Who is actually going to use the new MacBook as their main machine?

[ParanoidDroid]

I'd love to use it as my main machine but I edit raw images in Lightroom and I'm not so sure this can handle it

You'll be having more fun with getting RAW images into the rMB.

But some enthusiasts here claim it all works wireless fast enough... hahaha. Have you ever tried to shoot RAW with the Eyefi Mobi Pro? Works damn fast!

 

[courboy]

I currently have a mid-2012 rMBP 15", 2.7 i7, 8gb ram with a 256 gb hard drive and an iPad mini.

I hardly use the iPad and my daily computing tasks consist of:

- safari
- mail
- remote vpn for work
- spotify
- 1080p videos
- photos
- excel
- word

So although I appreciate the new macbook will be significantly slower in principle than my current machine, for what I actually use it for, I think it'll be just fine.

I will also sell the iPad and use that as my only computer. I will need the usb dongle but that's only for uploading strava data from my garmin edge.

Will the secomd generation address many of the complaints? Of course. This is the apple way and it's a price for being an early adopter. I'll just upgrade it next year and likely not lose much in doing so.

Reason for upgrade? I like the smaller form-factor, retina display was a deal breaker and it's just so sexy. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a bit of a sucker for sexy apple products. Do I care whether I legitimately need this? No. It's my money and I want one!

 

[macbook123]

Sure, there are people who need more processing power and like to plug in lots of accessories, but there are very, very many who don't. It is rather boring that so many of the former feel they have something to teach the latter. They don't!

You won't have an adapter to run your 30" monitors, at least not for a while. How is that for a lesson? ;-p

 

[ParanoidDroid]

You won't have an adapter to run your 30" monitors, at least not for a while. How is that for a lesson? ;-p

Exactly! So all Thunderbolt display owners can just trash their fancy desktops as soon as all other upcoming laptops will ditch the TB port in favor of the new beloved USB-C and more thinness.

By that time Apple will have made a suitable product for you: a 5k 27" display with a single USB-C cable sticking out, for just ca. $1.500!

 

[nightlong]

That's exactly what I'm doing, although I won't be selling my Pro until after I receive the rMB. I got the rMBP basically for just the Retina screen, I had an Air before that. It's my favorite laptop ever, and I love the 13-inch size. But with how much I travel, if I can make an improvement in the portability of my laptop and not lose screen quality and machine performance, then I'm all for it.

Hey road warrior, hope the travelling is going well. the Macbook looks good ... For writing and basics it could be my main machine but I would like to have option to plug into a 4k screen, running at 60 rather than lower quality, and I think I read that it can't support that. Do you know?

Of course, my current 13" MBPr, same vintage as yours I think, can't either. But the new model can ... So that might be a deal-breaker for me.

 

[leizerbeam]

I already use a 4 year old macbook air as a main computer

128GB SDD
4GB memory

functional but i am pushing limits on both fronts...

awaiting the nice upgrade...

 

[Mildredop]

I already use a 4 year old macbook air as a main computer

128GB SDD
4GB memory

functional but i am pushing limits on both fronts...

awaiting the nice upgrade...

Is the macbook not that nice upgrade?

 

[Skylitfly]

Who is going to use it? Well, at least all the people who desperately defending it here, like they were personally involved in designing it. Because it's the perfect machine for them...

Enjoy the fun with dongles!

I won't be using dongles.

I have bluetooth stereo set. I can stream to my TV through Apple TV. Basically everything I have works wirelessly. Even my Wacom tablet which I use for drawing and sketching.

I use cloud services instead of inconvenient and ancient USB flash drives. And naturally my calendar, notes and reminders and everything else syncs through WiFi and 4G.

Why would I need dongles?

 

[sonicrobby]

My main use will be running parallels and solidworks, so I'm probably going to buy it to see how it will handle. If it performs without issues, I will definitely sell my 15" rMBP and use the new one as my main Mac; if it can't handle it, I will just return it.

My hopes are high though, I think I can manage with one port, my only issue is the front facing cam is 480p, and I do FaceTime frequently, so it's a bit of a step back. But I love how thin it is, and very excited to get a gold macbook!

 

[CausticSoda]

You won't have an adapter to run your 30" monitors, at least not for a while. How is that for a lesson? ;-p

Well, it is simply yet another lesson that you don't seem to know what you are talking about. Belkin have already released a USB-C to Display Port (which is the adapter I need). I would post the link to it, but I can't be bothered!

 

[Phightinphils]

I sure am. I have the 15" rMBP and that beast is just too much for all I use it for now that I have a desktop for at home use. This will be perfect to take to work, school, and travel with. Sure it's a glorified netbook, but it's worth it IMO.

 

[Mivo]

- Torrenting;

If you do this heavily, a SSD isn't an ideal medium.

Personally, I could use the new Macbook as my main computer, and the minimalist in me would welcome that, but I'd have to make some sacrifices in terms of work and music creation. The CPU will almost certainly not be sufficient for several of the software synthesizers I use, which isn't necessarily a deal breaker, but still limiting. I also need to try the keyboard before I can say how comfortable the machine will be for larger writing projects.

My plan is to wait for the 2nd gen. Typically, Apple's first generation devices are purchases I'm likely to regret. I'd also prefer a hybrid device, something like the Surface Pro, just better and not Windows-based. I definitely want to wait for autumn to learn more about the iPad Pro and what exactly it'll be, if it materializes.

 

[crucius]

If you do this heavily, a SSD isn't an ideal medium.

I don't do it heavily, no

About the keyboard: I always found the keyboard on my Macbook Pro very good, but I was discussing it with lab colleagues and it seems different people have very different opinions on what a good keyboard is. I type faster on my MBP than on the lab's computer (a standard new Microsoft desktop keyboard), but some of my colleagues prefer the Microsoft one and some others actually used their own money to buy different keyboards, from MBP-like keyboards to keyboards even clunkier than Microsoft's.

So: I have decided. I will buy the Macbook, and return it if the screen and/or keyboard doesn't satisfy me.

 

[Wahlstrm]

It would probably satisfy all my personal needs.
But for work, not much..

Batchprocessing 1000+ 20+Mpix photos would, if not kill the machine, at least kill me from old age before done

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I think it depends on the needs and the financial situation of the user.
Personally I would never buy one at its present state.

 

[Dubba]

Not only my main machine, my only machine

I'm migrating from a 2011 mid 13MBA (which replaced a 2008 BlackBook, which replaced a 12PB).

This will be not only my main machine, but my only one, which I intend to use for:

• Mail
• Internet
• Word / Excel / PowerPoint & Pages / Numbers / Keynote
• iTunes
• iPhoto (no major editing)

I suspect there are a number of people out there like mw who this is perfect for.

For what it's worth, my iPhone 5S and iPad Mini complete my ecosystem, although a 6+/6s+/7+ would replace th siphons and iPad.

Can't wait to order on the 10th!

 

[Alloy201]

Will there be a 14" version of the MacBook? I read somewhere else on the forum someone saying they're certain it will release sometime this year. I love the new design, it's powerful enough for me, but 12" is just too small. 13" is as small as I would go and even that is too small to me.

 

[crucius]

Will there be a 14" version of the MacBook? I read somewhere else on the forum someone saying they're certain it will release sometime this year. I love the new design, it's powerful enough for me, but 12" is just too small. 13" is as small as I would go and even that is too small to me.

Yeah, the screen size is the only thing that is buggering me. Honestly I see the future line of Macs to be the 12'' Macbook, the 13'' Pro and 15'' Pro only.

 

[drsox]

Yeah, the screen size is the only thing that is buggering me. Honestly I see the future line of Macs to be the 12'' Macbook, the 13'' Pro and 15'' Pro only.

Hopefully you mean "bugging" me otherwise the mind boggles.

----------

Will there be a 14" version of the MacBook? I read somewhere else on the forum someone saying they're certain it will release sometime this year. I love the new design, it's powerful enough for me, but 12" is just too small. 13" is as small as I would go and even that is too small to me.

Hope so - with Skylake also. I'm going for that !

 

[macbook123]

Well, it is simply yet another lesson that you don't seem to know what you are talking about. Belkin have already released a USB-C to Display Port (which is the adapter I need). I would post the link to it, but I can't be bothered!

If you're referring to this one (https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_displayport_cable), I wonder how will you charge your Macbook? Note that the Chromebook has two ports, and this appears to have been made with that in mind.

 

[CausticSoda]

If you're referring to this one (https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_displayport_cable), I wonder how will you charge your Macbook? Note that the Chromebook has two ports, and this appears to have been made with that in mind.

Oh, sure, spotted that. Several articles say Apple is committed to producing one with a charge socket (just like their HDMI and VGA multi-adapter versions) by or near the time of the release. That's good enough for me. I don't need to buy the MB in a great hurry, so I am confident the Apple one will be available by the time I do. If not, with an all day battery, it's not a big deal anyway. I would never need to use my laptop for ten hours on the go - it always spends at least some of the day able to charge quietly on my desk. The bottom line is that I really do not need more than one port, and I don't think I am alone in that.

 

[leolatarc]

In a lot of ways, this is Apple's version of the Chromebook.

Last I checked, the Chromebook was meeting plenty of peoples needs, so no reason why this computer can't do the same.

Here's my question to the OP. Are you asking if people are going to use it as their main machine or their only machine? I'm a developer, so I could never use it as my only machine, but the portability of it can certainly put it in the main machine category for me.

 

[macbook123]

Oh, sure, spotted that. Several articles say Apple is committed to producing one with a charge socket (just like their HDMI and VGA multi-adapter versions) by or near the time of the release. That's good enough for me. I don't need to buy the MB in a great hurry, so I am confident the Apple one will be available by the time I do. If not, with an all day battery, it's not a big deal anyway. I would never need to use my laptop for ten hours on the go - it always spends at least some of the day able to charge quietly on my desk. The bottom line is that I really do not need more than one port, and I don't think I am alone in that.

It's unrealistic for me. I don't have time and nerves to go through multiple plugin/unplug interactions while at work, just to recharge my computer so I can again plug the display in. We'll see if those cables arrive before the Macbook 2.0 which will have a 2nd port (and 720p cam, and faster processors) for sure.

 

[CausticSoda]

It's unrealistic for me. I don't have time and nerves to go through multiple plugin/unplug interactions while at work, just to recharge my computer so I can again plug the display in. We'll see if those cables arrive before the Macbook 2.0 which will have a 2nd port (and 720p cam, and faster processors) for sure.

I don't disagree at all with that! If I'm honest, I've been arguing to try to convince myself, more than anything, that I need / am happy to go with the 12", first gen. I have some Apple-reserved money burning a hole in my pocket but, you know what, sod it! There is nothing at all wrong with my 2013 11" MBA. I still love it, and it would do me for at least another three years, so I will wait and see where we are with the whole laptop range in a year or two's time. I don't have as big a problem with the MBA's lack of Retina as some - screen seems fine to me - but I do now wonder why they didn't just reduce the bezel of the 11" MBA and stick in a Retina screen. I suspect that may become the MacBook Pro of the future, and that they are holding back. Had they done that, I would have upgraded now. Since they haven't, I'm going to wait and see...

 

[macbook123]

100% my thoughts!

I think initially I was playing devils advocate when complaining about the new MacBook, just so I could convince myself to buy one. I often do that when new Apple products come out. But the more I do so here the more I'm starting to think that they overdid the thinness this time. The sacrifices are just too great, the thinness of the existing Airs sufficient. Why can't they just put a 13" retina display in the 11" Air and take my money?