Thoughts on the 2015 Gold MacBook?

Hello guys

I think it is finally time for a new Mac. I have had a mid-2010 MacBook Pro ever since it came out and I did not have a good time with it, simply because I've had to repair two things that cost me a dime and a leg after the warranty ended. First, I had to repair the optical drive which failed (just like my old 2008 MBP) and then I had to get the whole top panel replaced because of a faulty power button.

The "V" key has been out of its place and I'm honestly too lazy to have it replaced because I wouldn't know where to go in order to get that done at a fair price, since the only dealership we have is really, really expensive.

Despite all of that, however, I'm still a fan of Macs and I really like the new MacBook. We have two versions over here, the 512GB and the 256GB one, priced at $2236 and $1852 USD respectively. I'll probably go for the latter option as I don't want to spend the extra money, especially since I have a desktop computer where all the storage is kept, so I doubt I'll ever need 512GB, and I can always buy an external hard drive.

What do you guys think about that model? It is exactly this model: Core M 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB/Intel HD 5300

It seems as though the processor is lowest one available, so have you guys had a decent experience with it when it comes to processing speed? My MacBook Pro runs a Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM and unfortunately it's not performing as I'd like it to, but that's understandable since it's 5 years old. It takes a good time to open applications, and it's just not fast in general. It could be due to the specifications or that it needs some repairs? I don't know.

I'd also like your opinion on the gold color. I haven't had a good experience with the silver aluminum body because it gets scratched easily, especially the bottom case wherein I have a lot of scratches even though I take good care of my devices. Is the coating on the gold aluminum body strong or does it wear off eventually? I've been comparing between it and the highest 13" version of the MacBook Air, and really it is the gold color that's making me learn towards the MacBook.

Thanks for your time guys and I apologize for the long post. You can actually skip to the very last sentence which has the main question rather than my life story with Macbooks. lol

Have a good day and early Merry Christmas people!

EDIT: I have been reading about possibly a lack of ports on the MacBook and that it performs slow compared to its siblings?

Let me address my impressions first, then I'll get to the myths about the speed and port thing. Lots of misinformation/bias on the latter.

When I first heard and saw pictures of the gold MacBook, I thought HIDEOUS. I really did. BARF. I've never been much of a fan of gold coloured things anyway, but I could at least see the point of the real-gold Apple Watches. Fake gold -- BLEAH, says me.

But I have felt the same way about a few other Mac things, most notably the White G3 iMac which I loathed until I saw one in person, and later owned one. I was wrong, simply put, it was a great little machine for its day. So I thought to myself "best wait to see it in person before judging."

Eventually, of course, I did. I was really very surprised by how much I liked the look, and of course the weight is just ridiculous. I still prefer the Space Black model over the gold, but I no longer have any prejudice on the gold MacBook if someone were to buy me one.

As for the speed/port thing about the MacBook, most of the "complaints" are from people who the machine isn't designed for/have never used it. I think the Retina MacBook is aimed at what I'll call "typical" or "non-power nerd" type consumers, some might refer to them as "light duty" because Facebook/Instagram/Messages/web stuff is the bulk of what they do with the machine, but you know you don't need a tank to pull any of that off.

For those people, this machine is fantastic. Yes, it has a slower processor than other models, but it also has a 2X faster SSD storage system and a strong video chipset, so I very VERY much doubt anyone not running "pro apps" would notice any speed difference. It can handle the things most consumers want: it does video fine, it can edit movies pulled off iPhones, and yes -- it can run Photoshop (not amazingly great, but surprisingly well for its specs). It loads websites extremely fast, and can handle all but the top-end gamers' "entertainment" needs. It's definitely *not* for power users, but it is actually more than enough machine for "typical" users in 2015.

As for the port, YES it would have been nice to have two of them, and for them to be real, full 3.1 spec rather than "faux-3.1 3.0" as it is. But most people REALLY miss the point about the number of ports -- this is a machine that is *very specifically* designed to last *more than all day* for "typical" users, so there's no need to drag around a charger all the time (which I would **love** to be free of on my MacBook Pro, and that battery lasts me 6-8 hours depending on brightness). Once you understand that, you realize that when this machine is "out and about" (which it is intended to be most of the time) that it essentially has the same number of ports the iPhone does, because its meant to work like that -- you charge it while you're sleeping, and it works fine the rest of the time. Suddenly the one port doesn't seem like too few most of the time (every single MacBook Air I **ever** see at coffeeshops and other social places has, AT MOST, a charger on it, and that's it).

Yes there's some awkwardness if you have a USB-A thing you want to bring with you that will need an adapter. Yes, it makes it difficult to "borrow" a charger if you should run out of battery. But that is perfectly normal when ports change -- this is where we were when the first iMac came out. Over time, as we now know, Intel plans to make USB 3.1 (full) and Thunderbolt 3 work through the same USB-C port: this means that over time, everything that plugs in will need to change or have an adapter to work. Hello, FireWire 400/800, hello USB 3.0 cables, hello Lightning cables vs 30-pin, hello miniDVI to MiniDisplayPort adapters -- been there, done that. It's not capricious: it's that the end goal is judged to be worth the frustration. We'll live.

So even I -- a power user -- can see some value in owning a MacBook. For me, it would be a the portable component of a new home workflow that revolved around a 27-inch iMac. For me, a Retina MacBook would be a preferable "out of the house/away from home for a while" machine to my current "home and away" single MacBook Pro, which performs both jobs (and before anyone asks, I'd use Chronosync to keep the two machines in sync). Either a Retina MacBook or an iPad Pro (another machine I wouldn't have even considered six months ago).

I will probably pick up a Retina MacBook for my wife at some point (not this season, but maybe next year) as a replacement for her 2010 MBA that she adores and uses constantly, with only 128GB of storage on it (she is a very social media person, and apart from photos stores almost nothing on her machine -- and she's on her iPhone more than she is the computer, so I see her as a very normal "typical" user who's not a senior). I'm giving it time, but I'm interested to see how the MacBook line and the iPad Pro develop, and maybe one day I'll have that iMac-at-home workflow and a lightweight machine of some sort for anything not done at home. We'll see.

Anyway, bottom line/tldr version is: I think there's a lot of unfair butthurt from Mac veterans about the Retina MacBook because it doesn't cater to them, it caters to iPhone users who want something with a full-size keyboard and OS X on it.

First of all let me say thank you so much for taking the time and addressing my questions and concern, your review is exactly what I'm looking for. I have a powerful, compiled desktop computer at home which I use for resource-demanding applications and games while my laptops are just for outside work and minimal things as you stated in your great and informative review.

I work as a Human Resources Associate and most of what I do involves preparing PowerPoint presentations, online research, social media, outlook, and excel for data entry and databases in general, so I'm assuming the MacBook will be perfect for me.

I'm going to pay the Apple store a visit tomorrow because I've never seen the 12 inch display before and I want to make sure it's large enough for me because I'm used to 15" laptop screens.

I've read that this is the first generation Retina MacBook and that there's supposedly a newer generation coming out soon, so do you think I should hold out until then? I'm not in a hurry because I still use my MacBook Pro for work. By the way, do you think the performance is going to be similar to my MBP's? I've read that in some reviews but I strongly doubt it will be the same since the Retina MacBook uses flash storage which I know for sure is much faster than a regular HDD with 5 or 7200 RPM speeds.

I'd like to thank you again for your informative reply and although, like your wife, the MacBook Air seems appealing to me and I believe would do the job just fine, I really like the new gold color and will be checking out the black one as well.

Have a great evening.

You might want to read this review by "engadget" first before purchasing a MacBook. Also consider: That it was a first generation machine. Certainly if you're serious about buying one, you might be wise to see what Apple does to improve it. Personally, I would wait to see what the next version of the MacBook has to offer.

Well I have to point out that if everyone thought THAT way, there would never be a second generation of *anything.* Just sayin'.

I'm not trying to sell anybody a MacBook, I'm just trying to counter the misinformation that's been spread pretty widely. You know what your needs are far better than I do, so I have no idea if the rMB is the right machine for you or not. There's no indication whatsoever that Apple has any plans to update the line anytime soon -- the MacBook *Airs*, by contrast, are overdue for Retina screens and a processor upgrade, and there are rumors that they will get those things by June.

I've read that this is the first generation Retina MacBook and that there's supposedly a newer generation coming out soon, so do you think I should hold out until then? I'm not in a hurry because I still use my MacBook Pro for work.

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Take a look at what the MacRumors buyer's guide has to say: LINK Notice they state the rMacBook is in Mid Cycle which means it may be next year when the next generation is out. Also be sure to read other reviews. The reviews on the rMacBook vary from great to "underpowered" and so forth. Also make sure you can live with the new output port it uses. In other words, do your homework before spending $$.

I love the MacRumors guys, but on a product that has *NEVER BEEN* refreshed before, they are purely and completely *GUESSING* about when it is due to for a refresh, they don't *KNOW* anything more than you or I do about where it is in its "cycle" (ask any Mac Pro owner about these predictions, for example!). Could happen, but Apple *TENDS* to refresh Macs very sporadically -- not regularly like iPhones. Two of the big factors that generally prompt a refresh:

1. Sales are dropping off because the competition is killing them on some aspect. That's certainly not happening in this case.

2. A new bit of technology has come out that Apple feels the product MUST have in order to compete, like a much faster processor or new technology from Apple. Again, that's not happening in the case of the MacBook. Whereas it *is* happening with the MBAs, so I think we'll be seeing an upgrade of them before we see a new Retina MacBook.

I agree with everything else you say above, but in this particular case the MacRumor guide is not a reliable source, since the MacBook is a completely new product (and already has every technology Apple will be bringing to the rest of its Mac lineup over time).

I have been thinking about it for a while now and since I'm almost done with the necessary paperwork for either a credit card or loan purchase, it's about time I make up my mind. I have been exploring other options, like the 13, 14 and 15 models of Dell's Alienware, and the Dell XPS 13; I know this is not the place to discuss these models, but I really like the Dell XPS 13. I played around with it at a store and even though it's being sold for a very high price, it actually felt rather good, responsive, and well-made for a Dell laptop. Hey, I'm not hating on Dell, but their products never really focused much on the quality, in my opinion, compared to (pre-Dell) Alienware and Apple, for example.

I found the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter at the local Apple store so I'm not really worried about the single-port thing when it comes to the rMB, however I'm worried about the performance. I'll be using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) simultaneously almost all of the time, along with Google Chrome or Safari with A LOT of tabs open due to research, so I'm really contemplating whether or not the rMB will be able to handle them with only 8GB of RAM and a 1.1 GHz Intel Core M processor because that's the only one available here, no 1.2 GHz (not that there's a huge difference anyways) or if it's going to perform slowly like my mid-2010 MacBook Pro which has an Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM?

I don't think I'll be able to tell with just a quick test-drive at the store, I'd need to actually rent one out for a couple of days in order to find out in real-time, but that's definitely not an option.

The retina MacBook is currently on sale here in the US at one of our electronic outlet stores (Best Buy) for $999.99 which is a $300.00 discount from the Apple retail price. Have you played around with any of Dell's Alienware machines? They're not only expensive but heavy. Strictly for gamers although they can be used for just about anything. Do you really need something like that?

If you love OSX like I do and the way it works, I would stick with a Mac and not go to Dell.

The applications you just listed are not that demanding so that should not be an issue with the rMB at all. Charlie just made a good point also.

I wish I lived in the USA, where electronic products are much cheaper than over here. The most basic rMB version costs well over $1800 USD where I live, and the single-port adapter costs $128 USD. I'm not a fan of Dell or Windows computers in general, if I am honest, but I am just looking to spend money on a computer that will perform really well without any lag when using the applications I've listed. Surprisingly, my '10 MBP lags quite A LOT when I am using those apps simultaneously with browsing and a lot of tabs open.

Since I'm a Mac fan, I might just bite the bullet and go for the 256GB SSD version and hope for the best. From my experience, El Capitan is also a lot faster and lighter than Yosemite, which the rMB comes pre-installed with, I am assuming?

And yeah, I played around with a Dell Alienware 15 R2, and although it is incredibly fast, it's also extremely heavy it felt like a laptop from the 90s, whereas the rMB almost feels like a small document; portability is, of course, important for me since my job requires me to move around with my laptop.

Tarek said:

Surprisingly, my '10 MBP lags quite A LOT when I am using those apps simultaneously with browsing and a lot of tabs open.

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That sound like more a problem of not enough RAM (though moving to an all-SSD system would also help a lot) rather than per-se storage or processor. One thing I've noticed is that with SSD storage, it's okay to quit things you're not using at the moment; they will launch again on demand in a second or less, so it's just not the big deal it used to be, and of course doing so with apps you're not using at the moment frees up resources that makes everything snappier.

Thanks for your reply, that's definitely reassuring to know. I've never actually used an all SSD system before, but I always heard great things about it since the MBA came out with one. There's a company here that purchases products from abroad and delivers them to you, and of course informs you of the taxes, shipping, and customs fees beforehand, so I'm going to send them the BestBuy deal and have them calculate the fees for me. It'll take no less than two - three weeks to come, so I'll weigh my options in the mean time. Do you think the rMBA can last a solid five - six years like my '10 MBP did?

Tarek said:

Thanks for your reply, that's definitely reassuring to know. I've never actually used an all SSD system before, but I always heard great things about it since the MBA came out with one. There's a company here that purchases products from abroad and delivers them to you, and of course informs you of the taxes, shipping, and customs fees beforehand, so I'm going to send them the BestBuy deal and have them calculate the fees for me. It'll take no less than two - three weeks to come, so I'll weigh my options in the mean time. Do you think the rMBA can last a solid five - six years like my '10 MBP did?

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The only bad thing about SSDs is that, unlike traditional hard drives, they don't give you much if any warning when they die -- they just stop working one day. So remember that even with SSDs, it's important to have a backup strategy!

As for the question about the "useful lifespan" of the rMBP (or indeed any Mac), the answer is "maybe."

The reason I can't be more definite is because there's a few factors in the mix: technology MIGHT change very significantly over the next few years, what you do with the computer MIGHT change quite significantly during that time, and of course we can't predict accidents or defects. The more you "future-proof" it up-front with lots of RAM, storage, and graphics, the longer it is likely to serve, and the more it will be worth if you decide to sell it at some point in the future. If you're a serious power-user, you can and should expect a shorter time before you will WANT to replace it; if you're a more typical user, five years should be no problem.

Bearing this in mind and on average, I'd say yes, you should be able to get five years or more out of it before you find a strong need for an upgrade or replacement.

Thanks a lot for your input, you have been very helpful. I think I'm set on the new rMB, especially since I can run Windows using Boot Camp if I ever felt the need to do so, whereas you cannot do the opposite on a Windows-based laptop. I also read this review and I believe it is just great! His thought process is almost exactly the same as mine and I am happy with the conclusion he reached and hopefully I'll reach the same one. I'll pay a visit to the Apple Store in order to test out the new keyboard he is talking about, but I already like how the looks and size of the buttons, so I'm assuming it will be a nice transition.

Yes, that's an excellent real-world review, a lot of people should read it and see if they see themselves in that guy. I have for some time been (as I mentioned above) contemplating a dual-computer strategy: a tricked out 5K Retina iMac at home, and the lightest computer possible that would let me do my main jobs while on the road (sorry iPad -- I love you, but there's a couple of things [just a couple, BUT] that iOS doesn't do well, even with a keyboard, that works better with a notebook). I was (and still am) following a "one notebook to handle everything" strategy, and it works pretty well -- it's just bulky, since I may need one or two accessories (particularly a power plug) as well, since I might be out and need to use the computer for more than a handful of hours, at a fairly strong brightness depending on where I am.

On vacations (and particularly on flights), I'm happy to just carry the iPad and a keyboard (or a keyboard case) around, it handles most of what I need to do -- but for a couple of things (the kind of graphics manipulations I do in particular, but also heavy editing of texts), it's just not as good as a notebook. Maybe the iPad Pro will change my mind (an iPad is your best friend if you fly coach a lot!), but if it doesn't, I will probably (and not right away, but eventually) move to a 5K iMac-and-rMB strategy. Coming from the position of "that is MOST DEFINITELY not for users like me." Funny how that happens sometimes.

I have a third generation iPad and I like it quite a lot, but as you said, it just does not really replace a notebook for me, which is why the rMB is a perfect option because it has both full notebook capabilities and also portability. I'm quite excited to get it, and I think I'll go for the Space Grey rather then the Gold.

i can only comment on service issues relating to the rMB. I've only seen 4 since its introduction, it's built well, I like the display and you get used to the feel of the keyboard.

The 'SSD' are chips integrated into the logic board. Also integrated into the logic board is the GPU, that has been standard on all Apple portables, and the wifi/bt card. If any of of these items fail the logic board will require replacement and you lose your data unless it is backed up. Unlike the MBA or rMBP, there is no way to remove the flash storage SSD to transfer or recover data. Out of warranty repairs, unless just involving an internal flex cable, can be expensive. Here an OOW logic board would cost about £500 + labour + VAT (tax 20%). The battery is bonded to the bottom case. There are no user serviceable or upgradable parts inside.

if the rMB's spec is suitable for your use, and it is a nice product, I would advise taking out Applecare as insurance, and regularly backing up. For home backing up a Time Capsule is ideal.

I soundly second techiesteve's words for the rMB and any other "mostly sealed in" recent Mac. It's been my experience as a former tech that problems really started falling when Apple started doing this -- but as with the rare buyer who gets a "lemon" one, if you have an issue, it's probably going to be a serious issue. Your odds are better than you won't but if you, things are not as fixable. Backups and AppleCare, indeed.

I already have a 1TB external hard disk which I'm going to be using for Time Machine backups. I'm also buying it with local warranty, so hopefully if anything happens, it does during the first year. We do not have Apple Care over here so one year is all you get, unless there's a known factory problem with this model.