and at the airport, on the plane, and during the day when I'm moving around to various job sites, the Macbook is as small and light as possible. When I get back to the hotel room, I re-create my mini-docking station on the desk in the room and I'm done. It's perfect for highly mobile use.