Who actually is the 12" MacBook for?

[Mike Boreham]

The 12" Macbook is more expensive than the Macbook Air, even tho the Air has a 13" display and is a little faster than the 12" Macbook.

In the UK the 12” MacBook is £150 cheaper.

The 256GB Air is £1399 and a 256GB 12” MB is £1249. The Air is only cheaper (by £50) if you get the 128GB model.

I am quite interested in the Air as it has two of my prime requirements: 2xTB ports and fingerprint ID.

The argument that you might as well get a Pro is only true if you don’t care about Fingerprint ID. The Pro with Fingerprint is a lot more expensive. So there is a place for the Air and the 12” MB in the lineup. For me the odd one out is the non touchbar MBP.

 

[Dave245]

In the UK the 12” MacBook is £150 cheaper.

The 256GB Air is £1399 and a 256GB 12” MB is £1249. The Air is only cheaper (by £50) if you get the 128GB model.

I am quite interested in the Air as it has two of my prime requirements: 2xTB ports and fingerprint ID.

The argument that you might as well get a Pro is only true if you don’t care about Fingerprint ID. The Pro with Fingerprint is a lot more expensive. So there is a place for the Air and the 12” MB in the lineup. For me the odd one out is the non touchbar MBP.

Yes it is, that’s my mistake I was looking at the page with my discount applied.

The Air I think makes a lot of sense for most people. If it wasn’t for the keyboard issues I would be buying a new Air myself.

 

[alvincth]

But not everybody needs the Pro, don't forget the Pro is for a specific type of person. The Macbook Air is a very popular machine, it has been since it was first introduced, people were asking for a new Air long before Apple introduced the 2018 Air. The confusion lies with the 12" model, it was introduced to replace the Macbook Air but it never happened, the Air continued to sell and the 12" Macbook remained expensive (this is what a number of Apple insiders and tech people have speculated about)

The 12" Macbook is more expensive than the Macbook Air, even tho the Air has a 13" display and is a little faster than the 12" Macbook. Apple didn't take the 12" Macbook and make it bigger, they took the Air and made it look more like a Macbook Pro, the Air still has its iconic wedge shape design. What was VERY interesting to me was in a recent interview Tim Cook stated that they eventually want to bring the price of the Macbook Air down. Something they have not been able to do with the 12" Macbook so far.

My comment about being surprised at the Air's speed, is more in relation to people hating on the processor in the Air. I have seen posts calling it underpowered and so on. That is clearly not the case. Obviously i couldn't load Adobe Premiere onto the Air in the Apple store, i simply had to work with what was there. Also i was going off my own workflow, i don't use Adobe Premiere, i much prefer Final Cut Pro X for video editing.
I agree that the Macbook Pro is a great laptop, but not everyone needs it, for example should i buy a Macbook Pro as a writer, someone who edits photos in Pixelmator and occasionally edits videos in Garageband or Final Cut Pro X? it seems a little overkill for me. The none touch bar Macbook Pro hasn't been updated sine 2017 so i wouldn't buy that version.

Yes people love the Air machine, when i was at university a few years back the Air was by far the most popular Mac in lecture halls and around university in general. People have been asking Apple to update the Air for a long time.

I personally was about to pull the trigger and buy a new Air (after the mistake i made with buying the Surface ) but with all the keyboard issues that have come to light and Apple finally issuing an apology, i think I will hold off until either Apple release a fix or a redesign for the keyboard.

I am the one who don't really like, and even don't let myself think of MacBook Pro when I want to buy a new one to replace my current mid-2012 MBA. Although the Pro now weighs 1.37kg which is only 0.02kg negligibly heavier than the old MBA, the former without the wedge shape design makes me feel thicker when I carry on my hand.

MacBook is a great product because it is the slimmest and lightest (less than 1kg) record among all MacBook models. The new MacBook Air has lunched so later and just 0.1kg lighter than the old MBA. Yes, no WOW factor.

But if you think it in a pragmatic perspective, MacBook Air will fit me more and, even much more. Yes, I will be emotionally happier with the less than a kilogram laptop, but in the long term I won't think it's very very light. The real estate of MacBook Air is much better than for me, and 1.25kg > 0.92kg won't be a big loss and big suffer when I bring it outside.

I am just thinking what to do with the SSD hard drive. Once I figure out, I will purchase it. I can't wait due to those issues as I believe if Apple can entirely fix it there will be another kind of issues...

 

[Mike Boreham]

The Air I think makes a lot of sense for most people. If it wasn’t for the keyboard issues I would be buying a new Air myself.

I am currently conducting an experiment to see if I can manage with a 12.9" iPad (gen 3) with ASK keyboard instead of a laptop. If the answer is 'no', I may well get an Air. While not denying the butterfly keyboard problems, these forums do tend to give a distorted impression, and it would not put me off the Air.

So far the answer is 'yes', but I am having to put quite a lot of effort into learning to do things a different (and sometimes frustrating) way and really make the most of the iPad capabilities.

For reading and browsing and TV the iPad beats the 2017 MBP I sold hands down, so overall it is getting a lot more usage than the MBP. I still have 2017 iMac and a very compact quad core 13" Lenovo which I have integrated with Mac as far as poss.

 

[Dave245]

I am currently conducting an experiment to see if I can manage with a 12.9" iPad (gen 3) with ASK keyboard instead of a laptop. If the answer is 'no', I may well get an Air. While not denying the butterfly keyboard problems, these forums do tend to give a distorted impression, and it would not put me off the Air.

So far the answer is 'yes', but I am having to put quite a lot of effort into learning to do things a different (and sometimes frustrating) way and really make the most of the iPad capabilities.

For reading and browsing and TV the iPad beats the 2017 MBP I sold hands down, so overall it is getting a lot more usage than the MBP. I still have 2017 iMac and a very compact quad core 13" Lenovo which I have integrated with Mac as far as poss.

I also own the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9" it's a great device, i use mine for art and photo editing in Pixelmator Pro, watching videos on Youtube and Netflix. I still like to use a Mac, MacOS is a great OS, the best in my opinion. I like the fact that i can start editing a photo on my iPad Pro and pick up the project on my Mac.

I have thought about that, these type of forums do give a distorted view on issues. The problem i have is that if i buy a new Air and it has keyboard issues. I don't have an Apple store near where i live, the nearest one is Birmingham (i'm from the U.K) and that would be around a 45-1hour train journey. While i really do like the new Air ( i think the redesign to make it look more like the Macbook Pro but with the wedge shape design is great) i wish Apple would fix the keyboard.

 

[Trhodezy]

I also own the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9" it's a great device, i use mine for art and photo editing in Pixelmator Pro, watching videos on Youtube and Netflix. I still like to use a Mac, MacOS is a great OS, the best in my opinion. I like the fact that i can start editing a photo on my iPad Pro and pick up the project on my Mac.

I have thought about that, these type of forums do give a distorted view on issues. The problem i have is that if i buy a new Air and it has keyboard issues. I don't have an Apple store near where i live, the nearest one is Birmingham (i'm from the U.K) and that would be around a 45-1hour train journey. While i really do like the new Air ( i think the redesign to make it look more like the Macbook Pro but with the wedge shape design is great) i wish Apple would fix the keyboard.

Dave, I travel to Brummy daily. If you ever buy I’ll be happy to give you a lift to brummy to return it if needs be.

 

[Dave245]

Dave, I travel to Brummy daily. If you ever buy I’ll be happy to give you a lift to brummy to return it if needs be.

That is very kind of you! I shall definitely be buying in the future, I’m just holding out for the moment, as I’m sure Apple are working on a fix for the keyboard issue.

Even tho I’m not the target audience, I’m intrigued by the rumour of a MacBook Pro redesign this year along with the 16” rumoured screen (Ming chi Kuo report).

 

[CrazyForCashews]

Had a 2017 MacBook for a limited time, absolutely loved almost everything about it but the noisy, crappy keyboard. The one port to rule them all didn't bother me either (and this is coming from someone who owns a 2015 MacBook Pro), but it was the keyboard that broke the experience for me.

Patiently waiting for an update/redesign. All I want is a better/quieter keyboard, everything else is icing, as long as the 2 pound weight stays the same (or even lowered!).

 

[Dave245]

Patiently waiting for an update/redesign. All I want is a better/quieter keyboard, everything else is icing, as long as the 2 pound weight stays the same (or even lowered!).

I think it's more likely that the Macbook Pro will get the redesign first. Ming Chi Kuo has reported that Apple are working on a new 16" redesigned Macbook Pro for this year. My bet is they have brought the new design forward from next year in order to fix the keyboard issue.

 

[shoppy]

What's wrong with the new Air's screen? Brightness?

The brightness of the new Air's screen is reportedly lacking, but otherwise it should be relatively similar to the 12".

The screen is duller and noticeably so, but only if you have both side by side, if you don't which most people will not. The point is null and mute IMHO. I prefer my 12" still, with a 12" iPad Pro to pair with and use as a second screen it doe everything that I need. I have my more powerful machines, if the need presented it self. SO far it has not.

 

[antonrg]

Me. Been using mine since 2016. It’s excellent. I write a lot and am often on the move. It works great.

 

[Dave245]

Me. Been using mine since 2016. It’s excellent. I write a lot and am often on the move. It works great.

No issues with the keyboard? it's great that people love the 12" MacBook, it's a great design that's for sure. I just prefer a larger screen, the MacBook Air would be perfect if it wasn't for the keyboard and the issues it has.

 

[antonrg]

No issues with the keyboard? it's great that people love the 12" MacBook, it's a great design that's for sure. I just prefer a larger screen, the MacBook Air would be perfect if it wasn't for the keyboard and the issues it has.

I was worried about the keyboard at first, but aside from getting used to less travel space for the keys, I’ve had not issues, thank God!

As for the screen, I think it’s just the right size for a mobile computer. I got used to it pretty quickly.

 

[Dave245]

I was worried about the keyboard at first, but aside from getting used to less travel space for the keys, I’ve had not issues, thank God!

As for the screen, I think it’s just the right size for a mobile computer. I got used to it pretty quickly.

I think the keyboard breaking is the issue. I don't mind the feel of the keyboard, from hands on time I've had it seems ore accurate. My issue is with the reliability of the keyboard, I think Apple should fix it.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

I think the keyboard breaking is the issue. I don't mind the feel of the keyboard, from hands on time I've had it seems ore accurate. My issue is with the reliability of the keyboard, I think Apple should fix it.

In reality Dave, you started this thread 2 years ago. You've wasted 2 years of your precious life talking about this product. I bought my i5 MacBook this time 2 years and i've had 2 years of productive use from it.
You can visit any site on the internet and people will say bad things about a product whilst in reality, most people will get pleasure from using it. Heck, even the Apple TV 4K which is perfect gets criticism from that kind of person.

Don't waste any more of your time.
1. Buy the device the feels right to you (for me, that's iPhone and MacBook - which will be replaced next year by the new MBKP - I also have an iPad Pro but it's been used just twice as a portfolio for clients, so it's going to be sold to a friend)
2. Buy AppleCare - it'll protect you for 3 years if something goes wrong
3. Simply enjoy using the product and have a great life outside of using the thing. It's a tool and should not waste your precious time thinking about it

With regards to the MacBook Pro - that's for 2020 - late 2020. It'll have a new design and new keyboard BUT tat's AT LEAST one year away! Please don't wish your life away for the sake of a non living factory made product. It'll be in the bin 5-6 years from then anyway.

 

[Dave245]

In reality Dave, you started this thread 2 years ago. You've wasted 2 years of your precious life talking about this product. I bought my i5 MacBook this time 2 years and i've had 2 years of productive use from it.
You can visit any site on the internet and people will say bad things about a product whilst in reality, most people will get pleasure from using it. Heck, even the Apple TV 4K which is perfect gets criticism from that kind of person.

Don't waste any more of your time.
1. Buy the device the feels right to you (for me, that's iPhone and MacBook - which will be replaced next year by the new MBKP - I also have an iPad Pro but it's been used just twice as a portfolio for clients, so it's going to be sold to a friend)
2. Buy AppleCare - it'll protect you for 3 years if something goes wrong
3. Simply enjoy using the product and have a great life outside of using the thing. It's a tool and should not waste your precious time thinking about it

With regards to the MacBook Pro - that's for 2020 - late 2020. It'll have a new design and new keyboard BUT tat's AT LEAST one year away! Please don't wish your life away for the sake of a non living factory made product. It'll be in the bin 5-6 years from then anyway.

I started it based on the 12" MacBook, but i want the new Air, i'm not going to buy with the current keyboard issues. As a writer it wouldn't be productive to buy a machine with keyboard issues. As it stands at the moment i'm using my iMac and Surface Pro 6. IF Apple fix the keyboard issues i will be buying an Air or 13" Pro (depending on which model they update first with a better keyboard or fix for the keyboard).

Ming Chi Kuo has said there will be 16" Macbook Pro this year (2019), i'm not the target audience for that tho. I just want Apple to admit the issue with the keyboards and fix it. Then i will buy.

 

[DevMops]

I'm grateful to Dave for the thread and his time spent here. It encouraged people to share their stories of how they've used the hardware etc. Even BODYBUILDERPAUL's story, it's really inspiring.

I wouldn't say that all this time has been wasted for nothing. So thanks everyone!

 

[EugW]

Heh. As of next month, it will be two years with my 16 GB Core m3 12” MacBook, too.

Mind you, in the last 2 months, I’ve been using my 4 GB A10X iPad Pro 90% of the time.

The one thing that really bugs me about MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros is the fact that Netflix and friends don’t allow us to download shows and movies to them. You need to be running iOS in order to get Netflix downloads. This means for travel, the iPads have a distinct advantage over the laptops, although in my case when I definitely need my laptop for work, I may bring BOTH my iPad Pro and MacBook.

Interestingly, according to Geekbench, A10X has pretty much exactly the same single-core speed as m3-7Y32, whereas A10X is about 1/3rd faster than m3-7Y32 for multi-core, and for most mainstream usage the 4 GB in the iPad seems OK (although for my next iPad I won’t accept anything less than 6 GB). Had I known I’d be going this direction, I might have gotten 8 GB in my MacBook rather than 16 GB.

 

[Dave245]

I'm grateful to Dave for the thread and his time spent here. It encouraged people to share their stories of how they've used the hardware etc. Even BODYBUILDERPAUL's story, it's really inspiring.

I wouldn't say that all this time has been wasted for nothing. So thanks everyone!

That’s nice of you to say, thank you
[doublepost=1557151955][/doublepost]

Heh. As of next month, it will be two years with my 16 GB Core m3 12” MacBook, too.

Mind you, in the last 2 months, I’ve been using my 4 GB A10X iPad Pro 90% of the time.

The one thing that really bugs me about MacBooks, MacBook Airs, and MacBook Pros is the fact that Netflix and friends don’t allow us to download shows and movies to them. You need to be running iOS in order to get Netflix downloads. This means for travel, the iPads have a distinct advantage over the laptops, although in my case when I definitely need my laptop for work, I may bring BOTH my iPad Pro and MacBook.

Interestingly, according to Geekbench, A10X has pretty much exactly the same single-core speed as m3-7Y32, whereas A10X is about 1/3rd faster than m3-7Y32 for multi-core, and for most mainstream usage the 4 GB in the iPad seems OK (although for my next iPad I won’t accept anything less than 6 GB). Had I known I’d be going this direction, I might have gotten 8 GB in my MacBook rather than 16 GB.

I also use my iPad Pro a lot of the time, the thing is I’ve bern using my Surface Pro 6, and I wish the iPad Pro could do more. Hopefully IOS13 will bring features that will enable it to do more. The iPad Pro has all that power (A12 bionic) but it’s held back by the OS.

The new MacBook Air is a much better buy now than the 12” MacBook, in my opinion. That was only released back in October tho. Maybe Apple will update the 12” MacBook this year. Possibly ARM?

 

[EugW]

That’s nice of you to say, thank you
[doublepost=1557151955][/doublepost]

I also use my iPad Pro a lot of the time, the thing is I’ve bern using my Surface Pro 6, and I wish the iPad Pro could do more. Hopefully IOS13 will bring features that will enable it to do more. The iPad Pro has all that power (A12 bionic) but it’s held back by the OS.

There is no iPad Pro that uses A12. Mine is A10X and the latest one is A12X.

A10X is faster than the MacBooks and MacBook Airs, and A12X is indeed a monster.

The new MacBook Air is a much better buy now than the 12” MacBook, in my opinion. That was only released back in October tho. Maybe Apple will update the 12” MacBook this year. Possibly ARM?

IMO the main advantage of the Air is the dual USB-C ports. I don’t like the fact it has a fan, and I don’t like the fact it is as big as the 13” Pro and weighs nearly as much, without the Pro’s performance. And like the MacBook, the Air’s FaceTime camera sucks.

If Apple were to add a second USB-C port to the MacBook, it would be my preferred MacBook by FAR. And if I wanted something more powerful and/or with a bigger screen, I’d get a Pro, not an Air.

 

[DevMops]

EugW, can you share how your transitioned to mostly iPad nowadays? I mean, some people like portability factors when it comes to iPad, but isn't MacBook almost as portable as the tablet? I don't know what you're doing, but since you've got 16GB of ram, I'd say, you're a power user and still now on iPad? That's impressive!

Do you use iPad on its own or with some accessories? What's your workflow? Thanks!

 

[Dave245]

There is no iPad Pro that uses A12. Mine is A10X and the latest one is A12X.

A10X is faster than the MacBooks and MacBook Airs, and A12X is indeed a monster.


IMO the main advantage of the Air is the dual USB-C ports. I don’t like the fact it has a fan, and I don’t like the fact it is as big as the 13” Pro and weighs nearly as much, without the Pro’s performance. And like the MacBook, the Air’s FaceTime camera sucks.

If Apple were to add a second USB-C port to the MacBook, it would be my preferred MacBook by FAR. And if I wanted something more powerful and/or with a bigger screen, I’d get a Pro, not an Air.

I meant A12X Bionic chip, it's benchmarks are insane, I love using my iPad Pro and iMac 2012 to edit photos in Pixelmator Pro. The Apple Pencil along with my 2017 iPad Pro is great for drawing, editing photos, note taking and things like that. The real problem is that my Surface Pro 6 can do more

The Air I think is for most people, yes the MacBook Pro has a better screen, camera and is quad core. But if someone like myself who just photo edits in Pixelmator and writes a lot, isnt going to use those specs it's probably a bit of a waste. That is why I'm leaning heavily towards the new Air. I would of brought it by now if it wasn't for the keyboard issues, i'm waiting it out until they fix it.

 

[EugW]

EugW, can you share how your transitioned to mostly iPad nowadays? I mean, some people like portability factors when it comes to iPad, but isn't MacBook almost as portable as the tablet? I don't know what you're doing, but since you've got 16GB of ram, I'd say, you're a power user and still now on iPad? That's impressive!

Do you use iPad on its own or with some accessories? What's your workflow? Thanks!

I didn’t need to that much on my MacBook except occasionally when I’m at meetings and on business trips, or if I had specific office type projects to finish. This was about 15% of the time. And then most of that time 8 GB was enough. 16 GB was mainly beneficial when it was going to be my only work machine for days on end, if I’m going out of town. The one exception is PowerPoint because it seems to have a memory leak so having more than 8 GB does help at any time, and the extra memory also can cache other applications to speed up responsiveness. This is less of a concern on iOS because memory is handled differently.

I used an iPad for internet consumption, but I say consumption because in the past my 9.7” iPad Air 2 was purely a consumption device. It was hard to get any sort of work done on it even if it just meant typing. Even just typing emails or posts on MacRumors was a pain on the onscreen keyboard. The keyboard covers sucked because the keyboards were too small, and I didn’t like carrying around separate bigger sized keyboards even if they were folding types. It was just a hassle. I also find non-Apple Bluetooth annoying for keyboards. I carried the iPad though because it allowed me to download Netflix/Prime Video shows, which I can’t do on a MacBook.

Then I got a 10.5” iPad Pro with Apple’s Smart Keyboard. It’s 18 mm key space full sized and doesn’t use Bluetooth. It’s a revelation in terms of iPad typing convenience, and there isn’t an on-screen keyboard obscuring half the screen. I also got Apple Pencil which allows me to highlight PDFs, which I couldn’t easily do before on either my iPad Air 2 or my MacBook.

So for stuff like taking notes at meetings and Netflix and reading PDFs, etc. my go to machine is the iPad Pro with Apple Smart Keyboard and Pencil. OTOH, when I need to finish a PowerPoint project or use Excel, I use my MacBook. (Spreadsheets suck without mouse/trackpad support, and there is still no easy to export completed projects from the iPad locally. Cloud isn’t good enough.)

I meant A12X Bionic chip, it's benchmarks are insane, I love using my iPad Pro and iMac 2012 to edit photos in Pixelmator Pro. The Apple Pencil along with my 2017 iPad Pro is great for drawing, editing photos, note taking and things like that. The real problem is that my Surface Pro 6 can do more

The Air I think is for most people, yes the MacBook Pro has a better screen, camera and is quad core. But if someone like myself who just photo edits in Pixelmator and writes a lot, isnt going to use those specs it's probably a bit of a waste. That is why I'm leaning heavily towards the new Air. I would of brought it by now if it wasn't for the keyboard issues, i'm waiting it out until they fix it.

The thing is though the MacBook Air isn’t actually much more portable or much cheaper than the non-Touch Bar Pro but has worse performance. Plus, it’s saddled with T2, which has caused problems for iMac Pro and MacBook Pro Touch Bar owners.

 

[Clix Pix]

I am finding that for trips, I now prefer to have both my iPad and my 12" MacBook with me unless it's just a quick overnight trip. Many trips that I go on I find that I need to do downloading and such rather often, and with images it is just easier to do it with the MB rather than the iPad, as then I can quickly drop them into an external SSD for later transfer to my main computer at home. I like the iPad for just casual quick catching up with email and forums, but again if I am going to be doing extensive typing I'd rather do it on the MacBook rather than the iPad. At home I use an Apple BT keyboard with my 12.9 iPad, especially when sitting out on my deck in nice weather, and that works nicely, but on the road I don't want to do that. I've been traveling with the 10.5 iPad either alone or with the MB, but am now considering just traveling with the smaller, lighter weight iPad Mini 5 and the MacBook 12.

Like EugW, I would buy a 12" MacBook with two USB-C ports in a heartbeat! I am not interested in the 13" MacBook Air, though, nor the 13" MacBook Pro for travel. The light, delightfully thin and sleek 12" MacBook is just perfect for my needs.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I love using my iPad Pro and iMac 2012 to edit photos in Pixelmator Pro. The Apple Pencil along with my 2017 iPad Pro is great for drawing, editing photos, note taking and things like that. The real problem is that my Surface Pro 6 can do more

Three months ago I began an experiment to discover for myself how well the 12.9 iPad Pro (gen 3) with ASK could replace a Mac laptop, used alongside an iMac and a Windows laptop (which I need for occasional but essential tasks).

The answer is very well. There are a few tasks I can't do on the iPad but the Windows laptop can do them when away from base, or the iMac at home. There is some frustration learning the iOS way of doing things. It requires some effort pitting in to learn to use it.

However the real point of this post is that three weeks ago I replaced the Windows laptop with a Microsoft Surface GO (128GB with 8GB RAM version, with 256 GB microSD). I have switched it from Windows 10s to full Windows 10.

Not fast, but it does everything I need of it and for me quite usable. I believe there is no other device that runs a full desktop OS on a 10 inch screen. As a tablet the iPad Pro is much nicer to use but I do find myself using the GO instead of the big iPP for Kindle reading sometimes.

It has made realise how utterly wonderful it would be if I could run macOS on my iPP and have trackpad, mouse, external USB-C storage etc