What's this display resolution fix you speak of? I'd be curious how to do that when I get a new MB.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why did you get a 12" MB?
- Thread starter marc55
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have to admit, I did just sell my 12" as I wanted more screen.
Back on a 15" 2015 for now.
I really hope they make a 14 or 15" Retina MacBook at some point.
I don't need a powerhouse, but I do highly value screen size.
Back on a 15" 2015 for now.
I really hope they make a 14 or 15" Retina MacBook at some point.
I don't need a powerhouse, but I do highly value screen size.
Every notebook I have ever used produces, heat. Excuse me if I am wrong but my Air is not heavy, nor is it noisy, or weigh as much as a MBP. I do not compare it to the pro range. I do not believe that was its intended audience. I enjoy the 11 plus hours of battery life, have used it to edit video with FCP, and that's with 4gb of ram. It is small enough to carry but still get work done between cocktails in first class...
Between my wife and kids we have 3 Air's in the house and compared to the 12" RMB they are heavy, noisy, and hot.
The Air was built to be cutting-edge for portability 9 years ago, it's far from that now.
While travelling, I do think the best of the best you can get is that 12" rMB. I have the 2016 MBP and sometimes, just sometimes, and only while travelling, it still feels a little on the heavier side, when my camera bag starts getting filled with gear and clothes. Then, the extra 400g and added dimensions begin to show their dark side.
Last edited:
I got one as strictly a travel-for-work laptop. Light as an ipad, as portable, and so power efficient that if I have an all-day work meeting, I rarely have to look for the seat near an outlet.
Perhaps too late, but I bought one as a small light portable laptop and I think it is great except for the keyboard which I hate with passion! I just take my 13 inch rMBP everywhere instead, with the advantage of having to carry fewer dongles! I have not tried the new MBP keyboard, but I do hope it is better.
You can buy a Keyboard cover. I got it the first day I got the original Macbook 12 (still have it). It still look as pristine as the day I got it.
https://www.amazon.com/UPPERCASE-Premium-Keyboard-Protector-UPP-PKBC-MB12/dp/B012B6VZMW/
My first Apple laptop was a Powerbook 17". Then it was Macbook Pro 15, then 13, then now MB 12. I realized for my lifestyle, I don't need all those ports. It was nice to claim you got all these firewire ports, ethernet, blah blah, but most of the time, I never use them. It's like always carrying around a CD/DVD drive (in terms of weight), and using it less than once a month. For everything else I need, I just carry around the dongle/adapter. It's annoying, but helps saves the weight when I don't need all that and just carry the essential, which is just the laptop without any other ports. I do wish it has at least just one "traditional" USB port. It is kind of a hard/sudden transition, everything needed a new cable or an adapter.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I used to love my 15" 2013 rMBP. It (is) was powerful for all my tasks, and offered great screen real estate, if needed. But after carrying around 2 kg daily for years – plus all the extra needful garbage (i.e. adapters, chargers, etc.) – I began to question my needs. One day my back just said NO to all the extra weight. So, I asked myself: do I really need all the extra weight and power of a 15"? What ports do I really use daily? USB-A: for a wireless mouse dongle. TB2 for DisplayPort
I figured that I rarely needed a quad-core power for my daily tasks at work. The MacBook Air 13" seemed to be appropriate for my re-evaluated requirements. It was light and not too shabby with its ports. However, Air's screen resolution and colors were unacceptably awful. The 13" rMBP was the next obvious choice, but offered limited weight/portability benefits over a 15".
While I was desperately waiting for a lighter 13" rMBP, the first gen. 12" MacBook came out of nowhere and I gave it a try. The form factor and build quality were phenomenal. It was like having an iPad running a full-fledged MacOS – a dream came true! But it was painfully slow. Eventually, I was unable to spend a reasonable amount of my money for the ultimate Spinning Beach Ball of Death experience.
It all got better in 2016. With the maxed-out Core m7, the MacBook became my serious daily-driver laptop. It's fast enough for me (except for occasional video editing) and thus I totally love it – so does my back.
I got rid of all the legacy adapters, and only carry the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with me. At work I connect my MacBook to a 32" monitor. That's it. Digital life can be so light!
People who still complain about missing legacy ports on an ultra-portable machine haven't figured out how cloud collaboration works nowadays.
The only thing I miss is a Thunderbolt 3 port, so that I can hook up two 32" (4K) displays. The new 13" rMBP has TB3, but once you go fanless it's hard to go back. It's such a great joy to work on a silent machine in the evenings...
I figured that I rarely needed a quad-core power for my daily tasks at work. The MacBook Air 13" seemed to be appropriate for my re-evaluated requirements. It was light and not too shabby with its ports. However, Air's screen resolution and colors were unacceptably awful. The 13" rMBP was the next obvious choice, but offered limited weight/portability benefits over a 15".
While I was desperately waiting for a lighter 13" rMBP, the first gen. 12" MacBook came out of nowhere and I gave it a try. The form factor and build quality were phenomenal. It was like having an iPad running a full-fledged MacOS – a dream came true! But it was painfully slow. Eventually, I was unable to spend a reasonable amount of my money for the ultimate Spinning Beach Ball of Death experience.
It all got better in 2016. With the maxed-out Core m7, the MacBook became my serious daily-driver laptop. It's fast enough for me (except for occasional video editing) and thus I totally love it – so does my back.
I got rid of all the legacy adapters, and only carry the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with me. At work I connect my MacBook to a 32" monitor. That's it. Digital life can be so light!
People who still complain about missing legacy ports on an ultra-portable machine haven't figured out how cloud collaboration works nowadays.
The only thing I miss is a Thunderbolt 3 port, so that I can hook up two 32" (4K) displays. The new 13" rMBP has TB3, but once you go fanless it's hard to go back. It's such a great joy to work on a silent machine in the evenings...
I also have had a great run with the latest Retina MacBook (recently sold it).
I will say that I wish the screen was even better.
The comparison between the 2016 (or 2015) MBP screens and the one in the 12" rMB is pretty stark to my eyes.
(have had them all side by side - easily noticeable and hard to un-see once you know about it/notice it)
Last edited:
I bought it to see how terrible the keyboard is (I got a sweet open box deal on m5) expecting to return it within 30 days. I fell in love within about 30 seconds and couldn't believe how impossibly light it is. Then I took my rMBP 2015 back – Migration Assistant fun – and I was like "this is so incredibly heavy and the keyboard is so mushy ermagerd". There really is a difference between trying a rMB at Apple Store and having it on your lap.
The one problem I have is that keyboard STILL attracts typos. Right Shift key won't notice me if my pinky fingernail is not cut as short as possible every two days. But that's how I type I guess. I'm typing on it wrong I don't even mind by now, everything else is perfect. Getting used to the screen size took me, ooh, two days or so. I run Photoshop, InDesign, Chrome, Reason, OpenOffice, VLC, Plex and the only time I got the thing to throttle was when I was mass-converting ISO files with MakeMKV.
The one problem I have is that keyboard STILL attracts typos. Right Shift key won't notice me if my pinky fingernail is not cut as short as possible every two days. But that's how I type I guess. I'm typing on it wrong
I don't even mind by now, everything else is perfect. Getting used to the screen size took me, ooh, two days or so. I run Photoshop, InDesign, Chrome, Reason, OpenOffice, VLC, Plex and the only time I got the thing to throttle was when I was mass-converting ISO files with MakeMKV.Because I value portability I use my 2016 m7 12" for travel only. I have 2x 2016 tbMBP 13" maxed that's ALWAYS docked at home/office to dual 27" usb-c p27h 1440p monitors.
I wanted a small and light computer at home. I have a 15" 2013 rMBP but I am using it less and less for every week. I have the rMB 2015, the keyboard sometimes misses my clickes but often when I have been using my MBP a lot.
I love the small form and the weight of it. And the screen is wonderful, have it maxed out with QuickRes (I also max my MBP).
I have edited both photos (photoshop) and videos (FCP, only 1080) with it and the power works for me. For more demanding tasks I use my MBP, but I am thinking of replacing it if there is a rMB 2017 (depending on the specs of it).
The only one port is no prob for me, most is on the cloud or in a network storage but the only time I use dongles is when I need to transfer video/photos from memorycard or copying filed between to USB-drives. I bought a lightning/USB-C cable that I use to connect my phone.
The small size is perfect when traveling or when I need to take a computer with me. It is easy to hide in the car.
I love the small form and the weight of it. And the screen is wonderful, have it maxed out with QuickRes (I also max my MBP).
I have edited both photos (photoshop) and videos (FCP, only 1080) with it and the power works for me. For more demanding tasks I use my MBP, but I am thinking of replacing it if there is a rMB 2017 (depending on the specs of it).
The only one port is no prob for me, most is on the cloud or in a network storage but the only time I use dongles is when I need to transfer video/photos from memorycard or copying filed between to USB-drives. I bought a lightning/USB-C cable that I use to connect my phone.
The small size is perfect when traveling or when I need to take a computer with me. It is easy to hide in the car.
I think it is available already with a pro monicker on it. 15" would not be that portable at all would it now..
15" is 15" even if we have 0 bezels.
I think it is available already with a pro monicker on it. 15" would not be that portable at all would it now..
'ehh.. not sure I totally agree.
A lot can be done with the perception of size/heft with tapering and weight could certainly be less if the internals aren't as beefy.
I'm more onboard with a 14" for this also though.
Of course, weight is another matter altogether. I was only referring to screen size diagonal limiting dimensions, even if we are at 0 bezels, the extra 3 inches need to be accommodated. But like you said, weight. Weight is one aspect that makes the rMB so delicious.
Yeah - weight is for sure the #1 thing that can make a huge difference in portability and likelihood of toting it around, etc
all I can say is I now regret buying it.
compared to other Macs I've owened,it's NOT a well built machine and suffers from design flaw.
my expectation are not met at all.
and now I'm having a hard time to decide what to replace it with.
compared to other Macs I've owened,it's NOT a well built machine and suffers from design flaw.
my expectation are not met at all.
and now I'm having a hard time to decide what to replace it with.
What are the flaws in your opinion? I'm considering buying one
I’m interested in hearing these flaws, too, because I’ve owned one for over a year now and I love it. I use mine for writing and work related material.
I believe he/she is talking about the "rattle problem" when moving or shaking the MacBook.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-macbook-owners-do-you-have-the-rattle-problem.2054412/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/12-macbook-owners-do-you-have-the-rattle-problem.2054412/