First Look at new 12-inch Retina MacBook

chscag said:

Seems it's a nightmare to repair and the iFixit folks give it a 1 out of 10 for repairability; 1 being the worst score. Macworld recommends that if you buy it, you also need to buy Apple Care.

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You could be talking here about every Mac Apple sells these days apart from the non-Retina MBP and the Mac Pro. You're quoting (or Macworld is quoting) a company that has a vested interest in doing repairs and selling people repair kits.

But as you know, most people *never* repair a Mac. Even among the few who do, there isn't much in the Apple lineup you can actually fix. And yet, Apple sells as many Macs in a quarter these days as they used to in entire years just a few years ago.

The fact of the matter is that, barring a lemon off the line, Macs are incredibly reliable and consequently have little need of "repair," particularly since optical drives (the previous #2 source of repair issues) and hard drives (the #1 source of repair issues) got the heave-**.

Go into any independent Mac repair place and you will see for yourself: the bulk of the work is on pre-2012 machines (usually much older), and any new models you see are probably there either because they got thrown down a flight of stairs or they're in for a storage or RAM upgrade.

All this worrywarting about iMacs ("what do I do if the screen dies?") stuff has been proven (over the last nearly 20 years!) to be largely malarky, and reliability has only improved with time. The fact that the screen is part and parcel of the device hasn't proven a concern for either the Mac or Windows worlds: notebooks handily outsell desktops, and phones (which are also "all-in-one" devices) outsell both desktops and notebooks. The "single point of failure" argument that has been applied to all-in-ones, then notebooks, then ultrabooks, has simply not been seen to hold any water over a very long period of time.

"Repairability" is simply not a valid concern in the modern era of computers. It's still a thing for white box builders and people who want to hold on to their computer for a decade-plus: but that's not how the vast majority of users work.

I say this as someone who chose to buy a 2012 MacBook Pro rather than a new one a year or so ago *specifically* because I wanted to up the RAM and replace the hard drive (found out later the non-Retinas don't stop you from doing this, even now). But I'm not a typical Mac user: my wife is much more of one -- needs very little storage, because everything's in the cloud, needs very little RAM because most of the "apps" she works with are websites, doesn't either of the two USB ports the thing has on it except to import photos.

She wouldn't say no if I bought her something newer, but until this thing stops running a supported OS version there's literally no reason for her to even consider buying another machine. The reality is that most Mac users are more like her than like me, and that's who the Retina MacBook is aimed at.

Well I took a trip to the Apple Store to check out the watch and new macbook. I'll stick to the macbook for this post.

I loved the looks of the gold and the retina display (and I hate to admit this) is nice...ok gorgeous... crisp clear vibrant....sigh... it's beautiful.

It is also small, light and very thin. For me a 12" display is a bit small. It is sturdy and would make a great travel laptop.

I don't really care for the USB-C charging/multi use port. I am just klutzy enough to trip over the cord. I also really miss the lack of a USB for external drives. Which means I would have to have the adapter.

I did mess with one. Changed the system setting to what I like and popped open some programs, closed them, and generally checked out the responsiveness. I found it a bit laggy as I compared it to my MB Air with an i5 and 4gb of memory. The Macbook was the base model with 8gb and the 1.1 dual core M. Minor but noticeable.

For the market it is intended for, I think it will do well. There was certainly a whole hoard of people gathered around the display table where they had them out. They were doing a demo and people seemed impressed.

Just my 2 cents!

Lisa

lclev said:

I don't really care for the USB-C charging/multi use port. I am just klutzy enough to trip over the cord. I also really miss the lack of a USB for external drives. Which means I would have to have the adapter.

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Not to take issue with your assessment, but I think the user Apple envisions for this device would never have it plugged in except for overnight, so that probably eliminates the "klutz" issue. Users might need a USB-A adapter for the backup drive, but would probably also be the type to use wireless backup systems, so not much need for that adapter on a routine basis.

chas_m said:

Not to take issue with your assessment, but I think the user Apple envisions for this device would never have it plugged in except for overnight, so that probably eliminates the "klutz" issue. Users might need a USB-A adapter for the backup drive, but would probably also be the type to use wireless backup systems, so not much need for that adapter on a routine basis.

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Chas, sometimes I think that if Apple put a bowtie on a turd, you'd be here to tell us how the smell won't bother most and how great of an invention it would be for those who enjoy feces.

And sometimes I think you willfully misinterpret a positive attitude (that I try to have about nearly everything) as being an apologist, which I find grossly offensive. How is pointing out that the Retina MacBook is designed for users different in style to your typical Mac-Forums member (ie power user) "putting a bowtie on a turd" exactly? I'd like a specific explanation for that from you, please, or an apology.

As it happens I used my wife as an example of a "modern" Mac user. Or is she an "apologist" as well because she uses her MacBook Air on battery all the time and only plugs it in to charge it, and only uses the USB port to transfer pictures?

I get the idea of only charging it at night. But currently I believe they are claiming a 9 hour battery on the new Macbook. I get 12 hours (give or take what I am doing) and I have days I run that out and have to charge it.

I also have a bad habit of grabbing my Air up to take it to another room only to have the charger cable drop off safely as I forgot it was still on the charger. I yanked many a Windows laptop cable out of it's socket before my conversion from the "dark side". AND I am sure I am not unique - there has to be other klutzes like me in the world ... some where...

Also the lack of a regular USB port for me is an issue....but it sure is cute to look at!

Lisa

chas_m said:

And sometimes I think you willfully misinterpret a positive attitude (that I try to have about nearly everything) as being an apologist, which I find grossly offensive. How is pointing out that the Retina MacBook is designed for users different in style to your typical Mac-Forums member (ie power user) "putting a bowtie on a turd" exactly? I'd like a specific explanation for that from you, please, or an apology.

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Chas, I have never seen you be critical of an Apple product of any sort in the time I've interacted with you here. Any negative design decisions have been defended vehemently regardless of how egregious they are. The MacBook is a netbook by any definition, albeit price. Despite that princely sum, it was very deliberately hobbled with a single port so that customers who wanted to do common tasks, such as connect a camera while charging the device, would be forced into buying an even more overpriced dongle. It would be different if Apple included the dongle, or even if they had a true technical reason for omitting a MagSafe port, but they don't.

If this were priced more inline with a netbook, it could be forgivable, but as it stands, it's an blatantly profit-driven design decision, hence the reason I equate it to a turd. You will undoubtedly say at this point that I am seeing it from the perspective of a power user, but I'm not. Here sits the same guy who will aggressively recommend an iPad Air 2 over a comparable Samsung or other pan-Asian generic tablet device at a fraction of the price, because I believe it represents a solid value in comparison to the junk produced by said companies. It too has a single port, but its hardware, processor and OS were built from the ground up to be as wireless as possible. It's also not a general purpose computing device in the same way a device bearing the "MacBook" moniker is (or should be).

Quite honestly, I believe Apple - and all those who blindly defend it in this case - should be ashamed.

As it happens I used my wife as an example of a "modern" Mac user. Or is she an "apologist" as well because she uses her MacBook Air on battery all the time and only plugs it in to charge it, and only uses the USB port to transfer pictures?

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I believe your wife is a rare usage case, and since she isn't here defending the faith, I wouldn't call her an apologist.

chas_m said:

And sometimes I think you willfully misinterpret a positive attitude (that I try to have about nearly everything) as being an apologist, which I find grossly offensive.

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To be fair, you are awfully defensive and have a way of using language in such a way that would signal an ardent defence of everything Apple. You've called minor things brilliant, iPhoto "a superb organizer" despite a user's request for more power over organization, and you've recommended that new users "just go with Apple's flow" because, I quote, "You will be blown away" (original emphasis).

Even more subtle than this though is your penchant to capitalize words that are all ultimately adjectives of the word "great": "the bundled programs on your Mac are **INCREDIBLE** in terms of quality and design", "If your eyesight is good, I'd strongly recommend an iPad mini. Cheap and AMAZING" and "I WARN YOU RIGHT NOW: you're going to fall IN LOVE with the thing. I'm not kidding.". You've even used this capitalization technique in ways that are borderline deceptive. For example, you note that, "iCloud does INSTANT push syncing of calendars, contacts and email (and bookmarks, but they don't mention it much). That's HUGE" without acknowledging that, one iCloud is just CalDAV and fetches (or pulls, not pushes) calendar appointments, and two, iCloud was hardly the first either at all or the first supported calendar sync for iOS.

Even moments in which you criticize Apple, it's often when something else Apple does supersedes it. For example, despite your earlier defence of iPhoto as superb, you argue that, "Photos' editing tools are in fact that strongest aspect of the program and are considerably better in every respect to iPhoto's editing tools." That is, of course, made easier when you emphatically state that those who don't see things the way you do are close minded. I'm guessing this is why, when someone says that one port on the new MB isn't enough, you can easily claim that there is a failure of imagination without asking what those needs might be (this is probably the most striking example of ardent defence - blaming the user without acknowledging that the user might have specific needs).You even go as far as to claim that talking about "versions" of the iWork suite fails to recognize that new releases are actually "visions": "Apple makes its own 'visions' (as opposed to 'versions') of a powerful word processor/desktop layout tool, a spreadsheet and a slideshow presenter in the form of the iWork suite (featuring Pages, Numbers and Keynote)." If that doesn't scream obsessive allegiance, I don't know what does.

There's nothing wrong with you being so defensive of Apple and, given that you (regularly enough) offer solutions to issues people are having, it's not an issue in the context that is this forum (especially since the open nature of the forum means that users can see the exchange of dialog). Indeed, we all likely have something that we ardently defend. The important thing though is to acknowledge it and while I can't speak for cwa107, I think this is where the issue lies.

For the time being, given the form factor, the size, lack of power, the lack of peripherals, and the cost.. I'm going with 'nae Scottish'. We'll see... as things go more and more appliance, and less and less workstation.. I'm becoming hard pressed to use them. With the Macbook, I couldn't even work without paying an additional $80 for the dongle.

So for now, I'll stick with my marginally heavier and thicker Air.. until they deprecate that, and it's all netbook-like appliances.

Dysfunction said:

So for now, I'll stick with my marginally heavier and thicker Air.. until they deprecate that, and it's all netbook-like appliances.

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That's the thing too - the MBP or MBA isn't all that much heavier and even if it is (since the feeling of weight is relative after all), it's not as if it's disturbingly heavy.

I'm sorry, but I agree with Chas. The only reason I'm not buying one (soon) is that I need to replace my MBP with a rMBP in the next couple of months.

I think the MB was designed by very capable engineers that think out of the box. The fact that it's so light is brilliant and the single port doesn't bother me at all - I want it as an "iPad", just with a full keyboard and OS. It would be used whenever I don't need the power of a Pro notebook and fortunately won't have to lug a brick around. Sure, it is expensive, but not so much so that I'm put off. I.e. I think there's decent value there. I don't mind buying an adapter as well if I need one, much like my Thunderbolt to VGA, DVI and Ethernet adapters, which weren't cheap by the way.

I certainly won't apologise for my taste and I earn my money, so I'll spend it as I please - as will many others that have similar needs and desires to mine.

Oh brother. Like what you want, but it's an Overpriced Netbook with very poor performance for $1300+ and every expert in the field of computer benchmarks agrees.

dtravis7 said:

Oh brother. Like what you want, but it's an Overpriced Netbook with very poor performance for $1300+ and every expert in the field of computer benchmarks agrees.

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LOL, how does that old saying go Dennis? "All that glitters is not gold." (Pun intended.)

I went to Wikipedia and "refreshed" my memory on netbooks…and here's an interesting excerpt from Wikipedia:

"By 2011, the increasing popularity of tablet computers (particularly the iPad)—a different form factor, but with improved computing capabilities and lower production cost—had led to a decline in netbook sales.[7] At the high end of the performance spectrum, ultrabooks, ultra-light portables with a traditional keyboard and display have been revolutionized by the 11.6″ MacBook Air, which made fewer performance sacrifices albeit at considerably higher production cost."

So we might ask…is the new 12" MacBook a "netbook" or an "ultrabook"?

- The new MacBook seems to fit the definition of "netbook"…except for it's price ($1299). I remember netbooks back in the 2009 timeframe selling for around $400-$500 bucks brand new…and as little as $200 used. Of course the new MacBook has a larger 12" display than these older netbooks.
- From the ultrabook standpoint. The new MacBook seems to fit since it is an "ultra-light portable", with a traditional keyboard, and good sized display. But due to the single port and lower end CPU…the design does seem to have made some sacrifices.

AND…if the 11" MacBook Air is supposed to be an "ultrabook" (according to the Wikipedia article)…then how intelligent was it for Apple to have released the 12" MacBook?? Unless…the 11" MacBook Air is set to be discontinued. Hmm.

To me it's still overpriced for what you get. And overpriced compared to what the same $1299 will get you. Believe it or not…the low-end & higher end 13" MacBook Air's cost less than the new MacBook ($999 & $1199 respectively). But to be fair…to get these MacBook Airs with 8gig of ram (same as the new MacBook)…the prices do increase $100 to $1099 and $1299 respectively.

- Nick

p.s. Wikipedia link:

Netbook - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

dtravis7 said:

Oh brother. Like what you want, but it's an Overpriced Netbook with very poor performance for $1300+ and every expert in the field of computer benchmarks agrees.

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Pretty much sums it up.

pigoo3 said:

To me it's still overpriced for what you get. And overpriced compared to what the same $1299 will get you. Believe it or not…the low-end & higher end 13" MacBook Air's cost less than the new MacBook ($999 & $1199 respectively). But to be fair…to get these MacBook Airs with 8gig of ram (same as the new MacBook)…the prices do increase $100 to $1099 and $1299 respectively.

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I did some research here. The new MB and the low end 13" rMBP are both the exact same price (base models). Here's what I came up with:

Feature: MB compared to MBP
Screen res: 2304x1440 compared to 2560x1600
Processor: 1.1Ghz M (TB to 2.4) compared to 2.7Ghz (TB to 3.1)
RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 (1600mhz) compared to 8GB LPDDR3 (1866mhz)
Storage: 128GB PCIe compared to 256GB PCIe
Graphics: Intel HD 5300 compared to Intel IRIS 6100
Battery: 9hr (web)/10hr (iTunes) compared to 10hr (web)/12hr (iTunes)
Weight: 0.92kg compared to 1.58kg

So, what I draw from this is that I pay the same price for a whole lot less computer so that I can save 600g of weight?

vansmith said:

I did some research here. The new MB and the low end 13" rMBP are both the exact same price (base models). Here's what I came up with:…
… … ...
So, what I draw from this is that I pay the same price for a whole lot less computer so that I can save 600g of weight?

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I think that's what Jony Ive and his Apple followers and buddies are hoping and planning… it's so thin and so light — just as they planned and designed it!! ;P

vansmith said:

I did some research here. The new MB and the low end 13" rMBP are both the exact same price (base models).

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We could take this value comparison one step further. In the past (before the new MacBook was released)…we were comparing what we "got" for $1299 between the 13" MBA and 13" rMBP.

Now with the release of the 12" MacBook…we can do a 3-way comparison at the $1299 price point:

13" rMBP vs. 13" MBA vs. 12" MacBook

At $1299 for each of these. As we go from left to right…we are mostly getting:

- Fewer Features
- Lower Performance
- Thinner Profile
- Lighter Weight
- In the case of the new MacBook…smaller physical display (12" vs. 13").

Of course thinner & lighter are nice positives for both the MBA and new MacBook. But less performance & fewer features (ports)…at the same price point ($1299) is where the equation doesn't make the most sense.

For someone looking to purchase an Apple laptop/notebook (their only device other than a smartphone)...with $1299 to spend…I think that it can be a very very difficult decision. Basically it comes down to lighter weight vs. more performance.

In my humble opinion. Even though the new MacBook & 13" MBA are thinner & lighter. The most "bang for the buck" is definitely the $1299 13" rMBP!

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Of course thinner & lighter are nice positives for both the MBA and new MacBook. But less performance & fewer features (ports)…at the same price point ($1299) is where the equation doesn't make the most sense.

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Very much so! I configured an MBA here to be roughly the same cost ($20 more) and this is what I've got:

Feature: MB compared to MBA
Screen res: 2304x1440 compared to 1440x900
Processor: 1.1Ghz M (TB to 2.4) compared to 1.6Ghz (TB to 2.7)
RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 (1600mhz) compared to 8GB LPDDR3 (1600mhz)
Storage: 128GB PCIe compared to 256GB PCIe
Graphics: Intel HD 5300 compared to Intel HD 6000
Battery: 9hr (web)/10hr (iTunes) compared to 12hr (web)/12hr (iTunes)
Weight: 0.92kg compared to 1.35kg

Other than the screen which is significantly better on the MB, the MB offers no tangible benefits for the costs (*cough* ports *cough*) other than the screen and the negligible weight difference. There is no one thing that makes this machine a clearly better option.

vansmith said:

Very much so! I configured an MBA here to be roughly the same cost ($20 more) and this is what I've got:

Feature: MB compared to MBA
Screen res: 2304x1440 compared to 1440x900
Processor: 1.1Ghz M (TB to 2.4) compared to 1.6Ghz (TB to 2.7)
RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 (1600mhz) compared to 8GB LPDDR3 (1600mhz)
Storage: 128GB PCIe compared to 256GB PCIe
Graphics: Intel HD 5300 compared to Intel HD 6000
Battery: 9hr (web)/10hr (iTunes) compared to 12hr (web)/12hr (iTunes)
Weight: 0.92kg compared to 1.35kg

Other than the screen which is significantly better on the MB, the MB offers no tangible benefits for the costs (*cough* ports *cough*) other than the screen and the negligible weight difference. There is no one thing that makes this machine a clearly better option.

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FWIW, if we go back to the original iPad Mini and iPhone, they were both low specced machines for a premium price, I am just hoping this is what Apple are doing now. Seeing if people will buy, then 12 months time, upset the recent MB buyers and bump up the specs and drop the price considerably, and bring out a newer version.

To me, if feels like we are paying for the development process of this MB, because of the design, battery, and the small everything !!! It comes across wrong to me.