READ: 15 MacBook Reviewers’ Opinions
Last month, Apple dazzled us with the unveiling of its thinnest, most beautiful MacBook yet, called … MacBook.
Yep, it’s thinner, lighter, and boasts a larger screen than the latest entry-level MacBook Air. It also comes in a gold version. (Finally?) But even with all of that, is it good enough to drop your current laptop for?
Here’s our roundup of what expert reviewers across the Internet are saying about Apple’s new MacBook.
MacBook (2015)
“Apple’s design of the new MacBook’s full-sized and backlit keyboard, Force Touch trackpad and integration of a Retina display and an Intel Core M processor make the experience ‘feel’ more like a much larger notebook. I think you’ll be surprised at just how many things you’ll be able to do with it versus larger devices and maybe even smaller devices like an iPad.
“…I highly recommend the new MacBook for anyone looking for a premium experience, premium priced, ultra-thin notebook experience who dislikes the downsides that come with most reduced form factor devices.”
(The Verge)
“This new MacBook is the future. All laptops are going to be like this someday: with ridiculously good screens, no fans, lasting all day. Just like the original MacBook Air defined a generation of competitors, this new MacBook will do the same. It, or something inspired by it, is what you’ll be using in two or three years. It’s that good.
“…You see, the problem with the future is that it isn’t here yet. Instead we live in the now, and the now doesn’t have the ecosystem of adapters and wireless peripherals I need to use this laptop with its single port. The now doesn’t have the right processor to power through the apps I need without ruining battery life. And right now, this laptop is far from cheap at $1,299.”
“As a longtime user of the MacBook Air line, I look at the MacBook with a mix of excitement and trepidation. This is the future of Apple’s thin and light laptop line, as well as a warning that we’re about to enter a transition period for devices as Apple begins to embrace USB-C. And ultimately that’s the trade-off here: To get the cutting edge technology, you’ve got to deal with the incompatibilities and limitations that go with it.
“People who are willing to deal with the pains in order to get their hands on a product like this, you know who you are. It’s waiting for you. The rest of the world will catch up, in time.”
(Wired)
“Much like that first Air, the new MacBook is for the future. It’s a vision of our next computer, the one we’ll buy when our Airs or ThinkPads can’t keep up anymore. The MacBook is a work in progress: The processor and the battery will improve, and the price will drop. It won’t take long. The future’s getting here faster than you think.“
“The Apple MacBook is certainly an excellent choice if you travel frequently and want to run desktop apps instead of settling for mobile versions. It’s lighter and much slimmer than the latest Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, and its battery lasts longer. However, the latter holds on as our Editors’ Choice high-end ultraportable laptop because at the same price as the 12-inch MacBook, it is still faster at most tasks, and it has much more versatile connectivity options. That said, the new MacBook is still one of the slimmest and most powerful ultraportables we’ve tested.”
“If money is no issue for you, you want a significantly smaller laptop and you don’t mind being limited by a lack of ports, then maybe upgrading to the new MacBook makes sense for you.
“But if you rely on USB ports and SD card slots, this MacBook’s single port for charging, storage transfers and other functionality will really bug you.”
(Wall Street Journal)
“It’s nearly impossible not to be seduced by this MacBook’s beauty, its dazzling screen and perfect trackpad. But don’t give in. Like the original MacBook Air, introduced in 2008, there are too many key compromises — in battery life, speed and port access — for the early-adopter price.
“I expect the new MacBook to follow the same path as the Air. Over the next few years, it will improve, and become an affordable, indispensable tool for life in the future. But here, now, in the present day, there are more practical slim, everyday laptop choices. The MacBook Air is the best option all around, the MacBook Pro Retina 13 is a great step up, and PC users can do no better than Dell’s latest XPS 13.”
— Joanna Stern, Wall Street Journal
“Much like the original Air, the new MacBook is expensive, and it’s not for everyone. In particular, it’s for well-heeled shoppers who demand the most portable machine possible, and who also don’t want to compromise on screen quality. That might not be persuasive to would-be Windows users, who have several compelling alternatives, many with equally sharp screens and a bigger selection of ports. But for loyal Mac fans who wouldn’t dream of switching, the new MacBook is by far the lightest-weight machine in Apple’s lineup, especially with this caliber of screen. It’s not for everyone, especially not right now, but if it’s anything like the Air, it might one day become the standard.”
(SlashGear)
“It’s undoubtedly cutting edge, and not everyone is there yet. Those with a bag full of peripherals will find the single USB-C port restrictive, and anybody with more ambitious plans than browsing, writing, watching videos, and a little multimedia processing will probably find the processor and graphics a bottleneck. Fair enough: the MacBook Pro fits that niche with aplomb.
“As someone who spends half his life — or more — on the road, however, the 2015 MacBook has been an eye-opener. Incredible design that’s also highly usable; lengthy battery life and enough speed to deal with most of the challenges I encounter; and all at a price that, when you take into account the breadth specifications, sounds more and more reasonable. It’s a traveller’s dream, and that’s why it’s become an essential in my bag.”
“With the new keyboard and trackpad innovations, lust-inducing industrial design, and impressive downsizing of internal components, the MacBook feels like an important next step in the evolution of portable computers. But this machine isn’t for everyone, particularly those who expect extremes from their devices. Still, if you prioritize style, need something ultraportable, and don’t mind trading power for a crisp and clear Retina display, then the perfect computer may have arrived.“
— Joshua Topolsky and Stephen Pulvirent, Bloomberg
(TechCrunch)
“It’s true that for users who treat their notebooks as their sole computers, and who like to plug a lot of things into those computers as a result, this probably isn’t the best option. But for people looking for a mobile Mac to complement their desktop machine, and for those who aren’t spending their whole day on their Macs for work (meaning likely the vast majority of general consumers), this is a future-oriented notebook that is just as effective in the present, too.”
— Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch
“My dream machine would have everything the new MacBook has but in a slightly larger size with one more port. But if you’re ready for an all-wireless future, the MacBook’s sheer portability and utility per square inch make it worth the splurge.“
— Mark Spoonauer, Laptop Magazine
“The most important thing about the new MacBook, to me, isn’t necessarily what it is now, but what it represents. In five years, the sea of MacBook Airs and MacBook Air-style machines we see now at Starbucks will be replaced by machines that look more like the new MacBook.
“This is the future.”
(Yahoo Tech)
“Ultimately the new MacBook feels like a first-generation product — a very good first-generation product, but a first-generation product nevertheless. It’s got some promise and a couple of major shortcomings and you don’t need to be the first person who takes the leap into the Brave New Future it represents. I use an iMac as my primary computer and a 13-inch MacBook Air when I’m sitting on the couch or in a café or on a plane, and perhaps 90 percent of the time this MacBook can replace the Air without issue. If this is going to be your main computer or only computer or if you’re one of the bare handful of people who use Thunderbolt for something, it’s hard to recommend.”
— Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica
“This is the 2008 MacBook Air. Today, the MacBook Air is frequently cited as the best laptop on the market — but the first model, in 2008, was also called overpriced, underpowered, and amazing-looking. In the same way, the 12-inch MacBooks of 2016 and 2017 will lose their flaws, enter a new era of USB-C compatibility, and seem much more at home in a more wireless world.
“Even Apple is allowed to start with a 1.0 version. But you don’t have to buy it.”
Email me at danbean@yahoo-inc.com. Follow me on Twitter at @danielwbean.
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