[Official] 12" Macbook Discussions

[EldonChew]

I think they quite cunning. If I make a decision to forgo macboook now and go ahead and buy current mba/mbp then I'm like buying obsolete technology with the old USB, old thunderbolt, old charger etc etc.

I'm sure in another 1-2yrs, they will update current mba/mpb to include 2-3 ports of USB-C type and they will use the updated logic board with i5/i7 to bring both the size and weight down but with more powerful processing power.

Probably 1-2yrs is a bit far fetch. The next apple event perhaps...

They just updated the 13" MacBook Pro
The 15" will likely get updated with Force Touch and quad core Broadwell when Intel releases it later this year so most likely during the October event when they announce the iPad Air 3.

Most likely the 13" and 15" MBP will get updated with similar designs as the new MacBook(new keyboard, metal enclosure, USB-C and stuff) next year with Intel Skylake processors

 

[melvinchen]

Based on parallel website, recommended ram to run virtual w7 is 4GB. Then we are left with 4GB ram. Graphics is shared ram right? Probably 512-1GB gone to that. So we are left with 3GB for Mac host OS. Is that enough?

Still have to run work application like words, excel, normal surfing.

OS X does a better job in terms of memory optimization, as for Windows 7 VM 2GB should be sufficient unless you intent to run complex stuff such as complex calculation or working with lots of records in MS Excel.

 

[Morugana]

anyway first gen macbook is not worth the 1.8k price tag
not forgetting the accessories maybe u need to set aside another 200 for it

cons = intel core m and only 1 port, 12 inch is it too small? at least a 13.3 for the eyes?


pros = its really pretty esp the gold/grey, fanless design, retina display, force touchpad, 900gram


wait for next few gen we will see a better spec @ better price

 

[tomasulu]

Accessories has always been the money cow.

Do you know how much revenue apple pull in these days? I'm sure accessories have high margins (just like most apple products really) but in terms of top line theyre probably just a rounding error. Why can't people accept that engineering is about compromise and Apple has decided to produce a super thin & light-weight retina machine that has good battery life? To do that the laptop has to be free from the shackles of legacy io it's simple as that. I think the vast majority of white collar workers use their laptops for office productivity suite, emails, web surfing, vpn, conf calls, etc. and this more than suffice.

 

[noobiee]

after seeing the price

nah

i will get 15" mbp instead

 

[xjasonz]

The Apple logo does not glow anymore on the new Macbook...

 

[melvinchen]

The Apple logo does not glow anymore on the new Macbook...

Apple followed the color scheme of the iPad Air 2.

 

[xjasonz]

Apple followed the color scheme of the iPad Air 2.

Yea.. No more Iconic glow on its Mac anymore...

 

[*adiBOY]

The Apple logo does not glow anymore on the new Macbook...

Apple will subsequently updates all their MacBooks to the new metal logo.

after seeing the price

nah

i will get 15" mbp instead

If you can wait, there will be an update for the 15" model. If not just get from the refurb store more worth it for now.

 

[ashhong]

Apple will subsequently updates all their MacBooks to the new metal logo.



If you can wait, there will be an update for the 15" model. If not just get from the refurb store more worth it for now.

yes, as soon as intel release the broadwell quad core.

 

[melvinchen]

Apple will subsequently updates all their MacBooks to the new metal logo.



If you can wait, there will be an update for the 15" model. If not just get from the refurb store more worth it for now.

I would rather Apple updates all other Macbook models with the iPad Air 2 color scheme. honestly speaking the glow from the logo also consumes power which will eat into the battery life.

 

[chenaz]

The Apple logo does not glow anymore on the new Macbook...

arg didnt noe tat. sad.

 

[Morugana]

I would rather Apple updates all other Macbook models with the iPad Air 2 color scheme. honestly speaking the glow from the logo also consumes power which will eat into the battery life.

iirc the glow is just the backlight from the lcd screen

 

[doorsen]

I think they quite cunning. If I make a decision to forgo macboook now and go ahead and buy current mba/mbp then I'm like buying obsolete technology with the old USB, old thunderbolt, old charger etc etc.

I'm sure in another 1-2yrs, they will update current mba/mpb to include 2-3 ports of USB-C type and they will use the updated logic board with i5/i7 to bring both the size and weight down but with more powerful processing power.

Probably 1-2yrs is a bit far fetch. The next apple event perhaps...

It's a cycle. Just weigh your needs and get the one which is most suitable for you. That's why Apple are earning big bucks, cause they cater to the needs of different people. Some don't mind the weight, some prefer a better processor with retina display. The new Macbook is more of a glamour laptop.

Still deciding between the new macbook, the MBA or the rMBP though...

If I wanna run parallels/bootcamp

 

[LonelyMan]

My opinion about technology chasing:

1) USB 3.0 took about 5 years to populate the market with decently reliable products, with some products totally cannot make it.

2) This USB 3.1 is only 5.0gbps speed implementation. Throughput of USB 3.1 is 10gbps. So now even buying current MacBook is going to be obsolete.

3) Unless you need 5K screen to work (you can use an iMac 5K or some manual arrangement on current machines), Thunderbolt 2 is a good 20gbps of bandwidth, enough for 4K screens. The MacBook Pro Retina have enough USB 3.0 ports plus TB2 ports.

4) TB3 products will need at least 1-2 years to come back to easily support 5K screen. TB3 machines will come only end of 2015 or 2016.

5) Only SSD can truely utilise USB3.1 bandwidth of 10gbps or about 800~900MBps. But my question is, do u need it? TB2 offers you 20gbps or about 1375MBps in real world and there are products readily available. TB product implementation is generally more reliable than some USB 3.0 products. Again, unless you are doing commercial stuff, I don't see why you need poor implementations of USB3.1 stuff for the next 2 years.

6) The 12" MacBook is clearly for those who only do some paper work, type their report, emailing, web surfing and other light stuff. The end users are lightly to have Free Wifi and using cloud services or storage would be feasible backups. Such users are unlikely to backup their system and would not bother if their system fails, simply because they have the backups online.

7) users would include university students, corporates running on cloud services as well as your run of the mill general users who dont do Photos or Video stuff.

8) There are the 13 and 15 rMBP which offers the solution yet people are in disbelief about why Apple make such a product. It is like a person who do not eat fish asking why is the fishmonger selling fish when I don't eat.

 

[ashhong]

iirc the glow is just the backlight from the lcd screen

yes you are right. the Apple logo is lit by the backlight of the display so there won't be energy saved by removing it.

the glowing apple was removed to make the lid/screen thinner.

My opinion about technology chasing:

1) USB 3.0 took about 5 years to populate the market with decently reliable products, with some products totally cannot make it.
even today there are products that comes with 2 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 and i don't even understand why can't it all be USB 3.0. that made me had to remember which part is the faster one.

2) This USB 3.1 is only 5.0gbps speed implementation. Throughput of USB 3.1 is 10gbps. So now even buying current MacBook is going to be obsolete.

3) Unless you need 5K screen to work (you can use an iMac 5K or some manual arrangement on current machines), Thunderbolt 2 is a good 20gbps of bandwidth, enough for 4K screens. The MacBook Pro Retina have enough USB 3.0 ports plus TB2 ports.

4) TB3 products will need at least 1-2 years to come back to easily support 5K screen. TB3 machines will come only end of 2015 or 2016.

5) Only SSD can truely utilise USB3.1 bandwidth of 10gbps or about 800~900MBps. But my question is, do u need it? TB2 offers you 20gbps or about 1375MBps in real world and there are products readily available. TB product implementation is generally more reliable than some USB 3.0 products. Again, unless you are doing commercial stuff, I don't see why you need poor implementations of USB3.1 stuff for the next 2 years.

6) The 12" MacBook is clearly for those who only do some paper work, type their report, emailing, web surfing and other light stuff. The end users are lightly to have Free Wifi and using cloud services or storage would be feasible backups. Such users are unlikely to backup their system and would not bother if their system fails, simply because they have the backups online.

yes, and many of the current mba users just use it for web surfing and this machine is more than capable to do just that.

7) users would include university students, corporates running on cloud services as well as your run of the mill general users who dont do Photos or Video stuff.

8) There are the 13 and 15 rMBP which offers the solution yet people are in disbelief about why Apple make such a product. It is like a person who do not eat fish asking why is the fishmonger selling fish when I don't eat.
apple won't be that stupid to make a product that nobody want. even if nobody want, they will somewhat still manage to make you want it.

 

[eventidephoenix]

The feeling I get is that this MB is meant to replace an iPad as a productivity tool. Apple's iPads never quite caught up with productivity, technology meant the gap between the iPad and the laptop gets smaller. Apple took a gamble an bridged it.

If I were in the market for a portable productivity tool, this would be it. Anything more though, I would reconsider.

Instead of thinking about it as "a laptop with diminished capability"
Think of it as "an iPad running OSX with a keyboard that weights <1kg"

Whether this gamble would pay off or not is another story to tell/discuss

 

[EldonChew]

Belkin Announces New Line of USB-C Cables, USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter

 

[Mr. Bushido]

The feeling I get is that this MB is meant to replace an iPad as a productivity tool. Apple's iPads never quite caught up with productivity, technology meant the gap between the iPad and the laptop gets smaller. Apple took a gamble an bridged it.

If I were in the market for a portable productivity tool, this would be it. Anything more though, I would reconsider.

Instead of thinking about it as "a laptop with diminished capability"
Think of it as "an iPad running OSX with a keyboard that weights <1kg"

Whether this gamble would pay off or not is another story to tell/discuss

I don't know about you guys, but for me, the iPad is still a must have. The iPad is better than my phone or MacBook Pro for tasks like news reading, reading comics and ebooks and light web-surfing. It just feels more natural to hold it in the hand, much like reading a newspaper.

 

[xjasonz]

Still waiting for Apple to respond to Microsoft's latest Surface Pro. I can only drool of a Apple version of SP3 w Retina Display n power laden features....