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Not sure I agree that the Macbook is "an inferior machine at a higher price". At 12", it is the only <13" offering currently.
by utopcell 8y ago
Not sure I agree that the Macbook is "an inferior machine at a higher price". At 12", it is the only <13" offering currently.
- Hamuko 8y agoWhat do you gain with picking a 12-inch display over a 13.3-inch display?
- yoz-y 8y agoIs this a trick question? If you are in the market for a smaller than 13” computer then that’s that.
- randyrand 8y agomore portability.
- charlesju 8y agoAs someone that loves his Macbook, I thought I'd give some context for my decision to buy the Macbook and why I'd still probably the Macbook if I had to choose again today. It really comes down to two things 1. Weight 2. Tolerable Performance The Macbook I have has a 1.4 GHz Core i7 and 16 GB of ram. Very rarely do I feel that I have issues with the daily things I need to do with the mac, which are some light programming/scripting/SQL and even hums when I have to do spreadsheets and manage multiple websites. Given the performance is very good by real life standards, the weight is really the big issue to consider. This is a considerable amount of difference between 2.03lbs and 2.75lbs. That's 35% lighter, that's a huge percentage when you have to drag your laptop around everywhere with you. I would gladly pay up to $1000 for that weight cut because of how much better my quality of life is with a smaller and more portable Macbook. For me, I need to have my computer with me everywhere I go: dinner, hiking, vacations, etc. Having it do everything I want in a reasonable performance threshold and being 35% lighter, the Macbook is still by far the superior product.
- gumby 8y agoIt’s so tiny it’s practically the size of an iPad. If you travel a lot this can be a huge deal. I did a ton of development on one and it was great, but I had a beefier machine for visualizations and big compiles. Still, the tiny 12” is my go-to computer, small disk notwithstanding. It also appears anecdotally that the smaller screen is more popular in Asia than in US/EU (for both Mac and Windows).
- athenot 8y agoI used to have the 13" MacBook Air but am now on a 15" MBP. What I found is that whereas I'm reluctant to pull out my MBP on the couch or bed; I used to do that without hesitation with the MBA. There seems to be some threshold of weight/size that produces friction and makes me keep the MBP on a desk instead of using it like a (more) mobile device. This is bizarre since the 2 machines are not immensely different in sizing, but it's something about the feel. Obviously this is highly subjective but this is making me consider a 12" MacBook to have as my personal, non-workhorse machine.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- manicdee 8y agoMy carry-on and camera bags have a pouch for this size laptop, originally the 11” MBA. The bags only cost a hundred each so I am not putting a large dollar value on a laptop that fits. The smaller laptop is lighter, and when we have airlines aggressively enforcing 4kg limits on carry-on, every gram matters. I put my chargers in checked baggage, while my camera, lenses and laptop live in carry-on. An extra 200g of laptop means leaving behind part of my camera. Not price sensitive about one-off purchase, but I am price sensitive about more frequent purchases!
- drb91 8y agoSeriously. I just bought one for travel and loaded it with ram and I couldn’t be happier.
- logicallee 8y ago>and I couldn’t be happier. Even with the keyboard? May I ask how fast you type (roughly) and whether you use it much for text input (such as emails) or programming?
- anschwa 8y agoI use an ergodox at work with mx-clears, it’s the most comfortable keyboard I’ve ever had. The 12” macbook is the greatest laptop I’ve ever had. In fact, I actually prefer the v2 “paper thin” keyboard to the traditional one.
- drb91 8y agoI mean the keyboard isn’t amazing: the key travel is still tiny. But, it doesn’t have that top row replaced with a touch screen, which I would never look at (let alone touch) anyway. EDIT: ahh, you were wondering about the size. I have small hands and type on it with ease. No complaints :)
- charlesju 8y agoKeyboard is definitely fine. I don't notice any issue with it when I travel and am forced to type on it. But in general, I don't type on the Macbook when I travel. I usually have an ergo set up with a portable keyboard and touch pad and laptop stand. Portable Apple Keyboard: http://a.co/d/4mKQqL1 http://a.co/d/4mKQqL1 Portable Apple Touchpad: http://a.co/d/acoXyuK http://a.co/d/acoXyuK Portable Laptop Stand: http://a.co/d/2GSLqIa http://a.co/d/2GSLqIa
- logicallee 8y agodid you use previous generations of macbook (before the butterfly keyboard was introduced) such as 2012? how does it compare? I find it odd that you say it's fine if you're "forced to" use it, like your standard for a laptop keyboard isn't one that you should be able to use regularly (and you mention bringing your own). was wondering why you have this attitude...
- masklinn 8y agoAlso it's 2 lbs versus 2.7, that's a fair bit of difference.
- notatoad 8y agoi think you're making the author's point for him. it's an inferior machine in every way except for an inch of screen size. People are willing to pay extra for a marginally smaller computer, and apple is happy for that.
- utopcell 8y agoSize is a big feature though.
- notatoad 8y agoagain, that's the whole point of the article - the MacBook/air/pro lineup is all about upsells, and they've managed to convert "smaller" into one of those upsells, where the 11" air used to be the cheapest model.
- utopcell 8y agoI get the article's point -- no arguments there. But calling the macbook "an inferior machine at a higher price" seems kind of a stretch IMO.
- draw_down 8y agoMmm, I think the only case for it is that the screen is smaller and that it weighs less. Otherwise it is exactly that, an inferior machine for more money.